Professional Photographer May 2008

©Michael Spengler MAY 2008 | WWW.PPMAG.COM | $4.95 CONTENTS PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER | MAY 2008 Features 86 THE MO...

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©Michael Spengler

MAY 2008 | WWW.PPMAG.COM | $4.95

CONTENTS PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER | MAY 2008

Features 86

THE MOMENT OF COOL Michael Spengler infuses senior portraits with fashion flair by Stephanie Boozer

72

SENIORS: FEELING THE WOW

Janice Crabtree’s camera work helps boost teens’ self-esteem by Jeff Kent

78

SENIORS: TRENDSETTERS

Morgans’ Fine Art Photography finds the sweet spot in the ever-changing senior market by Lorna Gentry IMAGE BY MORGANS’ FINE ART PHOTOGRAPHY

CONTENTS PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER | MAY 2008 | WWW.PPMAG.COM

14

FOLIO

94

CALENDAR

101

PPA TODAY

122

GOOD WORKS

©Michael Spengler

Departments C O N TA C T S H E E T 20 Shooting ghosts: Phillip Makanna 26 Appealing to your clients’ senses

by Michael Barton 28 Studio B’s cradle of light

by Stephanie Boozer 30 Blog yourself

by Sean Cayton

PROFIT CENTER 33 What I think: Sal Cincotta 34 Selling out or selling up?

by Stephanie Boozer 40 The joy of marketing: Fever pitch

by Sarah Petty 46 Wish come true

by Lori Craft 48 Selling senior albums

by Tim Babin

86

THE GOODS 51 What I like: Garrett Nudd 52 Printing: Safe to go

back in the water by David Saffir

ON THE COVER: Roy Perkins of Del Mar, Calif., who was born without hands or feet, was encouraged by his parents to try any sport he was interested in. He learned to swim at age 12 for safety reasons, and soon found he had a competitive drive in the water. In his athletic career, he has set more than 20 American swimming records, three Pan American records, and continues to hold the world record in the 50 and 100 meter butterfly race. He and his parents have raised more than $130,000 for the Challenged Athletes Foundation based in San Diego. Perkins turns 18 in May and is one of 38 athletes to earn a berth on the U.S. Paralympics Swimming Team that will compete in the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing. Michael Spengler took the cover image of Perkins at Marine Beach in La Jolla, Calif., with a Canon EOS-1D Mark II N and EF 24-70 f/2.8L lens for 1/40 second at f/6.3, ISO 50. He used an AlienBees B1600 flash unit with Paul C. Buff Octabox to light his subject, with a Vagabond 150 system supplying power and a Manfrotto 3011 tripod with a ball head to keep the camera steady.

6 • www.ppmag.com

58 Pro review: Spyder3Studio

by Stan Sholik 62 Pro gear: Travel light

by Joe Farace 66 Software: Nik Software Viveza

by Mark Levesque 70 Solutions: PSD vs. TIFF

by Andrew Rodney

show the world how you see it.

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P ROF E S S I ONA L

EDITORIAL

director of publications

CAMERON BISHOPP [email protected]

The great debate STILL WONDERING WHETHER TO OFFER DIGITAL FILES? Does offering digital image files to clients mean you’re selling out, or is it selling up? Thanks to digital technology’s incorporation into practically all

senior editor

art director/production manager

JOAN SHERWOOD [email protected]

DEBBIE TODD [email protected]

features editor

manager, publications and sales/strategic alliances

LESLIE HUNT [email protected]

KARISA GILMER [email protected]

editor-at-large

sales and marketing assistant

JEFF KENT [email protected]

CHERYL PEARSON [email protected] technical editors

ANDREW RODNEY, ELLIS VENER

studio workflows, a number of complicated issues have bubbled to the surface that we as an industry need to address. “Selling out or selling up?” explores one quandary: How should photographers respond to clients’ demand for digital files?

director of sales and strategic alliances

SCOTT HERSH, 610-966-2466, [email protected] western region ad manager

BART ENGELS, 847-854-8182, [email protected] eastern region ad manager

Should you release files to your customers? (It depends.) Are

SHELLIE JOHNSON, 404-522-8600, x279, [email protected]

other studios delivering digital files in some format? (80 percent of

MOLLIE O’SHEA, [email protected]

the photographers PPA surveyed said yes.) If you are handing over disks of images, are you doing it in a way that’s both financially and legally savvy? (Turn to p. 34 to find out more!) “Selling out or selling up?” represents a joint effort between the Professional Photographers of America (PPA) Membership and Publications departments. The story was conceived last fall during a meeting of the PPA Board of Directors. (Professional Photographer is the official magazine of PPA.) Sometimes it takes a fresh, clear voice to remind us just how challenging it is to be a small business owner in professional photography. In that meeting, new board member Susan Michal, M.Photog.Cr., CPP, whose portrait and wedding studio is based in Jacksonville, Fla., was that voice. Her comments on the digital debate sparked a productive discussion that eventually inspired both a member-wide survey and this article. Each member of PPA’s Board of Directors is an experienced professional photographer who’s been in the same position you’re in right now: running a business. Each has faced the challenges and felt the strain of trying to make the right decisions for their studios. Many of you are probably don’t have time to read up on the issues covered at every board meeting (see aforementioned strain of running a business), but I wanted you to know how this especially important session launched an inquiry that aims to answer many of your crucial questions. I Cameron Bishopp Director of Publications [email protected]

10 • www.ppmag.com

circulation consultant editorial offices

Professional Photographer 229 Peachtree Street NE, Suite 2200, Atlanta, GA 30303-1608 U.S.A. 404-522-8600; FAX: 404-614-6406 Professional Photographer (ISSN 1528-5286) is published monthly subscriptions

Professional Photographer P.O. Box 2035, Skokie, IL 60076; 800-742-7468; FAX 404-614-6406; email: [email protected]; Web site: www.ppmag.com member services

PPA - Professional Photographer 800-786-6277; FAX 301-953-2838; e-mail: [email protected]; www.ppa.com Send all advertising materials to: Debbie Todd, Professional Photographer, 5431 E. Garnet, Mesa, AZ 85206; 480-807-4391; FAX: 480-807-4509 Subscription rates/information: U.S.: $27, one year; $45, two years; $66, three years. Canada: $43, one year; $73, two years; $108, three years. International: $39.95, one year digital subscription. Back issues/Single copies $7 U.S.; $10 Canada; $15 International. PPA membership includes $13.50 annual subscription. Subscription orders/changes: Send to Professional Photographer, Attn: Circulation Dept., P.O. Box 2035, Skokie, IL 60076; 800-742-7468; FAX 404-614-6406; email: [email protected]; Web site: www.ppmag.com. Periodicals postage paid in Atlanta, Ga., and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to Professional Photographer magazine, P.O. Box 2035, Skokie, IL 60076 Copyright 2008, PPA Publications & Events, Inc. Printed in U.S.A. Article reprints: Contact Professional Photographer reprint coordinator at Wrights’s Reprints; 1-877-652-5295. Microfilm copies: University Microfilms International, 300 North Zeeb Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48106 Professional Photographer (ISSN 1528-5286) is published monthly for $27 per year by PPA Publications and Events, Inc., 229 Peachtree Street, NE, Suite 2200, International Tower, Atlanta, GA 30303-1608. Periodicals postage paid at Atlanta, Ga., and additional mailing offices. Acceptance of advertising does not carry with it endorsement by the publisher. Opinions expressed by Professional Photographer or any of its authors do not necessarily reflect positions of Professional Photographers of America, Inc. Professional Photographer, official journal of the Professional Photographers of America, Inc., is the oldest exclusively professional photographic publication in the Western Hemisphere (founded 1907 by Charles Abel, Hon.M.Photog.), incorporating Abel’s Photographic Weekly, St. Louis & Canadian Photographer, The Commercial Photographer, The National Photographer, Professional Photographer, and Professional Photographer Storytellers. Circulation audited and verified by BPA Worldwide

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chairman of the board *JACK REZNICKI Cr.Photog., Hon.M.Photog., API [email protected]

Professional Photographers of America 229 Peachtree St., NE, Suite 2200 Atlanta, GA 30303-1608 404-522-8600; 800-786-6277 FAX: 404-614-6400 www.ppa.com

directors DON DICKSON M.Photog.Cr., CPP [email protected] SANDY (SAM) PUC’ M.Photog.Cr., CPP, ABI [email protected]

2008-2009 PPA board president *DENNIS CRAFT M.Photog.Cr., CPP, API, F-ASP [email protected] vice president *RON NICHOLS M.Photog.Cr., API [email protected] treasurer *LOUIS TONSMEIRE Cr.Photog., API [email protected]

12 • www.ppmag.com

RALPH ROMAGUERA, SR. M.Photog.Cr., CPP, API, F-ASP [email protected]

DOUG BOX M.Photog.Cr., API [email protected] DON MACGREGOR M.Photog.Cr., API [email protected] industry advisor KEVIN CASEY [email protected] legal counsel Howe and Hutton, Chicago

CAROL ANDREWS M.Photog.Cr., ABI [email protected]

PPA staff DAVID TRUST Chief Executive Officer [email protected]

SUSAN MICHAL M.Photog.Cr., CPP, ABI [email protected]

SCOTT KURKIAN Chief Financial Officer [email protected]

TIMOTHY WALDEN M.Photog.Cr., F-ASP [email protected]

CAMERON BISHOPP Director of Publications [email protected]

DANA GROVES Director of Marketing & Communications [email protected] SCOTT HERSH Director of Sales & Strategic Alliances [email protected] J. ALEXANDER HOPPER Director of Membership, Copyright and Government Affairs [email protected] WILDA OKEN Director of Administration [email protected] LENORE TAFFEL Director of Events/Education [email protected] SANDRA LANG Executive Assistant [email protected] *Executive Committee of the Board

folio|

Comprising images selected from the files of the PPA Loan Collection, Folio is a monthly sample of award-winning photography by PPA members. The Loan Collection is a select group of some 500 photographs chosen annually by the PPA print judges from more than 5,000 entries.

©Gregg Wurtzler

GREGG WURTZLER After a busy year at the studio, Gregg Wurtzler, M.Photog.Cr., of Wurtzler Photography in Middletown, Ohio, says this image, “Drained,” sums up how he felt. Wurtzler shot this commercial image with a Fujifilm FinePix S3 Pro digital SLR and 28-105mm Nikkor f/3.5-4.5 D AF Zoom lens, exposing the image for 1/60 second at f/16, ISO 100. For the main light, Wurtzler used a 600WS Photogenic PowerLight 1500 and 30x40-inch Photogenic soft box, with a second 600WS PowerLight 1500 bouncing in fill. He also used mirrors and homemade foam board reflectors to bounce light. On the background, he used a third 600WS PowerLight 1500 and Photogenic reflector spot grid. He performed minor retouching in Adobe Photoshop CS2.

14 • www.ppmag.com

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©Leon Larsen

LEON LARSEN Each subject in this family portrait was photographed individually, except those being held. Leon Larsen, M.Photog.Cr., CPP, of Hart Photography in Idaho Falls, Idaho, shot each family member with a Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II digital SLR and 24-105mm Canon f/4 L IS USM EF lens, exposing the frames for 1/100 second at f/8, ISO 100. A 31WS Photogenic PowerLight 2500DR behind a 4x6-foot Larson Soff Box served as the main light, and a 125WS PowerLight 2500DR bounced off a white wall to add fill. Larsen used a 62WS Photogenic PowerLight 1250DR and a Larson 9x24inch Soff Box for hair light, and behind the subject, two 31WS Photogenic PowerLight 1250DR kicker lights at 45 degrees and 16-inch parabolic reflectors with barn doors and frosted, translucent covers. Larsen used Adobe Photoshop to combine the portraits into “The Heatons.”

©Scott Dupras

SCOTT DUPRAS Photographing the scene for its dramatic lighting, Scott Dupras, M.Photog.Cr., CPP, of Scott Dupras Fine Art Photography in Marquette, Mich., was pleasantly surprised when the park ranger strolled into view. Shooting with his Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II digital SLR and 16-35mm Canon f/2.8 L USM EF lens, Dupras exposed “Guardians of the Past” for 1/125 second at f/11. He added the sepia tone in Adobe Photoshop. “I love it when I can get images like this that capture the moment as it was,” says Dupras.

16 • www.ppmag.com

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CONTACT SHEET What’s New, Events, Hot Products, Great Ideas, Etc.

Shooting ghosts For 30 years Phillip Makanna has photographed— and occasionally crashed in—historic airplanes BY LORNA GENTRY

All images ©Phillip Makanna

“I’m making a romantic record of aviation history that needs to be saved.” — PHILLIP MAKANNA

For a moment, veteran aviation photographer

airplanes I photograph are one of a kind, the

Phillip Makanna ponders a question about

last one flying,” he reflects. “The rest, just six

retiring. He has just returned home to San

of these or 10 of those left in existence.”

Francisco from New Zealand, where he photo-

From the back of a 1930s T-6 Texan or

graphed vintage aircraft in the biennial

World War II-era B-25 bomber, Makanna

Warbirds Over Wanaka International Air

shoots Nikon D3 and D2Xs SLR cameras with

Show. Chuckling softly he says, “Well, it’s

a 70-300mm Nikon AF-S VR or 24-120mm

getting harder and harder to get into those

AF-S VR lens. “What I do happens under

airplanes. Last week I got stuck getting

violent circumstances,” he says. “We’re moving

out of one.”

at 100 to 180 mph. If the camera gets in the

Yet retirement is out of the question. For

wind, everything is blurred. Even though

one thing, Makanna wants to do another

I’m shooting in a bouncy airplane, I can’t shoot

book. He has published five so far, including

fast. If I go over 1/250 second, I can’t get a

the gorgeous coffee table books “Ghosts of

blur in the propeller. And if the propeller is

the Great War,” his most recent about aviation

frozen, it looks like there’s something wrong.”

in World War I, and “Ghosts of the Skies,” about

In a T-6 he can roll back the top canvas and

World War II airplanes, both published by

shoot in open air, but the tail and wing encum-

MBI Publishing. “Next I’ll do a book about

ber his view. There’s no obstruction shooting

the romance of aviation, the way I’ve seen it.”

from the tail of a B-25, but they’re expensive to

What Makanna has seen through the

fly. Helicopters won’t do because of how differ-

lenses of his Nikons over the last 30 years is

ently they fly, and the downdraft they create

extraordinary. “Probably 25 percent of the

would jar the airplane he’s photographing.

CONTACT SHEET

All images ©Phillip Makanna

“I go up at dawn or sunset when the air is smooth,” he says. “I try to control things, but I can’t. If I’m lucky, I come back with something.” Makanna’s romance with aviation began when he took pictures of World War II planes at a Nevada air show. Those photos were collected in the first “Ghosts” book, and were his introduction to a global enclave of aviation enthusiasts. “People are passionate about these airplanes because we all have the dream to fly,” he said. “I started making the “Ghost” calendars 29 years ago and keep it going because people continue to dream.” While he readily admits to getting airsick (taking a bit of organic ginger helps, he says), Makanna has no fear of flying, even after three crashes. “The fun of it supercedes the fear. And so far, I’ve been able to photograph my crashes.” To see more of Phillip Makanna’s work, visit www.ghosts.com. Lorna Gentry is a freelance writer in Atlanta.

22 • www.ppmag.com

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CONTACT SHEET

©Kathie Wurtzler

“Every second of our lives, we make subconscious decisions based on the perceptions of our senses.”

Good sense

Appealing to your clients’ senses BY MICHAEL BARTON, CR.PHOTOG., CPP

Every second of our lives, we make subconscious

this isn’t a haircut, it’s an experience, a sensory

can I get you to drink?” Put out candy in a

decisions based on the perceptions of our

treat that’s worth paying that much for.

pretty dish and a salty snack or two.

senses. There is no better way to make a

The experience hits all five senses, and

Appeal to the sense of touch. A warm

positive impression on clients than by

elicits a sense of something you can’t quite

handshake is a good thing. Touching is a

appealing to all five.

put your finger on. Whatever it is, it makes

strong way of communicating, but play it by

you feel good. Photographers can give

ear, take your cues from the individual’s body

clients an experience in sense-around, too.

language. Before you get personal enough for a

A cluttered studio, prints hung randomly on white walls, the lovely hum of fluorescent lighting, the faint ordor of yesterday’s lunch—per-

Appeal to the sense of sight with well chosen

hug, appeal to the tactile sense with the fabrics

haps none of these factors is a deal breaker, but

colors, high-impact frames that complement

on your furniture, the texture of the counter-

they sure make a bad impression, and on a deep,

your images, lighting that highlights your

tops, everything a visitor is likely to touch.

subliminal level that no sweet words can rewrite.

work and defines spaces with a pleasing

Appeal to the sense of hearing with music.

Walking into a high-end hair salon is like

ambience, and with orderliness throughout.

Music is a subjective pleasure, so have a variety

entering a sensory haven. The staff dress fash-

Appeal to the sense of smell. Do it gently

of royalty-free music on hand to suit various

ionably, their hair is perfect, and they are well

with regard for sensitive noses. Candles and

tastes and create moods conducive to a pleas-

groomed to the fingertips. The salon walls,

incense can work if used sparingly, fresh coffee

ant experience. Having a large collection to

seldom white, are decorated with beautiful

smells good to most everyone, peppermint

pull from means that you can make your

framed art. Mood music is playing, pleasant

and cinnamon liven up the mood, fresh

studio their studio at the push of a button.

aromas waft by your nose, and the lighting is

popcorn smells tantalizing. How about fresh

flattering yet functional. The receptionist

flowers in the changing room?

offers you a beverage, and you’re soon

Appeal to the sense of taste. Got a fridge?

relaxing into a neck rub, then enjoying the

Stock it with soft drinks and chilled water,

warm water bathing your scalp. You had to

flavored or sparkling or just plain refreshing.

wait two weeks to get an appointment, but

Nothing says customer service like, “What

26 • www.ppmag.com

When all of the senses come together, clients will feel a sense of comfort that will make them linger and call them back. Michael Barton’s studio, Indigo Photographic, is in Batavia Ill. (www.indigophotographic.com).

CONTACT SHEET

Cradle of light

bringing the height of the table to 8 feet. Babies are placed on the table, which has a barrier on all sides to prevent tumbles. Space at the front of the box allows parents access to the child. The photographer shoots from above the table. “I’m surprised how much the babies like it,” says Timothy. “We haven’t had one baby All images ©Walden’s Photography

be afraid of it yet. They’re intrigued by it—

Studio B, a Walden’s Photography offshoot, and its luminous approach to photographing babies

they put their hands down and stare at how

BY STEPHANIE BOOZER

on their own but aren’t yet crawling or walking.

their fingers are lit.” Studio B’s luminous look is available for babies from 3 months to 1 year, and works best with babies age 6 to 9 months, who can sit up “The most exciting thing about these

There’s nothing like a baby’s skin. It’s pure and

portraits is the new look they bring into our

supple, and wonderful to photograph. Timothy

marketplace, allowing us to expand our

and Beverly Walden, both M.Photog.Cr., F-ASP,

client base and get younger mothers,” says

of Walden’s Photography in Lexington, Ky.,

Beverly. “It also gives me an opportunity to

have developed a way to capture it beauti-

play with new things, such as Wild Sorbet

fully at their three-year-old second business,

frames and colorfully designed presenta-

Studio B. This studio fulfills what the Waldens

tions, that would not fit the Walden brand,

saw as a need in the market for a contemporary

and that keeps me on my toes creatively.”

yet classic update in baby photography. The idea was born when Beverly found an The Waldens promote Studio B, an offshoot of Walden’s Photography, with a Web site designed to complement the bright modern look of the studio’s baby photography.

Judging by client response and the increase in bookings, Studio B is proving a success.

image of a baby lit from all sides, apparently

“Even though it’s a more contemporary

floating in midair. After some study, Timothy

approach, it’s still timeless,” explains Timothy.

designed a baby-friendly light table to produce

“That’s really key—avoiding novelty while

a similar effect. The 4-foot wide light box on

staying contemporary.”

wheels features a 4x10-foot length of Plexiglas that sweeps up from the table in a gentle curve,

28 • www.ppmag.com

Visit www.waldensphotography.com/studiob.

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CONTACT SHEET

Blog yourself Could a simple online diary become a linchpin in your studio’s marketing efforts? BY SEAN CAYTON

Since December, I’ve seen at least three professional wedding photographers in my area shut their doors. All were competent

14 IDEAS FOR A SUCCESSFUL BLOG 1. Stay on message. Visitors should know exactly what your blog’s about in the first 10 seconds of viewing it. 2. Show your personality. Blogs are meant to be personal. Share a bit about who you are and how you feel about your photography. Be personable. 3. Respond to comments quickly. Two-way conversation is exactly what you want. 4. Use multimedia. People really dig it. 5. Track visitors. Use Google Analytics or another program to track how visitors were referred to the site and monitor the traffic flow. You’ll find out what content is popular and what isn’t. 6. Advertise your blog offline, too. 7. Keep it simple. Use an easy-to-read, clean and consistent design. 8. Niche it. Limit the subject of your blog to one or two related specialties. Create separate blogs for your other specialties. 9. Update, update, update. Regular updates keep readers coming back and your search engine rankings high. 10. Keywords are crucial. Think of your blog copy as a massive list of keywords that define its niche and content. Make it easy for search engines to find the site and rank it high in relevance. 11. Tags are important. Tag all your posts by subject. Google, for instance, will index all of the relevant posts in your blog by topic in potential clients’ searches. 12. Syndication. RSS is a way to syndicate your blog’s content throughout the Web. 13. Position your best above the fold. 14. Write and rewrite. Before you post, relax and let the message flow in your own inimitable style. Read it over and fix the spelling and the typos. Ask someone else to read and evaluate it for these criteria: technical correctness, fluency, directness, topicality, personable tone, and for heaven’s sake, whether it’s enjoyable to read.

30 • www.ppmag.com

photographers who serviced their clients to the best of their ability, and had once commanded a good share of the wedding business here. Due to lack of bookings, they’ve closed down, at least temporarily. I count myself lucky that in this economy, I’m not only surviving, but

Our studio’s blog is paying off. We read blogs by other photographers in our niche and—I’m not ashamed to say it—copied them.

growing. I’ve wondered about how other photographers are promoting their businesses, right or wrong. Perhaps the

After we committed ourselves to the

other wedding services vendors. We print

strategies that are working for my studio

blog, the next step was really hard: Filling it

the URL on our business cards, promotional

will work for others.

with good content. We had to demonstrate

brochures and any forms customers see. We

Our studio’s blog is paying off. We read

that we do a lot of business, that we make

also use Really Simple Syndication (RSS)

blogs by other photographers in our niche

fabulous photographs, and that there’s an

technology on our site, which automatically

and—I’m not ashamed to say it—copied

appealing personality behind it all. Blogging

alerts the online community to our updates.

them. We choreographed the online publica-

actually helped me find a voice, and it forced

tion of our clients’ wedding portfolios with

me to focus keenly on what we do. The result

our blog. We’ve eliminated virtually all other

has been booking better jobs for more money.

marketing and poured our energy into

We knew clients wouldn’t magically

blogging. The best part is that Internet

stumble onto our Web site, so we had to let

promotion is like free advertising, and it works.

it be known in our niche market, including

Sean and Cathy Cayton’s wedding studio is in Colorado Springs, Colo. (caytonphotography.com). They blog about their business at caytonphotography.com/ blog. Sean muses on the business of photography at caytonphotography.com/photobiz.

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Have you always dreamed of seeing your work on the cover of a national magazine? Here’s your chance! Beginning March 1, 2008, submit your photographs for an opportunity to be featured on the cover of Professional Photographer. Contest Rules & Judging: Images will be judged on technical and artistic merit. Helping Professional Photographer magazine editors choose the best entries will be guest judge Helen K. Yancy, M.Photog.M.Artist.MEI.Cr.Hon. M.Photog., CPP, F-ASP, Hon. F-ASP, the chairman of PPA’s Print Exhibition Committee. You may submit as many images as you wish, provided they are representative of the work you sell to your clients. What we’re seeking are real-world examples of portrait, wedding, commercial and event photography. All work

submitted must be original and previously unpublished, and you must have written releases on ﬁle from any subjects pictured in the image. Prizes: In addition to landing the cover of a 2008 edition of Professional Photographer, the winner will be awarded a selection of prizes from among our cover photo contest sponsors, Bogen, Canon, Kodak, Microsoft and Miller’s Professional Imaging. Prizes will also be awarded to 2nd-, 3rd-, 4th- and 5th-place winners, and as many as 25 entrants will receive prizes for honorable mention.

How to enter: Go to www.ppmag.com to enter. Only digital ﬁles will be accepted. Print images and e-mailed images will NOT be accepted. Upload your electronic images to www.ppmag.com. Format/Speciﬁcations: Submit low-resolution images only, in standard digital formats (.jpg, .pdf, etc.). Images should be 525x700 pixels; ﬁle size can’t be more than 250k. A high-resolution, print-quality version (300ppi at 9x12 inches) must be available for each image.

GO TO PPMAG.COM TO ENTER Submission deadline: Saturday, May 31, 2008

Professional Photographer

P R E S E N T S

Business, Marketing and Sales Strategies

What I think Sal Cincotta says the art of listening is the key to sales What advice would you give a new photographer? Do it right or don’t do it at all. Your name and reputation are everything in this business. What’s the biggest business risk you’ve ever taken? When I made the decision to go professional, I withdrew my savings and purchased $15,000 worth of equipment. It was the scariest thing I’d ever done, but it has paid dividends many times over. What was your big break—the turning point? Getting on the preferred vendor list for one of the top catering facilities in town. That relationship has made all the difference. It was instant credibility with our brides. What’s your deal breaker? Rude or argumentative people. When people are overly difficult during the consultation, it’s a sign of what’s to come. I recommend finding a way to graciously walk away from those clients. What is the biggest business mistake you see pro photographers making? They underestimate how important personality is to the sales cycle, and rely solely on their artistic ability. What is the single most important business element photographers should master? The art of listening. What do you think sells better, what your customers say they want or what you tell them they want? IMAGE BY SALVATORE CINCOTTA WWW.SALCINCOTTA.COM

May 2008 • Professional Photographer • 33

PROFIT CENTER

It’s increasingly difficult to avoid the question of whether to release digital files. But for the high number of studios who do, it can be a profitable practice when wisely executed. BY STEPHANIE BOOZER

Selling out or selling up? WHEN IT COMES TO RELEASING FILES, STUDIOS ARE MAPPING AN INTERESTING—AND PROFITABLE—MIDDLE GROUND

“Can I get my pictures on CD?” a potential wedding client asks. If you hand over the files, is the goodwill gesture worth jeopardizing additional print sales? Will you lose a customer if you don’t? Many customers now expect to receive their image files as part of a package, or as an add-on purchase, or even as a free service. With the growing demand for this service, it’s imperative to develop a strategy for fulfillment that works for your studio. • Should you release your files at all? • How will you manage the file delivery so it benefits your studio? • Is your legal house in order?

SHOULD YOU RELEASE DIGITAL FILES? Wedding photographer Doug Gordon, of Lindenhurst, N.Y., doesn’t release digital images at all. “Files are cropped and custom sized—something very difficult for retail photofinishers to handle—and high-quality labs handle our printing,” he says. “We tell our brides how closely we work with only high-quality printers, and we carefully use printer profiles to ensure that our customers end up with high-quality prints,” says Gordon. “We also give our customers a lifetime guarantee on all of their work and we make sure that the customer understands that we’ll guard the files of their images.” For Sam Gray of Sam Gray Portraits, in Raleigh, N.C., parting with digital files for portrait clients is akin to a mechanic giving away his tools. “I try not to go in that direction if I can help it,” unless it’s for commercial clients, he says. “I feel like we’re shooting ourselves in the foot if we release our digital files.” Because Gray’s portraiture has become more painterly than strictly photographic,

©Getty Images

34 • www.ppmag.com

he invests a great deal of time and energy in

each image. Clients can’t take what he creates

priced packages and product sales. For

to any photo printer and get stunning wall

example, a wall portrait could come with a

prints. “As the industry changes, and people

CD of other images from the session, along

have their own digital cameras, we have to

with a limited usage license. It’s an effective

stay ahead,” says Gray. “That’s why I went in

way to up-sell customers as well as satisfy

the direction of painting. About 75 percent

their requests for digital images.

of my work involves painting, though I still

A high-end wedding photographer in

do standard photos. We do the best quality we

Philadelphia, Faith West, of Faith West

can do with our prints, and it’s all in-house.”

Photography in Manayunk, Pa., noted that

Gray acknowledges that it can be difficult

when she didn’t release files. “I decided to

as little as $300 for wedding coverage and

include a limited usage license and raise my

simply give away the files immediately after

prices by $150. That way, clients can make

the event. “This is devastating to the photo

their own prints, and though I don’t get

industry, this new breed of digital

income from reprint orders, I make the same

photographers,” he says.

amount money without the extra effort.” says it’s paying off. “I make sure to tell my

own their files right away. The question of

clients that I would like them to order their

ownership rarely comes up with his portrait

prints online, and I recommend certain labs

work. He does, however, regularly release

that I trust,” she says. West has been selling

licensed files to his commercial clients. The

licenses for her files for the past three years,

client’s need in these cases is usage rights

and so far, has seen no negative repercus-

rather than making prints.

sions. “I’m finding an interesting upshot— I’ve booked more weddings as a result of

everything in-house for a year, then move it

this policy. People love it, love it, love it. Now

to our permanent archive,” says Gray.

I feel like I’m getting away with something,

“Before we do, we call the client and ask if

because the client is doing the work for me.”

they want to come back and look over their

Do you sell, give away or deliver digital files to clients?

Do you feel you have lost clients because you don’t release files?

West admits it was a scary transition, but

prints, so he sees no real need for them to

“We tell portrait clients we keep

PPA surveyed its membership and received more than 2,700 responses in five days.

her average reprint sale was about $150

to compete with photographers who charge

Gray’s clients typically purchase large

HOW DO PHOTOGRAPHERS HANDLE REQUESTS FOR DIGITAL FILES?

West’s clients wind up posting their

files before they’re archived. We get a lot of

images online, a service she doesn’t provide,

good orders from that, and there’s really no

as well as doing their own printing. “In a

extra work involved.”

way, I feel like I’m probably a pariah in

To what kind of clients do you deliver digital files?

Do you provide either a license or copyright transfer?

How do you deliver the files?

some peoples’ minds, but it’s a win-win for

SPECIAL DELIVERY

me,” she says. “Before I had this system, I

In a recent survey PPA conducted of its own

saw clients go to someone less talented just

membership, 80 percent of the respondents

because of owning the negatives, and it was

reported they are delivering digital images

frustrating.”

(either low or high resolution). For these

West still includes an album and parents’

studios, the challenge is to execute the

albums in her packages, and occasionally

transaction in a way that increases, or at

has clients who don’t want to bother with

least protects, the studio’s existing profits.

managing their digital files. But she also

A number of photographers include files with certain usage rights in their higher

In what format are files delivered?

notes that the ubiquity of online print services, combined with her clients’ average age, 25,

To read the survey in its entirety, including the comments of the participating photographers, go to the download area of the Member’s Only section at www.ppa.com.

May 2008 • Professional Photographer • 35

PROFIT CENTER

©Faith West

clients, and I do have nice re-sales from the weddings, even from the brides and grooms, who have the files,” she says. Many of Stripling’s clients express interest in the files not necessarily for printing, but for archival purposes, and she respects that. “When I deliver wedding files to my client, they are in metal DVD tins with my logo on the front,” she says. “I include a postcard with details about the files, how to archive and store the DVD, how to transfer the files to new media as it becomes available Faith West packages clients' CDs attractively in a leatherette case or tin. The imprinting on the CD itself is customized for each client.

and DVDs become passé, how long we store the images for them at the studio, where we recommend having them printed if they choose to print themselves, and so forth. I

results in clients who understand intuitively

high, and I generally try to sell them holiday

include a handwritten note thanking them

how to handle digital media. “They are

cards from me. I license just a handful of

for the honor of working with them on their

happy to do it,” she says. “They feel like they

files every year, and I don’t mind that

wedding and wishing them the best, package

have more control. My clients rarely order

because of my price point. My portrait

it all up in a nice envelope, and off it goes.”

anything over 8x10, because they consider it

session fee is fairly low and I make my

Most important, Stripling stresses, she

ostentatious or gauche to order larger

money on after sales. I’d have to charge an

retains the copyrights to her images and

pictures of themselves, so I’m not losing any

astronomical session fee to include the files,

merely licenses them for client use. Clients

large wall portrait orders anyway.”

or else license the files for an enormous

can make as many prints of the images as

amount to make a profit on the work.”

they want, but they cannot sell or license

Because presentation is essential in photography, West uses attractive

Stripling’s approach is a little different

them. “Basically, they cannot make a profit

packaging for her client’s DVDs.

with weddings. She includes the files right

Depending on the order, the disks are

away, and they’re usually delivered six to

delivered in a leatherette DVD holder or in

nine weeks after the wedding. “I understand

Copyrights for charity

a classic tin. West imprints each disk with

the argument for not including them or

Mel Morganstein, CPP, Photography by Mel,

a detail image from the wedding. “They

even delivering them, ‘Oh, I’ll lose out on

Charlotte, N.C., has yet another approach to

look beautiful,” she says. “We’ve made a

reprint sales!’ or ‘Oh, my clients will print

parting with digital files. He appeals to his

successful transition, and have been able to

them at the mini-mart and put my name on

clients’ charitable side. The idea began a few

maintain our presentation.”

those horrible prints,’” she says. “First of all,

years ago when Morganstein found out about

I don’t give the files. I raised my rates

the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation, and

Different policies for different clients

accordingly, so I’m selling them the license.

decided to help with their annual fundrais-

For Susan Stripling, of Tallahassee, Fla.,

If I’m going to risk losing reprint sales, I

ing. He started e-mailing clients to solicit

parting with digital files depends on the

want to be compensated.”

donations, then came up with the idea of

on the images without my consent,” she says.

project. “For portraits, I don’t give away or

The images on the DVDs are not final-

sell all of the files,” she says. Over the winter

print ready. They are color-corrected, white-

holidays, she will license a single file for a

balanced and “lovely,” she says, but not fully

client to use in a holiday card. “Most people

retouched or edited as are the prints purchased

negatives, and what on earth am I going to do

don’t go for that option because I price it

through the studio. “I do explain that to my

with them?” says Morganstein, whose archive

36 • www.ppmag.com

tying in a charitable donation with the purchase of digital files or negatives. “It just hit me one day that I have all these

PROFIT CENTER

reached back to the 1970s. “I wrote my clients,

that if he cut or drastically reduced the post-

present a customized usage license just for

explained that I’ve been keeping an insurance

production time and spent the time with other

them. If the client wants to send copies of

policy on these albums all these years, and I

paying clients, he could reduce his wedding

the digital images to a number of friends

can no longer maintain the storage space.”

prices and actually end up with higher profits.

and family members, it might serve both of

Morganstein offered full sets of negatives

While making your workflow more

you to do the task for them, sending low-res

or digital files for $300, or $100 if they sent

efficient sounds attractive, if you don’t use

versions or a URL where the images are

along a matching $100 check written out to

the time saved to cultivate additional clients

posted for review to the e-mail addresses

the foundation.

and generate more income, you could end

your client provides. You can include an

up with fewer expenses, yes, but also with

order form or direct the recipients to an

and I clear out my backlog of negatives,” he

no additional clients, and then your lower

online ordering system.

says. “I tackle about three years’ worth each

prices would actually yield lower profits.

“It’s a neat way to raise money for charity,

year, and I’m up to the late 1990s. It’s $100

Senior portrait photographers are providing clients low-res images for use on their

I didn’t have, and it’s $100 that the Pediatric

LICENSE, DON’T TRANSFER

FaceBook and MySpace pages when they’ve

Brain Tumor Foundation didn’t have either.”

In the vast majority of cases, when you

met a minimum order amount. Some clients

Morganstein tells current clients about the

deliver digital files to your clients, it’s wise to

simply want to create a computer screensaver

annual fundraiser, and that they’ll have the

avoid transferring copyrights.

or make prints when they can better afford

opportunity to purchase their files and make

Images have value. Your customers know

them. Low-res files might satisfy your clients,

a donation later in the year. “The theory is

that. Instead of selling your images outright,

as well as provide the perfect opportunity

that my clients know their files are safe and

consider licensing them for your customers’

for you to explain the danger of their losing

they’ll be able to purchase them later on, so

limited use. Presenting a printed license

the images at home in a hard drive crash, or

there’s no pressure,” says Morganstein. “It’s a

only adds to the perceived value of your

with the inevitable failure of CDs or obso-

good cause that I believe in, and it turns the

work. The license should clearly list the

lescence of other storage media holding the

sale into something better for the clients as well.

images in question, state your copyright

images. You could offer a credit toward future

It also gives me a little breathing room to sell

ownership of them, specify the exact uses

purchases if they leave it to you to safeguard

as many prints as possible in the meantime.”

the agreement covers, including the length

the files and fulfill their print orders.

Six years into the plan, Morganstein is

of time the customer may use them, how

Opening this dialogue with clients also

averaging $1,000 in donations annually. “I

and where they are to be viewed, and

gives you the opportunity to explain how

agonized over how to handle this problem,”

whether the customer is permitted to

you use only a high quality professional lab

he says about clearing out the old negatives

reproduce them, and in what form. (For

or calibrated professional inkjet printers and

and selling digital files. “But I’ve found a

sample licenses, visit PPA’s Member’s Only

adhere to proper color management practices

way to raise money for a good cause, and I

download area at www.ppa.com.)

—something they may not get from the local

If you just hand over the images, the

photofinisher down the street or a photo-

customer may think she can make reprints,

printing kiosk in a retail store. Clients may

Living by digital alone

resell or use them in an ad or even a

appreciate a warning about how technology

Can a studio make a profit from licensing

billboard. (We spoke with one photographer

changes so rapidly they may have difficulty

digital image files alone—no prints or albums?

who suggests that clients put the CD of their

just finding a piece of equipment to read the

Commercial photographers have been doing

images in their safe deposit box along with

CD years from now. I

it for years. It’s all in how you price and

the license.)

feel good about it too.”

deliver your work. One photographer told us

Asking clients how they want to use the

he typically spends 20 hours on pre-wedding

images is always advisable. For one thing, it

and wedding photography and 20 to 25 hours

helps you understand their needs so you can

on post-production image processing, album

fulfill them. If they desire usage or services

design and order fulfillment. He speculates

that you truly cannot provide, you might

38 • www.ppmag.com

Maria Matthews, coordinator for PPA’s Copyright and Government Affairs department, contributed to this article. For questions regarding the article, e-mail her at [email protected].

THE JOY OF MARKETING

TM

S A R A H P E T T Y, C P P

Social networking is the new viral marketing. When inspired, high school seniors can spread the word like an unchecked virus.

teenagers will instantly spread the word—

Fever pitch

social comment in a minute, effortlessly e-mail

SPREADING THE WORD

ABOUT YOUR STUDIO

for free. Dove’s Campaign for Real Beauty at www.campaignforrealbeauty.com/home.asp is a perfect example. You can watch this powerful it to a friend, join discussion groups about it, and exponentially multiply the buzz in the spirit of encouraging girls’ healthy self-esteem in a media-blitzed universe. This little film isn’t an advertisement for Dove soap, it’s an ingen-

In business today, viral marketing—spread by

cell phone, text messaging and all other

social networking, not a social disease—leads

manner of wired and wireless communication.

to robust, healthy profits. Not only is the grape

Especially if your target market is high school

Photography in Avon, Ind., has a brilliant

vine alive and well, it’s rapidly proliferating

seniors, viral marketing is your magic bullet.

ploy of his own for seniors. He wraps a

across the airwaves via MySpace, FaceBook, All images ©Scott Crosby

40 • www.ppmag.com

Come up with an impressive message and

ious bit of brand building through emotion. Scott Crosby, CPP, owner of Picture This

Hummer with huge images of his current

NEW WEBINARS (online seminars) PPA and SMS are bringing education to you, and all you need is a computer and the Internet. Keep watching your inboxes for information on live business webinars about: ß Marketing ß Financial Planning ß Managerial Accounting ß Top Performing Studios ß Starting a Photography Business ß Business Basics ß Sales ß And more…

Plus, you can watch the archived versions at your convenience. Just visit the Events section of PPA.com and click on Webinars to reach: ß Income Tax Strategies ß Pricing for Profit ß The Art of Pricelists ß QuickBooks: Getting Started ß And more…

3-DAY BUSINESS WORKSHOP

NEW BOOKKEEPING SERVICES

with Carol Andrews, Ann Monteith and Sarah Petty

Behind on your bookkeeping? Our Bookkeeping Program can help! With competitive pricing and programs tailored to meet your studio’s individual needs, SMS can help ease your headaches and get your studio off to a great start.

Now’s your chance to increase profitability and receive instruction on essential elements for business success (in both group settings and one-on-one consultations). ß June 9-11

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July 19-20

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THE JOY OF MARKETING

senior clients. (He outputs the wraps on an Epson Stylus Pro 9600 onto Lexjet Extreme Aqua Vinyl paper; see photos, right, and next page.) To activate the virus, Crosby uses his studio blog to announce the featured seniors, and sends each one an e-mail. On the street, the Hummer generates mega-buzz, not only when it shows up at high school football games, but whenever a senior discovers his or her face could be displayed on the coolest vehicle in town. Crosby also invests the time and money to keep his mall display fresh and current. He’s been known to contact the mother of a featured girl to suggest she take her daughter shopping and accidentally come across the studio’s display. It’s like giving a surprise party, he says. And with the normal tensions between adolescents and their parents, the moment is a

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TM

THE JOY OF MARKETING

TM

gift to both of them. Two minutes later, mother and daughter both are yakking on a cell phone. To make it easy for seniors to share their images online, Crosby uses Photoshop to create Flash animated .gif files for each client. Each file includes a slideshow studio ad and the words, “Ask me about senior pictures.” He asks the recipients to e-mail the file to everyone in their address book, along with this message: “Ask me how to get a special gift.” This way the ad is all about the senior, and she cannot resist passing it along. Crosby’s viral marketing strategy for seniors is truly inspired. We’d love to hear the innovative ways you’re building buzz to fever pitch in your studio’s marketing! I Sarah Petty Photography is in Springfield, Ill. (www.sarahpetty.com).

44 • www.ppmag.com

PROFIT CENTER

L O R I C R A F T, C R . P H O T O G .

Every high school student looks forward to the milestone photograph that says he has arrived. The Crafts are helping deserving students achieve that goal.

parents had fallen on bad times, there would

Wish come true

could certainly make a wish come true for

be no senior portrait at all. Craft Photographic Gallery couldn’t fulfill the needs of all those students, but we three of them. I came up with the Senior Portrait Scholarship Program to accomplish

Many rising seniors do not have the oppor-

senior portrait marketing campaign for the

it. We solicited applicants to write essays

tunity to choose the photographer who will

Class of 2008, I was struck by just how

about themselves or another student whom

create their momentous senior portraits.

many students in our area wouldn’t get to

they nominated for the scholarship. Our

Last year, as I started to work on my studio’s

choose. For some of these students, whose

choice of three recipients would be based on those essays. Each would be awarded a custom senior portrait session, a portrait package

©Dennis Craft

Each scholarship winner received a Deluxe Portrait Session and a Senior Portrait Package (11x14 portrait, smaller gift portraits and wallet-size prints), a $650 value.

with a wall portrait, and all the extras. I sent promotional packets to the area newspapers, school guidance counselors and junior class advisers, and made the info and application available for download on our Web site, craftphotography.com. I didn’t foresee how hard it would be to choose the recipients. The essays told stories of parents who had lost jobs, single parents struggling to take care of a houseful of children, even a girl on the eve of gastric bypass surgery, who anticipated feeling beautiful for the first time in her life. The essays were written by parents, students, and even a senior nominating her best friend. She couldn’t afford Craft senior portraits herself, but she was more concerned that her friend wouldn’t have a portrait at all. With our staff, we managed to select the three students. We awarded the remaining applicants a complimentary senior session and a portrait package discount. It was a privilege to honor all these students at such an important time in their life. I

This is the second year that Craft Photographic Gallery has offered the scholarship. Last year, Nichole Armour was one of three recipients.

46 • www.ppmag.com

As a reference for starting your own senior portrait program, see Lori Craft’s press releases announcing her Senior Portrait Scholarship Program at craftphotography.com. Look for the “View Scholarship Information” link in the Seniors section. Craft Photographic Gallery is in Marshall, Mich.

PROFIT CENTER

Like portable gold mines, senior portrait albums do our marketing for us when teens carry them around and show off our work.

agents for my studio. Our albums average far more than our senior folios did back in the film days. Digital photography allows us to make and present more images per session than with film, with no additional costs, and

BY TIM BABIN, CR.PHOTOG.

clients can’t resist buying more of them.

Selling senior albums THE MARRIAGE OF DIGITAL CAPTURE AND PRINT ALBUMS

Even though we’re totally digital, selling printed images is extremely profitable for our studio. Clients still like having images they can touch and display without using electronic devices, and we reap the benefits when they do. For senior albums, we arrange four images

“They went on and on about how great my pic-

kids made a fuss over her and the photo-

per page and order 10x10-inch prints from

tures were—It made me feel so good!” said

graphs, and she thanked me enthusiastically.

H&H Color Lab (hhcolorlab.com). Our

my client after showing her senior portrait

And then she paid me!

hinged-style albums with open-top mats are

album to schoolmates. She didn’t think she was that popular, but all the really popular

Senior albums not only delight my clients, they also turn those clients into marketing

supplied by General Products (gpalbums.com). An album this size is conveniently portable and easy to view. People view albums with a different attitude than they do slideshows. They assume it will take longer to view a slideshow, and that they’ll have no control over the presentation. With an album, the presentation’s literally in their hands. Variety is the first consideration in shooting images for our senior albums, and not just in slight posing variations. We use a different background with every outfit change. We create different sessions within the session with post-capture digital imaging effects, which we package as add-ons. We convert images to high-contrast black and white or rich gray tones, and tilt the frame or slightly exaggerate the pose to suggest motion. With or without effects, the actual lighting of the subjects is crucial. I use a single 6x8 Larson Soff Box as a directional main light, and no fill. I use a Larson Strip Box as a traditional hair light, and two more 14x48 Larson Strip Boxes for accent light coming

Digital capture allows us to offer seniors dozens of poses and special effects for their albums.

48 • www.ppmag.com

from behind and to the sides of the subject

percent of our senior clients order from our

to give the hair that glitzy look.

Super Saver Program selection—four gift

We did some trial and error with our senior

print packages with a 16x20 (minimum)

album pricing after converting to digital. Our

wall portrait in each, three wallet packages,

senior albums are available with 40, 48, 56,

and at least one album (40 to 64 poses).

or 64 poses. This is the key to selling albums:

Clients have to order one of each type of

For $1,600, clients get an album with up to 64

item, for a total of $1,195, excluding session

poses, and they can order additional prints a

fees. Most clients get a few extra poses in

la carte later if they wish. Believe me, clients

their package, plus a slideshow and an

will order additional prints because they didn’t

album with more than 40 poses, for an

want to pay that much for an album alone.

average sale of $1,600, including session fees.

Clients who place a la carte print orders

Even though we’re totally digital, selling

of $200 or more can purchase a 40-pose

printed images is extremely profitable for our

album for $800. Only a couple of clients a

studio, and highly popular with our clients. I

year opt for this offer because it’s not much of a deal. We offer it for the purpose of encouraging bigger average sales. A la carte prints are priced about double that of prints in our packages. Ninety-seven

Babin Photography is in Gonzales, La. (babinphotography.com). For information about his workshops, go to www.thevodoodaddy.com

“Even though we’re totally digital, selling printed images is extremely profitable for our studio. Clients still like having images they can touch and display without using an electronic device, and we reap the benefits when they do.”

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Professional Photographer

P R E S E N T S

Products, Technology and Services

What I like Garrett Nudd says the right gear builds critical confidence What makes your workflow flow? Outsourcing what we can, such as photo editing and album design, and focusing on mastering the images that excite us and further enhance our brand. Little thing, big difference … Confidence. It can be the difference between a mediocre shoot and a fantastic shoot. What hot new product are you going out of your way to use? The ShootQ online studio management tool (shootq.com). This application does our booking online, which we—and our clients—love. Has a piece of equipment ever changed the way you approach photography? The Canon EOS 5D, with its low-light capabilities, allows us to create images with a style that we wanted for a long time, but hadn’t been able to capture. What’s your lifesaver when working on location? Think Tank Photo Airport Security bags (think tankphoto.com). They make schlepping gear through the airport so much more manageable. They’re easy, durable, and hold everything we need. What’s the one piece of gear they’d have to pry from your cold, dead fingers? My four-year-old Apple PowerBook G4, even though it’s missing two keys! IMAGE BY GARRETT NUDD WWW.GARRETTNUDD.COM

May 2008 • Professional Photographer • 51

THE GOODS: PRINTING

It’s time to revisit your ability to print client images in house. Times and technology have changed, putting creative control within your grasp.

CAMERAS. DSLR sensor technology has advanced and the cameras themselves have enhanced capabilities. Canon and Nikon, for example, are making cameras with 14-bit color capture, a significant improvement

B Y DAV I D S A F F I R

Safe to go back in the water

over less recent 12-bit models. To get the full benefit of high-bit capture, simply use the camera’s RAW setting. High-bit sensors generally yield images that are resilient in postproduction, have smooth tones, and exhibit little digital artifacting after editing. You no longer need to waste time on image editing to compensate for the sensor’s limitations.

COLOR MANAGEMENT ADVANCES EASE IN-HOUSE PRINTING SOFTWARE. Improvements in image processing software ease the printing workflow. “Forget it! I considered doing my photo

plified. Camera sensors, in-camera image

For example, Adobe has added to and enhanced

printing in-house a couple of years ago, and

processing, post-capture image processing

the editing tools in its software to better pro-

it’s just too complicated!” I’ve heard that

software and inkjet printers, all have

cess high-bit images, so you no longer have

from more than one photographer. Color

improved and become easier to use. Now

to risk losing image quality by having to con-

management, image processing, confusing

you really can take creative control from

vert to 8-bit color early in the editing process.

inkjet interfaces—they were daunting. Well,

capture through output, and produce high-

things have changed over the last year.

quality prints in-house at a reasonable cost

Phase One Capture One PRO, among others,

and efficient rate of production.

provide tools for precise color correction and

Color management has been greatly sim-

Adobe Photoshop Camera Raw and

©David Saffir

Figure 1: The histogram of a 16-bit image (left) remains smooth after the levels adjustment. The histogram of an 8-bit image (right) after a levels adjustment exhibits white lines (lost information), which can manifest as posterization and loss of detail in prints.

52 • www.ppmag.com

THE GOODS: PRINTING

adjustments, which you can now apply to entire folders of images via batch processing, greatly improving color consistency and speeding production. Simply photographing a digital gray target in the setting at the beginning of a session and whenever the lighting changes will give the color-balance tools a standardized color value to use in batch processing. Adobe Camera Raw and Lightroom have further advanced tools for adjusting color vibrance and luminance. Vibrance adjustments can boost under-saturated colors while minimizing color distortion in critical areas like skin tones. Color luminance tools adjust the brightness or darkness of selected colors without changing the hue or saturation (Figure 2). PRINTER SOFTWARE. Printing from an imaging application is now a relatively seamless two-part process. It begins in the application’s print dialog and continues in the print driver provided by your printer’s manufacturer.

Figure 2: Adobe Photoshop Camera Raw plug-in (above) and Lightroom software give you enormous creative control with advanced tools to adjust color vibrance and luminance. The Vibrance slider enhances under-saturated colors while minimizing distortion in skin tones. The Luminance slider controls brightness and darkness in selected colors without changing hue or saturation.

HISTOGRAMS

These interfaces control the conversion of

and models. Here, you specify paper type,

the image into a usable form for the printer.

quality level, and paper source (roll or sheet

An in-camera histogram is a valuable tool in exposure and color management. Remember, shoot for the highlights, develop for the shadows; as for the histogram, keep the “mountain” in the middle. The mountain itself might have many peaks and valleys due to the highlights and shadows in the subject matter, but in a properly exposed image, the mountain does not extend to the sides the graph. You should understand the relationship between the histogram and the components of the subject matter to evaluate a digital exposure. In the histogram, a large highkey or dark background and specular highlights will appear as a spike at the highlight or shadow ends. It just takes a bit of experience with histograms for this exposure method to become second-nature.

In many ways, they also control how the

tray). Often, a printer driver includes color

printer produces the print.

management settings as well. If you’re using

54 • www.ppmag.com

Photoshop CS3’s print dialogue is an improvement over previous versions. The

Photoshop-managed color, choose No Color Management in the print driver.

controls previously scattered over multiple screens are now consolidated in a single

PRINTER CONTROL SOFTWARE.

window, including the printer selection and

The HP Designjet Z3100 has onboard printer

page setup controls (Figure 3).

calibration and ICC profiling hardware. This

Figure 3 shows the Photoshop CS3 print

12-ink model has a built-in spectrophotometer,

dialog opened on a Mac OSX system. I’ve

and is capable of calibrating the printer.

enabled the new Match Print Colors (bottom

Sometimes called “linearization,” the calibra-

center), which provides a reasonably good

tion will return the printer to the standardized

color preview, or soft proof, of the print.

condition in which it left the factory. This

On the right, you can select Photoshop

printer can also profile almost any inkjet media,

Manages Colors, and designate the appro-

so you can create your own ICC profiles.

priate ICC printer/paper profile and the best

Why do any of this calibration or profiling?

rendering intent.

For consistency and quality in your images.

Clicking Print … takes you to the printer driver, which varies in design among makes

Inkjet printers and media types vary with differences in the printing environment, the

THE GOODS: PRINTING

minutes to create a custom ICC profile with a typical color profiling system. That doesn’t include some 20 minutes of waiting for the profile construction, and up to 24 hours waiting for the color target to dry. And there’s no automated profile management support. In contrast, HP’s integrated system takes just 1-2 minutes of hands-on time, 5 minutes to dry, 20 minutes total time to complete the profile, and the system does support automated profile management. Some Canon printers have 16-bit printer drivers, but I haven’t used them enough to form an opinion. In the Canon prints I have seen, there wasn’t a dramatic difference between the 8-bit and 16-bit output. The imagePROGRAF models have a linearization feature, but they don’t come with profiling age of the media, the differences in paper lots, the inks used, and usage. You can linearize your printer or build cus-

tion, though that has also become easier over the past year (see Spyder3Studio

using the built-in hardware and integrated

review, page 58).

The time saved with automated profiling can be significant. It takes 35-45 hands-on

56 • www.ppmag.com

third-party system for profiling and calibra-

system, but it’s more time consuming than

mouse clicks away from performing these tasks.

Figure 4, right: The HP Printer Utility controls the calibration and profiling functions.

To date, all Epson printers require a

tom ICC profiles with a third-party profiling

software. With the HP design, you’re but a few

Figure 3: In Photoshio CS3, the printing conrols are now consolidated in one window (top). The print driver interface of an HP Designjet Z3100 (above) is set for output on roll paper.

and calibration hardware and software.

I hope this overview gives you renewed confidence in your ability to control the quality of your images in-house, from capture through beautifully rendered print. I

PRINT CHECKLIST

Figure 5: The Create and Install ICC Profile option in the HP Printer Utility brings up a dialogue where you select the output medium. The next screen launches the profiling process, prints and measures a color chart, and installs the profile on your computer.

Regardless of the printer, these three steps are critical to success: 1. Designate the printer, paper and paper size in the print dialog. 2. Specify the color manager: Printer Manages Color or Photoshop Manages Color. The latter is recommended. 3. If you use application-managed color, choose the ICC profile for the paper you intend to use. Designate No Color Management if it appears in your printer driver. Profiles are included with each manufacturer’s printer software. You can obtain additional profiles on the Internet and from paper manufacturers, or you can create your own with profiling hardware and software.

May 2008 • Professional Photographer • 57

THE GOODS: PRO REVIEW

A color-managed workflow can be costly in both time and money. Datacolor offers affordable calibration and print profiling in one simple kit. B Y S TA N S H O L I K

All you need SPYDER3STUDIO

The benefits of a color-managed workflow All images ©Stan Sholik

are widely acknowledged by professional photographers, at least in theory. In practice, a color-managed workflow can be costly in both time and money. Datacolor Inc. presents a remedy with Spyder3Studio. Packaged in a small metal briefcase, Spyder3Studio is actually two separate products, the Spyder3Elite system for calibrating monitors and digital projectors, and the Spyder3Print system for profiling printers. The Spyder3Elite colorimeter is a total redesign of the Spyder2. It’s smaller, faster, more sensitive and accurate, far more attractive, and features a new ambient light sensor. Unlike other ambient light sensors, which The Spyder3Elite Expert mode presents one screen for you to enter display information and speeds up the profiling process.

If you have told the software that your monitor has adjustable brightness, contrast and color controls, at the end of the calibration cycle this information screen appears. You then adjust the display controls until the red, green and blue bars to the right of the screen are as close to equal in height as possible. You can also adjust screen brightness until the actual luminance value of your display matches the target value. I found the Spyder3 luminance values too high, so I ignored this step.

The Spyder3Elite can also profile front projectors. Visit ppmag.com Web Exclusives in May to read about its performance.

58 • www.ppmag.com

adjust the screen’s brightness to compensate

for changes in the ambient light, this one alerts you that the light has changed with a bright blue LED light. In my dimly lit workspace, the bright light in my peripheral vision was so annoying that I deactivated it. The software component of Spyder3Elite is also totally revamped. It sports a completely new interface, assistant and expert modes, and a calibration check feature that doesn’t require you to run a full recalibration. (This could be a real time saver, but a full calibration takes only 5 minutes.) The Spyder3Print system comprises a positioning guide for reading color patches, its own software, and a separate spectrocolorimeter unit. A new software feature, Extended Gray profiling, improves neutral tone reproduc-

The Spyder3Print system includes a positioning guide, software and spectrocolorimeter unit.

tion in both monochrome and color output. I installed the Spyder3Elite display pro-

Installation and profiling was straightforward

reverted to the unprofiled display. Datacolor

filing software on Windows 2000, XP Pro,

on all, but on rebooting the Vista computer,

tech support is working on an update to

Vista Ultimate and Mac 10.5 operating systems.

the display flashed with the new profile, then

correct the problem, and an update for Mac

May 2008 • Professional Photographer • 59

THE GOODS: PRO REVIEW 10.5 as well (free to registered users). Calibrating and profiling a monitor is uncomplicated; even inexperienced users will find it easy if they use the assistant mode. Each screen has a help window available. Datacolor is to be commended for explaining everything so clearly. (I prefer having all the help info in one document so I can look forward and back for answers rather than having to access each program screen.) The expert mode for experienced users presents all the information on one screen and further speeds the process. In either mode, you’re prompted to make selections to characterize your monitor—whether or not the monitor has brightness and contrast controls, and if it has color adjustment controls, what kind they are. If you have to dig up your monitor manual to find out, it’s worth it. The more details you supply, the better the profile. After the characterization process, you

60 • www.ppmag.com

There’s a choice of five test patterns to print out and measure. The first, 150 patches, is unlikely to provide a good profile. The second, 225 patches, is the best for most media. The Expert targets with 729 patches are designed for users who desire the highest quality profile and have a lot of time on their hands. The Extended Grays target will improve the neutral gray rendition of any profile and is essential if you plan on outputting monochrome prints.

place the Spyder3Elite hardware device on

heart’s content and the limits of your paper

you can achieve even greater accuracy.

your display to begin the calibration. On a

supply. All but the pickiest users will be quite

Spyder3Studio is an excellent value at $599.

laptop, or if your display has no adjustments,

pleased with the Spyder3Print’s initial profiles.

More information is available at

or if you don’t want to make adjustments,

The Spyder3Studio color management

you’ll see a series of colors flash under the

system allows you to get as deeply involved

Spyder3 sensor and the process is quickly

with the process as you desire. The quick

over. A prompt asks you to name the profile,

and easy defaults provide good profiles for

then the software saves it in the proper folder

both display and printer. With more effort

on your operating system. The final screen,

and the excellent help menus and controls,

www.datacolor.com and www.spyder3.com. I

Stan Sholik is a contributing writer for NewsWatch Feature Service. He is a commercial photographer with more than 30 years of large-format studio and location experience.

SpyderProof, allows you to compare a grid of photographs before and after profiling. If you adjusted the screen brightness and the individual RGB outputs, the process takes a little longer, but it is still much faster than with Spyder2 or other systems. I used Spyder3Elite to profile both CRT and LCD displays that I usually profile with a system three times more expensive. The only difference visible to me was in the brightness, not the color. I attribute the difference to Spyder3’s software calling for a luminance value setting greater than 125 candles/sq. meter, where I usually enter 100 cd/m2. The Spyder3Elite profiles were consistently excellent. Spyder3Print, the printer paper profiling portion of the Spyder3Studio, is similarly quick and accurate, and a good value for the money. Output profiling is a two-step process. After entering information about the printer and paper you’re using, you print a chart of gray or color patches. When the ink has dried, you read each patch with the Spectrocolorimeter, guided by the SpyderGuide. Process complete, you name the profile and the software saves it in 8 or 16 bits in the proper folder on your OS. Using it properly in your imaging software is up to you. First time through, it took about 15 minutes to read the 225 color targets. I got it down to about 10 minutes with experience. There’s an option to print just 150 targets, but the time saved isn’t worth having a less accurate profile. The profiles were somewhat cooler than the ones I use, but the software’s basic and advanced modes allow you to tweak the profile to your

May 2008 • Professional Photographer • 61

THE GOODS: PRO GEAR

You can fit a whole studio in a carry-on bag if you plan carefully. Joe Farace shares tips for assembling lights, modifiers, stands and clips in a portable kit. B Y J O E FA R A C E

©2008 Farace/Peregrine.

Travel light STUDIO IN A CASE

I hate schlepping heavy lighting gear. Wanting

PIECES AND PARTS. The lights and

the smallest, neatest and most versatile three-

light modifiers are the travel kit’s foundation.

light system for location and wedding photog-

I chose Nikon SB-800 (GN 125) Speedlights

raphy, I assembled my own travel kit. I’d put

for their compact size and versatility. With

together similar systems, but no monolight

the SB-800, you can wirelessly control up to

or power pack and head system is as small

four groups of speedlights. The Speedlights

as a shoe-mount flash, and with today’s sophis-

in this setup operate in Nikon’s i-TTL mode

ticated speedlights from Canon, Nikon and

for accurate automatic flash exposure, which is

Olympus, it’s easy to control multiple lights

calculated with a pre-flash function that

from the camera position. Because it’s also

measures the light from each source, and com-

about the quality of the light, I wanted to be

bines the measurement with the camera’s

from Chimera and Photoflex, for example)

able to use the small lights with umbrellas

overall exposure readings. If you’re doing

will fit into the case I selected. (The World

and lightbanks, yet keep the travel kit within

only individual portraits, you could build a

Bank is out of production, but Plume repre-

airline carry-on guidelines.

similar kit with the less expensive, smaller, and

sentative Gary Regester says production would

less powerful SB-600 (GN 98) Speedlights,

resume if there were a large enough demand.)

as well as comparable Canon or Olympus units. I never had to use the SB-800s at even near-full power, even with a lightbank or

©2008 Farace/Peregrine.

62 • www.ppmag.com

Tip: Set the SB-800 zoom to 24mm to fill the lightbank or umbrella with light. I chose Manfrotto Nano compact light-

umbrella, and could use apertures of f/8 to

stands topped with Manfrotto 2905 Swivel

f/10 at ISO 200.

Umbrella Adapters, which accept shafts up

My kit includes a 43-inch collapsible

All of the pieces and parts fit inside a Lightware MF2012 case that easily meets airline criteria for carry-on luggage.

A 30x40-inch Wafer Express lightbank, aka World Bank, sits atop a Manfrotto Nano lightstand. A Manfrotto clamp holds a Chimera single mount, which mounts the Plume Flash Ring holding the slender lightbank. Even with this single light, I was able to get f/11, ISO 200, out of this set up for individual portraits.

to 0.47 inches in diameter or 12mm European

Westcott Optical White Satin umbrella with

umbrella shafts. You’ll need to use a cold

a removable black cover. Sans cover, it gives

shoe to mount the flash to the adapter. I

you shoot-through capability for a lightbank

used one from Chimera, but you could use

look. My second umbrella is a 43-inch collapsi-

an Adorama Universal Swivel Holder, which

ble Westcott Soft Silver umbrella. Both mea-

also enables you to attach a shoe-mount

sure just 15-inches when closed. You can sub-

flash to a lightstand and mount an umbrella.

stitute a Photek collapsible umbrella, but the

The metal casting holds an umbrella and

shaft is more than 1 inch longer. I used a Plume

has a removable shoe for mounting a flash

Ltd. Wafer Express lightbank, aka World

or 1/4x20 screw-threaded accessories.

Bank lightbank, although any lightbank that collapses to about 17.5 inches in length (models

Attaching the lightbank requires a couple of other pieces. A Chimera Shoe Mount

The Very Best Professional Quality Output. [Introducing the M300 Pro Printer] The Noritsu M300 Pro is a new professional inkjet printer designed to exceed your expectations. It delivers the high-quality output and world-class reliability you have come to expect from Noritsu. Featuring a compact footprint of just 4.5 square feet, the M300 Pro gives you 8 print sizes up to 10” x 36”, all with outstanding quality that will satisfy even your most demanding customers. When your pro work deserves the very best, choose the Noritsu M300 Pro. Call or visit our website today.

• 7-color pigment ink system for high quality, water-resistant prints • Excellent versatility, with a wide variety of print sizes including 5” x 3.5”, 6” x 4”, 8” x 4”, 5” x 7”, 8” x 10”, 8” x 12”, 10” x 8”, 10” x 12”, 10” x 36” • Outputs up to 265 prints/hr (6” x 4”) and 104 prints/hr (10” x 8”) • Supports both roll and sheet-fed paper • Available installation by factory-trained technician, world-class on-site ﬁeld service and 24/7 toll-free phone support • Increased proﬁtability and revenue opportunities • Space-efﬁcient design; two units can be stacked for added productivity

(800) 521-3686 x 222 • www.noritsu.com/M300

THE GOODS: PRO GEAR ©2008 Farace/Peregrine.

the MF2012 has an insulated, shock-

flexible and portable lighting system for

absorbent unibody superstructure.

the photographer on the go. I

A travel light kit is really a concept. If you’re a Canon or Olympus shooter, you

WEB SITES: www.nikonusa.com •

can use the 580EX II or FL-50R

www.plumeltd.com • www.chimeralighting.com

(respectively) to produce similar results.

• www.photoflex.com • www.bogenimaging.com

The foundation of the kit is the compact

• www.adorama.com • www.msegrip.com

shoe-mount flash units, which support a

www.lightwareinc.com

I photographed musician Erin with the lightbank placed on camera right, an umbrella for fill on camera left, and the third flash as a hair light. To focus the hair light, I created an impromptu shoot with black foil and clipped a colored gel to the front. I didn’t have to set any of the lights even close to full power for an exposure at 1/60 second at f/10, ISO 200. ©2008 Joe Farace

The simplest lighting set-up has a single SB-800 flash and an umbrella attached to a lightstand. You would be hard-pressed to find a more versatile combination of power and light weight for on-location photography.

attached to the Manfrotto Swivel Umbrella Adapter sets up with the Plume Flash Ring as a single unit. Depending on the adapters you use, the head of the SB-800 flash might not fit perfectly in the center of the lightbank. In that case, just use its tilt-head feature to place it there. The Manfrotto Swivel Umbrella Adapter helps aim the lightbank. There are many sources for grip gear and some photographers make their own, so check the usual suspects, including Mathews. To keep the pieces together for transport, I store them in a Lightware GS-101 Fleece Pouch. All this gear comfortably slips inside the Lightware MF2012 carry-on case, which fits the 9x14x22-inch airline standard. The case includes pockets for each SB-800 flash, and customizable dividers that I arrange to make separate areas for the lightstands, umbrellas and lightbank. Two full-width net pockets fit inside the lid to hold manuals, gels, cleaning cloths and the like. Like all Lightware cases,

64 • www.ppmag.com

WHAT’S IN THE CASE? • Three Manfrotto 001B Nano stands, 6.5-foot section lightstand with 5/8-inch mounting stud • Three Manfrotto Swivel Umbrella Adapters • One 43-inch Westcott Optical White Satin collapsible umbrella with removable black cover • One 43-inch Westcott Soft Silver collapsible umbrella • One Plume Ltd. flash ring • One Plume Ltd. Wafer Express, a.k.a. World Bank lightbank • One Chimera Shoe Mount • Two generic cold shoe mounts • One Lightware GS-101 Fleece Pouch

THE GOODS: SOFTWARE

Viveza makes adjustments to brightness, contrast, saturation, hue and more, globally or in small areas, all in one step on one layer.

control point has sliders for contrast, brightness and saturation to enhance or tweak the designated area. Targeted adjustments allow you to finetune an image by changing particular aspects

BY MARK LEVESQUE, CPP

of it, while leaving the remainder untouched.

Quick control NIK SOFTWARE VIVEZA

It could be as simple as darkening and deepening the sky or as complex as managing the relative intensity of each color on a butterfly. The Viveza user interface is easy to learn, and powerful enough to create the equivalent of complex masks with a few

All images ©Mark Levesque

clicks. Photoshop CS3 users have the additional already familiar to users of Nikon’s Capture

benefit of using Viveza as a smart filter,

NX—the photographer designates a

allowing for after-the-fact adjustment tweaks.

particular part of the image with a control

Viveza opens as a filter in Photoshop with

point (Figure 1), then uses a radius slider to

its own user interface. It presents the option

control the area to be affected by the

of using full-screen, split-screen, or side-by-

adjustments for that control point, from the

side image preview modes. In the split screen

entire image to a small portion of it. The

mode (Figure 2), you can move the red line

Figure 1: The control point, indicated by the dark circle, affects the portion of the image defined by the radius slider (the top line).

Photographers have a new weapon in their arsenal for making selective image adjustments—the Nik Software Viveza plug-in for Photoshop and Photoshop Elements. Viveza provides a powerful and intuitive interface for making sophisticated, selective enhancements to images without requiring the user to create complex layer masks, and for making multiple enhancements on a single layer. Via Nik Software U Point Technology—

66 • www.ppmag.com

Figure 2: In the split-screen preview, you can move the red line to different areas of the image to compare the change.

THE GOODS: SOFTWARE

that delineates the before and after views. The loupe tool shows the area surrounding the cursor at 100 percent, and automatically becomes a navigator tool when the main screen is zoomed to 100 percent. The Show Selection Column on the right side of the Control Point List displays a representation of the portion of the image that’s affected by the control point checked (Figure 3). By providing immediate visual feedback when you move the control point, this feature gives you sophisticated control over fine-tuning. The first step in Viveza is to set a control point for any global corrections in the image or in an area of the image, using the radius slider to cover the entire area. If there are objects or areas you don’t want to affect with the adjustment, protect them with control points with all of the sliders set to zero. You can easily duplicate control points and their settings, allowing you to quickly apply the same adjustments to several elements.

Figure 3: The Show Selection Column on the right side of the Control Point List shows which areas are affected by the checked control point. The areas in white are affected; the areas in black are not. You can move the control point in this view to see which areas will be affected.

You can examine the adjustments with the loupe tool or by magnifying the entire image to 100%, and determine what final tweaks to make. Click OK to create a new Photoshop layer with the adjustments on it (optionally on the initial layer), or click Brush to create a new layer with a black-filled layer mask, which allows you to selectively brush in the adjustments with a soft white brush. Control points open with a default set of controls for brightness, contrast, and saturation. The control point expander triangle gives you access to hue, warmth and individual red, green and blue channel controls (Figure 4). Alternately, click on the details triangle in the right-hand panel and select the All radio button for the sliders. This brings up access to the eyedropper tool and swatch palette, which is useful for matching a known color, even if it’s in another part of the image. You can also select the rendering method for the

68 • www.ppmag.com

Figure 4: The control point expander triangle reveals additional sliders for hue, warmth, and the red, green and blue channels.

control point from a drop-down menu. The advanced mode is the most accurate, and it’s worth the slight loss in performance speed to use it, especially in shadows or noisy areas. The effectiveness of the Viveza plug-in is image dependent, as you’d expect of a tool based on color and tone selection. Instead of featuring control for the latitude of a control point, like the fuzziness slider in Photoshop’s Replace Color tool, Nik designed Viveza to handle those decisions entirely, speeding the process and allowing the photographer to

Before and after images shows the increased richness and depth Viveza can achieve with just a few seconds’ work.

make judgments based on what he sees. There could be instances where similar colors and tones in adjacent elements might

Lightroom, in that they provide a way to

confuse the software. A sensitivity slider

visually adjust particular image elements,

would be a welcome addition for rapid

but Lightroom’s changes are global. Control

means of manipulating images with high-

tweaking of the affected area.

points give Viveza users control over where

quality results and a short learning curve.

changes are applied and the ability to

Price: $249.95, 15-day free trial available at

apply different changes to the same color

www.niksoftware.com. I

Control points are similar to the targeted HSL adjustment tool in Adobe Photoshop

and tone in multiple parts of an image. Viveza provides a sophisticated, visual

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May 2008 • Professional Photographer • 69

THE GOODS

SOLUTIONS BY ANDREW RODNEY

Is one file format superior to the other? It's largely a matter of compression and compatibility.

document will be roughly the same size as a PSD when this option is applied. If you know you’ll never work on an image in any applica-

PSD vs. TIFF

tion but Photoshop, and if you want to store the file in the smallest size possible, disable

Photoshop users often debate whether to save

2002 to specify a few compression options,

PSD with the Maximize PSD Compatibility

their images as PSD files or TIFFs. Is one of

notably ZIP and JPEG along with LZW.

(the Never setting). This isn’t the best practice

these two document formats better than the

Adobe refers these options as “Advanced TIFF.”

for archiving your data, though. Even some

other, and what options does each provide? TIFF (tagged image file format), origi-

TIFFs can store simple or complex images.

Adobe applications like Bridge and Light-

Saving a layered image created in Photoshop

room require having a flattened copy within

nated by Aldus Corp., is an old and widely

as a TIFF gives you options for compression

the document for viewing, so my recom-

supported format for photographic—raster

(Figure 1), but you can’t be certain that third-

mendation is to use the settings in Figure 2.

—image data. Years ago, Adobe Systems

party software will have access to the layers.

Not all TIFF readers support layered

gained ownership and control of the TIFF

Both PSD and TIFF have an option known as

documents, but all modern readers should be

format with the purchase of Aldus.

Maximizes PSD and PSB File Compatibility,

able to read a single, flattened copy. Depending

which is always used when saving a TIFF

on the layers and their blending modes, the

bilities and options, as well as a number of dif-

and optional for PSDs, that’s set in the

color in the flattened version might have a

ferent flavors. Unlike PSD, the native Photoshop

Photoshop File Handling Preferences.

slightly different appearance from the color

The TIFF format has many interesting capa-

format, TIFF is an open specification, so other

Essentially, this option stores a copy of

in the layered document viewed in Photoshop.

software makers don’t necessarily have to pay

the entire layered document in a flattened

This has long been a problem for Photoshop

licensing fees to use it. TIFF has undergone a

state within the document file. On the upside,

users, who report that the color appearance

number of revisions over the years, but the latest

this allows other applications to view the

often changes when they flatten a layered docu-

incarnation, TIFF-6, hasn’t been updated since

composited image, but on the downside, it

ment; Photoshop has to calculate all the layer

1992. Adobe did make some enhancements in

increases the size of the document. A TIFF

data and blending modes differently when producing a flattened copy of the document.

All images © Andrew Rodney

Both TIFF and PSD can contain a maximum of 30,000 pixels, or 4GB. Adobe’s variant of PSD format, PSB, can contain as many as 300,000 pixels, which will accommodate extremely high-resolution capture and stitched images. TIFF, PSD and PSB support every option you can save within a document, including alpha channels, annotations and layers, as well as 16-bit RGB, Lab and grayscale data. You can’t save 16-bit TIFF documents with JPEG compression because JPEG can’t support this bit depth. If your goal is to produce a smaller TIFF (for DVD backup, for example), I recommend LZW (LempelZiv-Welch), which does support 16-bit TIFF saves. The ZIP option is even less widely Figure 1. The various options for saving a TIFF document and the associated warning dialogs, which you can turn off for future use (Don’t Show Again checkbox).

70 • www.ppmag.com

supported, so until Adobe updates the TIFF format, LZW is probably your best compres-

sion choice. If the size of documents isn’t an issue in your workflow, save files with no compression. This allows you to open and save a TIFF far faster than either JPEG- or LZW-compressed files. The bottom line, PSDs saved with the File Compatibility checked and layered TIFFs are essentially equal, though TIFFs can be saved as smaller documents. Compressing and decompressing eat a bit of speed, as you’d expect. As an openly documented format, TIFF is far more widely supported than the proprietary PSD format. When saving a TIFF from Photoshop, you have several options available through

Figure 2: If you want maximum compatibility for your PSD or PSB files, use the settings above in the Photoshop File Handling Preferences (Photoshop > Preferences > General: File Handling).

“sticky” settings, meaning that the setting you make will remain until you change it. Here’s a rundown of what the settings do: Byte Order: Mac or PC? Well, that debate continues, but in this case, pick PC because a Macintosh will have no problems with this byte order, but ancient PC software may have problems with Mac. Pixel Order: Pixel order is the way color information is written in the document, Interleaved is supposedly a more common way of saving a TIFF, and it’s been the default method in Photoshop from day one. The Per Channel option is supposedly a little faster at reading and writing the file data. With Interleaved, each pixel is written in the sequence RGB, RGB, etc., while with Per Channel it’s written in the sequence RR, GG, BB, etc. Save Image Pyramid: These days, few applications use this method of storing multiple

Figure 3. The image file in Figure 3 has three identical layers with no transparent areas. In Document Size (red), Photoshop provides an estimate of the size of the document flattened and with its layers, roughly 3X in this case. The boxes below it show the actual document size on my drive after using no compression, LZW and TIFF.

resolutions within a single document. You will likely never have reason to use it. TIFF does

account for the size of a document. If you

applies a lossless compression much like

support this mode; hence, it’s an option in

have a second layer that’s all pixel data, it

LZW to your layers. Or you can use ZIP

the Save dialog.

will take up far more space than a layer with

compression for an even smaller document,

a small amount of image data surrounded

but at the cost of slower saving and opening.

layer data be compressed? With layers, it’s

by transparency. An adjustment layer is

Both methods greatly aid in holding down

the pixels themselves, not the transparent

tiny—essentially it’s metadata describing a

the size of the resulting TIFF with its

(checkerboard) part of the image file, that

correction. RLE (run length encoding)

backwards compatibility. I

Layer Compression: How should the

May 2008 • Professional Photographer • 71

What do seniors want? They want portraits that reflect their unique style. The urge to boost teens’ self esteem colors most of Janice Crabtree’s work, focusing on what’s right with them. SENIORS All images ©Janice Crabtree

By Jeff Kent

Y

ou could say Janice Crabtree’s

career began when another

photographer dropped the ball.

About four-and-a-half years ago, Crabtree won a family photo session at a charity auction. One beautiful

fall day, she and her husband, Duane, and their high-school-age daughter went to meet the photographer at a park near their home in Columbus, Ohio. The photographer fired off a few frames of the trio, then one of the teenager alone. And that was it. He left. Feeling let down, the family decided to make the most of this day at the park. Duane ran home to pick up his wife’s camera and a couple of his daughter’s friends. Crabtree took some casual portraits of the girls and Duane. When friends and family saw the images, they asked her to make portraits of their own families. Just like that, Janice Crabtree was in the photography business. We should back up a little here, in case you’re thinking there goes another soccer mom. Crabtree, an accomplished painter, had been working with photography for years. She assisted school photographers and shot from the sidelines at high school sports events. Her business grew organically through community networking and referrals. Her first clients included friends of her daughter, in particular teenage guys who needed senior portraits, but felt uncomfortable going to someone they didn’t know. Crabtree’s senior

Feeling the wow Janice Crabtree’s camera work helps boost teens’ self-esteem

72 • www.ppmag.com

portrait business now draws clients from across the Columbus area. Duane works alongside her at their in-home

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SENIORS

studio, and her daughter, now in college, works there part time. “We’ve grown very rapidly,” says Crabtree. “It’s taken us by surprise. We’re at the point now where we have to turn people away because we’re so busy. Never in a million years did I dream that our little family business would turn into this.” One reason for Crabtree’s popularity with seniors is her obvious enjoyment in working with teens. “My husband and I both truly love kids that age,” she says. In the space of a two-hour session, she feels privileged to observe subjects in the midst of leaving childhood behind to pause briefly on the threshold of full-fledged adulthood. “I enjoy capturing that, and it probably shows in the images.” Crabtree notes that when teens look into the mirror, they focus on what they perceive is wrong with them. Her job, as she sees it, is to focus on what’s right with them. She wants to create images that wow the senior’s friends and family, and more important, wow the senior and make him feel wow. The urge to boost teens’ self esteem colors most of Crabtree’s camerawork.

“We’ve grown very rapidly. It’s taken us by surprise. We’re at the point now where we have to turn people away because we’re so busy.”

SENIORS

they all arrive in exactly the same clothing, they

personal tastes. She directs posing for the

all want to be different,” she laughs. “That’s

individual, chooses backdrops to enhance

the trick for every senior photographer—you

skin tone and clothing, and mixes things up

see the same Abercrombie shirt in every color

with location shoots. Rather than follow

known to man, but your job is to make it look

standard formats, she works intuitively.

different somehow. Seniors don’t want the same

continues to amaze her, she plans to hold on

want to be unique, but they also want to fit in.”

tight and enjoy the ride. I

Crabtree works with each senior to create a variety of images that reflect his or her

Crabtree goes for open communication with senior portrait clients. Typically, she consults by phone before the session, and takes time to talk further when the client comes in. To put seniors at ease, she goes through her posing techniques to ensure they’ll understand what she asks of them in the session, and why. “The why is very important,” she says. “I tell them, ‘This may not be the most natural or comfortable pose, but there’s a reason why I’m asking you to do it.’ That explanation makes a big difference in the senior’s comfort level, especially the guys. And it [stops] them from looking at me like I have three heads.” No doubt the biggest question in senior photography is what do seniors want? Crabtree doesn’t pretend to have all the answers, but she does assert that seniors want to be treated like they’re different, but not too different, special, but not too special. “Despite the fact that

76 • www.ppmag.com

As the growth of Crabtree’s business

backdrop or pose as all their friends. They

For more from Janice Crabtree, visit www.janicecrabtreephotography.com.

Despite almost four decades in business, Morgans’ Fine Art Photography aims not to be your father’s portrait studio, and succeeds mightily: The studio’s image-makers photograph about 1,000 seniors annually. SENIORS

By Lorna Gentry

Trendsetters

years we’ve developed a model-representative

Finding the sweet spot in the ever-changing senior market

photographer in the family-owned business.

“We market directly to seniors. Over the program,” says Debbi Davis, a third-generation “Now we’re using representatives whose parents

B

eing well established in the

brochures, the attitude takes a complete

were reps when they were in high school. It’s

saturated market of Louisville,

turnaround. In synch with the teenage zeitgeist,

all about balance. Kids tend to say, ‘I don’t

Ky., is a competitive advantage

the studio redesigns its marketing pieces

want to go to same place my mom went—yuk!’

annually to match the hot look of the year.

We have a presence in the community and

Art Photography. But when

One year’s sepia-toned brochure had the look

we don’t want to lose that, but at the same

it comes to senior photog-

of an Abercrombie & Fitch catalog. Another

time we have to show we’re cutting-edge, too.”

raphy, age can be a liability.

year it sported bright, saturated colors, the

for 38-year-old Morgans’ Fine

Go to the same studio your

parents went to? LOL! Once a teen sees Morgans’ provocative

All images ©Morgans’ Fine Art Photography

Of course, it’s not the seniors who foot

next it was done up in urban chic. Whatever

the bill, it’s their parents. So Morgans’ also

the mood, Morgans’ taps into it, clearly demon-

tailors a brochure to them. It’s a more infor-

strating how they’ve stayed around so long.

mational approach, with discount coupons and

SENIORS

early-bird specials to accompany samples of the studio’s senior portraits. Most Louisville parents need no introduction to Morgans’.

MODEL MARKETING Davis’ grandparents, Donald Morgan Sr. and Jeri Morgan, Cr.Photog., started the business in 1970, offering only wedding photography. In 1978, when the late Donald Morgan Jr. joined his parents’ business, he brought along a considerable share of the Louisville senior market. It was his idea to feature high school students as models in the brochures, and to ask them to represent the studio on campus. Ten years ago, Morgan Jr.’s sister, Sonja Pabon (Debbi Davis’ mother), further developed the idea by having the models conduct informal surveys of their peers based on booklets of their photographs. “We have the models ask their friends to pick their five favorite backgrounds in the booklet,” Davis explains. “This approach engages them in the process, and keeps their eyes on the images longer. Plus, their votes place them in a drawing for free photography,” not to mention adding to Morgans’ mailing list. “It also gives us direct feedback from [potential clients] about our backdrops.” The staff is often surprised by the survey results. Says Davis, “There are backgrounds we weren’t sure about that everyone loved, and others we thought would be popular, but nobody liked at all.” No studio in town can compete with Morgans’ selection of backgrounds. How about a beach shot created in the heart of landlocked Louisville? No problem. The

mall, the studio moved to a new location.

the building and gardens,” says Davis.

Morgans’ 4.5-acre “portrait park” includes

“The old barn was already on the

beach, sand dune and boardwalk scenes, as

property when we bought it,” says Davis.

studios that we wanted for our portrait

well as a rustic barn, a waterfall, a rusty old

The studio principals visited colleagues’

garden,” Davis continues. “One was a large

car, and a number of lush evergreen forests.

studios in Kentucky, Ohio and Indiana to

waterfall. Another was a beach and

The idea came to Davis and Pabon three

get ideas on layout, form and function. “We

boardwalk where we could photograph

years ago when, after 25 years in a strip

took the best of what we saw and designed

families of 10 to 15. We got the old car from

80 • www.ppmag.com

“We saw some big-ticket props at other

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SENIORS

a junkyard the following year. Every year we add something new, such as a wrought iron gazebo and new plantings. The portrait garden helps book sales. “We’ve been here three-and-half years and I wouldn’t make a single change,” Davis says.

AHEAD OF THE CURVE Morgans’ photographers take their time with seniors, up to two-and-a-half hours. They make pictures in both the garden and in the 8,500-square-foot studio, which has a camera room for each of the five photographers on staff. There are five built-in sets and 50 transportable backdrops hand-painted by Louisville artists. “We don’t order backdrops from large companies because our competitors purchase those. We build and paint our own, and we add new ones every year. Other studios may try to mimic Morgans’, but it’s clear it is a copy— a copy of last year’s look. We want to start the

next trend in Louisville, not follow anyone else.” Even with all the competition from chain

raphers’ solid technical foundation and their

and independently owned studios, Morgans’

openness to experimentation. “We know the

has gained market share in the senior trade

basics of lighting and posing, yet we also push

in recent years, says Davis. They photograph

the envelope in terms of style. We constantly

about 1,000 seniors annually, which accounts

critique each other and keep a watchful eye on

for 80 percent of their business. (The studio

the product. My grandmother, Jeri, at age 80-

also does family and children portraits, but

plus, doesn’t come in every day, but when

no longer covers weddings.) Davis and her

she does come bebopping in, you’d better sit

husband, Craig Davis, were among Senior

down, because she will be critiquing.” I

Photographers International’s top 10 photog-

See more work by Morgans’ Fine Art Photography at www.morgansphotography.com.

raphers in 2007 and 2004, respectively. Another reason for Morgans’ continuing

82 • www.ppmag.com

success, notes Davis, is due to the photog-

Lorna Gentry is a freelance writer in Atlanta.

G_fkfC`jXA%?Xpe\j

hat I wanted to do with my life came to me in a ﬂash—literally. When I was about twelve, I was holding extra ﬂash bulbs for my dad at a wedding. The static electricity in my pockets made them blow up on me! After that, nothing else struck my passion (even though I became an engineer). I never thought I could make a living through photography, but I couldn’t stay away. I learned about marketing, sales, and personal development from outside the industry. And PPA introduced me to great photographers (and greater salespeople), who only enhanced my ability to succeed.

o I retired from engineering about 30 years ago…and since I live my passion, I haven’t “worked” a day since. Jim Johnson, Cr.Photog., CPP Professional Photographer PPA Member since 1984

One of the Many Faces of PPA Professional Photographers of America | 800.786.6277 | [email protected] | www.ppa.com

All images ©Michael Spengler

Michael Spengler infuses senior portraits with fashion flair BY STEPHANIE BOOZER

The moment of

COOL

aybe you can’t ditch the drape completely with senior portraits, but you can expand the session into a personal and memorable experience for every client. On the verge of adulthood, seniors make interesting subjects. They can be moody and serious, goofy and spontaneous, certain of everything yet drastically insecure. That

loves about photographing seniors. Although seniors represent only about

unto themselves,” says Spengler. Spengler typically handles senior sessions

mercurial temperament is something

35 percent of Studio M’s total clientele,

like fashion shoots. He goes for dramatic angles

Michael Spengler, of Studio M/Michael

they’re the subjects he has the most fun

and perspectives over traditional poses,

Spengler Photography in La Jolla, Calif.,

working with. “Seniors are in a world

eschews novelty setups and props, and prefers

‘‘

You’re so incredible that we’re going to take you out and document you, photograph you, capture you like a rock star, because that’s just how cool you are at this moment.

natural to artificial lighting. The look of the portraits is contemporary yet classic. “A lot of the stuff I do comes from what I see in magazines,” says Spengler. “I avoid looking at traditional portraiture; we don’t do that kind of photography and it sets us apart. Our work has a feeling of freedom and freshness.” Spengler bought his first camera, a 35mm Canon A1, at age 12. After high school, he wanted to pursue a master’s degree in fine arts, but his father steered him into a seemingly more practical direction, and Spengler went into technology sales. His work kept him on the road two or three weeks a month, until the events of 9/11 prompted him to refigure his priorities. “I was actually on a plane on September 11,” he recalls. “It changed my entire perspective on life. I had a child at home and another on the way, and it was time for a change.” The offer of partnership in a local photography store got Spengler thinking seriously about opening a studio of his own. The partnership didn’t pan out, but the store owner made a comment that piqued Spengler’s interest. The town had just a couple of photographers, he said, and had a need for a younger photographer with a new approach. Spengler spent the summer of 2002 learning the business from a friend, and opened Studio M in September. His specialty was children and family portraiture. Before long, a private school in the area contracted with Spengler to make portraits of its 100 or so seniors. “The teenagers were so easy to work with, and because you only work with one at a time, it was a lot of fun,” he says. Spengler soon contracted with another private school, and word spread throughout the area. Personal attention is key to the studio’s word-of-mouth buzz, says Spengler, who also photographs scholastic sports and social events, and participates in school fundraising activities. Last year the studio donated about $80,000 worth of products and services to

90 • www.ppmag.com

community causes. “I really believe in giving

seniors. “We use them as sounding boards,” says

“The kids loved the images, but moms

and helping out, I love it. It’s also helped us,”

Spengler. “They help us make the music choices

and grandparents weren’t so pleased.”

says Spengler.

for the camera room, make confirmation calls

Every summer, Studio M hires students from each school as paid interns. Spengler

and other tasks, and they’re really helpful.” For parents particularly, Spengler asks

Now, says Spengler, “The images I capture aren’t always smiley, happy and bright. They’re not cast or directed by a hovering parent.

wants seniors to see a familiar face at the studio

seniors to make a few traditional poses as well

They are the artistic representation of what

to set them at ease for their sessions. They help

as the high-voltage kind. “When I was only

each senior gives me in his or her designated

with hair, makeup and clothing, in addition

doing more fashion-oriented stuff, I noticed

moment. The images capture the seniors as

to providing valuable insight into the minds of

a 20 percent decline in sales,” says Spengler.

they really are; what they want to portray in these portraits, they’ll take through life.” Spengler is also becoming known among other photographers. This month he is

‘‘ ’’

Seniors are in a world unto themselves.

leading a workshop for Professional Photographers of San Diego County. “They wanted me because of the different senior look we have,” he says. “I like teaching. Helping photographers is so much fun. When I was in sales, no one shared anything. This is a totally different atmosphere.” Looking back, there’s no question in Spengler’s mind about his decision to open a studio. His 14 years in sales helps him with the business aspect, and his artistic zeal keeps him inspired. “I wouldn’t trade this for anything,” he says. “When I look at my favorite senior images, what strikes me most is that these are images of real people, not just a group of students. I look at each image and remember who each senior was, not just what he looked like. I don’t ever rely on props—unless a horse can be considered a prop—or a set, unless a Southern California beach can be considered a set. I rely on the individuality of the subject and my relationship with him or her. It’s as if we’re taking this person on the edge of adulthood and saying, ‘You’re so incredible that we’re going to take you out and document you, photograph you, capture you like a rock star, because that’s just how cool you are at this moment.’” I

See more of Spengler’s work at www.studiomlajolla.com.

We bring the

high school market into focus American Student List has been providing High School Student lists to hundreds of satisfied portrait photographers since 1971. High School Seniors and Juniors are available on pressure sensitive labels, diskette or via electronic delivery. Additionally, our list of Families with Children is ideal for marketing family and holiday portraits.

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May 2008 • Professional Photographer • 93

calendar Submit your organization’s convention, workshop, seminar or exhibition dates to Professional Photographer at least six months in advance. Editors reserve the right to select events to be announced on these pages, and to determine when announcements will appear. Editors are not responsible for conflicting or incorrect dates. For readers’ convenience, each event is identified by a code preceding its name: C=Convention, W=Workshop, S=Seminar, C/E=Approved PPA Continuing Education Seminar, E=Exhibit. Send all Calendar of Events additions or corrections to: Sandra Lang, Professional Photographer, 229 Peachtree St., NE, Suite 2200, Atlanta, GA 30303; FAX: 404-614-6404; [email protected].

Current Events June 1-2 S: PP of South Carolina summer mini-seminar, Columbia.S.C.; Jeanne Richardson, 843-527-2071; [email protected]; www.ppofsc.com June 15-17 S: PP of Oregon, Mt. Bachelor Resort, Bend, Ore.; Arlene Welsh, 800-370-5657; [email protected]; www.pporegon.com June 16 S: PP of Massachusetts; Steve Meier, [email protected]; www.ppam.com

June 22-23 S: Kentucky PPA; Embassy Suites, Lexington, Ky.; Randy Fraley, 606-928-5333; [email protected]; www.kyppa.com

September 13-17 C: Georgia PPA, Athens, Ga.; Tom McCollum, 770-972-8552; [email protected]; www.gppa.com

June 22-24 S: PP of North Dakota, Northern Light Seminar, Doublewood Inn, Bismarck, N.D.; Poppy Mills, 701-222-3040; [email protected]

September 27-29 C: PP of Nebraska, Midtown Holiday Inn, Grand Island, Neb.; Brian Baer, [email protected]; www.ppofn.org

June 22-25 S: Texas PPA, YO Ranch Resort, Kerrville, Texas; Doug Box, 979-272-5200; [email protected]; www.tppa.org

October 3-7 C: Southwest PPA, Sheraton Arlington Hotel, Arlington, Texas; Michael Scalf Sr., Box 1779, Blanchard, OK 73010-1770; 405-485-3838; [email protected]; www.swppa.com

July 20-23 C: PP of Mississippi/Alabama, Riverview Plaza, Mobile, Ala.; Wayne Rawson, 601-693-1966; [email protected]; www.ppma.net August 2-5 C: PP of Louisiana, New Orleans, La.; Dayna Ponthieu, 318-359-6633; www.ppla.net

October 5-6 S: Kentucky PPA; Hyatt Regency, Lexington, Ky.; Randy Fraley, 606-928-5333; [email protected]; www.kyppa.com

August 15 C: Tennessee PPA, Marriott Cool Springs, Frankin, Tenn.; Ernie K. Johnson, 615-509-5737; [email protected]; tnppa.com

October 12-13 C: PP of Colorado, Denver, Colo.; Jeff Johnson, 303-921-4454; [email protected]; www.ppcolorado.com

August 23-27 C: Florida PP; Rosen Plaza Hotel, Orlando, Fla.; Alan Dust, 800-330-0532; www.fpponline.org

October 12-14 S: PP of Mississippi/Alabama, Guntersville State Park, Ala.; Wayne Rawson, 601-693-1966; [email protected]; www.ppma.net

September 12-15 C: PP of Oklahoma, Radisson Hotel, Tulsa, Okla.; Ted Newlin, [email protected]; www.ppok.org September 13-16 C: PPA of New England, Radisson Hotel Nashua, N.H.; Roland Laramie, P.O. Box 316, Willimantic, CT 06226; [email protected]

PPA EVENTS

October 9-18 PPA Fall Cruise

Professional Photographers of America (PPA) has a proud tradition of providing its members with outstanding educational opportunities through its annual events, PPA-Merited classes and its PPA Affiliate School Network. Don’t miss out on the vital knowledge you’ll gain at these events! For information on PPA events, call 800-786-6277 or visit www.ppa.com.

October 27 Super Monday

May 31 Professional Photographer Cover Photo Contest Deadline Submission June 6 117th Annual International Print Competition Deadline for Entries July 22-23 Judges Workshop, Daytona Beach

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January 11-13, 2009 Imaging USA, Phoenix January 10-12, 2010 Imaging USA, Nashville

Certification Exam For a complete list of exam dates, go to www.ppa.com and click on Certification.

Image Review Online submission: May 9, August 8 & October 10

October 18-21 C: APPI, Decatur Conference Center, Decatur, Ill.; Jill Sanders, 309-697-9015; [email protected] October 20 S: PP of Massachusetts; Steve Meier, [email protected]; www.ppam.com October 20-21 C: Wisconsin PPA, The Osthoff Resort, Elkhart Lake, Wis.; Mary Gueller, 920-753-5302; Jim Buivid, 262-377-5118; Deb Wiltsey, 866-382-9772; wppa-online.com October 26-27 C: PP of Iowa, Airport Holiday Inn, Des Moines, Iowa; Chris Brinkopf, P.O. Box 108, Sumner, IA 50674; 563-578-1126; [email protected] October 26-28 S: Northern Light/Minnesota PPA; Nicole Bugnacki, 763-390-6272; [email protected] November 2 S: PP of Louisiana, Northern Exposure, Shreveport, La.; Dayna Ponthieu, 318-359-6633; www.ppla.net

November 9-10 C: PP of Ohio, Hilton Easton, Columbus, Ohio; Carol Worthington, [email protected]

February 6-10, 2009 C: PP of South Carolina, Myrtle Beach. S.C.; Wilber Jeffcoat, wilber@jeffcoatphotography; www.ppofsc.com

Future Events

February 13-15, 2009 C: PP of West Virginia, Morgantown, W.V.; Tom Gilson, 304-232-3686; [email protected]; www.ppwv.org

January 31 - February 3, 2009 C: PP of Iowa, Airport Holiday Inn, Des Moines, Iowa; Chris Brinkopf, P.O. Box 108, Sumner, IA 50674; 563-578-1126; [email protected]

February 20-23, 2009 C: PP of Oregon, Embassy Suites Hotel, PDX, Portland, Ore.; Arlene Welsh, 800-370-5657; [email protected]; www.pporegon.com

PPA-Approved Continuing Education Seminars PPA members receive both merits and the best published prices. June-December C/E: Hancock Hands on Photography Classes; Quinn Hancock, 785-883-4166; [email protected] June 9 C/E: “The Joy of Marketing. Yes, Really!” with Sarah Petty; Riverside Receptions, Geneva, Ill.; Joseph Weber, 847-670-9834; [email protected]; www.ppani.org

Lighting Systems For Digital and Film Cameras

The New EXPLORER 1500 Digital Power Supply • Uses one or two Speedotron Black Line Light Units and universal accessories. • Cost effective solution to gas powered generators where electrical power is not available.

June 16 C/E: Advanced Outdoor Lighting Techniques, Bloomington, Ill.; 309-530-9899; [email protected] July 12-18 C/E: Copan Honduras Study Abroad Excursion with Paul Wingler, Suzette Allen & Jon Yoshinaga; 800-483-6208; [email protected]; www.suzetteallen.com/copan

• Provides up to 225 full power flashes

July 22 C/E: Escaping from the Box; Fort Worden, Wash.; Paul Rogers, 815-436-0422; www.paulrogersphotography.com

• Removable battery, “The Juice Box” module with built-in charger

August 4 C/E: Print Competition Boot Camp; Batavia, Ill.; 630-761-2990

1500 Watt-seconds at full power

HIGH PERFORMANCE ADVANCED FEATURES ILLUMINATED LCD DISPLAY VERSATILE Two-Year Warranty

www.speedotron.com • [email protected] 310 South Racine Avenue • Chicago IL 60607 • call us: 312.421.4050 • fax: 312.421.5079

96 • www.ppmag.com

June 9-11 C/E: Camp Howe, North Platte, Neb.; 308534-7909; www.photographicimages1.com

August 1-4 C/E: Oxford Painter Workshop, San Francisco, Calif.; Jeremy Sutton, 415-6263971; www.jeremysutton.com August 13 C/E: “Making Digital Photography Easy, Predictable & Fun” with Robert D. Lloyd, Malta, Ill.; Wend Weugeler, 815-356-1231; [email protected] August 25-27 C/E: The Artistry Corel Painter Retreat, Malibu, Calif.; 818-981-2803; www.artistrymag.com August 28-29 C/E: The Artistry GARTEL Marketing Seminar, Calif.; 818-981-2803; www.artistrymag.com

2008 PPA-AFFILIATED SCHOOLS PPA members receive both merits and the best-published prices. June 1-5 Kansas Professional Photographer School, Bethel College, Newton, Kan.; Ron Clevenger, 785-242-7710; [email protected]; www.kpps.com June 1-5 Mid-America Institute of Professional Photography, University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, Iowa; Charles Lee, 641-7998957; [email protected]; www.maipp.com; Al DeWild, [email protected] June 8-12 Illinois Workshops, Grafton, Ill.; Bret Wade, 217-245-5418; [email protected]; www.ilworkshops.com

June 22-26 PP Oklahoma School, St. Gregory’s University, Shawnee, Okla.; Glenn Cope, 580-628-6438; [email protected]; www.ppok.org/school.html

August 10-14 East Coast School, Sheraton Imperial Hotel, Raleigh, N.C.; Janet Boschker, 704-567-0775; [email protected]; www.eastcoastschool.com

June 23-25 Golden Gate School of Professional Photography, Mills College, Oakland, Calif.; Julie Olson, 650-548-0889; [email protected]; www.goldengateschool.com

August 24-27 Carolina Art & Photographic School, Randolph Community College, Archdale Campus, Creekside Park, N.C.; Bob Henderson, 336-288-1132; [email protected]; www.capsartschool.com

July 13-17 Image Explorations, Shawnigan Lake, British Columbia; Don MacGregor, 604-731-7225; [email protected]; www.imageexplorations.ca/

June 8-13 Great Lakes Institute of Photography, Northwestern College, Traverse City, Mich.; Greg Ockerman, 313-318-4327; [email protected]; www.glip.org

July 20-25 PPSNY Photo Workshop, Hobart/William Smith Colleges, Geneva, N.Y.; Linda Hutchings, 607-733-6563; [email protected]; www.ppsnysworkshop.com

June 15-20 West Coast School, University of San Diego, San Diego, Calif.; Kip Cothran, 951-696-9706; [email protected]; www.prophotoca.com

August 4-7 Long Island Photo Workshop, Sheraton Hotel, Smithtown, Long Island, N.Y.; Jerry Small, 516-221-4058; [email protected]; www.liphotoworkshop.com

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September 28-October 2 Lamarr Williamson School of South Carolina; Springmaid Resort, Myrtle Beach, S.C.; John Wrightenberry, 803-781-2130; [email protected]; www.ppofsc.com

Send all additions or corrections to: Marisa Pitts, Professional Photographers of America, 229 Peachtree Street, N.E., Suite 2200, Atlanta, GA 30303; [email protected].

MAY | 08

TODAY

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Dennis Craft, M.Photog.Cr., CPP, API, F-ASP 2008-2009

© Chris Cox

One of the Àrst seminars I attended was a presentation on high school senior photography by Wah Lui from Seattle. He started the transition that led to a total makeover of our senior photography market. There were many other photographers in that transition, but the two that have

FRIENDS MET ALONG THE WAY

Three of my early mentors were not photographers. They started out as individuals helping me be successful in business, but they became dear friends in the process. To each of these people I owe a big thank you. After purchasing the studio, my Àrst contact was my Burrell Colour Imaging Lab’s rep. Bob Clark walked into my studio early on and kept pushing the need to get involved with photographic organizations and learn more. He must have wondered more than once if I would make it in this business! But his persistence led me to PPA, my state organization PPM, and the local Triangle afÁiate.

© Chris Cox

inÁuenced me the most are Gary Jentoft and Larry Peters. I am not only inspired by the photographers that crossed my path in the early years; I am also inspired by those who are up and coming. For instance, I had the opportunity to photograph Chris Cox, my son’s best friend, while he was home visiting last summer. An aspiring photographer who has won awards in a New York student competition, Chris and I spent a few hours creating images that reÁected his personality. Today I see many new faces who still push the creative envelope, not only with their photographic style, but also by embracing the changing technology. The young, creative

Evelyn Lageman was our studio consultant in the late 80’s. She came to our studio at least twice to help us learn how to run a photographic business, training the staff where we were struggling. She was a master of dealing with people—while kind and gentle, she accomplished all of her session goals. Then, at one of my Àrst Michigan conventions, I met a frame salesman, Brian Runnels with Culver Art and Frame in Ohio. Over the years our friendship grew beyond the photographic industry. Brian would plan his studio stops around Marshall, so we could meet for dinner. He

© Chris Cox

© Chris Cox

talent of students like Chris is an inspiration. I am excited to see what transformations await us in the coming years. This is what makes the industry so great: There isn’t a standard that we must follow. We don’t just create a likeness of our subjects; we have the ability to create unique images that say something about those we meet on this journey called photography. May your journey this month allow you to cross paths with someone that will inspire you.

PPA News & Notes

As I have the opportunity to speak with photographers around the country, many have shared how diverse the high school senior photography market is in different regions. And it amazes me how that market has changed over the years since I have been in business. The studio I purchased in 1979 was just starting to offer color photography (it was still second to hand-colored portraits), and environmental portraits were just starting to gain in popularity.

PPA President

Dennis Craft, M.Photog.Cr., CPP, API, F-ASP 2008-2009 PPA President

became close to our children. And he always had an encouraging word or listening ear as I worked my way through a challenge. Bob and Brian have since passed away, but I will always treasure the friendship and lessons they shared with me. None of the three taught me a thing about photography, but all taught me about the importance of relationships. Cherish the relationships that come into your life; they truly are a blessing.

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TODAY 2007 AN-NE MARKETING AWARD SPOTLIGHT: SARAH PETTY PHOTOGRAPHY by Angie Wijesinghe, PPA Marketing Specialist Andria Crawford, Sarah Petty, Kari Abate; photo © Jim Lersch

PPA News & Notes

“Competitions—like the AN-NEs and print competitions—make me work harder,” comments Sarah Petty. “They force me to think through what I’m doing.” Sarah Petty Photography is known for clever marketing, but it doesn’t happen with a snap of the Àngers. “We all brainstorm,” Sarah explains. “I am surrounded by creative people (like Kari Abate and Andria Crawford), but we never sit down and complete a campaign in one shot. Every version leads to another.” And two of those versions led Sarah’s team to the 2007 AN-NE Marketing Awards for Best High School Senior Campaign and Best Image Marketing Campaign. Best High School Senior Campaign “Our whole focus is on the message we want to send, and how we can make it clear,” says Kari Abate, senior photographer for Sarah Petty Photography and project lead for the senior campaign.

photos, they received a For instance, Kari, Sarah, and Andria wanted to explain what makes each canvas backpack with a handcrafted clay charm, stamped senior so incredible (and how their studio can portray that in images). with a symbol and a word like “We didn’t want to pay lip service to “charismatic” or “magnanimous” to represent their personalities. the idea of inner beauty,” Kari says Àrmly. “We wanted to say it in a way that rang true—not cheesy or canned.” As Kari sums it up, “We wanted interactive pieces that proved to In the campaign, the words “Shine On” the client that we saw them as represented the light within everyone— unique.” Yes, it took a bit more time to create, but they reached their target— the personality that creates inner and increased their average order by beauty. After all, Sarah Petty over 30%. Photography is all about showcasing one’s personality…and they wanted Best Image Marketing Campaign their marketing message and copy to Even in the winning senior campaign, reÁect their photography style. But this campaign didn’t stop at the images Sarah and her team worked hard to keep their company’s identity and words that Kari wrote. consistent and strong. “Everything In Kari’s eyes, seniors are all about we do keeps our branding in mind,” says Sarah. personalization—from great photography to the little things that prove you see them as individuals. So A truer statement has never been made. From letterhead and business the team created several campaign cards, to the box wrap, price menu pieces: logo tee-shirts, lip gloss, eyeand even a baby outÀt (onesie) with catching brochures, price menus, and their logo, Sarah Petty Photography more. And when seniors picked up the

BOARD MEMBER SPOTLIGHT Don MacGregor, M.Photog.Cr., API PPA Member since: 1981 Location: VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA Don MacGregor has always been very passionate about photography…ever since he saw a photo of himself develop from nothing but chemicals. In fact, he started working with a photographer before he could drive, which meant his grandma had to drive him to the weddings he worked (he made her park a good distance away!) Yes, it’s humorous, but it also proves Don’s desire to succeed.

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But while that drive to succeed is important, Don names two other elements as vital: 1. educating the public about a professional’s skills, and 2. producing something desirable. One of the biggest challenges is that much of the public sees photography as “easy” because they don’t know the skills, techniques, and storytelling ability it requires. To Don, that Àrst

news from the world’s largest professional photography association | Professional Photographers of America | www.ppa.com

TODAY Sarah Petty Photography’s unofficial marketing process: » Schedule time to brainstorm campaign ideas.

» Brainstorm with the entire » photo © Cheryl Pearson

has a strong image. Each piece they submitted for the Image Marketing Campaign was slightly different, but the message, logo, and overall look and feel tied them together.

But many photographers are swayed by the newest, “prettiest” marketing trends…without seeing if that style Àts their speciÀc identity. For instance, a photographer who does elegant, black-and-white relationship photography might want to use a whimsical blog with fun shapes and colors because it’s the modern trend. However, it gives the wrong expectations.

element (educating the public) starts with photographers themselves. “I’m passionate about building professional respect. We have to instill in ourselves pride and self-respect… before we can expect it from the public. We need to come together as a cohesive team,” he adds. Along with educating the public, though, photographers obviously have to create something desirable. However, it’s not just beautiful images that push people to buy. “Take shoes,” Don says, “If you see a pair of shoes you like—no matter how many pairs you have—you’ll Ànd a way to buy that pair. So I look at my products like this: is

“Start your marketing by considering your photographic style,” Sarah adds. “Many try to deÀne their style through marketing—that’s just backwards! Everything should evolve from your style of photography.” It may take more time for you to deÀne the style and stick to it, but it’s worth it. As Sarah clariÀes, “We work on our pieces for a long, long time before we ever send them for polishing in graphic design.” And that’s the key: don’t go to a designer until you know your message and how you want to portray it. Your marketing is all about you. Sarah Petty, Kari Abate, Andria Crawford Sarah Petty Photography, SpringÀeld, Illinois www.sarahpetty.com; http://TheJoyofMarketing.com

»

»

»

The annual AN-NE Marketing Awards competition recognizes outstanding ingenuity and effectiveness in real-world marketing endeavors. Named in honor of Ann Monteith and Marvel Nelson, both marketing gurus and past PPA Presidents, the competition is open to PPA members only. The rules and entry form for the 2008 competition are online now. More information is at the Competition & Awards page on www.ppa.com. Don’t miss the June 27, 2008 postmark deadline.

the price too high, or is the purchasing desire not high enough?” So how do you get to the point where you are developing purchasing desire, professional respect, and stretching your photographic abilities? “If you want to be inspired to be great, be around people you admire,” Don says Àrmly. For him, it started with his introduction (by his Àrst employer) to the Professional Photographers of Canada. And that desire to be around the right kind of people has brought him here to PPA’s Board of Directors. Don likes to sum this up with an adage: “If you want to Áy with the eagles, don’t strut with the turkeys.”

PPA News & Notes

Sarah compares a company’s identity to a face: the makeup and hairstyle changes, but the face never does. “Nothing can go against the identity we have created for our business (our face),” Sarah stresses. “It’s what a client comes to trust. You can’t build a strong brand on a weak identity.”

photo © Cheryl Pearson

team – discuss what worked and didn’t work last year. Look outside the industry – “I get inspiration from what the ‘big dogs’ outside are doing,” says Kari. Set a project lead – If someone in your team specializes in the type of photography you are promoting, let them pull the Àrst images and write the initial copy. Create copy and images to get the message and look you want before sending it to a graphic designer. Proof the pieces with everyone on your team.

CONVERSATIONS ON OURPPA.COM Have you taken full advantage of OurPPA.com? Many haven’t…and are missing out. You can create a proÀle and upload an avatar image, compare ideas, joke around, ask questions, and post your images for comment. It’s a great way to share the knowledge in this wide photographic industry, from lighting issues to what competition print you should send and who has had luck with a certain type of marketing. There’s a vast amount of relevant information in that forum. Go ahead, look around:

www.OurPPA.com

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TODAY AFFILIATE SCHOOL SPOTLIGHT

PPA News & Notes

ILLINOIS WORKSHOPS June 8-12, 2008 | Grafton, IL Contact: Bret Wade; [email protected]; 217-245-5418 Web site: www.ilworkshops.com Tuition: $595 Course Information: Carl Caylor, Ralph Romaguera Clark & Rachel Marten, Rick Trummer John Woodward GOLDEN GATE SCHOOL OF PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY (GGS) June 23-25, 2008 | Oakland, CA Contact: Julie Olson; [email protected]; 650-548-0889 Web site: www.goldengateschool.org Tuition: from $515 Course information: This beautiful retreat campus conducts 2 ½ and 3 day classes for established and aspiring pros. Marketing and Sales– Juli Cialone Professional Lighting Techniques– Andre Costantini People Photography– Bob Davis Weddings– Paul Gero

Professional Photography Fundamentals– Eliot Khuner & John Paulson Portraiture– Dave Newman Album Design/Photoshop– Kimberly Sayre Children/Family Portraiture– Jennifer Wilson IMAGE EXPLORATIONS July 13-17, 2008 Shawnigan Lake, BC, Canada Contact: Don MacGregor; [email protected]; 604-731-7225 Web site: www.imageexplorations.com Tuition: $645 Course Information: Contemporary Wedding– Scott Robert Lim The Complete Photographer– Doug Box Photoshop/Retouching– Jane Conner-Ziser Fine Art Portraiture– Greg Daniels Children Unplugged– Kevin Newsome Bring Your Own Brain– Joe Glyda & Carol Andrews Advanced Photoshop– Jim Divitale

Portrait Journey– Arthur Rainville & Jennifer Hudson Painter in the Real World– Scott Dupras Business & Marketing– Andre Amyot Success in Photography– Ralph Romaguera PPSNYS PHOTO WORKSHOP July 20-25, 2008 | Geneva, NY Contact: [email protected]; 607-733-6563 Web site: www.ppsnysworkshop.com Tuition: $725 (most courses); $825 (Photoshop courses before discounts) Course Information: Photoshop: TurboCharge your WorkÁow – Mark Campbell Weddings: The Essentials – Ed Booth & Betty Huth Studio 101– Craig Hutchings Creative Visualization: Let’s See the Light – J. Michael McBride Dave Newman’s Essentials of Portraiture– Dave Newman Outdoor and Nature Photography: Creative Composition in the Digital Image – Tony Sweet

TEAMING UP FOR TROY by Wendy Towle Troy Montgomery, current President of PPA’s Northwest Ohio chapter, is in need of some teamwork from his fellow photographers/creatives/ suppliers. Unfortunately, he is suffering from an aggressive form of cancer, and he is in need of Ànancial assistance. Troy’s friends in PPNO are asking for any contributions to his cause.

catch our eye. If we each took just a fraction of the money we spend on one of these items, we could change a life. All proceeds will go directly to Troy for his medical needs. A PayPal account has been set up for easy contributions. Visit the www.PPNO.org home page and click on the Donate button. Or send checks and money orders in attention to:

As photographers, we spend a lot of money on equipment, continuing education, and other goodies that

PPNO –Teaming Up for Troy P.O. Box 140125 Toledo Ohio 43614-0125 Thank you, and bless you!

© John Fenstemacher

IN MEMORY…LEONARD LEVY, M.Photog.Cr One of the true giants in our profession has passed away: Leonard (Len) Levy, a gentleman in every sense of the word. His funeral was held on February 28 in Salem, Mass. Len educated hundreds of photographers during his life.

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Teaching the Basics course at NEIPP for over 38 years earned him the title “Mr. NEIPP.” His “true stories” will be remembered by everyone he taught. Len created the foundation on which so many have prospered, and he will be missed by everyone who had

the extreme pleasure of knowing him. Expressions of sympathy may be made in Len’s memory to the PPANE Scholarship Fund c/o Roland Laramie, P.O. Box 316, Willimantic, CT 06226.

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PROFE SSIONAL

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Denny Manufacturing (www.photonovelty.com) . . . 119 Diversified Lab (www.diversifiedlab.com) . . . . . . . . 109 Dury’s (www.durys.com). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39, 63 Dyna-Lite Corp. (www.dynalite.com) . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Ed Pierce Seminars (www.edpierceseminars.com) . . . 13 emotion Media Inc. (www.emotionmedia.com) . . . . 117 Focal Point Studios (www.notecard.info). . . . . . . . . 119 Foto Figures (www.fotofigures.com) . . . . . . . . . . . . 119 Fredericks Photo Lab (www.fredericksphotolab.com). 108 Graphic Authority (www.graphicauthority.com) . . . . 60 Group Photographers Association (www.groupphotographers.com). . . . . . . . . . . . 107 Hallmark Imaging (www.hallmarklabs.com) . . . . . . . 111 Herff Jones (www.hjpro.com) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110 HiTi Digital America Inc. (www.hi-ti.com) . . . . . . . . 49 I Shoot People Tour (www.ishootpeopletour.com) . . 77 Imaging USA (www.ppa.com) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Imaging Spectrum (www.imagingspectrum.com). . . 115 Jonathan Penney Inc. (www.jonathanpenney.com) . 119 Lustre Color (www.lustrecolor.com) . . . . . . . . . . 98, 111 MPIX (www.mpix.com) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 McKenna Pro (www.mckennapro.com) . . . . . . . . . . 107 Mamiya (www.mamiya.com) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29, 31 Meridian Professional Imaging (www.meridianpro.com) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cover II Michel Company (www.michelcompany.com) . . . . . . 117 Michigan Photo (www.michiganphoto.com) . . . . . . 109 Microsoft (www.microsoft.com/prophoto) . . . . . . . . 79 Midwest Sports (www.midwestsportslab.com) . . . . 110 Miller Professional Imaging (www.millerslab.com). 15, 73 Mitsubishi Electric (www.mitsubishi-imaging.com) . 75 Morris Group (www.themorriscompany.com). . . . . . 114 MyPhotopipe (www.myphotopipe.com) . . . . . . . . . . 55 NAPP (www.photoshopuser.com). . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106 National Direct Marketing Services (www.ndmservices.com) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115 Neil Enterprises (www.neilenterprises.com). . . . . . . 98 Noritsu (www.noritsu.com/M300) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Norman (www.normanlights.com) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 North American Photo (www.naphoto.com) . . . . . . 110 Onlinephotofix.com (www.onlinephotofix.com) . . . . 119 PR Photo Lab (www.prphotolab.com) . . . . . . . . . . 108

Pacific Mount (www.pacificmount.com). . . . . . . . . . 116 Perfection Distributing Inc. (www.perfectiondistibuting.com) . . . . . . . . . . . 118 Photoprism Color Lab (www.photoprismcolorlab) . . 112 Pictobooks (www.pictobooks.com) . . . . . . . . . . 117, 118 Pictology (www.go.pictology.com) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117 Photogenic Professional Lighting (www.photogenic) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 PocketWizard (www.pocketwizard.com) . . . . . . . . . . 23 Printmakers Chicago (www.printmakers.com) . . . . . 110 Professional Photographer Cover Contest (www.ppmag.com) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Profoto (www.profoto-usa.com) . . . . . . . . . . . Cover IV Portrait Weavers (www.portraitweavers.com) . . . . . 118 Quantum (www.qtm.com) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 Ramsey Resources (www.ramseyresources.com) . . . 112 Reedy Photo (www.reedyphoto.com) . . . . . . . . . . . . 111 SanDisk (www.sandisk.com) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Simply Canvas (www.simplycanvas.com). . . . . . . . . 112 Speedotron (www.speedotron.com) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96 Sto-fen (www.stofen.com) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119 Student Marketing Group Inc. (www.studentmarketing.net) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116 Studio Dynamics (www.studiodynamics.com) . . . . . 119 Studio Logic (www.studiologic.com). . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Studuio Management Services (www.ppa.com) . . . . 42 Studio Pro Group (www.studioprogroup.com) . . . . . 111 Successware (www.successware.net) . . . . . . . . . . . . 81 TAP Professional (www.tap-usa.com) . . . . . . . . . . . 115 Tamron USA Inc. (www.tamron.com) . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 Tyndell (www.tyndellphotographic.com) . . . . . . . . . 118 Unique Photo Supplies (www.uniquephoto.com) . . . . 4 United Promotions Inc. (www.upilab.com). . . . . . . . 112 Used Camera Buyer (www.usedcamerabuyer.com) . . 95 Veach Co. (www.veachco.com) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118 White House Custom Color (www.whcc.com). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-9, 24-25 White Glove (www.wgbooks.com) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114 Xrite (www.xritephoto.com) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Zookbinders (www.zookbinders.com) . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Publisher not responsible for errors & omissions

May 2008 • Professional Photographer • 113

Buyer’s Gallery THIS SECTION IS THE MONTHLY RESOURCE PHOTOGRAPHERS USE TO FIND THE PRODUCTS THEY NEED. PUT YOUR MESSAGE PROMINENTLY IN FRONT OF INDUSTRY PROS AND START TURNING BROWSERS INTO BUYERS.

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May 2008 • Professional Photographer • 115

Buyer’s Gallery ad specs: Ad size: 21⁄4” x 43⁄4 12x rate: $550.00 gross per month 6x rate: $600.00 gross per month Contact your advertising representative: Bart Engels, Western Regional Manager, 847-854-8182; or Shellie Johnson, Eastern Regional Manager, 404-522-8600, ext. 279; for more information.

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May 2008 • Professional Photographer • 117

PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING RATES • $1.50 per word • $2.00 per word/words with all caps or bold face. • $10.00 per issue— Confidential Reply Box Ads (Optional)—$30 min. per ad • Closing date is 20th of the second month proceeding issue date. • Remittance must be received with order. NO ADS ACCEPTED BY PHONE. Remittance to: Professional Photographer Classified Ads 229 Peachtree NE, Ste. 2200, Atlanta, GA 30303 800-339-5451, ext. 221 FAX 404-614-6405

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ProductMall

SOMETHING HERE YOU NEED...

May 2008 • Professional Photographer • 119

ClassifiedAdvertising HELP WANTED

CANVAS MOUNTING

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING RATES Classified rates: • $1.50 per word; • $2.00 per word/ words with all caps or bold face. • $10.00 per issue—Confidential Reply Box Ads (Optional)—$30 minimum per ad. Closing date is 20th of the second month proceeding issue date. Remittance must be received with order. NO ADS ACCEPTED BY PHONE. Remittance to: Professional Photographer Classified Ads, 229 Peachtree NE, Ste. 2200, Atlanta, GA 30303; 800339-5451, ext. 221; FAX 404-614-6405.

ACCOUNTING CPAs FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS. Business set-up, tax planning and preparation, business valuations and consulting. Decades of experience. Darryl Bodnar, CPA, (410) 453-5500, [email protected]. Visit our website at www.nlgroup.com.

ALBUMS GP ALBUMS (formerly General Products L.L.C.) is focused on flush mount and digital offset albums along with our NEW extensive line of self-mount albums and folios. GP’s Optimus, Quick-Stick, Digital Vision, Tempus, and Eclipse albums are the products that will help take your photography business into the future. You will experience the same great quality with a whole new look. As a manufacturer, GP Albums also has the ability to create custom photo packaging products upon request. GP Albums continues to offer variety and flexibility allowing photographers to design the perfect product that will last a lifetime. For more information, please visit us at www.gpalbums.com or call 1-800-888-1934.

CANVAS MOUNTING, STRETCHING, FINISH LACQUERING. Original McDonald Method. Considered best AVAILABLE. Realistic canvas texture. Large sizes a specialty. WHITMIRE ASSOCIATES, YAKIMA, WA. 509-248-6700. WWW.CANVASMOUNT.COM

COMPUTER/SOFTWARE SUCCESSWARE®—Studio Management Software available for both Windows® and Macintosh®. Recommended by Ann Monteith, the nation’s foremost studio management consultant. Call today for a FREE SuccessWare® Tour 800593-3767 or visit our Web site www.SuccessWare.net. Learn how you can revolutionize customer and order tracking and ignite your marketing fire with customized software that knows what’s going on in YOUR business— even when you don’t! More professional photographers trust Photo One Software, powered by Granite Bear than all other studio management software combined! 5 Powerful Guarantees: 5 days to customize your Photo One to match your studio; personalized phone training for you and your staff; 75 minute no-hassle guaranteed support call-back time; 365 days of unlimited support and usable upgrades and a 365 day unmatched money back guarantee! Zero-Risk. Only $299.00 deposit gets you started. Call 888-428-2824 now for your free working demo or visit www.photoonesoftware.com. Photo One, Building better businesses, one studio at a time.

SCHOOL PHOTOGRAPHERS—Kessler Color’s digital units start at $.90 each. Beautiful color and great value! Call 800-KES-LABS.

DIGITAL TEMPLATES DIGITAL TEMPLATES AND BACKGROUNDS. Delmiaco.com has fully customizable Photoshop templates sold as layered .psd files. Collections include: wedding collages, wedding invitations and thank you cards, birth announcements, birthday invitations and thank you cards, senior portrait collages and more. High quality digital backdrops also available. Visit www.delmiaco.com for further details.

KNOWLEDGE BACKGROUNDS—The #1 manufacturer of quality handpainted canvas and muslin backdrops. Proudly handcrafted in the U.S.A. Call today toll free: 888-8497352 for your free copy of our 2008 Product Catalog; or visit us on the web at: www.knowledgebackgrounds.com

CAMERA REPAIR HASSELBLAD REPAIRS: David S. Odess is a factory trained technician with 31 years experience servicing the Hasselblad system exclusively. Previously with Hasselblad USA. Free estimates, prompt service, reasonable rates and a 6 month guarantee. Used equipment sales. 28 South Main Street, #104, Randolph, MA 02368, 781-963-1166; www.david-odess.com.

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INCORPORATION SERVICES INCORPORATE OR FORM an LLC today! Your art is a business. Treat it like one. The Company Corporation can help you incorporate or form a limited liability company in as little as ten minutes. We are fast, accurate and affordable. Provide additional credibility to your photography studio or business at the fraction of the cost of using an attorney. Call 1-800-206-7276 or visit www.corporate.com today!

LAB SERVICES FREE 20X30 Wallets to 6ftx14ft Goldencolor 9020 W. Olympic Blvd. Beverly Hills, CA 90211 310-274-3445 www.goldencolor.com

DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHERS—Kessler Color produces STUNNING images from digital files. Try our rapid FTP site and get a FREE 16 x 20. New Service—E-Vents from Kessler Color. Get 8x10 units for $.90. [email protected]. 800-KES-LABS.

THE DENNY MFG. CO., INC. is the World’s Largest Manufacture of Hand Painted Backgrounds, Computer Painted Backgrounds, Muslin Backgrounds, Studio Sets, Props, Lift Systems, and related Studio Accessories. Contact us today to receive our FREE 180 page color catalog filled with exquisite products and ideas to help you succeed in Photography. Write P.O. Box 7200 Mobile, AL 36670; Call 1-800-844-5616 or visit our Web site at www.dennymfg.com.

CHICAGO CANVAS & SUPPLY—Wide Seamless Canvas and Muslin, Duvetyn, Commando Cloth, Theatrical Gauze, Velour, Sharkstooth Scrim, Leno Scrim, Gaffers Tape, Primed Canvas, Gesso, and Deka Fabric Dyes—Fabrication Available. Curtain Track & Hardware for Moveable Curtains and Backdrops—Easily installed. Quick turn around time. Our prices can’t be beat. Visit our website or call for a free catalog and samples. 773-478-5700; www.chicagocanvas.com; [email protected]

PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHER—BEAUTIFUL BOISE, ID. We’re a rapidly growing studio in Boise, ID, specializing in fine art family portraiture— maternity through high school seniors. We’re looking for a team player with 5 years of portrait experience, DSLR mastery, lighting experience, digital retouching expertise, great client skills, and most importantly, a desire to learn, grow and have fun. Must be willing to learn how to sell. Ideal candidate is motivated to become a partner in the studio. Health and vacation benefits available. Qualified candidates only, send resumes and sample images to [email protected].

DIGITAL

BACKGROUNDS

STUDIO DYNAMICS’ muslin and canvas backdrops offer quality and value at outlet prices! Call 1-800-595-4273 for a catalog or visit www.studiodynamics.com

HELP WANTED: Assistant photographer for contemporary photojournalistic wedding coverages in Orange County, CA area. Must have digital equipment. E-mail John at [email protected].

EDUCATION/WORKSHOPS DIGITAL PAINTING FORUM. The Digital Painting Forum, hosted by Painter Master Marilyn Sholin has thousands of international members and over 50,000 post about Corel® Painter, Essentials, and Photoshop.Forums include tutorials, brushes, digital painting, art, and the business of creating, marketing and selling digital art. This forum has a small subscription fee that is well worth the education gained. www.digitalpaintingforum.com

EQUIPMENT FOR SALE DIGITAL PRINTERS; FUJI-NORITSU; MINILABS; NEW & USED, FACTORY AUTHORIZED. INSTALLATION AND TRAINING. FINANCING—$600 UP. DELIVERY— INSURED. WWW.DIRECT-RESOURCES.COM; 877-318-3015.

FINANCIAL TIRED OF DEBT? TIRED OF BILLS? NEED CASH FAST? CASH CASH CASH. BUSINESS SMART UP LOANS, DEBT CONSOLIDATION, HOME RENOVATIONS, 2ND MORTGAGES, PERSONAL LOANS, GOOD, BAD CREDIT, NO CREDIT, OR BANKRUPTCY, AVAILABLE AMOUNTS FROM $10K TO $500,000. FREE CONSULTATIONS, NO FEES, QUICK, EASY AND CONFIDENTIAL, FOR FAST RESULTS CALL TOLL FREE. CALL: 877-423-7974

ACADEMY PRODUCTIONS INC. INNOVATIVE PRINTING SOLUTION Complete Imaging Service for today’s professional photographer Processing—Proofing—Film—Digital Files —SOS— Self Ordering System powered by ROES • High Volume Packages—Kodak Products • Schools—Daycares—Sports—Proms—Seniors • Studios—Store Promotions—Fundraisers—Weddings • Composites—Collages—Other Unique Products • High Tech Printing Equipment—Scanning Services • Free Marketing Seminars—Expert Product Designers • Superior Customer Service—Detailed Technical Support • Competitive Pricing—Quick Turn Around CALL US TODAY: 800-421-3523 6100 ORR ROAD • CHARLOTTE, NC 28213 www.PicAcademy.com PECHMAN PROFESSIONAL IMAGING (DIGITAL OR FILM) Portraits & Units

8x10

16x20

Print-By-Inch $1.45 $5.80 Studio-Color Corrected 1.90 11.99 Lab-Color-Corrected 2.57 13.99 Raw-File-Services 3.15 16.40 •Undergrad-Sport-Event Pkgs. 8x10 @ $.96 •Fully Assembled Albums-10x10 print included-9 to 18 pages from $149.99, (100’s of templates available) •Proofs from $.25 •Proof Books-spiral bound-8x10 page @ $1.60 • 48 Wal Gold Stamp Special-next 48 free •Spray-Mount-Texture •Digital Retouch $2.50, Art-$1.00 per minute ROES®, LABPRINTSTM, FTP OR DISK. 800-777-0221 WWW.PECHMANIMAGING.COM

SPORTS PHOTOGRAPHERS The most versatile sports program available. Digital or film, quality & service is our motto. See www.sportsphoto.com SCHOOL/WEDDING Photographers. Low package prices starting at 19 images. Wedding 10x10’s, you design we print $2.49. www.PhotoPrintPros.com. PLATINUM GICLEETM FINE ART B&W from your digital file or negative up to 40 x 60. New DuraFiberTM Media provides deep blacks and waterproof, non-scuff surface, great for hand-coloring. Also available in sepia, color, split-tone. Call for free sample. Jonathan Penney, Inc., Master Printmakers. 631-874-3409. www.jonathanpenney.com SCHOOL & SPORTS PACKAGES “Green Screen”—With Hundreds of Different Backgrounds Galeone Photo Lab 2161 Greenspring Drive Timonium, MD 21093 410-252-5355 [email protected] Call for pricing. HAND PAINTED OILS; Transparent, Deluxe, and Canvas Stretched up to 40x60. A complete photo art lab serving photographers since 1965. Traditional and Digital printing services. Fiber based B&W up to 30x40. Giclee Fine Art prints. Restoration. Free estimates & pricing guide. 800922-7459 Venetian Arts www.venetianarts.com

MARKETING REVEALED: HOW TO GET MORE REFERRALS AND REPEAT BUSINESS THAN EVER BEFORE! Studies show you can see a 10, 25, EVEN 100% INCREASE in referrals and repeat business by ‘staying in touch’ with a client newsletter. But who has the time? Photographers using my unique, “DONE-FOR-YOU” NEWSLETTER system report spending only around 60 minutes on their newsletter and getting $750-$18,500 back every month! See for yourself… Request your FREE Special Report and Sample Package at www.TheStudioNewsletter.com to learn more. TURN HS SENIORS into Family Gold! Automatically get family sessions with senior portraits. Unique products and system is hassle free. FREE 24/7 Toll Free Recorded Message 800-301-2062, Ext. 702.

SALES AIDS BOXES—FROM THE ORIGINAL BLACK BOX MANUFACTURE—FREE SAMPLE—Fast delivery, Finest quality 4”x5”, 5”x5”, 4”x6”, 8”x10”, 11”x14”, 16”x20”, 20”x24”. AUFENGER BOX, 4800 COLLEY AVENUE, NORFOLK, VIRGINIA 23508; 757-440-1147 (phone); 757-440-1149 (fax); 888-440-1146 (toll free). www.aufengerbox.com CREATIVE FRAMES…Designed frames for the professional wedding, portrait and school photographers. Our frames are manufactured here in the USA. Visit us at WWW.CREATIVEFRAME.COM to see our full line. 5000 POSTCARDS $149 UV Coated 5,000 Business cards for $60.00 www.colorphotobusinesscards.com $10 off /with ad

STUDIO FOR SALE FULL SERVICE Studio with Great Reputation in Charming Mid-South Town with Major University and Large Trade Area. 30-Year-Old Business—Only Studio in Town. Great Opportunity—Owners Retiring and Will Assist in Transition. $125,000 Studio Real Estate Available. To obtain further information, please reply to :[email protected] and refer to ad #107. QUAINT PHOTOGRAPHY STUDIO in Sterling, Colorado for lease or sale. This studio is very unique and is located on prime main street property. Sterling, Colorado is located in northeast Colorado approximately 125 miles east of Denver. The community consists of 13,000 people and is a smaller, friendly town. The property sits on 5 lots totaling 15,000 square feet. The large studio has been totally remodeled and is 3,000 square feet with all studio lighting, props, backgrounds, etc. There is an adjoining 2,000 square foot building that is equipped with scenery and props also. The backyard has extensive landscaping including a barn, pier, gazebo, pond, bridge, waterfall, and various settings. A great opportunity with limited potential for an energetic, artistic photographer. Please call 970-522-7408 for more information. Serious inquiries only.

Better than ever! Professional Photographer Online has exciting new features for you. At ppmag.com, we don’t simply recreate the magazine online, Professional Photographer Online goes far beyond that with loads of cool, useful and inspiring content. And it’s all all yours free. Go to www.ppmag.com today!

STUDIO ESTABLISHED in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, area for over 20 years, with a great image and a very large client base. Owner is PPA Certified, Master Photographer & Photographic Craftsman. Wants to slow down. Will train and is willing to work for new owner to maintain continuity during transition. For information call 724-789-7371.

PHOTO RESTORATION 1st PHOTO RESTORATION FREE! Try us, you’ll like us! Point & click easy. No sign up cost. 100% guarantee. Online leader since 1993. Wholesale only to professionals. www.hollywoodfotofix.com or call 888-700-3686.

PRESENTATION BOXES BOXES—FREE SAMPLE PRESENTATION BOX—FROM THE ORIGINAL BLACK BOX MANUFACTURE—Fast delivery, Finest quality 4"x5", 5"x5", 4"x6", 8"x10", 11"x14", 16"x20", 20"x24". AUFENGER BOX, 4800 COLLEY AVENUE, NORFOLK, VIRGINIA 23508; 757-440-1147 (phone); 757-440-1149 (fax); 888-440-1146 (toll free). www.aufengerbox.com PRESENTATION BOXES available for immediate shipment; 19 sizes—4 stock colors. For FREE catalog & samples call 800-969-2697 or fax request 800-861-4528. BUY DIRECT AND SAVE. NPD Box Company, 3000 Quigley Road, Cleveland, OH 44113. www.NPDBox.com H-B Photo E-Store Box Manufacturer, buy direct and save. Complete Line of presentation boxes, better quality at lower prices. Bags, Totes, Tissue, Ribbons, customize with your logo. WWW.H-BPHOTO.COM H-B PACKAGING GROUP CENTRAL FALLS, RI. Call 401-725-3646 for free samples.

RETOUCHING

WESTERN COLORADO—just hours from national parks. 40 year-old established studio plus client list. Amazing outdoor photo park. Thriving economy in this sunny college town of 150,000 - a great opportunity. Owner will assist your transition. Call 970-596-1975. HOME/ STUDIO FOR SALE. Three bedroom Cape Cod with 20 x 30 x 10h addition, with full bath and basement on corner lot. (Perfect for home studio) Busy street, separate office entrance, parking in front and side of house. Five minutes to I-95, fifteen minutes to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and/or Wilmington Delaware. Retired, asking $ 279,000. Phone 610-859-8596 Cell 610-505-4018. FANTASY STUDIO FOR RENT. Not ready to buy, wanting to relocate and test an area? This is a studio unlike any other. Now you can afford to be the best with minimal outlay. Complete with lights, wardrobe, props and 5000 sq.ft. of movie set backgrounds. Unlimited creativity and an exceptional opportunity to be the best you can be. Colorado Springs, Colorado, is waiting for you. www.ljmphotography.com; 719.593.2424.

Be sure to visit Professional Photographer’s Cover Contest when logging on to www.ppmag.com

STUDIOS WANTED COLUMBUS CAMERA GROUP, INC. buys whole studios or any part including cameras, film, darkroom, long roll, lighting, and misc. No quantities too small. Call 800-3257664. Ask for Eric.

WHEN YOUR NAME is on the line, nothing but the best will ever do. Our retouchers know what you need: fast service, a retouch that looks like the photo was never altered and the lowest prices in the industry. If you demand the best log onto www.retouchup.com and your first 10 retouches are free just to prove our claims—the best—the fastest and the least expensive or call 888-700-3686.

May 2008 • Professional Photographer • 121

good works |

Images wield the power to effect change. In this monthly feature, Professional Photographer spotlights professional photographers using their talents to make a difference through charitable work. ©Walter Grio

proceeds from print sales were earmarked for a charity of the venue’s choice. Through Shoot for Change, Grio hopes to build a community of creative individuals who want to promote positive change. “My vision is that there will be a Web site where people can upload photos, and the sale of the prints will go to a charitable organization,” he says. “But it’s really not limited to photographers. It could include makeup artists, fashion designers and models who want to donate their time. I want to show everyone that they can make a positive difference. Art is a way to do that with the visual impact and indelible impression it can make with viewers. Art can inspire change where words and action fail.”

Shooting for change

at Seattle’s Mode Organic Salon, which

WALTER GRIO DONATES WHAT HE EARNS FROM PHOTOGRAPHY

Change. He’d like to do more such events,

A

Grio has participated in a fashion show

helped get the word out about Shoot for

as well as organize exhibitions for charity for other photographers. He

photographer at heart and a software company project manager by trade, Walter Grio has been a frequent business traveler for the last several years. He bought a Nikon D50 digital camera to document his travels, and grew progres-

income as a project manager, and photog-

acknowledges that not all photographers

raphy was something he felt passionate

can afford to donate all of the proceeds

enough about to do for free. So, instead of

from such exhibitions, and says every

asking for payment for his photographs, he

contribution can have a significant impact.

asked his clients to donate the fee to the

“Professional photographers already make

charity of their choice. He established

such a difference with their clients, and

Shoot for Change as a vehicle for his chari-

their work will be enjoyed for generations,”

sively more interested in photography as he

table intentions, created a Web site, and

says Grio. “The only question left is what

crisscrossed the globe. In late 2006, Grio

began to promote his photography through

kind of change would you like to see in the

photographed a fashion makeup shoot in

MySpace. He set his rates at $200 to

world around you?” I

Stockholm, Sweden. He posted the images

$4,000, depending on the number of

online, and soon began to get phone calls from

images and the kind of work, with the

people interested in having him photograph

understanding that the fees were to go to

them. Name your price, they told Grio.

charity. As word spread and he took on

That’s when the inspiration for Shoot for Change came to Grio. He made a good

122 • www.ppmag.com

clients, Grio began to hold photo exhibitions at various galleries and salons, and all

Find out how you can contribute to Shoot for Change at www.shootforchange.com.

Share your good works experience with us by e-mailing Cameron Bishopp at [email protected]

© Mary Fisk-Taylor

Mary Fisk-Taylor & Profoto ComPact “ Now we get perfect color balance, incredibly even illumination and consistency shot-to-shot. In the early days, my par tner Jamie Hayes and I had to make do with what we had, but Profoto was always on our ‘goal list’. When we used Profoto’s for the first time we were shocked by the difference we saw – beautifully natural lighting. Now we are a high-end studio and we have to produce the best possible results. Profoto is just the best there is.”

ComPact Kits now include ComPact and new ComPact R

a FREE custom case, two umbrellas and two light stands. F O R M O R E D E TA I L S V I S I T W W W. P R O F O T O - U S A . C O M

914-347-3300 Profoto-USA.com