NEW STUFF !!!!!!

Well I've always wanted to do this and now technology is allowing it to happen. I have become hooked up with an amazing supplier that will allow me to generate high quality printed pieces that are custom designed for my clients. For instance, Custom Wedding invitations and announcements with the couples portraits on them. Birthday invitations with a picture of the child or adult...the possibilities are endless.

My commercial clients have a new opportunity to launch a new product or service with such an announcement. Everything is custom made on these pieces. They are printed on high quality paper, either as a folded piece or a one pager. Simply amazing. These can be a low run piece or a high volume...it's what ever my clients want. YEEEEE HHHHAAAAAAWWWWWWW !!!!!

Technology growth

Being somewhat of an old dog that grew up with Hopalong Cassidy, Gene Autry, and Andy of Mayberry, technology has somewhat of a dark corner I've avoided at all cost. My first computer came with the introduction of the Macintosh around 1984 and it was a life saver. No DOS to learn,it was a piece of cake. Of course you had to put up with Apples attitude and that is still old.....look what has happened since it took in Intel chips. They could have owned the world. My computer now has a terabyte or two in the drives and 12 gigs of ram....the sore spot has been the connection to the net.

I've just talked with some people that will get me set up so I can transfer data at a reasonable rate. I was on 48 hours trying to load 417 images to my lab to put up for customers to order from.
TOOOOOOOOOOO long. Hopefully Friday I'll have the new line in and be ready to rock and roll.

Ya just never know..............

I made an appointment for Saturday morning with a potential client to discuss her upcoming wedding next year. I had given her my card at one time and I didn't remember the event, and actually thought it must have been at the last wedding I photographed two weeks ago....I just couldn't put my finger on it. She came in and was impressed with the studio....it is a very different style, and we discussed the wedding. It will be on 11-11-11 which will be a really hot date next year due to the dates repetitive number. She is useing her head as all of the locations will book up quickly as will the suppliers of services.

She had spoken with a couple of other photographers and decided that their pricing had too many strings attached to them. Most of this revolved around a base price for X amount of hours then an additional hourly price for anything over the minimum. This is the best sign I know of that reveals two things about a photographer.

1. He doesn't have the best interest of his client in mind. A wedding is a celebration of the joining of two people and it is a celebration ! He is hired to document the WHOLE event. It shouldn't be his place to limit his attendance. He, if professional, should know that. If he is a photographer that works it as a side line, you shouldn't use him anyway.

2. He doesn't understand the business of Professional service. Because of this, the final product will be inferior to what you should expect. He will scrimp on the suppliers he uses and the quality of products he delivers. Never use him.

3. A lowball price indicates that he may book several wedding in a day and can only spend X amount of time at each one as he has the hammer of time over his head. He has another event to get to.

The other "studio" probably has a "staff" of photographers that will sent. Someone you, as the client, has probably NEVER met. I have known of "studios" that hire people to photograph weddings with no training to speak of, send them out to do the job, and are satisfied with the fact that their people got "pitchures". Everyone wants to be a "Photo Hero". I just find that unacceptable.


The people that grab a camera and start shooting weddings have no idea what they are getting into in terms of equipment and TIME. Time is the hidden cost. For me to produce a finished album, starting the clock at the first consultation, I will generally have about forty hours wrapped up in the design of the album, editing, sorting, shooting and consulting. People just don't ever see the time. I love weddings and they actually start a generational relationship with their family and me. First the wedding, then the first child, family portrait, Grandparents, first communion, junior high dances, Senior portraits..............on and on...
I love this job.

The Lasting Impressions.....

You never expect any life changing differences to be made by slight associations, but it must happen everyday....and many times you'll never have a clue. I've met people that have entered my life briefly that have had this lasting effect, some good and some bad, but overall in a good manner. My wife is somewhat amazed that my associations run so deep, but I figure that a friend is a friend, and there is not much that can make that change. But what about the ships passing in the night so to speak.

I got a note on my facebook page from the daughter of one of my past accounts that I had done family portraits for in the late 70's. In the note she said she remembered the session and at that time, as a young girl, she had decided, then and there, that she wanted to be a professional photographer. In the note she said she had set up a studio in Wilmington North Carolina and was now in the business.

While in College I studied under Don Sothern of Springfield Missouri who, at that time, understood portrait lighting better than any other Professional Photographer in the state. He was a true master of controlled portrait lighting. I am forever grateful that he took the time to teach me the ability to "see" light in a Professional sense. Now, 41 years later, very few photographers know the difference between portrait lighting and a flash on a camera. The "Photojournalistic" style is generally the key word of those who haven't taken the time or had the interest run deep enough to learn what quality Portrait Photography is all about. I have seen the profession evolve through the Digital Revolution where the camera makes all the decisions, so the maker of the image really only has to point and shoot.....I have a picture so, now I can sell it and be a Professional.

The interesting point that I'm coming to is that this young girl I'm speaking of is still shooting film. What a fabulous concept. Film is the true decision maker because if the knowledge of proper exposure isn't there, the computer can't save you. The thought process is relied on because of the cost factors involved. The film has to be developed to be seen. Paper previews must be made. Time is taken and there must be an investment in experience and knowledge that is necessary to have the exposures come out. There is no Photojournalistic style to hide behind here...this is the real deal.

Professional Photographers of the Ozarks

Last week I attended the Professional Photographers of the Ozarks Convention/Seminar in Eureka Springs Arkansas. The organization was started in the 60's by two groups of professional photographers, one located in Springfield and the other in Joplin. I joined it in 1972 after I opened my studio in Carthage. At this time I also started to realize that by attending the seminars and competing in the print competitions my work would improve. I learned as I attended and soon was asked to become a Board member of the Missouri Professional Photographers. I had also been asked to become a member of the P.P.O. Board, which I did. In 1980 I became the President of the P.P.O. and by that time we ( The Board ) had fostered the organization into a group of 300 or so Professional Photographers from Kansas, Arkansas, Missouri, and Arkansas. Our Speakers came from all over the US and it was a great time. The conventions were held twice a year and were a blast. I have had some conversation with the powers that be that it may be time to get on the board again. Membership needs to be strengthened and the programs more intuitive to the professional. I think I am going to give it serious consideration.

At the meeting there is a print competition that brings out the best of the best. The competition is judged by 5 judges and discussion frequently follow the initial display of the images. Sometimes these discussions can carry on for thirty minutes or more, it's pretty interesting conversation. I was fortunate to enough to hang three prints, which scored high enough to do so. Perhaps my favorite of the three is this client, photographed in Kansas City.

It was fun reconnecting with friends I've had for years, and being in competition again. I'm looking forward to the next convention in the Spring.