[Caption: This is Garrett Hubbard, an award-winning photojournalist who was a speaker at the Southwestern Photojournalism Conference in 2012. This is taken when we took the group out for Cowboy Church, and we enjoyed riding some of the horses before the service and eating together.]

When you think of a freelance photographers, you might imagine them constantly clicking away behind the camera lens. But the reality is that photographers spend a significant amount of time outside of shooting assignments on other tasks essential to running a successful business. Photographers typically only pay a fraction of their time taking pictures.

So, just how much time do photographers spend shooting? Estimates vary, but it’s generally agreed that photographers spend around 20-30% of their time on shooting assignments. The rest of their time is spent on marketing, bookkeeping, website maintenance, and administrative work.

Marketing is a crucial aspect of a photographer’s business, as it’s the key to attracting new clients and keeping existing ones. This might involve reaching out to potential clients, networking with other professionals in the industry, or creating compelling social media content to showcase their work.

Creating and maintaining a website and blog is another essential task for freelance photographers. This is where they can display their portfolio, share updates on their latest projects, and provide valuable information for potential clients.

Newsletters are also becoming increasingly popular among photographers, allowing them to keep in touch with past clients and promote new services or special offers.

Bookkeeping is another crucial aspect of running a successful photography business. This includes keeping track of all expenses, such as equipment purchases, travel expenses, and office supplies, and tracking mileage driven on vehicles. Using specialized software to categorize all spending, photographers can make filing taxes much easier and more efficient.

I use Quicken for Mac to track all my spending with checking and credit cards. Each transaction is given a category. Many things may not be related to tax right-offs, like groceries, but because I am tracking everything, Quicken then works well with TurboTax for doing my taxes each year. I also recommend using TripLog for tracking your vehicle mileage and expenses. When filing for taxes, it will let you have accurate costs like repairs, gas, and insurance that might be higher deductions than the mileage, but you will not know this until the end of the year.

Of course, there are times when a photographer simply can’t afford to take time away from shooting to focus on these other tasks. In these situations, it’s all about making the best use of the time available. This might mean setting aside weekly hours to catch up on administrative work or squeezing in a few marketing tasks between shoots.

Ultimately, the success of a freelance photography business relies on a balance between shooting assignments and taking care of other essential tasks. By prioritizing marketing, website and blog maintenance, bookkeeping, and administrative work, photographers can build a strong foundation for their business and set themselves up for long-term success.

[Caption: on the far left is Ambassador Andrew Young taking a picture of his long-term friend Jesse Hill Jr, who is honored by Georgia Tech’s Ivan Allen College on Founder’s Day Symposium, paying tribute to Hill’s remarkable life and legacy as a Civil Rights Activist.]

In today’s social media environment, having a solid brand image is essential for any business. However, with the endless scrolling and constant sharing on social media platforms, keeping your brand relevant and in the conversation can be challenging. That’s where an image archive comes in.

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Having a collection of photos and historical events in your archive allows you to showcase your brand’s evolution and participation in current events. In addition, by posting blog posts, social media updates, and electronic newsletters with these images, you can demonstrate how your brand is a part of the current conversation.

Building a solid brand is like building a personal tribe. Just as individuals share photos to establish street cred, businesses can use images to demonstrate their relevance and authenticity. An image archive is a powerful tool to keep your brand at the forefront of your customer’s minds.

By investing in an image archive, your business can benefit from a range of advantages, including improved brand awareness, increased customer loyalty, and improved engagement on social media. So don’t miss out on this powerful branding tool; start building your image archive today.

I recommend PhotoShelter, and here is a link to signup.

As a photographer, you understand the importance of capturing moments and creating memories that last a lifetime. But what happens when those memories are lost or forgotten? That’s where archiving services come in. By providing an archiving service to your clients, you ensure the longevity and safety of their precious images and offer them the convenience of a searchable, downloadable, and even printable archive.

One of the best archiving solutions for photographers is PhotoShelter, a digital asset management (DAM) system that allows you to store, organize, and share your images with clients. With PhotoShelter, you can keep and back up your pictures and add metadata to them, making them easily searchable and discoverable by clients. This metadata stays with the photos and can be transitioned to any DAM system, making the archiving process seamless for clients.

Moreover, PhotoShelter offers a range of services to clients, including printing, downloads at different resolutions, and even online galleries for clients to share their images with friends and family. By providing this service to your clients, you enhance their experience and strengthen your relationship with them.

Furthermore, by helping your clients transition to their online system using PhotoShelter, you establish yourself as a reliable and knowledgeable professional. You can guide and support them during the transition, ensuring their images are safe and secure.

In summary, archiving services are crucial for photographers who want to offer their clients a complete package. Using a DAM system like PhotoShelter, you can provide a convenient, searchable, and secure archiving solution offering additional services like printing and sharing. And by helping your clients transition to using their online system, you establish yourself as a trusted professional who values their clients’ memories and experiences.

[NIKON D3, 122.0-300.0 mm f/2.8, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 4500, 1/1000, ƒ/5, (35mm = 240)]

As a professional photographer, I have seen the evolution of digital cameras over the past two decades. Looking back at the photos I took with my first DSLR, the Nikon D100, I noticed the images at the upper end of the ISO range often looked soft and had motion blur. This is because the camera had a sensitivity range of ISO 200-1600, and anything above ISO 800 pushed it as far as a clean image.

It was common to shoot at slow shutter speeds to capture photos with available light, and if you used flash, the background would go black. But with my Nikon D3, which had a sensitivity range of ISO 200-6400, I was comfortably shooting at ISO 12800 with better results than previous models at ISO 800. This was a considerable change; the most significant difference regarding available light was my Nikon upgrades.

Today, with my Nikon Z9 mirrorless camera, I can get good images at ISO 25600. The increased ISO sensitivity has let me raise my shutter speed, resulting in sharp images without motion blur. In addition, the dynamic range and noise have all improved.

The one thing that helped the most for Nikon’s DSLRs was moving to a full-size sensor, which helped with ISO and noise. The camera sensors also got better at rendering color with each new camera, and the auto white balance improved, but I still prefer the custom white balance.

However, the shift from DSLRs to mirrorless cameras has brought a new wave of technology that requires some getting used to. As a result, some people post on social media about being disappointed with their new cameras. Still, most of the issues are due to needing to read the manual or watch tutorial videos.

Another significant improvement in camera technology over the past 20 years has been in autofocus. The autofocus systems in DSLR cameras have improved significantly over time, but the move to mirrorless cameras has taken autofocus to a new level. Mirrorless cameras use a different autofocus technology, allowing for more precise and faster autofocus. This technology relies on contrast and phase detection, which work together to provide incredibly accurate autofocus, especially in low-light situations. Mirrorless cameras also have more autofocus points, making tracking moving subjects and maintaining focus easier. Additionally, many mirrorless cameras have advanced features like Eye Detection autofocus, which can detect and focus on a subject’s eyes, even when moving. Overall, autofocus technology has come a long way, and the advancements in mirrorless cameras have made it easier to capture sharp, well-focused images.

As with any new technology, learning how to use it effectively takes time. YouTube has helped many people know how to use their technology, but the problem is that you must watch and learn.

In conclusion, the quality of images delivered today by digital cameras is far superior to what was possible ten or twenty years ago. The technology has improved to capture sharper images with better color and dynamic range with less noise. But to fully take advantage of these improvements, learning how to use new cameras properly is essential.

March Madness is one of the most exciting times for basketball fans, and for a good reason. The thrill of watching underdog teams compete with the best of the best to win it all is unmatched. But beyond the excitement of the tournament lies a deeper meaning to the game of basketball. It teaches us valuable lessons about life, and we can learn from some of the greatest players and coaches in the sport.

One such coach is Bobby Cremins, who has significantly impacted the Georgia Tech basketball program. His coaching philosophy emphasizes hard work, discipline, teamwork, and character, all of which have contributed to his success and the success of his players. In addition, his love for the game and his unwavering enthusiasm has inspired many, and his influence is a testament to the power of basketball to teach us valuable life lessons.

As we watch March Madness unfold, let us remember the love of the game and the lessons it teaches us. Michael Jordan once famously said, “I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six times, I’ve been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.” This quote speaks to the resilience and persistence required to be successful in basketball and life.

John Wooden, the legendary UCLA basketball coach, believed basketball was not life’s ultimate goal. Instead, he stressed the importance of teamwork and playing for a higher purpose, emphasizing hard work, discipline, and character. These lessons can be applied to our daily lives as we learn to work hard, persevere, and overcome obstacles like basketball teams do.

Beyond the lessons taught by great coaches and players, basketball also teaches us the importance of teamwork. Trusting in each other’s abilities, supporting each other, and working towards a common goal are all valuable skills that can be applied to many areas of life.

As we watch March Madness unfold, let us celebrate the love of the game and the lessons it teaches us. Let us strive to work hard, persevere, and succeed in everything we do, just as the players and coaches on the court do. And let us remember that basketball is more than just a game; it teaches valuable life lessons that can help us succeed in all areas of our lives.

Caption: Bob White and Joanna Benson Spencer reconnect at the Roswell Fire Department’s Ole Timers Dinner at Station #24 on February 28, 2023. This event has occurred with Oyster Stew served each year for over sixty years. However, this is the first event in a couple of years due to COVID restrictions.

I just did a coverage yesterday for the Roswell Fire Department’s Ole Timers Annual Dinner; the photos in the blog are from that event. Event photography is an art, and it’s not just about capturing the elements of the event but also the emotions, moments, and personalities of the attendees.

Capturing the attendees’ emotions and interactions is crucial when covering a corporate event. A great event photographer should anticipate moments and be ready to capture shots that can convey the mood and emotions of the event. These candid shots help showcase the attendees’ personalities and relationships, creating an album that reflects the true spirit of the event.

It’s also essential for an event photographer to communicate with their clients to understand their expectations. Often, clients want to have a large group photo taken. As an event photographer, it’s essential to know how to manage a large group of people, find the right spot, and ensure everyone is in the correct position.

Tips:

To ensure your photos are searchable online, it’s essential to keyword them with relevant and specific terms. This way, your photos will appear in the search results when someone searches for a particular topic or event. While it may be impossible to keyword everyone’s name, be sure to get those who are the speakers or in leadership roles. Additionally, include relevant keywords such as the event name, location, and date to improve searchability.

In conclusion, event photography requires more than just capturing the elements of the event. It’s about capturing the attendees’ emotions, moments, and personalities, which help tell the event’s story. A great event photographer anticipates moments, pays attention to the interactions between the guests, and communicates with their clients to meet their expectations. Finally, keyword your photos for online searchability and increased exposure.

Here is a link to all the photos