Mark E. Johnson, Senior Lecturer of Photojournalism at the University of Georgia, Fuji X-E2, 18-55mm, ISO 6400, ƒ/9, 1/20 [photo by Robin Nelson]
I have been speaking to college photography students for many years. Mark E. Johnson has invited me to speak for the last several years to his students at the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication at UGA. This photo shows Mark talking to the class just before he introduced me.
Fuji X-E2, 18-55mm, ISO 6400, ƒ/9, 1/12 [photo by Robin Nelson]
GROSS – EXPENSES = PROFIT
I talk to the class about Business and Marketing Skills: How to make a living as a photographer. For most of the course, I explained all the expenses the students needed to consider. The problem is getting a realistic understanding of all the money going out. Most people can see what is coming in, but struggle to go out and run a healthy business. Remember, knowledge is power. That power allows you to request the appropriate price for the job.
Fuji X-E2, 18-55mm, ISO 6400, ƒ/11, 1/10 [photo by Robin Nelson]
As with the storyline, starting with the WHY? is what I was trying to emphasize.
The only thing stopping the students in the class from doing what they want starting now is the lack of income to cover their expenses. So when I asked them what stood in the way of them doing what they wanted to do right now, it took a while for them to see that money was the obstacle.
Fuji X-E2, 18-55mm, ISO 6400, ƒ/5.6, 1/40 [photo by Robin Nelson]
PANIC
There is no other way to describe the students’ facial expressions than Panic-stricken. After I showed them some ballpark figures for living and business expenses, they were intimidated by the prospect of asking others to pay a figure they found uncomfortable.
The wake-up was happening in the class. I have to charge WHAT? But they also understood why–to pay all the expenses like their mortgage and a car payment, for example.
Derek Jeter stated that he was failing 70% of the time. That is what a 300+ batting average is about—falling 7 out of 10 times at bat.
I told the students that most successful businesses are usually 90% failures. This is because 9 out of 10 people will not buy your product.
Mark Johnson made a fascinating comment in class. He asked them how many things they bought the last time they went grocery shopping. He then noted how many products were in the store that they didn’t purchase.
SUMMARY
The crisis is avoidable. You need to know all your expenses and charge enough that your income exceeds your expenses.
In some respects, this is akin to the ice bucket challenge. However, being willing to take that ice-cold water bath is worthwhile.
Nikon D4, Sigma 120-300mm f/2.8 DG OS HSM, Sigma 2x EX DG APO Autofocus Teleconverter, ISO 500, ƒ/5.6, 1/2000
These football players know the play; what’s the goal, and their competition. Are you this focused on your business?
Metaphors
A metaphor is a great way to get our heads around something we must work on. Now the bible uses a lot of metaphors. I think today’s football is very similar to the metaphor used in Ephesians 6:11, where Paul writes, “Put on all the armor that God gives so that you can defend yourself…”
Nikon D4, Sigma 120-300mm f/2.8 DG OS HSM, Sigma 2x EX DG APO Autofocus Teleconverter, ISO 500, ƒ/5.6, 1/2000
Defense
Today in football, you will notice that more than ever, the defense isn’t just trying to bring down the guy with the ball—they are trying to strip and turn it into a fumble.
Today you must be gripping the football with everything you got, or your competition will turn your big play into their big play.
You need to know your core values for your business and hold on to them just as if you were having others trying to make you fumble.
Nikon D4, Sigma 120-300mm f/2.8 DG OS HSM, Sigma 2x EX DG APO Autofocus Teleconverter, ISO 1000, ƒ/5.6, 1/2000
Offense
You can break free of your competition and reach your goals daily—if you execute the plays you practiced repeatedly.
Worthy Opponents
Your competition isn’t your “enemy.” These are your colleagues. Like the NFL or MLB, you can get traded and play on their team the following week.
What you will notice is a worthy opponent makes you better. You also appreciate winning more when you have a worthy opponent than with no competition.
Questions for you
What is my goal?
Who are the players? Who is my client, and who is my competition?
What is my weakness that my competition is reaching for and trying to make me fumble?
What are the weaknesses of my competition?
Why should a client pick me when they have other choices?
What kind of preparation should I be doing now? Just like athletes train and watch game films to prepare for game day, is there something I can do to prepare?
Who is my coach?
Who is my trainer?
During my off-season, what am I doing to transform myself to be even better?
Nikon D4, Nikon 85mm ƒ/1.8G, ISO 50, ƒ/4, 1/160—off-camera flash using the Neewer TT850 flash & Neewer 433MHz Wireless 16 Channel Flash Remote Trigger with flash at 1/128 Power
How to make emotional connections
There are brands like Apple, Starbucks, Ritz Hotels and others you can think of that have some of the most loyal customers. These are what we call Raving Fans.
As Ken Blanchard wrote in his book, Raving Fans, a raving fan is “a customer who is so devoted to your products and services that they wouldn’t dream of taking their business elsewhere and will sing from the rooftops about just how good you are.”
So how do you get these loyal fans of your brand?
Ken Blanchard says to give the customers what they are asking for, and then give them 1% more. That 1% more is what I call the surprise.
Knowing what customers are asking for is the key ingredient. However, Steve Jobs did more than give customers what they were asking for, Apple anticipated needs that customers didn’t even know they had until they saw the Apple product.
Probably the most famous example of total customer service empowerment is the carte blanche monetary discretion The Ritz-Carlton have given to staff members for decades: $2,000 per employee per customer, to be used to solve any customer complaint in the manner the employee felt was appropriate.
Nikon D4, Nikon 85mm ƒ/1.8G, ISO 400, ƒ/1.8, 1/200—off-camera flash using the Neewer TT850 flash & Neewer 433MHz Wireless 16 Channel Flash Remote Trigger with flash at 1/128 Power
I don’t have $2,000 to spare
There are more ways to give great customer service and surprises than with money.
Quick & Inexpensive Gestures
Listen and Remember—You have to really care about your customers to pull this off. This is where you listen for not just what they need but what is going on in their life. How you remember is the next time just asking them about the family member they told you about.
Thank You Note—Just a simple hand written thank you note goes a long way.
Mix Thank You Note & Remembering—Maybe the customer said something that made your day. Tell them about how that thought stuck with you and made your day.
Piece of Candy—I had a defective part from MagMod. I wrote to them and they sent me a new one and also just a small fun size bag of M&Ms. That was a great surprise. Cost very little but I have never had a company do anything like it before.
Operational Excellence—You cannot do any surprises if you product isn’t top notch. While your competition is doing everything to keep costs down, sometimes you need to spend a little more and keep that quality. One thing I notice my work stands out from many is skin tones. Too many people shoot on Auto White balance but I work hard to dial in the white balance to be very precise.
Quick Turn Around—When all your competition is always on a two week delivery, just turn your product delivery time faster. The one industry I think this is terrible is weddings. That is because many of those wedding shooters have other jobs. I know many shooters who are booked up because they deliver great images quickly.
Small Gift—You can remember their birthday or at a holiday just send a card, gift card or small gift just to let them know you are thinking of them. This works best if it is later after the job is complete and near a significant moment for the customer.
Celebrate their accomplishments—Keep in touch with your customers. If they like your facebook page you can see their posts. If something great happened in their life, comment on their post, give them a phone call or send a card.
Biggest Surprise
How you talk about your competition and your colleagues can surprise your customer in one of two ways—Positive or Negative.
James 3:16-18 Contemporary English Version (CEV) 16 Whenever people are jealous or selfish, they cause trouble and do all sorts of cruel things. 17 But the wisdom that comes from above leads us to be pure, friendly, gentle, sensible, kind, helpful, genuine, and sincere. 18 When peacemakers plant seeds of peace, they will harvest justice.
You may have heard if you have nothing nice to say then say nothing at all. That is great advice. I challenge you to also say something nice about your competition when you can think of nothing but something positive to say.
I often have clients call me and I am booked. I tell them I can find someone for them or I tell them let me send you a couple of names and links to their websites that I recommend for them.
I do my very best to talk about all the reasons these other photographers are great for the client. I have had even a few of those photographers come back and ask to use my recommendation for others. They had never had anyone talk so positive about them and their work.
Because I talk up the photographers the customers actually get excited to meet them and ask about some of the things I have bragged about on them.
Truett Cathy promoted his book “How did you do it, Truett?”
Shortly after making this photo of Truett Cathy, Chick-fil-A put me on retainer. For the past eleven years, I have had the privilege to work with such a wonderful organization.
I have learned a great deal from Truett Cathy, and here are some tips for you.
Truett Cathy, the founder of Chick-fil-A, had a Bible verse he used as a compass for his life.
Proverbs 22:1 — “A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches and loving favor than silver and gold.” [King James Version (KJV)]
Here is a more modern translation from The Voice that I prefer, “A good reputation is preferable to riches, and the approval of others is better than precious silver or gold.”
Every time I was around Truett, I was inspired and entertained. He loved to have fun as hard as he worked.
Here are some quotes from Truett that I think every business person should adopt and would make them more successful.
“Fall in love with your work, and you’ll never have to work a day in your life.”
Truett would follow up with this comment: If you are not having fun, then you are not doing something right.
One of the keys to understanding this principle is learning the difference between GIVING and GETTING.
Too many people are focused on themselves. It’s not all about you. Once you understand this, it is easier to experience the joy of life.
“My riches are my family and my foster children. I try to store any material wealth in my hand, not my heart, so I always feel free to give it away when the opportunity arises.”
Being around Truett, you see he was very frugal, and when he did spend money, he often got a great deal. I heard more stories about a great deal Truett would get, and I was always impressed.
“Nearly every moment of every day, we have the opportunity to give something to someone else—our time, love, resources. I had always found more joy in giving when I did not expect anything in return.”
No strings attached was the way Truett operated. He was the first to put a restaurant into a mall, and to get people aware of his Chick-fil-A sandwich; he gave away free samples.
If you met Truett, you most likely were given a BOG—Be Our Guest card. All you had to do was go to a Chick-fil-A restaurant and provide them with the card, and they gave you a sandwich. You don’t have to buy anything to get it.
“My business grew on my understanding that customers are always looking for somebody who is dependable and polite and will take care of them.”
Every day, Chick-fil-a checks to see that their standards for food preparation are at the highest they can be. First, they hire consultants to come into their restaurants and measure the operational side of the business. Then, they look for ways to improve the experience for the customer and cut waste.
Chick-fil-A has a training program that helps train and retrain everyone to keep the customer always first.
“Many of the unexpected opportunities we encounter are small but significant.”
Words are carefully analyzed so that the customer feels appreciated. Truett Cathy trained the entire workforce that when someone says thank you, the proper response is “My Pleasure.” I learned more about this little phrase through the years.
Many respond with “No Problem” when someone says “Thank You.” I began to understand that “No Problem” communicates that this is not my job, but I did it anyway. However, “My Pleasure” expresses that it is my job and I love to help you.
“Looking back, I can see that I had been preparing to open the first Chick-fil-A restaurant for twenty-one years.”
Truett started the Dwarf House in Hapeville, GA, back in 1946. He expanded to two restaurants, but the second one burned down one day. He started the restaurant with his brother Ben, but two years into their business Ben died in a plane crash.
Later the original Dwarf House had a fire, and Truett made all the repairs over the weekend and kept on going.
“Sometimes success is disguised as hard work.”
As you can see, there were many opportunities for Truett to give up and do something else.
Many of my photographer colleagues are going through some tough times. But, besides winning the lottery, hard work is the only other way to succeed.
“One of the most meaningful truisms I have learned about leadership is that it’s all about action.”
I have talked to many struggling photographers, and the most common thing I hear from them is I know what I should do, but I don’t get around to doing it.
Truett learned his work ethic from his mother. Truett teared up during an interview. The person interviewing Truett asked if he was OK. Truett said he just realized that he only saw his mother’s eyes closed when she was in the coffin.
While Truett worked very hard, we will most likely remember him for the blue signs for Chick-fil-A on the highways, which also say, “Closed on Sunday.”
“Businesses are not dishonest or greedy; people are. Thus, a successful or not business is merely a reflection of the character of its leadership.”
Years ago, one magazine wrote about the success of Chick-fil-A, making about 1.5 Billion that year. They said closing on Sunday left half a billion dollars on the table. When someone asked Truett about it, he disagreed.
Truett believed by giving all his employees one day a week off; they worked harder those six days. The restaurants that never close drain their employees. They need a day of rest to be with their families and attend church if they choose.
“Why would I retire from something I enjoy doing? I can hardly wait to get here.”
Truett was in his forties when he invented the Chicken Sandwich. He was 46 when the first Chick-fil-A restaurant opened in Greenbriar Mall.
Truett was 52, the same age I am, when he started Team Member Scholarship Program and was 63 when he began the WinShape foundation.
At 92, Truett was still working and opened Truett’s Luau in Fayetteville, GA. A new menu, a new concept, and a new restaurant were what he created.
Truett passed the baton to his son Dan when Truett was 92 years old. This past Monday, Truett Cathy passed away at the age of 93.
Here are a few more quotes for you from Truett:
Like wealth, poverty also has the power to build us up and make us appreciate what we have, or it can break our spirits. By ‘staying small,’ we also remain sensitive to the needs of others around us. As long as you are being kind to your customers, why not be kind to each other? I realized the importance of doing a job and doing it right, pleasing your customers, and enjoying what you’re doing. I worked hard for a C, but I had to work. I find that the most successful people are C students. I say C students rule the world cause I was in that category; I didn’t get to go to college because I was drafted when I finished, soon after I finished high school.
My parents, David and Bonita, when they were dating
Growing up, I watched my parents support one another. We hear that children do better when raised in a two-parent home.
Children raised in intact married families:
are more likely to attend college
are physically and emotionally healthier
are less likely to be physically or sexually abused
are less likely to use drugs or alcohol and to commit delinquent behaviors
have a decreased risk of divorcing when they get married
are less likely to become pregnant/impregnate someone as a teenager
Your business is like a child.
So just like children who benefit from a loving two-parent home, your business will flourish when your spouse is supportive of your business.
If you came to me about becoming a freelancer, I would ask you one of the first questions: “Is your spouse supportive of what you’re about to do?”
My biggest cheerleader and supporter is my wife, Dorie.
The difference between a supportive spouse and one who questions you all the time while you’re making business decisions can cost you your business.
Dorie’s father was an entrepreneur, and she is very comfortable with this role. However, not everyone grows up in an entrepreneur’s family. There is a vast difference in how your household life will be when you have an employer versus when you run your own business.
All the books on parenting emphasize the importance of both parents being on the same page when raising their children. As a result, you learn to support the other parent’s decision even if you disagree.
If you disagree, you talk about it, and the next time something comes up again, the game plan may be different, but that is because you discussed it.
Very little good comes from disagreeing with another parent’s decision in front of a child. It is not that this should never happen, but you understand the consequences of this disagreement when the other spouse decides you were not there.
It’s a Two-Way Street
There is a Bible verse that I think every couple and friendship needs to know. Romans 12:10 “love one another with brotherly affection; outdo one another in showing honor.”
Whatever your spouse feels passionate about, they need support in doing. Dorie has a calling to help journalists. Here is an article on her ministry to journalists.
Dorie also has a passion for helping the parents of The Citadel. She knows from firsthand experience that parents need more information on how to support their children. So she has created a blog to help those parents.
You cannot go to your spouse and say I need you to support me, and immediately get that support. But, I can tell you a secret about how you get it—Give It!
Here are some ways that you can first be supportive of your spouse:
Respect your spouse’s personal/business decisions
Demonstrate you have faith in them
Please give them your shoulder on those days when they have a sinking feeling
Work with your spouse on balance
Celebrate your spouse’s successes
Don’t try and Fix-it [As a male, I struggle with not trying to jump in and fix things]
Listen well
Be Truthful, Genuine, and Credible with your encouragement. But don’t embellish your comments of support.
Dorie has done an incredible job of making me feel like I can be a successful photographer. This support has been the essential key to the success of my business.
No Spouse
If you are not married and not even dating, you still will need some support from a community. I would encourage you to have a good friend who can offer some of the support that married people get from one another. You need some support, or you will find it more stressful than it should be.
The Foundation
When we think of building, we start with a foundation. There are two types of foundations: shallow and deep.
Both are there to provide firm support for the rest of the building.
I would argue that the foundation of my business comprises two components. The first is my faith in God, and the second is my spouse. Together, the two of these have interlocked to give the business what it needed to grow.
On top of the foundation, you need solid business practices and a portfolio that invites clients to work with you.
Supportive Discouragement
If your spouse has weaknesses you think could lead to disaster, encourage them to either take classes to learn more about it or outsource that area of the business. Perhaps you, as the spouse, want to help them because this might be something you are skilled in.
Don’t tell them they are going to fail. Instead, tell the spouse how they will be successful if they address what you think might be holding them back.
Seek out wisdom
The best time to seek the wisdom of others is before you start your business, not after. Start by talking to your spouse about your dream. Find a good mentor/coach, and remember to listen. If you find little or no support, this is a good sign that you need to assess your friends’ and spouse’s concerns.
Be a good parent as well.
Our daughter Chelle
I am very proud of my daughter and love to talk about all she does to anyone who will listen. She loves the theater, and while most parents tell their children how difficult it is to be successful, we encourage our daughter. Sure, we don’t sugarcoat it, but we took her to Hollywood to see behind the scenes and see all the creative careers.
Encourage people to pursue their dreams. Remember that often chasing the goal leads to a very successful career, not always exactly as they dreamed. However, the chasing gets them to where they will be successful.
During the Emmy Awards Monday night, Jim Parsons’ thank you reminded me of how important support is in our success.
Jim Parsons won his fourth Emmy for his work on The Big Bang Theory. Parsons took the opportunity to thank his father in his speech. Mickey Parsons, he said, died before all of the craziness attached to Big Bang Theory began. He thanked his father for supporting him.
“He encouraged me to be an actor. He never discouraged me from being an actor, and in a career that hinges so much on confidence a lot of the time, that was a great gift,” Parsons said.
I highlighted the part because it is just as applicable to any of us. Support builds confidence.
Lisbon, Portugal [Fuji X-E2, 18-55mm, ISO 6400, ƒ/2.8, 1/50]
My friends often mention two photographers when discussing the types of photographers out there. One is my friend Ken Touchton, and the other I will not mention.
The unmentionable photographer is one of the best shooters we have ever known, but we all qualify that statement if he is into the subject.
If the subject didn’t excite this unmentionable photographer, he shot so poorly that anyone with a camera could outperform him. One time, the photographer was so unmotivated that his actions are still legendary.
While in Europe, the unmentionable photographer became so disenchanted with the story that he called the home office of the organization he was on staff with and told them his camera gear had been stolen. Miraculously, the equipment showed up just as he left for the airport to return home. Rather than staying and finishing the coverage, he came home.
Lisbon, Portugal [Fuji X-E2, 18-55mm, ISO 6400, ƒ/22, 1.1 sec.]
All of my friends who know Ken Touchton respect him and his abilities. I hired Ken to shoot a job for me; many of my editor friends have done the same thing. We all talk about the consistency you get with Ken.
Ken Touchton
No matter how mundane or exciting the coverage, Ken Touchton puts the same amount of heart and sweat into each project.
The words we use to describe Ken is dependable, consistent, and a good friend.
Even Ken’s dress is consistent and professional for every situation. If a coat and tie are the dress code for a funeral, he wears them. No matter the case, you will notice that his clothes always look freshly pressed and clean.
It probably takes more talent and skill to finish consistently, as Ken Touchton does with every job, than to be a hit-and-miss photographer.
Lisbon, Portugal [Fuji X-E2, 18-55mm, ISO 6400, ƒ/2.8, 1/90]
Tips to be consistent:
Listen to the client’s needs
Listen to the subject and find their story—not your story
Know your audience
Know your gear
Build in redundancy in your gear
Build redundancy in your coverage
Use checklists to ensure you have it all
Study the great photographers
Study your competition
Treat every person you encounter with honor, dignity, and respect.
Ken Touchton is catching up over dinner with one of his mentors, Tom Kilpatrick.
Almost everyone that I know has a camera. In the past few years, I would say that most of my friends’ photos are with their camera phones.
Before camera phones, people took pictures, but now having that phone with them all the time has made it not just easier to take photos. I would argue that more important than just the ability to take a picture, the one contributing factor to more photos being taken today than at any other time in history is our ability to instantly share them with the world.
Nikon D4, 14-24mm, ISO 100, ƒ/6.3, 1/1000
Every photo isn’t good.
Just because your photo moves you doesn’t make it a compelling photograph. Why?
Everyone’s photos help us to remember. However, some of the things we experience are pretty emotional, and having a photograph to help trigger that emotion we felt the first time we lived through the experience does not mean that other people will be as moved emotionally.
Some photographers consistently make photos that move people emotionally and are storytellers. These photographers can capture a moment that creates interest in an audience that wasn’t there. The images pull people to them and engage audiences around the world.
Nikon D4, 28-300mm, ISO 1000, ƒ/5.6, 1/60—Off-camera fill-flash using the Nikon SB-900 & SB800. The Flash is on the Pocketwizard TT5 and is triggered by the Mini TT1 on the camera with the AC3 to control the output of the Flash.
The grass is greener on the other side of the fence
“Everyone wants to be a rockstar or a photographer” is a quote I have heard. These are two mediums that emotionally move people.
Nikon D4, 14-24mm, ISO 1000, ƒ/5.6, 1/60—Off-camera fill-flash using the Nikon SB-900 & SB800. The Flash is on the Pocketwizard TT5 and is triggered by the Mini TT1 on the camera with the AC3 to control the output of the Flash.
Around age 14, we begin solidifying the musical taste genre that we will be playing over and over throughout our lives. We love to play our favorite music because it helps to take us to our “happy place” and soothes our souls.
Photographs can do the same—take us to our “happy place” and soothe our souls.
So not surprisingly, many of us would like to help others find those happy places and feel like maybe we should be either musicians or photographers.
Gut Check
When I was studying to be a social worker, I learned that one of the things we should help people examine in counseling is whether they are running away from something or running to something.
Running away from something could be a disaster in the process. But unfortunately, most people I encounter that want to be professional photographers are running away from their lives. They are extremely unhappy with their work.
They seek the recognition in their jobs that they see given to musicians and photographers. However, a dirty little secret is that many musicians and photographers want to leave their profession for similar reasons.
A good gut check for finding out if you really should be a photographer is if your photos consistently stir people’s emotions. The key here is that people will want to talk to you about the subject you captured, not about your camera.
Nikon D4, 14-24mm, ISO 100, ƒ/5, 1/2500—Off-camera fill-flash using the Nikon SB-900 & SB800. The Flash is on the Pocketwizard TT5 and is triggered by the Mini TT1 on the camera with the AC3 to control the output of the Flash.
Wired that way
There is a certain amount of healthy Obsessive Compulsive Behavior you possess. If you are looking at your work and realize that you could have done something else to make it better, then you are exhibiting some of the qualities of the artist needed to make it professionally.
Suppose you look at your photos and see that technically they are fine, and you can’t know why you are not winning all the awards. You are not in touch with reality. Remember, musicians and photographers at the top of the profession emotionally move their audiences.
Nikon D4, 28-300mm, ISO 100, ƒ/5.3, 1/500—Off-camera fill-flash using the Nikon SB-900 & SB800. The Flash is on the Pocketwizard TT5 and is triggered by the Mini TT1 on the camera with the AC3 to control the output of the Flash.
Seeing from another person’s perspective
Young children before the age of 8 seem cognitively unable to take the perspective of another person.
If you want to be a photographer that uses photography to communicate to an audience, then you need to be able to see from another person’s perspective.
Take a simple test for yourself. Take something that you know well. Simple as how to make a pot of coffee from scratch and then talk through this as if you are teaching another person. Surprisingly many people struggle with this ability.
I remember one time, an adult who was a genius but lacked some basic skills called my mother and asked her how to sew on the button. The next day he came to our house because he still couldn’t do it. Well, my mother didn’t tell him to cut the thread from the spool. So everything was correct except for this step.
Sometimes you have a slow audience. I will see this used as a humorous skit on TV every time. They will have someone tell a person how to do something they cannot see, and the person doing the task cannot know the person instructing them. What follows usually is pretty humorous, but it will illustrate that teaching someone a simple task is very difficult.
Pictionary and Charades are games that can be fun to play because they can be funny when we are trying to communicate.
You need to be someone who consistently wins in Pictionary or Charades, for example, before going pro, if there was such a category for these games.
Do your photos communicate? Are people asking you to take pictures from them because they know your images will help them reach their audience?
If the only reason you want to be a pro is how it makes you feel, you need a wake-up call and a good slap across the face.
Checklist to be a professional photographer.
Your photos emotionally move total strangers all by themselves
You are rarely satisfied with your photos
You have an insatiable desire for a subject other than photography
People are asking you to photograph something for them regularly
If you want to be an independent photographer, you know and understand the skills to run a business.
The fastest way to become successful is to study a master craftsman’s work. A few things involve learning the master’s, not just being aware of their work.
Don Rutledge (photo by Ken Touchton)
Don Rutledge, my mentor and friend for so many years until he passed away in 2013, knew more about other photographers than anyone else I have ever known. I learned about a scrapbook he put together early in his career and continued to add for many years.
Don clipped magazines for many years and studied those photos that moved him, and this was in the early 1950s. Back then the magazines like LIFE and LOOK were on almost everyone’s coffee tables across America. He also looked at magazines like Mirror, National Geographic Magazine, and Sepia to add a few more names.
Don was studying psychology at the time and used many skills that he learned about observation and things like body language to analyze the styles of those early photojournalists.
Don was creating sections on different photographers like Eugene Smith and Robert Capa. He noticed many of these photographers had credit lines that showed Black Star, a photo agency based in New York City, represented them.
My collection of photographers’ work grew and continues to grow even today. As a result, my library of photographers is more extensive than most any library I have seen.
Don and I would talk for hours about the masters’ styles, how they could consistently shoot a particular manner, and why it resonated so well with the audience.
Shortly after coming to the Home Mission Board, Don spent six weeks photographing inside the Artic Circle, Alaska, in 1967. This photo was taken as Don, with two volunteer workers, visited an Eskimo house. The family was so happy to see their friends that everyone ignored Don’s click-click-click.
Here are a few tips that I think will help you start your scrapbook of the masters.
Find those photographers that are recognized historically as greats in the industry.
Read their biographies
Buy books of their work
Study their composition and figure out how this is so compelling
Look at those current photographer’s work that is in fad right now
Why is their work considered great today?
Read reviews by critics.
Hear them speak in person & if you are lucky, ask them questions
Buy their books
Copy their work. When you can copy another photographer’s approach, it helps you understand how to do it yourself. Unless you pull off another photographer’s style or technique, you may not just realize what other photographers are doing.
Buy prints of the masters and hang them in your home. The photographs will remind you that you are setting the bar for your work to match.
Learn to be a good critic yourself. Learn how to articulate each of the master’s styles and distinguish their work from each other.
Remember, even the masters shoot some crap. Learn to distinguish an artist’s pieces of work from other elements they produce. Be careful not to think that everything they shoot is excellent because they are big names. This skill will take many years to perfect for you.
Get together with other photographers and discuss the masters. Ask people to share their thoughts.
You see, the quickest way to success is to stand on the shoulders of those who went before you.
There are many ways you may get to show your work to someone. What you need to know is that you never know who is the actual person who may end up hiring you. For example, while this person was reviewing the work by the legendary Dave Black, two other people were watching.
I know that one of those looking on was probably more likely to be the one who could hire the person than any of the others, including Dave.
Some photographers speak to groups, and many of those groups are other photographers. For example, Joanna Pinneo, National Geographic Photographer, speaks to a group of photographers. In the room were a few of us who would hire Joanna to do work for some of our clients. I know I called her and had her shoot some work for Chick-fil-A.
Every year at the Southwestern Photojournalism Conference in Fort Worth, TX, one of the biggest highlights of the conference is the 2-minute shows. Here is a link to the rules for the two-minute shows. Here is one of the 2-minute shows that I used for one year.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Gk7ql99MXs] One of the best things about the 2-minute show is it helps you to get your thoughts focused and presented in a timely fashion. I believe every photographer should have at least one or more 2-minute presentations that are self-contained. Creating a video is where you might voice over the photos to help clients know what you do and can do for them.
Today clients may not even give you 5 minutes for an in-person interview. Send me a link to your website, and you will hear a great deal. So, why not direct them to the 2-minute presentation you created for them?
Why did we use 2-minutes as a standard?
We used the elevator pitch as the one thing most of us should be able to do at a moment’s notice to get jobs. So here is Chris O’Leary’s outline to understand the Elevator Pitch’s core essentials.
What is an Elevator Pitch? A quick definition of an Elevator Pitch is as follows:
An Elevator Pitch is an overview of a product, service, project, person, or other thing and is designed to get a conversation started.
Why do I need an Elevator Pitch? It would help if you had an Elevator Pitch for one reason: time. But, unfortunately, most people are extremely busy and won’t give you much time to get their attention. As a result, you must get your point across exceptionally rapidly.
What is the purpose of an Elevator Pitch? The purpose of an Elevator Pitch is to get the attention of the person you are talking to and convince them to keep talking to you.
How long should it take to deliver an Elevator Pitch? In general, the less time, the better. More often than not, that means 30 seconds or less (the period of the typical elevator ride). However, sometimes an Elevator Pitch can run for as long as one or two minutes.
What are the characteristics of an effective Elevator Pitch? An effective Elevator Pitch is nine things:
I highly recommend that every photographer attend the Southwestern Photojournalism Conference and do a 2-minute presentation. The goal is to hook people in the audience, so they want to talk to you. Then the other thing is to have a folder of images [20 or so] that you can sit down with people and get your work reviewed.
Many who come are editors looking to hire people for projects throughout the year. The seminar is a great time to show your wort some feedback and then make those changes to improve your presentation.
Tips for photographers who want to get hired more often
Treat every presentation you give as an opportunity to show the audience how you help clients improve their business.
Tip #1 Start on positive Never start your presentation by apologizing. It sets a negative tone for the entire meeting and makes you look like you’re neglecting your responsibilities. Customers like to work with agents – not victims.
The only thing worse is an apology with strings attached. I’m sorry I am running late. I still need it the whole time.
Tip #2 Focus on the client “I have 15 minutes left, and I’m only through 20 of my 58 PowerPoint slides,s so I will be going through this last bit quickly.” Sound familiar?
Guilting your audience into paying attention not only doesn’t work; it’s insulting. Don’t try to force your customers through your plan. Your presentation needs to focus on their needs – period.
Tip #3 Avoid Excuses Talking about yourself instead of your customer’s needs will only waste time. Who cares where you were last night, how long your flight was, or how late you were up? Get over yourself, quit whining, and start focusing on your customer.
Tip #4 Start with the hook Please put all your customers’ issues, problems, and objectives up front, and save your corporate marketing material for last. Your customer isn’t even slightly interested in hearing about how great you are unless they first hear about how you understand their problems and how you can solve them.
Tip #5 Smile Don’t forget to smile. It would help if you continued to show how excited you are about what you do and the opportunity to work with them.
Tip #6 Remain visible Be very careful not to turn your back on the audience. Face the audience is essential for you, and do not read your PowerPoint slides to them. People are reading your expressions and body language while you talk. Help them see you.
Tip #7 Watch your speed for talking Talking too fast or too slow can be a turn-off. Instead, keep your speed conversational, as if you are having a cup of coffee with a friend.
Tip #8 Use real examples Do use real-life examples, quotes, stories, and testimonials. They’re critical to making your account come alive and persuading people to buy your products or services. Make sure that these stories are as specific and relevant to your customer’s situation as possible.
After all, no matter how much you love that favorite anecdote about what happened last year at a friend’s house, unless it involves your customers’ problems, challenges, or your solution, a business presentation probably isn’t the best place to tell it!
Content AND Presentation
Too many photographers think their pictures alone will get them jobs. They may even have the work on the level of the best in the industry, but you must also be able to package your content [photos] in a way that is digestible for the audience.
Please stay in your time frame for your presentation. Please arrive early and test everything, so you know it is working.
Practice your presentation many times before giving it. Do not ever indicate that you haven’t run through before. Instead, try to find someone to listen to and give you feedback on your presentation.
Presidents take a few months to work on their State of the Union Address. Comedians take a year or two to prepare for a show. Musicians perform for a long time before they take their concert tours on the road.
Successful photographers prepare just as much. Those who can’t find jobs are the ones who are not prepared to present their work.
I finally started carrying my camera everywhere with me a few years ago. I think of it like my watch. I can’t benefit from owning a look if I don’t wear it.
I am constantly looking for a camera solution I can use anytime. But, unfortunately, for the most part, my cameras have been more like a clock than a watch.
The more miniature camera is why I am now enjoying shooting with the Fujifilm X-E2. It is smaller and lighter than my Nikon D4, but at home, I keep the Nikon D4 because it serves a purpose for my commercial work.
Maybe you think I am like my dad, asking you to join the “Nut House” by carrying your camera.
Most people think of packing the camera for vacation, as I did to St. Thomas this summer with my family.
We now have photos of my wife and daughter on the same beach, Caneel Bay at St. Thomas, where my wife’s parents went for their honeymoon.
Why not just use your camera phone?
Today’s camera phones take beautiful photos, but there is a reason the pros aren’t shooting jobs with them. The images do look great under ideal light and on your phone. However, for me, a photo is not a photo unless you can make a large wall print of it, and that is where most smartphones fall apart.
I want to put a print on my wall at home, and I don’t want to miss out because I decided my camera phone will suffice.
We put our photos on our walls to enjoy them anytime and to help us remember the places we have been in our lifetime.
For our anniversary dinner, we took one of our daughters’ friends to Tokyo Boat for a Hibachi dinner. The girls ordered Ramune. Ramune is widely known for its distinctive bottle design, often called a Codd-neck bottle after its inventor, Hiram Codd. They are made of glass and sealed with marble; the codd head is held in place by the pressure of the carbonation in the drink. We are pushing the marble into the neck of the bottle, where it rattles around as we drink. Therefore, the glasses are sometimes called “marble soda” outside Japan.
Having my camera helped me capture the excitement of opening the girls’ bottles and treasure the moment forever.
I looked around the restaurant’s walls and realized they, too, celebrate the use of customer photographs. I like this more than the famous people who come to a restaurant and put up photos of themselves. A restaurant is a place that celebrates every person.
Of course, I captured the volcano created using an onion on the grill. We discovered this was our daughter’s friend’s first time eating Hibachi, and she was enjoying the show.
Isn’t all of life worth recording? So while we didn’t plan where to go for dinner all week, I got to capture slices of life with my camera at my side.
What all these snapshots of life do for me is keep my eye fresh. Of course, I don’t take much time when we are going somewhere to take photos, but by always shooting and reviewing my work, I am building a library in my mind.
What about each of these moments is nostalgic to me? Can these photos convey the same meaning to those who weren’t with me? If I were to go back, what would I do differently on a commercial job?
I love to play my trumpet, and I played in the band and orchestra for most of my school years. Then, when I went to East Carolina University, I played in the marching band and the Jazz Band.
I had a lot of talent, but never practiced enough to play professionally.
I work with Dan Cathy and love talking with him about the trumpet. Dan almost became a professional musician before joining the family business, Chick-fil-A. Here is a link to Dan playing.
Today, he is still playing for fun. Dan knows he cannot just leave the trumpet in the case when he decides to play; he pulls it out and plays. So Dan plays his trumpet every day for about thirty minutes to an hour.
You see, photography is very similar to music. Ansel Adams, a concert pianist, took photographs on the side, just as Dan Cathy played the trumpet while serving as CEO of Chick-fil-A. This discipline, which Ansel Adams brought to both, enabled him to excel. He explored Yosemite for years, shooting it over and over, before he finally had a breakthrough. He applied all the years of shooting to turning the corner and learning to capture what he’d envisioned rather than just what was in front of him.
Do you want to get better? If so, where is your camera? You need to shoot every day; just like a professional musician, you must practice so that when you perform, it is at your highest level of ability.
By the way, when you shoot daily, you now have something to share and connect with others through social media, newsletters, and blogs. So now you may know why you haven’t been successful on social media: you don’t have anything to photograph to share because you aren’t shooting regularly.
You can have what everyone else would say is a mountain-top experience and still be depressed. I know I have been many times in my life.
1996 Olympic gold medalist Derrick Adkins used running to help deal with his depression. When he wasn’t feeling good, he just went out and ran, and his feeling of depression helped drive him to be the fastest 400m hurdler in the world.
Adkins had professional help and, with prescription drugs, could find a balance that he could not see before. One of my friend’s children started taking a yellow pill prescribed by a psychiatrist and immediately noticed a difference. One day, the child told his mother, “Everyone could benefit from a yellow pill.” They didn’t want their child on medication, but this was their last resort, and to see the child’s mood change so drastically brought tears to her eyes.
The old saying about your glass being half empty or half full is a key to fighting some types of depression. You can see your drink, but the choice can be life-changing.
Purpose Driven Life
When you feel depressed many times, it is from a lack of purpose in your life.
Rick Warren is the founder and senior pastor of Saddleback Church, an evangelical megachurch in Lake Forest, California, the eighth-largest church in the United States. He wrote the NY Times bestseller Purpose Driven Life.
I believe it was a runaway bestseller because so many people are depressed because they lack a purpose. Why am I here?
For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Ephesians 2:10
We are here to do good work. While this sounds simple if you are dealing with depression, you are unsure what your gifts are and how to use them, or you may feel that your skills are unnecessary in this world.
Good Night’s Rest
While everyone benefits from a good night’s sleep, sometimes our bodies are not working correctly. Sometimes, the chemicals that get replenished in a healthy body are lacking in those dealing with depression.
Seeking professional help can be a lifesaver. Sometimes, people can benefit from drugs to help them find balance. This is similar to a person with diabetes who takes drugs to maintain a sugar balance.
Now, even if you get those drugs and they help with suicidal thoughts, you still need to have help with learning how to live life to its fullest.
Importance of Community
I can get caught in a thought loop, just like a record that skips. I can have unproductive thoughts. Because I am stuck in a circle, I can’t move forward and get better. I have found that sharing my fears and struggles with others gives me insights on moving forward.
Often, it is not what people say to me but the process of putting words to my emotions and saying them out loud that helps me see the flaws in some of my thoughts.
We all have gone through those moments when either we or we see someone else come upon an obstacle and struggle. How many times have you tried to open a door and realized instead of pushing, you should pull?
How often do we need someone to show us how to do something on our computers?
When you embrace your flawed condition and live within a community, being open and honest, you discover we are all broken and need each other.
Throughout my life, those who have helped the most in my times of need were those who revealed their struggles. I think this is why Alcoholics Anonymous works so well. It is when they open up, admit their efforts, and help one another as they recover.
Genius and Insanity
There is an excellent line between genius and insanity. Many highly creative people later took their own lives.
“No great mind has ever existed without a touch of madness.”
― Aristotle
Vincent van Gogh battled mental illness and died from what was an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
I believe if you are an artist, you will often find yourself on the edge of depression. I think the reason is that to capture the mood, you must be highly in touch with your emotions. When you start to feel at this depth, it can encapsulate you. You struggle to communicate to others your deepest thoughts and fears.
It took Ansel Adams many years before he had his creative breakthrough. He could finally pre-visualize and master the craft enough to know how to capture what he saw and felt.
Many war photojournalists return from the war dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder. The best therapy for those suffering tends to be when they journal. It is the process of moving those thoughts from one side of the brain to the other through writing that many can “process” their ideas.
After 911, the news media helped America process its trauma. The media helped us write our story as a community. We were able to heal because, through all this madness, we saw the silver lining of our society. We saw the community come together, as many have never experienced.
We all felt much better as the media told the stories of rebuilding families and communities.
Importance of Journaling and Community
Take the time to write down your struggles as best you can. Write down all the crap you are experiencing. Find a group where you can share your efforts.
God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, The courage to change the things I can, And wisdom to know the difference.
– Serenity Praye
So, take the time to go back through your journal. Create two columns, with everything you have no control over in one column and those things you can change in the other.
Make an action plan of the things you can do today. If there are no jobs today, list those people you can contact. What if you don’t know who to contact? Take the time to contact someone and ask them how I find leads.
Sit down with a few friends and hopefully find a mentor to help you sort out your list and thoughts. They can help you find the wisdom you need to make it through the day.
Help someone else today.
You should have one last action item on your To-Do List for the day: always find a way to help someone today.
I recommend making a list of people you will contact once a week. We plan to get 3 to 5 people each day.
While you may think you need to contact all these people and get them to help you, I challenge you to listen to them. Ask questions and get to know each person and where they are now.
Do they need a word of encouragement? Do they need you to help them make a connection? Did you take the time to be able to listen to them?
Your depression and hopelessness will help you be compassionate to another person who is struggling as well.
Resources
If you feel like life is too difficult, please get in touch with professional counselors. Every community has mental health centers where you can go and talk. They will help you navigate your road to stability. Many houses of faith have counseling centers.
Be sure you are meeting with a trained professional counselor. I recommend you talk to a licensed clinical social worker, psychologist, or Psychiatrist. Remember, only the Psychiatrist can help you if your body is chemically imbalanced.
Be a resource as well. Be willing to listen to someone today. By acknowledging someone, you can differentiate between life and death for them.
Oz Magazine called me and asked to interview me a couple of months ago, and the interview is in this October’s magazine on page 43. Click here for the link. Above is the interview.
HOW DID YOU GET INTO THE BUSINESS?
While in college, my father gave me a camera. Immediately, I started shooting for East Carolina University while working on my social work degree. Social work was training me to understand what to look for. The experience of shooting all the time for the school helped me perfectly capture these stories.
BEST ADVICE TO YOUNG PEOPLE IN YOUR PROFESSION?
Become an expert on a subject and learn to provide a finished product, which means more than just photography.
All my clients hire me because I know a good deal about their industry—not just photography.
I am a visual storyteller using a photojournalistic approach to helping organizations build customer loyalty. My social work degree and M.A. in communications make me uniquely qualified to help people correct their environment by looking at all aspects of their life and culture.
You need to go to people with ideas and not wait for the phone to ring for someone to shoot them. The more you know about the subject and audience, the better you are positioned to develop ideas to help your client engage their audience with the content you create.
Today, I combine my photography, video, audio, and writing to help put together complete packages that my clients can use right away. Unfortunately, too many of my colleagues want to shoot and are no longer shooting because they expected the client to know what to do with their images.
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