The art of communication is so complex at times. But unfortunately, the complexity has more to do with the audience than the messenger.

It is rare when you are communicating with anyone that you don’t understand what you are saying to them.

However, it is more common that we have been on the receiving end of someone trying to tell us something that has us scratching our heads.

“Does that make sense?” is one of the phrases I say too often after saying something to a person. But unfortunately, what can still happen is they can say yes, but we are still not on the same page.

Importance of Formal Estimate

Over the years, I have needed to create a formal agreement for jobs with clients.

Here are topics covered in an estimate:

• Description of the job
  • Date and time of work
• Copyright & Usage
• Terms
  • Whom the agreement is with
  • Payment – when and how
  • Cancelations/Postponement
• Pricing
• Deliverables
  • What is delivered
  • When it is delivered

You can include more, but this is an excellent place to start.

I like to think of an estimate as a way to manage expectations. It also helps me WOW the client when I go beyond what I agreed to provide.

When you don’t talk about some of the items in that list is when you have problems.

A client can call and cancel at the last minute. You may have turned down many other jobs since you had reserved this time for their project.

I have communicated that if you cancel, you will pay me 50% of my creative fee and 100% of any expenses incurred. So, for example, you get stuck with airfare, rental cars, and other costs.

My contracts state that if within 48 hours, you pay 100%.

The Nuance!

I can quickly slap those fees on clients, but there is a good chance I may lose the client if I do charge it. So the key here is that you must take some time and think through and weigh the benefits and losses if you do go through and have them pay the cancelation price.

There is another nuance in bringing up topics that could help a client, but just bringing them up can create a problem.

A hot topic with almost every client is getting model releases. But unfortunately, they see it as a nuisance, not a reward.

I have found that helping them see how important it is to have releases to avoid legal problems and their ability to use the photos for more situations than the initial project make it well worth the effort.

Most of the clients embrace getting the model releases. So I hire an assistant to help me get those through the day.

Team Player

Another nuance is doing your best to say yes to almost any request from the client.

Now, if something is unethical or illegal, then say no.

If you have an estimate and at the last second, the client says to you, “While you are here, can you just take this photo as well?” With the contract, you can oblige them, or if they are overreaching in your opinion, you can say one of two things: 1) to get that for you, there isn’t enough time; what of the remaining lists in the contract do you want to give up? Or 2) Love to help, but since this is beyond the project’s scope, I need to charge more for your request.

Summary

You and the client need to be on the same page during communications. You must state what they are requesting [formal estimate], and if they think something is wrong or missing will let you know.

Try your best to have the time to think through and even phone a colleague before responding. Create a dialogue rather than statements. Always ask them for their response and let them know you are interested in their thoughts.

As long as you work with a client who believes in a Win/Win negotiation, you probably will find common ground. However, you will likely have to walk away when dealing with a Win/Lose negotiator.

Photo by Dennis Fahringer

After being in the industry for forty years, I am often asked for business advice from newbies and other pros.

By the way, most pros still phone a friend for their advice every once in a while. We ask for advice because you never learn it all and are always looking for a better way to handle business situations in the future.

Research shows that those whose advice you don’t take may have a worse view of you afterward. Those you ask for help may even see you as less competent or avoid you. So you don’t ask too many people for their advice; you cannot follow everyone’s recommendation.

Develop those relationships so you can return to them in the future.

Nearly all those coming to me for advice are interested in working with photography or video. I get more questions about gear than business, but those who ask the business questions will be asking me more questions in the future because they will still be in business.

The American Society of Media Photographers, ASMP, is what I joined way back in 1987. Back then, the name was the American Society of Magazine Photographers.

I learned more about how to be business successfully than any other organization I have been a part of through the years. As a result, ASMP members wanted to help each other with business questions.

ASMP members know it takes about three years to determine if your business practices will let you survive. Therefore, it was in the member’s best interest for you to understand how to price your work based on what it costs to run your business.

The most significant problem with newbies is that most start by trying to get work by undercutting everyone in their market with lower prices. The problem for the newbie is that those prices are not sustainable to stay in business. Over time they soon learn they are losing money and not making a living.

The undercutting also hurts the market. It is hard for those charging prices that produce a livable wage when customers can hire the newbie for less. When newbies have to find another way to pay their bills, they put other pros out of business.

It was a problem when Walmart started putting its stores in small communities. First, the downtown shops in many of those towns all disappeared. Then, years later, when Walmart pulled out, the city was decimated.

Are You Interested In A Photo/Video Business Workshop?

I realized the market lacks workshops and seminars to learn the business side of photography. So I have been teaching this for the past 16 years in Kona, Hawaii, and helping One-on-One with people.

If you are interested in a one-day business practice workshop, please email me at [email protected].

Lifestyle Photography

Lifestyle photography has an almost photojournalistic reputation. Lifestyle photography is where interactions are candid and without any direction from the photographer.

So, what is lifestyle photography nowadays? It’s somewhere between actual documentary photography and classic portraiture.

Lifestyle photography captures portraits and real-life events. Day-to-day interactions are the best way to tell the story of the moment.

Don’t over-plan client interactions during lifestyle photo shoots.

Corporate Stock Photography

While any business can buy stock photos, there is a significant risk that your competition is using the same images.

Having your people in photos helps your company build transparency with your employees and customers. In addition, the images you use will reflect what you do rather than what any company would do if you use stock photos you buy from an agency.

Many clients understand the value of photographing their people and getting them to sign model releases.

Innovative companies have online photo galleries that are searchable. This way, their people can find images to use for PowerPoint presentations, websites, banners, and other uses.

Shopping around for a photographer with a style you like is just part of what will build your brand the best.

Companies that build a relationship with the photographer over time get the advantage of the photographer understanding them better. Your best brand builders are those who know you the best and use their skills to engage an audience.

Finding your social group is so vital to your health and well-being.

You may belong to many different groups: a religious group, an ethnic group, your workplace colleague group, your college class, a sports team, etc.

A social group consists of two or more people who regularly interact and share a sense of unity and common identity. In other words, it’s a group of people who see each other frequently and consider themselves a part of the group.

Today I met with a small group of photographers who have been getting together every Friday for more than twenty years. There is no leader, no plan, and no dues. They appear every Friday at Einsteins Bros. Bagels, located at 2870 N Druid Hills Rd, Atlanta, GA, from 10:00 am to noon.

My first time today was joining the group and seeing what they were doing. A good many of them were early, and some stayed late.

This past Sunday, I saw Ron Sherman share his lifetime of work in a talk and show at Roswell Cultural Arts Center. It was there that I ran into Chuck Rogers, Eric Burkhard, Jay Kaufman, John Hyjek, Kevin Ames, and many others. A few of them invited me to join the group on Friday.

Chuck Rogers, one of the group’s founders, introduced me to everyone and was the consummate hostess.

Many people brought something they had been working on and passed it around. Most everyone was there to connect.

A few of them were more than ninety years old. I might have been one of the youngest in the crowd. Most are retired and can get together on a Friday.

Everyone loved photography, and either was a professional photographer or hobbyist.

I noticed that everyone appreciates acceptance into a group of photographers. A couple of the hobbyists talked about how much they enjoyed the group. They knew their work wasn’t on par with everyone, which is why they loved the group. They had room to grow.

I have been around a few groups of photographers. In many of those groups, photographers walk around as if they are God’s gift to the industry. But, unfortunately, those people make others not look for a long-term relationship with those groups. I would say this is why some professional organizations struggle.

Takeaway Tips

If you want a group of photographers to join and make it a regular thing, you must learn to accept others in the group as equals. Acceptance does not mean everyone’s skill level is the same but treating everyone with honor, dignity, and respect.

Be giving your time and attention to others.

Be willing to help another person get better. But don’t feel threatened by them.

I recommend finding a group to be a part of for your health and well-being.

Chelle Griggs Leary [NIKON Z 9, 85mm f/1.8G, Mode = Manual, ISO 64, 1/125, ƒ/5.6, (35mm = 85)]

My daughter has a new job as a musical theater teacher at a dance studio in Columbus, Georgia. This is in addition to the many other jobs working at Springer Opera House.

She needed a different style headshot for this job. So, I drove down to Columbus and shot some photos of her in her apartment.

This is a simple headshot: one light, Lastolite-TriFlector, and white background. Here is the setup.

I love shooting with the Nikon Z9 paired with my Nikkor 85mm ƒ/1.8G lens. I turned on the eye tracking to keep my daughter’s eyes in sharp focus. Here are some of the different looks we got with the one light.

Shortcuts are generally derived from laziness in an attempt to perform a job with the most minimal effort required. Unfortunately, this creates the opportunity for negative results and possibly severe consequences.

In reality, shortcuts usually lead to disappointments rather than quicker success. The key to any long-term success is to take the necessary steps to progress steadily rather than skip any of them.

Taking shortcuts is well within human capacity and certainly within our nature. It’s instinctual; it’s what we’re hard-wired to do. So to encourage a safe workplace, we must understand this human tendency to take the easy way out and find ways to combat it.

Ways to Avoid Taking Shortcuts

Hold yourself to a higher standard. Do not take the easy way out. Instead, take the time and energy to perform tasks correctly. Make it a habit to follow safety policies and procedures.

My suggestion to get better is to put in the work. The best way to do that is to study with a master artisan and other professionals. Learn to analyze their work and see if you can reproduce it yourself.

I have taken many workshops through the years. These are usually a week long and give me time to listen, observe and then shoot while getting feedback from a pro.

With YouTube, I have found just about any topic I want to know more about covered. Just search for what you want to learn to do. Then, after watching a few different YouTubers, I will subscribe to the channels whose teaching style appeals to me.

“There are no shortcuts to success.”

– Malcolm Gladwell

Twist – Always look for shortcuts.

After mastering the craft, it is a great time to look for those shortcuts. Just don’t make the shortcut your go-to approach.

Innovation almost always tries to choose the path of least resistance. As a result, many photographers discover ways to stand out by doing something different.

The Citadel Recognition Day – Recognition Day begins much the way the first day of military training began for the knobs — with intense physical and mental challenges. Knobs awake well before the sun rises to start a series of seemingly endless exercises. They do push-ups, sit-ups, and run drills back and forth across Summerall’s field for hours. [NIKON D5, Sigma 120-300mm ƒ/2.8 S + TC-2001, ISO 1100, ƒ/5.6, 1/4000]

While there’s no way to avoid sorrow, adversity, or distress in life, there are ways to help smooth the rough waters and regain a sense of control.

Connecting with friends and family during tough times can help ease stress, boost your mood, and make sense of all the change and disruption. Instead of feeling like you’re facing your problems alone, you can draw strength and build resilience from having others to lean on.

Even though relationships are vital for good mental health, building resilience, and getting through tough times, many of us feel that we don’t have anyone to turn to in times of need. But there are plenty of ways to build new friendships and improve your support network. If you know others who are lonely or isolated, be the one to take the initiative and reach out.

⁹ Two are better than one,

    because they have a good return for their labor:

¹⁰ If either of them falls down,

    one can help the other up.

But pity anyone who falls

    and has no one to help them up.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

Studies have shown a correlation between physical well-being and your social circle. Good friends are clinically proven to improve your mental well-being and physical health. Keeping a good friendship circle can also encourage avoiding unhealthy lifestyle habits.

A smaller inner circle means you can invest time in your relationships with your close friends.

I have found that many of us might have a small circle of friends, but do you get together with that small group? I found my work and personal life much more enriched when I would find my small group and listen to them.

“A small team of A-plus players can run circles around a giant team of B and C players.”

Steve Jobs

What I have found strange is that my faith has taught me this for a long time, but I never really found a small circle within any church that I belonged like I did when I saw a group of Christian Photojournalists. While this was my first real connection, I learned I could invite people into this group who were photographers but not necessarily like-minded in faith.

Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

Galatians 6:2

When I was younger, I went to the small circle of like-minded photojournalists to draw from the well they had created. Forty years later, I find that I am meeting an even deeper need than I have always had by taking a more active role in listening and helping others in the group. I always wanted to feel like I had a purpose.

It is a hard pill to swallow for some of us because the idea of having lots of friends feels…comforting. I am here to tell you that it is not. You have to understand that every person in your life is not there to support you.

When a person genuinely cares, your troubles almost become theirs and vice versa. When having real friendships, you tend to work through things together—taking in and putting out the same energy of love and respect for one another.

Your true circle of friends should not sugarcoat the truth from you. That’s not being a good friend. They are there to tell you the hard and gritty truth about yourself when you are in doubt or when you’re being a straight jerk. You need people in your circle for these times to bring you back to reality when you think your head is getting too big. They’ll snap you back quickly. A true friend is also there to remind you of the magical person you are when you tend to forget under pressure.

Garth Brooks [NIKON Z 6, 14.0-24.0 mm f/2.8, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 560, 1/200, ƒ/2.8, (35mm = 24)]

The goal of an event photographer is to capture the gathering’s emotions and highlights.

The photographer should ask many questions of the client to get a good understanding of how the photos will be used. Don’t assume you know how they will be used if you haven’t shot for a client before; always ask.

How event photos are used

1. Archival purpose – A compelling photograph can disseminate information about humanity and nature, record the visible world, and extend human knowledge and understanding. For all these reasons, photography has aptly been called the most important invention since the printing press.
2. Personal Use – There are many events in which the client has no intention of using the photos commercially. Wedding photos are a great example of where the photos are for personal use. Most couples would likely want to share those images on social media.
3. Marketing future events – Photography counts as visual information – when potential attendees have a taste of what an event is going to be like from photos, they can decide whether to attend or not. Therefore, event photography is crucial for the success of an event.
4. Planning Purposes – Most all commercial event planners use the previous year’s event photos to help plan future events.
5. PowerPoint Presentations – Business leaders will often use event photos to remind their people about what the company has done to celebrate.
6. Printed & Online Newsletters – Many business events will have award ceremonies. These photos are often put on their internal websites to celebrate their people or in their internal newsletters.

There are two reasons you need to know how they will be used. 1) this can impact the pricing based on usage, 2) knowing what shots might be needed due to understanding who the audience is for the photos.

Always Prepared

Photographers need to be prepared for just about any scenario possible.

The lighting conditions at a venue may require you to be prepared to light a room.

The room setup may require you to be a long way for the stage, which may require an extreme telephoto lens.

On the other extreme, you may need a super wide-angle lens to capture situations due to not being able to back up enough to get the shot.

It is pretty standard that you need a fast glass to take photos in very low light.

Arrive Early

For significant events, I often arrive the day before the event to walk the venue and look into every room I have to work. For these events, most of the crew producing will often come a week ahead to set up the venue and run practice sessions with their talent. I can see the run-throughs and the lighting setup so that I can know which lenses I will need for coverage.

The huge events often are designed for the video to capture the meetings; therefore, having to add my lights to the event is unnecessary.

For smaller events, the lighting situation requires additional lights. One of the most common problems is speakers with PowerPoint presentations. The speaker is much darker than the screen and often lit with tungsten light. Most All projectors are daylight balanced. So, lighting the speaker to balance the PowerPoint is often necessary.

Often the client wants the audience’s reaction to what is happening on the stage. Often the people near the stage have enough light spilling over that a fast lens can work to capture them. However, there are times that you need to light the audience and not necessarily the stage.

Experience lets you bill more.

Knowing what questions to ask the client comes from experience. This is why it is best that you work as a second shooter to a photographer when starting. Learn the ropes.

Event companies charge rental fees for equipment. Sound companies charge for each microphone and speaker, for example. They may have packages, but they charge for the event’s equipment.

Photographers can do the same by creating a line item for the extra gear needed to cover an event, or as most do, roll those extra expenses into larger buckets like additional lighting.

Your reputation will slowly grow, and those seeking you will understand your pricing. This is especially true when working with event planners. They work will many vendors and are generally aware of the industry rates.

When working at events like weddings where the public hires you and not a wedding planner, you will still have a reputation in the community. Many new brides hire the same photographers their friends had for their weddings. Also, wedding venues and planners will know which photographers are worth the extra price.

We need to be flexible.

In this industry, things change all the time. I have the attitude that I need to be as flexible as possible with the client. I need to be the solution and not another problem. The outdoor event has to move inside at the last minute, then be ready to do so and still get the photos.

Be as friction-free for the client. Look for ways to make their day smooth sailing. Look for ways to add value.

This is some of the leadership for Roswell Fire Department in front of their brand new ladder truck. [NIKON Z 9, 14-24mm f/2.8G, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 250, 1/200, ƒ/6.3, (35mm = 14)]

First, I am not a Volunteer Fireman. I do not have those skills or knowledge.

I do have my photography/video skills to donate. I think everyone needs to find something to be involved in as a way that they give back to society. Volunteering some of my time and photography skills is one of those things I do.

My wife is the chaplain for the Fire Department. I have been showing up at events and taking photos to support my wife and the Roswell Fire Department since 2017. My first event was Roswell Fire Department’s Ole Timers’ Dinner, where they have sponsors in the community who put on the event.

I have watched as leadership has changed, and the Fire Department is changing from part-time firefighters who have full-time jobs in neighboring communities going to move to full-time staff. We have been lucky that no significant disasters like a tornado, flood, or hurricane have created a crisis for our community and those around us. If that happened, we wouldn’t have enough firefighters since their priority would be their full-time jobs.

I have done many different group photos.

When Dorie had her installation service, Fire Trucks drove by and even blasted their sirens for Dorie. They have done similar drive-bys for others in our community for different milestones in our people’s lives.

We are part of the family of firefighters, for sure.

That is what happens with the organizations that you decide to volunteer your time and talents in your community. They help you connect and extend your family. This is how we serve one another.

Here are some photos I have taken lately for the Roswell Fire Department.

Find your place to serve your community. Find your place to connect and find community.

Communication skills are one of the core issues for those with Asperger’s syndrome.

Given these difficulties with language, one might predict that individuals with Asperger’s syndrome are likely to struggle in composing written text. Current research suggests that writing is difficult for individuals with Asperger’s syndrome.

I struggled with writing and specifically grammar. I need a good copy editor.

Early in my life, I was tested and was believed to be on the autism spectrum. Since this was in the 1970s and high functioning, they didn’t do anything about it.

It wasn’t during my time studying social work at East Carolina University, but rather when my sister was doing her masters in social work there that she thought I might have autism.

This was in the late 1990s that I started to research and read more and more about Asperger’s Syndrome. I felt like this described many of my struggles in life.

Grammarly advertising popped up on my social media feed in the past couple of weeks.

I tried the free version, which was doing a much better job of helping catch my grammar mistakes than Microsoft word or any other software had done up to now.

I decided to try the paid version. The first thing I started to do with it was to revisit all my blog posts. I knew they could use some help. I couldn’t justify paying someone to copy-edit every blog post, even if that would have been best.

I have rewritten four years of blog posts, plus a few more popular posts from way back.

As long as you have an internet connection, the software works great. I have it helping with my social media posts as well.

This may be one of the best software programs I have come across.

While I can do an OK job of communicating, I needed a copy editor to help polish my writing. I now have that in Grammarly.

If you can get people to see themselves in the story you put forward, you have engaged them in the story.

This skill isn’t about you. This is about something great storytellers possess.

The great storytellers are bridge builders.

Bridge builders are people who create relationships that cut across the lines of conflict. No matter their occupation, anyone can help forge ties across borders, cultures, religions, etc. Bridge builders help establish relationships, improve communication, and build trust between conflicting people and groups.

Communicators know how to pull you into the story using words and visuals. Some photos, phrases, or sentences give details to round out the story.

Capturing people doing what others do around the world is something that connects across borders, cultures, religions, etc. One place I think people connect quickly in the kitchen.

Children playing is another way we connect. I like to get on the ground and be at eye-level with the kids. It puts the audience on that same level. The audience becomes their height. For adults, it is like transporting them back to childhood.

Parents love to show off their children and love it when someone [the photographer] is showing appreciation for their children and their bond with them.

Whenever I am in a hospital, I look for moments where care is being lovingly given, but you can still sense the pain the patient is struggling to get well.

Since this isn’t the audience’s story, they see elements in the story that they can relate to. Maybe like these tents at a grand opening of the first Chick-fil-A in Seattle, Washington. They relate to the excitement of camping. The story has introduced some new twists to the way they go camping. Instead of in the woods, this is in a city’s parking lot.

Those who have helped pull the stories out of people understand why you may have spent lots of time gathering the content; distilling this into something digestible and engaging is where the bridge building takes place.

Photography is used in training for corporations. Companies have learned that step-by-step instructions with visuals help improve compliance.

Now, these photo shoots are so detailed oriented.

Even my clients know how stale this can be when teaching procedures. These photos are so important. These photos teach how to put on and take off PPE so that major problems are avoided.

Teams of writers, producers, camera crews, and compliance officers are present at these video & photo shoots.

These videos and printed materials are used in workshops teaching teams how to prevent contamination.

To make the workshops a little more fun, we look for ways to introduce some excitement.

During my latest photo shoot, the models were also those who did the training. They wanted to capture some of them doing different Ninja poses in their presentations. Both of the models were athletic. One played sports like basketball, and the other was a dancer. This made the action photos possible.

One of the models had studied biology in college and had wanted to be a teacher. She was helping us refine the photos needed for the project because she had to teach these steps herself and wanted the images to help her clients. After we shot a few products, I told her that she was doing the teaching she had wanted to do early on. The difference was that she was teaching adults and not children.

Those teachers that made learning fun were the ones doing like these trainers and introducing their Ninja moves to make the subject a little more fun.

With various media competing for people’s attention, teachers who employ acting techniques have a better chance of engaging their audience.

One person on a project doesn’t always do creativity. In this case, it was a mixture.

I have more than 40+ years of shooting sports. Getting peak moments is core to a great sports photo. Shooting basketball, I shot using strobes. This meant I only could shoot one shot and then wait three to four seconds before I could click the shutter again. The strobes needed to recycle and be ready to fire again.

Freezing people in the air is about anticipation.

While clients hire me to shoot something as simple as a detailed photo in a training program, they get all my experience on the job. So, when we want to do something spur of the moment, I bring all those years of experience to the idea.

Creativity takes everyone to execute to make what we dream about a reality.