Blog - Tiffinbox

Save A Ton, Win Big, Get To Know Your Clients and Become The Best Photographer

November 20, 2012 by Seshu | Editor & Publisher Leave a Comment

With a headline like that, I hope I got your attention.

I won't waste your time. I will keep my promise where you can save a ton on Photography Concentrate's tutorials, you might win big by entering their contest for a Sony NEX-6 and a ONA bag and become that photographer you want to be by using their tutorials.

Simply put, get yourself out to Photography Concentrate's Super Black Friday Event now.

First, you'll save 40% on all their tutorials. You won't ever find them discounted like this again … well, until next year perhaps! The tutorials are awesome and include the following:

Extremely Essential Camera Skills – Reg. $49.95 on sale for $29.97

Great for those of you getting started with a new DSLR. You know the one your Aunt Margie will buy as a surprise for this Christmas. Photography is beyond putting things on AUTO and winging it. Learn the fundamentals from these two. They explain it well and with videos too. Read my review here.

Simple Wedding Photography – Reg. $39.95 on sale for $23.97

In this behemoth of an offering our Canadian friends have pretty much outlined EVERYTHING you need to do right to get your wedding photography business on track. When I received this download, I was floored. So much information. All in one place. Boo-yah!

Super Photo Editing Skills – Reg $79.95 on sale for $47.97

You probably got your start in Photoshop Elements. (No one is judging you) And then worked up the nerve to buy into Photoshop itself. Then Lightroom came around and you got all conflicted about which to work with, right? Right. I have been there myself. In this video driven tutorial, you will learn to work with Lightroom the right way. The simple way. The elegant way. It's long in term of time but is filled with tips and tricks that will speed your workflow right up. If you are struggling with your workflow, buy this and give yourself a break.

Awesome Album Design Skills – Reg $79.95 on sale for $47.97

As a wedding photographer, designing albums was about the last thing I wanted to do. Sure, you could outsource it. But Rob and Lauren show you how to use InDesign to easily create templates that you can reuse and manipulate at will. Imagine being able to finish designing your albums in record time. Well, this is what you will learn in this tutorial.

Yes, I am an affiliate partner and I make a small commission that supports this blog. But as I have mentioned in posts past, I don't promote products or services willy-nilly. They have to be something I feel I would use myself and are of the highest quality. That said, get clicky with me and buy the tutorial that is right for you, or buy them all as this sale ends on November 27th.

In true, Photography Concentrate style, Rob & Lauren have also produced a PDF/InDesign set of questionnaires for portrait photographers. What better way to get to know your clients than to ask them about who they are and what makes them tick? This set of questionnaires is FREE. Yep, no strings attached. Just go here to download them. You get both PDFs and InDesign templates that you can repurpose with your own branding!

And the whopper? Enter to win a Sony NEX-6 and a ONA bag. Again, you don't have to buy a thing. Just enter here.

Remember, the sale ends on November 27th. Don't wait until the last minute. From Tiffinbox to you, a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Is Your Photography Marketing Strong Enough?

November 19, 2012 by Angela Pointon Leave a Comment

Angela Pointon loves photographers and artists. She studied photography, but had a love affair with business and marketing. She decided to combine all three together when she started Steel Toe Images. She coaches and inspires photographers and other artists to kick major butt through her one-on-one sessions, blog, emails, workshops and her first book (coming soon), called “The Art Of A Photo Business: What Every Photographer Wished They Knew Before They Started”. Follow Angela on Twitter, Facebook or her blog.

I believe that what you do is amazing.

Every time you freeze an image, you give a gift to the world. I also believe you create a different experience, uniquely your own that no one else has the power to duplicate. Your business exudes a feeling that other businesses can try to copy, but ultimately fail at mimicking because their business is their business and yours is yours.

This is where marketing begins: at you.

The best photographers know what they're capable of bringing to the world, and they've worked hard to define that very thing in one or two succinct sentences. An amazing photographer isn't trying to copy another photographer; he or she knows that this effort is futile and, in fact, copying another photographer just robs the world of their own abilities, their talents and their uniqueness.

As photographers, we are challenged to identify what truly special difference we offer that no other photographer can. Yet, we all have this inside of us; it's just a matter of uncovering it.

The best photographers challenge themselves to constantly ensure they are articulating their amazingness using the right words that evoke mystery, intrigue, and fascination.

Know the people who will die to buy.

Have you ever been a raving fan of a brand, product or service? Have you ever talked to a friend about this brand, product or service with the same immense passion that one uses when speaking of their religious or political beliefs? Have you ever had a buying experience so amazing that it left you wanting to have it again? Have you ever bought something when competitive offerings were available solely because of the incredible buying experience?

That company knew your profile. They knew who their ideal customer was (ie people like you), and they built an experience to tantalize the very things that you would find unbelievably enjoyable. They matched the services to the person with the cash to spend.

Sometimes it's easier to start at the who. Who is the perfect buyer of your services? Who do you get along with, set off sparks with? Who do you cause the reaction of saying “that was amazing” at the end of their initial buying experience with you?

How will you attract more of them?

It's great if we've had a buyer or two who have been amazing. But how do we attract more? How do we work with fewer clients who are just okay and work with more who are unbelievable?

I've had success in my life finding people by hanging out where they're hanging. I have found that walking into a real room with a group of people can instantly feel right or wrong. The same is true of online places, too.

Plan Your 2013 Marketing To Capture More Souls

So if you want to define your brilliance, if you want to figure out who your ideal client is, and if you want to find more of those clients, then the One Page Marketing Plan is for you.

FREE Webinar: The One Page Marketing Plan

Wednesday, December 5th, 8:30pm eastern / 5:30pm pacific

There are some business owners that believe long drawn out business plans are the key to success. But if they are tirelessly drafted to only sit on a shelf, what good are they? I have put together a program to help you get your 2013 marketing mapped out on a single sheet of 8.5″ x 11″ paper. I'll walk you through how to effectively plan your marketing in order to get what you want out of business next year.

Together, we'll spend 60 minutes walking through my one page marketing plan template (a template will be emailed to you right before the webinar). I'll pose the thoughtful questions and provide the examples you'll need to get your wheels of creativity turning.

By the end of the webinar, you'll get your marketing mapped out, including:

the target market you'll go after in 2013:

– what makes your unique business different than the rest
– your financial bliss to obtain next year
– your business goals for 2013
– your essential marketing actions to get you to those goals

Register for the One Page Marketing Plan

PS – there will be an additional program starting in January for photographers who want more one-on-one, in-depth support with their marketing. By becoming a member of the Photography Marketing Academy, photographers have the opportunity to learn from me and from up to five of their peers as we work on your One Page Marketing Plan in more detail. This new program is $249 (normally valued at $1,200) and it includes 3 sessions, PLUS a free 30 minute session with only me to talk about anything. Only 5 photographers will be allowed into Photography Marketing Academy. Learn more here.

Has The Commerce vs. Craft Conundrum Killed Your Passion?

November 19, 2012 by Ron Dawson Leave a Comment

Ron Dawson is president and creative director of Dare Dreamer Media, a new media marketing and film and video production agency that focuses on helping brands tell cause-driven and inspirational stories. He writes about the art and business of filmmaking and photography at DareDreamerMag.com and hosts Crossing the 180: The Filmmakers Podcast that Breaks the Rules. Follow Ron on Twitter and Facebook.

Photographers are passionate people. The Nikon vs. Canon battle (or is that Canon vs. Nikon) is right up there with Mac vs. Windows. Democrat vs Republican. Back Street Boys vs. New Kids on the Block (Or should that be Justin Bieber vs. One Direction?) Well, I suppose that artists in general are passionate. You have to be passionate about your art if you plan to make a living at it. Wait, let me amend that. You actually DON'T have to be passionate about your art if you want to make a living at it.

Let that sink in a bit …

Are you fuming? Are you perturbed? Did I ruffle your feathers? Burst your bubble? Put a kink in your armor? Throw a wrench in your … well, you get the idea.

If you're like many professional photographers I have come across, a statement like the one I just mentioned could be enough to send you into a social media frenzy akin to a jihad. “How dare I say you don't have to be passionate about your craft?”

I can say it because it's true. You do not have to be passionate about filmmaking or photography or quilting to make a living at it. Do you really think the owner of Glamour Shots is “passionate” about photography? I don't know if he/she/it is? I just know that it's one of the largest photography businesses in the world and it's blatantly obvious it's not built on a passion for the craft.

Likewise, we are all familiar with the “starving artist”. That individual who is true to his/her craft. Pure in heart and spirit. She would rather slit her wrist than Photoshop in a sky. Would not be caught dead using a point and shoot. And some of them even think film is still alive (Ouch! Why'd you have to go there Ron?)

A Brief History

The $20,000 Man

This is one of those debates you can never win. It's kind of like arguing about religion. Either you believe it or you don't. Some of you may be converted then fall to one side vs. the other. But in the end, most of you are firmly encamped in your beliefs. And woe to the person who says otherwise.

I was first introduced to the passionate sides of this debate a few years ago when well-known, award-winning photographer Jesh De Rox held a free webinar. At the end he pitched a 1-day workshop that cost $20,000. That is not a typo. Twenty thousand dollars. OMG. You would've thought he publicly lambasted the Pope or something. (That workshop wasn't the main pitch, it was actually more of a “would you like fries with that” kind of pitch.) The blog post I wrote about it to this day remains the most popular.

There have been other provocative luminaries in the photography world who have caused their fair share of eyebrow-raising and vitriol spewing: Jasmine Star. David Jay (can you say “Photo System“). Gary Fong. Denis Reggie. Kevin Swan. All these guys at some point or another did (or continues to do) something related to their business that rubs the aforementioned “auteurs” the wrong way.

The “heroes” on the other end of the debate are people like my good friend Zack Arias. Zack is in essence the patron saint of photography. He is awesome. His craft is undeniable. But here's the irony. He also has a lot of great business advice to give too. Despite the fact that Zack often leads (or at least inspires) the social media frenzies I mentioned, at least he's a person who is not so blinded or enamored by “the craft,” that he doesn't also realize the importance of “the commerce” aspect. But, I pity tha fool who gets on the wrong side of Zack's massive photography following.

Striking a Balance

In my humble opinion, it all comes down to striking a balance. Look, if you want to do your art strictly for art's sake, then keep it as a hobby. Spend as many hours as you like in the editing room. Take as many shots as you want so that you have 20,000 images to cull through. Go HDR crazy!

But if you want to make a living at your craft… If you want to quit your day job and support your family, then you will have to make choices. Choices that may contradict the purist in you. You may have to do jobs that are “good enough” and not “great.” You may have to take work that doesn't inspire you. You will have to put systems in place that curb your creativity, e.g. you can't take 20,000 images at a wedding or portrait session. Nor can you spend 30 minutes on each photo making it look just right.

Likewise, you should be invested in improving your craft. Continuously educate yourself. Keep up with the latest technologies. Go to workshops. Watch online videos. Read books. Allocate some time during the week to practice. All of these things are important. (Although, I could still make the argument that they are not crucial when it comes to growing your business. But I don't think some of you could handle it).

Conflicted

The two sides of Ron. Businessman. Artiste.

I have a confession to make. I am sincerely conflicted on this topic. Only in as much as for the past few years I've actually been passionate about getting back to my “roots” as a filmmaker. Among my clients and friends, my work is seen as exceptional and I'm known for my craft. When I first got started in the business, even among my peers, I was lauded for my craft. But within the filmmaking industry itself, my “fame” (for lack of a better word, for I would hardly say I'm “famous”) came about because of my business prowess, not my craft. I co-wrote (with my wife) a business book about filmmaking. I was on Zacuto's Film Fellas, mainly to represent the business voice of the industry. The lectures I was asked to make at expos like WPPI and WEVA were related to things like social media and branding. For a while, no one was interested in a Ron Dawson seminar on “How to be a Filmmaker.” Much of that was my own doing. I too frequently preached the “good enough” sermon. My pendulum swung too far to the commerce side.

It was that Zacuto Film Fellas recording that changed that. I was moved by the passion of my co-guests, Patrick Moreau (of StillMotion fame) and Kevin Shahinian, world-class wedding filmmaker who makes the most amazing concept films. After being exposed to their passion for excellence, I was moved to focus more on the craft-side of my business. That was the year I started shooting with DSLRs primarily. I actively started changing my brand in the filmmaking world. I changed my profile pic to more of an “artist” style. I used to write exclusively about business on my blog. Now I try to balance it with a healthy does of art as well. I started teaching the craft more online and at WPPI. And here's the biggest kicker: I actually believe that I will be able to improve my business by putting out higher quality work. After two years of interviewing top filmmakers on my podcast, I've learned that personal work can play a huge role in getting noticed and winning larger jobs. So I'm working on doing more personal work (my current opus is Mixed in America, a documentary series about race relations and personal identity among biracial people.)

But, regardless of how much I get into my craft, I will never forget the importance of maintaining my business. I keep my systems in place. I still do “good enough” when the client hasn't paid for “great.” I'm looking for people to fill in the roles where I'm weak (or need help). I use social media and marketing strategies. I do what I have to do to make the business grow.

But if my love for my craft continues to grow, who knows. I may actually forgo the business to go back to the corporate world so that I can indeed focus on my craft the way I want. There is no shame in that. In fact, that is what I think many of you should do. Turning your passion for art into a business is often a sure-fire way to kill that passion. Keeping it “on the side” is one of the four ways in which I believe an artist can maximize his/her creative output.

Challenge

My challenge to you is to take an honest assessment of where you fall on the commerce vs. craft scale. Do you lean more to one side vs. the other? Do you need to make an adjustment and strike a balance? Ask a loved one or a spouse to give you feedback. It just may be time for a change.

How To Be A More Productive Photographer

November 15, 2012 by Luke Clum Leave a Comment

Today's guest blogger is Luke Clum, a Seattle based graphic designer, developer and photographer. He's an outdoorsman, loves alpine climbing and is crazy about earl grey tea. Follow him on Twitter @lukeclum.

Maintaining a productive photography business requires juggling tasks and activities involved in both business and creativity. It can often be difficult to switch back and forth between these modes without wasting valuable time. The best solution for becoming more productive is time management. Here are some guidelines to help you optimize your time.

Assignment Dashboard

An assignment dashboard helps organize your tasks into time blocks so that you can avoid wasting time deciding what to do next. Plug all of your tasks – both business and creative – into a daily list. Enter your assignments vertically and your progress horizontally so that you can check off the parts you've finished, as well as see what comes next.

Limit Availability

Another way to use your time efficiently is to create communication guidelines with your clients. Delegate certain times solely for responding to calls and emails. It can be tempting to immediately respond when an email pops up or your phone rings, but constantly pausing your work progress is counterproductive.

Creative types know that there are only so many times throughout the day that inspiration really flows. Photography also has prime shooting times based on weather, lighting, etc., so it's important to prioritize these hours. Control your own time by staying focused during prime creative windows.

One thing you can do to put your mind at ease during those times of unavailability is create an email/voicemail auto response, letting your clients know when you will be available.

Tools

If you're still having trouble ignoring calls during creative time segments, various apps can help enforce your schedule.

1) RescueTime: This app monitors the programs you access in any period of time, so you can get a picture of how much time you're wasting. If this isn't enough to keep you on task, set RescueTime to Focus Mode. This allows you to preset a period of time that you want to get work done, and dictate which programs the app will block during that time.

2) Coffee Break: If you're a photographer who gets immersed in your work for hours at a time without realizing it, this app reminds you at scheduled times to take a short break. By alerting you and dimming your computer screen, it helps you develop a balanced routine of productivity and rest.

Inspiration

If you find yourself lacking ideas, there are inspirational resources you use to help get your creative juices flowing again. A great way to elicit creativity is to search images on a visual based photo site, which provides tons of eye candy to inspire you.

On the other hand, if you've ever had an idea come to you and then vanish from your memory, you can create a photo inspiration lightbox to group and save your ideas.

After taking all this into consideration, remember that the key to being truly productive is to produce something.

All photos via Shutterstock

Tax Forms For Second Shooters & Contractors

November 14, 2012 by Michelle Loretta 1 Comment

Michelle Loretta is a consultant for wedding and event professionals and writes daily for the Sage Wedding Pros’ business blog. She blends her past as an accounting nerd, sales vixen, and stationery entrepreneur to help photographers better their businesses.

If you have second shooters or are considering hiring contractors to assist you on photo shoots, there is one important tax form you’ll need to supply them with this January 2013. It is form 1099-MISC. This isn’t a new form, but the IRS is being a lot more diligent about ensuring that contractors are reporting income.

Here’s what you need to know regarding the 1099:

1) You’ll need your contractor’s vital information (name, address, social security number or tax ID) before filling out the 1099. You can get this from them any way you want but the IRS’ W9 form gives you the ability to get the info from them in a systematic way. It also shows your contractors that you will be filing 1099s for them in the off-chance they were hoping to illegally not state the payments you made to them. (Note: The W9 is NOT a legal requirement and you do not need to send it to the IRS.)

2) The IRS 1099-MISC form is one that you have to fill out for any contractor/vendor to which you paid $600 or more.

3) The misunderstanding of this form is that you only need to submit it for independent contractors that you’ve hired to do work (second shooters, for example). But ANY non-corporate business (sole proprietor, partnership, LLC, etc) that you hired to do any work that totaled more than $600 in the year will need to receive a 1099-MISC form. If they are an incorporated business, you do not need to send this. (There are a few types of 1099s. The one that typically refers to miscellaneous contractor income is the 1099-MISC.)

4) This would include (but not limited to):

– graphic and web designers hired to do your branding
– rental services
– attorneys
– commissions paid to non-employees
– mileage reimbursement paid to non-employees
– weekend assistants
– second shooters?and the list goes on …

5) In 2011, the IRS added a statement to the income return (1040) that will ask you if you are required to file any 1099s and if you already filed them (or, are planning to do so).

6) The 1099 has to be issued from an official IRS 1099 3-part form. (This isn’t a form you can download from the IRS site.) You can get the official IRS form by requesting one from the IRS or buying forms at an office store (Staples or Office Max, for example.) A copy of the 1099 is given to the contractor and it is their responsibility to submit to the IRS with their tax return.

Lastly, make sure that the person you’ve hired as a contractor is INDEED a contractor and not employee. Visit our blog to learn more about contractors.

Need more help? Make sure to check out The People Plan, our easy-peasy hiring and training tools. www.thepeopleplan.biz

Please reconfirm this information with a tax attorney or CPA or both! Better to be over prepared than under, right?

3 Reasons You Should Attend The One Day Intensive Workshop

November 10, 2012 by Jason Aten Leave a Comment

Jason Aten is a Michigan based wedding photographer. After a career in marketing and sales management for a Fortune 100 company, Jason became relentlessly drawn to the ability to impact people’s lives through photography. So in 2001 he quit his job to start his own photography business. Jason applies his previous marketing and sales experience to his photography business and now takes the time to educate others with his “Starting Out Right” one-day intensives and resource guides. You can find more posts like this on the Starting Out Right blog.

There's a lot of talk about workshops lately. There's a lot of people that are frustrated by the perceived direction our industry is taking. There's a lot of strong feelings about different workshops, and whether they offer value to photographers and our industry.

With that in mind, I want to help share some expectations – to be sure you understand all the reasons you should consider attending a ONE DAY INTENSIVE.

But first, here are five reasons you shouldn't:

1. You want to become a better photographer. You won't. I'm not going to talk about understanding your camera, or composition, or lighting, or post processing. This isn't a workshop to help you be a better photographer, so if that's what you're looking for – don't bother coming.

In fact, no workshop will make you a better photographer. You might learn some good techniques, but in reality – the ONLY way to become a better photographer is to shoot more. Who cares about your first wedding – I got excited when I had to replace a shutter after 118,000 exposures.

2. You want to be rich. Sorry, can't help you there either. There's no secret to becoming rich. There's no fast-track or easy road. Some people get lucky… good for them, but I can't teach you that. No one can teach you. By the way, if you're thinking about starting your own small business to get rich, forget it. 95% of them fail.

3. You want to be like _______ (insert photographer here). Attending a workshop won't make you anymore like someone else – then visiting the pet store will make you more like a golden retriever. You won't leave the ODI more like me (and that's good for both of us… trust me). If you pay money to go to a workshop, hoping that some magic dust will rub off on you, you're fooling yourself and wasting your money. It doesn't work that way.

4. You want someone to tell you the short cuts. Guess what. The most successful people in ANY field – ANY industry – are the people who work the hardest, for the long haul. A workshop presenter can help give you tools, but then you have to do the hard work. There's no secret recipe, and anyone that tells you that there is – well, I think you know what to think about them.

5. You are PASSIONATE about photography. That's great. I love photography too. I also really love ice cream, but that doesn't mean I open an ice cream stand. If you're passionate about photography – by all means, keep taking pictures. It's a wonderful hobby :)

BONUS 6. You want to hang out with a SUPER successful rich, super-star photographer. Sorry, not me. I run a pretty small business focused on taking care of a small number of clients. My wife and I drive a 5 year old car, own a nice home, and spend a lot of money on diapers. Most days, I come home from my studio, and the first thing I do is change a stinky diaper, clean up crayon from the walls, and do the dishes. I'm just normal. My life is probably a lot like yours.

We're not rich. But I work very hard at treating my business like a business, and it exists to support my family. Our business does really well, and we have wonderful clients. I get to shoot some really wonderful weddings, and I love that I get paid well to do what I do. Our portrait business is thriving in a world where people tell you that you can't sell prints. But, let's be realistic – I run a studio in a town of 7,500 people. If you think that this workshop is going to be about how much money I spend on cars, or sunglasses, or new camera gear – you'll be disappointed.

By the way, you can get a LOT of the information I talk about by reading this FREE blog. So why would anyone come? Here are 3 reasons:

You're ready to build a photography business that is both profitable and sustainable.
It's easy to be to think that running a photography business is about taking beautiful photos and becoming a master of marketing. In reality, there's so much more. The average small business loses money for it's first 3 years, and then goes out of business in less than 5 years. Why? Because running a business is hard work, and it's about more than just photography. It's okay that you love photography, but if it's going to be a business, then it has to make money. The ONE DAY INTENSIVE will help give you the tools to build something that is both profitable AND sustainable.

You want to build a business around this photography thing you do that supports the life you want to live.
So many photographers (and small business owners in general), find themselves slaves to their business. They find themselves pouring their life into something, and many simply burn out. I believe that your business should support your life, instead of living simply to run your business. The ONE DAY INTENSIVE is for people who want to take care of their family by building something real.

You want to learn about best practices that you can use as you work HARD to do it right.
The One Day Intensive will teach you the business principles and best practices you need to know to grow a successful photography business. It's not about short cuts, magic tricks, or secret formulas. It's about knowing what it means to run a business. You might struggle with understanding how to control your expenses, set up your business, rationalize your pricing, managing your client experience, or sales. You're willing to invest your time by spending a day digging deep. This is no fluff. It's not a feel good workshop. It's not “fun.” But ask anyone who has attended – you're learn how to do it right.

Interested in learning more? Check out www.startingoutright.net/workshops Use code “tiffinbox” and you'll save $50.

Photographers, Learn How To Get Totally Booked

November 6, 2012 by Seshu | Editor & Publisher Leave a Comment

If you are a wedding photographer, you are heading into the quiet months when you will be meeting and planning your photo shoots for next Spring or Summer. Portrait photographers either have a bevy of photo shoots scheduled inside where it is warmer or are braving the cold temperatures outdoors (at least here in New England where I live) to photograph their clients. Either way, the goal is to be totally booked. Question is: are you? Can your calendar be full, to the point where you have to start a waiting list? Won't that be awesome? (I am hearing a resounding YES).

I wanted to tell you that Sarah Petty and her crew at The Joy Of Marketing are launching a new program today called “Get Totally Booked” for photographers today.

If you enjoy learning and implementing what you have learned from successful photographers like Tamara Lackey, Jerry Ghionis, Tim Walden, Josh Hudson, Lori Nordstrom, Julie Klassmeyer, Jeff & Allison Rodgers, Laura Novak, Joy Bianchi-Brown & Jules Bianchi, Rod Evans, Vicki Taufer and Jeff Richardson.

This is a FREE event over two days – November 6th (did you vote?) and November 7th. If you are not around at home and in front of your computer, you can order all of the recordings here. While that is an affiliate link to Get Totally Booked, I have to tell you that I invested in this program as well.

The cost is $59, but only until it launches at 10 am EST. Then it is expected to go up. Plus, you'll receive over $200 in bonus offers from Marathon Press, whcc, ProSelect, Jill-e Bags and PWD Labs.

For me, programs like “Get Totally Booked” where I am taught how to do something better are incredible value. Just look at the full schedule here and decide. But do so quickly

How To Market Your Photography Business Using The Right Tools

October 31, 2012 by Angela Pointon Leave a Comment

As many of you know, Seshu and I have been working on a four-part webinar series, titled Swift Kick: Four Things Every Photographer Should Know About Business.

We know that many of you are just ending your busy season, and we cannot thank you enough for registering anyway. You've demonstrated your unbelievable passion for learning, growing and becoming more successful in your business. (I'll pause here while you pat yourself on the back… you totally deserve it, you rock star you).

For those that have not yet registered, it's not too late! The entire series was recorded and includes three insightful webinars for you to watch at your leisure:

1) Gut Instinct: how to use it to make the right decision in your business (by me, Angela Pointon)

2) Discipline: how it can help you achieve your business goals faster (with Tamara Lackey)

3) Branding: how branding can accelerate growth when done right (with Rosh Sillars)

I've learned a ton through these webinars myself. Most of all, I've learned how much I love to support events that educate photographers and help them become better business people. The best part is that the funds we've raised through these events go to support this very website that we all enjoy so much, Tiffinbox.

We Hope You'll Join Us!

The last event in the series airs live on Wednesday, November 7th.

THE RIGHT TOOLS with Skip Cohen
Wednesday, November 7th, 8:30pm eastern/9:30pm pacific
Register Here.

Learn from Skip Cohen what marketing tools are right for your business and understand how to use them to the best possible potential.

What You'll Learn:

If you think your business is awesome, but no one knows about it, that’s a problem. There are a ton of opportunities out there, so why are you struggling to get anyone to pay attention?

During this session, Angela Pointon and industry-leader Skip Cohen are going to teach you:

– How to get people to know who you are with a shoestring marketing budget
– Why your competitors should be treated more like friends
– A list of free things you can do to get your business rockin’

This can’t-miss session will guide you toward the marketing ideas that work, and will help you cross some off that don’t or aren’t worth the money.

What's The Cost To Attend?

Registration is just $25 and includes three additional previously recorded events. More information on the additional events is available via this register link.

~~The $25 fee is a donation to the website, Tiffinbox.org.~~ Seshu and I have actually decided to donate ALL proceeds to a legitimate charity set to help those affected by Hurricane Sandy. So won't you please register for this webinar series now?

What Past Attendees Said:

I just finished listening and wanted to tell you how great it was! Thanks! ~ Jennifer Gilbert Photography

Your webinar came along at the right time because it's easy to get down about my work and my business. The information was clear, concise and more importantly, genuine. Thank you! ~ Lee Love Photography

Live Q&A:

We look forward to talking with you live during the event! We do open up for live questions at the end, so bring your thoughts along with you! Register Here

Do You Suffer From GAS – Gear Acquisition Syndrome?

October 24, 2012 by David Moore 2 Comments

Today's guest post is by David Moore, a photographer and multimedia expert in Santa Fe, New Mexico. He is pretty active on Twitter, where you can learn more from him. Check out his website, Clearing The Vision: Documenting The Everyday Joys Of Family Life.

Stop me before I look at another gear website

My name's David and I'm a gear review junkie. It's a blessing to be surrounded by all this great photography information and constant improvements every year from manufacturers, but it's also a curse. You end up never satisfied with what you've got, and it can actually hinder your improvement as a photographer (and drive you bankrupt if your'e a pro).

We spend all this time devouring news and reviews, speculating over the amazing images we'd make with new gear, but deep down we know that what we have already is likely more than good enough. It's just easier to read up on stuff than to go out and work hard.

It starts simply enough. There's a new camera or lens announced that promises to be better than what you currently have in some particular way – sharpness, focus speed, low-light performance, whatever.

Oh, says your Gear Acquisition Syndrome (GAS – thanks to Zack Arias for the useful term), you want to be prepared. You want to have the best gear, to deliver the best service. You should read up on this new shiny bauble, and maybe even get it.

So then you disappear down a rabbit hole. You compare MTF charts, you read five different reviews of the same thing, pixel peep giant sample files, and then it gets worse as you start reading forum discussions.

Soon, it's an hour later and you're looking for bad images on the website of a landscape photographer in New Zealand who made some comment you didn't like discussing a camera you've never seen, and you realize … what the hell am I doing?

People have taken amazing photographs for decades with cameras much worse than mine. And some of my favourite images are those I shot with my first DSLR – a Rebel XT – and the cheap plastic Canon 50mm f/1.8.

If this were a hobby for me, then reading photography gear reviews would be a leisure activity. Like cycling enthusiasts reading bike reviews – it's part of the lifestyle, something that comes with being part of the club. I might be able to improve my photography more by doing something else but if it's a hobby, and if I love looking at 100% crops of the edge sharpness of a particular lens, then I should go right ahead and do it. And if I have disposable income and want to spend it on gear I don't need, then that's my choice.

But this is a job for me, so my concerns are (or should be) different. From a business perspective, I need to spend the least amount of money I can on gear to successfully complete the paying jobs I have. If I spend any more, then I'm not making as much profit as I can. There might be times when successfully completing a job means having all sorts of expensive gear (like Chase Jarvis and his range of helicopters), but that's not most of us.

So for a pro, having the absolute best gear is not always the best solution – having good enough gear is better. Wedding photogs all have stories of guests at the reception with better cameras than they have – but it doesn't matter if you can't even get the best out of what you have. You could give me the best guitar in the world, but it's not going to win me a Grammy.

Pros also need to budget their time as well as their money. The time I spend thinking about gear is time I'm not earning, marketing, improving my skills, networking or doing anything else that will improve my business or my craft more immediately.

Amateur or pro, it's clear that we'd produce markedly better images if we stopped fetishising the latest new announcements and actually went out and photographed more and more thoughtfully, read more books, or attended more workshops.

A documentary photography workshop attended (led by Deanne Fitzmaurice) earlier this year was a much better investment than putting that money into the 35mm f/1.4 lens I'd been coveting. I learned a ton and throughout the four days not once did the subject of specific gear even come up. I still have no idea what most of the other attendees were even shooting with – it just didn't matter.

Unless you have money in your pocket and you've been butting up against a very specific limitation in the gear you currently have that's hindering your progress, then you have no place reading gear reviews.

Obviously, I'm not the first to point this out (David duChemin has made his ‘gear is good, vision is better' approach a key part of his career, but since I'm suffering from a bad case of GAS myself right now, it's time for some hard medicine.

Here's what I prescribe:

1) Unless you've identified a real need for new piece of gear, and have the money to buy it, don't look at gear reviews. At all.

2) Go to the library and check out some photography books, especially monographs by some of the great photographers. When you get an urge to see how the D600 compares to the 6D, study their work instead, telling yourself that almost all of it was shot with gear that's worse than the stuff you've got now that you're complaining about.

3) Give yourself shooting exercises and personal projects so you can improve your craft, and get to know the gear you've got intimately, Find out where it's good and where it's not – it might turn out that the stuff it's not great at doesn't actually matter. For example, the Canon 35mm f/2 I've got vignettes at the corners and has a really buzzy noise as it focuses. Both of those are Bad Things, but neither of them matter much for me. DuChemin's Craft and Vision publishers offer some good ebooks to give you ideas on projects and tutorials you can follow.

4) Wait until you're in a situation where your current gear is repeatedly letting you down in real world (preferably paid) shoots, before you even think about getting new gear. Then, if you need something for a paying job, rent it first. If the next paying job for which you need it is not for another two months, rent it again. Only buy it if you know it will pay for itself in a year or so

5) You get extra points if you can sell some other gear to make room for the replacement.

If you're an amateur, you can relax these rules a little … but try not to be the doctor or lawyer with $10,000 of Leica's finest, and no idea how to use it all.

Yes it's fun that we immerse ourselves in the gadget porn that's part of photography. But if we're spending more time thinking about gear than about images, we're getting things backwards. So if you see me heading towards dpreview.com anytime soon, kindly shove a camera in my hand and tell me to get outside and shoot.

Here are a few examples of David's work – check out the slideshow & post your comments below as well: Blogshow

Roycin D’souza’s Tweeter A Day 365 Photography Project

October 15, 2012 by Seshu | Editor & Publisher 1 Comment

The series of images you will see here are by Roycin D'souza. He is a 20-year old photographer based in Mumbai. While he is also very passionate about photographing musicians in concert (he has photographed over 350 concerts), he started #TAD365 when he felt “the need of shooting more portraits of regular people from a diverse background.”

I've always been jumping around on Twitter and associating this with Twitter made so much more sense since the community gave back to me much more than I could expect.

Since June 2011, he has photographed over 285 people for the project ranging from advertising creatives, to celebrities, writers, teachers, food bloggers and chefs. Roycin quit his day job to travel to five cities in India to photograph these Twitter personalities. He says he spent everything he earned in the last 2 years to make this project a success. He adds, “I'm almost close to a millon hits for the project (on Flickr itself) and I'm travelling to Dubai tomorrow for a month to shoot and meet more people.”

“The project has a very raw element to it. I use a DIY lighting setup and travel all around the city on my Honda Activa (scooter). The people I meet are very different from each other and the shoots are even more impromptu depending on the ideas and the available time.”

Check out Roycin's blog, Facebook page and of course the #TAD365 project as well.

Do you know of other photographers working on personal projects? Feel free and introduce them to Tiffinbox. I would love to hear from them and highlight their work. Thank you!