Who Is Nigel Merrick

Nigel Merrick of Prime Focus Lab is a business coach and mentor to many photographers. He is also a prolific author, penning some of the most useful business guides in the photography industry.

Check out his books:

Interviewing Nigel

I recently recommended some of the best books you should read in the coming new year.

In this short video interview, Nigel and I talk about his new book, From Zero To Booked.

In it, he helps you identify your ideal clients, create compelling marketing that makes an impact on them, and shows you how to turn them into paying customers. It's a terrific read and I encourage you to read it.

This book by Nigel Merrick is particularly applicable if you are a wedding or portrait photographer who is either getting started in the business or who has been at it for some time but has started to feel a little burned out. Nigel offers clear-cut solutions to market to the clients who are right for you and who will see you as a good fit for them as well.

Want to get a taste of Nigel Merrick's writing before you invest in his books? I highly recommend you read this article on his site: The Phone Call That Almost Killed My Photography Business.

Are you ready to go From Zero To Booked in your business? Comment below! Or, ask Nigel questions that I am sure he will be able to answer given his wide breadth of knowledge and experience working with photographers just like you.

One the best ways to elevate your visual sensibilities as a photographer is by perusing through photography books: monographs, photo essays or photo stories. It's heartening to see so many photographers producing and publishing books of their own. Here is my list of books that you should consider looking through or even better, owning out right, in the new year.

Traditional Photography Books

Before You Grow Up, by Ernesto Bazan was reviewed in the New York Times by James Estrin and he said this about Bazan's book: “Ultimately, “Before You Grow Up” is about the importance of family and the fragility of life — what a man leaves behind for his children, as well as grandchildren and great-grandchildren he might never meet”. Bazan's gift to his kids is ultimately a gift to us. Step up and receive it!

Feast For The Eyes: The Story of Food in Photography. Ever since I attended Meera Seetharaman's food styling and photography class, I am hooked on food photography. Perhaps you are too!

Stop Here, This is the Place is a wonderful collaboration between a writer and a photographer.

The Distance Between Us, by Christopher Capozziello isn't an easy book to go through but I love the compassion this photographer displays for his brother. MediaStorm, produced a documentary based on the book that is well worth watching as well.

Cig Harvey's latest, “You An Orchestra You A Bomb” will be a part of my collection for sure. Her conceptual photography makes me take pause and think.

Love alternative processes? Then “Borne Back,” by Victoria Will is a must! Her tintype portraits are gorgeous, dark and delicious all that same time.

When David duChemin writes or talks or teaches, I pay attention. His book, “The Soul of the Camera: The Photographer's Place in Picture-Making” must be in every photographer's bookshelf. Period.

I love the way William Albert Allard sees the world and the way he sees America is extra special. Consider “Portraits of America“. I have no idea why this books is selling only for $8.21. Someone missed a zero after the eight.

How do other family photographers approach this genre of family photography? “Family Photography Now” will show you how.

Valerie Jardin is a prolific street photographer. Thankfully her book, “Street Photography: Creative Vision Behind the Lens” is a wonderful primer on that genre of photography. Weren't we all street photographers at one time? Learn more about her and her other books here.

I haven't seen this one yet, but as a fan of Scott Kelby's, I am sure, his latest, “The Flash Book: How to fall hopelessly in love with your flash, and finally start taking the type of images you bought it for in the first place” will help you grapple with your speedlites and studio strobes.

If you have ever watched Lindsay Adler teach posing, you'll want to definitely buy her book, “The Photographer's Guide to Posing: Techniques to Flatter Everyone“. I have the Kindle version of this book and I keep flipping through it all the time. So much to learn and use right away!

I interviewed Chris Knight in advance of his book, “The Dramatic Portrait: The Art of Crafting Light and Shadow” and it is one of the most popular chat on my YouTube channel.

Roberto Valenzuela's books on posing and lighting in the past few years have been very popular among photographers. If you are starting out, diving into his books will get you going in the right direction. This year he published, “Wedding Storyteller, Volume 1: Elevating the Approach to Photographing Wedding Stories” and in 2018 you can expect “Wedding Storyteller, Volume 2: Wedding Case Studies, Workflow, and Editing“. A no-brainer purchase for wedding photographers!

E-Books

Tamara Lackey's From Start To Finish: The Portrait Shoot Playbook, How To Prepare For, Shoot, And Deliver A Photography Session is a digital book (for now) but let that not stop you from diving into it. Tamara packs this book with information that is both deep and wide for portrait photographers. If you are starting out, this book is a must. Read it cover to cover.

My friend Nigel Merrick helps photographers who are struggling to market their businesses. I thoroughly enjoyed reading his latest book, From Zero To Booked. I highly recommend you give it a read, especially before the new year.

Ok, so these photography books should get you going in 2018. But you don't have to wait to buy those photography books in the new year. Buy them now, before December 31st, to claim them as valid business expenses. Plus, Christmas is right around the corner, so if you see a photography book you already have or would like to gift someone, you've got this guide now.

Comment below on the photography books you ended up buying. Some of the links above are connected to my Amazon affiliate account and I make a small commission when you buy the books through this post. Thanks for supporting Tiffinbox in 2017. I look forward to continuing to serve your photographic interests in 2018 and beyond.

Happy New Year to you all!

Who Is Zack Arias?

Zack Arias is a portrait photographer based in Atlanta, Georgia. A little over ten years ago, he began offering off-camera lighting workshops around the US that he called OneLight Workshops. Hundreds of photographers now know not to fear off-camera flashes, but embrace them because of Zack. I am one of them.

I was at Zack's Boston and New York workshops and let me tell you that he does not hold back on anything. He approaches his teaching with just as much humility and grace as he does his photography projects and commissions. The truth is he doesn't have to teach, but he wants to.

He is incredibly generous with his time during the workshops, and I remember him starting early and ending late at night. Every time, Zack patiently answered questions and demonstrated solutions to participants, even if it was for the third or fourth time.

At some point, Zack invited people to send him questions and a collection of his responses became the basis of his book, Photography Q&A: Real Questions. Real Answers.

Zack At Silk Inspire

I was thrilled to hear that Zack will be presenting his OneLight workshop at Silk Inspire, in Goa, India.

You may have watched Zack on CreativeLive, or seen his videos in Marrakech or Mumbai.

While gear is important for Zack, I remember the super simple setup he introduced me to during his OneLight workshop. Still he is always ready to be challenged, like this “cheap camera challenge” or the shootouts at Gulf Photo Plus.

If you have registered for this incredible photography festival, you already know what to expect (but there are some surprises for you too). We are just days away from opening day!

Interviewing Zack Arias

I sat down with Zack to find out what his plans were for Silk Inspire, and so here is that quick interview with him:

A Sample Portfolio

Zack's work is diverse and in between commissioned work, he self-assigns personal projects to stretch his creative muscles. Can you tell which ones are for his clients and which ones are for him?

Register Now For Silk Inspire 2017

You are going to meet and learn from world-class photographers like Zack Arias, at Silk Inspire. There is no better opportunity than right now to register for the event that runs from October 6th through October 10th, in Goa, India.

If you have made it all the way down here to this post, that's awesome.

But let me sweeten things for you. I have a few cool giveaways for those who register for Silk Inspire today. Once you do, email me your receipt (with today's date showing) and you will be qualified for a few cool things I am bringing with me. What are they?

Well, let's just say you could win one of six Black Rapid camera straps, one of three ShootProof annual accounts or one brand new LowePro camera backpack (valued at $350). Email your receipt to me here – seshu at tiffinbox dot org. First ones to email me win. That's the only way to keep this fair and you must be present at the event, to receive the prize in person. Good luck!

Speakers At Silk Inspire

Please watch the interviews with other Silk Inspire speakers: Arjun Kartha, Jen Huang and Brian Callaway. Plus, there are other incredible panelists!!

Marketog For Photographers

You may recall I wrote about Marketog back in January 2016.

So many of you jumped in enrolled when Jamie Swanson of The Modern Tog, opened up her marketing course for photographers. Since then, Jamie has developed an awesome community and helped hundreds (if not thousands) of photographers through her other courses, her Facebook forums, and her many ebooks she has shared for free.

On September 25th, Jamie is kicking of the very last time she will be teaching through Marketog. Retiring the course wasn't an easy decision, but Jamie is clear on making it available one last time before 2017 comes to a close. Her heart and her enthusiasm hasn't waned one bit. She is just as thrilled to see photographers learn, execute and see results as ever before.

Essentially, this is why Marketog is so popular among photographers – it's wholly results oriented. If you are struggling to find clients, she will teach you how. If you are wondering why people have stopped visiting your site, Marketog will help you with that too. The course is all about attracting more clients to your business. If you are looking to book clients and don't know how, this course is for you.

The Interview With Jamie

Sign Up For The Free Webinars

For this launch week only, Jamie is offering FREE webinars where she walks you through what she is offering through Marketog.

Simply sign up through Messenger (don't worry, she won't post anything on your Facebook wall or anything like that), and you will be offered a few dates. Sign up for the webinar time and date that works best for you.

Is Marketog For You?

It's not easy question to answer. While our goals might be similar, every one of us is on a different path, in our craft or commerce. I believe a strong business is a great way towards the freedom we seek; the opportunity to be artists and produce artwork that speaks to us and our clients. So, running an efficient and successful business is a critical component of who we are as photographers.

What Marketog promises to deliver, is to create a credible and repeatable system. As Jamie says in the video above, the course intensive. Plan on rolling your sleeves up and getting your hands dirty. For six weeks, you'll be challenged and your heart and mind will want to resist. But challenge yourself to go through the modules. I am sure that you will see a remarkable difference in how your business sees results.

Here are the six steps she covers in Marketog:

• How to get more of the right kinds of clients
• 6 game-changing strategies to turn inquiries into clients
• How to turn your website into an inquiry-generating machine
• How to get repeat clients and more word-of-mouth advertising
• How to get other business owners to send you their best clients
• Your marketing toolkit for effective marketing

The Bonus If You Sign Up Today

If you sign up for Marketog today before midnight CDT, you will receive a free copy of The Go-To Guide for Client Emails (100+ Email Templates for Photographers). This retails for $147.

The real bonus of course is seeing your photography business soar. Jump in, do the work, ask questions (Jamie will be involved in the forum, but this is the last time she is offering such close attention), see results

The Compelling Frame

If you caught yesterday's Apple announcement about the new iPhones launching soon, you'll know the advances in technology are truly stupendous. We are most definitely in the midst of a golden age in the visual arts. Technology is making it possible to create billions of photographs every day. Yet, world and humanitarian photographer, David duChemin believes the majority of the images produced on a daily bases fall short because they lack soul. In other words, the photographs we mass produce are not compelling enough.

The photographs we see today often don't stop us in our tracks or stir our curiosity or evoke an emotion. They tend to be much of the same trite look at our beautiful and surprising world. When we do encounter a photograph – be it our own or photographed by someone else – that has an impact on us, we remember it more vividly, almost as if we can experience it again and again.

Some are indeed so compelling that they create a response within us, perhaps, even a set of actions that affect humanity the world over. Now, don't you want to make an impact, however small or big, with your photography?

But what stands in the way? Practicing and producing the same photographs again and again is of no use to anyone. We've also been told about the classic rules of composition – the rule of thirds or the golden spiral – but these have held us hostage for far too long.

Going Beyond The Rules

We have limited ourselves with our visual vocabulary to go deeper and create stronger images. David duChemin, who has authored nearly 10 books on photography (see below), insists that it is possible to learn the visual language, or syntax, that is essential in creating compelling photographs.

Understanding and then expressing ourselves by using this new visual lingo, expands our abilities to do so much more. Better yet, you'll never ever feel like you are in a creative rut again.

Interviewing David

David just launched The Compelling Frame, an in-depth course for photographers eager to consistently create compelling frame. I spoke with him at length about how photographers can stop spinning their wheels and get on the path to making photographs that make them truly proud of their accomplishments. Give this a listen (approximately 35 minutes):

What's In The Course?

Just as soon as I recorded my interview with David, I knew I had to be a part of his course, so I signed up!

Here's what is in the course: 19 awesome lessons (videos you can watch again and again), 31 creative exercises, an opportunity to study the masters, a ton of bonuses that are actually useful and a vibrant and exclusive community called The VISION-DRIVEN.

I'm willing to bet that a year from now, my photographs are going to be several levels above where they are today because of The Compelling Frame course and The VISION DRIVEN community online.

This course is open only for a very short duration. I suppose that's one way to really gauge who is serious about elevating their craft, right? Here's my recommendation and it isn't biased in any way (the links in this post are not affiliate links at all):

You could continue making photographs and not sense any momentum in your artwork or you could spend a modest amount of money ($295), to enroll in this course (yes, with me) and truly accelerate your growth.

Enrollment for The Compelling Frame ends in about eight days. My suggestion is that you don't wait. Jump in now.

David's Books

Money could be tight, or now may not be the right time for you to be a part of this course, in your path as a photographer. I get it. So, really the next best thing would be to read David's advice through his books (these are affiliate links):

• The Soul of The Camera
• The Visual Toolbox
• Within The Frame
• Photographically Speaking
• Visionmongers
• A Beautiful Anarchy
• Vision & Voice
• The Print And The Process
• How To Feed A Starving Artist

I'm going to sound like a total fan boy, but I own every book David has written. In an environment where there is so much noise, David's words of wisdom are a clear and consistent signal that is well-timed. Wherever you are in your photographic journey, I highly recommend David's resources for photographers.

I've followed his work as a photographer and a teacher for a long time and in 2011 chose him to win the first Annual Tiffinbox Award.

Visit David's website, follow him on Facebook and Instagram. His YouTube channel is one of my favorites. You are in for quite a thrill.

And, to answer the question this post poses: yes, the compelling frame is most definitely within your reach. With the right guide, the right community and a lot of intentional practice or play, photography will cease to be a foreign language and it will become more intuitive for you.