Today's guest post is by Don Giannatti. In 2011, PDN named him one of the best photography workshop instructors.If you didn't catch his CreativeLive programs, read on. You can find Don on Twitter, his websites: Lighting Essentials, Learn To Light, Now This Is Cool … and Project52. He is thoughtful, opinionated, controversial and funny. Check out Don's first guest post as well.

Portraits.

Photographs of people. People in spaces. People in environments. People in places where the light doesn’t cooperate.

People in studio settings where the photographer has ALL the control – and all the responsibility – to make the light the way it must be to capture the subject.

People.

One of the most interesting and fleeting of all photographic subjects, the portrait can show us a beauty unseen, a glimpse into the soul of the subject, or a simple smile that will last a lifetime.

Or more.

The good folks at UDEMY.com asked me to discuss portaiture on their education site and it became a full course in no time. That sort of thing happens to me when it comes to teaching.

I absolutely love to teach.

This course is for the beginners – the guy who wants to do more fashion like headshots or the gal who wants to make better location photographs. Intermediate photographers who are a bit uncomfortable with their strobes may also find some choice nuggets in the class.

I want to help photographers see exactly what I see when I am planning a portrait. The goal is to not only understand how the light works, but WHY the light works the way it does. Knowing why the light works is the best way to figure out where the light goes in any situation.

The class is currently at 5.5 hours and will grow to nearly 7 hours of video by the end of the year. I am planning new shoots for each month until January, 2013. I hope to incorporate some of the questions and comments of the students in the next four shoots.

We have also set up a Flickr page (currently invite only) where we will critique, offer suggestions, help deconstruct and have an open conversation with the students. In addition, UDEMY offers a way for live lectures and Q&A with the instructors. I plan on having a live show twice a month – two time slots so we can get involvement from folks who may be in way different time zones.

As I stated, the course is for beginners and early intermediate photographers. They should have a working knowledge of their cameras, and how to work the flash mechanically. There is a suggested gear list as well, but it is small and basic. No need to spend hundreds of dollars when simple gear can get the job done.

I am including the low-res version of the workbook as it currently stands. I expect it to nearly double as we answer questions, discover some new and interesting tricks, and add more shoots/demos/discussions to it. However, that workbook is for the students only.

Please feel free to download this low res workbook to see the images we are looking at in the course. If you are comfortable with the style, and would like to know how to repeat these lighting situations, this course is for you. If you are totally sure how to do these images, it is not the course for you. (I don’t want advanced shooters being disappointed. However, two pros who have reviewed it said they learned a couple of things … heh.)

Now understand that I am not a ‘video’ guy, and the small cameras are not broadcast quality. But we do have good video, and good sound, so the information is imparted … and that is the goal.

I hope you will take a look at the materials and if the course looks like something you would be interested in, check it out.

Tiffinbox readers get a discount of $20 off the regular price of $50. I have given Seshu 50 discounts for the readers of his blog. Simply follow the link or enter the code: “Tiffinbox” into the coupon code when enrolling.

I attended Don's workshop some years back in Boston. He knows his stuff and his love for teaching is very obvious. I do hope you will take advantage of the discount and sign up for his course.

Salonee Pareek is the better half of Ramit Batra Photography. She assists Ramit at his shoots and chronicles their experiences on their blog. When not travelling, or writing, she loves to spend her time with her books and can be found on Twitter.

A few days ago, I had the chance to interact with a prospective client and a fellow wedding photographer. The interaction was around two terms – one listed above, mentioned by the photographer – the dream client; and another what the dream client said “… if someone can put their heart and soul into doing a great job of the photography”. This got me thinking about our expectations as photographers and our clients' expectations for us and how it is like walking a tightrope to manage both of these expectations.

For a photographer, perhaps, there is no greater feeling than working for a client that wants the photographer to put her heart and soul in her photography. What would my dream client be like?

Realistically, what does a client really want? This may not be a million dollar question, but is definitely worth a few thousand dollars to us photographers. Some of us went to school or college and studied the craft of photography and some of us learned it in a more hands-on manner. But most of us have developed a manner of photography, we call our own, even as it changes and develops over time. There are certain things one is willing to do, and quite a few things one is not prepare to commit. And at the end of a hard day, we all want a client that appreciates our work and sees in it, a good value for her money.

While I am in no position to generalise, I have worked for clients who have appreciated the hard work I put in, gone a few steps further and asked for suggestions as to what would help me do my job better. And some, who have at the very outset, communicated the desire to always be in control of me and directed me to work accordingly. It is the latter variety that I am wary of. Here's why: because that does not come across to me as being honest. It appears as though this person only requires a camera operator with good equipment, not someone who uses their mind to control their equipment and create photographs the way only they can.

And thus began my dream of my ideal client. And here’s what I dreamed of:

My dream client would have some awareness about photography, if not especially about wedding photography. She would see me as a professional doing her work and not merely a camera controller. She would not vanish at the mere mention of payments (quite frankly, I know a lot of fellow photographers who have had brides vanish as soon as they receive an estimate). She will want to hire me as she likes my work, and not because she thinks I would do well to ape another’s style. Most of all, she will inspire me to create not merely capture.

Wow! Now that is quite a wish-list.

About being the client’s dream photographer? That would be another day, another story.

Want to win Sarah Petty and Erin Verbeck's book, “Worth Every Penny“? Comment below. Their book walks you through the steps you need to take to set up a boutique business. It's a great read, with lots of information that you can put to use right away in your photography business.

Respond to these questions below: Can you describe your dream client? What would she or he be like? What are your expectations? What, typically, are theirs? (I'll pick the best responses on August 1st. Winners will be notified by email so please use an email address you check regularly when you post your answers.)

Angela Pointon loves creative people. She studied photography, but had a love affair with business and marketing in graduate school. She decided to combine all of it together when she started Steel Toe Images. She inspires photographers and other creative people to kick major butt through her consulting sessions, blog, emails, workshops and her first book (coming soon), called “A Swift Kick In The Pants: Business Smarts For Us Creative Types.” Angela resides just outside Philadelphia. She lives with her amazing architect husband and their two small boys. All of them are vegetarian (yay!), and they rock out to fantastically awesome music from time-to-time (especially on Friday nights).

If your photography business is like most, there is seasonality to it. Meaning, when it rains it pours and when it’s dry it’s a desert.

I know many of you are in your busy season now. Clients are calling, you’re spazzing, you need sleep, you’ve got too much to do.

The great news is: you can bring sanity to every season – busy or slow. How?

You need to create three lists.

I don’t care if your lists are on a blackboard, a scratch pad or in a fancy color-coded excel file… but they have to be written down. This is important. Lists DON’T WORK if they’re in your head. As brilliantly creative as you are, you cannot keep an organized, separated set of three lists in that pretty little head of yours.

So once you figure out where you’re gonna store these lists, you need to create them. The good news is it’s super quick to do.

Listen up.

List #1: What I have to accomplish this week.

Every Monday morning you’re going to spend 15 minutes creating a list of what you HAVE to do that week. You’re going to write approximate time lengths next to each task so that you know how many hours of work you have ahead of you for that week. Add the hours up and make sure it isn’t going to kill you. If it is, see what makes sense to push to next week (or get some help… or a cloning machine).

List #2: What I have to accomplish today.

Each and every morning of the week you’re going to spend 5 minutes creating your list of what you HAVE to accomplish that day. In creating this daily list, you’re taking tasks off of your weekly list and you’re putting them on your to-do list for the day. Your weekly list is becoming shorter day-by-day. How delightful!

List #3: What I have to accomplish when I’m slow.

As you’re driving, in the shower, walking the aisles of the grocery store or talking to friends, you’re always coming up with “wouldn’t it be cool if” ideas of pure fabulousness. Don’t let these sparks of brilliance become dim and never see the light of day. Instead, put them on your “slow time” list so that you can refer to them as business is becoming slower. You can proactively plan to tackle these awesome ideas (using List #1 and List #2 in the same ways) when you have some spare time. Never again will you be waiting for the phone to ring, getting worried and depressed. Instead, you’ll be rocking out by creating something awesome that you thought of to improve your business, your brand, your photos, your service or whatever!

Now look at you! What an awesomely organized and well-managed person you’ve become. All with three simple little lists.

As wedding or portrait photographers in business, we wear many hats. We are marketers one day, networkers the next. On some days we have sales and ordering sessions, on others we are busy coming up with blog posts or communicating with our clients. At our core, though, we strive to make images that mean something.

There are some things I know I do better than others. What I have no time or inclination for, I typically outsource. I'll confess when I was starting out, the draw of doing it all was much greater. I was convinced I could design my own website, business cards, logo and marketing materials. But I soon came to the realization that designing was simply not my forté. I know great design when I see it, but I can't say I know how to go about creating a concept or crafting it. So who does? Well, a graphic designer who has dedicated their life to that pursuit usually is the best option.

You can work with a graphic designer who will custom design your brand or you could opt to buy a template created by a graphic designer, that you can modify to fit your needs. The first option is an investment with great returns IF you know what your brand is all about and you are willing to stick to that brand for a few years. Downloading a template and changing it to fit your needs, however, gives you the flexibility to change things around as often as you would like, at a reduced cost. Just as there are a great many graphic designers, there are also a great many online options to download templates.

The one I have trusted to deliver the very best products is Design Aglow.

What makes Design Aglow special is that it was co-founded by Lena Hyde, a children's photographer based in West Palm Beach, Florida. As a successful photographer, she knows what works and what does not. She is also acutely aware of what the market (in her case moms) are looking for, in terms of products. In addition to offering design templates, Design Aglow has a bevy of sales tools (like their ProSelect plugins) for professional photographers and productivity applications to keep your studio's workflow in check. For a while Design Aglow was publishing a truly awesome magazine. Perhaps they'll get back into the groove again. The magazine, which is how the site got its start, showcases studios and leaders in the industry through in-depth interviews. I recommend checking out the first 11 issues of the Design Aglow magazine. I am hoping that one of their future issues will be dedicated to photographers who document multicultural weddings. [grin]

As you can tell I am a fan. Nothing more. If Design Aglow has an affiliate program, I am unaware of it, so rest assured this post has not been solicited, nor does it contain affiliate links. As a fellow photographer, I just thought you should give Design Aglow a look-see for your own studio's needs. The downloads are instantaneous and should you hit a glitch, the customer service is top-notch. They are quick to answer questions and engage with you through their very active blog.

If after reading my recommendation, you do buy a product through the Design Aglow site, please come back here and share with us what you bought and how you intend using it. Good luck!

Today's guest post is by Brian Hirschy, a photographer & designer living in the Tibetan regions of western China who has a passion for teaching photography, participating in the growing photographic community and working with Asian NGO's to communicate their stories. In 2009 Brian helped start Plateau Photo Tours, a company that facilitates socially-conscious  one-of-a-kind photo tours throughout Tibet – providing socially responsible and culturally non-destructive photo opportunities throughout the region as well as creating sustainable job opportunities – all in an effort to actually help rather than simply complain. You can see Brian's work at BrianHirschy.com or follow him on Twitter @BHirschyPhoto.

Last week, I ran across a video of my friend Zack Arias talking about the need for honesty and perspective as photographers (check it out there). It was a refreshing conversation about honesty and stood in stark contrast to often unhelpful conversations that we constantly see in this industry. Zack's video was a punch in the gut, and I haven't been able to stop thinking about what Zack said since.

I've spent the last three years working as a photographer in western China. In 2009, I started a company called Plateau Photo Tours with a desire to engage the Chinese photographic market by running culturally appropriate, unique photo workshops in the Tibetan areas of western China. I wanted to live somewhere that pushed me as a person and as a photographer. Having traveled these areas extensively for the better part of a decade, living here continues to be a fantastic experience.

But there's so much more to the story than that.

Here's some honesty: Over the last three years, I've spent a disproportionately large amount of time schmoozing Chinese officials for permission to keep working in this area—largely for no return. There's nothing like kissing butt for no reason. Since starting the company, we've had to call off five tours. I've watched our filled tours (of great participants) get cancelled due to political and social stresses, as well as a devastating natural disaster. I've seen what I thought were amazing opportunities pass just out of reach. Recently, I've been banned for months at a time from exiting the city in which I currently live. I've been followed around by plain- clothed police officers — an interesting experience. The local government constantly tells me where I can and cannot takemy camera and where my “foreign face” isn't welcome despite having official government permission. I've dealt with all sorts of political and social insanity just to keep a company afloat in a tough and variable market.

Here's some more honesty: I've made more money as a web and print designer and consultant over the last year than I've made as a photographer. I'd love for every person who visits my website to think that I'm making it entirely with my photography. But I'm not. I've relied largely on my gracious wife's job for parts of our income. I'd love for you not to know that. Depression, questions of identity, future, and my photographic ability have started to steal more and more of my thoughts and sleep. I'd love for you guys to think that I'm bursting from the seams with confidence.

This is not a pity party, and this is not a rant. Above all, I'm certainly not unique.

It's hard. No matter where we are in our careers, it's going to be hard. It should be hard. If it's not hard, you're in that dangerous place of not pushing far enough or hard enough. Or maybe you're in the wrong industry. Maybe you?ve set your goals too low.

The more I hear photographers get real with each other, the more I'm happy to discover what I already suspected: I'm not the only one fighting fights and getting black eyes in this industry. The black eyes I get from running a business in western China are just as painful and just as real as the ones everyone else is getting—despite where they are in their careers or what part of the world they live in. You deal with bridezilla, and I deal with drunken Chinese officials. By my count, we are even. It's hard to run a business—let alone one that is focused on photography. It's hard to be an entrepreneur in a service industry. It's hard for me. It's hard for everyone.

The point is this: We should want to learn from others? black eyes. We should learn from each other?s hard times—learn how to dodge the pesky left hooks of the industry. We should try and help the young and upcoming photographer become the best he or she can be and avoid what pain can along the way. But for some reason, we as an industry are so busy trying to convince everyone else that it was easy, that there were no hard times, and that the black eyes simply don't hurt. Maybe we want everyone to think we are special, naturally talented, smarter than the rest—so much so that we managed to navigate the minefield of this harsh industry with perfection and ease. And now everyone else needs to pay attention to us. Hell, some of us have it so figured out that we've formulated the industry into a “top ten list.”

It wears on me, this façade. It's tiring because not only have I been a willing participant, but also because I see hundreds of other photographers daily pushing something that isn't real, something that isn't personal, and mostly something that just isn't at it's core fully honest.

Maybe more honesty in our industry would result in fewer stretched families, fewer people going into debt because they were convinced they had to have some product in order to compete, fewer tired and burnt out photographers trying to keep up their image. Maybe honesty just makes for better stories. Maybe we'd actually spend more time shooting (remember, that thing we all profess to love so much?) now that we are, finally, allowed to be who we really are and where we really are in the industry.

I'm talking about more honesty in ourselves as photographers — more perspective on where we are in our photographic journeys and more willingness to share the successes with the failures. I've personally found that the more honest I am with myself, the more capable I am of falling in love with what I do. After all, that's really the point – loving what we do.

This article is the culmination of thoughts brought on by Zack?s amazing video (Kudos to Zack, Atlanta Creative Mornings, and Matchstic for producing it). If you haven?t watched Zack?s video, I strongly suggest you carve some time out to do so (here). These are simply my very personal and honest gut reactions to something that I?ve seen in myself for quite some time and something that I?ve seen more and more photographers bring up – it?s not meant to be a rant, an angry fist in the air, or a bemoaning of the self- promoting nature of the photographic industry. Zack says this infinitely better than I do and deserves credit for raising this subject in my mind and beyond that, being one of the most honest, generous, and gracious voices in the industry.

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