Professional Photography : business

Building a Fine-Art Reproduction Business: Personal Rapport Matters!

Eileen Fritsch — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 21:02:00 GMT

If you are considering using your photography equipment and skills to get into the business of fine-art reproduction, keep in mind that the viability and profitability of your new venture will depend partly on how skillful you are at building personal relationships and a sense of trust. In fact, your interpersonal skills may matter even more than your technical prowess.

To show you what I mean, let’s review each stage of the process of helping an artist create a sellable edition of his or her works.

Image quality, of course, is critical. The initial photographic capture of the original and the subsequent prints must meet the standards and expectations of the artists’ targeted customers. The standards may vary depending on whether the artist is seeking to appeal to:

-Individual consumers who buy prints at art fairs or gift shops;
-Interior designers of residential or commercial office space;
-Gallery owners, exhibition judges, and art dealers; or
-Museum curators, and private art collectors.

Some artists seeking reproductions will have definite ideas of exactly what they want. Some may be wary if they have been disappointed by the work of previous printmakers. However, for many artists this may be the first time they have ever hired someone to digitally reproduce their work. They will look to you for guidance.

That’s why establishing effective communications and a personal rapport between you and artist should be at the heart of your business model. To efficiently achieve the results that the artist wants, you need to gain their trust and come to a mutual understanding with regards to their artistic goals.

Most of my new business comes from word-of-mouth referrals from past and current customers. This gives me a head start in earning the trust of each new client, because artists tend to trust the recommendations of their peers. From my experience, word-of-mouth marketing is far more effective in bringing in new business than advertising or postcard mailings.

The next most important step in the process is the initial meeting. How well you handle this step sets the stage for later success.

The Initial Consultation
Most artists are interested in reproducing their originals because it gives them much greater freedom in showing and selling their work. They don’t have to permanently give up or take risks with the original, and they can price the reproductions at a level that makes them more accessible to their potential audience or customers.

When they come to you, many artists will have already begun to visualize what they want. In their minds, they know what success will look like. The more clearly you can coax them to express that vision, the more easily you will meet their expectations. Some good questions to ask:

-Do you expect the reproduction to look exactly like the original?
-What media type do you want to print on?
- Are there adjustments or improvements that you would like to see?
- Are you planning to hold an exhibition? If so, what are the viewing conditions?
-Have you selected pieces you want to reproduce and/or show?
-Are you planning an open or closed edition? What size?
-Will the work be framed, or unframed?

Initially, many artists believe that the reproduction can, and should, be indistinguishable from the original. Although this is possible, it is often difficult to accomplish at reasonable expense. Paper type, base paper tone, texture, color, and density all have to be duplicated.

For the initial consultation, I keep a portfolio of other artists’ completed work on hand. These examples often prove to be useful tools in initial discussions with new clients. Typically a new artist enjoys exploring creative options such as choosing a new media type or considering a different treatment of the original. In all but a very small minority of cases, the artist will elect to make a few changes when their original is reproduced as a print.

It is also important that the artist have realistic expectations about selling their work. Making prints doesn’t guarantee anything. They’ll have to show and market their work, which takes time and effort.

Photographing the Artwork
In many cases, we’ll start with one or two pieces. This keeps communication simpler. And because the scope of the project is smaller, it is more manageable. Starting small can help build comfort levels and trust.

The artist will usually leave the artwork with me. Along with their initial order, I ask them to sign a liability release. Although any photographer would be diligent about protecting original artwork, no one can guarantee perfect safety. A moderate deposit helps keep things professional, and ensures commitment.

At this stage, we will have reached an initial agreement on artistic goals. Then, I’ll photograph the work and create a test print for the artist’s review.

The Test Print
I’ll make the test prints using the initial guidelines and goals we’ve agreed on. Usually we require only one test print, but sometimes an artist will want to see test prints on different media types. If they have had their work reproduced in the past, we may view one of these copies together, evaluating strengths and weaknesses, and fit with current goals and expectations.

When the artist views the test print, we’ll look at a number of attributes, such as color, density, detail and feel.

If the test prints are OK, the artist will sign off on a final order, which I’ll then complete for them. I usually retain the original until final delivery, mostly to give me an additional reference point.

Final Print
Today’s color-management and digital printing technology allows us to make small batches of prints that will look consistent no matter when they were printed. So to begin with, we typically make anywhere from two to five prints of each original. This keeps initial costs down and leaves the door open to make additional prints as an edition sells. We know that we can return in weeks or months and make a few more prints that will be accurate reproductions.

When the artist arrives to pick up a final print, I try to present the print to them in a realistic viewing environment. The print is on an easel under lighting similar to the planned display environment. I don’t normally show the original side-by-side with the reproduction at the outset. Instead, I prefer that the printed piece be given a chance to stand, or fall, on its own.

Later, we’ll look at the original and the print together. Because the artist has already seen a test print, it is rare for either of us to see any surprises at this stage.

Sometimes we will discuss framing and presentation. Some print service providers offer framing services, but I do not. I usually refer the artist to a dedicated frame shop that I know will do a good job at reasonable cost.

Frequently, discussions will include transportation, storage, pricing, edition size, signing work, and the like. The discussion with each artist is different.

Most important, I think, is that each artist enjoys the experience of feeling unique—that their work matters, and that they have my undivided attention while we are working together. The personal touch makes a big difference.

Down the road, I hope they’ll do two things: return to have additional prints made, and talk to their friends and colleagues about working with me.

Educate Your Customers
A parting thought? It makes sense for photographers in this business to invest some time in educating potential customers. One good way to do this is to make succinct presentations to local artists’ associations, classes, and clubs.

If one of your satisfied customers is already in the group, so much the better. But when you make your presentation, avoid the “infomercial” approach. Instead, talk about the process in a way that demonstrates your understating of the technical challenges of accuracy and color fidelity, your ability to offer creative options, and your respect for their artistic goals. Help educate artists about the process and what is realistic to expect, and over time your business will grow and flourish

Choosing A Web-Hosting Service

Eileen Fritsch — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 10:01:00 GMT

By Jon Canfield

Back in June, fellow blogger Wayne Cosshall had a great post on Getting Your Web Presence Right. I thought I’d expand on that a bit and focus on what to look for in a web-hosting service.

There are any number of hosting services available, with prices ranging from free to hundreds of dollars a month. Of course the prices are all based on the features you receive and the amount of support you get. As is often the way with the world, you tend to get what you pay for. Basing any business on a “free” service is usually a very expensive proposition in the long run, whether it’s an issue with reliability, bandwidth, having to deal with banner ads, or a number of possible issues. Nothing turns away customers faster than a bad first impression, so I strongly recommend shopping around and choosing a service that will guarantee you the type of support your business needs.

This doesn’t mean you need to spend a fortune though. For example, I’ve used (and have heard from others who use), bluehost.com. Depending on your needs, you can get started for as little as $7.00 a month, and a number of different features will let you grow your online presence as you need to, with features such as shopping carts, discussion forums, etc.

One area photographers must pay special attention to is the limit on data transfer and storage. This can often involve a hidden expense and it’s easy to hit the lower limits when photo collections are involved. You’ll also want to be sure that photo galleries are possible, whether you create your own in Aperture or Lightroom, or you prefer to use something like Gallery or Coppermine.The other alternative, and a very good one if you don’t want to do the design work or you need an immediate web presence, is one of the photography-oriented hosting services such as Live Books. These services will give you a professional site with a minimum amount of decision making on your part, but you’ll pay for the privilege ($800 and up for setup, $90 per year for hosting). But with our schedules that’s often much less expensive than the time it would take away from our photography to set up a website from scratch.

It’s almost impossible for a business to survive in today’s world without a website. By doing just a bit of research ahead of time, you can make sure that whatever path you take can grow with you and give you the professional look you need

Fine Art Reproduction Part 3: Getting and Keeping Customers

Eileen Fritsch — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 12:25:00 GMT

By David Saffir

Now that we’ve discussed why fine-art reproduction is a good business for photographers (Part 1) and what types of equipment you need (Part 2), let’s talk about how to market your business. I’ve found that most artists producing flat art still believe that they must invest large sums of money to create reproductions of their art, and that individual prints are very expensive. Very few are aware of new technology available and of the improved costs involved.

So, one way to attract customers is to help artists become more aware of what you can do for them. You can educate potential customers through a combination of web-marketing and snail mail. During the first 6 to 12 months that you’re in the art-reproduction business, you’ll also need to build relationships through some face-to-face time. You can either join a local arts group, or offer to make a presentation at one of their meetings. Many of the artists you’ll meet at these groups will have created a body of work and have thought about creating an edition of one or more pieces. But they’ve just never believed it would be economically feasible.

If you can dazzle a few of these artists with your printmaking (and print on-demand) capabilities, they will recommend you to their colleagues, and other artists will start making inquiries.

At some point, you may get customers who have hired a digital printmaker in the past but have been disappointed with the results. That’s because some companies that are equipped with wide-format inkjet printers aren’t always attuned to all of the nuances of color and detail that artists care so passionately about. A shared appreciation of color and detail can give a professional photographer a competitive edge in the art-reproduction business.

When you meet artists who are skeptical, show them a sample of your work, refer them to a satisfied customer, or make a few promotional prints for them. If you are accustomed to using studio lighting and a light meter, and you have a good camera with good glass, it probably won’t be difficult to differentiate yourself from other digital-printing companies.

Emphasize your professional photography experience in all of your marketing messages to the local art community and your new art-reproduction services are likely to get off to a fast and prosperous start.

JPG Magazine Provides Opportunities to See Your Photos Published

Eileen Fritsch — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 12:19:00 GMT

By Marc Aguilera
Welcome to the 21^st-Century world of amateur and professional photography. Many things have changed, but some have not. Getting published in a national magazine seems to be as much of a goal for photographers as ever. The founders of JPG magazine understand that ambition.

There is something grand about seeing your image and byline published in a quality magazine. Also, how many of us photographers use equipment that we love, and feel the need to share our enthusiasm with the rest of the world?

JPG magazine is published by 8020 publishing and it brings the best photos from an online community to print. About 35,000 copies are printed and are sold through subscriptions ($25/yr) or on newsstands ($6/copy) such as those at Borders and Barnes & Noble bookstores.

The premise is simple. JPG members sign up for an account and shoot, upload, and submit images. Then, a peer community comments and votes on each image and story. Editors create the issue with the final selection of the best of the best. Contributors get $100 and a free subscription.

Issues have themes ranging from Democracy to The Fanatic, Fashion to The Self. The early issues were actually printed by LuLu.com and are still available on demand.

The story behind JPG Magazine is very interesting, particularly because the innovative concept of printing the best content from the web arose at a time when many traditional magazines were under pressure to build strong online counterparts to complement their printed editions. As more and more people started turning to the web for their news and information, some analysts are questioning how long print publications will be able to survive.

JPG Magazine has proven that solid opportunities exist for publishers who think differently. JPG Magazine started in 2005 when Derek Powazek and Heather Powazek Champ saw how many high-quality images were appearing on photo-sharing sites such as Flickr. From those roots, the idea to use reader-generated online content to create a printed magazine was born.

The concept has proven wildly successful. For each issue, thousands of people submit tens of thousands of images. To choose which images get published, hundreds of thousands of votes are cast by thousands of people all over the world. I am a big fan of JPG magazine's submission guidelines. The images need to be authentic, brave, and real. Images with digitally altered text are rejected. No multiple photos on a single upload, no misrotated photos, no digitally added borders, no enlargements, no duplicate photos.

My taste in photography tends to lead toward authenticity, meaning little if any digital manipulation or staging. This is evident in my image Mother and Child which won first prize in HP's 2005 On Assignment Photo Contest.

I am a member of JPG and to date none of the images I've submitted have been published. But that doesn't stop me from shooting images related to each issue's theme and entering and voting. Viewing the winning images in each issue of JPG magazine is just as interesting as it is to belong to the community that votes on the winners.

If you're not yet a member of JPG, check it out. If you haven't yet seen your images published in a national magazine, JPG provides a great opportunity to give it your best shot!

Fine-Art Reproduction Part 2: What You Need to Get Started

Eileen Fritsch — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 20:26:00 GMT

By David Saffir

Professional photographers are uniquely qualified to get into the fine-art-reproduction business because the element most critical to success is a quality image capture. Photographers not only have a discerning eye for color and detail, but also tend to have the best capture equipment. For fine-art reproduction, the lens, digital sensor, and software used to process the RAW digital image files have to be pro level, with no compromises.

Specialized Training
Before you invest in any additional equipment, it might be wise to invest first in some training—so you can see for yourself how the fine-art reproduction workflow differs from printing your own photographs. During a good training session, you’ll see why it’s not smart to try to cut corners when it comes to buying quality equipment.

For example, the training should cover specific capture, color control, and printing techniques that have proven to be successful in faithfully reproducing the colors used in the original artwork. This usually requires one to two full days of work, with lessons focused on image capture setup, color management, media selection, image editing and print prep. You also need to understand how the build good relationships with artists and some of the printmaking traditions specific to the art market. Once you’ve been trained, you’ll better understand the rationale behind all the other elements listed below.

The Right Lighting Setup
Digital image capture for fine-art reproduction is based on good old-fashioned copy work. It requires two to four color-corrected lights (strobes or continuous), diffusers or softboxes, a sturdy tripod or studio stand, and a stable copy stand that can support artwork in a range of sizes. You could use continuous lighting using tungsten bulbs, but I don’t recommend it. Even though we can correct color pretty well, a light source that isn’t color-balanced can lead to a number of problems, including excessive time in post-production trying to correct color distortion. It’s better to use color-corrected halogen or fluorescent lights.

A Good Camera and Lens
I use a Hasselblad H-series camera and a Phase One digital back. I really don’t see any reason to use film for fine-art reproduction unless your client wants to archive an image on film for some reason. With my equipment, I have gotten excellent results with images up to 40 x 60 in. in one frame, and panoramas up to 10 ft. long. It is quite feasible to shoot even larger pieces in one frame. Or, you could shoot the image in quarters and stitch them together in Photoshop. The recently released Phase One/Mamiya medium format combination is interesting, and costs less than competing products. A new Mamiya kit with an 80 mm lens has been reported selling for $10,000. You could use a high-end DSLR, like the Canon Mark II and III-series, or the Nikon D3 series on many pieces of artwork, but successfully reproducing a large painting usually requires the resolution that only a medium-format digital camera can provide. In any case, the cost of acquiring technology is lower and dropping every month. Used equipment is frequently an option as photographers trade in and trade up.

Procedures and Tools for Controlling Color
Reproducing artwork requires processes for controlling color at every step in the process, from capture to output. The more careful you are in controlling color, the less time and materials you’ll waste trying to get your print to match the original. If you’re serious about your digital photography, you probably have already invested in a high-quality monitor and tools for keeping it calibrated so you can accurately preview and edit your images on screen.

The most straightforward way to control color while shooting is to:

Ensure that the target artwork is evenly illuminated from corner to corner and from side to side, within 1/10 of an f-stop;
Shoot at lowest ISO available;
Use RAW capture; and
Include a grey card or white/grey/black target in your shot. (This will be an enormous help when processing the image on your computer.)

Finally, you will want to be able to routinely create accurate custom color profiles for each type of print media you use.

You can use a handheld spectrophotometer (such as the ones made by X-Rite), or an online service (which can be pricey). Or, you can buy a wide-format inkjet printer that has the custom-profiling functionality built-in (such as the HP Designjet Z3100). Being able to obtain accurate color profiles is essential, but that’s only part of the game. In order to efficiently be able to produce a print that looks just like the print you output six months ago, your profiles must be re-created or updated periodically.

A Pro-Model, Pigment-Ink Printer
You’ll need access to a wide-format, wide-gamut printer that can handle a variety of media types, media thicknesses, and roll widths. Most people in the fine-art reproduction business have a printer that can print up to 44 in. wide. Many printmakers use devices that can print up to 60 and 64-in. wide. These wider printers can be used not only to make larger prints, but also to efficiently print higher volumes of smaller prints.

If you don’t yet own a wide-format printer, some studios will rent you access to their printers for a day or half-day. In other areas of the country, you may want to purchase one for yourself. To produce the wide color gamut needed to accurately reproduce fine art, your printer should have at least eight ink channels. In my opinion, having 12 ink channels is better because the color palette and the control provided over color and density is noticeably superior.

It’s also important to be sure that the printer uses pigment inks, instead of dye inks. When used with reputable brands of art papers and canvases, pigment inks can create prints that will last well over 100 years without noticeable fading if they are properly protected and displayed. After you’ve equipped yourself to go into the fine-art reproduction business, the next task is to attract customers. I’ll share a few tips on marketing in my next post.

Fine-Art Reproduction, Part 1: Why It's a Good Business Opportunity

Eileen Fritsch — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 20:14:00 GMT

By David Saffir

If you already own a professional-quality camera and know how to use a pigment-ink inkjet printer to reproduce your own images, fine-art reproduction can be a viable and profitable business opportunity for you.

In this three-part series, I’ll discuss the fine-art reproduction business in more detail. In this post, I’ll describe why it can be such a profitable business opportunity. In Part 2, I’ll go into more detail about what type of equipment is required to get started and in Part 3, I’ll discuss how to attract customers.

Until recently, fine-art printing and art reproduction was expensive, technically demanding, and time consuming. Now, we can digitally reproduce nearly any type of flat art created with paints, watercolors, charcoals, pastels, or other art medium. We can print long-lasting reproductions in a variety of sizes and on a variety of art papers, canvases, or other materials. We can achieve great color fidelity, extremely good color rendering, and good control over the appearance of the final print. Best of all, we can do this at a reasonable cost in time and money.

Artists’ editions typically range from 20 to more than 1,000 prints. The great thing about digital fine art reproduction is that you can print an edition one piece at a time, or in multiples. If you choose to print one-offs (and use the same printer/ink/paper/profile combinations), you can be quite confident that the image colors and quality of each print will be extremely close, or identical, even if a few months elapse between one print and the next. Most artists don’t yet know this is possible. Many still believe they must print an entire edition at one time, which can be very expensive. Most artists I work with hire me to make two prints: one to show, and one to ship. When they sell a print, they order a replacement.

Start-up Costs
The cost of entering the fine-art reproduction business ranges between $10,000 and $45,000 for equipment and software. You’ll also have to factor in training and marketing costs. The cost of your initial investment in technology will depend on how much gear you already have in your studio. For example, you will need:

a pro-model, pigment-ink inkjet printer (at least 24 or 44-in. wide);
a medium-format camera;
a good computer with Photoshop and other workflow software;
a good monitor, and monitor-calibration tools;
a method of creating custom profiles;
specialized training in the art-reproduction workflow;

You don’t have to acquire all this at once. You can start by renting some of the camera or printing equipment, then buy equipment as the demand for your services grows. You may also choose to provide finishing and mounting services, or refer customers to a reliable framer.

In my first year of offering fine-art reproduction services, the wide-format printer, dedicated computer,and software such as Adobe Photoshop CS3. paid for themselves in about six months.

Plus, I have been able to use some of the equipment I acquired for fine-art reproduction for other types of general photography and wide-format printing jobs.

Pricing
Pricing for fine-art reproduction varies from region to region. Services for which you can bill clients include image capture, image editing, printing prep work, and the print itself. Here are few examples of typical charges:

Image Capture: $150
Image Edit: $50
Print 20x30: $120
Proof, 8x10: $45

The price per print should never be your main driver, either in quoting jobs to clients or promoting your services. Artists will pay higher rates if you can provide better print quality, are prepared to print extra copies whenever they need them, or have a rapport with you as a fellow connoisseur of fine images.

Return on Investment
The ROI will be determined by your specific circumstances. In the scenario I outline on my own ROI spreadsheet, the printer is used for fine-art reproduction only, and the breakeven point arrives between month 6 and month 7. Your payback results will depend on how much equipment you need to buy initially and how quickly you can attract customers that want either multiple prints or will come to you for repeat business.

A Key Benefit: Repeat Business
The majority of revenue from the fine-art reproduction business comes from repeat customers. Once artwork is digitized and is kept on disk, the artist will want to be able to continue to order subsequent prints from you as needed. This ability to make one or two prints at a time can be a strong selling point, because it frees the artist from having to keep multiple prints safely stored and protected from damage until they’re all sold.

To summarize, the fine-art reproduction business is within reach of an ever-increasing number of photographers and artists. With proper training and a modest investment in tools that you can use for other purposes, you can be up and running relatively quickly.

In my next two posts,I’ll examine the technology requirements in more detail and talk about how to find and attract customers.

Getting Your Web Presence Right

Eileen Fritsch — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 14:27:00 GMT

By Wayne Cosshall

A website is a key part of any business and most hobbies these days, and especially so in photography. But getting it right is key. Even though the Internet has become an obvious and essential part of what photographers do, there are still many mistakes people inadvertently make.

Mistake number one is trying to do business using a Yahoo, MSN, or other free email address. These just stink of being either a spammer or an amateur. Because using these sites suggests a lack of stability (and thus unreliability), you can really limit your marketing opportunities.

Mistake number two is relying on the free or low-cost photo-hosting sites to present your professional portfolio. Yes, some people do this, hard as it might seem to believe. Again, it immediately conveys either that you’re an amateur or someone who has no idea of business.

Mistake number three is developing a totally unsuitable custom website. This might be unsuitable in many ways, as we’ll discuss later, but such a site can actually turn some potential customers away. So, how do you do it right?

Step 1: Register a domain name with a reliable and major domain registrar (so you will have no dramas later). The domain name is not critical but ideally needs to be something you can tell people over the phone without a strong likelihood of them getting it wrong. This can be your business name or something else, so long as it makes sense.

Step 2: Set up a website hosting service with a reliable company. This should not be your ISP, the service you use to connect to the Internet. Look for Linux hosting rather than Microsoft servers. This will give you more free options and is often cheaper. A good hosting account will allow you to easily create multiple email addresses and monitor traffic to your site (statistics). It will also make it easy to control other features, such as installing open source gallery software.

Step 3: Set up a number of email addresses for yourself. For example, you might want to have one you can publish on public forums and another address that you use for direct business contact. Multiple email addresses also allow you to create the impression that you have a larger organization than you actually have.Step 4: Do some research. Clarify why you want to have a web presence, who the most typical and most important users of your site will be, and what equipment they are likely to use to view your site. Keep in mind what information matters most to them, not you. Look closely at a wide range of other photographers’ websites, and not just the ones you personally like.

Step 5: Develop a website to suit your customers, based on the research you did in Step 4. When I look at photographers’ websites, I usually see a lot of over- engineered, fancy, and time-wasting sites that don’t work for the site visitors. Sadly, many photographers won’t listen to recommendations for improvement, because they think they know it all visually. But if you are a small-town wedding/portrait photographer, for example, your clients are likely to be local people with slow Internet connections, old computers, and small screens. The site must be designed accordingly, or you might lose business. Conversely, if you are a big-city fashion photographer, your clients are ad agencies and magazines, with fast Internet connections, larger screens and a sense of style (plus attitude). This requires a very different type of site than that required by the small-town wedding photographer.

Do you get the idea? It’s not you and your aesthetics that matter with a website, it is your clients. If you have diverse clients perhaps you need two websites that you market to appropriate audiences.This client orientation will help you determine elements such as: what screen size the site should be designed for, whether Flash (an overused technology on photographer sites) should even be considered, and whether you can stray too far from normal navigation conventions.

Unless you really know what you are doing, pay someone to design your website for you. Don’t skimp on this. During the design process, look for alternative ways of doing things. For example, many of the sites I develop now use a content-management system so that photographers themselves can upload new images or change text. This way they aren’t reliant on me to make changes to the site except to update the look. It costs them a little more up front, but reduces costs long term.

Finally, plan to revamp your site on a yearly basis. This doesn’t have to be a major overhaul every year, but a bit of a touchup keeps the site looking fresh and in line with current trends. If your site is well designed by your web developer, a yearly update shouldn’t be a costly exercise.

Step 6: Market your website. The website itself won’t bring you much work on its own. It actually just forms part of your marketing effort; it is not the complete answer. If you have followed these steps, your email address should help promote the site. The site URL (www.cosshall.com, for example) should be on your business cards, car, all ads, etc. Keep fresh content on your website and never put a visible visitor counter on your site.Done well, a website is a great asset. Done poorly it is a liability. Which is yours?

You can read more on this topic on my online magazine The Digital Imagemaker.

Being Organized: Part 2

BlogArchive — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 11:41:00 GMT

By Wayne Cosshall

In part 1 of this article, we looked at how photographers could free themselves to be more creative by becoming better organized. In that post, we talked about organizing equipment, shoot planning, and contact lists. Let’s continue getting organized.

Tracking payments, debts and invoices. Tracking and managing all these business details is critical if photography is your business, either full or part time. You have compliance and tax obligations to meet, and must stay in control of your costs and income.

Here you have three choices: (1) do it all yourself; (2) do some of it yourself; or (3) hand it all off to a bookkeeper or accountant. The last is a great option, because most of us creative types find anything like bookkeeping to be instant death. However, an accountant costs money, so it may not be an option.

Alternatively, you can invest in some appropriate accounting software, learn it, and then use it either to do the whole job or just parts of it, with an accountant or bookkeeper doing the rest. This gives you more control and reduces costs. Accounting software such as QuickBooks or MYOB, can do the job for you.

Whatever solution you use, get an accountant to set it all up for you, including choosing the software. Then go to a training course or send the person who will be tracking your payments, debts and invoices. This is important, as even the simplest program of this type is quite complex. You need to get it right.

Planning image manipulations. In the old days of working in the darkroom I would do straight proof prints in 8x10 size and then, much later, sit with a chinagraph pencil and mark up areas of the print for burning in or holding back, dropping in another negative with masking, etc. I didn’t do this in the darkroom, but only after the print was completely dry and in the sort of lighting in which I would eventually be hanging the finished print. Free from the darkroom, I had my choice of lighting and could consider the image in comfort and over an extended period of time. I could even put the print on the fridge door so I could consider it over days.

Today, I do all my manipulation work on the computer. There is a great temptation to do all the work at the computer. I believe this is a mistake.

It is far better to mirror the darkroom approach and make a proof print in a smaller size. Then, consider it carefully and mark it up only after you’ve allowed yourself time with the image. It doesn’t all have to be a rush.

Getting things done on time. In today’s fast-moving 24/7 world, there is so much to keep track of. You need to keep track of deadlines, research, contacts, trips, websites, models, locations, timelines, client appointments and more. All of these can be tracked on paper. But as a computer nerd, I look for computer solutions.

Keeping track of everything you have to do is important. You can use a diary or calendar program but not all tasks are best kept that way.

I like to-do lists and I’ve tried a variety of programs to manage them. Most calendar programs have basic to-do capabilities, but these are very limited.

I’ve started using a program called iGTD. This is a Mac-only program, but it suits me because I work mainly on a Mac. The name comes from a book by David Allen called Getting Things Done, which describes a methodology for managing all the things we have to do. There are many other programs that implement these ideas for both Macs and Windows PCs.

iGTD lets me create tasks, and assign end dates, priorities and level of difficulty. I can also write notes about tasks, and set up tasks to repeat on a set schedule. When I complete such a task, it automatically reschedules to the next date.

iGTD is donationware software and works amazingly well. I love it, though I am still exploring all it can do for me. For example, it can also synchronize with a calendar program and generate alarms or reminder messages.

Tasks can be assigned to Contexts and Projects. Contexts divide tasks into those that need to take place in certain locations. Projects are particular activities. Both Contexts and Projects can be hierarchical, giving you further organization options.

Getting organized is not a burden. In fact, it frees you from worrying about all the things that must be done. Getting all that out of your head and off your shoulders frees you to create, and to enjoy the creating.

It can take time to turn something of little interest into something of beauty. This is especially true of creativity, which you can't do in a rush or with millions of other things on your mind. Get better organized and you are free to play.

Being Organized: Part 1

BlogArchive — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 12:03:00 GMT

By Wayne Cosshall

Photography is a business for many of us and a hobby for many more. Whether business or hobby, photography can become one of those all-consuming avocations that give us a reason to get up in the morning. Yet, because of the seemingly endless array of equipment, digital files, shoot logistics, and daily business requirements, many of us are often not as organized as we could be.

And that’s a shame. Although you can’t force creativity, disorganization can definitely put a damper on it. Lack of organization can make us feel adrift or as if we're drowning in sea of unrealized possibilities.

Getting organized empties our brains of needless distractions. The more organized we become, the fewer worries we have interfering with the creative process.

Among other things, being organized as a photographer requires:

Image organization and tracking
Organizing equipment
Planning shoots
Maintaining contact lists
Tracking payments, debts and invoices
Planning image manipulations before getting on the computer
Getting work done on time

In November, I wrote about using software to help organize images. Over the next couple of months, let’s look at some of the other areas that need to be organized.

Organizing equipment. Most photographers have collected a lot of equipment: cameras, lenses, bags, filters, step-up and step-down rings, cable or electronic releases, flash guns, tripods, and so on. Personally, I don’t have huge amounts of gear but the other day I counted five tripods, for example.

What system you choose to organize your gear isn’t as important as just making the effort to do so. I’ve always liked drawers of various heights for storing camera gear, so when I pull them out everything is all laid out in front of me. I place a non-slip rubber material in the bottom of the drawer and the gear mostly stays in place, too.

Other photographers love cabinets, filing cabinets, shelves, storage bins or whatever. Tripods can be hung from little wire brackets, as can camera bags, straps and USB, FireWire and flash sync leads.

Having all of your gear where you can easily find it definitely helps when it’s time to plan your next shoot.

Planning a shoot. This can involve looking at maps of the location, noting sunrise and sunset directions and times, figuring out what gear you will need, and determining the best way to carry it. You may even choose to make a preliminary list of subjects you might want to capture.

Shoot planning can seem like a task more suited for people with anal-retentive personalities than us creative types. But the fewer logistical glitches you have to hassle with on location, the more you can focus on getting the best shots.

Maintaining contact lists. To build a steady stream of assignments and photo sales, it’s wise to maintain lists of previous clients as well as people who have inquired about your services, attended your exhibitions, or subscribed to your newsletter. You also want to maintain a list of all of the other people and businesses you work with.

Mailing lists are a great tool, because they make it easy to send out invitations, special offers, or that newsletter you always meant to write.

The simplest and most effective way to keep a mailing list is in Microsoft Excel. Setting up separate columns for names, street addresses, cities, states, and zip codes is just a starting point. You can add extra columns for date of last sale or lists of images they have bought from you in the past.

Microsoft Word can draw the info from the Excel spreadsheet to print out address labels or print directly on your envelopes if your printer can handle it. If you use labels supported by Word, such as the wide range of labels available from Avery, and it can all work flawlessly.

That’s it for part 1. More next month.

Multimedia Portfolios and More: Fertile New Ground for Photographers

BlogArchive — Mon, 13 Aug 2007 19:45:00 GMT

By Wayne Cosshall

My previous post (Digital Solutions to the Limitations of Traditional Portfolios) discussed new opportunities to create photo books and web portfolios. Now let’s think about multimedia portfolios.

Multimedia Defined. We’ve all seen multimedia presentations, whether it was a rudimentary slide show synchronized with audio or the unavoidable PowerPoint presentation. But many other possibilities exist.

By definition, a multimedia presentation incorporates more than one media type. So you could mix still photographs with video or combine photographs with audio and animations.

You can even incorporate interactivity. For example, when interior designers shop for prints on ArtSelect.com, they can preview how a selected photograph or print will look when framed against the color of their clients’ walls.

Here are a few examples of multimedia projects you could produce:

A digital slideshow with animated transitions between images;
A website that does more than presents images in still form;
An animation showing clients how much effort is involved in generating special-effects photographs and why it costs more;
Video footage showing you shooting a wedding mixed in with your portfolio so potential clients can see you in action
A DVD or CD portfolio to mail to prospective clients
A multimedia presentation of your work projected on a local building at night to generate attention (and customers)

Risks and Rewards. If done well, a multimedia presentation can leave a lasting impression. You say more in less time than you could possibly express through words and pictures alone.

But multimedia can also be tricky. We’ve all sat through bad PowerPoint presentations created by people who felt empowered (or obligated) to go well beyond their normal areas of expertise. Their lack of training in design, layout, and visual communications can be painfully obvious.

Multimedia has a lot in common with filmmaking because you must consider concepts such as pace, narrative, suspense, surprise and flow. Planning can take the form of a storyboard, although the storyboard may be very different from those used in filmmaking.

Instead of working in scenes, the multimedia storyboard sketches out the flow of your content and the ideas you want to convey. The storyboard defines when certain content will be shown and for how long and outlines how the pieces will fit together and flow. It should give you a sense that you are creating a coherent presentation that will be stronger than the individual images. This is key: A presentation is only as good as its weakest part. Great images can be easily ruined if proper care isn’t taken in the development of a multimedia presentation.

Everything for a Reason. I advise taking a minimalist approach to multimedia. Every element in a presentation should be included for a reason. Don’t use music that adds nothing except a distraction. Don’t use fancy transitions just because you can. Cute animations can add humor and diversion. But use them only where needed, and nowhere else.

So if multimedia can be so dicey, why take a chance? I can think of at least four reasons.

Versatility of Delivery. You can deliver your presentation in person on a notebook computer or with a data projector. You can include it on your website. Or you can package it on a CD or DVD and send it out in bulk to potential new clients or targeted members of the media. You could even run it on a flat-panel display in your studio window. One photographer runs his presentation in the back of his Humvee parked at populated venues.

Sales Tools. You can use multimedia presentations as a direct sales tool. Wedding and portrait photographers have discovered that projecting large images on a screen is an effective way to get clients to order larger prints. Most people want to see an image at the size in which it will be displayed in their homes. Big images can make big impressions, especially when combined with music that amplifies the emotional power of the imagery. (The theory is that if you cry, you’ll buy.)

New Products. A multimedia presentation can be a product you sell. For example, buyers of wedding photography may not only order prints, albums, and photo books, but also a multimedia presentation on a disk.

New Career Paths and Clients. Have you noticed? The same publishers and ad agencies that once hired more photojournalists, commercial, and editorial photographers for print publications are now developing websites that supplement text and photos with videos and animations. Event planners and exhibit designers also need creative professionals who can combine images, graphics, and sound. If you have a gift for visual expression, you can expand your client base if you know how to create effective multimedia presentations.

Some techniques involved in videography are similar to those in photography; others are different. So it’s natural that many photographers have also given video a go. Animation is well within the capability of photographers as well. A sequence of still images can turn into an effective movie. Done tastefully, animating text with accompanying audio can work wonders.

Once you start thinking more about multimedia, you’ll see that the potential is limitless. At some point you will probably need to learn new skills or new software. But the effort and results can be worth it.

The Gift of Memories

BlogArchive — Fri, 18 May 2007 11:44:00 GMT

By Jon Canfield

As photographers, we’re in that very lucky minority of people who can make a living from our passion. I have yet to meet a pro photographer who got into this business because they thought it would make them rich. Every single one I’ve spoken to has told me that it was their love of photography that led them to this career path.

One thing that makes photography so appealing to us and our clients is the memories that photos provide. Photographs are among the most treasured possessions people have, and looking back at them over the years evokes emotions that are unmatched by most other methods of preserving memories. So, where am I going with all of this?

Recently I became involved with a group of pro photographers who provide a very special service to any family suffering the loss of a child. This group is Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep (NILMDTS), and what they give to people is a cherished memory–often the only photo remembrance they will have of a beloved member of the family. Typically, the deceased are newborns, but the group’s charter is to provide photography for babies and children up to 18 years old.

Working with hospitals in their area, the photographers make themselves available to come to the hospital to take loving bereavement portraits of the child and family, all at no charge whatsoever to the family. The family is given a CD with images that can be printed if they like, or a slideshow that can be played on computer or TV.

What impresses me most about NILMDTS is the caring spirit of all of these photographers. This isn’t about referrals, clients, and future jobs. This is about coming together to help families in need at what is likely to be one of the most tragic moments in their lives. It’s about giving families a gift that will last forever and honor the child’s life and memory.

This program isn’t for everyone of course but if you are interested in how you can help, I encourage you to visit their website to learn more about the program. Perhaps you’ll be moved, as I was, to donate some of your talent and time to give the gift of memories.