# 2 of Ten Things You Should NEVER Say to a Photographer...

Well, we're back with another installment of Ten Things You Should NEVER Say to a Photographer.

NUMBER TWO:
"Hey, what's your best price on a 20x24...I know you can't be serious asking $400!"

If you do Photography for Income for any period of time, you will hear this regularly. My normal reply to this was, "I'm sorry, you're in the wrong place...the garage sale is the next street over!" Then I would look at the person and smile broadly. Most would get a little chagrined, then laugh it off.

On a very RARE occasion, you would get the dipstick that would say, "Come on, really, what can I buy this for? I mean, nobody pays that price, it's outrageous--it's not worth that!"

My reply was respectful: "Sir, the price is not only fair, it is very reasonable. It must be, because I have people who enter my studio every single day and pay that price willingly. They pay that because it is a photograph of their family, which to them, at least, is priceless. So I am going to respectfully disagree. I feel your family is worth every nickle of that and more. I'm pretty sure you feel the same way, too [PAUSE]...right?"

Then I didn't say a thing. If the guy was there with his wife, she normally turned to him and said, "Yes, dear...you DO think our family is worth that, DON'T YOU?" This was usually accompanied by a look that could freeze Hell in an instant. The guy would normally mumble something and say, "Why yes, of course I do." Then a check was written.

Please take note, especially you new comers to Photography for Income: I never argue with the customer. Nothing is to be gained by arguing. "A mind changed against its will is a mind that remains unchanged still" I think the quote goes. Simply state your case and be quiet.

I want to take a moment and give a plug for a Kindle book available now. I used to do craft shows and thought maybe in my retirement in 50 or 60 years I would like to do that again.I recently read "How to Turn Your Crafts Into Cash - Fire Your Boss and do What You Love. Written by Peter Draggon, it was loaded with great information! It was fun to read, too.

You do not need to own a Kindle to read a Kindle Book: Amazon has a free PC Reader you can download.  Pick it up here for the giveaway price of $2.99: http://tinyurl.com/peo96zg

That's it for this time on Photography for Income. Check back soon!

Ten Things You Should NEVER Say to a Photographer...

Look, if you are doing Photography for Income, you must realize that at one point, you will discover there are far more horses' asses than there are horses. People will criticize your work: some intentionally and some without realizing they are tearing you down.

For the next few weeks, I'll post 10 things that I have heard from people. Here is some crap you will hear from people who are essentially...well, stupid:

MY NUMBER ONE, ALL TIME FAVORITE:
"Wow, I have seen some of your photographs...you must have a really good camera!"

This comment was made by a writer for the local newspaper (it was a Booth Newspaper, so I should have expected such tripe). I was at a party and he asked me what I did. He made the above comment after I told him I owned three photography studios. I knew he worked for the paper, but I asked him what he did. He puffed out his chest and said "I am a writer!"

I replied, "Well ordinarily I wouldn't consider someone who works for a newspaper a writer any more than I would consider someone who works at McDonalds a chef, but I have read several of your pieces and they were very, very good...you must have a really good typewriter!"

He recoiled in disbelief and said, "The typewriter doesn't have a damn thing to do with it!"

My simple reply? "You don't say?"

His wife turned to him and said, "You are a total douche." Priceless! This was before cellphones with video (who am I kidding, it was before cellphones!) but I wish I had one to record the look on his stupid face.

Even though it is tough, you have to be polite, because one of these high flying hosebags may end up to be an actual paying customer some day.

Until next time, may all your highlights read 245 and all your shadows read 7...

Portage, Michigan Salon Learns Power of Social Media

I've been away, did you miss me? I had to have quadruple bypass open heart surgery. Totally unexpected! But I'm back now, ready to give you some information you can use to do Photography for Income.

M-Spa Salon & Day Spa got a harsh lesson in how quickly social media can cripple a business in May. It seems that on May 25th, the spa's owner, Michelle Mott, confronted a customer and her son (Ashley Bays) and her 2 1/2 year old son who is autistic. Seems that the boy was crying and agitated while getting a haircut.

The very next day, a customer who had witnessed the witless owner's dressing down of the customer, detailed the entire sordid affair on Facebook, calling Mott's behavior "horrific and distasteful." By the time Ms. Mott returned to her salon after the holiday weekend, the post had been shared on Facebook...

...tens of thousands of times!

To make matters worse, someone started a Boycott M-Spa page on Facebook as well. And it became INTERNATIONAL NEWS in less than 48 hours. People in Australia were commenting! And the comments were not very nice. By the end of the week, Mott and her mouthpiece George Perrett were circling the wagons, frantically trying to contain the damage to Mott's reputation, crying unfair.

Mr. Perrett said it was cyberbullying and very well might cause the closure of a local business that had been a terrific business partner in the community for 15 years. Mott herself issued a statement through her lawyer on the first day she was open for business after the incident. But by that time, a full blown negative PR campaign was in motion.

On the following Thursday, Mott issued yet another statement through her attorney in which she apologized to Ms. Bays and her family. She added, "Social media has been used to create an impression of me and this event in ways which do not fairly reflect who I am and which seek to silence differing viewpoints about what occurred."

Hmmmm, differing viewpoints? If you were rude and abusive to a customer, what different viewpoint can there be? Look, to be fair, I have never met Ms.Mott. She might be a perfectly delightful woman who had a bad day, who opened her mouth without putting her brain in gear. Then again, she might be a nasty bitch, I don't know. She obviously has a successful business that has been operating for a long time, so they must be doing something right. But it appears that she may have just handled the situation less than tactfully.

Some of you may be thinking, "Hey, I'm a photographer; I don't own a beauty salon, what the hell does this have to do with me, Steve?

Quite a bit actually.

Number one, you need to recognize how fast a negative shit storm can form because you made a customer angry, or you insulted a customer, or just because there was a plain old misunderstanding.

Number two, you need to respond with lightening speed to any form of social media criticism.

Number three, you need to constantly build your brand on social media by constantly asking people to LIKE your business.

Number four, you must realize that you are CONSTANTLY on display when you own a business. Anything you do is under a microscope. So you might get all warm and fuzzy by going to a Tea Party Rally and calling President Obama a big monkey. Just remember that if the guy in charge of the zoning commission was in charge of the local Obama campaign, you may run into some delays. I'm just sayin'...

Number five, it is imperative that you become recognized for good deeds in your community. Work on fundraising events, benefit walks and/or runs, or give one day's gross receipts to a member of the community who is battling a serious illness. Join a service club such as Lions or Kiwanis. Be visible, but don't be a media whore: don't send press releases that you worked on Special Olympics--it's a little unseemly.

And finally, number six, be aware that social media can be used as a threat against you by a customer who wants to get what they want without paying. It will not happen often, but it can happen. And don't forget it can be used as a weapon against you by an unscrupulous competitor.

This is not your father's Photography for Income. If you want more INCOME than OUTGO, you need to be vigilant regarding your reputation. You can sign up for Google Alerts and they let you know when ever your name or your business name is mentioned on the web.

Til next time!

Don’t Let the GREED of ADOBE Rob You of Income!

 A photographer has to remain vigilant if s/he is attempting to do Photography for Income. Adobe software has become one of the greediest companies in the software world. Their unmitigated greed led Apple to develop their own software alternatives to the bloated Adobe software offerings.

I have been a loyal Adobe customer for over 15 years. I started with Photoshop 3.0. Since I used both MAC and PC, I bought a copy of each software: 3, 3.5, 4, 5, 5.5, 6 (a crappy version, I might add), 7, CS, etc. I have paid these people a boatload of cash over the years. And my payback for being a loyal customer was to be kicked in the face and cast aside.

A few years back, Photoshop 7 quit working on my PC. Adobe said, gee, sorry, we are no longer supporting that version; you’ll have to buy a newer version. Thank god automobile companies don’t follow the same upgrade path:

 “Oh, your 2009 Corvette stopped running? We are so sorry, we stopped supporting that version. You will have to upgrade to a newer version and just throw away what you have now. Yes, we know you paid $55,000 for it, but it’s no longer supported. Sorry.”

Anyway, I bought the newer version. About 2 years after that purchase, my Dell desktop lost its mother board (bad capacitors), so I had to replace it. I loaded PS CS3 on my new machine. Less than 90 days later, the Solid State Drive (SSD) failed. Dell replaced the SSD. However, I had a problem: Adobe limits Activation to two instances. I could not deactivate the software due to hardware failures. So I called Adobe.

It was not a good experience.

After waiting an hour for online tech support, I had a rep. He admonished me that my User’s Agreement only permits me to run the software on two machines, one machine at a time. I told him I wasn’t trying to install it on multiple machines—I just wanted to put it on ONE machine. I explained I had experience hardware failures, etc.

He asked for my serial number. I gave it to him: MY PHOTOSHOP 3 SERIAL NUMBER WAS 1330-1615-0223-6773-3008-9278. He told me that this was not a valid serial number. I told him that I must beg to differ…it has installed my software each time. He asked if I could tell him where I bought it. I said no, I wanted to buy CS5 and contacted them, but they were out of business. He asked if I had the proof of purchase. I said, “For a piece of software I bought over 3 years ago? No.”

I told him I could take a picture of my serial number with my cell phone and send it to him (see images above). He said that did not prove it was valid! In other words, I paid the full retail price; I cannot reactivate it, too bad for me. As far as I am concerned, this is no different from theft. The only difference is that Adobe doesn’t use a gun.

Photoshop has always been an expensive program. Thank god the hardware cost has come down over the years, because the price of Photoshop has more than doubled. Now, they are moving to a Cloud based model that will cost you $50 a month to use the software.

I would advise every photographer to avoid patronizing this company at all costs. Corel has a photo editing package, but it is not very responsive. It is workable, but I think there are better choices. Aperture, ChocoFlop, Seashore, and Pixelmator are a couple of Mac only options. Some PC choices are PhotoPlus,Pixlr  Editor,  Inkscape, Xara, and Pixia. Here are some other alternatives:

Splashup (formerly Fauxto) http://www.splashup.com/

http://sixrevisions.com/graphics-design/10-excellent-open-source-and-free-alternatives-to-photoshop/

A couple of photo editing programs were bundled with Epson and other printers, and may still be found on the internet.

The last option is to use pirated software. A Google search will lead you to may sources. I have been a vocal critic of pirating software ever since I started using a computer. But if greedy software companies like Adobe are going to steal from us, we might as well return the favor.

I know that I will NEVER pay for another Adobe product ever again.

What are your thoughts? Let me know here.

Don't be Swallowed Up by the Social Media Monster!

I have a friend who will remain nameless (But David in Flint, you know who you are) who spends as much time on email and Social Networking as he does taking photographs. I think he's addicted, although he is much better than he was 10 years ago. Now granted, some of this is actual business, and there's nothing wrong with promoting your business on linkedin and Facebook. But be careful: too much twiddling and not enough effective promoting can seriously impact your income!

Many photographers find themselves drowning in email, Twitter messages, and Facebook posts. After all, one comes along at the rate of about 1 per minute. By day's end, you start to feel the urgency--imagined or real--of having to read and/or answer all of these messages! Does this sound like you--(be honest!)? If so, you can be sure it's killing your productivity, ergo your business.

With over 35 years of business experience, I had to make time management a top priority--because I am not an organized person by nature. I found to keep on track I had to filter all of the time demands that existed. So here are the top 3 tips from time management experts that can help you get control of that Social Media Monster:

1. Set aside specific times to answer messages. Preferably first thing in the morning, right after lunch, and right after you have quit for the day.

2. Turn off instant notifications. Let's face it, the constant reminder of  incoming messages a distraction. And honestly, how many times are they so important you HAVE to act on them immediately? Not that often, right? Do yourself a big favor, shut off the instant notifications on your computer or tablet and on your smart phone. Check them during down time or a missed appointment, or at the same time you check your email.

3. Don’t read a message without doing something with it immediately. Email (and other messages) come in 3 types: junk, reference, and action items. Delete the junk right now. If you feel a message has information you’ll need to reference later, drag it into a folder. You can save even MORE time if you set up filters in your email program to have these messages placed in their folder automatically. For example, if I get a message from PayPal, I have a label (folder if you are using Windows Mail) set up in Gmail that sends that message to the "PayPal" label. This leaves action items. Pay close attention to this: answer them immediately and delete them! If you feel a message will take more time to complete, or if it has the potential for being a profit maker (like an email from me), create a "TASK" and set a "COMPLETION DATE." As part of your daily message review, review your tasks. Here's the kicker--you are going to discover that on average 50% (some time management experts say 80%!) get old and reach the Completion Date without any action being taken. If this happens, delete it.

These tips, in addition to keeping you on task and prevent time wasting, has the added benefit of keeping your inbox tidy. My wife chides me about how many messages I have. She shouldn't throw stones! Truth be told I think AOL sends her warning messages about having so many emails in her inbox it's slowing down their system! Sorry baby, you know I love you!

Make sure that if you are doing Photography for Income, that you will actually earn an income! As always, your comments are welcome!

Canon New Repair Policy Worrisome?

Sorry to be so long between posts: I have a 4½ year old granddaughter who is affectionately known as "The Princess." And The Princess insisted on having a special room just for her at Grandma's castle. She said, "The next time I come here, I want it to be done, I want it to be pink, and I want it to be perfect!" So Papa was busy constructing The Princess' domain.

To all of my xBox friends, I PROMISE MrPicture will back on soon to help to kill the bad guys and talk smack to our opponents! Anyway, back to Photography for Income:

At the PhotoPlus Expo held at the Javitz Center in NYC, the Teamsters distributed leaflets and held banners protesting Canon's new repair policy. In the past, photographers in NYC could drop their cameras at local repair shops and often get same day or next day turnaround. But that is over: Canon now has customers ship their equipment to out of state facilities. And that can lead to long wait times.

In contrast, Nikon retains its 20 authorized repair shops across the US...including NYC.

Now to be sure, Teamsters Local 210 is upset because this move hurts its members, who are the repairmen. It is destroying local, skilled repair techs' jobs. To add insult to injury, Canon provides a much higher standard of customer service. The Teamsters have employed numbers of photographers to demand that Canon rescind this policy and restore access to independent authorized local repair service.

Here's the thing: if you are doing Photography for Income, this should not be a concern. Why? Because if you don't have at LEAST two bodies and at LEAST two lenses and at LEAST two flash units, you shouldn't be doing Photography for Income.

By not investing in your business, you put your customer at risk, AND your reputation at risk. A good reputation takes a long time to create...and just one bad experience to destroy. Make sure you are doing it the right way.

As always, your comments are welcome.

Jenny Januszewski: Actress turned Headshot Specialist...and More!

I have known Jenny Januszewski—and her parents—for over 20 years. Jenny has been in films and performed on the stage as an actor, and has been a model.

It seems all people blessed with creative talent possess a kind of “wanderlust” when it comes to creativity. Jenny branched out into film and photography. I thought her story may be relevant to many of my readers, so I asked her if I could interview her via email, and she agreed. The content of that interview follows:

Tell us a little bit about your background (when/where born, school, family, education, career, interests, etc.):

I was born in Vietnam and raised on a farm in Michigan by my awesome parents, Nick and Jane Januszewski. Eventually, I attended high school at Lumen Christi in Jackson, MI, where I took my first formal photography and darkroom classes. After that, I went on to Chicago to work on the stage and in front of the camera---I worked as a model and actress. Now, I’ve combined all of my experiences to pursue the career track I’m currently on. I direct films. My current feature film is in post production and is called The Boogeyman. It’s based upon a short story by Stephen King. Website is www.TheBoogeymanFilm.com . I also am working as a headshot photographer, taking photos of actors. My website for that is www.KickAssHeadshots.com .

When did you develop an interest in photography?

I’ve always been into visual arts and expressing myself through them. But photography came into play when I realized the darkroom was a really fun place to escape during lunchtime. I was a shy geek without friends in school. [Ha! I have a hard time believing that!] So, the option was to either sit in the lunchroom alone or to play in the darkroom. Photography was the obvious winner.

What gave you the idea to get started in what you are doing currently?

Every photographer has their own “gift.” Mine is to make people comfortable and help them bring out the emotion they wish to share in the photograph. I don’t think of my headshot sessions simply as photography sessions. Its very much “headshot therapy.” Film and TV actors are often fearful of a still camera because they can’t move out of an unflattering look or a state of vulnerability that they may find uncomfortable. I’m good at easing that and so, I decided to focus on working with actors doing headshots.

Do you have partners, assistants, etc. or are you strictly a woman show?

Sometimes I have an assistant. But usually, it’s just the actor and me. I find people are more their true selves when they don’t have a ton of people staring at them. However, in June, I have 15 clients scheduled in two days. I’ll need to bring my assistant for that one.

What kind of investment did it take for you to get started?

I started with a Canon 5D (not the Mark II) and an 85mm 1.2 USM lens. If you include that along with the software to edit and store photos as well as blank DVDs, etc. you’re looking at a startup cost of around $9-$11k. You can EASILY start for much less. If you’re not competing in LA, Chicago or NYC, you can get away with something like a refurbished Canon Rebel or even a refurbished Canon 7D.

What do you use in the way of equipment?

Camera Body/bodies (brand/model): Canon 5D. I chose the 5D rather than the 7D because of the format. It was about $3k. However, this one is now discontinued. Now, it would be the Mark II that people would get.

Lens/Lenses: Canon 85mm f1.2 USM (About $2,049 plus tax and insurance)

Electronic Flash Make/Model - how many (if used): Sunshine is my flashbulb

Background(s) used (were these purchased or made yourself?): I like to just shoot people out and about in alleys, doorways, etc.

Other Items: Bags, various filters, extra memory cards, extra battery and battery charger, card readers, reflectors, clips, DVDs, marketing materials, etc.

What equipment would you like to have that you do not currently own?

I would absolutely love a big lighting package that I could use for both photography and filming. I’d also like more lenses.

How do you package and sell your service?

I offer actors a headshot session for about $400-$500. It includes 4-5 looks (e.g. changes of clothing); a DVD of their images un-retouched; and an online link to their session so they can mark their favorites and forward the lists to their agents or manager. If they’re a student, I often do packages at a lower cost if they can get a few friends to shoot the same day. For the LA/NYC market, my price is on the very low end.

Who owns the Copyright?

If I take their photo, they can do what they want with it after they pay for the session. We equally own the rights to use the photos. I’ve even gone online to read an article about an actor and saw that they used a photo I took. That was pretty cool.

How do you develop new poses, lighting, etc.?

Honestly, I just play it by ear and see how each person works best.

How do you market and advertise your service?

I used to list in photography books and make fliers to leave at various audition houses. But now, I just go by word of mouth. Most of my clients are friends of friends or friends of past clients. I do have a website: www.KickAssHeadshots.com for my photography and www.JennyJanuszewski.com for my film directing.

Do you do any photography OTHER than headshots?

Yes, I am a film director

Do you use any companies to help market your business (web design, Constant Contact email marketing, etc.)?

 Nope

Do you have a goal or target ($$ earned, multiple locations, etc.)?

My monetary goal is just to pay my bills and make enough to help support my film directing. It’s always nice to have about 5 clients a month. But the market is driven by what’s going on in the film/TV world and what part of the season it is. So, some months are dry and others, it’s pouring actors and actresses.

What problems or challenges—if any--have you encountered along the way (difficulties; equipment problems; discrimination based on gender, race, occupation, body type; finances; etc.)?

The economy really hit the actors hard. A lot of them lost their day jobs and just don’t have the funds for new photos. Plus, everyone with a digital camera thinks they’re a professional photographer now. The market gets saturated. But it’s not that easy. I own a pair of ballet shoes----I suck at dancing. Photography is for everyone but not everyone is a professional photographer.

Is this something others could do with a little effort, or do you feel you were uniquely positioned to do?

If you work hard at anything, you can make goals and reach them. However, to really stand out and give your client something in a way very few can, it’s something you are born with. Some people are born with an ability to play baseball like no other; for some, it’s math; for others, it’s areas of the arts. I don’t think this should ever discourage someone from pursing it if they are interested. However, the average person isn’t going to go out there, buy a camera, and have their work mistaken for Ansel Adams’.

What advice would you give to people who wish to pursue a similar endeavor?

I’d tell them to be patient and realize that working for yourself is harder than working for someone else; that they need to be realistic as to their goals and abilities---is this meant to be a profession or a hobby?; and to try shadowing another photographer or assist them for a few days. I handed my camera to an assistant once and they couldn’t deal with taking photos for more than 10 minutes. Just the physical stamina of staring at details through one eye in the sunlight is something some people have to work up to.

Could readers contact you for further information and/or advice?

Sure. My work email is WLDFilms@gmail.com