Get a Second Opinion!

Getting a second opinion in any situation is always prudent.
 For this segment I will be referring to the solicitation of another's fresh eye and perspective concerning any aspect of your marketing or advertising.
Every year I spend the month of December updating my web presence by purchasing a new template, putting up new images and refining my content and message. Since this involves me ( my ideas, vision, and massive ego) I am very capable of missing simple spelling and grammatical errors. While I pride myself on being thorough in my research and planning I am human and,therefore fallable, and do some silly things that seemed like a good idea at the time but in reality could potentially diminish the positive experience I intend for anyone viewing my website or direct mail marketing pieces. 
An Act of Humility- Putting oneself  "out there" artistically or creatively is a very scary proposition at best and you can find yourself in an extremely vulnerable position because by its very nature it opens up the door to criticism. My massive and fragile ego does not like criticism. I accept it is a part of life,  a part of what I do and view it as a learning tool and not an assault on me personally. Nothing pains me more than
seeing the menu for a new restaurant or any business marketing that is peppered with misspellings. You  took the time to research and design the marketing piece, then spent hard earned money to have it printed and delivered but did not take the precautionary measure of having someone else proof read it and now you are representing yourself as sloppy,  someone who does not take pride in their work and lacks attention to detail. I am this person at times.
I recently asked someone whose opinion I value to take a look at my new web presence and give me some honest feedback on it. I opened the proverbial can of worms. I got a list of suggestions, which made sense to me, and I made immediate corrections. The bonus is that I forgot this person actually has a marketing degree and is a professional proofreader. I am grateful because I cannot see every error I make and my friend had some great insight and I feel my website is stronger as a result.
In short: work diligently, pour yourself into whatever your passion is, and then let someone else review your work. It is a humbling experience, an opportunity to learn and progress, and just might make the difference in keeping a potential client's attention and making a sale. Thanks Kathy!!!

Happy New Year 2010!!!! Great Things on the Horizon

Hi there and Happy New Year to all! I managed to eke out some relaxtion time over the holidays and read some fantastic books by David duChemin and got caught up on Zack Arias's blog and I feel inspired and energized to hit the ground running this year. I feel it is important to constantly be reading and studying the works and thoughts of others as it pertains to Photography to keep the creative juices flowing and to maintain my enthusiasm which could be negatively effected by a slow economy and cold weather. I have nothing but realistic yet high hopes for this year. I have already had a session with my exuberant model Cindy and we got alot of great images captured in my small basement studio. She really brings it everytime she shows up and its hard not to be enthused and inspired. I have posted those images on Facebook and my PhotoReflect storefront. I have also set up a consultation for an April wedding and I hope it is the first of several. I really like small weddings as they are more intimate and a photographer can bond more with the clients and it shows in the resulting images.
Patty, my fearless assistant and right hand, has taken on various marketing and advertising ideas and is in the process of making them happen. She brings so much enthusiasm and energy to the table it is contagious. Not too say I am any kind of slouch. We are looking at doing some varied exhibiting around Fairfield County and we are outlining some new concepts(for us) this new year such as Portrait Parties, Canvas Gallery Wraps, Metal Prints, Storyboards, and an array of other image display options in addition to the traditional matting and framing which we extend a nice discount on. We look forward to working with all our former clients and all the new ones we haven't met yet in 2010!-john

VisionMongers-Making a Life and a Living in Photography

13 years ago I walked into a room at New England Culinary Institute for my first day of orientation. I had worked a few years off and on in the restaurant business and was familiar with the grueling lifestyle that the business offers with very little "material" reward. What greeted me was a short lecture or point of fact from the head chef of the school. He had written on a huge piece of paper " 356 days/M-Sun/Nights&Weekends/Especially Holidays. These were the terms of service if I was to undertake this training and new career path.What intrigued me was the lack of discourse about monetary rewards, fame, or cushy perks. There were none.(maybe for the chosen few). I bought into the lifestyle because I am a workaholic, a perfectionist, a creative sort, and was ready to immerse myself in this new adventure regardless of the outcome. What I gained was a sense of confidence I had never known before, an ability to listen, an ability to lead, a firm understanding of the realities of running a business, and most importantly doing somethng for the shear love of it because there really is no other reason to do it. It is a vocation-a calling.
Fast forward to 2005 and I am still working in foodservice, g.m. of a business, and it is suggested to me that I get a hobby, something that offers a creative outlet and an outlet for the stress that is percolating in me. I choose photography which is a natural leap from my days as a camera page and operator. As I start sharpening my skills I get the great idea that this may be an opportunity to work for myself at something I love to do BUT with the payoff being the opportunity to bring joy into other peoples lives. I buy some books by such authors as John Harrington, Vik Orenstein, Kenn Oberrect. and Edward Lilley. All great books full of information about equipment needs, pricing, contracts, etc. Were they helpful? Absolutely. I needed, however, to read about working photographers, their images, how they made them, and most importantly the passion for this craft that drives them to constantly evolve to deliver the best product to their clients, and give back more than they take. (Kelby, McNally, Grobl, & Zach Arias to name a few)
Such is the newest book by David duChemin(2009). It is not a book about which camera to buy, the best computer platform or software plugin. In fact, it is devoid of all this information. I have learned the hard way it is not about the equipment. I have a studio full of it! It is about your heart, your mind, your intent, and most importantly what the client is asking for. It is about building, nuturing, and maintaining relationships. It is about taking all the knowledge that has so feely been given to you and paying it forward so others can move forward. This book has woken me up, recharged my batteries, given me a clearer mandate of how to proceed into the new year. If there is one book that should be within reach it is VisionMongers.
side note: I think the information contained in this book is a great blueprint for any business.

Which Camera to Buy?

You decide you want to give photography a try and you are faced with the task of choosing a camera. Well, take my advice and do alot of research. Cameras come in more flavors than B&R Ice Cream and you need to first decide what it is you want to do with the camera. My advice is make a list of your intended uses.
e.g.
-take the occasional "snapshot" of kids, family,vacation locales or of friends
-product images for a business website
-expand on previous experience with photography and an SLR Camera.

These are but a few but you get the idea. Really be honest with yourself. I am a camera makers dream-"an impatient impulse consumer" and can convince myself I need Nikon's newest $8000.00 Camera(Body only)when a $200.00 Point and Shoot camera would be more than adequate to capture those precious moments in life if I had kids, etc.

I googled digital cameras(a broad entry) and got a gazillion responses. I then narrowed it down to Nikon and that thinned the field by a few. As it turned out I landed on the website of a guy named Ken Rockwell who lives in lovely Southern California. This guy tests all sorts of cameras, lenses, flashes, etc and shares his findings with himself on his blog which is then shared with those who care to read it. The information on his site is his opinion based on his diligent research for his own amusement and is in no way influenced by any endorsement from any manufacturer. I mention all this because I have seen him get creamed on other blogs by many who don't get the fact that he is not trying to be an expert but merely a guide through a maze of confusing information. Bottom line: his site helped me immensely when looking to buy my first camera and it still helps me. He also has great links to other photographers and info on books,etc. I give Ken 2 thumbs up!!!
I could spend countless hours explaning what Ken has already done for all of us on his site. Check it out!...jkd

What Photography is to me.

As I briefly explained in my introduction post, I chose this field of study for its creative and challenging nature. I love playing music but I can't create music per se in terms of song and lyric writing. I love cooking and can be very creative with it but my days of beating the hell out of myself in that industry are over. I will continue to do it for friends and family. Photography offers a lifelong pursuit of knowledge, creative challenges, and subjects. Also, I can't draw, sketch, or otherwise to save my life so using a camera or box that collects and records light to form an image is my best bet.Coupled with my experience in lighting ,blowing up CM hoists, chronic insomnia, and love of colors, patterns, and the like I stand a fair chance at creating a decent image once in awhile. The idea of capturing a moment in time is both intriguing and awe inspiring to me. I hope these posts will inspire some readers to go out and try it for themselves. More Later...jkd

My First Blog Post-Introduction

Hi! Welcome to my first blog post. Why blog? It was suggested by several fellow photographers and friends that I do this to promote myself and my business, to record notes of projects and images I shoot for both myself and the benefit of others, and to have a place to discuss my favorite subject. So, why not.
A short bio would be that I am a 43 year old male who resides in Statford, CT. I have a BA in Philosophy from Fairfield University, an Associates in Culinary Arts from New England Culinary Institute in Montpelier, VT and I am currently employed as General Manager of an ever-shrinking retail food-service business in Westport, CT.
I was told to get a hobby to fill up my free time so I decided on Still Photography. I had a 5 year stint doing lighting, video production, and some camera operation in the mid 1990's and learning photography seemed like a challenging lifelong endeavor and a natural leap from my previous career.
I have spent the last four years poring over every bit of information I can get my hands on about the subject and have explored almost every avenue this medium offers.
I have settled on Portraiture and Photo Restoration & Retouching. I have done 5 small weddings to get my feet wet in that arena and I will continue to do them, if asked. I had an exhibit this past Spring of samplings of many types of work and I will post about that subject another time. I also had the wonderful opportunity to shoot 6 images for a textbook my Mother wrote on Women Philosophers thus being published somewhere early on. My goals are to do this full time someday(no expectations) and to just put alot of thought and myself into every project. I really lean towards clean well lit images with lots of color and contrast. I have worked with a few " models" (non-professional) and learned alot about lighting, posing, and articulating my goals. Also, it is a great opportunity to listen to and try out other peoples ideas. Humbling.
My goal with this blog is to give back that which was so freely given to me by various artists, bloggers, and photographers vis a vis their web and blog sites. In starting this photography business I have made many decisions some good and more bad in terms of advertising and marketing, pricing, inventory, etc. I would love to share all this with whomever could benefit from it and avoid the business pitfalls I have made. Everything happens for a reason. More Later... jkd