Executive Board Chairman Bruce Williamson brucewilliamson49@gmail.com President Ellis Williamson Ewilliamson17@nc.rr.com
President-Elect Rose Mary Cheek rosemarycheek@charter.net Vice President Ned Winn studiomail@nc.rr.com
Treasurer Adrian Henson adrian@adrianhenson.com
CAROLINA PHOTOGRAPHER MAGAZINE is a monthly online publication of the Professional Photographers of North Carolina, Inc. Editor Rose Mary Cheek rosemarycheek@charter.net 828-322-2862 Sales & Business Manager Georgina Quinn 252-321-1111 Articles & Sales Submissions First of the Month Publication 15th of the Month
Secretary Tim Hester tim@timhesterphotography.com Executive Director Loretta Byrd Loretta@ppofnc.com
PPNC 427 Greenleaf Road Angier, NC 27501 919-796-4747 www.ppofnc.com
Acceptance of advertising does not carry with it endorsement by the publisher. Opinions expressed by Carolina Photographer or any of its authors does not necessarily reflect the positions of the Professional Photographers of North Carolina, Inc. Association financial information available upon request.
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Contents From the Editor Page 4 From the President Page 5 drone photography Page 6 photographer highlight deborah hendrix Page 8 Upcoming Winter Seminar Chris Carner & Cathy Anderson Page 14 Lisa Carter Page 18 Hands on instruction begins at Bella Collina Man Page 20 round table discussions page 22 PPNC Winter Seminar Schedule Page 24 5 questions to simplify your life during the holidays Page 27 Certified Professional Photographer Page 28 Shoot Social at Misty Field Smith's Page 33 Staying Engaged with your Newly Weds Page 36
On our Cover Deborah Hendrix, dba as Portraits by Deborah has been in business for 28 years, be sure to read her interestig article in our Photographer Highlight this month.
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From the Editor Winter is in the air, and many studios are finishing up with their busiest season... Many are looking forward to a little rest and relaxation between Christmas and New Year. This is a time to reflect on what has worked in the past and to plan on things to change for the future. Coming up January 24-26, 2015 Misty Field-Smith has lined up a great group of speakers for PPNC's Winter Seminar, be sure to read about them further in the magazine. Shortly after that the Professional Photographers of America hosts Imaging USA, 2015, February 1 - 3, 2015 in Nashville, Tennessee. These are two wonderful learning opportunities. A chance to learn about changes that would jump start your new marketing for the new year or help you decide on new products to offer. A chance to see the latest and greatest at one of the largest photography trade shows. See you there! Rose Mary Cheek
PPA National Councilmen and Directors
PPNC Directors
Angela Blankenship blankenshipa@embarqmail.com Willis Brown wbrown11@nc.rr.com Misty Felde imagesbymistyfelde@yahoo.com Deborah Hendrix porbydeb@gmail.com George Joel, III george@gpjoell3photography.com Michael Talylor michael@williamsonsphoto.com Bill Goode bill@billgoode.com
Bill Goode Cassie Stone Janet Boschker Joy Batchelor-King Adrian Henson
SEPPA Rep.
Seminar Chair & Directors
Rose Mary Cheek Bob Henderson bhphoto47@earthlink.net Tim Hester tim@TimHesterPhotography.com Debbie Johnson dlynnportraits@gmail.com
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From the President December 2014 With Christmas and the year’s end rapidly approaching, many of us take this time to reflect on the highs and lows of not only the fourth quarter, but the year as well. In 2014 Professional Photographers of North Carolina experienced several highs with three amazing seminars, introduction of shoot socials, and the unveiling of the new Carolina Expo. Our lows included the untimely deaths of several of our beloved members. The days of 2014 are almost gone, but instead of spending a lot of time reflecting, I would like to personally challenge each of you to take this moment to begin looking forward to the new year. 2014 was a good year and with tremendous expectancy, 2015 will be a great one. Jumpstart your business with our winter seminar on January 24-26, in Haw River, NC, followed by Imaging USA in Nashville, Feb 1-3. But beyond focusing on the bottom line, I encourage each of you to set a goal to master one new skillful technique. Discover what defines you as a photographer. What is it that raises your passion level? Explore new photographic avenues. Shoot more than ever and aim high to become the best in our industry. And finally, as if all that weren’t enough, reward yourself for all of your accomplishments this year by making plans to spend more time with family and loved ones next year. Now is the time. Ellis
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Drone Photography by Louise St. Romain
Drone photography. Sounds like a great idea, being able to get images from angles that are not possible from a terrestrial point of view and having some neat toys to play with. I admit that I have thought about offering it; after the initial investment of the drone platform and camera, it would be less expensive than my current method of chartering a plane and pilot for doing aerial work plus I would get a neat toy to play with and who doesn’t like neat toys? Confession here; I am a major gadget junkie and gear head and love playing with stuff like that. With prices starting around $300 for a camera equipped unit, drones are cost effective and easy to use except …. Using drones for commercial use is illegal according to the FAA. At this time there are no regulations allowing unmanned commercial aircraft use and drone use is prohibited in densely populated areas around airports due to safety concerns. These concerns are very real, there has been an increase in reported cases of manned aircraft having near collisions with drone aircraft, with the FAA recording more than 175 reports of drones flying close to airports. If one would happen to actually collide with an airplane, the results could be tragic. Think that a 50 pound drone couldn’t do much damage? Just ask Captain Scully what a couple of geese did to the passenger jet he was flying over the Hudson River in NY. With the increase of drones flying about, the FAA is turning its attention to the different uses that they are put to. Right now, non-commercial use is allowed as long as it is under 400 feet and over five miles away from an airport but commercial use is banned and having people deciding to fly them anyway 6
for commercial use is not helping the situation. The FAA is starting to levy fines against violators of the current regulations, especially ones that they feel are using their drones in a reckless manor such as the videographer who was hired by the University of Virginia who was fined $10,000. He did fight the fine, winning initially but lost on appeal. However that is not keeping some people from using their drones commercially, taking the chance that the long arm of the federal government will not be bothered to go after them. The other issue with drones is that people who see them flying about feel that their privacy can be violated. A writer to my radio show Facebook page expressed this very concern, stating that her neighbor kept flying his drone around her home even though she requested that he not do so. If that had happened in my area, I imagine someone would just shoot the drone down. The multitude of uses for drones means that they are not going to go away anytime soon. The FAA knows this; currently the FAA is considering anyone wishing to fly drones commercially get a pilot’s license including the requirement of having actual flight time which would place the price tag higher than what many would pay (a sport pilot’s license starts at around $4000, assuming that the licensee passes all the tests on their first try). There would actually be a 400 foot altitude cap, flying only during daylight and being within the controller’s line of sight. Judging from the
conversations I have had with a couple of pilots I know, something does have to be done, both have said that they have almost gotten hit by drones while flying. They do mention that the flight requirement is overkill, however they both felt that the drone operators need to know what the flight regulations are so that everyone could share the skies safely. Hopefully the FAA decides how they are going to regulate drones sooner rather than later, from what I have researched, I have a feeling that there will still be the no fly restriction around major airports which means that I’ll still be hiring pilots when I have clients wanting aerial work in those areas but for other areas it would be fun.
Sample of Arial photography. Downto Hendersonville, copyright Louise St Romain
References: http://www.popphoto.com/news/2014/11/faa-regulations-may-require-commercial-drone-photographers-to-get-pilots-license http://investigations.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/03/04/17181948-damn-the-regulations-drones-plying-us-skies-without-waiting-for-faa-rules http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2014/12/08/drone-almost-collides-with-jet-at-oneworlds-busiest-airports-in-latest/?intcmp=features http://www.digitaltrends.com/cool-tech/safety-fears-grow-as-close-shaves-between-drones-and-aircraft-increase/ http://www.mlive.com/business/west-michigan/index.ssf/2014/09/real_estate_ photographers_wait.html https://gigaom.com/2013/12/08/so-you-want-to-fly-drones-heres-what-the-lawsays/
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Photographer Highlight Deborah Hendrix
Artisan Canvas Paintings Setting Yourself Apart Master Canvas Interpretation
What is an Artisan Canvas Painting? Creating from your portrait, a unique artistic canvas, which combines advanced technology and attention to detail. This innovative creation produces portrait canvases that are rich in color, deep in saturation, and with the tonal ranges and the look of an oil painting. After mounting on canvas, Deborah then
hand signs them, “Portraits by Deborah” and puts the year they were photographed. After marrying a photographer in 1987, and opening her first studio out of their home doing mostly sports and pet portraits, the photography career began for Deborah Hendrix. Twenty-eight years later, she is still in business, dba “Portraits by Deborah.” Going through numerous changes in the industry, transitioning from film to digital and all the struggles that go along with it, Hendrix says, “When we first started out, we had probably three competitors. Now, if you Google photographers in the Piedmont Triad area, there are so many, I can’t even count them”. She has opened several different studio’s in the past 28 years, and has had 8
a couple of different partners, but prefers having her studio attached to her home now that life is not as hectic as it was in her younger days. In 1998 Deborah met her present husband, Boyd, when photographing he and his dog Maggie. The rest is history. They have three grown children, and five grandchildren. Deborah Hendrix’s story is a bit different than most photographers. She did not get a camera as a child, had no history of photography in the family, no working on the yearbook photos, etc. After growing up in a large family, having six brothers and sisters, life was always busy and hectic. “You had to learn to play nice to get along, that still applies today,” She says. “Being a middle child makes you a bit different,” she says. The middle child is raised to be understanding, cooperative, flexible, yet competitive. Deborah likes to tell this story: In first grade, the teacher asked them to bring in a baby picture of themselves, and 9
Deborah has been a member of PPNC and PPA since 1998. She loves learning, sharing and teaching. She cannot name just one person that has influenced her life in portrait photography. Studying under Jay Stock for three years was an invaluable learning experience says Hendrix. Deborah received her Associate Fellowship Photographic Degree in 2004, her Fellowship Degree in 2007, and her Photographic Craftsman Degree from PPA in 2009. Deborah placed first in Children’s Category in 2004 and 2006 with PPNC. Deborah still loves photographing maternity, newborns, babies and children. To really set herself apart, she has decided to market more of the “Artisan Canvas Paintings”. “They look and feel like a hand painted portrait, but all is done in Photoshop, then Corel Painter”, Deborah says.
tell a short story about themselves and their family in show-in-tale. After going home and asking her Mom to give her a baby picture, her Mother could not find one. So, Deborah just assumed she was adopted and told that to the class. Her teacher called her Mother, and said, much to her mothers surprise, “I did not realize Debbie was adopted”. She cleared the matter up. She was not adopted and with that being said, she felt no child should go without baby pictures. Maybe that is why she became a photographer.
“Find something you really love, that you are really good at, and enter those images in PPNC competition. Always talk about you accolades on your website. Show your best work.” Mission Statement: “I want to create portraits that are true to the personality of the people I photograph, that moment in time and the
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desire of how the subject wants to be portrayed”. “It is easy to make a portrait. The difficulty lies in making a picture that makes the viewer care about a stranger”. Paul Strand Contact Deborah at www.portraitsbydeborah.com
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WINTER SEMINAR -
Haw River State Park January 24-26, 2015
Chris Garner and Cathy Anderson form the artistic team at TPS Photography. Their studio is located in Morganton, NC at the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, and is the only studio in western North Carolina which offers two Certified Professional Photographers under one roof.
solid, client-driven studio focused on customer service. With over 14 years of experience, his business expertise and desire to craft timeless heirlooms create a winning solution for a thriving portrait studio. Cathy started out as a photographer in Mount Holly, NC. Her father, Randy Price, also owned a studio for a short period of time and taught her about the art of creating portraits. Cathy briefly opened a studio in Newton, NC, choosing
"Photography runs in our blood" Chris said. He learned everything he knows about printing and portraiture from his dad, and is actually a thirdgeneration photographer. His grandfather, Ben Williams, and his father, Gary Garner, founded Garner-Williams Studio, formerly in downtown Morganton and our current studio’s predecessor. From his early days in a print lab to the classically modern portrait studio of today, Chris has built a rock-
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into the wild world of high school volume photography, and they haven’t looked back since. They have found that school photography is actually one of their best conduits for gathering custom senior portrait business. They have dropped all of their “rep” programs and rely on our volume sales and the custom sessions that come from their volume work for their senior photography income. Their individual skill
to merge her business with Chris’ in early 2012. Her modern and edgy style creates a new phase and look for the studio, offering clients a completely different option.
Since its opening in 2000, TPS Photography has been photographing preschools and other small volume jobs. However, with a random phone call in February 2011, they were flung head-first
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sets, combined with lots of delegation and outsourcing, have allowed us to run a very successful volume and custom portrait business. As a result, TPS Photography has recently seen its largest profits since its inception. They want to share this knowledge with others who may find themselves struggling to gather ample senior
portrait business due to our country’s current economic and social conditions. Chris and Cathy have spoken on this and other topics at many Professional Photographers of North Carolina seminars, and would like to expand their program to other organizations and PPA affiliates.
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Lisa Carter
Lisa Carter, Cr. Photog, CPP Photography by Lisa, Inc. Lisa Carter has been photographing for over 25 years, starting her photography career as a part time photographer while working a full time job in textiles and raising her two children. Her business grew through word of mouth referrals and she made her move to FULL TIME in
She has
2002. Her business has remained
a
Prints
residential
studio to this day.
2007,
tion.
PPNC since 2002, and
You will not only
want to hear about
VPPA since 2006. Car-
Lisa's marketing,
ter earned her CRAFTS-
etc, but be sure to
MAN DEGREE in 2011, is Certified
the
2012 and 2014 collec-
She
is a member of PPA and
a
in
PPA Loan
be there for her Allure
Professional
hands on session on
Photographer and will be
Sunday.
awarded her Masters Degree in Nashville at IUSA
You can visit her site at
2015. 18
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Hands on instruction begins at Bella Collina Man sprawling Tuscan style venue surrounded by wat Adrian Henson
Senior Photography
Adrian Henson owns and
Mechanical Drafting and
operates Adrian Henson
Design and first used
Photography in New Bern,
those skills as a project
North Carolina with his
manager for the first 8
Their stu-
years of his professional
dio specializes in High-
life. In 2001, after many
school Seniors, Commer-
years of not having any
wife Heather.
and
creative outlet, Adrian
Dance School Photogra-
discovered his love for
phy. When not producing
photography. While the
great photographs, he en-
change from project man-
joys traveling and sharing
ager to photographer was
his knowledge of image
huge, the skills and tal-
cial
Photography,
making.
ents learned in his design
Adrian has a degree in 20
Jim Woltjen did not know what he wanted to be when he grew up. And, he still doesn’t. While many photographers tend to specialize in subject matter or lighting styles, Woltjen likes to do just about any kind of photography. He especially loves the excitement of planning and spontaneity, and being inthe-moment while being able to capture a wedding day is always thrilling. “I owe everything I know to PPNC and the members who have helped me along the way.” he
n sion in Stokesdale. Bella Collina is a gorgeous ter on Belews Lake that truly is breathtaking. Scott Huffman
Jim Woltjen Wedding Photography
says. There are too many to list, but he credits Mike Bayley with teaching him how to make people look good. And he credits Ellen Leroy for showing how to take a good composition and make it even better. Whether in a PPNC class, sitting at the bar with other members, or keeping up with colleagues on social media, there is no better learning method according to him. Ask a question on the PPNC Facebook page, and you will get great answers, inspiration, and solutions to any problem.
Boudoir Photography
Scott and Dodie Huff-
their best by using posing
man have spent the last
and lighting techniques
10 years growing their
that flatter each unique
photography business in
body type.
the small town of Gasto-
specialties are weddings,
nia, NC. They have just
bridal, boudoir and beauty
expanded and opened a
photography.
new boutique style gallery and studio in Belmont, NC. They are passionate about creating images that make each client look
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A few of their
Our panel of professionals will talk about what has worked well for their businesses, give advice and troubleshoot busienss problem. Bring all those burning questions for this roundtable forum with the experts.
Want to learn more about Print Competition, the what's, the why's and the wherefore's with Rose Mary Cheek, PPNC's Print Chairman..
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ROUND TABLE DISCUSSIONS
K C I P I "CAN RAIN?" B R U O Y
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Breaking Out Of Your Comfort Zone PP OF NC WINTER SEMINAR
JANUARY 24-26, 2015
Haw River State Park - 339 Conference Center Drive, Browns Sumit, NC
Saturday Jan 24
*3:30-5:00 "Can I Pick Your Brain?" Our panel of professionals will talk about what has worked well
3:00-5:00 Saturday Shootout at Haw River
for their businessses, give advaice and troubleshoot
5:30 Dinner at Uptown Charlie's
business problems. Bring all those burning ques-
5828 North Church St. GSO, Dutch
Sunday, Jan 25
tions for this forum with the experts!
*3:30-5:00 "Mentor Me Please!" One-on-one time with a print competition mentor. These will
9:00-11:30 "Volume to Custom Seniors"
be private 10- to 15-minutes talks on a first come,
Chris Garner and Cathy Anderson on Volume
first serve by registration basis. Bring 10-15 digital
school portraits from A to Z, and how to use vol-
images you are considering, on your iPad or laptop.
ume as marketing for custom school portraits. 4:30-6:45 Dinner at Haw River 11:30-12:00 Devotional by Ellis Williamson 7:00-8:00 "The basics of getting started in Print 12:00-1:30 Lunch at Haw River
Competition" Rose Mary Cheek
1:30-3:00 "The Allure of a Woman" Lisa Carter
8:00 until "Gimme S'more Social" Enjoy fun and
will walk us through her signature Allure session.
fellowhip with friends with s'more, hot cocoa and goodies.
3:00-3:30 Break
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Monday, Jan 26
Scott Huffman demonstrates the beauty
of boudoir photogram.
7:00-8:15 Breakfast at Haw River
8:15 Depart for Bella Collina Mansion
9:00-12:00 "Watch and Learn from our PPNC Pros" at Bella Collina Mansion - 9900 Mt. Carmel Rd, Stokesdale - Hands on instruction begins at Bella Collina, a sprawling Tuscan-style venue on Belews Lake. Four of PPNC's talents will be demonstrating posing, lighting techniques and tips at locations throughout Bella Collina. Three stations will run simultaneously throughout the mansion to learn techniques from
12:00-1:00 Lunch at Bella Collina provided by Chef Michael Creations.
*1:00-3:00 Now is the time to put everything you have learned into action! Keep your cameras tucked away until after lunch and then break them out to work with the techniques you learned in the morning classes.
*1:00-3:00 for those who do not want to work hands on, Lisa Carter will demonstrate an Allure Session. She will have a model and share her tricks of the trade.
these pros. Move between the groups at your leisure.
Adrian Henson will show you how to
take your seniors and models to the next
level.
Jim Woltjen will bring the romance into
your wedding couple photography. *simultaneous classes
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5 Questions to Simplify Your Life During the Holidays By Leo Babauta
For many people, the holiday season is the busiest, most complicated, most stressful time ofyear. Holiday parties, gift shopping and wrapping, decorating, travel plans, end-of-theyear projects, planning for the new year … these are all added on top of your regular business. And life before the holidays was already pretty busy. So what can we do to simplify? Is it even possible to simplify when things are getting crazy? Yes, it’s possible — with some willingness to change. If you want things to be exactly as they are, you can’t simplify. But if you’re open to change, and have an open mind about your routines and priorities and projects and more, you can simplify. One method to go about this is to ask yourself a series of questions. Now, it takes a minute or two to reflect on these questions … but if you have five questions, that will only take 5-10 minutes. That’s totally worth the time investment if it greatly simplifies your life, reduces your busy-ness and stress, and makes you calmer and happier. Take the time now to reflect. CONTINUES ON PAGE 34
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Certified Professional Photographer by Dave Goldman Hey everyone! I wanted to talk a little about the Certified Professional Photographer designation and photographic creativity. Recently I had the chance to meet with some members from a local portrait meetup group. Two of the photographers mentioned to me that they heard comments such as “using ratios are bogus because no one uses them” and “photographic certifications hold no weight with clients and customers do not know what they are.” These photographers have even gone so far to say that technical certifications and are not needed as they only hinder creativity by the constraints that the certification makes you follow. One thing I can tell you, as well as countless other photographers who have obtained their CPP, is that comments like these could not be further from the truth. Yes, art is an INTERPRETATION of ones work. However you need to learn what rules there are before you can break them. All great photographers like Ansel Adams, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Robert Capa and Yousuf Karsh to name a few, followed rules and, in fact, even created rules or systems we use today.
Personally I value the CPP and think obtaining the Certified Professional Photographer designation is an outstanding way for an individual to learn the standard concepts that are needed by photographers in today’s digital world. The CPP concepts are used and applied in all aspects of photography today in one way or another. The concepts can all be used as building blocks and can be applied to any creative project that you might currently be working on. This is just one way the CPP could help you be creative: Let’s say that you want to create an awesome image of a complex creation you want to bring to life. Your masterpiece needs 28
a Become
Certi�cation Preparation Class Planning to take the CPP exam? This 3-day class will get you more technical knowledge of photography, meaning a more peaceful sleep before your exam!
Topics include: • The inverse square law, filter factors, bellows factor • Lenses and filters • Color theory and H&D curves • Lighting ratios, corrective lighting and posing, depth of field, angle of view • The Zone System (and how it helps you understand the digital histogram) • Difference between a bit, a byte and bit depth • And much more
Learn more or reg ister today !
You can even choose to take the CPP exam directly after the prep class while the information is fresh in your mind! Work hard, study hard, and walk away a more marketable, knowledgeable and confident professional.
Certi�cation Image Submission Preparation Class Nervous about submitting images? Well, there’s an optional day of CPP prep class dedicated to the image submission. You’ll review the certi�cation criteria, view sample images and get tips on how to build your image submission portfolio. CPP Prep Class at Imaging USA January 29 - 31, 2015 Nashville, TN
In Demand
PPA.com/CPP-Prep 29
multiple lights with different intensities. It also needs multiple colors which you can create by using gels and filters, etc. Through your CPP studies you would have a firm understanding of the concepts so you can make educated decisions before you shoot. Now once the dream is in front of you the possibilities are endless. You can then take that image and enhance it even further in Photoshop®. I hate to say it but today way too many photographers take poor photos then slap layers of textures and Corel Painter® on the image and then call it art when in fact it is nothing more than just a poor photo.
Personally I have mentored over 500 candidates on the Facebook CPP Exam Study Group page in the last 3 years and a large portion of those individuals have become CPP’s. A lot of these individuals are some of the most creative individuals and after obtaining their CPP have really pushed the limits to create some real master works of art personally and professionally. Each and every photographer has grown leaps and bounds in their craft in technical ability and creativity, and some of these individuals have moved on to take these concepts even further by working on their Master Photographers designation.
To take it a step further from a business perspective, if you find yourself competing with the “point & click” or “shoot & burn” photographers and can’t seem break away, getting your CPP can help you do just that. You will learn the concepts needed to help separate yourself from the pack so you can produce a higher caliber of work. This will allow you to be even more creative and come up with different pricing points based on your abilities. You can carve out your own niche. These are the tools that can be the difference between someone being a run-of-the-mill photographer versus a true professional.
If you are reading this article I challenge you to take my CPP boot camp and see for yourself! All you need is to be a PPA member, purchase a copy of the study guide which was written by Al Audleman (you can email him at al@ asaphoto.com) and think about declaring for your CPP. If you have any questions do not hesitate to reach out and contact me for help. Enjoy! Dave Goldman, CPP Dave@davegoldmanphotography.com
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At Misty Fielde Smith's studio, photos by Christina Holcolmb.
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Here are the ones I’ve found useful: 1. What are you striving for? In our lives, we’re always striving for something: success, higher numbers at work, a new house, achievements to add to the notches on our belts, financial independence, an image that we want others to have of us … something. We aren’t always aware of it. So take a minute to reflect: what are you striving for right now? You can tell what it is by what’s stressing you out, what’s been occupying your mind, what fills your life with things to do. But if you can loosen your grip on what you’re striving for, you can simplify. You might even realize that this thing you’re striving for isn’t real, and is only a fantasy. It’s not important. In fact, you can have happiness right now, without this thing you’re striving for, if you accept that what you have is already good enough. Where you are is already perfect. 2. What are you clinging to? We all cling to things in our lives: our Christmas traditions, our love of sweets, our Internet distractions, our need to be right, our desire for justice in unfair situations, our craving for recognition and admiration. We are not usually aware of this clinging, but it feels like a tightness, stress, unwillingness to let go of how things are or how you want them to be. Take a minute to reflect on what you don’t want to let go of, what causes you this tightness and stress, what makes you dig in your heels. 3
What can you limit yourself to? If you have 50 things on your plate, will
you really have time to eat all those things? Will you have the space to give any of them focus? Will you enjoy all of them? What if you only limited your plate to five things? You’d have more space, more focus, more enjoyment. Take a minute to look at the various areas of your life right now, and see if you can limit each one: have a limit on your tasks each day, a limit on meetings or parties, a limit on requests you can say yes to, a limit on how much time you spend on email or social media, a limit on how many hours you work. Set arbitrary limits and force yourself 34
to make choices. Adjust the limits if absolutely necessary, but don’t just widen the floodgates because you don’t want to choose. Choose, and your life will get simpler. Say no to the rest, or get out of those commitments by saying you can’t do them. 4. Who do you want to spend more time with? Spending time with friends and loved ones is the best way to use your holiday time. But you can’t say yes to everyone: what if you could only choose 3-5 people to spend more time with? Maybe fewer, depending on what your family situation is (people with 6 kids can’t cut out a few kids from the list, but if you don’t have kids, your list can be shorter). Take a minute to think who that might be. Now prioritize your time so that you limit everything else (Question 3 above) but make time for those people. Make some dates/appointments with them, block off time on your calendar, and make this time actually happen. 5 What can you let go of? Think of the things you’re striving for, clinging to … can you let go of them? Before you say no, consider how it might be possible. And when you limit things in your life, see if you can let go of the things that don’t make the cut. Letting go isn’t easy, because if it’s in our lives, that means we’ve already said yes, have already decided its important enough to be in our lives. But if you don’t let go, your life remains complicated. You are trying to say yes to everything, and that means you have too much on your plate. That leads to busy-ness, stress, unhappiness, and worse health. Simplicity requires asking these tough questions, and then learning to let go. That isn’t easy work, but the alternative is much harder.
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STAYING ENGAGED WITH YOUR NEWLYWEDS by George Joel, III
The date is set and I have been hired to photograph one of the most important events in a couple’s lives. How do I create a relationship where my clients cherish my every word and become my Clients for life? How do I keep them completely engaged with my photography services before, during and after the wedding bells have chimed, and the kiss has sealed the deal. The first important aspect of keeping my wedding clients engaged is to gain their trust. To do this I have to prove that I am the subject matter expert and that their initial inclination about me was correct. I usually start by offering an engagement session. Whether it is included in the collection or complimentary, I use this session to showcase my skills and abilities as a photographer and gain their trust. After a successful engagement session, I continue to offer expert advice and vendor support. This keeps me as a valuable asset and a trusted advisor. 36
My photography for life club is designed to keep my wedding clients engaged far after their wedding day. Their wedding contract is their passport to free photography services. My clients never pay a session fee. I encourage them to trust me with their maternity, newborn babies, families and holiday portraits. I reach out to them, and I keep them as a member of our photography family. With excellent service and superior products, my newlyweds stay engaged and continue to use my services far beyond their wedding day. They are clients for life and friends.
During the wedding day, I continue to offer my services while capturing the special moments of their entire day. After the wedding day is over, I schedule a proofing consultation. This is where I showcase my work and display the images of their special day. This builds excitement and affirms their decision to hire me. They are thoroughly engaged and my biggest fans at that point. With the wedding day over and the newlyweds happy, it is time to deliver on my promise. Every client gets a custom designed album and an inclusion into my “Photography For Life Club�.
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Why Should You Join the Professional Photographers of North Carolina?
1. Free registration to Carolina Photo Expo and, depending on your category of membership, seminar registration is included for the year. 2. Receive our digital magazine 12 times a year with articles, diagrams, and tips on how to improve your photography. 3. Listing on our website to help you grow your business or sell your photo art. 4. Access to the back issues of our magazine, almost a “college degree� in photo education. 5. Network with technical experts and fellow photographers at events. 6. Shoot Social Networking (actual hands-on-photography events) 7. Enter our digital photo contests held at selected seminars. 8. Enter our premier Photo Salon competition at the Carolina Photo Expo to receive recognition and awards. Also, winning awards help grow your standing experience with friends, family and customers; even getting your images published in our Carolina Photographer magazine. 9. Camaraderie with like-minded photographers to help you embrace and grow your creative talents. 10. Become inspired! Nothing helps you take your photography to the next level than to see great photography, learn the techniques and push yourself to create your next masterpiece. 11. Opportunity to volunteer at events and make life-long friends 12. Opportunity to apply for a scholarship to attend the week-long East Coast School.
CLICK HERE TO JOIN PPNC
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RECEIVEEXCLUSIVE EXCLUSIVE 50% 50% OFF PPNC MEMBERS RECEIVE OFF DISCOUNT DISCOUNTFOR FOR PPNC MEMBERS
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