Georgia Focus December 2010
Getting out of your box
Content s
President’s message . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . 2
GPPA Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Get Out Of Your Closet, Box, Studio . . . . . . . . . . 6 Mike Bentley, CPP, GSD Beach Portraits with the Browns . . . . . . . . 12
Everyone has to have Fun . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
It is not in my nature to sit in a rocking chair on the front porch
. 19
Judy Jordan
About the cover:
This month’s cover image was taken with a Canon 5dMkII near the Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest just outside of Robbinsville, North Carolina. The shot was exposed for 2.5 seconds with a Canon 24-105 lens set at f/11. The camera was set at 50 ISO with shade set as the whitebalance. The lens was stacked with a circular polarizer and an ND4 (2stops) neutral density filter. The Raw file was processed using Canon’s Digital Photo Professional and was run through Topaz Simplify to get a painterly effect. If you would like to see your image on the cover Submit the image with a brief description and some technical information to me at kevjiminez@aol.com.
P
resident’s Message
John Carney, GFD, GSD
Have you ever wondered where
“Don’t let someone’s opinion of you you would be in your life a year become your reality. If you do what from now? My wife, Mary Ann, and is easy, your life will be hard...if you I have often had those thoughts. In do what is hard your just the past year we life will be have had easy. some challenges and Sarah Palrewards in in spoke our lives. I about havlike to look ing a clear back and vision for the day. When you see how we grew from these start out, be committed and stay experiences. Just this past week we away from criticism. Her father alchose to attend an all day seminar in ways said “Don’t retreat, reload.” Atlanta. How could we lose, it was only $5.00 each! The speaker list John Smoltz said “You can be bitter was fantastic and just what we need- or better.” ed. I thought I would share some of the key points from the Seize the John Maxwell - “Live each day as if it Day seminar. were your last.” We all have a Bucket List, but how many of us have a The first speaker was Les Brown and Life List ? I highly recommend his he was quite a show stopper. Some books. of his key points were:
Terry Bradshaw closed the seminar with good thoughts and lots of laughs. We can’t do anything without dealing with people, so we all need to get along. Remember, we accomplish nothing without being around people everyday. So now I will close and put in my two cents worth! In 2010 Mary Ann and I lost a very close friend to cancer, closed our studio after 24 wonderful years and became grandparents . I tried to hike 40 miles and only made 20 of it. I only stopped
out of concern for Tom McCollum’s health. LOL!! My point in all of this rambling is that life goes on. We are who we are due to our experiences. Remember, someone always has it worse than you do!. John Carney Carpe Diem Please remember to take time to thank our sponsors. They make much of what we do in the Georgia Professional Photographers Association possible.
PWD Labs Canvas on Demand Magnolia Frames
Editor’s Notes
a painting, build a model or maybe even enter a beauty pageant. Whatever you do, find some We have a couple of articles this month way to get away and defrag your brain. You dethat are not directed at the business of Portrait serve it! and Wedding photography. In this tightened Help us to keep these pages full. Is there economy it is perhaps even more important to try to get away from the every day stress of someone that you want to see an article from? running a business. Whether you are simply Ask them to submit something. Better yet call a going out and photographing something new photographer you admire and interview them. or something for yourself or doing something Ask them the questions that you want to know completely unrelated to photography it is good the answers to. Then write it all down and subto unwind. While most of us got here because mit it as an article. Have an image you would we had a love for photography, running a busi- like to see on our cover - send it to me. Include ness is a much more tedious task. It is unlikely a short note about the image or better yet write that anyone has burned out of this profession an article about the creation of the image. We because they just could not stand the thought of are always looking for content and after this iscreating one more stunning image or one more sue there is another and then another . . . Subtreasured memory for a family to hang on their missions can be sent to kevjiminez@aol.com. walls. More likely the burnout has been the result of having to maintain cash flow and meet Kevin A. Jiminez , M.Photog.Cr., GFD, GSD, CPP deadlines and the like. Remember to find some time to photograph something you don’t normally go after like fall colors or sports or make
GPPA
Imaging USA
Calendar
January 16-18 San Antonio, TX www.ppa.com
SEPPA Convention
March 26-29 Atlanta, GA
NE Area Meeting
December 13 Gary S. Chapman will speak about how he makes a living producing stock images for Getty Images. North Georgia Tech, Clarkesville, GA.
Georgia School
September 11-16 North Georgia Technical College Clarkesville, GA Instructors to be announced. If you have any Events planned that you would like on the Calendar please submit those to the Editor.
GPPA Financial Statement is Available to members upon Request.
Membership Renewal time is upon us again.
Your GPPA membership renewal is due by December 31, 2010. Watch your mail for renewal invoice.
We Need Your PPA ID # !
PPA State Affiliates are required to include PPA ID #’s with the state membership roster when renewing their affiliation. This is how PPA determines our merit allotment for the year. If you are a PPA member, please be sure to include your PPA ID # on your GPPA renewal form. You can also email your PPA ID# to GPPA Executive Director, Tom McCollum, at gppaed@ bellsouth.net.
Getting Out Of Your Closet, Box, Studio . . .
Mike Bentley
Dave
Matthews lyrics So Much To Say - I say my hell is the closet I’m stuck inside, Can’t see the light And my heaven is a nice house in the sky Got central heating and I’m alright Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Keep it locked up inside Don’t talk about it Talk about the weather... For some reason it seems like the only time I use a camera is when I have a paying customer and never for myself. This past month I had a fall forum that I was supposed to attend in Tennessee and thought I would use it as an opportunity to do a little nature photography. Several months ago I read about some great waterfalls in Northeast Alabama and Ten-
nessee and I thought there was no better time to go than in the fall when I was going to be in the area anyway. The first thing I did was contact some of my photography friends to see if they wanted to go along on a side trip to photograph
the waterfalls before I went to the meeting. Sometimes it is just good to get out of the studio and do something different to help recharge yourself and bring back the excitement to what we do.
So who would you call? Where would you go? What would you do? Several years ago while I was in Las Vegas at a John Hartman Bootcamp I met a couple photographers from Georgia that I had never seen before. I got out of my box, walked across the room and we all got to know each other. John challenged everyone to form “Amoeba” groups when we got back home. What he suggested was finding 4 or 5 photographers in noncompeting markets and holding meetings at each others studios quarterly and share marketing and business ideas as well as problems. After we came back to Georgia we started having meetings at each of our studios several times a year to share marketing ideas and run new ideas by each other. We tell each other the good, the bad and the ugly to help make each other better at what we do and we all know we have each other’s back. We have shared happy times,
sad times and we all worry about the future together. They have become some of my best friends and I have photography, and John Hartman to thank. This has led to many
road trips to places like Las Vegas, New Orleans, St. Petersburg, Nashville, weekends at the lake and well, you get the idea. So when this trip came up you can guess who I called first. We all have ideas of places to go, mine seem to revolve around water and mountains, while some are pulled towards the beach and other places. This trip was one I had wanted to do, we will see what is next on our list. So what is my point? My point is that sometimes I find myself at
the daily grind, getting up doing the things we all do in this business to keep it going and then I get up the next day and do it all again. Sometimes, actually, a lot of the time, I forget what got me into this business. The love of the
camera, the relationships I’ve developed and the feeling that I made a difference in someone’s life by capturing a moment in time, even if the moment was a waterfall on the side of the road. Get out and play, move your cheese, get out of your rut, box or whatever your stuck in. Walk across the room at the next convention and make some friendships with other photographers who you don’t already know or
reconnect with someone that you haven’t seen in years. Then REALLY get out of your box and get to know someone from way outside your area whether it is geographical or professionally. There are so many interesting people to meet and places to see, so much out there to inspire you to be better but you have to be the one to make the first move! More about Mike Bentley. In the late ‘70’s Mike got his start in photography helping photograph weddings and working on the newspaper staff at Winder-Barrow High school. While in high school he worked to raise money to buy his first professional camera. After high school he went to photography school, North Georgia Tech, and after graduation went to work for several studios in the Atlanta area. Then he got a dream job at Sea Island and lived at St. Simons Island where he met Chance. Chance was
a photography student at East Tennessee State and came to work at Sea Island for the summer. Mike helped train Chance and by the end of the summer they were dating and best of friends. They got married the following summer and a few years later they left Sea Island. They both quit their jobs, Chance 5 months pregnant, and moved back to Mike’s hometown, Winder to open a photography studio. Since 1990, Bentley Photography has been photographing children, families and seniors in Northeast Georgia. While we always remember our traditional photography roots we realize that trends in portraiture are always changing and that we must stay abreast of the latest developments. That’s why we have spent the last 20 years creating a warm and inviting studio in which you have choices of fun, contemporary backgrounds or traditional portraiture. Mike became a Certified Professional Photographer in 1992 and will receive his Craftsman Degree in January. He also spent 6 years on the board of the GPPA and holds the Georgia Service Degree. I attended my first GPPA convention in 1978.
NGT Intern Program Looking for a new employee or someone to fill in? Think about a student intern. Our students are required to do a minimum of 90 hours internship with professional photographers. They can spend an entire term (10 weeks) with you or just a day. That is up to you and the student. This is a great way to get your next employee. There is no limit to the number of internships and you can take students on until you get one to hire. We would love you. The students work for you for free and will do whatever needs to be done. Many photographers only have them observe while others let them shoot and process. That is all up to you. Please consider a North Georgia Tech student as an intern for your studio. Don’t delay call us today! Jeff Gulle, CPP Photography Instructor North Georgia Technical College jgulle@northgatech.edu (706) 754-7883
Beach Portraits with the Browns The Southeast Area recently had a
meeting at Tim and Michelle Brown’s studio in Saint Simon’s Island. Those who couldn’t make the meeting missed out on some great information and techniques. Tim and Michelle are relative newcomers to the GPPA. They came to the Island from North Carolina about five years ago and have not looked back since. They have owned their own business, Tim Brown Photography, for about 5 years, and they seem to have their technique and business plan down pat. While Tim does the majority of the shooting, Michelle handles most of the retouch-
ing and design work. The meeting started with a little background as to how they moved from having a chimney sweep business to creating heirloom portraits for both local clients and families trying to capture memories of their family vacations. Tim and Michelle credit their success in part to attending the PPA Student Management Services. Another big part of their success is the skill with which Tim is able to capture timeless images when working with a variety of subject matter. The majority of their images are created on location including in their
client’s homes. They work to achieve a portrait that has a very natural look and is lit predominately with ambient light. The couple uses a variety of tools including scrims, on camera flash, and off camera lighting to enhance the available light and give the most pleasing representation of their subject. After spending time going over their approach to the different facets of their business
including the artistic and technical aspects, it was time to go on location to the beach and watch Tim and Michelle create some family images. The group was able to watch Tim and Michelle work with
the children to get them to feel comfortable with him while at the same time they worked to maintain a good rapport with the parents. Tim was able to capture a variety of looks including some candid and semi-action shots of the children and create some classic portraits of the group. During the course of the session, Tim showed the way he uses each of the tools in his “lighting bag”. This included working with a scrim for subtractive lighting and the use of on camera fill, using only available light and using an off camera soft box as a main light while on the beach. Be sure to watch for other area meetings. They are FREE and you might learn something new!
Cindy Strickland “Everyone has to have fun”
On Sunday October 17 the South-
west area held a meeting at Jill Stringfellow Photography in Moultrie. Our featured speaker was Cindy Strickland from Tallahassee, Florida. The meeting started with a look around the studio which is one to be envied. It is obvious that a lot of work has been put into making the most of the area around the studio. After looking around the studio it was time for some education. Cindy started out with a brief introduction and a description of where her studio is. Her studio is located on the same property as her home on ten acres in a rural area north of town. Cindy’s main influences have been Sandra Pearce, Bruce Evenson, Martin Gudz, and Peggy McAteer. Cindy mainly photographs Families and Children and is currently working on steering her business into selling more painted images.
ple from her lighting to her marketing. For lighting Cindy always lights from the left as she was taught by one of her mentors. That lighting style started out being inspired by Bruce Evenson and evolved to a style similar to that of Tim Kelly. She keeps it fairly simple allowing her to concentrate on her subjects rather than
equipment. Similarly her marketing is very simple. Cindy gets most of her clients via word of mouth. She does make wide use of social networking to communicate with her clients which can also douShe believes in keeping things sim- ble as marketing to their friends. She
believes that selling starts before the session and makes sure to build the experience while the session happening. This starts by making sure that the client knows they are expected when they arrive and trying to connect with the children first and goes through to the end of the session. At the end of a session Cindy will say things like “Oh man, you are going to have a hard time making choices with theses. You are going to have to clear some wall space for these.” Much like we all have a work flow with our imaging process Cindy uses a work flow on the office and production side of her business. She uses a database management system that gives her a check list for what to do with each session. These tasks have to be checked off when completed. The list includes tasks as simple as down load and edit images to the things many of us often forget like thank you notes to clients after sessions and orders. This helps her to
ensure that she is making her clients feel important to her. Cindy’s number one rule is everyone has to have fun. You can see that this is also her approach to her business. She ended her presentation emphasizing that people will forget what
you say, they will forget what you do, they will remember how you make them feel.
More about Cindy . . .
Cindy
Strickland, a fifth-generation Floridian, was raised in Sarasota, Florida. She and her husband, Tim live in Tallahassee with their children; Ben and Tyler. “A Moment Captured by Cindy Strickland,” opened in 1998 when Cindy combined her previous business experience and photographic
training. Her work quickly gained popularity among moms, who enjoyed the special look of her outdoor photography. Although she started her company using film, the business became fully-digital in 2002. Then, in 2004, Cindy expanded her business by adding her indoor studio. Although her concentration is on children, her professional portfolio also includes family portraits, maternity sessions, business portraits and bridal portraits.
tion. “For years, I painted with light in photography. Now, I also paint with color. Adding painting to my artistic expression has allowed me to explore color and texture in a way that compliments my photography. Unlike in
Education is extremely important to Cindy who is committed to her continuing education. Through her commitment to the Tallahassee Professional Photographers Guild (TPPG) and the Florida Professional Photographers (FPP) Association, she continues to expand her knowledge and share her information with other professionals. In 2008, she was named Photographer of the Year by TPPG and currently serves as President of the past, I can now create true paintthe organization. She received her ings in a modern medium which alFlorida Degree of Education in 2010. lows me to share the images more efficiently. Most recently, Cindy has been able to add her passion of painting to her I love art, I love photography, and I studio line. Her artist statement ac- am blessed to find a way to combine curately describes this newest addi- them for myself and for my clients.�
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It is not in my nature to sit in a rocking chair on the front porch By Judy Jordan
September 18 , 2010 was an exciting
day in my life, next to giving birth to my daughter and experiencing the birth of my two granddaughters, I would rank this day right up there with those special events. That beautiful fall evening at the Jabez Sanford Harden Performing Arts Center in Evans, Georgia I was crowned Ms. Senior Georgia Carolina 2010. In its 14th year, the pageant is known for recognizing mature women, who exhibit the qualities of elegance, dignity, respect, and grace of women that promote positive aging. Contestants are drawn from Georgia-Carolina better known as the Central Savannah River Area. Since I am from Lincolnton, Georgia and sixty or older I qualified to enter the pageant. This was something new on my bucket list. I never participated in pageants as a young girl and this was an opportunity to show other women of all ages that us Baby Boomers still have a lot to offer and we still have what it’s got!
The late Ethel Barnhart, my motherin-law, participated in this pageant and was crowned second runner up in 2002 at the age of 93. She made me promise her that when I became of age, that I would follow in her footsteps. Well, I dare not break my promise so I signed up in early January. We began rehearsals in late July preparing for our opening number, a medley of Broadway tunes, practicing our evening gown walk, introduction, talent, and our Life philosophy. One of the benefits was the bonding and sisterhood that came from this great experience.
Weeks of rehearsing my talent, dancing a ballroom routine of Waltz, Rumba and Charleston without a partner, I not only lost 8lbs but realized how difficult it is to dance without a partner leading you . Of course I named the routine “My Invisible Partner”. Since I was inspired by my motherin-law the life philosophy became clear as to the direction I wanted go. She danced her last dance during the weekly Friday night dance at the retirement home where she lived alone up to the last three weeks of her life. Dancing has been a big part of my life as well and I pray that I might be blessed dancing the night away at that ripe old age of 93. My philosophy of life is as follows: “It is not in my nature to sit in a rocking chair on the front porch but rather to be the last one on the dance floor. “Proverbs 31:25-26 speaks of a ‘woman of noble character. She is clothed with strength and dignity: she can laugh at the days to come: she speaks with wisdom and faithful instruction is on her tongue.’ “my hopeful desire is to emulate the enduring characteristics of this holy woman and inspire others to recognize that aging gracefully is a gift from God that we should all embrace. “I pray that I will be a beacon
of light to others, giving them hope, strength, and a passion for the days that are to come. For it is through my endurance, my love of family, and my love of God that I am able to continue to dance to the tune of life, encouraging others to join me rather than sit the last one out.” Saturday morning of the pageant we began interviewing with the seven judges. As I sat at the end of that extremely long conference table I imagined how it might feel to be before a parole board. I left that interview feeling confident that I had not appeared too nervous and that I answered the questions to the best of my ability. The evening began with our opening number followed by talent and evening gown where our Life Philosophy was played as we walked before the audience and judges. Time seemed to stand still while we waited for the winners to be announced. First my name was called for talent and evening gown. I held my breath thanking God that all the hard work and effort had paid off and that if I was not blessed with the title I would be grateful for those two beautiful trophies. The second and first runner-ups were called
and then a long pause and the emcee announced that contestant number 6, Judy Jordan was the new 2010 Ms. Senior Georgia Carolina. Words can not explain how happy I was at that moment and how grateful to my mother-in-law that she encouraged me to follow in her footsteps. We all should be blessed with a wonderful loving role model and know that we all possess the ability to step out of our comfort zone and experience all that life has to offer. Sometimes we tend to stay within those safety zones but I encourage everyone to step out in faith and grab all that life has to offer no matter the circumstance, no matter the age, no matter your health, and give yourself permission to be all that you can be. God gave us all talents, gifts and desires so embrace that with which you have been blessed .
to experience what it is like to be in front of the camera. As I sat before the camera I realized how difficult it is to smile on demand, pose in uncomfortable positions, especially when you are older and parts don’t move as well as they once did. We bark orders and tell folks that if it feels funny it looks good. Where in the world did we come up with that silliness? As the session progressed I began to relax and enjoy myself and at times felt just like a queen. Kevin did a wonderful job making me feel glamorous and to tell the truth I had a wonderful time with all the aches and pains of posing and smiling until I could not smile anymore. As I viewed the images, like so many of us women, I felt the pain and horror of how I looked. Where did those wrinkles around my eyes and the jowls on my jaw come from? What about those arms, where did those firm biI want to thank Kevin Jiminez for ceps and triceps go? Thank goodness photographing my portrait for this for Photoshop! This is the real world article .We as photographers need and we seldom like the way we look.
We often see things others do not see, remember that our loved ones think we are special and love the way we look. I myself see so much beauty in other women, especially those that are aging. We earn every one of those gray hairs, wrinkles and sagging parts. The media has preached the wrong image to all of us about what is beautiful. Fooie on the image of Hollywood. Take time to see the real beauty in all women, not just the outward but the beauty with which time blesses us. We each bring an inner beauty to our spirit that erases all outward flaws.
The camera can capture a moment in time but we as professionals need to capture the essence of the individuals beauty so that the viewer may celebrate all that aging gracefully has to offer. As I selected the images for this article, I realized just what God has blessed me with and that time really has been good to me. I celebrate with all women of that delicate age that we possess wisdom, strength, dignity and grace. I know time will march on and the outward appearance will change even more but I now know that I can face what time will bless me with. Through this experience I look forward to the coming year and what it has to bring and realize that as a professional photographer we need to celebrate all women entering into the age of elegance. It is our obligation to capture a woman’s true beauty and capture those moments in time for future generations that too will celebrate with us.