Northern september newsletter

VPPA is a state affiliate of the Professional Photographers of America (PPA) Virginia Professional Photographers Association

Northern District Newsletter

September 2013

Wet Day, Great Afternoon!

The day was wet and overcast, but the atmosphere was bright and cheery as over twenty district members and guests met at Robert Good Photography for the annual Northern District picnic. Thanks go to Patti and Rodney for being such wonderful hosts. Special thanks go to Michelle and her daughter, Chloe, for keeping everything moving smoothly with all the wonderful food.

Kathy, we loved your program. Your presentation was a delight and your photography is always so uplifting.

Look What Is Planned For October...

Gordon Kreplin

M.Photog.

PPA Photographer of the Year 2009, 2011, 2012

“Walk Into The Light” Monday, October 21 Location TBA

Often while traveling with a camera we arrive just as the sun slips over the horizon of a moment, too late to expose film, only time enough to expose our hearts.

Minor White

“Available Reality” Fine Art Photography by Gordon Kreplin http://www.youtube.com/

Gordon Kreplin

Governor's Message Greetings to Northern Members! We had a really nice meeting at the fabulous studio of Patty and the late Robert Good in Elkton. Kathy Kupka did a great job sharing her pet photography as we all munched on the selection of food inside. Our September Seminar is right around the corner! If there was ever a time within the photographic industry to hone in our skills, aďŹƒliate ourselves with professional organizations, it is now! We'll have a fantastic line of speakers in Portsmouth from out of state and within Virginia. You won't want to miss their insight and expertise!

If you haven't already, sign up and register now at vppa.org. See you there.

Governor Elizabeth Bailey, AFP portraitartbyelizabeth@comcast.net

Lt. Governor Jeanette Burkle, FP jeanette@galiephotography.com

Elizabeth Bailey

PHOTOGRAPH

Northern District Officers

digital quarterly magazine for all who love photography

Secretary Kathy Kupka, FP kathykupka@aol.com Treasurer / Newsletter Editor Jim Sanders, AFP jimlondonsanders@mac.com

CRAFT&VISION http://craftandvision.com

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Summer Seminar Portsmouth, September 14-16

SATURDAY EVENING 7:00-10:00

SUNDAY MORNING 8:00-10:00

SUNDAY AFTERNOON 1:30-5:30

MONDAY 8:00-4:00

Jessica Robertson

Doug Mattice

HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS

PREPARE FOR THE UPSWING

Mary Fisk-Taylor & Jamie Hayes

Jonathan and Bonnie Burton

THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS

THE ART OF LIFE

SUNDAY MORNING 10:00-12:00

David Abel BUILDING A CUSTOM BRAND FOR YOUR BUSINESS

SUNDAY EVENING 7:30-10:30

Pat Hansen PRINT CRITIQUE

Renaissance Hotel & Waterfront Conference Center 425 Water Street, Portsmouth, VA 23704 757-673-3000

“Images by Jan” Portrait and Wedding Photographer JAN CARSON

by Kathy Kupka

Jan retired this year after having her own photography business since 1978. She was a long standing award winning member of the VPPA and PPA. Aside from being a great photographer, she is a very nice, caring person, so I wanted to share her background with you.

I met Jan in 1998 when I joined the VPPA. Jan’s studio is in Ashburn, VA, not far from my home in Leesburg. I had just finished all my photography classes at NOVA, trying to start my own business, and was checking out all the local photographers (like we do!). I had seen Jan’s work and ads for her business in the local paper. Jan was well known for being one of the good, successful local professional photographers.

I went to her home studio. She had beautiful portraits of children hanging on her walls. I loved it because I was specializing in child photography myself; but, the one portrait that caught my eye and impressed me was the one of her pet dog, Shylough, a Russian Wolfhound, a white on white portrait. I thought “now there’s an idea, a portrait of someone’s pet!” Back then there weren’t many dog photographers, and it was before I got my dog, Buddie. So I really have to thank Jan for that inspiration.

Jan told me that years before she got into photography, she was living on a military post in Fort Levenworth with her husband. She took a wood working class with him and was better working the lathes than he was. She then decided to take photo classes (process of elimination), ended up liking it, and turned her powder room into her darkroom for nine months.

She moved back to Virginia, and started taking photography classes at NOVA with Orville Daniels. She learned to use her camera, a German Kodak 35mm. Orville also had his own business and asked her to work for him. He sent her to her first PPA class held in Winona, Indiana to learn retouching.

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Jan opened her own studio, Images by Jan, in 1978, in Sterling, Virginia. She liked working from home because she was also raising her two children. She built an addition to her house. Her studio was on the main floor, and darkroom behind her studio.

She joined the VPPA, and in her first year entered the print competition and won first place for her portrait of a bull dog.

Jan started getting business by bartering with a local garden center, Meadows Farms, photography for designing her outside photo garden. She also advertised in local newspapers, joined the Chamber of Commerce, and Sterling Park Organization for Professionals.

Two of the many stories Jan told me involved dogs and darkrooms. e first was about the night she was in charge of the darkroom at NOVA by herself. (Need to remember, Jan is tiny.) She happened to have her friend’s dog with her. ere was someone in the darkroom causing a problem and out of control. Jan walked into the darkroom with the dog, told the guy she only had to give the dog one command and he’d be in trouble. e guy ran out and never came back. e funny part was the dog wouldn’t hurt a fly.

Another story was about the time she was working in her darkroom at home. One day she walked out of her darkroom into her home studio and saw a stranger standing there not moving because her Doberman was sitting on his foot and he was afraid to move. She asked the stranger what he was doing there, the dog got off, the guy took off.

Jan’s photography business was great - but not her neighbors!

She moved from her home in Sterling to Ashburn because her neighbor used to sit on the edge of his driveway with his pet snake wrapped around his neck and scared away her clients. When she moved to Ashburn, a neighbor got a petition to try to get her out of business. She somehow talked him out of it, partly because Jan believes that “you shouldn’t treat nastiness with nastiness.”

Snakes and bad neighbors couldn’t stop her, but then the digital camera came along! Jan’s business started to slow down, but she was able to keep up because of her referrals, repeats and some advertising.

Jan is now retired with many great memories of her photography business. She is interested in attending more bible study classes, and spending more time with her grandson, Connor (in photograph), but is grateful for all the classes, conventions, and seminars from being a member of the VPPA and PPA. 7

Technology Changes, DEAL WITH IT! Lew Everling, Cr. Photog. CPP All the rage seems to be that our photographic industry is the only one that feels the ill effects of technology. I hear it all the time, “We are the only ones up against new inventions that are constantly re-engineered and and available to anyone who then becomes our competition.”

Well, this simply isn’t true! ere isn’t any single industry exempt from technology changes that give the competitor an advantage, regardless of if they are long known competitors, start-ups or simply the DIY {Do It Yourself } person.

Technology advances, new competition, and a passionate desire has existed since the beginning of humankind. at has always been the case as we can see through the history of our own industry.

Dating back to 1844 to hang your shingle as a daguerreotypist it was as simple as a small investment, and a little bit of instruction.

Does this all sound familiar? For the sum of $60 George Reed purchased his camera in February from Anson Clark, took some instruction from him and in less than a month he’d cleared his investment and was in business by March. Advertisements were abundant in the New York Herald for learning the art of daguerreotyping for just $50, students flocked from all walks of life seeing this as their way to wealth. However, not all stuck around, from 1840 to 1861 the Boston directories listed 180 names as Daguerreotype Miniatures, 77 were listed one year only, and only 7 lasted 10 years or more. Frank Gage wrote “Today you will find

the Yankee taking daguerreotypes; tomorrow he has turned painter; the third day he is tending grocery, dealing out candy to the babies for one cent a stick.” {info from e Daguerreotype in America, ird Revised Edition, Beaumont Newhall, letter from Frank Gage, unpublished letter, A.E, Osborn to Southworth & Hawes, May 8, 1848. GEH} In researching, I found it interesting that as far back as the daguerreotype days, the daguerreothypists would only refer to the ambrotypists as mere photographers. Daguerreotype craftsmen felt they were a step above the others and the ambrotype was just a fad, a filthy one at that. With every new generation there is always something to complain about, however rather than complain, innovators simply adapt and push themselves to new levels accepting the challenge. e ambrotypers even got a bad rap as the tintype took over. A few years later, the daguerreotype and ambrotype fade away as the cycle of new emerging technology continued.

Growing up I saw my Mom face the same challenges in her profession as a hairstylist. I witnessed at an early age how the services and professional products she provides, not the tools made her and many other stylists successful. Since the advent of the Toni home perm in the early 40s and Ms. Clairol home coloring just prior, there has always been a DIY option for hairstyling.

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Toni’s cross marketing campaign with McCalls fabric patterns was an example of targeting the DIY consumer as well. ese products were readily available at all department and drug stores for purchase. Just as our professional labs now market to consumers, I remember when the beauty supply houses began to sell to the general public at a slightly higher price yet the successful stylists didn’t flinch. ey simply provided better service while emphasizing their skills, training, and continuous education. e cycle of new technology in an industry doesn’t end. One of my commercial clients owns an auto-body shop, and their greatest competition isn’t the other 10 shops in town, but the shade tree mechanic of little or no experience at all. However they will do the job, provide some aspect of service at much lower rates and force the true shop to look to the elements of what they do. ey must demonstrate why they are better, more qualified, and their work has more value. e list can go on and on, from plumbers, electricians, construction trades, cooking and more. As for the photography industry, what happened to going the extra mile?

What happened to thinking differently and innovation?

Maybe we should embrace change and quit focusing on what our neighbor is doing with their new digital SLR. This article is reprinted here with the permission of the

the writer, Lew Everling. Over the coming months additional articles by Lew and his wife, Karen, will be included. You can read “Is e Competition Driving You Crazy?” in the August issue of SEPPA.

Lew “Lewbie” Everling Inspiring others and finding the best in everyday defines Lew Everling, aka “Lewbie”. They say energy is a magnet and Lewbie’s magnetic personality will keep you laughing, learning and loving every moment. From social media to high speed sync, lighting to more, you’ll find yourself enlightened and inspired. Prepare yourself for the adventure and follow Lewbie on Facebook for updates that make you think, chuckle, and sometimes just LOL. Lewbie, it’s like vitamins for the mind!

Today he’s every bit as passionate as he was at 15, while his journey has had various directions he has never strayed from continuously learning, improving, and searching for the meaning of life. Along the way Lewbie’s journey has had many stops, none however have filled him with the happiness that photography has brought him.

It is this journey however that has truly brought him full circle to where he is today. Mentors, classes, friends and family have all influenced his vision, earning him the title “the coolest guy in the midwest”. www.leweverling.com 9

Gordon Kreplin 10