AIPP Journal - April 2017 by Pt 78 Pty Ltd

Issue 250

Delly Carr: Sport Photographer 6 Step Processing With Lightroom APPA: Why 75 Is A Great Score Looking Professional With Nikon Lenses

April 2017

CONTENTS 4

Will Snappr Make A Difference?

What Is Snappr?

Snappr is starting to have an impact on the professional photography market, but for our AIPP members, it’s not all bad news. In fact, Snappr could be a great way to differentiate ourselves and our services.

Snappr is a potential challenge for professional photographers. It could be what Airbnb is for hotels, what Uber is for taxi drivers. It means anyone can be a hotelier, a driver or a photographer in their spare time.

Cover

D el l y Ca rr APP 2016 AIPP AUSTRALIAN PROFESSIONAL SPORT PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR

AIPP JOURNAL is the official newsletter of The Australian Institute of Professional Photography (AIPP). Editor Peter Eastway APP.L, FNZIPP, Hon. FNZIPP, G.M. Photog., Hon. FAIPP, FAIPP Disclaimer The information provided in the AIPP JOURNAL and associated publications is made in good faith, but is general in nature. Neither the editor, the publisher or the AIPP accept responsibility for or will be under any liability for any recommendations, representations or information provided herein. The AIPP JOURNAL presents information, opinions and suggestions for subscribers to evaluate in coming to their own decisions in the light of their own individual circumstances. The information should not be relied upon without readers first obtaining independent advice from their own financial and legal advisers. Unless otherwise noted, all articles are written by Peter Eastway. Publication The newsletter is published 10 times a year – monthly with November/ December and January/February being combined. The AIPP JOURNAL newsletter is published by Pt 78 Pty Ltd, ABN 75 003 152 136, PO Box 351, Collaroy Beach, NSW 2097, Australia. Phone: (02) 9971 6857; Fax (02) 9971 6641. E-mail eastway@betterphotography.com Quietly celebrating 25 years of publication.

AIPP Membership Contacts Suite G.03, 171 Union Road, Surrey Hills, Victoria 3127 Phone: 03 9888 4111 E-mail: admin@aipp.com.au

The AIPP’s Response to Snappr

Is Snappr ‘cannibalising’ the business of traditional photographers? The AIPP Executive Officer Peter Myers released a statement outlining the AIPP’s views on Snappr some months ago, adapted here.

Is Surviving On $75 An Hour Possible? Is $149 for a two hour session a professional rate of pay? According to Snappr’s website in April 2017, the most popular services for customers wanting the lowest booking fee was a two hour shoot for $149.

Differentiating Ourselves From Snappr What can an Accredited Professional Photogapher offer the market that the cheaper photographers cannot? Why should clients spend more with an AIPP photographer?

ISSUE 250 / APRIL 2017 18

Should The AIPP Sell Its Photographers?

Delly Carr: Sport Photographer The life of an international sport photographer seems incredibly glamorous, but at least half of Delly Carr’s energy is spent marketing himself and his work. Do you have what it takes to follow in the footsteps of the 2016 AIPP Professional Sport Photographer of the Year?

Should the AIPP set up a website like Snappr and offer photography services to the public, provided by our members?

John Swainston: Co-opted Board Member With years of valuable experience in both the industry and profession of photography, the AIPP is delighted to welcome John Swainston as a co-opted member of the AIPP Board.

22 26

Why 75 Is A Great Score! When you enter the Epson State Awards or APPA, what should you expect? How should you feel when your results come back? What does it really mean to get a 70, a 75 or an 80? There’s a lot to be learnt from the comments of the winners.

Lightroom In 6 Steps

Have you spent any money at all on personal training or coaches for business? Portrait photographer Glenn Addison APP AAIPP of Gap Studios has spent thousands and explains how his success comes from learning from others with more experience.

AIPP Management: Conflicts of Interest There are always conflicts of interest in a volunteer organization, but the issue is whether those conflicts of interest would have an impact and how they are dealt with. Peter Myers talks with Ashley Karakatsanis about dealing with conflicts of interest in the AIPP.

Micheal Teo - Victorian Epson PPY The 2017 AIPP Victorian Epson Professional Photographer of the Year Michael Teo says the win has given him greater confidence in himself and the conviction he is on the right path.

Photo Studio: Setting Up For Success

Looking Professional With Lenses While a lot of photographers concentrate on their cameras, you’re usually better off ensuring you have better lenses which can capture angles and control depth-of-field in a manner that our clients’ cameras cannot. Here are three great lenses from Nikon.

After the shoot, you don’t want to spend too much time in post-production. It’s a matter of matching the value of the job with the time you can afford to spend enhancing the files. Here’s an example of tweaking a portrait in Lightroom with just six steps.

NEWS

Will Snappr Make A Difference? Snappr is starting to have an impact on the professional photography market, but for our AIPP members, it’s not all bad news. In fact, Snappr could be a great way to differentiate ourselves and our services. We can simplistically break up AIPP

membership into three, roughly equal groups:

begin to realise they have to earn money

• 1. Members with less than two years’

from photography if they are to remain a

experience;

TAGS Busine s s Pro fes s i o n a l i s m

Members with 2 to 5 years experience

professional. Not all these members intend to

• 2. Members with 2 – 5 years’ experience;

be full-time professionals, but the joy of taking

• 3. Members with over 5 years’ experience.

photographs for other people lessens without a

There are fewer than 100 members with over

financial incentive.

20 years’ experience, which for a professional

organisation is quite challenging. Most

experience are working out how to stay in

professions have a wealth of established

business when the majority of their competitors

practitioners to provide counsel and guidance

are charging much less than they do. They need

for the profession as a whole.

to work out how to show the market that they

And the members with over five years’

are worth their higher prices.

DIFFERENT NEEDS Members with less than two years’ experience

WHAT ARE WE CHARGING?

are generally concentrating on their craft

As a profession, it appears that we are not

– using a camera, understanding lighting,

charging enough, based on surveys conducted

capturing great images.

by the AIPP. Some of our members have a

very small turnover (less than $1000 a week),

a medical practice, you have an expectation of

and even smaller profit/wages. Much of this

the level of skill and service. This doesn’t happen

can be explained by an influx of part-time

with photography. There is a huge gulf between

photographers.

the services being offered and this is one of the

reasons why inexperienced photographers can

We all know it can be hard to charge a

reasonable fee for our photography. There is a

compete so easily.

lot of resistance from our customers, but there can also be a lack of self-confidence when

DO OUR CLIENTS CARE?

starting out.

In short, with such a huge influx of people offering photography services, it is a buyer’s

IS IT ENOUGH?

market.

What happens in many situations is the part-

time photographer doesn’t charge enough,

can rightly claim that much of the low-

relying on his or her other income to survive.

priced photography is not of high quality, the

customer either doesn’t care or doesn’t realise

And if you are a part-time photographer

While the experienced photographers

with another income source, then charging

there is a difference.

$100 for an hour’s photography may be very

attractive compared with your hourly rate as an

charging a professional fee structure, you can’t

employee.

afford to be a full-time professional earning

However, a professional probably needs

a living. You can’t afford to put aside money

to charge at least $200 to $300 for that hour’s

for superannuation, buy new equipment or

photography, which makes it challenging

develop your skills.

However, numbers don’t lie. Unless you are

if two-thirds of his or her competitors are charging much less.

FREE MARKET What happens if you don’t need to charge

STANDING APART

a professional fee structure? What if you like

The problem is differentiation. Our market

working for low prices and just enjoy the

thinks one professional photographer is much

photography? Then that is your right. It is a free

the same as another.

market and you can charge whatever you like.

Our market also thinks all doctors are pretty

However, we don’t believe this happens

good. Sure, there are really good doctors who

in the vast majority of cases. What we see

charge astronomical fees, but if you turn up to

are thousands of photographers who ‘just

NEWS

don’t know’. They haven’t done photography

members – and the profession in general.

courses. They haven’t done business courses.

They haven’t worked with other professional

market, it is doing us a favour.

photographers. How can we expect them to

know?

photography. And note that on Snappr’s

In some ways, with Snappr entering the Snappr is setting a base level for

website, it isn’t claiming to provide ‘professional’

EDUCATION

photographers, rather ‘quality’ photographers –

And this is the challenge the AIPP is

which is a great springboard for the AIPP and its

facing. It has three quite distinct groups of

members.

photographers at different stages of their

career. Many won’t make it into the third group

photographer from Snappr for $250, then surely

with five years’ experience, yet it is the less

it is reasonable to pay a little more if you hire an

experienced photographers who dominate the

AIPP Accredited Professional Photographer?

market.

away work from our members. However, it can

That is not going to change, so we need to

If you can hire a casual, non-professional

If Snappr is successful, it will potentially take

address the issue of photographer education

also grow the market, providing photography

right from the beginning.

services to people in the past who would never

have hired a professional anyway.

All photographers seeking accreditation

are required to demonstrate an understanding

Of course, none of us know how successful

of business skills. Note, we’re not telling

Snappr will be, or if indeed there is a new

photographers what they should charge, rather

market segment just waiting to be tapped.

we require them to understand what they need

to charge if they wish to behave professionally.

Snappr’s influence in our market - and then take

However, it is important for us to be aware of

advantage of it.

THE BASE LEVEL Some people would suggest this is the AIPP’s key role: educating photographers about acting professionally.

Agreed, the AIPP should also teach

photography skills, but this is the Australian

vittorio.natoli@aipp.com.au

Institute of Professional Photography. It is

0400 418 888

the ‘Profession’ we need to focus on for our

â&#x20AC;¢

Kevin Chamberlain APP M.Photog. I

NEWS

What Is Snappr? Snappr is a potential challenge for professional photographers. It could be what Airbnb is for hotels, what Uber is for taxi drivers. It means anyone can be a hotelier, a driver or a photographer in their spare time.

TAGS M a r k eti n g

Snappr offers photography services. It registers

just down the road. It’s not impossible, but you

people who own a camera and sends them

have a lot of competition.

out to take photographs, based on an online

ordering system.

market that doesn’t yet exist. It says around

half its customers wouldn’t have booked a

It is low cost photography in bulk. It appears

Snappr itself claims to be developing a

to have a big marketing budget behind it, but

professional photographer because they

we don’t know how successful it really is.

couldn’t afford the $2000 they expected to pay.

By offering a service for $100 - $200, suddenly

Interestingly, Snappr used to offer wedding

photography services, but these are no longer

there is a huge ‘appetite’ for photography

advertised on its website at www.snappr.co.

services, it says.

However, it is competing for a wide variety

of domestic and commercial work – events,

going to have a huge impact on established

graduations, portraits, fashion, products, food,

studios. It may have an impact on the

family and real esate.

newer members who are trying to establish

themselves, but this impact can be managed.

There is now some serious money and

Snappr entering the market is probably not

experience behind Snappr, with reported

investment by YCombinator, claimed to be the

will differentiate yourself from a Snappr

world’s most successful seed accelerator.

photographer.

So, what could Snappr do to the market?

It comes down to a marketing plan that

However, we’re not only competing against

Snappr could control the bottom of the market,

Snappr photographers. There are thousands

the ‘affordable’ photography customers. This

of other people out there with cameras taking

could make it more difficult for newcomers

photos for even less than Snappr is charging.

to enter the profession because of how much

marketing Snappr is able to do. It would be like

from Snappr, but all the photographers who

opening a hamburger shop with a McDonalds

don’t have accreditation.

Our differentiation is not just to separate us

NEWS

The AIPP’s Response to Snappr Is Snappr ‘cannibalising’ the business of traditional photographers? The AIPP Executive Officer Peter Myers released a statement outlining the AIPP’s views on Snappr some months ago, adapted here.

TAGS M a r k eti n g

We understand that for someone who is just

Snappr services.

dipping their toe into the world of professional

photography, the Snappr model of looking after

know and understand the value of building a

the marketing, pricing, delivery and service may

long term relationship with their clients, the

be attractive. However, as these photographers

value of applying a creative mind and coming

grow and develop, we expect they will want

up with a solution to their clients’ requirements,

more control over these key areas of their

together with an understanding of copyright,

business themselves.

legal and usage issues .

We also understand that Snappr has

Our Accredited Professional Photographers,

These are all elements of ‘traditional

rightly recognised that in the entry level area

photography’ that a Snappr photographer is

they operate in, there is a need for a better

unlikely to be able to offer. But for a quick and

alternative than just someone with a camera.

cheap service that will undoubtedly be better

than ‘someone with a camera’, we think Snappr

So we don’t see Snappr cannibalising our

traditional business. If they are clear about who

is a great concept.

their photographers are, we see them as an

ally, helping to raise awareness of the need for

would like to believe that, like us, they are

better quality photography.

concerned with the long term viability of the

We have a membership database of over

profession and their registered photographers,

3,000 photographers throughout Australia, each

and that they understand the need to create a

of whom has their own business model based

sustainable pricing and business model, which

on their experience, proven skills, creativity, and

enables those photographers who want to, to

most importantly, their status as an Accredited

progress from merely being a ‘snapper with a

Professional Photographer. Most of our

nice camera’ to the ultimate of becoming an

members are working professionals who don’t

Accredited Professional Photographer with the

want to compete in the entry level market that

AIPP.

We are happy to work with Snappr. We

â&#x20AC;¢

Richard Liu APP

$75 per hour

$22,948 annual earnings

NEWS

income will be absorbed by expenses.

$75 an hour. Can we survive on $75 an hour?

$66,000 less 30% = $46,200

What is $75 per hour equivalent to for a salaried

employee?

20 hours a week, but still working 40 hours?

$75 p. h. x 40 hours x 52 weeks = $156,000

That’s up to you to decide. The problem is most

photographers do not shoot 20 hours a week. If

It’s a great salary, if you were employed 40

Is this a reasonable income for shooting

hours a week. However, in the photography

you get five 2-hour jobs a week at $149, that’s:

profession, you are essentially paid for the hours

$149 x 5 x 44 weeks – 30% costs = $22,946

behind the camera, not the hours you work, and

on average, a very good photographer might

might be a very welcome second source of

be shooting two and a half out of five days.

income. Or is it? Let’s work backwards now.

Don’t forget there’s also travel time between

You’re earning $22,946 a year, but how long

each job (assuming you’re working on location).

do those 2 hour shoots really take? Let’s add in

And forget the holiday season (no bookings)

an hour for travel (on average), and an hour for

and your own holidays (not working). So the

processing the files and liaising with the client.

equation becomes something like:

What is your effective hourly rate?

$75 p.h. x 20 hours x 44 weeks = $66,000

5 jobs x 4 hours x 44 weeks = 880 hours

$22946 / 880 hours = $26.08 an hour.

Before we get too excited, we need to

It’s not nearly enough to survive on, but it

take some expenses out of this. For instance,

Or a salary equivalent of $54,000 a year.

TAGS

Snappr photographers will be paying a

Now, as professionals, most readers will not

M emb ers

commission (let’s guess 20%), but non-Snappr

accept this as being enough to live on, but the

photographers will also be spending money

good news is that Snappr is establishing this as

and time on marketing and promotion. Plus

the base rate of pay for someone who is not a

there’s running a car, buying equipment, phone,

professional, merely a ‘quality photographer’.

website, insurances – let’s estimate 30% of our

Where do we go to from here?

EDUCATION

Differentiating Ourselves From Snappr What can an Accredited Professional Photogapher offer the market that the cheaper photographers cannot? Why should clients spend more with an AIPP photographer? AIPP President Vittorio Natoli researched his

comes to lighting, composition and posing. The

clients to find out what’s the differencee

same can be said of many photographers when

between a professional photograph and the

they start out.

thousands of images found on clients’ own

smart phones.

be concentrating on. A good result is more

However, these aren’t the results we should

likely to be a set of prints, a photo book, a

OCCASION NOT QUALITY

framed print or a movie for their tablet.

While we might think the difference is found in

the quality of the photographs, for most clients

but it handles this side of the process, not the

the difference was one of occasion. The photos

photographer.

Snappr also offers prints to customers,

on their smart phones were just snaps taken at

TAGS M a r k eti n g

any old time, whereas photographs captured

GO FOR EXPERIENCE

by a professional had a structure and a purpose.

Having seen Snappr’s marketing, clients may

There was a process surrounding the images.

be open to a better option. Alternatively, clients

may have been considering a professional

This is good news for AIPP members trying

to differentiate themselves from cheaper

photographer and then discovered Snappr’s

photographers, such as the Snappr model

marketing! We can’t be complacent.

being marketed today: Once the decision is

made to hire someone to take photographs,

what we offer is superior. Naturally, there will be

clients are invested. No matter what they pay,

different triggers for different people, but here

they will want a good result, but they are not

are some suggestions to build on.

necessarily sure what that result looks like.

necessarily hard financial decisions or how

While some of the sample photographs on

Either way, we need to show our clients why

Note, most of these suggestions are not

the Snappr website are competent, most can

many files or photos you get, rather they are

be criticised for a lack of understanding when it

emotional suggestions. Think about buying a

â&#x20AC;¢

Vicki Bell M.Photog. I

â&#x20AC;¢

Jackie Ranken G.M.Photog.

EDUCATION

car and why you want to upgrade to a better

Spending time educating clients about

model or a more exclusive brand. All cars get

what to look for in good photography is like

you from A to B, so the marketing has to appeal

explaining the benefits of a new car. Once you

to the emotions.

know, it is harder to go without.

YOUR OWE IT TO YOURSELF If clients are going to all the effort of having

WHAT HAPPENS TO THE PHOTOS?

photographs taken professionally, of getting

What are your clients going to do with their

dressed, putting on makeup and organising the

photographs? What will happen to the

family, they owe it to themselves to have the

dozen JPEG files delivered to them by a non-

photographs taken by a professional, not an

professional photographer?

amateur with a camera.

Perhaps a better question is, what would

they like to do with their photographs. And

WHAT WILL OTHERS THINK?

perhaps the best sales aids we can have are

Photographs talk about you as a family or a

examples of the products we can offer. Show

business. When other people look at the quality

them a set of beautifully mounted prints, show

of your photographs, what will they think?

them a photo book or album, show them

examples of framed prints hanging on a well.

A professional is more than someone who

owns a camera. A professional understands

For commercial clients, show them how your

lighting, composition and posing. If you want

photographs work in other clients advertising,

a family portrait that will stand the test of time,

on their webiste, in point-of-sale. We know that

or a product shot that will encourage people

photography is just the first step, so by holding

to buy it, hire a professional who can make this

our clients hands and stepping them through

happen.

the process to the final expression, we are more likely to swing them over to us.

SHOW THE DIFFERENCE

Produce a series of before and after photos

than a set of JPEG files they download from a

- what a snapshot looks like, compared to a

website, they are not comparing apples with

professionally lit and posed photograph. This

apples. They are comparing apples with a

may help you show something tangible, but

gourmet meal and wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t they expect to pay

remember that many clients wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t perceive this

a little more?

difference until you point it out.

And by offering them something more

What ideas do you have?

NEWS

Should The AIPP Sell Its Photographers? Should the AIPP set up a website like Snappr and offer photography services to the public, provided by our members?

TAGS M a r k eti n g

It is early days, of course, but if Snappr were

providers. If the AIPP were to offer its membersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

to be very successful, if it did generate a lot

services, over time these members would

of work and income for its non-professional

build up a rating which should satisfy both

photographers, what would this tell us? Would

our customers, and other members who are

it indicate a new way to generate business for

concerned that not all members offer the same

photographers?

level of service.

Let the customers determine this.

3000 individuals marketing themselves

And level of service is a huge issue. The

independently. What if we joined forces and

attraction of the Snappr model is that you can

marketed ourselves together? And what would

see a product and a price up front â&#x20AC;&#x201C; pay this and

our business model look like?

get that. This appears to be their key to secure

This is not a new idea and something the

the client and after that they can look at add-ons

board have been thinking about recently. In the

(such as extra photos or prints etc). AIPP members

past the answer has been that the AIPP is not a

should be able to do client customisation at a

sales agent. However, the AIPP has now invested

much higher level, but we need a way to engage

heavily in accreditation and it is gradually

those clients in the first place.

building its brand in the general market. We have

a good story to tell prospective clients, even

a little like a dating agency. A client puts up a

better if we had a centralised booking agency.

request (I need 5 photos of beaches in Greece

for $500) and the photographers grab stock

At present, the AIPP comprises around

In discussing the content for this magazine,

even though there are no formal plans for the

shots from their libraries and bid for the job.

AIPP to become an agency or a service provider,

There are many models available.

we thoughtâ&#x20AC;Śbut should there be? What are the

opportunities for creating such a service? What are

into providing such a service. And if it did,

the challenges? What are the legal consequences?

what would the model look like? Thoughts and

suggestions are encouraged by all the usual

Many businesses, such as Uber and Amazon,

allow customers to rate the individual service

ImageBrief is another website that works

So, the question is, should the AIPP look

channels!

â&#x20AC;¢

Niall Chang

NEWS

Photo by Gina King

For many decades, John Swainston has been

winning photos to be projected as the winners

known as Mr Nikon, being the managing

received their prizes.

director of Maxwell Optical Industries who

imported Nikon cameras before Nikon Australia

were quite hardened in those days, as you’d

began. An Honorary Fellow of the AIPP, awarded

expect with their job, but I was surprised how

for years of service and passion to the industry

emotional they became when they saw their

and the profession, you’ll not meet a more

pictures up on the big screen. This might seem

committed photographer, adviser and friend.

a little strange to the current generation who

is used to seeing images everywhere, but back

John has a memory bank full of

“Many of the news and press photographers

photography highlights and perhaps the

then, it was very significant.”

greatest for him was his association with the

Nikon Press Photographer of the Year Awards.

someone who can deliver a special something

consistently, professionally, on time and on

“It was a privilege every year to watch the

“For me, a professional photographer is

country’s leading picture editors go through

budget - and at a profit. These are very different

the selection process for the best news, current

skills to those of an enthusiastic amateur.

affairs and feature photographs. Over the years, I

learned what a story telling picture is all about.

photographers is much lower than in the past.

It is quite common for a photographer to

“Nikon was the major sponsor of the award

“Today, the average income of most working

and when I took over the distribution of Nikon

have two jobs and so it can be challenging to

cameras in 1983, I found myself in charge. I

maintain your skills as a photographer in such a

noticed that the awards presentation didn’t

changeable environment. However, this is why

actually show the winning photographs – they

our continuing professional development is so

just read out the winners’ names. I thought

important because unless you do keep abreast

the awards ceremony should be more of a

of the changing market, you will never succeed

celebration of the images and arranged for the

as a professional.”

Opposite: 2016, Entrance Hall, Ceiling and Cupola of Elizabeth Bay House, Sydney, Architect: John Verge; Photo: John Swainston . 20

AWARDS

to other professionals? Are there some aspects

of the award winners. In the profession of

of our work we need to improve? Are we really

photography, great photographs get you

worth what we need to charge to make a living

noticed and it’s something most of us aspire to

as a professional?

on some level.

by a panel of independent photographers who

And certainly the AIPP puts a lot of emphasis

Entering the awards allows us to be assessed

on earning a Silver Award. A Silver at APPA earns

have established a level of credibility within

you a point towards your Associateship or your

the profession. If we can convince them that

Master of Photography designation. A Silver at

our photographs are good, it’s very reassuring

APPA earns you a place in the annual awards

indeed.

book. And a Silver at the Epson state print

But what are these judges looking for?

awards, while not guaranteeing you a Silver at APPA, is a great place to start.

THE DISCONNECT

Originally, the awards process was introduced

But the awards are much more than this.

to challenge photographers to produce a

TAGS APPA Awa rd s Rules

BENCHMARKING YOURSELF

higher quality of work. It’s aim was (and still

Most of us work on our own. Our clients love

is) to raise the overall standard of professional

what we do, we get lots of likes on Facebook

photography in Australia. It has been very

and it’s pretty easy to convince ourselves we’re

successful on all levels.

nice people doing a good job.

process added in category winners and

However, most of us when we’re starting out

However, during its evolution, the awards

have quiet moments when we wonder if what

professional photographers of the year. Much

we’re providing to our clients is as good as it

of the public focus is on the top percentage of

could be? Is our work of a comparable standard

winning images and their photographers. This

APPA Score: 79. Good professional practice. While two judges scored this image 88, three judges scored it in the 70s and so the result was a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;majority 79â&#x20AC;&#x2122;. Obviously the entrant thought the two judges on 88 were far more astute than the other three! Entering APPA is all about learning and experiences like this round you as a photographer. They also help you understand how your clients can have completely different viewpoints to you when it comes to assessing photography. Photo Peter Eastway.

AWARDS

is great for the photographers who win and the

heading.

publicity it generates our profession, but it is a

few steps away from what was really intended.

get three or four scores of 75. At least I then

If I were starting out, my aim would be to

know I am capable of producing a professional

PROFESSIONAL QUALITY

standard.

At the heart of the awards process, it’s still a

personal challenge for the entrant. For you. Can

winners are showing you their best work. Their

you reach the required standard?

day to day work might only score 70 or 75 as

well, but being a little more experienced, they

Within the awards, there are many standards.

There’s Gold up the top, then Silver. However,

One thing a lot of entrants forget is that the

are entering different work for the awards.

there is also a ‘professional standard’.

As you can see from the judging cheat sheet,

AWARD STANDARD

scores of 70 to 79 are considered professional

This is the confusion in our system. We see Silver

standard.

as a mark of achievement. And it is, but only

What should you aim for?

once you have reached professional standard.

If you enter APPA, you should aim for 70

Some entrants are first timers, others have

as a minimum. A score of 70 is considered

been entering for 20 years so the awards system

‘average’ professional quality. Honestly, I think

needs to cater for a range of experience.

too many prints receive a score in the low 70s.

Many low 70s should probably have scored in

you are really challenging is yourself. Aim for 75s

the 60s, but if a score of 70 gives a new entrant

to begin, then 78s and 79s, the next year, then

encouragement to enter again, then that is in

maybe a silver or two the year after.

keeping with the aims of the awards - to raise

the standard of professional photography.

Teo has won the 2017 AIPP Victorian Epson

However, at the end of the day, the person

On the next page you’ll see that Michael

Professional Photographer of the Year, but

WHAT DOES 70 MEAN?

Michael’s is not an overnight success. Check out

However, for a score of 70, chances are that

his website and you’ll see a very high standard

while some judges scored it 65, others may

of work, a standard that he has applied to

have scored 75. The awards are, after all, just a

himself through workshops and the awards

collective opinion. And it’s an opinion worth

system over a number of years.

listening to, at least until you have reached a

level of confidence and you know where you’re

start.

If that inspires you, 75 is a good place to

Judge's Assessment Guide Gold with Distinction

100 99 98

Exceptional vision, creativity and innovation. Remarkable technique. Encompasses excellence in all assessment criteria.

97 96 95 Gold Award

94 93 92

Outstanding visual communication, interpretation and emotional impact. Remarkable technique.

Judge Assessment Criteria • Communication and narrative skills • Imagination • Innovation • Visual and emotional impact • Technique • Lighting • Composition & image design • Timing, anticipation • Processing, post-production and presentation

91 90 Silver with Distinction

89 88 87

Professional excellence. Superior visual communication, imagination, craft and skill.

86 85 Silver Award

84 83 82

Exceeds normal professional practice, with high levels of communication, imagination, craft and skill.

81 80 Professional Standard

Approaching award level

78 77-70 Average to very good professional practice, but does not meet AIPP Award criteria.

Approaching 69-60 Meets professional standards in some areas, but needs work in Professional others. Entrant is on the way to Standard achieving a professional standard. More Work Required

59-50 Does not yet exhibit the basic standards required of professional practice.

Professionalism A high standard in: • Exposure • Focus • Colour • Lighting • Posing and styling • Composition and image design • Attention to detail • Post-production • Printing • Presentation

AWARDS

Michael Teo - Victorian Epson PPY The 2017 AIPP Victorian Epson Professional Photographer of the Year Michael Teo says the win has given him greater confidence in himself and the conviction he is on the right path.

TAGS AIPP E ps o n S ta te Pr in t Awa rd s

Michael Teo has been an AIPP

I never imagined that I would

member since 2013, working

win the category, let alone be in

predominantly as a portrait

the running for VPPY. I am deeply

photographer across a range of

moved that my work would even

genres, from glamour and family

compare to the standard of the

to fashion and corporate head

other category winners.”

shots.

Michael is keen to use the

Awards process as a learning

“I enter the Awards to get

objective feedback on my

tool.

photography and to expand

“I feel that my creative output is

my awareness of the different

only as successful as it effectively

elements that the judges focus

communicates what I am trying

on. I find that no matter how

to express. If a viewer of my

long I spend with an image,

image, whether a client, a judge

there will often be something

or a member of the public,

about it that a judge will notice

doesn’t ‘get’ what I am trying to

or read into it that I had not seen

say, then that is a shortcoming

or considered. Overall, I think that

on my part and it motivates me

the awards process, whether it is

to become clearer with both my

having my prints judged or seeing others’ prints

message and in my expression.

get judged, has taught me a lot about what

makes an image work or not.

valuable since they are speaking from years of

experience. We don’t learn from compliments or

“I was completely overwhelmed and

“I see the judges’ critiques as highly

shocked when I won. I thought it would be a

insults, but if we take heed of good advice, we

great honour to be a finalist in my category, but

have the opportunity to grow and develop.

EDUCATION

Lightroom In 6 Steps After the shoot, you don’t want to spend too much time in postproduction. It’s a matter of matching the value of the job with the time you can afford to spend enhancing the files. Here’s an example of tweaking a portrait in Lightroom with just six steps.

TAGS L igh tro o m Pho to s h o p Co lo ur Management

I have a tendency to underexpose my files, just

improves 80 per cent of files. For the other 20

by a bit. I am overly paranoid about clipping

percent, well, I’ll wait until I have short-listed the

the whites - about overexposing the highlights.

files I will present or sell to my clients before I

Consequently, the raw files straight out of my

adjust them further.

camera can look a little dull.

Similarly, when shooting portraits on

good quality monitor, correctly calibrated and

location, I don’t always have ideal light. The

profiled. If your monitor isn’t accurate, you have

weather is what it is (unless you can reschedule)

no idea what your files really look like.

and I am looking for soft light that is flattering

in terms of tonality. Shade works well, but shade

the screen you are using has a big impact on

can lack a little colour and sparkle.

what you’re seeing. I hope it is the same as what

I created!

So, I shoot in soft light, understanding

It goes without saying that you need a

It’s a bit like reading this magazine online -

that I may need to add a little sparkle in post-

production, but I don’t want to spend all my

amount of work we do editing our files.

life chained to a computer using Lightroom,

Lightroom’s Basic Panel has all the controls

Photoshop or Capture One.

you need for 90 per cent of our adjustments.

Personally, I prefer working in Capture One

Just as our cameras have an automatic

If time is money, we want to limit the

mode, so does Lightroom and this is often a

because I believe it produces superior colour

great place to start your post-production.

and tonality, but there are other experienced

photographers who love Lightroom. Certainly

When shooting on location with a wide

range of lighting and colour temperature

Lightroom is used by more photographers than

conditions, I find applying Lightroom’s Auto

Capture One.

tone to all my files is a good first adjustment.

It isn’t perfect for every image, but it generally

this portrait, ready for presentation to the client.

Read through the six steps taken to enhance

The original photo (left) is slightly underexposed and while the ambient light is soft and forgiving, the result is flat and muddy. Clicking on the Auto button in Lightroomâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Basic Panel stretches out the tones, producing a brighter result, but a little out of control in the highlights.

To bring the highlights under control, letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s use the Exposure slider to darken down the image overall. Note how the histogram is quite a distance from the right edge, indicating there are no whites. However, the background is not nearly as distracting.

EDUCATION

Darkening the image back down has blocked up the detail in the hair, so the Shadows slider is moved significantly to the right (to +98), bringing back detail. It also lightens the background which doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t hurt the overall composition.

To add back a little brilliance to the image, the White slider is moved from +46 to +59, lightening the image back up, but in a more controlled manner than the Auto button. Was pressing Auto a waste of time? Certainly not - it has given us a great starting point.

Soft shade is often low in colour saturation, so to give the skin some life, the Saturation slider was moved to +30. Note how the skin tones have greatly improved, but perhaps the blue in the dress is a little strong?

To reduce the blues, move to Lightroomâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Color panel, select the blue channel, and desaturate the image (-39) and reduce the luminance to -33. Colour is a matter of taste, but in six quick steps, Lightroom has greatly enhanced the raw file, without using masks or selective adjustments.

FEATURES

photography.

secretary, a good salary and a company car to

do what I wanted.”

set of prints, one for the sports master and sell

the others to the kids for 15 cents per print. I

And Delly Carr wanted to be a sport

“I’d use the school darkroom to produce a

photographer.

guess that was the start of it.”

The son of Greek parents, Delly was encouraged

Like many of us, Delly Carr acquired his first

camera at a young age (a Dianna F at seven),

to do an Economics degree at the University of

yet few have been as successful as Delly in his

NSW where he majored in marketing. Keeping

chosen career. In addition to exploring the black

photography as a hobby, he moved into the

and white darkroom at school, Delly was very

corporate world, but didn’t enjoy the ‘games’ he

keen on sport and was somewhat disappointed

was expected to play.

when an appointment with the orthodontist

meant he could no longer be hooker in the

THE RISE OF SPORT

rugby team (Mario Fenech took his place).

“Then Paul Keating’s recession arrived and I was

offered voluntary redundancy, which I grabbed

“I was told to take up something safe like

tennis, but that would have meant not being

with the view of becoming a full time sport

with my league mates, so I conned my sports

photographer.” It was 1987.

master into allowing me to take photographs

of the footy games for the school newspaper

okay, but for the following five years he

– and this is when I fell in love with sport

practically starved, sometimes eating vegemite

In his first year out, Delly says he did

Running of the Bull Delly says he was terrified! He visited Pamplona for three days and on the first day, he got nothing. “I was so scared of the bulls, I shot from a balcony looking down, but the photos were really poor. I thought to myself that since I had travelled all this way, I needed to do it properly and, unfortunately, that meant getting in closer. “There is an area set aside for the media where you can shoot over the top or underneath a fence - and I chose to shoot low. The cobblestones are slippery and I was lucky to have the bull closest to me lose his footing as he ran by. He’s also in the air, letting us see the terrified people on the other side. Add in the muscle tone on the bull himself and I think it’s a photo that works.”

FEATURES

TAGS Awa rd s Po r tfo l i o Ca r r Sp o r t

sandwiches for dinner.

from editorial anymore. Their readerships are

dwindling because everything is going online

“However, in the early 1990s, Sydney

was awarded the Olympic Games and work

and their advertising support has dropped

for sport photographers went through the

dramatically.”

roof. Companies were sponsoring athletes

and they needed photographs.” During the

and Delly is shooting a lot of events for

Olympics, Delly continued to thrive, winning

commercial clients like Red Bull and Nike.

the Best Olympic Photograph gold award from

“It’s not like an advertising shoot, more like

Sportsshooter, USA.

documentary photography. Usually my brief

is to turn up to an event and tell a story.

“Since then I have been branded a sport

The solution is to look for clients elsewhere

photographer. It’s been an interesting journey,

Sometimes there’s not a lot you can do because

from being the young guy who thought he was

the event is in a carpark or at a swimming pool,

good and probably wasn’t, to now when I am

which can be hard to make pretty, but I make it

thought of as the professor who gets called in

look as good as possible.”

to do the serious jobs. I am seen as the guy with

experience.

view of sports photography. Not all the shoots

are action or glamour. “Often the brief requires

“This specialisation has led to lots of different

His work is quite different from the outsider’s

work and different directions. However, I am

me to photograph particular people with the

more or less employed to be creative and

client’s logo in the background. It keeps them

tell stories, not to record who comes first

happy, I get paid and hopefully hired again

at an event. The editorial work has mostly

sometime!”

disappeared, partly because I’m getting older

and partly because the editors would prefer to

of the reasons Delly has been successful. He

get their photos from a website. So now my

explains that he is photographing for his clients

clients tend to be corporations with particular

first and only if the opportunity arises does he

briefs. I’m more likely to be employed by a

shoot something for himself.

marketing department than a magazine.

Understanding how businesses work is one

“I could have an amazing portfolio if I were

just shooting for myself, but your client’s needs

DIFFERENT TO SPORT

come first. Of course, I still get to take some

“Besides, a cheque for $15 from a magazine or

personal work and I use it as an important part

a website is hardly worth banking. Sadly, you

of my own marketing. Strong personal photos

can’t make a good living in sport photography

are essential for your website. It’s a bit like the

Brent McMahon – Canadian Triathlete The way Delly explains it, he was sitting by the pool watching the sun set. Thinking the life of a sports photographer was pretty good, he decided he should take a photo. He asked triathlete Brent McMahon if he would help. “It only took five minutes. I got out my big 600mm and asked him to stand on a rock groin down at the beach. I’m on the sand below. I asked him to stand in position while I worked out my exposure, and then asked him to run, ensuring he was as high off the ground as he could, to give him separation from the horizon. I was lucky he kicked up a little sand as well.” Delly often does favours for the athletes he works with and so generally they are only too happy to return the favour to him.

FEATURES

Classic Swimmer The photograph of a swimmer just breaking the water surface has become a classic in its own right and it seems each sports photographer tries to put their own spin. In this situation, Delly has positioned his camera down low, just above the water level. He has also used a long telephoto lens â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a 600mm f4 Nikkor â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and then the rest is timing. Note how the lights from the pool are reflected down the centre of the swimmer and the added interest this creates in the image. Small details frozen in time are the hallmarks of great sport photographs.

FEATURES

World Ironman Triathlon Champion – Craig Alexander While most of Delly’s photography is more documentary in nature, a shoot of Craig Alexander for Orca was a day of makeup, stylists and catering. “All I did really was press the button. With advertising shoots like this, there are a lot of people involved. There’s an art director explaining what he needs, I had guys helping me with the lighting, Craig had lots of people oiling him down - but I knew Craig and that if I told him what he needed to do, all I had to do was press the shutter.” The brief was for Craig to look like he was flying and as a world champion, he certainly met the brief.

fashion industry where the dresses paraded on

around having 30 years’ experience and being

the runway aren’t necessarily the dresses they

an AIPP Accredited Professional Photographer.

sell, but they grab people’s attention. I think this

There’s no point pretending to be a young gun

principle applies to photography as well.”

anymore - now I’m the professor, the guy you call in to get it right.”

MARKETING & BUSINESS

Marketing himself effectively has been one of

the older photographers, he knows how to

the keys to Delly’s success. “A lot of people ask

present himself to his market. He has three

what do I need to learn as a photographer and

ambassadorships that illustrate his seniority:

I suggest they do a marketing course before

Nikon, Subaru and Thule. The Nikon sponsorship

they learn photography. Everyone today is

is obvious, while with Subaru and Thule, Delly is

a photographer and the thought of giving

seen as an experienced creative who relates to

up their day job and shooting sport is very

their target audience.

appealing. Unfortunately, that’s the wrong

attitude – to take up photography because you

credibility in everyone’s eyes - it’s a massive

don’t like your current job. You need to have a

stamp of approval. For Subaru and Thule, it’s

real passion for photography – and business

more a matter of using me as I relate to their

skills as well.

target market audience - I’m certainly not a rally

car driver or adventure racer!

“Many photographers are not good at

While Delly might be considered one of

“The Nikon Ambassador role gives me

talking to their clients, yet this is the most important part of the job. You have to learn to

MARKETING 101

appease them and understand that they are

So, how should new photographers market

always right, but more importantly, if you don’t

themselves in the world of sport. The first step,

have the passion and love for photography,

Delly suggests, is to establish a website.

it won’t carry you through. It’s not a case of

buying a camera and letting it do the work.”

photographers don’t have their own website.

They might have a Facebook page and this is

Delly says he is marketing himself more

“You’d be surprised how many

and more as corporate budgets shrink, existing

certainly part of the mix. Twitter is also okay, but

contacts change and an increasing number of

no matter what social media you use, it should

photographers shoot sport. “Fortunately, the

feed your own website.

new entrants don’t have the background or

provide the quality I do. My marketing revolves

to ring. It won’t. You have to actively market

“A lot of photographers wait for the phone

FEATURES

yourself in lots of different ways. It could be

of the Year award. For the whole 12 months I

direct mail or cold calling, all the old school

will milk it for everything it is worth. Yet many

stuff.

young photographers win awards and don’t tell

anyone - how will their clients know? It’s really

“This morning I had two appointments with

clients and picked up two big jobs. It was just

simple things like this you need to do for your

a cup of coffee, but it was showing my clients

marketing.

some love. I will fly to visit clients for lunch just

so they know I am alive and maybe the next

of their photography will sell itself, but that’s not

time they have a job with a budget, they will

true. Just being a photographer is not enough

think of me.”

anymore, especially with so much happening

online.

Clients certainly won’t be thinking of the

“Some photographers believe the creativity

photographers who are sitting in their studios

by the phone!

photographers advertise themselves as

shooting weddings, portraits and sport. Correct

“No one knows the right mix for marketing.

“You also need to specialise. Some

Even the big corporations don’t know. They hire

me if I’m wrong, but if I were looking for a

an agency to help them, they test the market,

sport photographer, I wouldn’t hire someone

they listen to what people have to say.

who does lots of different things and wasn’t

a specialist. Similarly, if I wanted a wedding

“You might be a decent photographer, but

if no one knows you’re in business, especially

photographer I wouldn’t hire someone who

if you work from a home office, how do you

said he shot sport as well.”

expect to be found? So, the first step is to have your own website and then you need to get

GEARING UP

the search engines listing you when someone

“And you need to have the right gear. A 70-

searches for a sport photographer.

200mm lens is not going to get you there, you

need the 300mm f2.8 or the 600mm f4. I sold

“Think about who your potential clients

are and how they are going to find you. If

my car to get my first 600mm lens.”

you’re scared of cold calling, then learn how

not to be scared because if you’re going to be

surprising to learn that Delly’s choice of cameras

a professional photographer, you have to talk

are the D5 and the D4S as a backup. “As a sports

with people!

photographer, I continually rush things so you

definitely need a spare!”

“My marketing this year is all about my AIPP

Australian Professional Sport Photographer

As a Nikon Ambassador, it’s not at all

In terms of lenses, he covers the full range

Ping Pong â&#x20AC;&#x153;At the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, I photographed the table tennis. Just as I was walking out, I looked up to see an athlete serving - just like you see in the photo here. However, I had to leave and for four years, I thought about this photograph. When I went to the Athens Olympics, I planned to get the shot. I took my 600mm into the venue and most of the other photographers thought I was an idiot with such a big lens. As it turned out, I got it on the fourth frame.â&#x20AC;?

FEATURES

with a 14-24mm, 24-70mm, 70-200mm, 300mm

feed, but it’s just a quick edit of what I think

f2.8, 80-400mm and a 600mm f4. He also has

the best photos are. Then a week later I will

two Speedlite flashes, but says with the high

deliver a full portfolio of the day, fulfilling all the

ISO settings these days, he doesn’t use them as

different aspects of the brief from the managing

often.

director’s speech to the company banners at

the venue. Most of these photos aren’t needed

“However, flash is still useful to fill in

shadows, such as under a helmet. When you

immediately, just for their records.”

work outdoors, there’s always a shadow needing

filling in.”

and foremost on a paid shoot, there are also

“Of course, if I started my profession today,

shoots he takes using his own time and money.

I’d be buying a drone and seeing what could be

Keeping an interesting portfolio is an essential

done, but it will take more than a DSLR and a

part of his marketing regime.

70-200mm lens.”

So while Delly thinks about his client first

For instance, he recently shot the Bonneville

Salt Flats. “Every year, someone is trying to break

SPEEDY SERVICE

the land speed records and it has been on my

All his gear is kept in his Thule camera bags and

bucket list for years. I spent four days there

invariably he will have a laptop computer with

without anyone’s brief, so I could be creative. I

him because most jobs involve a social media

haven’t sold any of the photos as yet, but it’s a

aspect. “I’m mainly shooting JPEGs because it’s

part of my portfolio and a part of my heart. I’ve

all about speed and processing. I understand

always wanted to shoot this event.”

raw and the advantages, but for me, JPEGs are a

business decision.

his own account, and he shot the Pamplona

“Most of my clients want at least one or

running of the bulls, just because he is

two images of an event within five minutes of

passionate about sport photography.

me taking the photos. Invariably I’ll walk back

to my car, pull out my laptop and download

and luckily enough I can fund myself when

the photos. Then I send them the pictures.

required.” And that’s something you can only do

Sometimes they want them in 30 seconds

if you structure your business to be profitable in

which can add a lot of stress to the situation.

the first place.

Delly also went to the Winter Olympics on

“There are lots of sports I’d still like to shoot

“I’ll send them a highlight package of up

to 12 photos straightaway so they can create

You can see more of Delly Carr’s photography on his

a Facebook gallery or add them to their news

website at http://www.sportsphotography.com.au/

Usain Bolt Delly says this isn’t the best photograph ever taken, but what it does show people who visit his website is that he was shooting at the Olympics - and only a handful of photographers get to go. “That helps my marketing.”

EDUCATION

Photo Studio: Setting Up For Success Have you spent any money at all on personal training or coaches for business? Portrait photographer Glenn Addison APP AAIPP of Gap Studios has spent thousands and explains how his success comes from learning from others with more experience. When I first started, I was just excited that I had

business people. However, the truth is we found

been able to become a photographer and was

other people who were already successful in

paid to do what I loved, but we’re born to grow

areas that we wanted to be successful in, and

and that means we soon become satiated with

then found out what they did.

what we used to dream of.

did.

I believe that to be truly happy, we have

We just modelled what we did on what they

to feel a sense of fulfilment and that our lives

We have learned a lot from many different

are contributing in some way. We have to

coaches and mentors over the years and we

know WHY we’re doing it. And that can require

continue to innovate.

thinking time and planning.

HUGE INVESTMENT AN END OUTCOME IN MIND

We have invested hundreds of thousands of

Most people don’t really think about what

dollars in learning from the best. We now have

they want from their business in the long

a very sophisticated business mindset and,

term, resulting in many business owners never

most importantly, we implement everything we

making the money they need from it.

learn into our business to make it a more robust

system.

They don’t think about what sort of life or