news0704

July 15/05- I'm outta here....gone to a small cabin in the bush. No phones, no email (aarrrggggghhh!! withdrawal pains!!!), no malls, just me, and my family, and a great big gigormous lake to go snorkeling in with Danielle (my 9 yr old). So I am getting this newsletter out before I leave. Onwards troops......

July 21/05- Ok, I lied. I tried to get this letter out before I left but demands on my time wouldn't allow it. So here I am on Manitoulin Island (world's largest fresh water island, in lake Huron, for those who are wondering). Been doing nothing much of anything but eating, sleeping and swimming. And wondering about the bazillion emails when I get back. It's amazing here. Total calm and serenity. Time slows down and nature takes over. The landscape is beautiful. Trees, deer, water, meandering trails and lots of sunshine. And food.

July 23/05- I'm back and feeling over fed, over rested and anxious to get back to work. This newsletter is out this weekend. No more excuses. Hey, I'm turning 47 years old in three days. On July 26 to be exact. The question that always nags at me is: 'How come I only feel and act like I'm only 21????'

You may have heard the jokes before: "How do you make a million in photography?" Answer: "Start with two million"....or "What would you do if you won a million dollars?" Answer: "Easy...take pictures until it was all gone."

These little jokes are shared between a few of my photographer friends. I thought of 'em because of an email I received from Andrea, my young protege of sorts and recent photography grad (honours I might add!! more on her acomplishments in this newsletter...) from Ryerson.

Andrea writes: "So I've heard "you gotta spend money to make money". What do you think of that quote? The people getting the newsletter may be interested in your thoughts on that too......".

Spend money to make money. There is a nugget of truth in that thinking, and it can be your worst enemy, but here's the real danger with that philosophy: Actually believing it.

Why? I've observed people over the years who've amounted to nothing much, done nothing much, and still to this day have nothing much more than a crappy attitude and outlook on life and business, and it ain't no coincidence that these same folks are the same ones I hear muttering "It takes money to make money".

Lies, all lies. And dangerous ones too. Why? Because it is self-defeating. Don't believe it for a second. Actually it is nothing more than a great big FAT EXCUSE. Nuthin' more. Truth is, all ventures, all great services and products were created and pursued and brought to life on very, very, very tight budgets, if any budget at all. I know, I was there. I think I started with something like $100.00 (in pennies in a jar!!).

Listen, what makes a business grow ain't the money. Money can lead you down the wrong path (until it's all gone of course!). Money is a great tool, of course, and we need it, but to use it as the only tool is certain business suicide.

We need to use more powerful tools, like our brains, our courage, our passion, our IDEAS, our abilities to create a VISION, a goal, a position we would like to achieve some day. Give me these ingredients over money any day.

I am a firm believer in a persons ability to do just about anything they set out to achieve when they have the right combination of determination and vision. MONEY WILL NOT GIVE YOU THESE QUALITIES. Aux contraire. Many a fool have gone down the wrong road thinking they were actually creating something real, building a solid business, when all they were REALLY DOING was spending money.

I urge everyone and anyone who thinks that money is the answer to re-think their position. Get it together where it counts. The money will follow. I guarantee it.

Andrea writes some more in her email: "Sure, you can talk about my thesis. I have a more edited version than the book on the web.....Andrea"

Okay. Here's the deal. So Andrea goes to one of the best schools for photography on this planet, and get this. She does something that is almost UNHEARD OF. What'd she do you ask??? She tells the powers-that-be her idea for her thesis (which is due in her last year). They poo-poo the idea, thinking it too "cutesy". (When I was in photography program for all of, hhmmm, say 45 minutes or so, every week we had projects due, with the "no cutesy" ground rules clearly spelt out for us: "No flowers No sunsets!" Or else.)

Anyhoo. She takes her idea, and runs with it. Her idea, by the way, is Mothers and children and all that stuff. Long story short, she gets an A-PLUS, something they never, ever, ever, never, ever, never, ever, hardly ever do. Ever. Really. These guys are STRICT!! This isn't a college diploma either. But a full blown degree.

We could all learn from Andrea. Her presention was amazing. She had all her images bound in a book. Very cool. Very professional. The images are great, but the site alone doesn't do the actual book-in-hand justice.

I'd love to tell you how she created the finished product, but only with her permission. It was so simple, yet effective. Maybe next month. Way to go Andrea. YOU ROCK!!

Couple weeks ago James and I were out shooting this couple and their funky little car. Thought we'd do a little tutorial on it. Here's a short video. (sorry, video only available to subscribers during the actual month of the newsletter. Subscribe now if you haven't)

This is a small sampling of much, much better things to come when our new digital photography forum goes live, hopefully August 1, 2005. The new and vastly improved forum will be LOADED with hours and hours of tutorials, forums, photoshop actions and digital workflow tutorials and WAY WAY more. Beyond words.

If you aren't signed up for the initial offerings, WHAT ARE YA WAITING FOR???? Go here and do it now. Click on REGISTER AND SIGN UP. IT'S FREE (for now).

Can you guess what that mountain is made of?? Behind the couple? First correct answer WINS A PRIZE. Email me here. Put mountain guess in the subject line would 'ya??

"The question isn't who is going to let me; it's who is going to stop me."
-- Ayn Rand --

Image Explorations- Five Day Intensive James Hodgins (the othe NO Bs digital photography guy) and I are part of the week long courses being taught next August 21-25, 2005 at Brock University, St Catherines Ontario. We anticipate a sell out as class room size is limited and demand is big. If you are serious about learning and taking your digital photography for portraits and weddings up a notch or two you should really consider this program. It is your best bang for your buck..... Tuition $615.00 Cdn. plus 7%GST ($CDN 43.05) (US residents are entitled to claim the GST back at the border).

"So often times it happens that we live our lives in chains and we never even know we have the key"
The Eagles, from their song"Already Gone"

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Photography Marketing Strategies
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Now this is cool. I just got this in the mail. White envelope, hand written and old fashioned spit glued stamp; like it came from my grandma. This restaurant is one of the best in our city. I love going there, so does my wife, but we restrict our visits to about twice a year. Only on special occasions. So what are they trying to do? Get us out there more often!

My wife, who is about as strict as a nun in a church on a Sunday (she's a bean counter by trade ya' know), has but only one major weakness in her life. Restaurants. She could live in 'em and damn the bank accounts and creditors!! So when I showed her this it was a no-brainer, no hard sell needed. She's in.

Guess where were going before the end of the month to spend my measly little ten dollar gift certificate?

Can you find ways to make this work in your studio? How about a mailer with free session or dollars off to all past clients? Or a discount for reprints from last years sessions? Or last years weddings? Or an anniversary special..one year, five years, ten years, twenty five years......Or how about Happy Birthday, your baby is now one (or two, or three.....). Time for a family portrait!
The possibilities are endless.

What's valuable here is that they keep a database of past clients. Past clients are your best source for future business and referrals. That's why I harp on keeping a database and mailing 'em something that shows you care. This works like nothing else out there, and for more reasons than you think. First off, it works because no one else is doing it! Secondly, it shows you care, which has a countering effect to the NUMBER ONE REASON why people stop shopping at a particular place, including photography studios: APATHY. (on behalf on the owner- they just dont' care).

It takes work to keep in touch with clients. It's painful, and slow, and tiring. Guess that's why most don't do it. Can you find a way to make this work for your studio?
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Growing your photography business is just like any other business. Just because it's photography we're selling doesn't make it any better, any specialer, any better, any different, any cooler, any hipper. We are asking for people to fork over their hard earned cash. Something that is challenging for photographers to do at the best of times. The fundamentals apply equally to all business's. Here's the short version:
FIND A GROUP OF PEOPLE YOU WANT TO SELL TO- this is called targeting-CREATE AN ATTRACTIVE AND COMPELLING OFFER- this is called your message- and, - DELIVER THAT MESSAGE THE MOST EFFECTIVE (cheapest!) WAY POSSIBLE- this is called media.

"I have been through some terrible things in my life, some of which actually happened."
Mark Twain

Since my daughter started horse riding lessons about 9 months ago I've become a bit of an arm-chair horse expert. Which means I really know nothing because riding horses involves, well, getting on 'em and riding. But I do bring her to most lessons and enjoy sitting in the arena and watching. One thing her intructor Cindi keeps telling Danielle over and over is this: "look where your going, look where you're going!!..." Meaning, don't look down at the front of the saddle, which is what so many beginner riders do. Instead, let your hands, arms, legs and the rest of your body do what's it's supposed to be doing while you're eyes are on the place you want to go to. Sound familiar? It reminds me a lot of goal setting and pursuing one's vision. Once we master the basic skills we need to then simply focus on where it is we want to go. Let the rest happen automatically.

Danielle in her first horse show. She took third our of six competitors, not bad for a young beginner.

More lessons from the wild world of horses. I've been reading books on horses lately and one of the most fascinating persons out there is Monte Roberts, the guy who they loosely based the character on in the movie "The Horse Whisperer". Amazing man and amazing life. The book is called "The Man Who Talks to Horses". I highly recommend it.

In the book there are three very powerful success lessons. I kept going back to these three over and over and would like to share them with you right now.

Lesson #1: When Monte was younger his father entered him in all kinds of horse competitions. He even bought a train rail car that they would load him, his horses, and a chaperone/tutor onto and then attach to the main locomotive and travel all over California competing, and mostly winning much needed cash prizes. At these events they would also put on seminars. This would give them a little extra cash and help pay the bills. Monte talked openly about the true key to success when all the young riders would enter the pen where they were to have the seminar. They were all smiling and bright eyed, eager to learn. This frustrated Monte in a way. You sorta get the sense that he felt like a fraud. Why? Because, as he describes in the book, a seminar wasn't going to teach them much of anything. He goes on to explain that the reason he won so many competitions was real simple, and it wasn't because of any particular knowledge or skills he possessed. The fact is he worked at it. A lot. Up every morning, working with horses from about 6:00 AM all day until way past sunset. He rode horses day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year. That, in his opinion, was the true "secret" to his success. Simple uh?

Lesson #2: Monte was in his early twenties, married, three young babies and living in a old decrepit house on a ranch where he was trying to build his dream. He was frustrated and hungry, barely surviving month to month. Someone suggested he go and work for a particular person who was highly respected in the horse world. He took this advice and called the guy. This person told him it would cost Monte a fee and he'd have to feed himself, house himself and take care of all his own expenses and he fully expected Monte to act on his advice that was to be dispensed to him at the end of his stay. Monte agreed and worked his butt off for about 4 weeks for this guy. Now remember, this guy was going to charge Monte a fee for this opportunity. He asked Monte a lot of questions and at the end he sat down with Monte for his final analysis and reckoning. He told Monte that he thought Monte had some skills but needed some more work. He also told Monte that when he returned he was to call one of his only three clients that he was training to come by and pick up his horse the next day because the horse was "untrainable". This freaked out Monte. He only had three paying clients. This would mean a drop in income by one third. He was already starving and barely making ends meet. But he promised to act on the guys advice. He then gave him a bill for something around $4,000.00 or $6,000.00 dollars. Told him he could pay him whenever. Remember, this was in the early fifties. That was a lot of money. Woah! What a hard lesson to swallow. As soon as Monte got back he did what he promised. He called the client with the untrainable horse and "fired" the horse. The guy yelled at him and hung up. Monte was freakin! What was he doing? Two weeks later he gets a call from someone else who had a horse that needed training. The guys who Monte fired referred Monte. He recommended Monte because, as he said "he's the most honest horse trainer I've ever met". And that was the start of his good fortune and the foundations for his success. He eventually paid off the entire bill by the way. What's the lesson Monte learned? And you could too? First off it wasn't below him to go seek the help of a "master". A coach. (By the way the cost/effort/hardships he incurred was a microscopic, teenie eenie weenie percentage of the long term effect it had on his life and his destiny.) Secondly, it took faith and nerves of steel to call his client and fire him. This alone was worth the cost of admission. This alone gave him guts, courage and "brass balls." Life long skills that are essential in business.

Lesson #3: Although this one happened more recently it has it's roots when Monte was young and still in grade school. A teacher gave a project to all the kids. They had to write out their long term goals and descriptions of what they will be doing when they were older and on their own. Seems Monte had grand visions of a huge horse ranch and many horses. The teacher gave Monte an "F" with the remarks to be "a little more realistic". Monte's mom told Monte to make no-never mind, so Monte handed the project back, as is. Years later this same teacher, now retired and quite elderly but still mobile, showed up at Monte's ranch with a tour bus load of seniors. He had called weeks prior and made arrangements. When they all got off the bus the teacher made an announcemnet to everyone. He introduced the crowd to Monte and said that Monte had taught him a very valuable lesson about never underestimating another's dreams and hopes.

Time management. I have some very strong feelings about management. Maybe I will write a book about it someday, just for photographers. Let me say this much about your time: You need to ask yourself everyday, every minute; "Is what I am doing right now leading me towards my goals?".

The purpose behind time management is so you can ultimately become who you were meant to be.

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Testimonials
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On my wedding system:
"Rob,
It seems that the 300+ wedding album was not a fluke. We've just sold a second one with 288. It seems our brides love this Freestyle approach almost as much as my bank manager.
Take a look at to see what NoBS actions helped us win!!
If you also take a look at the last few wedding strips you'll see what a bad influence you are on us :-)
Take care, Bob and Fran.
http://www.abbeyhousestudios.co.uk"

"NoBS is by far the best photography forum of which I have been privieleged to participate.
Rob & James have put together an excellent place to communicate with other photographers, no matter what your level of expertise. The talent of the membership is outstanding, but talent alone does not make a succesful forum. "So what does?" you ask.
The openess and willingness to share ideas and techniques. If you are not a part of noBS, you just don't know what you're missing. 'Nuff said. Randy"

" Rob and James, Thank-you Thank-you Thank-you!!! I met these guy at PPOC and they are great. They are down to earth guys, and very approachable. Being a new comer to the business you become over-welhmed with all the latest product that make big promises. With a limited budget and a list of things to get (equipment wise) I wasn't even going to stop and listen to their 5 min sales pitch. I thought what if they ask me something to technical and then they go on how you should be doing it this way...blah blah. So once I admitted I knew nothing about actions ..etc. and that I needed a "keep it simple stupid" program. James informed me that if I wasn't happy they'd guarteed my money back. So how could a girl go wrong! Let me tell you, this is the best investment I've made to date. They give you all the info.and sign up for their forum which is a continous source of knowledge ( but you'll find you can lose hours on this thing and still won't want to leave! ) Your actions are great and very simple to use (ps. they're addicting). Thanks to Rob & James - I feel like I'm back in the game. Your ablity to teach and your openess to share truly sets you apart from the rest... you guys are ray of hope to making our industry better and stronger. Thanks for your down to earth attitude and you readiness to help ... you are amazing. Best wishes in all your adventures and success!!! "

Donnica Davis
Studio Donnica Photography
Esterhazy, Saskatchewan, Canada

"There are costs and risks to a program of action, but they are far less
than the long-range risks and costs of comfortable inaction."
-- John F. Kennedy--
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GURU CORNER:

Below is an email from Gary Bencivenga. This guy is likely the best, or one of the best marketers/copywriters alive.
Go to his website and you will find a wealth of tips and tricks.
Go here for more

Dear Marketing Top Gun,

Welcome to your first issue of Bencivenga Bullets, my complimentary e-letter
about how to boost your marketing results, both online and off.

Tom Watson, Sr., the founder of IBM, said that to be great, a company needs a
religion.

Good advice, too, for an e-letter like this.

So in this first BULLET, let me share my core beliefs about advertising, and you
can see if they match yours.

First, I believe the purpose of advertising is to sell, not win awards or
applause. This is why each Bullet will share a little secret of master
salesmanship, applied to direct response advertising.

Second, I believe that a single measurement is worth a thousand opinions. That
is why these Bullets trade not in opinions, but proven strategies my clients and
I have discovered by investing tens of millions of dollars in scientific direct
response tests.

Third, I believe in selling with integrity. The strongest ads tell the truth
dramatically. You do not have to lie, be a weasel, shortchange your customers,
sully your good name or cut corners. Treat your customers by the Golden Rule and
they will reward you with more gold.

Fourth, I believe in you, in the tremendous untapped power of your mind to
achieve anything you truly desire and believe, as long as it does not harm
others. So in these Bullets, I will serve up bite-sized secrets of great direct
response advertising, powdered with some magic sugar, little tips for unlocking
your own creativity, productivity and talent to achieve your greatest potential.

If you share these four beliefs, I am delighted we have found each other. You
and I are kindred spirits, marketing comrades. Which leads me to....

Bullet #1: In your copy, especially your Welcome Letter, never be too timid to
say with clarity and boldness what you believe and specialize in. Like the
original IBM, have a company religion and evangelize it with zeal. Wear your
colors proudly.

I call this the Credo Technique. Credo (pronounced CRAY-doe) is Latin for I
believe. But it is much more than a technique. It is an expression of your most
strongly held core values which serve as a clarion call to gather the
like-minded faithful of your marketplace.

You will find that when you clearly stand for something, you will never stand
alone. Indeed, standing for something special in your overcrowded marketplace
sets you apart from armies of me-too competitors who strive to be everything to
everybody, and wind up meaning nothing special to anyone.

Using the Credo Technique is the surest way I know to attract and bond with your
kindred spirits, your true believers, your most loyal comrades in arms, your
best clients and friends, as I hope I have found in you.

And now, Top Gun, that you are a marketing comrade about to saddle up and ride
with us, allow me to arm you as well as the other members of our posse.

I invite you to step forward and let me place across your trusty shoulders a
full bandoleer of magic Bullets of higher response--every Bullet published to
date.

A few are rare Silver Bullets, my most special secrets for helping you succeed
outrageously in all areas of life, especially marketing. They are yours at my
Arsenal (the Bullet Archive).

Yours for a good life and, always, higher response,
Gary Bencivenga

"Success" ... like "poverty" ... is a state of mind.
Jim Straw

If you want to succeed at photography marketing, I mean really take it serious,
invest in the right information and direction for your future.

And, if you want to take your wedding photography marketing up a notch or two, do the same.

That's it for now folks! hope you enjoyed my monthly rant.
Thank You
Robert Provencher

Hold on to your hats and take names! I will tell all! Muchos gracias!