November 2006

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Newsie bits
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This is the busy season, at least for most of us portrait studios who shoot families, babies and memories of all sorts; you know, people! Of course this is a time when you outta be really cashing in and making tons of sales and profits due the huge demand that Christmas brings.

People love giving, and receiving gifts. In my modest opinion a portrait is one the finest gifts of love EVER! Hopefully your shooting schedule is crammed and your bank account is swollen with the fruits of your labour.

Making money. Assuming you love photography, and you love creating outstanding images for people who are willing to pay you for your efforts, is there any other reason? Let's not loose focus here. We are in business. That should be first and foremost- the turning of profit, so you can do the things you want to do while you're doing the thing you love doing (did that make any sense?).

Let me say it this way: stay focused and have goals and fun. Don't do this for the wrong reasons. You need to be focused on what's important for you, so when you create your destiny and realize your goals, you are in fact growing as a person, and realizing your fullest potential. I teach many people in group settings, workshops, one on one, and I find that as the years roll on, my message becomes simpler and simpler and I revert to the fundamentals more and more. There are two areas that the fundamentals are key: photography and goals. Goals is somewhat generic because it applies to everyone in any field. The fundamentals of photography applies to us, because we are one of them.

Let me explain some more: goals insofar as they are fundamentally critical to our success means: we have a HUGE, self directed responsability in discovering what it is WE WANT for ourselves. You see, this is like a sacred area. Very personal. No one, I mean no one can define your goals for you. You have to. But most don't. So this message, in it's fundamentally soundness, gets lost. Squandered. Ignored. Opportunity lost. Because we are too lazy, tired, unconscious, distracted, ignorant, entertained,....whatever.

If your life depended on you creating goals, you would. If a bunch of bad guys busted through your front door, and with guns pointing at your face screaming at you: "What are your goals!!!", you'd say something and something fast, wouldn't you? You'd get focused. That's what I meant when I bring up the slide in my marketing presentation that reads: "The Mind is Most Focused When There is a Hanging at Dawn."

That's the problem. We loose sight of the fundamentals, because nothing's pushing us. Except ourselves. We need to depend on our own initiave!

Back to the fundamentals. Know what you want, get clear, define it for yourself, and your spouse or employees (the more people involved the clearer your definition outta be!) That's it, that's all. You don't need approval from anyone, and the more you look outside yourself for solutions (like a magic wand or wizard who will simply wave their magic in the air and you will instantly get your answers...) the more you are getting away from the fundamentals. Nothing changes.

Especially the fundamentals. And if there's any area that this is truer than true it's in photography, which now leads me to the other side of the coin.Our photography. I see ssssooooooo many get distracted in this area.

I can guess why? Likely it's because of all those really cool whiz bang toys, gadgets and tools available to us. Easy to get blinded by all the lights and colors and loose sight, isn't it? I know, I been there too many times. But I always get back to basic fundamentals.

Others reasons why photography is so easy to get distracted from the fundamentals. Ego. Yup, man, "lookee mee. AAaahhhh am good. Aren't I??!!" Or worse yet, "loookeee me and my big camera and lens.....I am the bomb (can't shoot worth crap, but I look scary!!!!)..." Or look at my workflow, my computer, my lights, my "art", my file size, my plug ins..."

Listen. Photography hasn't changed much over the last 100 years. Light/composition/lens/capture=moment immortalized. Some, most of the time (about 99%) enhancements (same basic enhancements that we used to do in the darkroom with dodging/burning and the retouching room) and, get paid.

Fact is, clients don't give a rats pittoot about any of your reasons, they only want nice photos. They couldn't care less how you got that awesome expression of their wedding or their family or little baby. Who cares!! So you shot raw. Who cares??!! You have a 12 MP camera. Who cares!! You worked many hours on your workflow, when ten minutes would have been fine. Who cares!! Did they see the difference? NO. Why?

'Cuz their ain't one, that's why.

What's so hard about that formula? Why do we get lost and misguided? We loose focus. Why? Because we either don't get the basics yet, or we don't really have any real pressing (hangings).

You can tell who are the ones who get this. They have the most happy clients and the most succesful business's.
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No Bs AID: Will you be warm this Christmas? Over at the world's greatest photography forum which has the world's best members, we are collecting funds for a good cause. Why not throw in $5.00. Your contribution can help go a long way.. Check it out.
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Our workshop in the Caribbeam is startting to fill up. Check out the details.

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The No Bs FreeStyle Wedding System is arriving tomorow. I am putting together the sales letter this week and will blast you all an email with a great limited time intro offer. I don't send many promo emails, but this will be worth hearing about.

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Las Vegas 2007 Mark your calendars. WPPI, (Wedding and Portrait Photographers International) is happening March 24-29. We will be there March 25 to the 28th. We have a trade show booth reserved and hope to put on a one day event on Sunday, March 25th.

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Please, buy my book. I need money for clothes......
EXPOSED: The Naked, Uncensored Truth to Running a Successful Photography Business it ready! You can order the book by going here. I will post more details on soon (when I squeeze in the time!). It's only $19.95 + $2.95 shipping, 170 pages

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Photography Marketing Strategies
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Let's talk about LOGOS...and why I hate them so much. This rant's been building up for some time now, and I better get it off my chest. I will do two things, one: reveal my own geeky past and two: speak off the cuff.

First of all, I think logos are stupid. Here's coming from a guy who has a long history of using them and at one time truly believing in them. That was before I saw the light. It's not a coincidence that the time in my life when I finally quit using logos, and started using real effective marketing strategies, is when my profits and business really started to grow.

That's not not to say that quitting the use of logos is, in of of itself, a marketing strategy, but applying my marketing strategies in smarter ways was what was working for me. Onwards...

Here's why I mostly hate logos. They are nothing more than eye-candy. Baubles. Like a nice piece of chrome on an awesome car or a great set of earrings on a beautiful woman. These things make not the car, nor the lady. It's what's inside that counts.

The main problem is when people naively think or are convinced by the designer or ad agency or themselves because everyone in their industry is doing it, that creating a logo (often at outrageous costs) is a marketing strategy in and of itself. (Read that last line again in case you missed the main message.) To be fair, it ain't so bad having a logo, but it ain't the apex of marketing, nor a great overall marketing strategy, AS LONG AS YOU DO OTHER THINGS RIGHT ( and DO NOT spend a fortune HIGH EXPENSE DOES NOT EQUAL QUALITY HERE).

Stay focused on what it really takes to build your business, and avoid sitting on your rear doing nothing, with a supreme sense of confidence that because you have a cool logo, a biz card, a sign and a biz license you are good to go!

Get a logo if you insist, but move on. With one caveat: You don't need to spend a fortune on a logo if you insist on getting one. In my business all I use now, and have been for about a decade, is my business name in Times Roman font. That's it, that's all.

People do not buy because of logos. As if. I can hear all the designers ranting their mantra: 'But a logo is essential to your image, your "brand"'...Phoooeeeyyyyy!!!!!

What a load of crock. Goes to show you how much designers know about the true nature of sales.

Beware the designer who thinks he/she knows more about what it will take to grow your photography business. They usually are more concerned about looking good, keeping your money, winning design awards, peer approval, and, keeping a whole bunch of us in the dark about their mystical "creative" talents that have been bestowed upon them from some godly force above. DO NOT BE A VICTIM.

They know nothing. So, you be in charge. It's your business, you know your product, you know what your clients want. And they don't want logos. To be fair again, if you want one, get one. But move on. Use this lady I don't know her, but she has some great looking designs and pricing. BUT DON'T agonize over this. FOCUS!

The guys who started Nike, what's his name. Anyhoo, he used to sell his running shoes FROM THE TRUNK OF HIS CAR, at track meets! Do you think he was concerned about getting a logo? Not likely. He was on a mission. Growing. We all know the Nike "brand", easily recognized by the "swoosh" logo, right? How many millions do you think they now spend, and have spent on "branding" over the years? Tens of millions most likely. When you get that big and have an international presence like Nike, Coke, Pepsi, Starbucks etc, then throw a few million here and there at your designers. Until then, use what counts.

Okay, here's where I get to fess up and show you some really old picture from my photography past.

Here's my first business card. Circa 1981. I didn't even own a Hasseblad! Just a Canon F-1 and one lens.

Yuch! I don't like that name. Here's my next card, circa 1984. My first studio, with a high profile location. Am I ever glad it only lasted a year. What was I thinking! The owners of Westmount Photography contacted me and offered me a sweet deal on their home/studio. I jumped on it. It was a beautiful 3500 sq ft home/studio combo, and I truly believe that it was opportunity that came because I had started my first studio, causing the universe to move and bring opportunity my way. I lived and worked at that home studio for about 6 years and relocated downtown, keeping the name to this date. People in my city know the name so well, why change!??

Here's the only record I have of my next "logo". This is about 1988, one of my first big displays at a local 3 day home show. Hey, my work wasn't so bad was it! I loved that logo too. See a blurry close up here.

When I moved downtown I took the name, and used the design somewhat modified on my sign. I was here for about 5 years.

When I got married, and moved to a busy mall location, and took Tina as a business partner (best move I ever made) we had a local agency create this. Used it, in various color combinations, for years. Now it gets largely ignored.

Here's my current signage and "logo":

The sign that points to the back where the studio is.

The sign on my studio. I wanted a Heritage look, very woodsy and country.

My logo nowadays? Simple:

Westmount Photography

That's it, that's all. People know me, our studio and don't need a logo to respond to our offers.

You can acquire all my photography marketing and coaching strategies online.
Check it out here

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Success Corner
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What would you do if you had no sessions, little samples, no money, some talent and mostly passion? I was there, years ago. If you are just starting out and need to get things going, learn all you can about your craft and about marketing. Where? With me of course (my shameless plug). Photography marketing and photography strategies and photography forum. I wish I had me when I started out. Had to figure it out all by myself. This year, and in years gone by I have spent much more, I have spent about $2,000.00 or more on personal development. Start with YOU.

Next to that get a note pad and list all the markets you want to go after. List every possible strategy you can use. EVERYTHING. Don't whine, bitch or get negative. This is powerful, but only if you do it and put to action. List everything, even the dumb stuff (except getting a logo:)....Do it. I love using a notepad. Actually I have about 6 on the go at any one time. Several in my office, my kichen and in my car. All loaded with notes and ideas.

Next to that, make some goals. Look at your notes. Pick something that you can START RIGHT NOW, THIS WEEK. Today! And do it. When you MOVE, the universe moves too. It Looovvvveeessss Speed. Swwwooossssshhhhhhhhhh!!!.

Need help getting those goals done? Download these goal setting forms I created for the Inferno. (expired)

Get it now, it's gone in 30 days. More importantly, print em out and us em. WARNING: Don't replace this for the notepads as discussed above

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Testimonials
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"Hi Rob,
Just wanted to drop you and Hodgy a quick email to let you both know what a great time my husband had at "The Inferno at The Falls". My husband's name is Brian, I believe he said you called him the motorcycle guy! Anyway he got home about 11:30 last Wed. and he talked nonstop until I finally had to ask him to stop around 1am since I am still a working girl and had to get up early. By time I got home on Thursday, it was the same thing: listen to this, look at this picture or website, let's try this or do this. He is so pumped up about taking the next step to make our business even more successful. He made a ton of great contacts and came home with so much information that we are still trying to sift through it. One the best things though was the print competition. Brian always questions whether or not his work is good - even though everyone tells him it is great! Then he placed third out of 100 prints and being voted by his peers... that did more for his confidence level than words can explain. I just wanted to say Thanks so much for helping Brian see his own potential. We are looking forward to meeting you guys again - maybe next time I can come! JJJ
Dee Little"