resources for photographers

Big Photography Conferences Planned for Early 2013

Whether you are brand new to photography or an established professional who wants to learn what’s next for photography, one of these five conferences can help you gain the knowledge and connections you seek.

At each of these events you can see demonstrations of the latest photography equipment, pick vendors’ brains, expand your technical skills, learn more about the business of photography, and network with experts and peers.  Here’s a quick rundown of the major events scheduled for the first half of 2013.

2013 PMA@CES
Las Vegas, Nevada
January 6-7: DIMA, PSPA, and SPAA Conferences at Bally’s
January 6-7: AIE Future Imaging Summit at Bally’s
January 8-11: PMA Conferences and Exhibits at LVH (formerly Las Vegas Hilton)

If you like seeing how photography fits into the larger universe of consumer electronics, this event is for you. Held in conjunction with the International CES (Consumer Electronics Show), the PMA-hosted events can benefit anyone involved in marketing photography products or services, including photo-imaging retailers, chain stores, photo labs, and professional photographers.

PMA@CESAt the DIMA conference, digital-imaging professionals will share business-growth ideas such as retail strategies, social media marketing, and photo publishing.  Also discussed with be technologies such as hybrid imaging and consumer-generated augmented reality.

The PSPA/SPAA conference helps school, sports, and event photographers discover new ways to grow their business. Sessions will cover microbudget filmmaking, 21st Century lighting techniques, photo-merchandising trends, and social-media marketing.

For the Future Imaging Summit, The Association of Imaging Executives (AIE) is bringing together top imaging executives for four in-depth panel discussions to forecast the future of photography. The four areas to be discussed include: capture technology; online and smartphone image sharing; desktop and mobile apps and software for editing images; and output (the latest tools, tools, techniques, and materials for physical photo display).

The PMA@CES Conference sessions on January 8-10 will discuss the top imaging and technology trends to watch in 2013, new opportunities in creative photo products and personalized photo gifts, and best practices a challenges for storing photographs “in the cloud.”

IMAGING USA
Atlanta, Georgia
Georgia World Congress Center
January 20-22, 2013

ImagingUSAHosted by the non-profit Professional Photographers of America (PPA), Imaging USA is the largest annual convention and expo organized by professional photographers for professional photographers. Expert instructors will show you how to make more money with photography and balance that business your family life.

In one session, Will Crockett will discuss how to become comfortable, efficient, and profitable creating hybrid “eProducts” that customers can view in their iPhones, iPads, Facebook pages, and any screen you can think of. Hybrid imaging is the skillful blending of photos, videos, and audio (and anything else you can fit into an electronic image file).

Three days of more in-depth education are offered January 17, 18, and 19, covering topics such as business basics for portrait photographers, business basics for wedding photographers, portrait retouching, composite imaging, and how to turn your passion for photography into a viable business.

WPPI Wedding & Portrait Photography Conference & Expo
Las Vegas, Nevada
MGM Grand Hotel
Conference: March 7-14, 2013
Expo: March 11-13, 2013

WPPI2013-LogoThis event is organized by the Wedding & Portrait Photographers International division of Nielsen Photo Group, the same company that publishes Rangefinder and PDN magazines and hosts PhotoPlusExpo in New York.  The WPPI conference is the biggest event in the world for wedding and portrait photographers.

Sessions are geared toward teaching up-and-coming photographers how to strengthen their shooting skills, market their photography services, and run a profitable business.

Specific topics to be covered include: how to make the most of out of Pinterest; how to get amazing portraits in venues that are less-than-appealing; business law for 21st century photographers; and easy HDSLR filmmaking techniques for still photographers.

Photoshop World
Orlando, Florida
Orange County Convention Center
April 17-19, 2013

Organized by the National Association of Photoshop Professionals, this design and photography event offers three days of training from experts in Photoshop, photography, and lighting. The program includes more than 100 classes on photography, multimedia, printing/prepress, retouching, lighting, composition, and Adobe Lightroom, Photoshop, and Creative Suite. Specific sessions explain how to: sell your work online, create custom photo books, manage paperwork such as contracts and licenses, and get great prints from just about any printer.

The Big Photo Show
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles Convention Center
May 4-5, 2013

PMABigPhotoShowIn September, PMA (the Photo Marketing Association) introduced The Big Photo Show website as an online community where photo enthusiasts, professional photographers, photo retailers, imaging labs, and manufacturers can meet, learn and grow together.

Now, PMA has announced the dates and location for The Big Photo Show, an event where photo enthusiasts can come to: see, touch, and try the latest in photography gear; meet representatives from the top equipment manufacturers, retailers, and labs; interact with other photographers; and hone their skills.

“The website offers photo contests with great prizes, tips and tricks from expert photographers, and a calendar of events, where photo enthusiasts can find out what’s happening in the world of photography, right where they live and work,” said Jim Esp, Executive Director of PMA. “Retailers, labs, framers, photographers and other imaging industry members can share their news and invite photo enthusiasts in their local markets to take part in whatever they’re doing.”

Allen Showalter, PMA President, added, “The Big Photo Show and the new, corresponding online community will bring consumers who love photography together with the people who have made it their life’s work to serve them. What a remarkable opportunity for imaging businesses to develop relationships with photo enthusiasts, and for those avid photographers to discover all the wonderful tools and services this industry has to offer, to help them grow in both passion and ability as photographers.”

LINKS

PMA@CES

IMAGING USA

WPPI Wedding & Portrait Photography Conference & Expo

Photoshop World

The Big Photo Show

 

 

Three Books That Can Help You Be a Better Photographer

Even if you don’t aspire to “go pro,” imagine the benefits of knowing how to take better photographs. You would be less reliant on stock images for your blogs, presentations, and e-books. You could decorate your home (or homepage) with conversation-worthy images that let others see what catches your eye. And you could be a more visually expressive documentarian of your family’s life.

If you agree that reading books by photographers can be a great way to learn, here are three titles from Amphoto Books that you might want to check out.

  • Bryan Petersen’s Understanding Composition Field Guide: How to See and Photograph Images with Impact by Bryan Peterson
  • Extraordinary Everyday Photography: Awaken Your Vision to Create Stunning Images Wherever You Are by Brenda Tharp and Jed Manwaring
  • Beyond Snapshots: How to Take That Fancy DSLR Camera Off “Auto” and Photography Your  Life Like a Pro by Rachel Device and Peta Mazey

Each of these books can help you “see” more like a pro photographer. You’ll learn how to find great images everywhere you go, and capture shots that require minimal editing time. Each book is filled with gorgeous, full-color images and detailed explanations of what the photographer was thinking as they set up the shot.

Bryan Peterson’s Understanding Composition Field Guide

Bryan Peterson is a professional photographer, founder of the online Picture Perfect School of Photography (www.ppsop.com), and best-selling author. Sales of his nine previous books have surpassed 700,000 copies. His book “Understanding Exposure” is Amphoto’s Number 1 best-selling title of all time,

In this 287-page, field-guide-sized manual Peterson explains that the one thing that your camera can’t control is composition. He contends that it’s not the content that makes an image compelling, but how that content is arranged in the frame.

Bryan also explains and illustrates “Whether you are shooting garbage, Half-Dome in Yosemite, a fashion model, or a stricken family, a compelling image awaits you if you understand the ‘rules’ and nuances that every successful arrangement relies on,” says Bryan.

To “get it right in the camera,” he recommends taking a careful and methodical approach to seeing “layers” from the background to the foreground and making choices about lenses, point of view, time of day, the use of props, and the removal of distracting objects.

The book’s 14 chapters include:

  • Learning to See: Mining the Mundane
  • The Role of Aperture and Shutter Speed
  • Filling the Frame: Two Steps from a Compelling Composition
  • Choosing Your Background
  • Using the Empty Canvas
  • Adding Interest in the Foreground
  • Creating Contrast
  • The Golden Section, the Rule of Thirds, and the Rule of Visual Weight
  • Horizontal versus Vertical
  • Framing with a Frame
  • Sweating the Small Stuff
  • Mining Images to Find the Mother Lode
  • Capturing the Decisive Moment
  • When to Break the Rules

“In my mind, the measure of a photograph’s success is its ability to evoke an emotional response: to cause us to feel joy, discomfort, elation, disgust, sadness,” writes Peterson. “To that end, I encourage you to use all your skills and talents, including the courage to be creative.”

Bryan Peterson’s Understanding Composition Field Guide: How to See and Photograph Images with Impact

Bryan Peterson

Extraordinary Everyday Photography

Brenda Tharp is an award-winning photographer, writer, and teacher specializing in travel, nature, and outdoor photography. For this inspiring book, she teams up with Jed Marwaring, a professional photographer whose images have appeared in Outdoor Photographer, Outside, and Sunset magazines.

Through numerous examples, they illustrate that that you don’t need to travel to exotic locales to capture interesting photographs. As they put it: “Wonderful images are hiding almost everywhere; you just need to know how to find them.”

“Extraordinary Everyday Photography” will help you search beyond the surface to find the unexpected wherever you are, be it a downtown street, a local park, or your own front lawn.

Showing images taken with DSLRs, compact digital cameras, and  iPhones, the authors make the point that creating great image is less about the gear you use and more about your eye and creative vision. They explain how to use composition, available light, color, and point of view to create stunning photographs in any environment.  The book’s 10 chapters include:

  • Finding Fresh Vision
  • The Moment of Perception
  • Discovering Pictures Where You Live
  • Expanding the Creative Process
  • Capturing Everyday Moments
  • Finding Your Point of View
  • Creating Strong Compositions
  • Exploring the Light Around You
  • Photographing at Dusk and Dawn
  • Photographing the Night Around You

“Photography isn’t just about figure the mechanics of setting aperture and shutter speed, and pressing the shutter release,” Twarp emphasizes. “It’s also about figuring out what you’re trying to express with your picture and when to press the shutter button. To do this, we must have a creative vision that comes from seeing with an open heart and mind.”

Extraordinary Everyday Photography: Awaken Your Vision to Create Stunning Images Wherever You Are

Brenda Tharp

Jed Manwaring

Beyond Snapshots

Using the friendly and welcoming writing style they developed as bloggers, self-taught professional photographers Rachel Devine and Peta Mazey show you how to use a DSLR to photograph the story of your life, from falling in love and raising a family to celebratory gatherings and everyday moments. You’ll learn:

  • Common beginner mistakes and how to avoid them
  • How to take portraits of your children, friends, groups, pets—even yourself
  • How to capture light to make your photos more dramatic
  • How to make colors pop, eyes sparkle, and skin tones more realistic
  • How to capture the uniqueness and wonder of your family, friends, and world

Part 1 of the book explains how to go beyond the “auto” setting on your camera  while Part 2 emphasizes that “Life is a Photo Op.” The chapters in Part 2 have titles such as:

  • What Love Looks Like
  • Milestones and Firsts
  • Documenting Family Life
  • Sharing Yourself
  • Life Is in the Details
  • Seeing the World (or Just Your Hometown)
  • Seasons of Change
  • All Together Now

In the book’s introduction, the authors note that “We’ve read numerous photography books that are technically overwhelming, or as dry and dull as the camera manuals themselves. We’ve tried to make sure this book is neither.”

“Photography is an art and a science, but it’s also a way of life,” they write. “Taking photographs nurtures your ability to see detail and appreciate beauty in both obvious and unlikely places.” They also point out that “Photography is storytelling, and everyone has a story worth telling.”

Beyond Snapshots: How to Take That Fancy DSLR Camera Off “Auto” and Photograph Your Life like a Pro

Peta Mazey

Rachel Devine

About Amphoto Books

 

Rate Calculator Helps Freelance Videographers Set Prices

Like other freelance pros, many freelance videographers often struggle with this question: “How much should I charge for my work?” In today’s competitive economy, it’s easy to find yourself wrestling with similar questions such as:

  • How can I make enough money to survive without scaring away potential clients with high prices?
  • How valuable is my time and work?
  • How much do I need to charge to keep my business afloat?
  • How can I keep my prices competitive without cheating myself?

A new Video Rate Calculator can help you be more confident in quoting reasonable, but profitable rates for your video services. The calculator was developed by Videomaker, the popular website and magazine for all things video.

According to Videomaker, “Finding the right, fair price to charge for video work is a delicate balancing act. Unfortunately, for most videographers it’s little more than a guessing game. But the simple truth is that if you don’t know what your services are worth, there’s no way to run a successful video business.”

Many videographers try to guess the best rate, only to discover they’ve gone too low and their bill doesn’t even cover the equipment and transportation expenses of the shoot.

Videomaker’s Video Rate Calculator takes some of the guesswork out of your pricing process, by taking into account some of the expenses associated with pre-production, production, and post-production as well as your equipment costs, office costs, and desired profit level. The Video Rate Calculator will help you:

  • Track your business expenses
  • Achieve your profitability goals
  • Ensure that your business operates in the black
  • Keeps your prices competitive enough to keep your current clients and attract new ones

LINKS

Videomaker Video Rate Calculator

About Videomaker Magazine

PhotoBiz Helps Creatives with SEO and Social Media Strategies

PhotoBiz, a web-solutions company for photographers and creative professionals, has expanded their offerings to include Web Styling, Search Engine Optimization, and Social Media services.

“These new services are an extension of our enthusiastic approach to hands-on customer support,” said Chelsea Parker, PhotoBiz Visual Team Artist.

Web Styling Service

PhotoBiz will develop a personalized online identity for you, including a custom background and header image to complement your brand and a color scheme to match the new look. In addition, the PhotoBiz Web Styling Team will upload and organize images into galleries and insert copy. The result is a beautiful, and user-friendly website built on the PhotoBiz Control Panel.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Service

PhotoBiz SEO Experts can develop personalized strategies to help you attract more traffic to your website. Services include optimizing metadata, reviewing the usability of your website, setting up Google Analytics and Webmaster Tools, and creating unique goals, filters, and alerts.  Forty-five days after the SEO plan has been implemented, you will get a follow-up call to review the site’s progress.

Social Media Service

First-class graphics on sites such as Facebook and Twitter can help take your social media outreach to the next level. The Web Stylists at PhotoBiz will design eye-catching Facebook cover photos and Twitter background images. Plus, you will receive one-on-one education on how to use top social media outlets.

Located in Greensboro, North Carolina, PhotoBiz specializes in designing and hosting Flash and HTML Portfolio sites, business sites, stores, blogs. They also offer slideshow tools for online client proofing.

LINKS

About PhotoBiz

PhotoBiz Services

Learn to Use Inkjet Transfers for Fine Photo and Art Prints

If you want to create one-of-a-kind photo and art prints, check out the Digital Art Studio Seminars (DASS) website. Artist Bonny Pierce Lhotka established the website in 2009 for artists and photographers who want to learn how to merge classic printmaking techniques with modern technology.

Digital Alchemy book coverThrough the website, you can register for hands-on workshops or buy instructional DVDs and books that explain how to transfer inkjet prints to a variety of surfaces including birch panels, stone paper, aluminum sheets, acrylic, Econolite rigid metal panels. In her book, “Digital Alchemy,” Lhotka explains how to direct print on metal, metal leaf, and custom substrates.

To ensure that the materials needed for the transfer and printing processes explained in the seminars and instructional materials are readily accessible, the Digital Art Studios Seminar website includes an online store.

Two of the newest products featured on the site are: DASS Universal Inkjet Precoat II and Aged Metal Plates.

DASS Universal Inkjet Precoat II

This inkjet precoat can be used to prepare any surface for inkjet printing.  This new, clear formula spreads easily on paper, canvas, glass, and metals. Coated metals retain their sheen. A coating bar is included to help ensure even, smooth application.

Aged Metal Plates

To create one-of-a-kind photographic prints, you can order sets of six 8 x 10-inch aged metal plates. To print directly on the metal plate, you would first apply the DASS Universal Inkjet Precoat II. To transfer pigment ink prints to the metal plates, you would use the DASS SuperSauce and DASS Transfer Film, which can also be purchased through the DASS website.

LINKS

Digital Art Studio Seminars

Guide Explains How to Succeed in Event Photography Biz

Weddings aren’t the only events for which photographers are hired. Planners of corporate gatherings, charity galas, concerts, and sporting events also hire photographers to document the event. Many images shot during a corporate or charity event will be used in future fundraising efforts or to promote future events.

If you think you might have what it takes to build an event-photography business, check out the free educational guide available from PhotoShelter. In the guide, leading photographers and industry buyers provide expert tips on how to connect with clients and keep them happy during shoot day.

In the introduction, the guide’s authors emphasize the importance of people skills: “No matter what type of event you’re photographing, you will probably be interacting with people more directly than say, nature photographers do. In fact, people skills, crowd control, and a welcoming, yet authoritative demeanor are important assets for any photographer wanting to cover events and attract repeat clients.”

The 28-page guide includes tips for:

  • making the crowd love you
  • visually telling the story of the event
  • promoting your business through word-of-mouth marketing
  • partnering with other vendors
  • building a robust, reasonable contract

In addition to the skills outlined above, it’s also important that you find ways to streamline your post-processing time. Today, clients expect event photographers to be able deliver images almost immediately.

“I used to deliver event photos a week after the event—that doesn’t fly anymore,” says Angela Jiminez. “Now I deliver the full set 48 hours later.” For a small additional fee, she will deliver a small set of photos within a few hours after the event ends.

“Growing Your Event Photography Business” is the latest in PhotoShelter’s ongoing series of free business guides for photographers and marketing professionals. PhotoShelter’s e-book library includes 22 educational guides including topics such as email marketing, search engine optimization, Google Analytics, blogging, and starting a photography business.

About PhotoShelter

PhotoShelter offers professional, reliable and innovative online tools for building and growing a successful photography business. Every day, over 74,000 photographers use PhotoShelter’s websites, social and SEO tools to show their work and attract customers. Their online image archives enable you to stay organized and access images on the fly. With PhotoShelter’s image delivery and e-commerce tools, you can sell your work easily and securely.

LINKS

Growing Your Event Photography Business

PhotoShelter Library of Educational Guides

PhotoShelter

Guide Explains How to Get More Views for YouTube Videos

It’s amazing to realize how quickly YouTube has become such an integral part of our popular culture, providing a platform for millions of makers and watchers of short videos. Founded in February 2005, YouTube now receives over 800 million unique users each month. It has become the second largest search engine, right behind Google itself.

YouTube’s audience is also growing, as people around the world use PCs, smartphones, and tablets to watch 4 billion hours of video each month.

The number of videos being uploaded to YouTube is also increasing at a blistering pace. About 72 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute.

So if you produce videos for yourself or for clients, what steps can you take to help your videos get more viewers?

Subject matter and content play a large role in the popularity of online videos, but the experts at Videomaker.com believe many video creators overlook some tools that can be used either to make money from videos or attract more viewers.

So, Videomaker has released the free report: 5 Advertising Tricks for YouTube: Get More Views for Your Video.
The 14-page report includes 9 tips for using two Google advertising programs: AdSense, for generating income from video viewership and AdWords for running ad campaigns that can help you attract more viewers.

The e-book was produced to help Videomaker call attention to their wide selection of training materials that can help new and experienced videographers create and publish great videos. On the Videomaker site, you can choose from tutorials, DVDs, workshops, webinars, books, magazines, and more.

LINK

Free Guide: 5 Advertising Tricks for YouTube: Get More Views for Your Videos

Videomaker

Statistics on YouTube Viewership