Oct 2007
A Weekend Visit
October/29/2007 SuccessWare
This past weekend at Deep Creek, I had a wonderful visit with Jeff and Judy Grann of Successware, along with their 5-year-old twins and my daughter and her family. We reviewed some exciting additions to SuccessWare that presently are in the pipeline. More about that later.
It was a wonderful Indian summer weekend, and just before the Granns headed home, I grabbed this photo of the family together.
It was a wonderful Indian summer weekend, and just before the Granns headed home, I grabbed this photo of the family together.
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Christmas Ornaments
October/26/2007 Cool Stuff!
Kim Collins, a photographer from Rolla, MO, has let me know that she has a source for very attractive Christmas ornaments at a very attractive price. These are strictly a Christmas product, as they include scriptural references. Each frame holds a 1 1/2" x 2 1/2" portrait. The overall frame size is 3 11/16" x 2 13/16". Prices start at $7.00 per frame and are discounted as low as $6.00 for quantity purchases. Each frame is accompanied by a satin ribbon for hanging on the tree or packages. For quantity purchases the designs can be mixed but each design must be purchased in sets of 4: 14 or less $7.00 each / 32 or less $6.50 each / 72 or less $6.00 each
You can order the ornaments through Kim, who can send you a larger image that will allow you read the ornament inscriptions. Contact Kim by clicking here. Thanks, Kim!
The Problem of Husband Sticker-Shock
October/24/2007 Selling
Recently I received really great question that was posed this way:
In my children’s portrait business, my clients (upscale moms) will pay on average $800-$1500 with me. However, I often hear comments like “my husband’s gonna freak,” “My husband’s probably going to divorce me,” “I’d better pay out of 2 different checking accounts so my husband doesn’t find out I spent this much on pictures,” and “When I told him how much I spent, he thought it was outrageous.” The feedback afterward, however, when the husband finally sees the photos or canvases is very positive . . . he loves them. But I’m unhappy with the negativity attached to the experience for my female clients, both in anticipation of telling their husbands and in enduring their husbands comments until he sees the photos. I know that it’s much easier for a woman to make an emotional purchase than it is for a man, but . . . can you suggest any language I can use/pass along to my clients to help offset this husband sticker-shock?
I can certainly understand this photographer's upset and the negativity being directed at her business by a "third party" — in this case the husband. My experience has been to get the husband involved from the beginning if at all possible. If he participates in the design session, he becomes as committed as the mom. And typically he's the one who ultimately will defend a larger purchase.
But I also wanted to ask Houston photograph Carol Andrews, my good friend and fellow Studio Management Service consultant, for her viewpoint on this, as I consider Carol to be the "Female Finance Diva." Here's what she had to say:
"I educate my clients IN ADVANCE of the photo session to help identify a budget for "them." This gives my clientele a security level. Generally, I will ask the female client is she is comfortable going out to buy a new couch or china cabinet without her husband. If she says yes, then I'll say great, so he'll be comfortable with your decisions without being present. If she says no, I'll suggest that its very important that he be involved in the decisions, and won't feel left out and resent HER decisions, so we'll find a time when he can be present also. I'll tell her that I want to respect their relationship, and do what works best for them.
"It works beautifully, no problems. Very smooth. There is a problem only if Dad gets sandbagged with a huge surprise on the Visa bill. How would the wife feel if Dad goes out and buys the biggest screen Hi Def television, has the furniture moved and the monster media center installed? Stand in our customers shoes . . .
"The entire key is to handle the situation IN ADVANCE . . . get everyone on the same playing field, with the same rules. Stanley Marcus used to have a sign on his desk that said 'no surprises.' Our businesses run much more smoothly with that philosophy."
Great answer Carol! If this wisdom doesn't work with your client, then let her give you a "subterfuge payment." After all . . . it's her marriage. Thank heavens we're not responsible for this issue!
In my children’s portrait business, my clients (upscale moms) will pay on average $800-$1500 with me. However, I often hear comments like “my husband’s gonna freak,” “My husband’s probably going to divorce me,” “I’d better pay out of 2 different checking accounts so my husband doesn’t find out I spent this much on pictures,” and “When I told him how much I spent, he thought it was outrageous.” The feedback afterward, however, when the husband finally sees the photos or canvases is very positive . . . he loves them. But I’m unhappy with the negativity attached to the experience for my female clients, both in anticipation of telling their husbands and in enduring their husbands comments until he sees the photos. I know that it’s much easier for a woman to make an emotional purchase than it is for a man, but . . . can you suggest any language I can use/pass along to my clients to help offset this husband sticker-shock?
I can certainly understand this photographer's upset and the negativity being directed at her business by a "third party" — in this case the husband. My experience has been to get the husband involved from the beginning if at all possible. If he participates in the design session, he becomes as committed as the mom. And typically he's the one who ultimately will defend a larger purchase.
But I also wanted to ask Houston photograph Carol Andrews, my good friend and fellow Studio Management Service consultant, for her viewpoint on this, as I consider Carol to be the "Female Finance Diva." Here's what she had to say:
"I educate my clients IN ADVANCE of the photo session to help identify a budget for "them." This gives my clientele a security level. Generally, I will ask the female client is she is comfortable going out to buy a new couch or china cabinet without her husband. If she says yes, then I'll say great, so he'll be comfortable with your decisions without being present. If she says no, I'll suggest that its very important that he be involved in the decisions, and won't feel left out and resent HER decisions, so we'll find a time when he can be present also. I'll tell her that I want to respect their relationship, and do what works best for them.
"It works beautifully, no problems. Very smooth. There is a problem only if Dad gets sandbagged with a huge surprise on the Visa bill. How would the wife feel if Dad goes out and buys the biggest screen Hi Def television, has the furniture moved and the monster media center installed? Stand in our customers shoes . . .
"The entire key is to handle the situation IN ADVANCE . . . get everyone on the same playing field, with the same rules. Stanley Marcus used to have a sign on his desk that said 'no surprises.' Our businesses run much more smoothly with that philosophy."
Great answer Carol! If this wisdom doesn't work with your client, then let her give you a "subterfuge payment." After all . . . it's her marriage. Thank heavens we're not responsible for this issue!
High Print Prices?
October/22/2007 Pricing
Today I received the following question from a former student: How do you justify such high print prices now that photographers can do the printing themselves? I've heard this question many, many times. In fact I've been told by numerous photographers that they are reducing their prices — to be more competitive — now that they can do the work the lab used to do. My response is always the same: This makes no sense, particularly when you consider that digital images typically are more expensive for you to produce than the film variety. Inevitably, I get this argument in reply: "But it costs me only a few dollars for the paper and ink. My lab charges were so much more."
Well . . . in my studio, my husband shoots film, and I shoot digital, and I can prove that it costs more for a digital 8x10 than it does for an 8x10 produced using film — whether you use a lab or not — simply because it takes more TIME to produce it. Whenever a photographer takes on production work . . . or when you hire someone who does production for you . . . you must establish a time charge when pricing. The figures shown below are from an exercise I did recently for a Studio Management Services class. It was based on charging $30 an hour for production time. This is a very reasonable figure, as if you have an employee doing the work, you want to make some profit on that employee's work; and $30 an hour is the rock-bottom figure any owner should be charging for doing his or her own production work. Owners can simply make more money doing work that will grow the business. Production is merely a by-product of studio growth, so you need to put your efforts toward the things that actually propel growth.
COSTS FOR INITIAL 8x10
$ 7.50 . . . Acquire & backup 50 RAW+JPG images (15 min.)
$ 2.50 . . . Import images to ProSelect (5 min.)
$ 20.00 . . . Prepare 25 images for presentation (40 min.)
$ 5.00 . . . Retouch 1 image for 8x10 (10 min.)
$ 2.50 . . . Produce hi-res image in ProSelect (5 min.)
$ 2.50 . . . FTP image to lab (5 min.)
$ 2.50 . . . Backup finished print and file order (5 min.)
$ 3.00 . . . Lab cost for 8x10 print
$ 2.50 . . . Lab shipping
$ 1.00 . . . 8x10 mount
$ 2.00 . . . Digital media charge
$51.00 . . Total Cost of Sales (excluding packaging)
Note that only $8.50 of the costs for a first 8x10 are "hard costs" for the goods that go into the portrait. The remaining $42.50 is made of of time charges billed at $30 per hour. Everyone's workflow varies, so you need to work out these costs and charges for yourself. (For the record, I believe most studios are better served when they outsource their work to a lab. But that's a subject for another day.)
The premise used for this 8x10 costing example is as follows: All presentation and production accomplished in ProSelect, using Ron Nichol's Production Retouching Palette controlling Photoshop. Production time charged at $.50 per minute or $30 per hour. No time charge for RAW conversion or color correction on the assumption that RAW+jpg mode allows images to be viewed in jpg version, converting only the RAW image that is selected for the 8x10 before it is retouched.
So what should the 8x10 price actually be?
Studio Management Service's 2006 Benchmark Survey recommends that home studios can be viable at a 35% Cost of Sales (requiring a mark-up factor of 2.9); however because studios in a retail location typically incur higher overhead, these business need to operate at a 25% Cost of Sales (requiring a mark-up factor of 4.0).
At a $51.00 Cost of Sales, here is the math for the two scenarios:
Home Studio: $51.00 X 2.9 = $147.90
Retail Location: $51.00 X 4.00 = $204.00
You can spread this price out between a session fee and a print fee, or you can spread it out over numerous prints in a package, since duplicates and additional poses do not incur all the initial costs. That's your choice. But what won't work is to charge only for the hard goods and not for you time. If you do so, you're likely to have more business, because your work will have a very appealing price; but the business you get will not be profitable. In short, you simply won't be able to pay your bills or take out a salary. You'll have the rough equivalent of a very expensive hobby. Remember: Time is Money . . . even for photographers. Charging for your time is the ONLY way you will be compensated for your time, talent, and business investment.
Well . . . in my studio, my husband shoots film, and I shoot digital, and I can prove that it costs more for a digital 8x10 than it does for an 8x10 produced using film — whether you use a lab or not — simply because it takes more TIME to produce it. Whenever a photographer takes on production work . . . or when you hire someone who does production for you . . . you must establish a time charge when pricing. The figures shown below are from an exercise I did recently for a Studio Management Services class. It was based on charging $30 an hour for production time. This is a very reasonable figure, as if you have an employee doing the work, you want to make some profit on that employee's work; and $30 an hour is the rock-bottom figure any owner should be charging for doing his or her own production work. Owners can simply make more money doing work that will grow the business. Production is merely a by-product of studio growth, so you need to put your efforts toward the things that actually propel growth.
COSTS FOR INITIAL 8x10
$ 7.50 . . . Acquire & backup 50 RAW+JPG images (15 min.)
$ 2.50 . . . Import images to ProSelect (5 min.)
$ 20.00 . . . Prepare 25 images for presentation (40 min.)
$ 5.00 . . . Retouch 1 image for 8x10 (10 min.)
$ 2.50 . . . Produce hi-res image in ProSelect (5 min.)
$ 2.50 . . . FTP image to lab (5 min.)
$ 2.50 . . . Backup finished print and file order (5 min.)
$ 3.00 . . . Lab cost for 8x10 print
$ 2.50 . . . Lab shipping
$ 1.00 . . . 8x10 mount
$ 2.00 . . . Digital media charge
$51.00 . . Total Cost of Sales (excluding packaging)
Note that only $8.50 of the costs for a first 8x10 are "hard costs" for the goods that go into the portrait. The remaining $42.50 is made of of time charges billed at $30 per hour. Everyone's workflow varies, so you need to work out these costs and charges for yourself. (For the record, I believe most studios are better served when they outsource their work to a lab. But that's a subject for another day.)
The premise used for this 8x10 costing example is as follows: All presentation and production accomplished in ProSelect, using Ron Nichol's Production Retouching Palette controlling Photoshop. Production time charged at $.50 per minute or $30 per hour. No time charge for RAW conversion or color correction on the assumption that RAW+jpg mode allows images to be viewed in jpg version, converting only the RAW image that is selected for the 8x10 before it is retouched.
So what should the 8x10 price actually be?
Studio Management Service's 2006 Benchmark Survey recommends that home studios can be viable at a 35% Cost of Sales (requiring a mark-up factor of 2.9); however because studios in a retail location typically incur higher overhead, these business need to operate at a 25% Cost of Sales (requiring a mark-up factor of 4.0).
At a $51.00 Cost of Sales, here is the math for the two scenarios:
Home Studio: $51.00 X 2.9 = $147.90
Retail Location: $51.00 X 4.00 = $204.00
You can spread this price out between a session fee and a print fee, or you can spread it out over numerous prints in a package, since duplicates and additional poses do not incur all the initial costs. That's your choice. But what won't work is to charge only for the hard goods and not for you time. If you do so, you're likely to have more business, because your work will have a very appealing price; but the business you get will not be profitable. In short, you simply won't be able to pay your bills or take out a salary. You'll have the rough equivalent of a very expensive hobby. Remember: Time is Money . . . even for photographers. Charging for your time is the ONLY way you will be compensated for your time, talent, and business investment.
Write to your Congressman NOW!
October/19/2007 Financial Management
Just back home from a wonderful vacation in Ireland, I found this vitally important email alert from PPA:
Professional Photographers of America (PPA) urges all members, photographers and small business owners to ask their Congressional Representatives to support The Equity for Our Nation’s Self-Employed Act (H.R. 3660), co-sponsored by Congressman Ron Kind (D-WI 3rd) and Congressman Wally Herger (R-CA 2nd).
Self-employed individuals, including self-employed photographers, pay for health insurance costs with after-payroll tax dollars. This means that the money they use to buy health insurance for themselves and their families is subject to an additional 15.3 percent tax that no other employers or employees must pay.
All business entities other than sole-proprietors receive a deduction for health insurance premiums as an ordinary and necessary business expense for all employees, including owners. Employees and the owner pay for their health insurance premiums pre-tax; therefore, they are not subject to FICA taxes. However, sole-proprietors (Schedule C filers) do not receive this benefit. Their premiums are not paid with pre-tax dollars and are exposed to self-employment tax. Again, sole proprietors are the only business entity that does not receive a full deduction of health care costs.
Health insurance premiums average almost $12,000 per year for family coverage. It is estimated that HR 3660 will save every self-employed individual about $1700 annually.
PPA's Copyright and Government Affairs Office has made it very easy for you (even if you are not a PPA member) to contact your Congressman. Simply click here, then enter your ZIP Code in the first field. A sample email is there for your use, or you can write your own. It takes only a minute or two to accomplish this important task. Please do so NOW! This so important!
If you want to say thanks to PPA staff for the important work they are doing in our behalf, click here to drop a line to Al Hopper, Director of Membership.
Professional Photographers of America (PPA) urges all members, photographers and small business owners to ask their Congressional Representatives to support The Equity for Our Nation’s Self-Employed Act (H.R. 3660), co-sponsored by Congressman Ron Kind (D-WI 3rd) and Congressman Wally Herger (R-CA 2nd).
Self-employed individuals, including self-employed photographers, pay for health insurance costs with after-payroll tax dollars. This means that the money they use to buy health insurance for themselves and their families is subject to an additional 15.3 percent tax that no other employers or employees must pay.
All business entities other than sole-proprietors receive a deduction for health insurance premiums as an ordinary and necessary business expense for all employees, including owners. Employees and the owner pay for their health insurance premiums pre-tax; therefore, they are not subject to FICA taxes. However, sole-proprietors (Schedule C filers) do not receive this benefit. Their premiums are not paid with pre-tax dollars and are exposed to self-employment tax. Again, sole proprietors are the only business entity that does not receive a full deduction of health care costs.
Health insurance premiums average almost $12,000 per year for family coverage. It is estimated that HR 3660 will save every self-employed individual about $1700 annually.
PPA's Copyright and Government Affairs Office has made it very easy for you (even if you are not a PPA member) to contact your Congressman. Simply click here, then enter your ZIP Code in the first field. A sample email is there for your use, or you can write your own. It takes only a minute or two to accomplish this important task. Please do so NOW! This so important!
If you want to say thanks to PPA staff for the important work they are doing in our behalf, click here to drop a line to Al Hopper, Director of Membership.
Music On My Mind
October/17/2007 Ireland Journal
The last stop on each of our three trips to Ireland has been the western seacoast town of Dingle. The instant I laid eyes on Dingle in 2003, I was hooked. I can't imagine a trip to Ireland without a stay in this magical town on the wildly beautiful Dingle Penninsula in County Kerry.
The last time Jim and I were in Dingle, we stopped in at The Music House, shown below with proprietor David Moul in the doorway. I inquired about the CD that was being played, and David introduced me to the music of singer-songwriter Kieran Goss. By wonderful happenstance Kieran was playing an intimate concert in an old church under reconstruction that very night. Of course we went. The venue was wonderful and the music and conversation with Kieran even better, so I've been a Kieran Goss fan ever since. PPA board member Ronnie Norton, from Dublin, has kindly supplied me with Kieran's CDs since the first one I bought at The Music House.
So we stopped by The Music House yesterday and picked up the latest Goss release, along with collections by several other artists David was kind enough to recommend. And once again, as luck would have it, one of those musicians, a local Dingle singer, was performing in nearby pub that evening. At the Marina Inn we were entranced by the vibrant, yet soulful voice of Pauline Scanlon, whose album "Red Colour Sun," I had purchased earlier that day. She is as beautiful as her voice, and I look forward enjoying more of her music. Thanks, David, for expanding my musical horizons.
There's nothing I enjoy more than live music in the friendly atmosphere of an Irish pub. It was music, in fact, that focused my desire to travel to Ireland in the first place. In recent years I've come to love Celtic music of all kinds. I've noticed that there are so many beautiful Celtic songs written about Irish places — from specific towns to regions — that I decided to visit as many of those locations as I could. It's quite a long list, so I'll just have to keep coming back!
I can't imagine a better place in the world to write music about or listen to music in than Dingle. David Moul agrees. He is a transplanted Englishman who says that moving to Dingle is the smartest thing he ever did. So if you are lucky enough to visit Dingle, stop in and meet David at The Music House, 6 Orchard Lane, Main Street. He'll be happy to tell you what's going on in the Dingle music scene. Tell him hello from Jim and Ann in America!
The last time Jim and I were in Dingle, we stopped in at The Music House, shown below with proprietor David Moul in the doorway. I inquired about the CD that was being played, and David introduced me to the music of singer-songwriter Kieran Goss. By wonderful happenstance Kieran was playing an intimate concert in an old church under reconstruction that very night. Of course we went. The venue was wonderful and the music and conversation with Kieran even better, so I've been a Kieran Goss fan ever since. PPA board member Ronnie Norton, from Dublin, has kindly supplied me with Kieran's CDs since the first one I bought at The Music House.
So we stopped by The Music House yesterday and picked up the latest Goss release, along with collections by several other artists David was kind enough to recommend. And once again, as luck would have it, one of those musicians, a local Dingle singer, was performing in nearby pub that evening. At the Marina Inn we were entranced by the vibrant, yet soulful voice of Pauline Scanlon, whose album "Red Colour Sun," I had purchased earlier that day. She is as beautiful as her voice, and I look forward enjoying more of her music. Thanks, David, for expanding my musical horizons.
There's nothing I enjoy more than live music in the friendly atmosphere of an Irish pub. It was music, in fact, that focused my desire to travel to Ireland in the first place. In recent years I've come to love Celtic music of all kinds. I've noticed that there are so many beautiful Celtic songs written about Irish places — from specific towns to regions — that I decided to visit as many of those locations as I could. It's quite a long list, so I'll just have to keep coming back!
I can't imagine a better place in the world to write music about or listen to music in than Dingle. David Moul agrees. He is a transplanted Englishman who says that moving to Dingle is the smartest thing he ever did. So if you are lucky enough to visit Dingle, stop in and meet David at The Music House, 6 Orchard Lane, Main Street. He'll be happy to tell you what's going on in the Dingle music scene. Tell him hello from Jim and Ann in America!
How Cool to Spend the Night in a Castle!
October/16/2007 Ireland Journal
I swore I would stick to photographing today, as we are about to leave for our last stop, the Dingle Peninsula, County Kerry, before heading home. But I just had to post some pictures of the incredible placed we have stayed for the past two nights: The Castle, at Castletownshend, County Cork. Jim found it on the Internet, and I'm so glad he did.
The Castle is the ancestral home of the proprietors, Anne and Malcolm Cochrane Townshend. The massive stone edifice has been the seat of the Townshend family in Ireland for many generations. The center part was built around 1650. The origintal castle towers were destroyed in the 17th and 18th centuries, but they have been restored, using stones from the ruins. The Castle contains much of the original furniture, portraits of Townshend family members, and gorgeous oak panelling.
A place like this can make your imagination work overtime. At breakfast before we left, we compared notes with two English couples, who also swore they heard steps on the ancient staircases below our rooms, but none of us saw anyone arrive on the second or third floor landings.
Speaking of breakfast, check out the dining room: It was big enough for eight tables, and it was full of family portraits. Wouldn't the Townshends be good clients to have!
The portrait below hangs in the drawing room. Its subjects are the current owner's great-grandfather and his two sisters. As you can see, it is huge! These folks are definitely not into 8x10s. Isn't the posing wonderful! A great reminder that classics never go out of style.
Here's The Castle exterior . . . well guarded by the Townshend family watchdog.
And can you believe that I actually drafted and emailed a blog post while sitting in front of a 17th century building? Amazing.
The Castle overlooks Castletownshend Harbor. I took the shot below, just after sunrise, from our bedroom window on the third floor . . . no doubt where household servants used to stay. The room was spacious, but homey, and quite comfortable.
Jim also was right at home in The Castle. It was really fun to turn back the clock . . . way back!
The Castle is the ancestral home of the proprietors, Anne and Malcolm Cochrane Townshend. The massive stone edifice has been the seat of the Townshend family in Ireland for many generations. The center part was built around 1650. The origintal castle towers were destroyed in the 17th and 18th centuries, but they have been restored, using stones from the ruins. The Castle contains much of the original furniture, portraits of Townshend family members, and gorgeous oak panelling.
A place like this can make your imagination work overtime. At breakfast before we left, we compared notes with two English couples, who also swore they heard steps on the ancient staircases below our rooms, but none of us saw anyone arrive on the second or third floor landings.
Speaking of breakfast, check out the dining room: It was big enough for eight tables, and it was full of family portraits. Wouldn't the Townshends be good clients to have!
The portrait below hangs in the drawing room. Its subjects are the current owner's great-grandfather and his two sisters. As you can see, it is huge! These folks are definitely not into 8x10s. Isn't the posing wonderful! A great reminder that classics never go out of style.
Here's The Castle exterior . . . well guarded by the Townshend family watchdog.
And can you believe that I actually drafted and emailed a blog post while sitting in front of a 17th century building? Amazing.
The Castle overlooks Castletownshend Harbor. I took the shot below, just after sunrise, from our bedroom window on the third floor . . . no doubt where household servants used to stay. The room was spacious, but homey, and quite comfortable.
Jim also was right at home in The Castle. It was really fun to turn back the clock . . . way back!
Giles Norman: A Study in Black-and-White Success
October/15/2007 Ireland Journal
The plan for today was to visit the southern seacoast town of Kinsale, which in recent years has become known as a center for creative cuisine. I had also heard that it was the home to a first-rate landscape photographer who works strictly in black and white. So when I asked at a local craft shop where I might find the gallery of Giles Norman, the proprietor knew exactly where to send Jim and me. I expected we would find a small storefront that is typical of most retail photographic galleries I have visited. Was I in for a surprise!
The light-and-airy gallery was at least twice the size I was expecting, and it it skillfully organized to exhibit Giles' work at its best and also to make it easy for shoppers (like us) to make their image selections. I quickly settled on a richly detailed study of a ram guarding the path to a county cottage with the air of a defiant watch dog. You can see the image on Norman's website, which will give you an idea of the breadth, depth and excellence of his portfolios.
I loved the simplicity of the single-choice black framing, which is both artistic and practical, and I was particularly taken by the simple, yet powerful statements of Giles' floral close-ups. The artist wasn't in today, but his assistant told me that Giles has operated the gallery in this building for more than 10 years, and he also has a gallery in Dublin.
I would suggest that any photographer who is considering the feasibility of opening a retail gallery for any type of fine art photography to look at the model Giles Norman has created by visiting his Kinsale gallery. With three brilliant reasons to come to Kinsale . . . the gallery, the cuisine, and the fabulous images around every corner (I made over 300 exposures there today) . . . Kinsale should indeed be on top of the itinerary for any photographer's visit to Ireland.
Getting it Right: A Visit to Gerry O'Carroll's Studio
October/14/2007 Ireland Journal
This morning I realized that if we did a little backtracking before our next stop along the eastern sea coast, we might be able to drop in on Jerry O’Carroll’s studio in Waterford, a city of 40,000 and the home of world-famous Waterford Crystal. We were in luck, as Jerry had a lunchtime break in his busy Saturday schedule, and we could travel there in time. Shortly after we found the studio, Jerry’s wife Ann and daughter Ellen arrived, and I was able to catch a snapshot of them in front of the business.
I’ve heard so many good things about Jerry’s studio, and now I can certainly see why. He is doing so many things right, including excellent space planning . . .
. . . an eye-catching window display . . .
. . . great use of floor space, and an intelligent choice of portraits on display in the reception area . . .
. . . contemporary image styles and framing . . .
. . . a comfortable projection sales room . . .
. . . and efficient work spaces and camera room.
Top all this off with beautifully designed marketing pieces and a handsome website, and everything works seamlessly to help clients recognize they are dealing with a professional organization and appreciate the fact they are about to purchase something of value.
Jerry gives credit to several influences that have helped his business to prosper. “Families in Waterford, he explained, “have a long-standing tradition of using the services of professional photographers to record their family histories. Today there are two storefront studios in Waterford, and we greatly benefit from this tradition, which goes back to around 1870.” One photographer for whom he had special praise is the late Annie Brophy, whom he credits with elevating portrait photography to the status of valuable heirlooms. Interestingly, Patricia Cantlon, our hostess at Cullintra House (see October 12 entry), had mentioned being photographed by Annie Brophy, whom she pronounced was “a legend,” a description that Gerry confirmed was an appropriate one. You can read about this fascinating lady by clicking here.
Jerry’s entire approach to business compares favorably to the most progressive U.S. studios, because he has kept his business concept simple and highly focused. He credits this approach to what he learned at PPA’s Specialty Conferences, the first one of which he attended in 2003, the same year that he bought his studio building. Speaker after speaker at that conference, he recalls, stressed the benefits of specialization. When Jerry and Ann returned home, they began implementing what they had learned: First they priced weddings to assure profitability, which meant they lost those that weren’t, providing the studio with more time to emphasize family and children’s portraiture. These were watershed events in the bringing stability to the business.
As we went on our way, I couldn’t help but think that American photographers, who have such easy access to management information, would be well advised to put to work what Gerry had to travel across the ocean to learn! And learn it he has. Even better . . . he’s proving that it works!
Oh yes . . . he wins portrait awards as well. See below.
Very well done, Gerry!
Off the Beaten Path
October/13/2007 Ireland Journal
If you've seen the film adaptation of Maeve Bench’s wonderful novel, "A Circle of Friends," you might remember its captivating countryside and charming village settings. The film was shot in and around the tiny village of Inistioge, which is only a few miles from Cullintra House. We spent part of yesterday driving the narrow roads to photograph the magnificent countryside, ending the day at in the village so that Jim could enjoy his pint of Guinness. I know it will take me a while to prepare a slideshow of these images, but in the meantime, here’s one of my favorites, right out of the camera: It was shot in the late afternoon from a narrow bridge across the River Nore, a few miles from Inistioge. It’s my favorite image of the trip so far. There are lots of cropping possibilities, but I’ll worry about that later.
Because the scenery in Ireland is so abundant, I decided to challenge myself to improve my digital skills, since I would have plenty of practice over the next few days. Moving from medium format to a 35mm body has not been easy for me, and like most digital shooters, I’ve been relying entirely too much on the “idiot box” and “P for professional.” I used to use a light meter for every photograph; but before I pointed it, I had to decide what I wanted to accomplish in the photograph. That meant using my brain. Well I've decided that its time to start thinking again, so I’ve issued three challeneges to myself: 1. Look for interesting lighting situations that involve dramatic highlights and shadows. 2. Work more in aperture priority mode. 3. Pay special attention to leading lines. Oh yes . . . nail those histograms, but make certain they make sense, given what I’m trying to create, which definitely means using the brain once again.
Here’s a late-afternoon shot from the side of a narrow road. I loved the low sun angle that gave depth to what otherwise would be an ordinary shot. Thanks to Jim for shading my lens to prevent the inevitable flare.
For most of the days that remain on our trip, we'll be off the beaten path, looking for the beautiful scenes and interesting adventures that so often in Ireland lie just around the bend.
Because the scenery in Ireland is so abundant, I decided to challenge myself to improve my digital skills, since I would have plenty of practice over the next few days. Moving from medium format to a 35mm body has not been easy for me, and like most digital shooters, I’ve been relying entirely too much on the “idiot box” and “P for professional.” I used to use a light meter for every photograph; but before I pointed it, I had to decide what I wanted to accomplish in the photograph. That meant using my brain. Well I've decided that its time to start thinking again, so I’ve issued three challeneges to myself: 1. Look for interesting lighting situations that involve dramatic highlights and shadows. 2. Work more in aperture priority mode. 3. Pay special attention to leading lines. Oh yes . . . nail those histograms, but make certain they make sense, given what I’m trying to create, which definitely means using the brain once again.
Here’s a late-afternoon shot from the side of a narrow road. I loved the low sun angle that gave depth to what otherwise would be an ordinary shot. Thanks to Jim for shading my lens to prevent the inevitable flare.
For most of the days that remain on our trip, we'll be off the beaten path, looking for the beautiful scenes and interesting adventures that so often in Ireland lie just around the bend.
The Lady of the Manor
October/12/2007 Ireland Journal
During our visit in and around Kilkenny, we stayed some distance out of town near the ever-so-tiny village of The Rower (which means "red clay"), at the family home of Patricia Cantlon, which she operates as a farm-holiday establishment. Cullintra House is an elegant 18th century farmhouse set amongst 230 acres of fields and woodlands that are as romantic and picturesque a setting as I've ever seen. Billed as a "cat-lovers paradise," it is all that and more. We got to know all five cats from Patricia's "boss," an elegant Tom cat named Oswald, to the rest of the clan: Penelope-Jane, Melanie, Libby-Muffin, and Mitsy.
To say that Patricia has created a magical environment at Cullintra House is an understatement. Each room is furnished with creativity and flair. And Patricia's sumptuous candle-lit dinners, set in front of an open-log fire, are not to be missed. Her cuisine features fresh produce that is skillfully prepared and artfully presented.
The property has been in Patricia's family since the turn of the last century, and it is full of lush vegetation, winding paths, and enchanting gardens. Around midnight, Patricia feeds the day's dinner scraps to as many as seven local foxes who wait to hear her call. Each of our two nights there, we stood quietly and watched a fascinating scene unfold as the foxes barked out calls to one another that "dinner is served," then quietly stole into the back garden to carry off their gourmet morsels.
There is so much to tell about this magical kingdom, it's delightfully eccentric lady of the manor, and the cats who rule it. But what I'd prefer to do is to show you a selection of the images I made there. This will have to wait until I get home, where it's easier to work on such a project. Check back later to see some of the extraordinary views of Cullintra House. In the meantime I hope you'll enjoy this portrait of Patricia Cantlon, the lady of the manor.
Oliver and Daughter
October/10/2007 Ireland Journal
In far too many small family-run studios, generational differences can jeopardize the future of the business. That’s why it is so refreshing to meet a father like Oliver Dunphy, who eagerly redesigned his store-front marquee to proudly proclaim that what once was simply “Oliver of Kilkenny” is today the province of “Oliver (& daughter) of Kilkenny.” And it is daughter Maria’s sparkling fantasy portraits that adorned the building's window when Jim and I visited after the Irish PPA October Conference in Athlone.
Oliver Dunphy founded what was to become a highly respected High Street studio in the heart of the medieval city of Kilkenny in 1966. Maria’s earliest memory of working with her father was at age four. By 1988 Maria was working there full time. Having learned classical posing and lighting from her father, Maria has developed her own distinctive style by attending classes and conferences through the IPPA and abroad through professional associations in the UK, Italy, and America.
According to Maria, her father was not always been convinced about contemporary portrait styles, but he most certainly has been supportive of her plans for it since she became the studio’s primary photographer and he has largely retired. In fact Oliver was quite eager to tell me about plans to convert space previously allocated to cameras and photo accessories to a gallery of Maria’s award-winning contemporary portraits of families and children. “Tell her to get those portraits ready and up there,” he said to me with a twinkle in his eye. I had a wonderful time viewing some of those images with Maria, and a few of them are shown below.
During our visit we had a lovely lunch with Maria and her Aunt, Sister Nina, a member of the Columban Sisters since 1964. Before recently moving in with Maria and Oliver, Sister Nina worked abroad practicing alternative medicine through her order. She now helps out at home (and even occasionally at the studio), while also providing social services for refugees and asylum-seekers in the Kilkenny area. Jim and I are convinced that Sister Nina could solve most of the world's problems if given a chance to take them on. She says, however, that the family's newest member, a rescued Cavalier King Charles spaniel, being held tightly by Maria below, is giving her fits. Fortunately his other two canine companions are much better behaved.
As far as the studio goes, Maria is preparing to make some significant changes that will build on the solid foundation her father has created. Of the new gallery she says: "Just watch this space." Sounds like another reason for me to come back to Ireland for a visit!
Old Friends and New: Irish PPA Fall Conference
October/09/2007 Ireland Journal
There are only a few volunteers I know who are as passionate about the benefits of trade association membership as Ireland's Gerry O'Leary, a highly acclaimed architectural photographer from Dublin. I first met Gerry at PPA's Imaging USA several years ago. A year ago this month I once again met Gerry at the UK Master Photographers Association Awards weekend in Coventry, England, where I was invited to give a business program and assist at the awards presentation in my capacity as PPA's Chairman of the Board. Gerry was busy keeping lots of balls in the air as president of the UK group. This year Gerry assumed duties as president of the Irish PPA, so it was no surprise to find him hard at work on Association business, as you can see in the photo above. He continues to be just as relentless about urging Irish photographers to take advantage of the educational opportunities that associations provide as he is to get them involved as volunteers.
Jerry is one of several Irish friends I have made in recent years. Also present at the IPPA conference in Athlone was Jerry O'Carroll from Waterford, whom I have visited with in both the U.S. and in England, and Maria Dunphy, who has attended several PPA Women's Retreats, including this year's Chicks Who Click conference in the Bahamas. More about Maria and her business in a new post. To Jim's and my great delight, also on hand was Alan Hastings, a photographer who attended our week-long Art and Business of Photography class at our Annville studio back in 1993. In 1986 Alan had immigrated from Ireland to New York, where he had taught high school chemistry at Fordham Prep and later began working part time at the nearby studio of Rick Rustiano. By 1993 photography had become his passion, so Alan began working at it full time. Eventually he married, had children, and four years ago the family returned to Ireland and opened a studio in Westport, County Mayo. It was wonderful to talk about old times with Alan, who now enjoys both U.S. and Irish citizenship. Jim snapped this photo of Alan and me.
The audiences for my two programs couldn't have been more cordial. I sensed that their interest in management issues parallels that which of late has grown so strong in America. Not surprisingly, the Irish are experiencing all of the challenges of U.S. photographers — from technological changes to prosumers who produce digital images that are "good enough." Just like Americans, they are learning that clever marketing is no longer "good enough" . . . you must understand how to manage money, people and time in order to succeed in today's challenging marketplace, so they hung in there for every step of my "12-Step Program." Many commented that they found the benchmarks published by PPA's Studio Management Services to be very helpful. On day two I presented my "Boutique Studio Revolution" program. I believe the Irish audience got a kick out of hearing a presentation that won't be debuted in America until Imaging USA in January.
As Gerry O'Leary so passionately pointed out, anytime photographers get together what they learn is priceless. One of the aspects of the conference that I enjoyed most was a session that featured two of IPPA's "Bright Young Things" . . . younger members who have demonstrated their photographic competence by passing their IPPA "Associate" qualification. Young and old alike learned from portrait photographer Emma Clarke, who works with her father Paddy, and who displays, among other skills, a mastery of lighting technique that is rarely achieved by young photographers in the U.S. Emma is shown below with architectural photographer Gareth Byrne, who demonstrated why veteran commercial photographers say he is giving them a run for their money.
Veteran photographers were ably represented as well: Wedding photographer Tony Tang, provided insight into creating digital albums and treated everyone to a slideshow of a complete wedding and the resulting album; Suzanne Toal explained the recent changes she has made in her business (see previous post); and Neil Warner demonstrated that his business sense is as strong as his award-winning corporate photography. Suzanne and Neil are shown below during a Q&A session.
The conference also included two presentations of exceptional image collections. Ger McCarthy showed a variety of his favorite award-winning images, but none was as stunning as his photojournalistic series taken at Chernobyl, the site of the world's worst nuclear plant disaster, at an institution for children born with profound birth defects. His message about the power of photography to illuminate the need to act in the face of human suffering was clear . . . something that in fact his images have been used to do.
The second program was by Vincent O'Byrne, one of Europe's most honored fine art photographers, who presented over 50 prints that had achieved the coveted IPPA Diamond Award. It was wonderful to hear this master of composition and creativity remind us of the simple precepts that govern fine artistic design — fundamental lessons that today often are eclipsed by interest in technology. Many of the Diamond award-winners were created by Vincent himself, so take a moment to view his exceptional work by logging on to vincentobyrne.com.
As in America, women are flocking to the business of studio photography, so "we girls" had a lot to talk about between programs. We're already plotting a way to get together again. So I thought I thought I would close this entry with this "Circle of Friends" photo. From left, we are: Maria Dunphy of Kilkenny, Suzanne Toal of Monaghan, myself, Neda Collins of Eden Derry, and Tanya Crosbie of Dublin.
What's in a Name? A Visit to Zanni Photography
October/08/2007 Ireland Journal
Knowing that I would be speaking to Irish photographers on the subject of "Boutique Studios," I asked whether this new business model was gaining a foothold in Ireland as it is in America. Yes, I was told, some studios were moving in that direction, one of them being Zanni Photography, in Monaghan, a town of 8,000 northwest of Dublin, quite close to the border of Northern Ireland. The owner, Suzane Toal (she was called "Zanni" as a child), welcomed me for a visit the day before we were due to arrive in the midlands town of Athlone for the fall meeting of the Irish Professional Photographers Association.
A portrait/wedding photographer for 11 years, Suzanne has a host of photography awards and a vivacious personality to match. Having always traded under the name Suzanne Toal Photography, she decided to change the name of her business to Zanni Photography some eighteen months ago after having taken the even bolder step of purchasing and remodeling a wonderful bungalow to house her growing business. Doing so as a single woman took a great deal of courage, but the move made sense for Suzanne, as she has never operated her business at a loss, and she felt the time was right to plan for her future security by gaining property equity.
Suzanne's aesthetic goal was to create a contemporary environment that retained the warmth of the home's original architecture. She did just that by painting the walls and fireplaces a crisp white and replacing dated carpeting with warm random-plank hardwood floor boards. An eclectic mix of furnishings, including handsome metal stands for her wedding album display, complete the appealing interior, and a fresh coat of pink paint on the building's exterior assures that Zanni Photography is easily recognized from the street.
Suzanne was one of the speakers at the Athlone conference. I took lots of notes, and one of the most interesting comments she made dealt with the decision to change her well-established business name. "When I was trading as Suzanne Toal Photography," she said, "I felt that I was selling myself because everyone wanted me for every aspect of the work. With the new name, I'm feeling a lot less emotional pressure, and the door is now open to take the studio in any direction I wish." To give meaning to the new Zanni Photography brand, Suzanne has launched several new projects, including featuring the studio name on framed samples, window display prints, and on large fabric hangings; offering a cute kids contest in which every child photographed leaves with a balloon that proclaims "I've Got a Zanni Photography Smile;" and involving the business in a highly successful charitable calendar project.
Suzanne's next challenge is to construct a covered veranda at the rear of her building to use for outdoor shoots and to create a number of outdoor sets in her expansive back garden. I've promised that I'll come visit her when the projects are finished. You see . . . that's how this magic country and the wonderful people you meet here — people like Suzanne — affect me: Even though I'm only on the first week of my two-week stay in Ireland, I'm already planning to return!
A Day in Dublin
October/07/2007 Ireland Journal
Although Jim and I have visited Ireland twice, this was our first trip to Dublin, so we were delighted to visit the studio of PPA board member Ronnie Norton, who, happily, I had gotten to know during my board service. It would have been fun to see Ronnie under any circumstances, but from my perspective as a portrait photographer, getting to see Ronnie's bustling commercial studio at work was a special treat. I made the photograph of Ronnie, below, in the studio's cheerful lunch room. I chose a spot in front of his portrait of super-star musician and humanitarian, Bono, as that image has particular meaning to me: At PPA's 2006 Imaging USA convention, Ronnie donated a print of this image to the PPA Charities' auction. It was purchased by Shannon Barry, of Marathon Press, whose office I have used for consultations during Marathon's Marketing Workshops. It can be rather disconcerting when talking to photographers to have them stare right past me into Bono's hypnotic gaze.
Because Ronnie's lovely wife, Pat, was in New York for a visit, we missed her at dinner at a wonderful old restaurant in a seaside community followed by a round of live music. Much of our dinner conversation centered around music, as Ronnie's has gained quite a following as a photographer of musicians, and he and I share an interest in folk music of many different kinds. In fact, Ronnie is quite an authority on blue grass music and even hosts a program that airs on CMRNASVILLE.net called Lonesome Highway. It plays on Friday afternoon from 4-6 and repeats on Sunday morning from 10-12. You can take a listen to Ronnie's show by clicking here. It's wonderful fun to hear an Irishman comment on a distinctly American music form. And it was wonderful fun to get to see a slice of Dublin through Ronnie's eyes!
Because Ronnie's lovely wife, Pat, was in New York for a visit, we missed her at dinner at a wonderful old restaurant in a seaside community followed by a round of live music. Much of our dinner conversation centered around music, as Ronnie's has gained quite a following as a photographer of musicians, and he and I share an interest in folk music of many different kinds. In fact, Ronnie is quite an authority on blue grass music and even hosts a program that airs on CMRNASVILLE.net called Lonesome Highway. It plays on Friday afternoon from 4-6 and repeats on Sunday morning from 10-12. You can take a listen to Ronnie's show by clicking here. It's wonderful fun to hear an Irishman comment on a distinctly American music form. And it was wonderful fun to get to see a slice of Dublin through Ronnie's eyes!
"Giving Birth"
October/03/2007 Resources
Today was exciting for me, but it was scary as well. After lunch I held my breath and pushed a computer key to launch my first eNewsletter. If it didn't find its way to your mailbox, you can link to it by clicking here.
It's not like I've never been published . . . but this was weird: You are the writer, the editor and the publisher. You have no idea how many people you will reach or if your prose will be hopelessly trapped in spam filters . . . the rough equivalent of having your news articles end up lining the bottom of a bird cage. So you push a button and you hope for the best. I wasn't even sure there would be a second issue, but I am greatly encouraged by the many emails I have already received from readers who seem to like it. So next month's issue will have to do with logo design. There: Now I'm committed. There WiLL be a second issue.
One of the first people I heard from was Sarah Petty. It's been a treat teaching with and learning from her. So I loved her comments on my first newsletter feature on price-increase rhetoric. Sarah came up with this wonderful wisdom to add to what I wrote:
"When studios go through that huge price leap (I did it too), they have to be okay with losing business. In fact, they need to lose some of that price-sensitive business. This will free them up to be able to give the quality product they want AND to have time to focus on better marketing. I see a LOT of fear with studios about what to say to favorite past clients who can't afford the new rates. My biggest fear, however, is just letting them show up and get to the order appointment only to FREAK OUT! What I recommend is that after this huge jump in rates, for everyone who calls to be "re-educated" in a positive way. For example, "Sue, I am so glad you called. We have so many exciting changes. We have new products, we now include consultations, blah, blah, etc. Let me send you our new rates and when you are ready to book, please call back." This takes that client off the spot and allows them to gracefully bow out if they need to. Nobody wants to admit that they can't afford something or that they don't place enough value in it to pay the new prices. Once people paid $12 for an 8x10 from you, many aren't going to see the value of now paying $98!"
Sarah is right on the money (forgive the pun) with this advice! Thanks to Sarah and to everyone who took the time to read my newsletter and visit this Blog!
I'm writing this entry in the Philadelphia airport. Jim and I are about to depart to Dublin. I am thrilled about the opportunity to present two programs to the Irish PPA on Sunday and Monday. Just hope I don't bore them to death with the business stuff. I am told they prefer photography programs.
There's no place on earth I would rather be than in Ireland. You can't beat the music, the fish-and-chips, the scenery, and most of all the wonderful people who will meet you for the first time in a pub, a restaurant, or on the square, then take you home to meet the family! I hope to have some adventures to write about. Two years ago we were invited to a very lively wake. So stay tuned . . .