NoBs Digital Dogbowl
The NoBs Digital Dogbowl Newsletter:
Keeping you up to date and informed on the latest, coolest, and outrageous happenings inside the world of NoBS Photo Success.
Loaded with Free photography tips, Photoshop tutorials, photo reviews,
and other totally relevant essentials. Be sure to check out the whole thing!
Hungry for more? Visit our digital photography forum.
May 2008 Digital Dogbowl
Swipe Files: The Photographer's Treasure Chest of Ideas
Would you like to create some of the best images without having to attend a single workshop or going to a seminar or taking any classes whatsoever? It’s really easy. One of the best kept secrets for advancing your photographic skills is, what I call, swipe files. This is nothing new. A lot of people in many different industries use swipe files for ideas, for inspiration, for new innovations. Especially in marketing.
James' Simple Portrait Workflow
As any professional photographer will attest, a lot of time can be spent (and wasted) in front of the computer doing workflow. In a recent thread regarding an engagement portrait session, James Hodgins shared his simple, yet effective workflow routine.
"My process for proofing is very simple and doesn't take alot of time (less time in front of the comp the better). I download all the images, open them up in windows explorer and view each one deleting the ones I don't one. All I do is have one finger on the right curser to advance to the next image, and the other finger on delete. When I have the ones I want I go through them and select a few (like the ones above). I do a quick workflow of them. These are my "favs". Then I batch the whole folder with Craigs portrait popper action.
They come in to view the images, Joce shows them the above FIRST! She explains to them the workflow process, and how NONE of the other images are workflowed, they are only looking for a nice "pose". We do all the rest afterward. So I am not touching any of the images, I'm not going through and tweaking them all or anything like that. Why bother when they are not going to chose all of them? I don't even want to tweak the colors, white balance, exposure or anything, no point. When they pic the ones they want, then I workflow them. Now this is for any portraits........wedding as you know are different."
The Photoshop Guy Recommends Other Image Editors?!?
So why is the Photoshop guy pushing other products?
No, Bill hasn't lost his mind (though the jury is still out on that). Being a teacher of Photoshop, I will often get people coming up to me asking about other programs that they can use to work on their images. Now I still feel that Photoshop is the all-time champion of all image editing programs (sorry Microsoft and Apple), but for reasons of ease of operation or cost there are other programs out there which can do a lot of the same operations as Photoshop.
Member of the Month: Photaphreak
If you were to ask me what I wanted to be when I was little I would have said a cashier but if that didn't work out I wanted to be a business owner. Yeah you might say I was not your typical child.
Obviously running the barcode throught the scanner was not quite as fabulous as I had imagined it to be.
So then my backup goal came in to place. After high school I began studying marketing and business. Long story short I got a little too caught up in that whole "very rich investor" crowd. That time in my life was really weird, now that I look back. I was a very different person... and not at all myself. Hanging out with people who only cared about money. Yet, I can't compalin... I was the same way. Stepping on whom-ever to make it to the top.
Get A Free One-Year Subscription From Photo Imaging News
Photo Imaging News, an international marketing consultant for the photo imaging industry, is conducting a survey on the state of the professional social portrait industry (portrait, wedding, event, sports, and school) and needs help from NoBS members. In exchange, you'll receive a complimentary e-subscription to their monthly international publication plus a chance to win some cash. Here is the scoop on how to participate:
"Dear Professional Photographer:
Help us and we will help you. As you know, the professional photo market (wedding, portrait, sports, event, etc.) is rapidly changing. Help us by completing our survey on your view of the current and future business market, and we will provide you with a summary of our findings plus we will give you a 1 year free electronic subscription to Photo Imaging News, International Edition (a $160 value). In addition, we will hold a drawing for a $250 cash prize on July 15, 2008 from all completed questionnaires. The survey is located at: survey and should take about 15 minutes to complete. Your name and individual data will be kept confidential, and will only be used for data analysis.
You can start the survey by either going to this link or this one . Thank you for your assistance.
Maury Kahn
Photo Imaging News
8312 Sunburst Parkway
Round Rock, TX 78681
(512) 788-5229"
George Dean:
I did it.
Its official.
At the end of the month, I am a full time photographer. No more coaching. There were many ingredients that went into the decision. The main one being that if I book just one wedding or one more senior each month, I made what I did coaching gymnastics. I coached for 20 years. Now its time for my next 20 year career.
Income and lifestlye based on the business of photography fueled by the passion of amazing imagery.
At first, I was not sure if this would be a smart move. Heck, Best Buy near me sells the 5D! Anyone can buy the same equipment but hardly anyone in my area shoots as well as I do. None have 15 years of dance experience and 20 years of working in the most beautiful sport in the world (gymnastics). I know posing pretty well. I know what make a girl look good. My interpersonal skills and sales skills are tact sharp. I have a strong belief and confidence in my background, current skill set, and ambition to learn new skills will see me through!
Winner of NSI Scholarship Announced
Have you always wanted to attend Rob and James' weeklong course at NSI (Niagara School of Imaging) but just couldn't quite swing the finances? Lucky NoBS member Rene Skrodski was one such person until recently when he was named the winner of the NSI Scholarship from NoBS.
At the PPOC awards banquet, Rob and James bid on and won the scholarship package for their course with the full intention of awarding it to a deserving NoBS member.
Here's what the course includes:NSI-Rob and James
The full value of this gift is $689.00 plus taxes, which will be paid for.
It's a week of fun, learning, one-on-one and group discussions and many, many other eager and ambitious photographers just like you.
Congratulations to Rene!
May Photo of the Month
This month's photo of the month as nominated by NoBS members comes to us from, SarahM, a moderator here at NoBS. Here is her story behind the image:
Both the bride and groom are professional photographers so it was a little intimidating photographing their wedding. We had a great day to start and then it started pouring! I had a couple of umbrellas in the car and asked if they would mind if we went outside for just a couple images. They were up for anything and I'm glad we gave this a try. I love how the two tracks join into one.
New Silverlake Special For May
We have been getting some questions about the group buy for the month of May. We have also been getting a great many requests for our new senior abstract designs, like Acid Rain and Essence.
What we decided to do this month in lieu of the group buy is a Buy 2 Get 1 Free special. This allows you to choose any designs from the website to compile your order with. The free one will be of equal or lesser value of the full price designs you order. Hopefully, that will allow everyone to not only save some big money, but also stock up for next year's seniors.
For more info, please check out the special:
This offer will be good until the end of May, but they will be painted in the order that we receive them. First come, first served.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Bokeh: Photographers Almanac
The NoBS Grunt has done it again!
Being the first of its kind in Ottawa, Bokeh Magazine is an annual and purely photographic publication that features both established and emerging photographers in the greater Ottawa area. The main goal is to not only provide exposure to the talent in the community but to also provide an amazing networking tool with the “Switchboard” directory, a list of vendors associated with the industry. Bokeh was created by nine young photographers from Algonquin College in Ottawa, one of which is our own NoBS Grunt - Brent Gervais! The publication falls somewhere between a magazine and a book, boasts impressive printing quality, nicely weighted paper, and is an all around great tool for Ottawa's photography market.
Here is what Brent had to say about his new endeavor.
"James told me to "brag the crap out of this!" So I definitely will. This publication is absolutely the first of it's kind anywhere near the nation's capital and hands Ottawa's conservative industry a tool it has needed for a long while now. The new talents hitting the industry (that's me!) are EXTREMELY impressive and many of them worked very hard to put this all together. The book is all imagery, every page is photography at it's purest form, page after page, making this a joy to browse through for absolutely anyone. Flipping through this book gives one a feel for the work that's out there, and serves as a great marketing tool for all. It's perfect for ad agencies, clients of all sorts, assistant positions, special projects, etc. since it becomes a HUGE 160 page visual directory of the participating photographers in town. Other big contributors who sport ads in the publication include Epson, Apple, Vistek, Henry's, Amplis, Headshots, Joneshouse and... NoBS Photo Success!! (thanks guys) Self-publishing a magazine/book has been an AWESOME experience, especially the opportunity to work with a few absolutely motivated individuals in the photo-community. Please, do take a look: www.bokehonline.com
Thanks everyone,
The NoBS Grunt"
When Brent brought the magazine to my studio I was blown away. I never thought the mag would have the quality it did. Not only with the photographers work inside, but the printing, layout, content and the overall quality of the whole project. This magazine looked exactly like something right off the shelves in Chapters. Congratulations to everyone who made this possible, JOB WELL DONE!
James Hodgins
The Power of Positive Feedback
BLINN, a NoBS member since March of 2006, recently wrote on the forum about all the recent positive feedback he has been receiving from his brides.
"WOW....what a feeling to get feed back finally. I don't shoot tones of weddings But average about 6-7 a year with my full time job. I get a ton of feedback and critic from here with I love, but it's always great to get feedback from the clients. And when it's good feedback, it make you proud of what you do.
When I think back about my photography career. It was not one that was really chosen but rather one that I was thrown into. But that's a whole other story....( get it... from Hammy the Hamster.... ) Any how I just wanted to share. And I can't wait to start shooting this wedding season, learning and growing. I can't believe how awesome photography is.
Oh yeah...almost forgot....THANKS NoBS....and a huge THANKS to the founders of NoBS....James and Rob, always inspiring, always teaching and always learning. THANKS."
And don't forget to use that positive feedback from clients on your testimonials page!
I want to thank everyone who attended our Chat Room meeting on June 1st and I especially want to thank my special guest Bill Guy. It was a great meeting as usual with lots of information shared. If you missed the meeting you can find the transcript in the Digital Shop Talk. Our next meeting will be sometime in August, date and special to be announced very soon. Thanks again everyone for participating at our meetings.
Dan aka The NoBs Stalker
NoBS member Tom Preb continues the NoBS tradition of sharing knowledge. Recently, Tom created three new videos covering Photoshop techniques such as creating templates, sloppy borders, and clipping masks.
Links to Tom's tutorials can be found in the Dangerous Downloads section.
If you're interested in adding some family portraits to your swipe file, then look no further than James' recent post on one of his outdoor family sessions. In this thread, James discusses how he set up the images and lighting. Click here to read more.
Marketing is the lifeline of any business and as such, it is imperative to keep pushing the envelope and looking for new and effective ways to promote your photography studio. Straight from the nightstands and bathrooms of our NoBS members come recommendations for good marketing reads. To see this list, click here. If you know of any others not mentioned, please jump in and contribute some of your own recommendations.
The 2008 NoBS Marketing Calendar is looking for a few good ideas from you. Are there any unique and effective marketing strategies you have employed to give your business a boost? If so, please share it here with your fellow NoBSers. Here's the thread.
Reminder For Vendors
To all vendors. Here at NoBs we take pride in our vendors and the contributions you make to our members. In return we ask that a few guidlines are to be followed. This involves that all posts in regards to your business & products be posted in the Vendors forum. If a member asks for more information, you are more than welcome to post a reply to that thread. Please, only PM members that ask for information regarding your business. DO NOT send out PM spams to members unless they request it.
Thanks
James
NoBS member Kristi recently started a thread looking for some tips on working with models (which, incidentally, is a great way to build your portfolio and hence your credibility). Another NoBS member, james241 pointed her in the direction of a fantastic web article, regarding hiring models online.
This month, Rob interviews Will Crockett, photographer and founder of Shootsmarter.com. In this interview, Will tells Rob how shootsmarter.com came to be just a few short years ago. To go to this must-listen interview, click here. Also, don't forget that Will has extended a discounted code for NoBS members to try out ShootSmarterTV.com. To get that code, go to this link.
Watch James behind the scenes as he does a photo shoot at his studio with a model. Click here.
If you have an image taken on film and the negative is nowhere to be found, here's another golden oldie tutorial for copying photographs or artwork. In the video, Rob shows us how he sets up his lighting to copy a photograph. To see the video, click here.
If you don't get testimonials from your clients, then you should start. They are a gold mine and often times are the deciding factor a prospective client needs to make a final decision on whether or not to invest with your studio.
Here's how Sandy gets here incredible testimonials.
Longtime NoBS member, moderator, and preferred vendor, Andy Armstrong has launched his "essentials for the modern photographer and designer," design|house™. design|house™ is a collection of Adobe Photoshop® actions, brushes, custom shapes, and styles, as well as hi-res backgrounds, wallpapers, textures, digital mats, and photo objects.