NoBs Digital Dogbowl

The Inferno Report

November finally came and the Inferno by the Falls has been long in the works. It has come and gone. I agonize over every workshop and since the Inferno by the Falls is our biggest, and people drive, walk, crawl and fly from all points in North America to attend it, it carries the biggest agony for me. I struggle to make sure all attendees get the very best bang for their buck and hours spent. This is also reflected in my philosophy about teaching. I prefer a no-frills, no-nonsense approach opting for more hours dedicated to 'class', than to other more conventional and frivolous activities. Hence, the night owl sessions and the early bird workshops, and the fact that I am somewhat anal about getting things started on time. It's all designed to jam in as much as is humanly possible and actually give the attendees quality information. Aside from all that, I like to 'hand pick' each and every presenter. If someone doesn't fit the bill, I don't have them speak. Your time as an attendee is very important to me. Again, the best bang for your buck!

Looking back, I would say the Inferno was a huge success. I personally sat in an every event and learned tons myself. When you grow, I grow. The feed back from the attendees was positive and the postings in the forum confirm it. Here are a few that reflect the general view of the Inferno 2007.

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Michelle says:

"Well I am on information over-load. One thing I learned was pricing yourself. I am UNDER pricing. Making your own backgrounds is a must to stay "different"! Got milk?

I love that analogy. I am going to be trying to add the milk to my images. Thanks to all the speakers, I really had a wake-up at this Inferno. If anyone is on the fence in terms of coming to this seminar, please try and put it in your agenda for next year. It is a "must attend" if you are at a stand-still, stagnant, new in business etc. Your brain will be hurting!....that is a GOOD thing!"

Bob says:

"Hmmm what I learned....audible.com is a great website... canadians dont know what yuengling is....WTF is a smart car and why would you be caught dead in one...red neck and trailer trash are the same thing... texas woman know how to party.... clem needs to learn to hold his drawers up. Craig DOES take pictures of faces too.... julie can sing and shoot.... bouncing light off a red ceiling causes red tint.... going to bed at 3am will make sure you miss the early bird shoot.Listen very closely if someone from newfoundland talks but dont ask Rob to repeat it. wishing and praying all you want will not get you the huge power pack of yours.....But most of all.... ALL OF THESE PEOPLE FLIPPIN ROCK.... thank you all for an awesome week!!! A good carpenter does not blame his tools"

Jay said:

"Photography workshops aren't always worth the money you spend. I almost cried poor and didn't sign up for the inferno because it wasn't in my budget (damn studio renovation!). I signed up anyways, thinking, if I can come home with 1 or 2 good ideas, it would be worthwhile. Well, it didn't happen. If all I wanted was 2 great ideas, I could have gone home after the 1st 30 minutes! ...and I had only talked to 1 person by then! (thanks Dale!) I'm patting myself on the back now for taking notes because my brain is full. I lost count of how many attendees I asked and received great advice from. I knew before the inferno that NoBS members are a warm, welcoming and giving group. Experiencing that in person is a whole 'nother matter....and the presenters! Every single one had things to say and show that I needed to hear. It felt like this week was a customized workshop aimed at what I wanted to learn.

Skip to my last sentence now if you don't want a long story. These were the highlights of what I learned:

• I'm always going to be looking for the edge of the light now. I was doing this in the studio by feathering my main light. Now I see the same applies to window light and outdoor light.
• I studied composition for months and I have never heard anyone give a better primer on photography composition. A very complex subject looks manageable to me now.
• Do the images I've mastered and I'm good at 1st; then try 1 (maybe 2) new ones.
• I learned I was trying far too many poses when I attempted boudoir and nude sessions. --> that I was much better off using only a few good poses and varying the shooting angles and crops.
• a detailed account of how Judy grew her boudoir sessions from nothing to booming in one summer. She shared everything.
• consistent, simple lighting is a major part of Guy and Julie Martin's style that keeps clients coming back.
• making your own backgrounds and props will make your work stand out as something different.
• if your space looks high end, the client will know they're going to be spending $.
• don't put the cameras down until you get that great shot --> treat clients like it's a print competition you're producing for.
• many great tips on retouching in photoshop.
• give yourself a playground where the subject has room to move without loosing the good light.
• don't be chasing the technical stuff; have that ready before you start --> then you can keep shooting the opportunities as they happen.
• bad shot? --> it's somewhere to start from. Keep moving, positive and flowing.
• the top 10 success strategies for running a photography business.
• a great summary of everything I have found essential for being productive and not procrastinating. It's good to hear I'm not the only person that requires these to get things done.
• a simple primer on effective negotiation. I know I will be applying this when It's time to approach other business owners with promotion and trade ideas.
• that if I'm not as outgoing as I'd like to be yet, I can still connect with people and do well in my business.
• all kinds of tips and success strategies for the website I'll be building soon.
• a session devoted to James' and Rob's basic, main lighting technique. ...and now I have an answer to my hair light problem. My daughter and I just finished practicing this tonight.

Photographers whom I admire, respect and trust boiled down their experience and spoon fed it to us throughout the inferno. Every day was fun. I made friends that I want to see again soon. Thanks to everyone for such a great week."

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There's more, way more, but you get the idea.

Let me summarize the event. On Sunday afternoon, Charlie had a meet up in Niagara Falls with some models. That was the only event I did not attend but I heard great feedback from those who did. Thanks for that Charlie!

On Monday, day one, we started right in with our first speaker, Carl Caylor. We met Carl when we spoke in Ohio, at the Mideast States Convention, last March. I knew he had a very powerful message and his presentation style is equally powerful, and something that all photographers needed to hear. He's small in size with a huge voice and radiates energy! Carl got right into the nature of composition and lighting. He shoots using natural light exclusively and the images he creates for his clients are oustanding. I learned a lot from this guy.

Late Monday afternoon Judy Cormier started into her marketing 'intimate' portraits. She has created a cool niche and is booked solid. After supper, we had three models in lingerie so we could see Judy in action doing some of her intimate poses, and we all had a chance to practise on our own. It was a little hectic with all the people cramming for an angle, BUT, I listened and watched Judy, Carl, and Julie as they went through live demos with the models. It was awesome to see these top notch photographers, each with their own distinct style.

On Tuesday, we started with Julie and Guy Martin. These are two of photography's best kept secret! And we had 'em all to ourselves. Julie and Guy rarely, if at all, speak to groups. They are so busy running their photography business, time is of essence. But, after some begging and arm twisting, they agreed to speak at our humble little event, and they blew us away. They showed us their new studio location, their 'estate' studio, their samples of portraits, weddings, and more. You can't argue with success and these guys define the word success. Julie and Guy admitted afterward that they had no idea what the Inferno or No Bs Photo Success was all about, and were blown away by what they saw and experienced. They said our members were extremely eager and open, a welcome change from what too often is a closed book industry. They also told us that on their drive home they spoke nonstop about No Bs. Cool. Maybe we'll get them back some day soon!

Late Tuesday we had Craig Minielly do a presentation on glamor photography and highlighting some of his most popular techniques and photoshop actions. Craig had just attended a three day glamor workshop in the Caribbean and went through many of the images explaining the lighting, posing and other challenges such as hurricanes looming on the horizon. Craig's track record speaks for itself. He tends to get very technical at times, and we tease him about it, but his talent and skill level is vast. With decades as a commercial and editorial photographer, a list of awards way too long to get into here, his photoshop actions written up in ShutterBug and the fact that he is one of Nikons biggest stars are all testaments to his crediblity. I've had the pleasure of co-presenting with Craig on several occasions and took the opportunity to listen up and learn. As a matter of fact, I still to this day go to his website and re-read his tips and articles, soaking it in. One of my favorites is this one: Check it out.

Tuesday after supper we gathered for some awards and special presentations to key players within No Bs Photo Success. We then got right into our 'open forum', where a panel of photographers, including James Hodgins, Judy Cormier, yours truly, me, Dan 'the Stalker' Morency, Julie Martin, Craig Minielly and Guy Martin. The event was 'moderated' by Shawn (riff) Von Ins. I have to say I had no idea what to expect, but I believe it turned out to be a huge success. Members got to ask any question they wanted and we all took turns answering. Questions ranged from "best book read, best marketing strategy, best role model, biggect mistake etc etc..." on and on. Time flew by and I enjoyed every second. I hope the members did too and got something out of it.

On Wednesday, I spoke for two hours on business strategies and posted the audio portion in the forum, along with the pdf of the powerpoint slides. Tina, my wife, who also spoke on management last year (she was a hit!) gave a one hour synopsis on managing time. Her audio and slides are also posted in the forum for members to download. Jyotika spoke after lunch on negotiating skills. Very useful and timely info for all those running their own photography business. Dan Morency gave us a quick and dirty overview of his studio progress over the years and Shawn Von Ins got into website optimization strategies. The grand finale was James Hodgins who spoke on freestyle wedding strategies and what's happening in his business this year.

All in all, every presentation was jammed with insights and useful strategies. The feedback was very positive, and I have to say, I am humbled when members express their thoughts. I often hear stuff like this, from Nicole:

"What a completely delightfully unique group to listen, share and talk to. I don't think that there is any other seminar where you would learn as much from people who are just starting out as you do from those who have been involved for years. Rob and James, thank you for having the nerve to live your lives the way you do and to share your experiences with those who are willing to listen and learn. Thank you for not standing on a pedistal preaching, but getting right in there with us to help us get through to succeed. You are both inspiring and fun to be around."

Finally, our sponsors were key to making this event a huge success. Abbus, from Artistic Album design was there and he supplied the name tags. Abbus, and many others, generously donated door prizes. We were constantly giving away stuff. Abbus tells me his software, Swift Album will be upgraded soon with some cool new features. All current owners of this software are entitled to free upgrades. This program is fast. I personaly use it and have designed an entire album on 40 minutes from start to finish.

All in all a great event with great attendees who are eager to learn and grow. The next time we will be out and about will be at WPPI in Las Vegas. We do have a booth at the trade show and urge you to drop by. WPPI is March 17 - 19, 2008.

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