Take & Talk Pics

David & Luke Edmonson © Edmonson Photography David and Luke Edmonson have been called the “Master Photographers to Master Photographers” and with good reason. With over 50 combined years in the industry, the indelible impact the Edmonson’s leave with clients, students and peers around the world is remarkable. No doubt, their signature style is unmistakable. But it’s their “Iron-Sharpens-Iron” philosophy that has fueled their art and professional success. A relentless pursuit of excellence through competition. Selfless mentorship. A hands-on benevolence with their passionate charities.  Simply put, the “Edmonson Way” means that giving is a both a privilege and a path to self-improvement; for themselves and those they encounter. With dozen of awards as Master Photographers, Diamond Awards, Photographers of the Year and numerous other designations, 2015 was the year the Edmonson’s made photography history. David was honored as recipient of the WPPI Lifetime Achievement Award. This father-son duo also became the first-ever family members inducted into the Camera Craftsman of America, one of the oldest, most prestigious groups in the world dedicated to advancing the profession of photography as an art form. Also in 2015, Luke was named one of the groundbreaking founders of the WPPI Photographer Certification program, the first of its kind in the industry. The Edmonson’s are sought-after speakers and educators locally, nationally and abroad, teaching workshops to the up and coming aspiring photographer, to share their talent and know-how to help others hone their craft.  They also serve as print judges at various international print competitions. It’s often said that Art Imitates Life. If you’ve ever seen the work of David and Luke Edmonson, this is clearly true: “Profound with dimensionality, ingrained with emotion and compelling in their beauty." …This is the Edmonson Way. w: edmonsonweddings.com art1095.com Happy Shooting! David:     Luke: Get your FREE business coaching call with Rob! Sign up for one of the last few spots here!

Light Painting with Harold Ross Harold Ross (b 1956), is an American fine-art photographer who lives and works in southern Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Since 1979, Harold has been creating distinctive work in the studio as well as in the night landscape. For 27 years, he has specialized in light painting, a technique involving "painting" the light over a long time exposure. Harold actually refers to his process as “sculpting with light”. He also teaches workshops in his methods and regularly gives lectures on his work. Born into a military family in 1956, Harold grew up in New Mexico and Germany. His parents were adventurous, and took the family on outings almost every weekend... hiking in the desert, horseback riding and camping in the mountains, exploring castles and old gardens in Germany and camping in Italy. These outings, of course, left many lasting impressions. He earned a B.F.A from Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA), after which he produced fine art and taught photography at the college level for several years. His large scale color work has been exhibited, published and collected in the U.S. and internationally. Publications include Photo China Magazine, the Italian magazine Progresso Fotografico and the Ukrainian magazine Ukraine Photographer, among others. Here at home, his work has been featured in LensWork #93 and #121, The New York Times LENS blog, and Professional Photographer Magazine, and others. In 2011, Harold was invited to participate in an exhibition of landscape photography in Inner Mongolia, China along with 10 other American and 20 Chinese photographers. He was also chosen as one of four photographers to exhibit in the inaugural FRESH 2011, at Klompching Gallery in Brooklyn, New York. Happy Shooting! w: haroldrossfineart.com Blog: hharoldrossfineart.wordpress.com  Get your FREE business coaching call with Rob! Sign up for one of the last few spots here!  

Make Changes Photo World if you are learning and growing then you are changing. Often it can be difficult to make change and go along with them but it is a necessary practice to improve from where you are. So here we are on the 250th episode on Take & Talk Pics! I have been so blessed to do this podcast and bring this content to you Photo World. However, I have been learning, growing, and yes, changing. I have been finding there are so many things I have planned for my work and businesses and I need to make a few adjustments right here on the podcast and blog. First, the show is going to be on a bit of a break. I can't bring myself to stop because I am far too passionate about what this show means to me and what I want to continue contributing to you Photo World. So being somewhat on the back burner you can expect 2 episodes a month. Once every other week. Ideally these would be interviews with photographers from around the world, but I know there will be a few here and there where I need to share solo from time to time. As I make changes, I would like consistency, and a space where Photo World can continue to learn from me. So I will maintain a weekly blog post right here on Take & Talk Pics. Happy Shooting! Get your FREE business coaching call with Rob! Sign up for one of the last few spots here!

Nikon Active D-Lighting Photo World this episode is more proof that you need to know your gear to fully understand the potential you bring to every shoot. Knowing your gear is good but knowing when, where, and how to use the tools effectively is the real test of a pro photographer versus a hobbyist. The Active D-Lighting setting for Nikon cameras is another great example of why it can be important to fully understand your camera. Active D-Lighting is really Active Dynamic Lighting... Dynamic being richer with tonality. Like HDR isn't High Definition Resolution HDR stands for High Dynamic Range. Active D-Lighting isn't nearly the tonal range of HDR but it is a step in that direction. Active D-Lighting is also a Nikon specific option. Canon has ALO or Auto Lighting Optimizer, but ALO is only a fraction of the influence as Active D-Lighting ends up being. There are many reasons to use Active D-Lighting but understanding more about how it works will clear up much of the confusion. Active D-Lighting offers the photographer the option to under expose to crush the highlights so they remain intact in the final image. The Active D-Lighting opens the otherwise underexposed shadows in camera and embedded into the RAW file. This allows for more details in the shadows than usual. With selective settings from Low all the way to Extra High, Active D-Lighting is an awesome tool to be used in making better pictures. However, listen to the episode to hear why I like Canon RAW files more than my own Nikon RAW images. Hint: it has to do with Active D-Lighting. When you take the time to investigate the inter workings of your gear you have the freedom to raise the bar on your images and continue stepping in the right direction, not only for your images, but you and your business overall. Happy Shooting! Get your FREE business coaching call with Rob! Sign up for one of the last few spots here!

Dust Mapping Photo World we work so hard to have beautiful, clean, well made photographs. We did this back in the film days too, but there was a battle going on against dust and scratches. We still see issues today when it comes to dust. They make air blowers, sensor brushes, lens cleaner fluids, micro fiber cloths, lens tissue, sensor gels, or you can send your equipment out for professional cleaning... There are a lot of options today to ensure that we don't have one spec of dust in an image where we don't want it. However, most of these tools/devices/options are horrible and cause more damage than help solve problems. Often it is user error but I say why take the risk! Now there are many things you can do that are low risk and may clear up those dust spots but every so often there is a spot we can't seem to shake. I give a couple cleaning examples I do but my favorite and most trusted is send it out to a pro who will also assume responsibility. Photo World, if you really can't get the job done or can't get the right person to do it for you, you may want to consider Dust Mapping. This in camera software driven process will save you hours of editing. Happy Shooting! Get your FREE business coaching call with Rob! Sign up for one of the last few spots here!

Time-lapse Photography Photo World I needed a break from all the business talk because at the end of the day my addiction to photography needs some attention as well as my passion for building businesses. Time-lapse Photography is a bit of its own practice. In fact it began mostly by accident and has slowly evolved into spectacular motion pictures. Time-lapse Photography is more simplified than it used to be with the advent of digital. In short it's a series of images being complied into video, for a quick view of an extended time. Hence Time-lapse. There are several ways to make a time-lapse video but the easiest is the automated feature found in most DSLRs and Mirrorless systems. However, the highest quality is making the final video by way of capturing each image individually and edit to your liking. Much more time consuming but the results are stunning. Let's run some numbers: 1 picture every second for 1 minute straight would offer you 60 images to be used as 2 seconds of video at 30 frames per second. 10 minutes of time-lapse for 1 second of video when you shoot at an interval of 6 seconds between shots. Say you want 30 seconds of video and you are shooting at an interval of 1 shot every minute… That would be a 15 hour long shoot to have a frame rate of 30 frames per second. Time-lapse is an investment but the results can be stunning. Check more from Edward Muybridge. Happy Shooting! Get your FREE business coaching call with Rob! Sign up for one of the last few spots here!

Savings Plan Photo World when you run your own business it doesn't matter when it comes up or in what aspect the conversation takes place... most of us, when we start out, do not like to talk money. That could be one of the worst offsets to a secure savings plan for a infant business. When I sit down with clients I have absolutely no fear to talk about how the money works. This confidence emerged after six years in business as a professional. Six years living in fear of that one five letter word. One thing we all want more of, feel we have too little, and can't seem to stretch far enough. Money. There are literally dozens of episodes I could do in highlight money's role in a small business. I tango with several of the topics involved from taxes, to loss, paying your bills, and having a savings plan. Regardless of your photographic genre or even your business for that matter... We must step back and look at the year as a whole before we begin understanding our fiance. This episode may just be the key. Happy Shooting! Get your FREE business coaching call with Rob! Sign up for one of the last few spots here!

Why Should You Blog Photo World as you can tell by the title I am going to totally sell you on the idea of why should you blog. Okay, not really but I am going to talk about the purpose and operations behind how a blog works. The true conversation is about good business practice, showcasing your talent, and hoe to obtain a free or cheap marketing funnel. It is a lot of information to be crammed in a 10 minute episode but when it comes to blogging it's pretty simple. There are many reasons why you should blog. However, and I know this first hand, there are countless reasons to give up on a blog. It isn't as exciting because the investment of time is greater than most people are willing to give and results are not as instant as most would like. That being said... Blogging is a long term investment but the payoff can be amazing. Listen to the example story of a friend of mine I share in today's episode. She went from doing pictures as a hobby to a six figure business in only one year. Happy Shooting! Get your FREE business coaching call with Rob! Sign up for one of the last few spots here!

Build Your List That's right Photo World, you need to build your list. That is your email list. Think of the countless emails you receive that are of little to no value for you, but there is one email every so often that keep you as a subscriber to that list. Now, you don't have to bombard people with nonsensical emails day in and day out. However you may find a use for the list over time. Some will tell you to make a few lists that fit into categories like most likely to buy, least likely, and somewhere in the middle. My view is collect all emails and compile a list of possible for sales. At the very least if you build your list you could always come back to it when the time is right. In this episode I discuss when the right time might be to use your list. Anyone and everyone is a candidate to be considered. If you are able to acquire an email at any point then you are a step closer to a possible "yes" for your product or service. You have to consider any contact or inquiry is the halfway point to a "Yes". In other words gaining someone's email address is a "maybe" to buying your product or service. You never know what you will do in the future so build your list in the present! Happy Shooting!

All Work and No Play We often feel like there's too much to do. To many things on our plate and we can't catch up; so much, that it seems our business, our career, our supposed passion is all work and no play. Just like anything else in life there is a time and place for everything. It's my belief that all work and no play should be observed from time to time. However, it's draining on the mind and the body to live life this way.   What is "play"? Well that could be up for debate but the way I view it is: something of interest to you, worth the investment, and worth the time, but shifts your focus away from your work. The average person is asleep for 33% of their life time. The average person is working for nearly 56% of their time during a 45 year span, but averaging another 33% of their time thought their life time. That leaves a life time average of 34% of your life time is glued by the other 66% of occupied time. All to have not much more than 1/3 their lives at play. This doesn't account for being sick, making improvements around the house, the time spent traveling or commuting to your job, attending special events for others, and a plethora of other things. So what time do you really have at play in your life? Shouldn't we work that much harder to open up the gap between work and play?   In this episode I share a story of how all work and no play can kick start a career. In short I took a $40,000 loan and went debt free in 1 day. Just like an overnight success it didn't really happen overnight, but I was able to take care of that loan with just a bit of time and a lot of hard work. Happy Shooting! Get your FREE business coaching call with Rob! Sign up for one of the last few spots here!

Giving Back Photo World I offer a free coaching call. Scroll to the bottom of this page if you are interested. One thing I do for every call is get to know you and your business. Following the call I give a thank you gift for having done the call. I don't want to share everything, but highlight 1 point on the gift. Giving back to your community. In the episode I read word for word how I view this point and what I include in this gift. In short I have found giving back to your community does many things and it is different for each of us. It can be for a feel goof feeling, maybe to help out for a cause you believe in, or just to show that you are motivated to be a part of your community. Whatever the reason giving back is a beautiful thing. Take it one step further and incorporate your skill, talent, and passion for photography and creatively look for ways to overlap your photography work with community service. Perhaps you could do photos for a local animal shelter so they have quality images. Happy Shooting! Get your FREE business coaching call with Rob! Sign up for one of the last few spots here!

Cost of Doing Business Photo World there is an old saying: It takes money to make money. That saying is so true and truer still when it comes to marketing. Marketing is one of the costs of doing business, in fact, it is the largest cost of doing business. In today's episode I break down three marketing strategies I have tried over the past few years. Admittedly, over one dozen attempts at marketing have taken place for Rob Krueger Photography and most have failed miserably. A few have been successful and have become the new standard for all future marketing. Photo World you have everything to risk when you start marketing your business. It can be costly... at first. Hopefully, those trial and error tests of marketing will open up the opportunity your business needs. One marketing avenue I had used was Google ads. My experience wasn't typical but I confidently feel it is a valuable option for most photography businesses. I have had my own ups and downs when it comes to marketing and today I only discuss the idea of paid marketing. a brief mention to word of mouth as well as social media marketing is worth remembering. The fact that we have a free (social media) option for marketing our businesses is brilliant. On the one hand that is part of the reason the market feels saturated at times. However, saturated markets is a myth. Happy Shooting! Get your FREE business coaching call with Rob! Sign up for one of the last few spots here!

Rule of Thirds Pricing Photo World, making up what you do with your pricing is hard enough. I spent years, with trial and error, figuring out an efficient way to make life easier when it comes to talking money. I have created a rule of thirds pricing... Have a set pricing for your customers Define who your customer is and how you would charge them Give appropriate breaks to the right people I have broken my customer base into 3 main categories, hence the rule of thirds. One has three sub categories within it. You'll have to listen to get the who scoop. If you have been having trouble determining your pricing for new customers, family, friends, referrals, or repeat clients maybe this episode will help you. I know when you’re starting out it seems more important to just book the work or sell the art just for the sake of doing so. Newer photographers often make the mistake of taking what they can get and breaking their own pricing rules. These simple rules I have laid out will help guide you to a more successful pricing structure and a good path to improving your own pricing model in the future. Happy Shooting! Get your FREE business coaching call with Rob! Sign up for one of the last few spots here!

People Person There is no rule in business that says you must be a people person but I like to lean on logic when I question these types of things. In a truly logical sense, in every career or job, in every industry, there are people involved. Either you are getting something done/created for other people or you are having work done for you. Your business really revolves around the idea that someone is on the other end of just about everything your do. With that, being a people person could just be the most important skill you develop for your business. I will say when I got started as a photographer people were the one subject I never wanted to deal with. However, I had a benefit most don't get; I was able to watch a pro photographer in action. Not just a pro photographer but one who was already in business for 20 years when I started working for him, one who was an excellent people person, and one who genuinely knew how to interact with others. I learned how to be a people person. Happy Shooting! Get your FREE business coaching call with Rob! Sign up for one of the last few spots here!

Network Time Photo World it is time to get back to business. Admittedly, the show has been struggling these past few weeks and the content has suffered. However, you still mean a great deal to me and I want you to know there are many great things to come. That being said it is time to get back in gear... it is time to talk business. If you recall I had a few episodes focused on the startup of a photography business and how to go about doing that. This is a continuation of that track. When I started I would say my greatest failure was never networking in my industry. I always thought networking was about talking yourself up and trying to impress those around you with your successes. I know now that is a horrible way to network. If you don't believe me, try it. Talk yourself up to everyone around you and then star to listen for everyone talking about you. Not in a good way but talking about how annoyed they are with you. Or look at it from the other side. Think of those people who always have to one up you. Not a fan right? Happy Shooting! Get your FREE business coaching call with Rob! Sign up for one of the last few spots here!

Talk Yourself Up Sometimes you need to talk yourself up. Photo World, the way we handle our internal reactions will often determine our external reality. I have spoken about mindset and maintaining professionalism in the past but what about those times when it seems like nothing is going your way? What about when you are feeling a creative block? How about times when rejection clouds your mood? There are plenty of things to think about when something doesn’t go our way. However, it is difficult to maintain a positive attitude. Start with a slight hesitation and replay this thought: When and if you are ever feeling down, do not listen to yourself; but instead, talk to yourself. This isn’t some trick to get yourself feeling better or some roundabout way to talk yourself up. This is a simple statement to remind you of a better approach to improving your thought process. Next episode I will go over a few ways to rethink rejection and how to find the positive moment. Photo World can you think of a time when you needed to talk yourself up? Share your story in the comments section below. We all learn from our own experiences but we can learn even more when we hear it from others. It helps to know we are not alone in all of this nor are we the only ones going through a rough time. Share to help talk one another up and not just ourselves.  Happy Shooting! Get your FREE business coaching call with Rob! Sign up for one of the last few spots here!

What They Did I want to wrap up my thoughts from the last episode… I talks about starting out and there have been a few dedicated episodes with that same idea in mind, but it is really leading us to today’s topic. I had heard, and I don’t know if this is his quote, businessman Dave Ramsey  mention to one of h callers; “When you want to be thinner you talk to thin people, ask them what they did. When you want to be rich you talk to rich people, ask them what they did.” That ignited the exact same principal in me when concerning photography. When you want to be a more successful photographer you talk to successful photographers, ask them what they did. Directly asking someone who they became successful is not really the best strategy, but there are ways of learning the steps those, whose work you admire, did what they did to accomplish for where they are at now. As a good start you should begin with who do you surround yourself with? What are they like? Do you wish you were in the same position they are in? If you are wanting what those around you have then you may be in the right crowd. If you would never want what those around you have, stop having those individuals around you. Remove yourself from instability and immerse yourself in opportunity. Opportunity is nothing more than being prepared and keeping a look out for it. You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with. So it helps to know who they are, but more importantly, what they did. Choose your friends wisely. Happy Shooting! Get your FREE business coaching call with Rob! Sign up for one of the last few spots here!

Rocky Start Photo World there are always so many things that come across my desk (screen) and I find once in a while, I see things that strike a chord with me. Recently, a story was shared withe me about another "photographer" who borrowed a few pictures to supplement their own portfolio in hopes to sell to new clients. They had said, once they were caught, that they would remove those borrowed images when they built a stronger portfolio. Photo World, if you were ever wondering how to get started in this industry there are hundreds of ways to do it. Some are better than others, but there are an oblivious few that should never be used. On the other end of the spectrum, as a professional, I don't know if there is much I can do if and when I ever come across this situation with my images. Would I be mad, upset, or vengeful? Maybe all three, maybe none at all. This episode isn't meant to be some sort of anti-theft device and I do steer away from the topic a bit but just another one of those things where it has been brought to my attention. Happy Shooting! Get your FREE business coaching call with Rob! Sign up for one of the last few spots here!

Manual Mode Photo World how could I go through each priority mode and not finally speak on Manual Mode. However, I don’t really do that much here. I should have called this episode Rob Mode because I selfishly only talk about how I shoot and how I couple Manual Mode with my Metering. Although, Manual Mode is really “insert name here” Mode every time. If you think about how we create images, and you will hear me speak to the topic of “Style” here today, we will find it all starts from our own understanding of our gear and how we use it to create our looks. Admittedly, some of the thoughts seem disconnected but I do tie up my point in the end and hopefully give you a rough outline to doing what you love for a living. Ultimately, this is a show to help the “enter your current photographic level here” photographer to gain knowledge and experience to move forward and grow toward the next level of their journey. Whatever that may be. We will make our way back to the business stuff soon enough. I wanted to break for a few episodes to really break down some areas on the camera in hopes to offer insight or possibility in using those options. Sometimes we get so set in what is comfortable nothing great can happen anymore because the possible is so beyond the realm of comfort. Happy Shooting! Get your FREE business coaching call with Rob! Sign up for one of the last few spots here!

Program Mode Photo World in my opinion Program mode is the transitional mode between auto and manual. Now if you have played with or made some understanding of how to effectively use the shutter priority and aperture priority modes then you are going to feel very comfortable with the Program Mode. Basically the camera will decide for you what the exposure will be with the exception of ISO. However, just like the other two priority modes you can enable that setting as well. Program mode wants good safe exposure for the situation the camera is presented with. Offering you the cleanest images with everything being considered. Now this is where Program mode is actually kind of cool… you may change the shutter or the aperture depending on a sharpness, depth of filed, freezing or blurring motion, and even creative attributes. No matter what you change or how you decide to do so the camera will automatically come up with the equivalent exposure. This is the main feature to Program mode because it acts as an exposure safety net. There will be limitations because one setting will affect the other, those settings being shutter speed and aperture, but you have a lot of latitude especially when you are unsure. A tip I had heard about but have never practiced myself, if you typically shoot in manual, put your camera in Program Mode when you pack your camera bag. This way when and if you come across something that needs to be captured at a moment’s notice you can easily open your bag, grab your camera, turn it on, and shoot with safe exposure settings to ensure capturing that photo. Then you may switch over to manual or where ever you would like and shoot like you normally would. I could see that being a good practice for many photographers who actively react when they see a picture worthy scene. Happy Shooting! Get your FREE business coaching call with Rob! Sign up for one of the last few spots here!

Aperture Priority Mode Hey Photo World! I need to clear up one small detail from the last episode on Shutter Priority. I never mentioned that many of you may see is as "Tv" mode or "Time Value". This is the standard for Canon as well as a few other cameras out there. Today I go over the Aperture Priority Mode or as you Canon users will see "Av" or "Aperture Value". Let me cut to the chase because I am going to sound like a broken record if I don't just lay this out there now. These modes or any modes for that matter are useless, unless you try them out and see where they can benefit your photography and work. I still feel Manual it he best way to learn and shoot. You get to a point in your photography where complete control is necessary and extremely beneficial to your image making. With that said,  Aperture Priority Mode is as restricting as the Shutter Priority Mode. You may engage the option to select your ISO or leave it to the camera, but this is only to get "correct exposure". That is a whole other topic itself. Happy Shooting! Get your FREE business coaching call with Rob! Sign up for one of the last few spots here

Shutter Priority Mode Photo World I am on this “what does every little thing in my camera do and how can it be helpful to me?” kick. I know that’s not really a thing but for me blabbing on like I do it is an important enough discussion to have. Also, it gets my attention because there are so many functions I almost never use and perhaps it is because I don’t know as much as I would like about it. It isn’t 100% of the time but I would say I shoot exclusively in Manual exposure. Today, and the rest of this week, I want to walk through other Priority Modes that most DSLR’s offer and maybe why it would be something worth using or at least trying out. Photo World, that brings me to today’s topic: Shutter Priority Mode. The Shutter Priority is exactly like it sounds… You choose the shutter and the camera will do the rest. This is a great little tool for things like Sports or something where you need the speed for really freezing the image. There is more to say about it so that’s where having a podcast comes in handy – free to listen and I don’t have to write more about it. Next time on Take & Talk Pics I will be going over Aperture Priority Mode. Happy Shooting! Get your FREE business coaching call with Rob! Sign up for one of the last few spots here!

Nikon CLS There are specific sensor receptors to interact with the Creative Lighting System or CLS. The number one complaint is the flash wont fire because of too much sun or there isn’t enough power from the on camera flash. There are so many “reasons” people have for why they think it won’t work and the number one actual problem is user error. Not having the sensor aiming back at the camera or master flash and incorrect or insufficient power from the commander flash are also a big problem for an effective CLS.  If you know your gear and you practice how you plan on using it long before you actually put it to use on the job you have a much better chance at being successful with that gear. This has never been truer than when using CLS. It isn’t a complicated system however it can be a limiting system if you are not fully prepared. Choose the Chanel, Choose the Group, You can shoot in TTL or Manual. The coolest thing about the Creative Lighting System is: wireless wasn't always affordable and this function for off camera flash has been around for a number of years. TTL wireless is only just becoming affordable and I know many of my students starting out are still not able/willing to make the investment for that function, but CLS offers it. Lastly and the best one by far is High Speed Sync (HSS) with off camera lighting, especially in TTL, is still a bit pricey and the cheaper versions seem to have bad reviews across the board, but you guessed it CLS even includes that. More info on Nikon CLS: https://support.nikonusa.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/9520/~/nikon-creative-lighting-system-(cls) Happy Shooting! Get your FREE business coaching call with Rob! Sign up for one of the last few spots here!

AE-L/AF-L or AF-ON AE-L/AF-L AE-L AF-ON There are also other, detailed, options for these functions. AE Lock only, AE Lock (Reset on release), AE Lock (Hold) and AF Lock only. You may have to set a function button for this same option but not have a dedicated AE-L or AF-L button. AE-L stands for Automatic Exposure Lock or Auto Exposure Lock. AF-L stands for Automatic Focus Lock or Auto Focus Lock. The way this button works is you may compose an image, press the shutter release half way down to catch your focus, then press and hold the AE-L/AF-L, remove your finger from the shutter release, re-compose your image, and then release the shutter to take your picture. As far as I can tell there is very little use for the AE-L (Auto Exposure Lock). The use of this function suggests you are shooting with an automated exposure mode; Shutter Priority, Aperture Priority, or Program modes. Furthermore, this would indicate you are not shooting in Manual. Now I understand the Shutter Priority, Aperture Priority, and Program modes, but these are specialty modes that should only be used under the right conditions. If you are like me and shoot in Manual just about all of the time this AE-L/AF-L or AF-ON function serves little to no purpose. In fact, I find it to be a much slower process to use the AE-L/AF-L button. Happy Shooting! Get your FREE business coaching call with Rob! Sign up for one of the last few spots here!  

Question Assumptions with Nick Leung Today’s featured guest is Nick Leung! Nick is a wedding photographer based out of Seattle Washington for 8 months and then Hong Kong China the remaining 4 months of the year. He was named one of Seattle’s top 25 wedding photographers in 2015. His wedding photography career kicked off on a remote stretch of the Great Wall of China 4 years ago and that inspiring moment keeps Nick driven to continue the double fronted wedding business he runs. Notes from Rob: Nick and I seemed to be on the same page as far as mindset and our approach to business. I was impressed with his outlook and understanding on both progress and opportunity. I can easily say we both continue to look forward and have a drive to see "what else" when it comes to our photography and our businesses. This will not be the last you see/hear from Nick. Bio: Nick Leung is a professional wedding photographer based out of Seattle and Hong Kong. After graduating from University of Washington with a Business degree, he worked in corporate finance for 7 years before becoming a full time wedding photographer. His journey during this drastic career change has been both challenging and rewarding. It is the lessons learned from this journey that he wanted to share most with the Photo World.   He has only been in wedding photography for 4 years, but have already been voted as Seattle’s top 25 wedding photographers. He considers his love and passion for his work the most important aspect of his career. Recently, he has found a new passion for motivating and empowering other photographers out there to “take the leap” and this interview could not come at a better time for Nick to share his story. Happy Shooting! w: nickleungphotography.com Blog: nickleungphotography.com/blog   Get your FREE business coaching call with Rob! Sign up for one of the last few spots here!

Pixel Binning Hey Photo World! First, I would like to start off with the fact that I am no expert on the Pixel Binning subject bur more so I am an interested learner on all things photography. My latest endeavor has been studying up and testing out the sRAW option on my Nikon D810 and D750. For more information on my findings so far with sRAW you can listen to episode 226 here! In my search on sRAW, there were many references to pixel binning and how it should be a much more effective down scaling of resolution to ¼ the size of a traditional full resolution RAW file. At face value, it sounded like a great solution to the speculated sRAW flaws. However, after investigating the difference between compressions with RAW files, sRAW images, and even the compression operations of JPEG images, there seemed to be little evidence that pixel binning offers substantial improvements. Then, I gathered much of my information by reading through multiple blogs and other writings on the subject and here is a list of the sites I read from. Sites: http://www.cloudynights.com/topic/489187-understanding-binning/. http://info.adimec.com/blogposts/bid/42336/Shot-noise-reduction-with-machine-vision-cameras-using-in-camera-processing. https://www.dpreview.com/forums/thread/3922435. http://www.photometrics.com/resources/learningzone/binning.php. http://www.andor.com/learning-academy/ccd-binning-what-does-binning-mean. http://www.olympusmicro.com/primer/digitalimaging/concepts/binning.html. http://info.adimec.com/blogposts/bid/104547/Binning-to-increase-SNR-and-frame-rate-with-CCD-and-CMOS-industrial-cameras. Although, the multitude of information on the subject it seems to be a very technical operation. After ingesting the information I have given thought to the entirety of the subject and feel there are little to no benefits to want to see pixel binning in a DSLR camera CMOS sensor. However, an improvement on the sRAW format or an allowance of an mRAW (medium RAW) equaling half resolution vs the quarter resolution of a sRAW image would be a more appropriate settlement on the RAW size options. Finally, I would be pleased to see Nikon and Canon offer a sRAW and mRAW with a bit depth choice as well. That would benefit many photographers out there. Happy Shooting! Get your FREE business coaching call

sRAW I have been testing out the sRAW option in my Nikon D810 and wanted to know more about it. So like most people I turned to Google and got articles and blogs all about sRAW or small RAW. Furthermore, some bad press kept showing up on the subject. All these photographers out there complaining and ripping the idea of sRAW apart. They go on about how bad it is and how much you lose by skimping out and using sRAW to save a near useless amount of space. Well, it’s my turn to go off the deep end and rant about the sRAW options out there. Again, I did some testing on my Nikon D810 and I will do the same on my Nikon D750 to see how it compares. Ultimately, and like a photographers work, the proof is in the pudding. What do you do with your images? What do you need your images to do for your specific customers and industry? Will you need all the resolution at a later date so why not do it all right now with the max RAW options? You will have to be the judge of all that. Like I say all the time: “know your gear”, and that also goes for know what your gear is being used for. I will admit, this is a fast paced and somewhat confusing subject with a lot of numbers and lingo being used throughout the episode. Bear with me and many even listen a couple times if you want to get all the details. The main 3 things to know are these: 14 bit uncompressed RAW – 73MB 12 bit compressed RAW – 30.5MB sRAW – 11 bit compressed – 27MB Finally, when talking about RAW compression options I love how Nikon states it in the user manual for the Nikon D810: “Uncompressed, images are not compressed; Lossless Compressed, no effect on image quality; Compressed, with almost no effect on image quality.” Makes compression look like a joke. Take it or leave it… everything will be fine. Happy Shooting! Get your FREE business coaching call with Rob! Sign up for one of the last few spots here!

Nice To Employees This is for all you photographers who have 1 or more employees. Heck you can apply this method to those of whom are flying solo. Also, I would like to clear up the word “employees” for you. Many would think it means you have individuals on payroll with an hourly or salary wage or someone who comes to work for the company at regular intervals. Well “employee” can mean a lot of things and I look at it as anyone who does work for someone else regardless of the interval, pay rate, or consistency. You could say they are temporary or sub-contractors as well. No matter how you define them you should be nice to your employees. Nice/Positive Mean/Negative Competitive pay Restrictive pay Constructive guidance Pushy guidance Offering more work opportunities Restricting the hours Perks No perks Somewhere to go/climb the ladder Lateral movement Nice seems like an obvious choice and an easy way to go but nice isn’t always the easiest to define. What you think could be nice may easily be blah or in some cases “not nice” to others. There is an attitude in how you treat them and that directly relates to an attitude in how they treat you/your business. Photo World you already know what I am talking about because just about each of you can go back to a time when you had a job and your attitude was reflected by how you felt you were treated. If you instill positivity to your employees, no matter their capacity, than you will see positivity from them. The opposite is true when there is negativity involved. Be positive! Be nice to your employees! Why do you think I always finish every episode with: Happy Shooting! Get your FREE business coaching call with Rob! Sign up for one of the last few spots here!

Chase The Light Photo World I was thinking about one of the turning points in my career as a photographer. Really it was before my career kicked off. This was happening while I was learning and working for other photographers. I used to spend hours and hours poring over photos, surfing the net, flipping through magazines, and even perusing a newspaper here and there. (Yes I used to read actual newspapers). I would look at how all those other photographs were taken and more specifically what kind of light was used to make the picture. I wanted to know what light source was used, guess the modifiers that were helping shape the light, figure out what the exposure must have been. I will say that it didn’t come easy but I do have a skill now for determining what lens is used for many of the photographs my students make just by investigating their images. I still find myself asking what kind of light is in play or what kind of modifiers were used here? I am continually seeking the answers… not to learn them and then emulate that practice but to see if my eye is good enough. I find myself critiquing many photographs with thoughts on how it could have been better with the right light. I’m no more gifted than any

Leadership Photo World today's episode is more about personality development than running a business. Although, one does need the right personality to run a business. Specifically with small businesses you may be the boss but you must also show leadership. You must have a leader’s mindset. In a quick google search I found a Leader is – The person who leads or commands a group, organization, or country. Or business (business was added by me). There is a ton of information on leadership and how to go about gaining good leadership skills or how to operate in the work place but what about when you own your own business? According to mindtools.com A leader can: Create a vision Motivate & Inspire Deliver the vision Coach and Develop Owning your business, means your name is on it. So… Don’t blame others for failure or setbacks. – busted wireless story What kind of leader do you want to be? – panic while serving or casually under control The kind that only chases the pay check or the one who is there for their passion and in turn their clients? – informative selling vs. pressure selling Happy Shooting! Get your FREE business coaching call with Rob! Sign up for one of the last few spots here!

I Love Yes I would have rather had the long title of "The day I met and photographed actor Colin Farrell" but that felt a bit long for a title. After all I'm not Panic At The Disco where I could get away with such lengthy titles. Even though I decided to write and record about how much I love yes the real story is the how behind my meeting a famous Hollywood actor and one of my favorite actors for that matter. Now I could go on and plot out the story of Yes Man for you Photo World and tell you why Yes can be so powerful, but I would be ruining a great movie for you (great may be a bit much but I did enjoy that one) and you wouldn't believe that is really how it works. To be honest I only Love Yes when it works out for me. You may recall I had once said I Love No. Both Yes and No can be powerful and helpful to a career it is just a matter of when and how. It usually leads to one thing in the end anyway... Any guesses where I am going with this? Education! That's right Photo World I passionately believe in education and I don't think I will ever think otherwise. As in the words of the great John Michael Montgomery "Life's a dance you learn as you go. Sometimes you lead, sometimes you follow. Don't worry about what you don't know. Life's a dance you learn as you go." Happy Shooting! Get your FREE business coaching call with Rob! Sign up for one of the last few spots here!

Even Sell Ahh... Finally... The long awaited Even Sell. Back from when this all started I spoke of over selling then I moved to under selling and to be honest that is where most discussions stop. Is it taboo to speak of even selling or as I like to call it in this episode "niche selling"? I guess most people side step that portion of the discussion because when successful selling takes place it isn't worth talking about. The only incredibly major problem I have with that is WHY NOT? Why do so many blogs and podcasts avoid subject matter that revolves around the correct way of doing something. Niche selling is the most fun and has the least pressure involved but no one really talks about it. There is this horrible misconception that selling is a game or a trick and out have to accidentally get your clients to go along with it. Real even selling or niche selling doesn't work like that. It is all based on getting the right customer in front of you so by the time you are selling they are already 90% committed to the idea. Let your marketing "sell" for you, let your portfolio "sell" for you, have the social media "sell" for you, are we getting the idea here Photo World? Create a selling funnel that leads to you making the sale. This way most of the time when you attempt to sell to someone it is to a "someone" who is already susceptible to your specific sale. Happy Shooting! Get your FREE business coaching call with Rob! Sign up for one of the last few spots here!

Distraction Kills Distraction will kill your business. Wake up every day with three goals and attack them. Some examples of how big or small the goals can be: Take care of all the emails I have before 12 noon. Return all the calls I have between 1pm-3pm. Work on X number of photos for X amount of time. Social media posts once a day for the next seven days. There is something about music in the background that just works. I have tried putting on Netflix with a show I know well and then minimizing the window so I can just get to work and before I know it I find myself wanting to just sit and watch. I love the internet and Google especially, but for some reason I have so many questions that must have an answer and before I know it, the only question I had was: “Where are the latest funny cat videos?” Even our work can be a distraction! What if there was a way to consolidate the work we did in a more careful structure so we don’t have wasted time in between each task needing to be done. This goes back to having a system in place. A 30 minute timer so you can be FOCUSed in on one task and then move swiftly to the next. There are few who can maintain the endurance of just working countless hours on the same task over and over. However, society and our upbringing tell us this is exactly what we need to do to make it in our “careers”. I have a whole other episode to talk about that subject but for now just know that we can keep FOCUS and we can sidestep distraction so our business can be the living breathing machine it has to be. Get those systems in place and your mind in place. I for one enjoy focus or study music to keep my mind in the right place while I work. Happy Shooting! Get your FREE business coaching call with Rob! Sign up for one of the last few spots here!

All Wrong When everything goes wrong you have to keep strong. It’s not an easy task learning how to be professional. Time, practice, failure, education, trial, and error is what makes a professional a professional. For some it is an accelerated process and for others it is a life long journey. I know I still have trouble being professional all the time. Now I need to clear up a couple things first… I’m not talking about “A professional” in the industry of photography I’m not talking about someone who is an authority in their craft I’m not talking about how your income is 51% or more obtained by your business I’m not talking about the way you dress I’m not talking about the car you drive I am talking about your attitude. What happens when you have a decision to make, such as, blow up over a mishap or keep your cool and work the problem? Sticking to your guns when it come to your pricing or caving to book the job. I guess this has been on my mind because of one day where everything went wrong… However, I had to make some decisions about how to handle all of it. This is one of those, “I can’t believe this story is real”, kind of tales. So join me on one of the worst days in my career. The worst of it was when my head started rushing through all the old memories of those big incidents Where I had to decide quickly, act appropriately, and make things work even though they weren’t supposed to. Lessor professional would let the problem win and walk away because the going got tough. Trust me I want to that too, but there is something inside saying: “you can get through this.” A small declaimer for today’s episode: The day I had recorded this episode was the same day where my first story I tell had happened. I also had a breakdown and put off recording until it was very late at night (1am). I sound like the emotions were fresh because they were. I sound tired in my voice because I was. I got through the episode because I am a professional and Photo World, you deserve the best I can offer… even when I am not at my best. Thank you for keeping me going. Happy Shooting! Get your FREE business coaching call with Rob! Sign up for one of the last few spots here!

Ah-Ha Moment “If you treat this business as a business you will get paid as a business. If you treat it as a hobby you will be paid as a hobby.” I pulled this quote from a book I have been reading called Gameplan. It is a great quote and it refers to the idea that you get out of things what you put into them. I have interviewed many photographers who have suggested testing the waters and doing photography on the side without jumping in head first with the hopes that you can build a sustainable business. However, many new photographers or small businesses in general have a tough time making that transition from side-preneur to entrepreneur or part time to full time. It didn’t really hit home for me until recently when a bride told me something that changed my perspective. Not only my perspective of the day but my perspective of the wedding photography industry as a whole, and the way I will approach it moving forward. It was eye opening and gave me sight into the difference in effort from one photographer to the next and how that effort is reflected in the market they will work within. Listen to the episode to find out what she told me and how this ah-ha moment has given new life to my own wedding photography business. More importantly how it can breathe new life into your business regardless of your current focus or level. Happy Shooting! Get your FREE business coaching call with Rob! Sign up for one of the last few spots here!

Make Lemonade When life gives you lemons make Lemonade… I say: When life gives you nothing make Lemonade. We have three currencies and each one effects the others. Time Knowledge Money Just a few examples on how I had to make more from an otherwise inopportune situation. More often than not I find knowledge is one of the easiest of the currencies to acquire but more often one of the easiest to miss. These examples, as explained in the episode, are proof of that very phenomenon. Wedding with bad weather and an unflattering location. Photo Studio with nowhere to grow. Photo classes that seemingly had little to no value for me. However, I was able to find the opportunity within. I couldn’t learn anything new with photography itself but I could learn plenty about how I would instruct if I were in that role. Photo World do you a story or example of a time when you felt there was very little or even nothing available for you in a given situation but made it work anyway? Share it with us on Twitter with #HeyPhotoWorld or write it on the Facebook Page. Happy Shooting! Get your FREE business coaching call with Rob! Sign up for one of the last few spots here!

Fail Quitting True failure exists only when we stop trying. An entrepreneur never gives up. Therefore, their “failures” are only learning moments and steps toward growth. (Fail vs Quit is very different) Did you want to be a fireman or police officer while growing up? Maybe a doctor or a lawyer… Did you not become that because you failed or because you stopped trying? So a simple google search had yield me several results and a somewhat poor consistency of information. I searched for what percentage of small businesses fail and then I searched what percentage of businesses succeed. I figured if I could look up some information from both attitude perspectives (negative as well as positive) I would be left with a set of numbers that explained this idea from two sides. I had no idea what I would really find. From, let’s say, more trusted names I pulled information and gathered it into two groups and I am left here laughing at the results. I don’t trust much of what I read online even if the source seems credible I am a little weary. The reality is the information out there is all based on the worst restrictions and qualifications. Unemployment is only based on the last 3 months. If someone is unemployed for more than 3 months it is viewed as a deliberate choice and no longer qualifies for the “hard numbers”. It is the same story here. These sources are all speaking about different time frames as well as different scales of businesses. Happy Shooting! Get your FREE business coaching call with Rob! Sign up for one of the last few spots here!

Undersell Photo World I have been on the "How To Sell" kick for a while now and I wanted to break down yet another approach. How, Why, and When to Undersell. I know, you hear undersell and think: "Why would I do that successfully?" or "How would that be a good strategy?" First off listen to the episode, I clear up a lot in a short amount of time. Secondly, open up to the idea that there is always a possible success in every approach. That being said I will say building a business with an undersell strategy is a slow rise to a stable business model. I will also add this can be one of the best ways to learning business and building a strong foundation to build from. On a base level, Undersell is when you sell something at a lower cost than your competitors. I dive into the idea of competitors as well. I don't like the idea that we are all to be competing against one another. I don't see the value of being hung up on what others are doing when we should just be doing what is best for our businesses. Happy Shooting! Get your FREE business coaching call with Rob! Sign up for one of the last few spots here!

Interesting vs Interested Photo World, as we build our small businesses into a successful careers we come to many cross roads. Sometimes we get caught up learning and lose our focus when we should have been earning. Other times our social media falls by the way side and we seem to forget there is an audience there. It could just be difficult to maintain a positive habit like keeping up on a blog or it could be tough to stop a bad habit like staying up too late. In today’s episode I want to highlight another strategy for our selling techniques and hopefully offer you the chance to grow based on being honest with your business, as well as, yourself. There is a 100% chance you are not doing one of the following 6 things for your business and you need each of the 6 to achieve the goals of today’s topic. movementmasterminds.com Not updating your portfolio – You must update your portfolio. Every time you have an image that is worthy of your portfolio you need to set that aside for when you do make the changes to your website. At least then you do not need to search for the photographs you wish to showcase. Not aiming to increase your skill set – Staying the same may be easier to do for a week, a month, or maybe a year, but eventually your being the same will fall in comparison to those around you who kept current. Only working your niche – I am all about having a niche, a focused area within your business to give you the path to success. However, growth happens when you set yourself outside of your comfort level and approach what it is you do from a new angle. You are learning digitally – The web is a great resource, heck you are having one pumped into your ears as I speak. Action is the real learning… a YouTube video can only teach you so much. You say no – There are many gray areas in this business life… Should I try it because it is something different even though there is little or no pay? Maybe I should be assisting even when I feel confident in that skill already? Try saying yes every once in a while you never know who you could meet or what you could learn. Unwilling to risk – It is scary when we foresee risk within a situation and many people can’t see past that. Fear is only the negative outlook on excitement… you never know what may be worth the fear. I am telling you these six points because I have already fallen victim to each of them time and time again. Years of failure have caught up with me and I know that the other end of the spectrum is the only reason to work as hard as I can. I have found often, both success and failure come with the same amount of work leading up to them. The ending is just a result of the work being put in. With today’s topic and keeping up on selling to your clients: “Focus on being interesting but more so focus on your potential clients being interested.” – A recent transition for me was my old web site last updated in 2013 vs my new web site updated in March of 2016. My skill set had changed and improved but my selling was based on an old ability. Hard to be paid properly when the clients think they are working with a past version of yourself. Keep up everything, at least in small increments, to maintain increased interest over time. Happy Shooting! Get your FREE business coaching call with Rob! Sign up for one of the last few spots here!

Follow-Up Photo World, it is time for one of those episodes where I break down one simple thought and blow it up to show you that this “one simple tool” can be the game changer for your photography business. It isn’t a big secret nor is it hard to find sufficient evidence backing up my shared opinion. I say “shared opinion” because there are many sales specialists who agree. Furthermore, many business experts and entrepreneurs have done studies on the subject or at the very least expressed weighted opinions in favor of the idea. So what is this big tag line I want to investigate? Well before I get there I have a small quiz for you to take. There are no right or wrong answers but there should be a theme. Just take a minute and jot down your honest answer to these 7 questions. How many times a week do possible customers contact you? (Try for an average number) What is your first reaction to the customer reaching out? (What do you do first?) How fast do you respond to the potential customer? When do you consider them a customer? (Vs. an inquiry or possible customer) Do you do anything unique when first contact is made? Do you know where the customer found you? How many times do you follow up with your customer/business contacts? (Business contact could be a possible customer or a possible network colleague) Like I said, there are no right or wrong answers here and everyone will have a slightly different response. However, I want to unveil the big secret and bring special attention to that last question… again, how many times do you follow up with your customer/business contacts? The point of highlighting question 7 was to get your head in the right frame of mind because: “The fortune is in the follow-up!” If you let a possible customer reach out to you and then you drop the ball on connecting with them, well I have news for you, their search continued and you are far behind. If you connect with them and find something meaningful to say, that could be a long list of examples, but let’s say “something” interesting; then the connection grows deeper. If you don’t think of them as a customer until money has changed hands, then you are going to have a tough time making any of it. If you can’t track where your customers are coming from, then your marketing is being done inefficiently and is a threat to your success. If you don’t follow up and follow up and follow up, then you have fallen down. Here are few numbers I found really interesting! www.sendoutcards.com Happy Shooting! Get your FREE business coaching call with Rob! Sign up for one of the last few spots here!

Earn While You Learn Photo World, there are many occasions throughout a career where you feel a down slump in your business. You work hard and things are going well but for some reason you see the work thin out, the funds slow down, and your "style" just isn't making the cut any more... Many photographers out there use this as their reason to get out of the biz. Especially those new photographers who couldn't get past it the first tie it happened to them. I can recall 2, maybe even 3, times when this happened for me and my business. However, as many photographers who fall apart from this issue there are many more who push past it. Education is a great way to re-invigorate your business or your "style" and put a fresh face on what you are already skilled at. This episode speaks to this specific dilemma and hopefully reminds us to persevere. They key is openness to the future and looking ahead to see how you and your business will fit in. Making the money while adapting to the unstoppable changes that are always on the horizon. In short - how to  Earn While You Learn. Happy Shooting! Get your FREE business coaching call with Rob! Sign up for one of the last few spots here!

Oversell 2 The topic is sales strategies. Not in their definition sense but their practical sense. I see three main sales strategies: (1) Oversell, (2) Undersell, and (3) Even Sell. This episode I want to speak more about Oversell… Photo World, I walked through some basic thoughts on overselling more than you need to for your clients. In some cases I have signals that work for me that let me feel comfortable trying to up-sell in certain areas of my services. True “Oversell” is to over promise and under deliver – that is the real definition of overselling. Where you say you can do something just to make the sale and then it turns out you can’t deliver on that. I knew I had to make this a 2 part episode because of how long a topic it was with the first portion but I should clear up that part 1 of this was oversell… when and where to up-sell your business. Rather, up-sell you to your clients. After all it doesn’t matter much what it is you’re selling… They are still buying into you. Happy Shooting! Get your FREE business coaching call with Rob! Sign up for one of the last few spots here!

Oversell Photo World, I see much as I continually learn about business, especially my own, and the businesses around me. So many things like: marketing strategies, sales techniques, skill techniques, social media strategies, etc. Well one area of my learning has been on my mind and I think it is more of a 3 part kind of topic so I will have two more episodes devoted to this topic. I have not planned when the other two will take place but over the next few weeks I think we will have all this info out there. The topic is sales strategies. Not in their definition sense but their practical sense. I see three main sales strategies: (1) Oversell, (2) Undersell, and (3) Even Sell. This episode I want to talk about Oversell… Now after recording this episode a slew of ideas and thoughts came rushing back into mind and my notepad filled up so I will tell you that Wednesday will be part two of this 1 sales strategies. Today I speak to the idea that overselling can be damaging toward your relationship with your clients and your longevity as a business. Again, Wednesday I will expand upon this episode because I went on much longer than I thought I should have and needed to split some ideas. Happy Shooting! Get your FREE business coaching call with Rob! Sign up for one of the last few spots here!

Romanticize Your Business   F.O.C.U.S. Follow One Course Until Success. If you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything. When you constantly focus on one thing you are romanticizing that thing. You need to romanticize your business because what we romanticize grows.   I feel we all know how to go after our passions and really push to get through to our goals but I see so many of us small business owners, photographers, and artists fearing the wrong turn or not knowing quite how to move forward in any one direction. We need to stay the course because you never know what that next door may be opening too. Like my national speaking for podcasting and photography... I had no idea how to move in that direction nor did I even know it was something I felt passionate about but once I saw an opportunity I took it and that experience blew me away. I can't help but feel driven to seek out more. Same thing with those first few weddings I photographed. It was like I found why photography was for me; even though I already had the passion and career was the direction, wedding photography was the destination. So on and so forth... I just love looking back on how I got where I am even though I didn't know where I was always headed. It's like driving at night... You can't see more than the 200 feet in front of you but somehow we can go a great distance just moving 200 feet at a time. Not to get too deep here but life works the same way. Just keep going Photo World! Happy Shooting! Get your FREE business coaching call with Rob! Sign up for one of the last few spots here!

Act Your Wage Photo World, Your income follows your personal development. That is a nice food for thought, especially if you have been overly stressed out. It's like: "thanks Rob now I have more to worry about." The great thing is we always have that small worry but we also have the power to change any time any where in life. I used to leave my part time job telling those I worked with "I'm going to go home and change my life." It would give them a chuckle but I can honestly say I no longer have a need for that part time job as my photography and teaching is what I get to do for a living. All the while many of them are still there at the same job. There is nothing wrong with that but we get stuck because many of us go Broke trying to look Rich when we should act our Wage. The real quote is: Don’t go Broke trying to look Rich act your Wage. Take it a step further and learn through the bord game by Dave Ramsey called: Act Your Wage Happy Shooting! Get your FREE business coaching call with Rob! Sign up for one of the last few spots here!

Listen Don't Speak As a man I am all too familiar with the fact that women assume I do not know how to listen... okay not just women, my assistance always tell me I never listen. My parents have said I don't listen as well. There is no time like the present to change for the better. See, I thought I was doing fine listening, but hearing and listening are very different. I have found through my listen don't speak exercises I have booked more clients, turned out more work, gained more followers, and accomplished more work than I have in recent years where I couldn't listen. There are countless ways to speak on how helpful this can be for things like sales. Sitting with a possible client and listening before trying to push a sale. Happy Shooting! Get your FREE business coaching call with Rob! Sign up for one of the last few spots here!

Business Overdrive This day and age our businesses really are a 24 hours a day - 7 days a week - 365 days a year job. We have little to no excuse as to why we can't get back to an email, return a phone call, or at the very least text someone. I know we all prefer different forms of communication but we are to connected for excuses. What does this have to do with our business? Well, our business is connected 24/7 to everyone and anyone who could be directly or indirectly a possible or current client. That means we have the pressure of our business weighing on our shoulders and looming over our every move. In short... We are working all the time. If you remember my Better Branded Business episode I went into how your business should be working for you and not you for your business. Especially during those times when you can't or shouldn't be working. Like while you are asleep or when you're on vacation. (Thank you "out of the office" automated email). So how do we combat this habit to be working all the time or 24/7? I go over it in this rather short episode... Short because I have too much work to do to be bothered by this other work. :) Happy Shooting! Get your FREE business coaching call with Rob! Sign up for one of the last few spots here!

NEVER SCOUT A LOCATION To scout or not to scout a location for a photo shoot? That is a common question with 2 solid answer, one transitional option, and a few way to handle how you let your clients know your thought on the subject. You know Rob didn't hold back and he is fine telling you what he thinks as well as how he explains it to his clients. "I find honesty is the best policy when it comes to your clients." Rob shares, "If you want clients than be a real person first with all the same positive and negative aspects. There is nothing worse than a sales pitch from someone telling you how amazing the whole experience is going to be and then you find out it was all sunshine and rainbows. There is comfort in real." Rob Talking Here: Okay so that was fun to try with this post... act like someone important is really asking my opinion on the subject. The whole episode (like most) are my opinion. What I would like to hear is who disagrees with me. At this stage in my wedding photography career I say NEVER SCOUT A LOCATION! EVER! Just listen to find out why. Happy Shooting! Get your FREE business coaching call with Rob! Sign up for one of the last few spots here!  

BBB (Better Branded Business) We hear about branding your business all the time, but what about your web brand? The one that 80% of your possible clientele is seeing first. Rob talk’s first impressions when you’re not even there and how to offer a more friendly hand shake that gives your clients a comfortable feeling to want to do business with you. If you can find a way to get possible clients to see your skill and personality while you are busy sleeping than wouldn't that be a better way to go for gaining more business. Setting aside time to meet with every possible client is a tall order but those first impressions can be mad through a better branded business online. Tradition is out the window! Business cards, posting flyers, and going door to door. What are the 3 new ways to be in front of more potential clients and gain business without the old sales techniques? Network posts Progress posts Target marketing within a niche in a specified target group within a small narrowed market. (How do I say Niche Down as many times as possible) Happy Shooting! Get your FREE business coaching call with Rob! Sign up for one of the last few spots here!

Dixie Dixon - Nikon Ambassador Dixie is a US Nikon Ambassador based out of Dallas Texas. To fill you in on how selective that group is… She is one of the sixteen original Nikon Ambassador for the US. She is a commercial, fashion, and editorial photographer who travels from Vancouver to Barcelona down to Miami and everywhere in between. She shoots for tv shows, commercial campaigns, editorial projects, and major brands such as: Nikon, Disney, Inside Edition, Profoto, and MAC Group just to name a few. Her works is seen in Rangefinder, PDN, Professional Photographers Magazine, Nikon World, and many more. Full Bio: Dixie Dixon is a Texas born and bred commercial fashion photographer. Just a few years out of college, this 20-something’s career is unfolding one adventure after another. She was given her first Nikon Camera, the Nikon FG, at just 12 years old, which peaked her curiosity in the field and served as her sidekick in exploring the world. She would continually clock seven to ten hours in the darkroom without even realizing it. While in college she studied in London with a world-renowned fashion photographer and became deeply inspired by the beautiful illusion of fashion and commercial photography. It has been said that her idealistic vision of the world is reflected into every single frame- full of life, beautiful energy, and most of all, Soul. Her passion has lead her to shoot internationally in places such as Cannes, Toronto, Vancouver, New York, Miami, Los Angeles, Ibiza, and Barcelona recently for various brands, tv shows, commercial campaigns and editorial projects.  She is one of the sixteen original Nikon Ambassadors of the United States. Sensuous and polished, her images create a dream world in which romance is always alive. Her fresh vision has attracted clients such as Nikon, Disney, Virgin, Advanced Beauty, Florsheim Shoes, Ultherapy, Woodland Worldwide, Inside Edition, Gaylord Hotels, Spencer Fine Jewelry, G-Technology, Profoto, Eprouvage, MAC Group, Magpul, Billy Jealousy, Nha Khanh, Pipers Perfumery, and Macadamia Professional to name a few. Her work has been published in publications such as Rangefinder, PDN, Professional Photographers Magazine, Dapper Magazine, Living Magazine, Beverly Drive Magazine, Nikon World and many more. Dixie's PHOTOGRAPHY AWARDS: 2007 Fujifilm Award 2008 Hy Sheanin Photographic Award 2012 Graphistudio Award 2014 Addy Award for Ogle School Commercial   Dixie's SPONSORS/PARTNERS: NIKON G-TECHNOLOGY BLACK RIVER IMAGING LEXAR MANFROTTO TIFFEN PROFOTO X-RITE COLORATTI GRAPHISTUDIO Happy Shooting! Recommended Resource: rggedu.com/ W: .dixiedixon.com Blog: dixiedixonphotography.wordpress.com Workshops: dixiedixon.com/forphotographers Get your FREE business coaching call with Rob! Sign up for one of the last few spots here!

How To Get Your Foot In The Door There is a question as old as time when it come to getting started... "How To Get Your Foot In The Door?" I think the worst part about this is so many people have no idea what door to go through or they attempt entering it but do it in the worst possible way. Today I am continuing what I look at as the planning stage for beginning your photography business and this bit is bullet point 3 of 4 or 5 when it comes to the planning of breaking into the photography industry. I have been having a lot of fun racking my brain from my start in the industry and there are thousands of small parts that have come together to make my journey what it was. How do we take that first step though? Well, there are literally hundreds of ways to start... I share a couple ways to avoid and the mindset you should be in to succeed. Although, assiting or getting your foot in the door is one part I really look at this as Building Your 2 Bags. 1 the knowledge and 2 the gear. Happy Shooting! Get your FREE business coaching call with Rob! Sign up for one of the last few spots here!