VOLUME 45 No. 1 Dec/Jan 2010

Transcription

official publication of the Texas Professional
photographers association, inc.
VOLUME 45 No. 1 Dec/Jan 2010
COVER PHOTO
The cover image of incoming TPPA President,
Lewis Kincheloe, was created by Don Rogers
of Austin, Texas.The image was one of a
series of images taken of the Kincheloe
family at Bull Creek. Read more
about Lewis on page 8.
IN THIS ISSUE
7
Creativity vs. Technical
8
Meet TPPA’s New President
by Bry Cox
Texas School 2010
21
The Journey
30
Doug Box, M.Photog.Cr
P.O. 1120
Caldwell, TX 77836
979-272-5200
[email protected]
Printed by
Complete Printing
1501 W. Panola
Carthage, TX 75633
800-964-9521
by Bill Hedrick
13
28
Executive Director
Lewis Kincheloe
Let’s Talk Weddings
27
Bill Hedrick, M.Photog.Cr.
1506 E. Leach St.
Kilgore, TX 75662
903-985-1080
[email protected]
It’s About Not Being Boring
10
25
Publishing Editor
Complete financial information on Texas Professional
Photographers Association is available to any
TPPA member by contacting Doug Box, Executive Director,
P.O. 1120, Caldwell, TX 77836
[email protected].
Adapting to a Changing Market
by Robert Faust
DEPARTMENTS
Classes, Instructors, Registration
by Bill Hedrick
4
5
5
33
Your Artistic Narrative
by Arthur Rainville
A Little Strobe Never Hurt Anybody
On Location with Jamie Hayes
by Jamie Hayes
Bread and Butter Photography
Texas PPA Staff & PPA Councilors
Who’s Who In Texas PPA
TPPA Today
A Message from TPPA President, Lewis Kincheloe
Join Texas PPA Today
If You Are Serious About Photography
Guild & Supplier News
What Is Happening Around The State
Making a Living in Photography Today
by Bill Hedrick
Texas Print Winners Gallery
From SWPPA Print Competition
Courtesy of SWPPA and Don Hayden
Raising Profits Without Raising Prices
With “Add-On” Specialty Items
by Jennifer Turner
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Jan. 10 - 12, 2010
Imaging USA
May 2 - 7, 2010
Texas School
June 13 - 16, 2010
TPPA Summer Seminar
Nashville, TN
Addison, TX
Kerrville, TX
The Texas Professional Photographer is the official publication of the Texas Professional Photographers Association, Inc., published bi-monthly for members
and others for information of industry matters, personal achievements, and news of this and other associations. Acceptance of advertising or publishing of
press releases does not imply endorsement of any product or service by this association, publisher or editor. Permission is granted to similar publications
of the photographic industry to reprint contents of this publication, provided that the author and Texas Professional Photographer are credited as the source.
Articles, with or without photographs, are welcomed for review for inclusion in this publication; however, the editor reserves the right to refuse
publication, or if accepted, the right to edit and use on a space available basis. Send all communications, articles, or advertising to:
Editor, Texas Professional Photographer, 1506 E. Leach St., Kilgore, Texas 75662. Telephone (903) 985-1080, or [email protected].
December/January 2010
3
2010 Executive Council
President Lewis Kincheloe
[email protected]
113 East 7th St., Georgetown, TX 78626 (512) 930-4250
Vice-President Cliff Ranson
[email protected]
4909 N. 10th St., McAllen, TX 78504 (956) 631-6843
Treasurer Walter Eagleton
[email protected]
1710 N. Elm St., Denton, TX 76201 (940) 891-1534
Secretary Judy Dumas
[email protected]
1211 Coggin Ave., Brownwood, TX 76801 (325) 646-1773
Councilman-at-Large Trey Homan
[email protected]
17222 Classen Rd., San Antonio, TX 78247 (210) 497-3809
Councilman-at-Large Stephanie Huebinger Ludlow
[email protected]
205 N. Mays, Round Rock, TX 78664 (512) 246-0063
Chairman of the Board David Boeck
[email protected]
3201 Cherry Ridge, Ste. 208, San Antonio, TX 78230 (210) 340-6144
Executive Director Doug Box
[email protected]
P.O. Box 1120, Caldwell, TX 77836 (979) 272-5200
Texas PPA Webmaster Ben Ellison
[email protected]
1007 East 7th, Odessa, TX 79761 (432) 337-6641
Texas School Director Don Dickson
[email protected]
1501 West 5th, Plainview, TX 79072 (806) 296-2276
Magazine Editor Bill Hedrick
[email protected]
1506 E. Leach St., Kilgore, TX 75662 (903) 985-1080
PPA Councilors
Gabriel Alonso (Ft. Worth), Sharon Baker (Mansfield),
Don Barnes (Denton), David Boeck (San Antonio),
Walter Eagleton (Denton), Charles Foster (Stafford),
R. Dean Grimes (Webster), Elizabeth Homan (San Antonio),
Trey Homan (San Antonio), Stephanie Ludlow (Round Rock),
Lewis Kincheloe (Georgetown), Dwayne Lee (Arlington),
Buz Marvins (Houston), Cliff Ranson (McAllen),
Cindy Romaguera (Metairie, LA), Debbie Scott (Houston),
Paul Skipworth (Dallas), Robert Suddarth (Lubbock),
Gayletta Tompkins (Nederland), Bill S. Weaks (Plainview),
John Wilson (Ft. Worth),
Don Dickson (Plainview) PPA Vice-President,
Doug Box (Caldwell), PPA Board of Directors.
To contact any of your PPA Councilors, you may obtain their
phone numbers from the TPPA Membership Directory
or visit our website at www.tppa.org
4
Texas Professional Photographer
Exciting Year Ahead for Texas PPA
T
Executive Director Doug Box and Magazine Editor Bill Hedrick
for their outstanding work. Our plans are well under way for a great
Kerrville Summer Seminar. For new and old members alike it’s the
perfect place to volunteer, learn, and see old friends and make new
ones.
hank you for the opportunity to serve as President of the Texas
Professional Photographers Association. I also want to thank all
who have preceded me for their help and friendship over the years. You
have set the standards high. This association has become an extension
of family to Carol and me. Even in this economic winter, the Texas
Professional Photographers Association continues to flourish and
leads the way in education and value for our members. I believe being
involved in professional organizations such as your local guild, TPPA
and PPA gives you a decided advantage over the average photographer.
It’s more important now than ever to educate our clients as to the
advantages we have to offer.
As we come to the end of one year, it’s also the beginning of another.
It’s been said, “You can’t get where you want to be if you don’t know
where you’re going.” I hope we all make time to put in writing our
business road map and goals for the upcoming year. If you have
questions or problems don’t hesitate to contact a fellow TPPA member.
One reason our organization is so strong is the willingness of members
to share with others. I hope you will also take a short on-line survey
from TPPA. Please find a few minutes and let us know how we as a
board can serve you better. Again, thank you for allowing me to serve.
Carol and I are looking forward to an exciting year.
The time has flown by since joining the TPPA board as a Councilor
at Large in 2003. I want to thank Ben Ellison for giving me that
opportunity. The space here is too small to thank by name everyone
who has helped along the way. So allow me thank you together and,
most of all, thanks to Carol, my partner in life and business for 27
years.
See you in Nashville!
I hope everyone is making plans to attend Imaging USA, Texas School,
Kerrville Summer Seminar and the Southwest Convention this year.
Join Don Dickson and more than a 1000 of your closest friends in
Addison for the 2010 Texas School. Many thanks to Don and trustees
for all you do for us. I also want to thank my Executive Council,
Lewis Kincheloe, TPPA President
Join Texas PPA TODAY!
Professional Active $85 - Open to members in three categories:
1.
2.
3.
Texas Photographers holding a Texas Limited Sales Tax permit, available for assignments a minimum of 30 hours per week during ordinary business hours.
Employees of photographers qualifying for membership under
No. 1, who desire full membership rights, including eligibility to enter annual print competition.
Industrial photographers employed by a firm whose main
business purpose is not selling photographs.
Limited Associate $75 - Open to individuals seriously interested in photography and are engaged in an occupation other than photography.
Your Professional Active, Limited Associate, Student, and Staff Associate
membership entitles you to FREE Convention Registration at the TPPA
and SWPPA Regional Conventions each year, providing you
pre-register by the deadline for each convention.
Staff Associate $45 - Open to individuals employed by a Professional Active or Service Firm member. Staff Associate membership may be accepted only if employer is current member.
Out of State $65 - Note: Only Professional Active members have all membership rights. Spouses of Professional Active members are exempt from dues, unless they elect to become a Professional Active member in order to vote or exhibit prints. Limited Associate, Out of State, Student, Service or Staff Associate members may not vote, hold office
or enter photographs in competition, unless a special category has been established for them.
Student $40 - Open to full time students preparing for a career in photography, in a college or approved vocational/ technical school. Students must list name of school, course, instructor.
Service Firm $80 - Open to manufacturers, suppliers, laboratories and businesses supplying photographers; includes one person’s membership.
Download Your Application From Our Web Site:
www.tppa.org
or call 979-272-5200
5
Creativity vs. Technical
It’s All About NOT Being Boring
by
Bry Cox
T
he creativity I see coming from some of the newer photographers joining
our industry is amazing. However, despite the fact that these newer
photographers may feel very creative and have plenty of ideas, they tell me that
they don’t know how to always implement their ideas technically. At the same
time, these same photographers will tell me that while they want to have more
technical abilities and be able to understand their trade, they don’t want to be
boring photographers – they worry that learning will change that.
If you think about it, this is true of artists in many artistic fields. However, it
doesn’t have to be one or the other, creative or technical. In fact, the best artists
in any medium have both creative and technical characteristics and that’s
what separates them as true artists and as industry leaders and experts. A true
balance of the creative and technical should be our constant goal.
We need the creative side to stand out from the crowd, to see things differently,
to create and find our own niche, and to really be able to solve problems in
an artistic and positive way that makes the client look amazing… but also
we need the technical side in order to really be creative, to be able to solve
technical problems, and to be able to get things right from the first, and to be
quick about our work.
the areas in which we are the weakest. That’s why a hands-on and week-long
workshop like Texas School is pure genius. It really is a shortcut to success.
At Texas School we can learn from the best in the industry in a short amount of
time rather than making and learning from our own mistakes. We get specific
and hands-on training in the areas we need most. Continual learning in all three
areas of success makes us well-rounded and more successful artists, and not at all
boring!
Bry Cox will be an instructor at the 2010
Texas School of Professional Photography.
He is a PPA Master-Craftsman with a
Bachelor Degree in Business. Read more
about Bry and his course on page 13.
Before I was a photographer, I was a jazz musician playing the sax and guitar. I
found that my creative approach to photography is similar to my jazz approach
to music. To use this analogy of music and photography, I relate creating
images to jazz improv. In jazz improv the music is not written down like it is
with classical music. Instead the musician must improvise and create off the
cuff, while on stage performing.
Now, any musician can play music knowing the right notes, but improvising
while playing the right notes creates a melody that is lukewarm, boring, and
that sounds like every other tune. A song created and played from the heart
however has soul and interest, but can’t truly be created if you’re thinking
about what the right notes should be.
The Beatles are an excellent example of this balance. They wrote songs that
are still captivating today, yet they didn’t write using theory but instead they
wrote from the heart creatively. They created beautiful ideas in their mind and
in effect said, “Here is a song I hear in my mind. I need to write this down!”
They needed the theory and a technical background in order to implement their
creative ideas.
Similarly with photography, we create images in effect by saying, “This is what
I see as a finished art piece in my mind and heart.” We then use our technical
background that we have built up over the years to correctly implement our
creative ideas in a fast, accurate, and quick manner before the moment is gone.
It is true that we may become more boring if we begin to create strictly from
a technical standpoint every time for every client: Pose-A, Pose-B, Pose-C…
and Lighting Pattern-A, Lighting Pattern-B, Lighting Pattern-C. However, this
is why we need to balance the creativity and the technical. We need both to be
successful in our field. Learning more of the technical side doesn’t mean that
we become boring, but it means that we actually become more creative. We
become better artists!
I believe that there are three areas for which our success is dependent:
Creativity, Technical, and Business. I also believe that the area in which we are
weakest will stunt the total results we see. We therefore should always be on
the path of training, reading and learning in all three areas, constantly raising
7
by
Bill Hedrick
T
hese are trying times in the profession of photography and
nobody understands this better than Lewis Kincheloe, the
incoming president of the Texas Professional Photographers
Association. In the 22 years since he opened his studio, Lewis has
seen a multitude of changes that have redefined the role of today’s
professional photographer. However, Lewis believes that the
future is bright for those who are willing to do what is necessary to
survive and prosper in the days to come. It is this optimism as well
as his own experience that Lewis Kincheloe brings to Texas PPA.
believes that,
for this very
reason, today’s
professional
photographer is
more adaptive,
stronger and
smarter than
ever before.
Lewis has been in the profession since 1988 and will be the first
to admit that today’s professional photographer works harder
than he did a decade or two ago. “There was a time when the
mystique and the cost of medium format equipment kept many
out of the profession,” he explains. “The digital revolution came
on much faster than most of us expected and photographers had
to make a large outlay of time and capitol for computers, cameras,
software and training in a short period of time.” However, he also
His introduction
to photography
came in his
senior year in
high school
while taking a
photography
class. “The
magic of
watching
that first
print
develop
had me
hooked,”
Lewis
recalls. It was that same year that he won first place in a UIL
photography competition and decided to pursue photography in
some form as his career. His formal training came from the Fine Arts
Department at the University of Texas where he studied everything
from art and music history to photography. “But the best experience
I’ve had in learning has been the Texas School of Professional
Photography,” he says. “For a person who is visual and doesn’t take
a lot of notes, I still have the 13 pages of notes I took in Don Blair’s
class my first year in 1995.”
Perhaps that is one reason Lewis Kincheloe is so serious about his
new job as TPPA President. “I have some large shoes to fill. I want
to make sure we meet the members’ needs for information and
programming, not only in the techniques of creating images, but also
8
in being a smarter business person,” says Lewis. “Right now, we are in
a tough economy in a profession which relies on people’s disposable
income. So, we need to identify and nurture a need for our services and
deliver that service with exceptional customer service. Texas PPA offers
the best school in the country and hosts a very successful convention
and trade show that is free to our members and our Kerrville Summer
Seminar is the perfect family-friendly event for learning and building
life-long friendships.”
Lewis and his lovely wife, Carol, were both born in Austin, Texas, where
most of their family members live less than an hour away. So, Central
Texas was the logical choice for their home and business. They lived in
Round Rock, Texas, before moving to Georgetown in 1994 and decided
it was the
perfect place
to raise
their son,
Travis, and to
expand their
photography
business
into other
areas besides
weddings.
“Carol has
always had
faith in my
photography
when it
would have
been easier
to go into
a more
traditional
occupation,”
he explains.
He does
not think of
himself as an artist per se and admits that he is not an overly-technical
person when it comes to photography. “I think I have an understanding
of form, color, light and design and how to bring them together for an
image.” However, he is modest when talking about himself. Those who
have seen his work know for a fact that his images are extraordinary and
display an understanding of the art and technology of photography that
many photographers never
obtain in a lifetime. The secret
may be his passion for making
images. “If you have a passion
for anything in life,” says
Lewis, “that is half the battle.”
enough land
for a portrait
park.”
Lewis recalls
his own
transition
from film to
digital. “Yes,
I remember a
time when you
had to think
about each
shot. After all,
it was going to
cost you $1.25
each time you
pressed the
shutter. Too
many folks
today simply
practice
‘spray-nshoot’ and
burn 700
images on a
CD and decide
to ‘fix it in
Photoshop’
later.
However, I believe that photography should be done right the first time.
As good as cameras are today, the average consumer should not be able
to create the same images as a professional. I still believe that there will
always be a need for a professional photographer who can pose, light
and deliver an exceptional image in a timely manner.”
These are indeed trying times for our profession but the new President
of the Texas Professional Photographers Association is convinced that
a promising future still lies ahead for those who are willing to do what
it takes to make it happen. “I think the seasoned professional needs
to educate their clients and to be open to change when it makes good
business sense,” says Lewis. “Being a member of Texas PPA and taking
advantage of what it has to offer is perhaps the best tool available for
anyone who is serious about making a living in photography today.”
Their Georgetown studio
might be considered small at
1,400 square feet and Lewis
describes it as “modern in
decor and comfortable.”
However, the size of the studio
has forced them to be efficient
with the available space. “We
recently added a small outdoor
portrait garden that has worked
out nicely,” he adds. “Our
goal is to eventually move to a
larger historic building nearby
or perhaps find a location with
9
Let’s Talk...
Weddings
by
Robert Faust, M.Photog.Cr., MEI, MA,CPP
B
eing a professional wedding photographer for over 27 years, I’ve been
through all the trends in the wedding industry. Furthermore, I’ve been
through several ups and downs in the economy as well. Weddings have
been my bread and butter source of income for all those years and my only
source of income for the last 8 years. With the failed economy and recession
upon us, everyone, including brides, are looking for ways to cut corners on
their wedding budget. With so many Uncle Harry’s out there, some with
top of the line digital cameras, offering to do wedding photographs for
family members, how do we survive this ailing economy? Naturally, every
slowdown in business makes us a little nervous, even times not as serious as
the one we are faced with now.
Until the economy recovers, there may be several issues to address in our
business in order to succeed which could take several years. Luckily, we
have not felt much effects of the economy at this point, possibly because of
the few changes we’ve already made in our business practices. We already
anticipated the slowdown from brides cutting their wedding budgets.
The first thing I did at the beginning of the year was to totally redesign our
website. My wife has been telling
me for over two years that I needed
to update my site. The old site had
been around for about four years
and was totally stale and outdated.
Redesigning a website is very easy
to put off, especially when business
if good. With the fast-paced world
around us, 87% of today’s brides
use the internet to plan their
weddings. In the pre-internet days,
just a few years back, most brides
chose a photographer by visiting
the ones in their immediate area
who were within driving distance.
Things have changed now and
brides let their fingers do the
walking. Their options are endless,
thanks to the internet.
Once you do have a very appealing website, the next ingredient
needed is really good photography to put on it. We must set
ourselves apart from not only our colleagues, but also from Uncle
Charlie with his professional digital camera. He can get some
pretty amazing results set on “P.” What he cannot get is the results
you can achieve from multiple lighting techniques, a variety of
perspectives from various lenses, and other techniques based on
your experience as a wedding photographer. You know where to
be at the right time and Uncle
Charlie will not be able to
adapt to instantly changing
environments, and different
lighting temperatures.
This is where you have the
decisive edge that you must
communicate to your brides.
We carry a lot of equipment
to a wedding, including two
large camera cases and a third
bag holding light stands and
a tripod. True, most of my
competitors have it really
easy with one camera over
the shoulder and one camera
with flash in hand. But when
it’s all done, many of my
competitors’ photographs
could have been done by
How does your site rank among
With 87% of today’s brides using the internet for wedding planning, Robert
Uncle
Charlie himself.
your competition? I will tell you
redesigned his website, www.robertfaustphotography.com
Our images have a totally
that, when I redesigned my site
different look. Why? We took the time to carry all the extras with
using “Webmaster Guidelines,” our online bookings increased dramatically.
us... multiple lighting, multiple lenses... and most importantly, the
Over 80% of our current wedding bookings come from our website, usually
desire to create for our clients a totally unique look that only we
without any verbal contact with the bride whatsoever. We very seldom
can achieve. Sure, we worked much harder than our competitor,
meet with them prior to booking. If my wife had not finally pounded into
but the end results put a smile on our faces as well as our brides.
my head that I needed to update my site, I’m sure the results would be very
However, our biggest satisfaction comes from knowing how
different and I may be working part time at McDonalds at this point. Today,
pleased our brides will be and knowing that our work stands
the internet is your number one sales tool!
10 Texas Professional Photographer
out from our
competitors.
Brides tell us
continuously how
they have never
seen wedding
photographs
like ours. Some
have told us they
were shocked
when they saw
our photographs
and that they
had no idea that
kind of wedding
photography
existed. All the
hard work is
worth it when we
get that kind of
response.
Another change
we’ve made,
from anticipating the economy slowdown, was our advertising policies.
For the last 15 years, we did almost no advertising, with the exception
of one small ad in a local bridal magazine. Most all of our wedding
came from word of mouth. We still get a large number of weddings
from word of mouth. However, we wanted to reach out to more brides.
Since we are on the upper level of pricing in our area and many brides
cannot afford us, we wanted to reach out to many more brides than just
the ones we were getting from word of mouth referrals. So, in January, I
got a book on “Google Ad Words.” Everything I’ve ever learned in life,
I’ve learned on my own from reading. With 87% of today’s brides using
the internet, I took out an Ad Words campaign with Google. After some
experimenting with Keywords, etc., our business listing now consistently
comes up on top of search results. Many brides that would not have
known about us now find us by doing a Google search. This campaign
has increased our inquiries from brides from various locations.
These are just a few of the things we’ve done to set ourselves apart from
our competition. We will be discussing these items in detail as well as
many others at our class at Texas School 2010, titled “Love Weddings.”
We will also stage a complete wedding showing every detail concerning
our lighting, posing, and all the things that set us apart and have made us
successful through the years.
Robert Faust owns an exclusive
wedding studio in a small town near
Baton Rouge. He is one of less than
seven photographers in the world to
hold all 4 PPA degrees and has been a
regular Texas School instructor for 12
years. Read more about Robert Faust
and his course on page 14.
11
2010 Classes & Instructors
by
Bill Hedrick
“PHOTOSHOP:
"The Power of the Classics"
Suzette Allen & Jon Yoshinaga
Gabriel Alonso
Study & Exploration of Fine Art Portraiture
Let’s Get Profitable - Creatively!”
Sacramento, California
T
his class is for those who have gotten past the beginner stage, past the intermediate
struggle of learning the workflow and the production vitals. NOW is when FUN and
PROFITS kick in! Photoshop has LEVELS of creative plateaus that have not even been
touched!
With an intense focus on “efficiency,” Suzette and Jon will create an organizational space
that is productive and creative without getting bogged down by mechanics. You will learn
ways to work on files that allow you the freedom to create with all options open. The
class will cover advanced actions, speedy templates and other techniques (layer modes,
adjustment layers, layer masks, etc.) that will make your Photoshop time seriously worth it!
Ft. Worth, Texas
T
his class is designed for the experienced portraitist who seeks to re-kindle the fire
in the heart and to attain a higher level of expertise. The vehicle to get there is the
rediscovery of the vast knowledge contained in classical portraiture.
Topics of study will be: The importance of the science of photographic technology and
the role it plays in the pursuit of excellence; An in-depth excursion into studio lighting
and how it translates to environmental and outdoor lighting schemes; Posing the human
body, gender specific styles and group posing will be explored in depth; Psychology
and the immense role it plays into eliciting the emotions that will translate into pleasant
expressions... particularly important in children’s portraiture.
Course #1 - Intermediate Level
Course #2 - Advanced Level
"Artistic Natural Light Portraiture"
"Portrait & Wedding Photography"
Doug Box
Carl Caylor
Caldwell, Texas
L
earn what you need to know to have a successful
photographic studio and how to market your products and
services. By working with models and photographing each other, you will learn the
fundamentals needed for a solid foundation in the photographic business. Whether you
are just beginning, have only had a studio for a few years, or just want to brush up on
your skills, this hands-on class is for you. We will spend about 50% of our time working
on business, sales, marketing and promotion and the other half on photographic skills
including: white balance, metering, workflow, studio and natural light, on camera flash and
off camera flash, lens selection, setting up a studio and camera room.
Iron Mountain, Michigan
C
arl will share his philosophies of artistic portraiture, what he looks for and what
thought-process he goes through when creating an image. This is a class designed
to stimulate, energize, and stretch your imagination. Carl will share his views on such
topics as: composition, lighting, color harmony, and more. He will show: how depth is
created; where and how to look for light; how to make portraits believable and interesting;
how to choose the correct background and how to use it; how to use emotion to enhance
an image; and how all of these pieces work together to create an artistic image. He will
also demonstrate how he uses natural light to create artistic images. All students will
spend time with models and will have one-on-one time with Carl. We will have positive
discussions of class assignments.
Course #3 - Basic to Intermediate Level
Course #4 - Intermediate to Advanced Level
"SUCCESS Through Marketing,
Photography and Sales"
"The Power of Light"
Colleen Gonsar & Darty Hines
San Diego, California
Tony Corbell
Halifax, Pennsylvania
C
olleen and Darty will share their award-winning marketing,
photography and sales techniques. You’ll find in-depth
education and demonstrations to push your senior photography and
other parts of your studio to the next level. This class is heavy in senior portraits, but will
also cover other aspects of running a portrait studio. Darty will showcase his high school
senior marketing campaign from design to delivery while Colleen discusses how to price
and sell to the person who makes the money decisions... the senior’s mom. They will
dazzle you with posing and lighting techniques that will help streamline the way you shoot
and take hours off of your post production time. Learn the sale and pricing philosophies
behind Colleen & Co.’s two very successful studios.
A
fast-paced look at how lighting plays such an important role in our everyday
work. Understand its controls, quality and quantity and identify your strengths and
weaknesses in the process. All of Tony’s classes have been sold out for years. Come find
out why. Tony will highlight the importance of understanding light meters, the excitement
of working in control and you are guaranteed to “never miss an exposure again.” Designed
for the more advanced photographer, there will be specific assignments based on the
make-up of the class. This is a class where students will get lots of hands-on, so be
prepared to work. Tony has written articles in literally every major photographic magazine
in the U.S., Japan, the U.K. and China.
Course #6 - Advanced Level
13
"Creativity, Fashion, Success"
"Corel Painter - The Artist Within"
Bry Cox
Jim Cunningham
Little Rock, Arkansas
West Point, Utah
T
his is a high-energy and information packed workshop covering Bry’s complete
system, from the initial creative concepts, to the image creation, to the workflow and
final products, and the sales presentation – everything you need to be a better artist and
storyteller and work more efficiently. Bry’s youthful techniques will add value, style,
and a “hipness” to your work for more dynamic images that are full of emotion, and
tell a real story about people, life, love and relationships. The creative is coupled with
technical how-to’s and good success philosophies like the psychology of sales, pricing,
and achievement for the successful and self-employed photographer, which is especially
crucial during a slower economy.
T
his workshop is for Portrait and Wedding Photographers who
want to transform their images into works of art. Jim will take
you step by step through the creative process, from getting familiar with the Painter
desktop to creating knockout images, to the marketing process. You will be amazed at how
quickly you will be creating images that your customers will want hanging on their walls.
Each student is encouraged to bring at least 5 of their own images to work on in class. This
class will cover: Getting familiar with Painter; How to paint faces and eyes that will take
your customers breath away; Creating a watercolor print; Creating an oil painted look;
Pastel Portraits & Prints; Fine Art Landscapes; Marketing your Images and more.
"Video Production"
"Maximize Your Creativity,
Flexibility and PROFITS"
Mitch Daniels
Houston, Texas
Greg & Lesa Daniel
Billy Welliver
Metairie, Louisiana
Titusville, Florida
W
ould you like to create an experience designed around a simple system which
allows for maximum artist creativity, maximum client flexibility and maximum
profits? If your answer is yes, this is the class for you. Greg and Lesa will break down
their highly successful business during the week, by covering in great detail the following
topics: Creating a desire to own your products through a marketing strategy that will bring
in the right clients; Building relationships to understand your clients’ vision; Producing
outstanding photography ultimately fitting your brand and product line; Satisfying their
need with an emotional presentation culminating in an experience that will produce a sell
that you had visualized!
O
ften described as “The Class That Has the Most Fun at Texas School”, the Video
Production Class has become a tradition the entire school looks forward to every
year. You’ll spend the week with two of the top videographers in the country as they
produce the infamous “School Video.” This fun, informative course has been designed
for anyone interested in increasing their production skills with video and is intended for
the beginner. Billy and Mitch will demonstrate over the course of the week a “scriptto-screen” class project that will be produced to expose students to all aspects of video
production. The hours are long, but the results are worth it.
"Digital Masters"
Don Emmerich
Oklahoma City, OK
"Love Weddings"
Robert & Leslie Faust
Frank Cricchio
Port Arthur, TX
S
pend the week with Don Emmerich and Frank Cricchio and learn everything you need
to know as a photographer in a portrait studio. Photoshop is not just about retouching
anymore. You will learn to reduce your workflow and enhance your images, create and
design templates for wedding albums, postcards, and greeting cards and make just about
anything you can think of easy and effortless. These two renowned instructors will share
techniques and tips in Photoshop to ease your workflow and make more money. Topics
include: Photoshop Tips & Techniques; Photoshop Digital Designs; Photoshop & Digital
Photography; Photoshop Workflow; Photoshop Product for your studio to broaden your
appeal.
New Orleans & Baton Rouge, Louisiana
F
rom over 26 years experience as a professional wedding
photographer, Robert Faust will cover every aspect of
wedding photography. There will be detailed discussions and
demonstrations of equipment selection for cameras, lighting and other gear for the
wedding day. Live models will be photographed for engagement sessions, pre-bridal
sessions and wedding day photographs from pre-ceremony detail photographs throughout
the ceremony to the reception. Robert and Leslie will teach multiple lighting techniques
and will discuss natural light, flash and video lighting. You will also learn to blend flash
with natural light. A complete mock wedding will be staged to show how they handle
every aspect of the wedding day. You will learn to create your own style with a blend of
traditional and photojournalism techniques.
"FONG Shui...
The Lost Art of Posing & Lighting"
"All About Weddings
With Rick & Deborah Ferro"
Rick & Deborah Ferro
Hanson Fong
Jacksonville, Florida
W
ith Rick’s experience developing the wedding photography department for Walt
Disney World and Deborah’s expertise and knowledge of Photoshop & Marketing,
you will learn how to increase your wedding sales in today’s market. Deborah & Rick
will alternate days when teaching. On Monday, Rick will take you on location for an
engagement session and to a church with a bride and groom. Tuesday, Deborah will show
you how to structure pricing, develop a brand for your studio, and how to market your
work. On Wednesday, Rick will teach posing and lighting in a studio environment and
new techniques for a complete bridal session. On Thursday, Deborah will show you the
latest in album design, as well as how to work fast in Photoshop and Glamour retouching.
Friday they will both cover business strategies for today’s economy. You will also receive
a complete workbook included with the class, compliments of BWC.
14 Course #13 - Basic to Intermediate Level
San Francisco, California
H
anson will demonstrate his successful techniques that apply to
both portrait and wedding photography. Balancing the art of
lighting and posing, Hanson will teach you how to create perfect harmony, which will
allow you to handle any subject’s body size and type. The “Classic 10 Poses” that Hanson
mastered and pioneered will help you analyze different body sizes and types. You will
learn to recognize the poses that will result in a proportional balance of the various body
sizes to each other. This technique will enable you to pose any family grouping, couple,
and bride & groom. In addition to the hands-on posing techniques, Hanson will also teach
lighting and metering techniques. You will be learning how to photograph under any
lighting condition... indoors and outdoors... any place, anytime.
"The Best of Both Worlds"
"Light Beyond the Camera"
Joe Glyda
Jamie Hayes & Mary Fisk-Taylor
Jenks, Oklahoma
T
his class is designed for the beginner photographer who has been leery of using lights
in and out of the studio. Joe will help you understand how lighting for photography
can vary depending on the subject matter, the emotion you want to portray, the location of
the shoot, and the equipment you have available. He will discuss and demonstrate studio
lighting and location lighting. There are many possibilities of lighting from reflectors to
off-camera flash to scrims and natural light. These will all be used in the class and each
student will learn how to use these tools in their daily photography business. Joe Glyda is
primarily a commercial photographer and has been teaching Photography and Photoshop
at Texas School, PPA conventions and NAPP for over 20 years.
Richmond, Virginia
J
amie Hayes and Mary Fisk-Taylor will spend the week discussing their path of success
in the profession of photography. If you are striving to refine your existing business
or want to take your part-time business to the next level, then this is the class for you.
There will be hands-on photography workshops each day with models. Jamie and Mary
will share the key elements to building a very streamlined studio in a small space and
the basics of environmental lighting. They will work with children, families, high school
seniors and wedding couples. This week of sound basic photography will set you up
for bigger and better sales. Plenty of time will be dedicated to business planning, the
fundamentals of pricing, creating a sound sales plan and low cost innovative marketing
ideas.
Course #15 - Basic Level
"Children, Families, and Seniors...
Contact, Creation, Closure"
Jennifer Hillenga
"The Elements of Inspiration"
Martin Grahame-Dunn
London, England
Burnsville, Minnesota
T
his will be a hands-on and interactive class with instructional
and guided photo shoots dealing with the creative process from
concept to reality. It is an enlightening insight into the way an experienced commercial
and advertising photographer has grafted his skills into the wedding and portrait market.
You will be exploring the subjects of advanced and dynamic composition and posing, as
well as off-camera flash, video and cool running LED lights for power and drama... in
essence, the “WOW” factor. Art direction, image enhancement and presentation will also
be featured. Martin will also cover the effective use of your lens collection from wide
angle, zooms and prime lenses and a whole host of other invaluable skills.
J
en focuses on the story behind each image and the internal as well as external beauty of
each subject, by relating to her clients with sensitivity and humor. She will speak to you
about seeing the world with new eyes… about shooting what you feel instead of simply
what you see. She will go in-depth into all the different facets of a portrait business and
will discuss the marketing promotions that garner business quickly and effectively. She
will demonstrate her simple indoor and natural lighting techniques, talk about how she
works with different subjects and situations, and go in-depth with senior posing. Jen will
also be demonstrating photoshop techniques and tricks to fast-track your workflow and
design projects. She’ll discuss the entire process from creative thinking through the sales
process and closing your sales through great presentation and projection.
"Earth, Light, Lens:
The Westway Method"
"The Portrait Studio... Refined!"
Elizabeth & Trey Homan
Randy Kerr
San Antonio, Texas
Smithville, Texas
T
his class is designed to take your photography to the next
level! If you want to make more money, LOVE what you do
and make your clients LOVE you, then this class is for you. The
Homan’s will share with you everything they know about how to run a successful portrait
studio. Topics include: exciting portrait sessions to participate in and watch; designing
your price list; posing, lighting, composing and creating beautiful portraits; working with
a reflector and natural light; selling with projection for maximum profit; working with
employees; marketing strategies to keep year-round traffic flow... and much, much more!
This class is full of practical knowledge that will take your photography studio from good
to GREAT and allow you to make a lot more MONEY!
R
egardless of how many years you have been taking
photographs, your journey of seeking light quality never
ends. This course will cover many fundamental realities that a professional photographer
deals with every time when seeking quality light. At the heart of Randy Kerr’s class is the
Westway Method, a creative and systematic process that orients photographers with the
earth and sun relationship while providing a foundation to axel in the art of photography.
This ten-step process addresses each element that creates impact in an image. The Out
layer of the sun is called the photosphere. The energy of photo flows in currents and the
Westway Method will teach you what creates light direction. You will learn how to proactively plan for the light quality you seek in your image.
"Basic Secrets to Success
When Turning Pro"
"Adobe Photoshop Lightroom"
Julieanne Kost
San Jose, California
Jack Davis
Steve Kozak
Cardiff, California
Grapevine, Texas
T
his class will focus on how to take advantage of Adobe Photoshop Lightroom’s
efficient workflow while simultaneously refining your Photoshop skills. You’ll learn
how to become more efficient while importing, managing, selecting, rating, tagging,
editing, developing and showcasing large volumes of images - jumping to Photoshop
when necessary to learn deep pixel editing techniques such as retouching, compositing,
and special effects. The primary objective for each student will focus on a comprehensive
understanding of the technology as well as the application and optimization of the
programs for speed and efficiency. This is an intermediate to advanced class so
previous experience with both Lightroom and Photoshop is mandatory.
T
his class will provide you with a solid foundation which will
allow you to take control of your photography and to build your
business. Success requires both a mastery of your camera and equipment and creating
a solid plan for marketing and selling your photography. Whether you are new to the
business or if you have been at it for a while, Steve’s class helps you to bring all of these
important elements together. If you want to establish yourself as a true professional, then
don’t miss this class! Steve will cover a lot of ground during this week! His down-to-earth
presentation looks at photography from three aspects: The Fundamentals, The Business
and The Art of Photography. From learning the tools of the trade to creating a professional
image for your business, Steve shares his insight to help you turn your passion for
photography into a profession.
15
"The $10K Wedding Photographer”
"Digital Studio Operations"
Scott Robert Lim
Robert D. Lloyd
Monrovia, California
L
earn the secrets of how to demand $10,000 and more for your
wedding photography. Discover how Scott books weddings all
around the world, including France, Italy, Korea, Canada, NYC,
San Francisco, Miami, Seattle, Los Angeles, and Hawaii. Are you
itching to bring your photography to the next level? Are you stuck creatively? Be inspired
and infuse new creativity into your photography as Scott reveals his signature posing and
lighting techniques derived from modern fashion. Learn how to leverage viral marketing
and get the most out of Facebook and Twitter. Create a world following with a zero dollar
marketing campaign. Learn critical life skills that will unlock your unlimited potential and
enrich those around you. Learn the seven steps to mastering the art of photography and be
a leader in the industry.
Girard, Illinois
T
his class will take you through the steps of learning the issues
and equipment necessary to efficiently operate a digital
studio through delivering the product to your client. The goal
is to understand, manage and control color from capture to print. You will learn how to
calibrate your own monitor, photograph and capture images with the speed and ease of the
“old days of film.” Concentrate your attention on your subject and capturing expression
and emotion, not playing with your camera. You will learn and practice lighting for digital
capture, studio, location and outdoors. Bob will demonstrate how to use the power of
Photoshop Actions and Adobe Bridge for file management, processing, renumbering and
editing. After this class, you will be in control of your photography. Students will receive a
comprehensive manual covering all class curriculum and much more.
"Lifestyle Portraits"
"Ann & Carol Mean Business!"
Don MacGregor
Ann K. Monteith
Vancouver, B.C., Canada
M
aking portrait and wedding photographs in homes
and outdoors creates many unique challenges and
opportunities. This class will focus on creating dynamic images with total control and
confidence of light and composition. You will explore all the possibilities of making
portraits in hard sunlight conditions as well as in the “sweet light” times of day. You will
use various tools such as reflectors and flash systems to establish the perfect negative
(or digital file). Posing (especially family groups) will be a daily routine as well as
exploring the use of space to sell larger portraits. Each day will be split into lectures and
demonstrations with models. During the week the class will also spend serious time on
creating purchasing desire through consultations and how to “close” on portrait sales that
bring financial success to your business.
Annville, Pennsylvania
Carol Andrews
Houston, Texas
I
f your goal is to direct a successful portrait business, then you’ll never
find a more relevant course than this educational duo of renowned
photographic business instructors, Carol Andrews and Ann Monteith.
While they approach the art and business of photography from different
perspectives, they share the same core beliefs about what is required to
achieve long-term financial and artistic success in photography. This will
be a mind stretching, brain expanding process to collaborate with classmates and a sharing
community of ideas, creativity and support. Carol and Ann will show you how to promote
your studio and will explain marketing strategies and sales techniques that will help you
reach your ideal clients. Ann will also cover the 12 critical issues that photographers must
master in order to achieve financial success and to create more personal time.
"Professional Portraiture
With Dave Newman"
"Children & Family Photography"
Dave Newman
London, Ohio
Karen Peters & Janine Killian
Salt Lake City, Utah
T
his is a “must-do” popular course which encompasses loads of
handouts, ideas, guidelines and techniques required of you as
a professional portrait artist. Learn the key points of camera room layout and design. Bring
your camera and you will receive a trigger-control, allowing you to link into and capture
many of Dave’s setups and model compositions during this intense week. Live models will
be provided and shooting can be done by students although the lectures and instructors
posing are the key to classroom learning. A wide variety of lighting and equipment will
allow you to fashion and to develop your own style, using the methods and instructional
material taught. If you wish you can bring an old or new muslin piece for the mini-session
on background painting; a very popular morning in Dave’s course.
D
uring this week-long course, Karen Peters joins her daughter, Janine Peters Killian, to
discuss those ever present problems of running a studio. From employee handbooks,
policies, marketing and sales techniques, she will give you the information you need every
day in dealing with fellow workers and customers. This is a topic not all like to hear about
but it is a vital and intricate part of a successful studio. Organization is the key to success
and Karen will show you how to run your studio to be efficient, profitable and enjoyable.
If you photograph children and are interested in ways to improve your bottom line and
to produce exceptional images of children, don’t miss this rare opportunity to tap into all
their successes.
"New Age Artistry
Meets Old World Romance"
"Senior Photography"
Larry Peters & Brian Killian
Arthur Rainville & Jennifer Hudson
London, Ohio
T
his week-long course combines the talents of Larry Peters and Brian Killian to
demonstrate first-hand how a successful studio operates and is most useful for those
studios who have been in business for a few years. From cutting edge photography
to great marketing and high sales, you will go home with the success formula to
make a good living and enjoy doing it. You can’t afford to miss this inspiring course
that feeds you information in the first 30 minutes. The senior portrait market is more
competitive than ever before. If you are a senior portrait photographer who is serious
about photographing high school seniors, don’t miss a minute of this exciting class with
someone who has been there and done it all
Boston, Massachusetts
T
oday’s consumer is geared for connectivity. Interactive technologies are permeating our
daily lives to the extent that future customers will only be future customers if we find
innovative ways to join the techno-parade. Artistic and progressive photography, coupled
with innovative products, a heightened client experience and hot internet marketing are
key in this day and age of new, savvy consumers. These Visual Alchemists will immerse
you in a host of fresh approaches as they entice you with their personal signature styles,
melding high art and craft into striking motifs steeped in romantic overtones. Photographic
techniques such as melodramatic posing and utilizing hot LED lights, will all lead to a
new you. Find your unique vision in this class, a true marriage of Art and Science for
today, tomorrow and for generations yet to be born.
17
"Make Art! Focus on Your Imagery,
The Rest Will Follow"
"Making a Good Living
With Your Eyes, Heart, Camera!"
Ralph & Ryan Romaguera
J.B. & DeEtte Sallee
Metairie, Louisiana
T
Las Colinas, Texas
his class will help you understand the business of photography and cover the
technical knowledge needed to make a good income while enjoying life. Topics to
be covered are lighting and posing, as well as marketing to today’s internet savvy client.
Ralph and Ryan will also discuss some of the computer programs necessary for successful
studio workflow. They will have hands-on posing and will cover all types of lighting
from indoor and outdoor to window and other available lighting situations. They will also
demonstrate the use of small strobes as well as reflectors and deflectors. A good portion
of the classroom time will be dedicated to getting (and keeping) the business you work
so hard to get. The class will also explore and discuss weddings, executives, high school
seniors and school day kids.
his is going to be a brutal five days of shooting everything from babies, bridals,
engagement, boudoir, families, maternity, high school seniors and everything else in
between! J.B. & DeEtte will also share their strategies and simple approach with quick
lighting and easy posing techniques and how they approach every wedding and portrait
session with a positive outlook and produce amazing images no matter what the conditions
are. After each shooting session, the Sallee’s will take the images into Photoshop and
demonstrate how they make not only award winning art out of the images files but more
importantly how they make amazing products that make money and keep their clients
coming back for more!
T
"Rejuvenation"
"Photoshop for the Portrait Photographer"
Jump-Start Your Photoshop Skills
def: re-juve-nation noun... The phenomenon of vitality and
freshness being restored. action, change of state, improvement.
Robert O. Seat
Jennifer Turner
Batesville, Arkansas
R
obert will introduce you to the basics of Photoshop and its tools
then guide you through a complete production workflow. After
learning how each tool works, you will create fully retouched and enhanced portraits in
a minimum of time. Students leaving the class will be working with layers, layer masks,
adjustment layers, selections and other powerful features found in Photoshop. You will
learn how to automate by batch processing with Bridge and Image Processor. Each student
will create actions for vignettes, soft focus, conversions to black and white and sepia, and
more. You will create composites and fine art images that look like they took forever. The
goal is successful workflow, image enhancements, creating new products and presenting
them to your clients. Prior knowledge of Photoshop is not necessary, but you must be
comfortable with your computer and its operating system.
Austin, Texas
R
arely in our history have we seen such drastic changes in the portrait industry. This
class is a straightforward approach to running a successful children’s portrait studio
(either home based or retail) and will take us back to basics, a “Rejuvenation” of good,
clean photography. You will work with infants, toddlers, families and maternity. It will
touch on retouching and creating art pieces for your clients as well as products that sell.
The class will cover prop and set design to environmental location shooting and other
aspects of running a children’s studio. Topics include: Studio & Outdoor Lighting; Seeing
the Light; Posing of Newborns Thru Maternity; Post Production Workflow; Business; and
Marketing as a “Professional.”
"The A.B.C.'s of Photoshop CS4"
"Being You"
John Wilson
Jeff & Julia Woods
Washington, Illinois
Ft. Worth, Texas
T
W
his course is designed for those with very little or no experience
with Photoshop. Each student is expected to know computer
basics (how to open, save, move files, etc.). This is a “HandsOn” Basic Photoshop class, not a basic computer class. Topics include: Creating
Templates, Setting Preferences, Curves, Levels, Layers, File Formats, To Compress or
Not, Navigation Techniques, Bridge Basics, Color Corrections, Blending Backgrounds,
Convert Color to BW, ACR Basics, A Touch of Color Technique, Adjustment Layers,
Tools Basics, Creating Backgrounds, Selection Tools, Extraction Basics, Monitor
Calibration Overview, Creating New Product Lines, Working with Service Bureaus,
Working with Labs, Working with Print Shops, Designing Mail-outs and Promotional
Pieces, Photoshop Filters and Plug-Ins.
ould you like to be yourself in the way you
photograph, market, brand, and sell? Jeff and Julia
will help you explore and begin to apply your individuality to your photography business.
They will share from their own experiences as they have taken their business, which was
at one time an “in the box” concept, to now a true reflection of themselves. Be equipped,
challenged and inspired to be YOU! Jeff and Julia’s photography is an original blend of
photojournalism and lifestyle; as photographers they each have their own style which
they enhance by working together to produce a unique perspective. Jeff’s love of fashion
and modern culture coupled with Julia’s passion for capturing relationships and stories
come together with creative images that showcase their clients’ hearts and minds with
contemporary urban imagery.
"Painter 11 Demystified
...Yes, You Can!"
Helen Yancy
S
Plymouth, Michigan
tudents need to understand the tools and layers of Adobe
Photoshop, but need no experience in Corel Painter.
Learn the techniques to create beautiful watercolors, pastels and oils for classical images
that have created a unique niche for Helen Yancy Commissioned Portraits. Develop a
unique style that will expand your product line to offer high-end art pieces to clients
who want the very best, something they can’t get from the mass merchandisers. Learn
easy techniques to get started, and advance to a full painting with step-by-step hands-on
instruction in a relaxed atmosphere, but prepare to work diligently. Class will discuss
marketing and sales as time allows, with more emphasis on learning art principles and
skills for a good foundation from which to grow. Every photographer is an artist, and this
class will help you realize what you may not have known about your own artistic abilities.
18 Course #37 - Intermediate Level
Which Level Course is Right for You?
Basic Level - Designed for students with very limited photographic, computer, or Photoshop experience or for a refresher course for experienced students.
Intermediate Level - Designed for students with at least two years experience.
Advanced Level - Designed for students with at least five years of experience or those well grounded in most aspects of photography or Photoshop.
Please be sure you qualify for the category of class you select.
More Info at www.TexasSchool.org
Two Ways to Register for the Texas School of Professional Photography!
ONLINE or FAX!
(HINT: Online registrations get priority over FAX’d or mailed registrations)
Register online at www.TexasSchool.org Registration will begin January 3rd at 11:00 pm, CST. DO NOT REGISTER ONLINE AND FAX THE APPLICATION. Your card will be
charged 2 times. You will get email confirmation immediately telling you that your registration went through or not. The official time will be the clock on the registration web site page. Early submissions
will be penalized 24 hours (which means you may not get the class that you want). Don't jump the gun! Watch the clock!
Register by FAX at 806-281-8669 at 11 pm on January 3, 2010 (do not send cover page).
Registration will begin January 3rd, 11:00 pm, CST.
Any applications postmarked before January 3 will be returned. Any FAX’d applications before January 3 at 11:00 pm will not be processed. DO NOT REGISTER ONLINE AND FAX THE APPLICATION.
Your card will be charged 2 times.
Last name: _______________________________
First name: ______________________ Email: __________________________
Mailing Address (St. or PO): _______________________________ City: ___________________ State: _____ Zip Code: ___________
Ph: Bus: (
) ____________________
Ph: Res: (
) ______________________
Ph: Cell (
) ____________________
FAX No. (
) ______________________
Member PPA? YES ___ NO ___
Your PPA #: __________________ Years in photography: ____ Full time: ____ Part time: _____
Is this your first time to attend Texas School? __Yes
__No
1st Choice # _____ Instructor ____________________________
2nd Choice # _____ Instructor _____________________________
3rd Choice # _____ Instructor ____________________________
Method of Payment: Check # _________
Credit Card # ____________________________________ Exp. Date _______________
If using credit card: VISA ____ MC ____ AmExp____
If using Credit Card: Signature ______________________________________
If attending on Scholarship, please state source of Scholarship ____________________________________
NOTE: Scholarship recipients still need to guarantee class with credit card.
TUITION for TPPA MEMBERS is...
$485.00 (TPPA dues MUST be paid before submitting application)
TUITION for non-TPPA MEMBERS is... $570.00
ADDITIONAL FEES: Some classes have extra materials fees, payable to the instructor.
Evening meals furnished by our sponsors.
Amount of Tuition
Texas PPA Membership ($85.00)
$ ___________
Late Payment Penalty
$ ___________
TOTAL ENCLOSED
($25.00)
$ ___________
$ ___________
(Checks Payable to: Texas School of Professional Photography)
ONE STUDENT PER APPLICATION, PLEASE
(If payment made after Feb. 15, 2010, a penalty of $25 must be included)
What is your shirt size? ______
REGISTRATION INFORMATION
All payments received after Feb. 15, 2010 will be assessed a late fee of $25.00.
TSPP Cancellation Policy: Any class cancellations must be made in writing and addressed to TSPP Director Don Dickson, 1501 W. 5th St., Plainview, TX 79072.
Please observe the following: January 3rd - January 21st...
Full Refund
March 22nd - April 1st... $200.00 Penalty
January 22nd - March 21st... $100.00 Penalty
After April 1st...
No Refund
The Texas School of Professional Photography reserves the right to cancel courses, change faculty, or refuse admission to any student. Please fill out the application on
this page. List a first, second and third choice of classes. Mail or FAX (do NOT send a cover page with your FAX) your application on January 3rd, 2010 or later.
OR, take advantage of our ONLINE REGISTRATION at www.TexasSchool.org. Classes will be filled on a first-come, first served basis as postmarked or received online.
If registering by mail, send to: Don Dickson, 1501 W. 5th, Plainview, Texas 79072. Don’s phone number is 806-296-2276 (9-6 M-F Only). Don’s FAX
number is 806-291-8669 and his email is [email protected]. Do not call until three weeks after applying. All correspondence must be in
writing with full name. If your choices are not available, you will be placed on standby and notified. If you are not placed on standby, your check will
be destroyed on April 5th. If your first choice is not available, you will be placed in a class of your second or third choice, if available.
Print or type all information. Incomplete applications will be returned.
No postmark prior to January 3 accepted.
19
The JOURNEY
Your Artistic Narrative
by
Arthur Levi Rainville, M.Photog., CR. API, CPP
Y
ou Have a Life. You were born, you grew, and now you are at some
stage along your journey. Oh yes, we all know there is a period at
the end of the sentence someday, but that’s another story for another day.
On your journey you have collected lots of stuff, mostly unintentional,
in your head from well-meaning folks like parents and teachers and
even more stuff from the bombardment world you live in... television,
magazines, gossip… whatever. At some point you can really take charge
of what you put in your mind vault. Remember, “what goes in is what
comes out” in some form or another.
What you keep tidy in your little rucksack-of-the-mind, what you bring
out and celebrate, (to celebrate your life, to create in everything you do,
and mostly, how you put it to good use)... is your Artistic Narrative.
This Narrative can be nurtured.
This Narrative can be managed.
This Narrative can be your visible soul to the world... and,
This Narrative is vital to your business future!
First, let’s set the stage. You (yes, you) have to be happy. Of course, we
want you to be happy as a living breathing person in an everyday world.
But, for what we speak of here, you need to be happy as an artist if you
are going to make this whole thing work. How you live your artistic life
is critical to your success.
By now you might suspect that I am alluding to nurturing your creative
spirit... of course, I am! One thing is for certain… you cannot make
yourself be creative. You have to let yourself be creative. You can’t
force this one. In IE class, we explore a plethora of ideas to help you
inspire playtime.. what to do with your newfound Nirvana... and how
to capitalize on your findings. These findings will lead to your Visual
Personal Signature Style - the ‘look’ you and your work will become
known for - and that look will make all the difference.
Yes, your Visual Personal Signature Style (your look) can really equate
to not only fun in the photographic process, but real business and real
money. And, in this day and age of do-it-yourselfers, it might just be the
salvation for your business.
private creative throngs. The
more you start to answer
“yes” or “no,” the more you
are defining your likes and
dislikes, the more you are
starting to acknowledge your
tastes.
You need to take time to understand your Process - Your
Process is the “hows” and “whys” you make work the way you
do. Understanding here will allow you to focus on refining your
techniques. Process is always a big part of our IE talks.
Play - At some point you just need to play with your new discoveries.
You can’t force it. You have to let it happen and that will only come
from joyous play. You remember play – it’s what you use to do in the
beginning when photography was new and fun. Now, share your cool
new images with others and get their feedback. No, I don’t mean other
photographers... I mean friends, family... folks that are a lot like real
clients. These are the print scores that matter!
Stick your neck out and try it on the real world - Play for pay. This
is where the refinement comes in. This is where we put a label on it
for all the world to venerate. This is where all the time and hard play
work makes sense.
Make Whoopie - Mix a little savvy marketing into your visual soup
and now it’s time for the big payoff. In our IE class we will work on
marrying your style with Niche Marketing for a savvy new audience.
Do you have time on your hands? I would love to share a multitude of
style ideas with you. My website is www.studiorainville.com or email
me at [email protected].
Arthur Rainville, along with Jennifer Hudson, will be teaching
at the 2010 Texas School of Professional Photography.
Read more about them and their class on page 17.
How do you find your own style, your own visual heart light? There are
many ways you can start the process of finding yourself, finding your
way to creative alchemy. To really polish your apple, you might need
to spend some IE class time. In the meantime, here are a few starting
points:
You gotta figure out You - What do you like? Black and white or
color and if color, do you like bold or subtle color, opposite on the
color wheel or tone on tone? What about space? Do you prefer tight
crop or lots of negative space? Start with someone else’s work by
tearing pages out of a magazine. Any page that strikes your fancy
(do it rapidly without out much thought – just photos that strike your
fancy). When you’re done, spread them out on the floor and step
back. Now look for similarities. You will probably be surprised at the
results. For instance, you might not work much in black and white
but, for some reason, picked many black and whites in the process.
Yes, it is definitely telling you something from deep down in your
21
by
Jamie Hayes
A
vailable light is great when it works. More
often than not, I find myself adding a little
strobe light to supplement the existing light source.
Such was the case with this bridal session. The
images were created in the newly renovated train
station in downtown Richmond, Virginia.
When I arrived the day of the shoot, I gasped
as I drove past the front of the building, quickly
noticing that scaffolding was still erected all
over the front. I knew I would not be creating
any outdoor poses with the front of the building
showing. However, I didn’t pay attention to the
fact that this scaffolding was blocking the second
floor balcony, which in turn blocks the light that I
was going to use as the main light for most of the
portraits.
The first thing I did was to open the full length
doors to allow as much of the available
illumination to light her gown. Photo #1 shows
how the image looked with only the available light
used as the main source of illumination. Notice
how bright the bottom of the gown is, how deep the
shadows are and that there is not a good pattern of
light on her face.
Photo #1 - Shows the image with only the
available light used as the main source of
illumination. Notice the bright area on the
bottom of the gown and the deep shadows
Photo #2 - Jamie places a large Larson
Reflectasol with silver fabric on the shadow
side to add more detail to the gown and face.
First I placed a 42x72 Larson Reflectasol with a
Super Silver fabric on the shadow side to add a
little more detail to her gown and her face (see
Photo #2). Here is where the strobe comes into
play.
Next, (see Photo #3) I placed a 3x4 Larson Soff
Box powered by a Profoto Acute600B strobe
(these are the most amazing strobes, 600 Watt
Seconds of AC or DC powered super clean light
at 5400 degrees Kelvin) in the same direction as
the available light and about 3 feet higher than the
railing of the balcony (see Photo #3). This will do
two things. First, it will provide the same amount
of light on her face and bodice that is falling on the
bottom of her gown. This will even out the amount
of light falling on her from head to toe and allow
me to create a better light pattern on her face. I
matched the exposure of this strobe to that of the
available light.
To take this image over the top, I added a Profoto
Compact 600 strobe in a 9x24 Larson Soff Strip
Soff Box slightly behind and to her right to add
more separation to her veil and the bodice of the
gown and to help keep the veil from looking too
grey (see Photo #4). I metered the light with a
Sekonic L-358 light meter (a great value for the
Photo #3 - A Larson Soff Box, powered by a
Profoto Acute 600B strobe, is placed in the
same direction as the available light and a
little higher than the balcony railing.
Photo #4 - An accent light is added from a
Profoto compact 600 strobe in a 9x24 Larson
Soff Strip, places slightly behind and to the
bride’s right to add separation.
25
price, by the way) to be 1/3 stop less than the main light.
The fourth image (Photo #4) was a perfect combination of
detail and shadow that looks very natural. In Photo #5, you
can see the entire set up.
Camera: Canon 1DS Mark III
Lens: Canon 35-350 L Series 3.5-5.6 Zoom set at 110 mm
Exposure: 1/40 sec @ f/9 800 ISO RAW File Capture and jpeg (for viewing purposes only)
Light Modifiers: Larson 3x4 and 9x24 Soff Boxes and 42x72 Super Silver Reflectasol
Strobes: Profoto Compact 600 and Profoto Acute 600B
The entire setup, as seen from the camera angle, provides beautiful lighting for this
bridal portrait... much nicer than the available lighting from the balcony that was
blocked by construction scaffolding.
26 Jamie Hayes, along with Mary Fisk-Taylor, will teach a
class at the 2010 Texas School of Professional Photography.
Jamie and Mary own and operate a small home based
portrait and wedding studio
in Richmond, Virginia. In
the past 14 years they have
grown their business and now
gross over $800,000 a year.
They attribute the success of
their studio to their sound
management and business
skills combined with their love
and passion for photography.
Read more about Jamie and
Mary on page 13.
Making a Living in Photography Today With
by
Bill Hedrick
I
t’s never really been Gary Bright’s intention to set the photography
world on fire or even to impress his photographic colleagues. His
primary goal as been to make a good living for his family while doing
what he enjoys... photography.
I first met Gary around 1979 at a local guild meeting. At that time,
he had a studio in Terrell, Texas, and his father had a studio in their
hometown of Mineola, Texas. In 1984, Gary’s father, Gene Bright,
decided it was time to retire and Gary moved back to Mineola to take
over the family business. That same year, he married the love of his life,
Lisa, and the two have worked side by side ever since.
Mineola is a typical small town located on historical Highway 80
about 79 miles east of Dallas. This quaint little town is still one of the
designated stops for Amtrac and is the kind of town where everyone
knows everyone at the Friday night high school football game. But, with
a population of just over 5,000 people, it seems like an unlikely place to
“strike it rich” in photography. Nonetheless, it was “home” to Gary and
Lisa and it is where they chose to raise their family.
Gary’s father, Gene Bright, founded the studio in 1947. Since that time,
Gene’s Photography has become an icon of this small East Texas town.
From day one, the studio’s specialty
has always been “everything.” That’s
how it is in a small town. You do a
little bit of everything to survive. So,
beginning with Gary’s father, Gene’s
Photography has also catered to
schools in surrounding communities,
finding just the right balance between
low-volume and high-volume
photography. That, as much as honesty
and hard work, may be the secret to
Gary’s success.
Gary and Lisa Bright, along with Scat-Cat, in their
beautiful country home in Mineola, Texas.
His most recent “school day” innovation is green screen capture. Each
child is photographed on a green screen and parents can select from a
variety of backgrounds to drop in behind the image. “You have to keep
thinking ahead to stay in front of the pack,” he explains.
The school picture business is not for everyone and Gary will be the
first to admit that. The key to making it work is speed, efficiency and
quality. It is common for Gary to set up an environmental set on a school
auditorium stage and photograph 500
students and be packed and gone by
lunch time. “A lot of photographers
think it is easy... even boring,” he says,
“but there’s a lot more to it than you
realize.”
He’s never been afraid of hard work
or long hours. Gene’s Photography
has always been a “self-sufficient”
studio and, back in the “film” days,
Gary processed and printed all of his
photographs “in-house.” When the
digital revolution took the country
by storm, Gary was one of the first
East Texas studios to “go digital.”
There was no fanfare and most of the
photographers in the State of Texas
never knew about it. But Gary knew
that he needed to be on the cutting
edge if he intended to continue.
Much of his time is spent traveling
from one small town school to another,
going out of his way to provide the
most personalized service as possible.
As the school picture business gets
more and more competitive and the
“Old Days, Old Ways... Ain’t Changin” is a portrait of
school photography “chains” take over
Gary’s father, Gene Bright. The print scored a merit at SWPPA.
more and more of the market, Gary has
managed to hang on to his share of it.
It’s the sort of challenge that Gary takes in stride.
But there was one rule that Gary Bright has always lived by.... pay as
you go. Whenever he made a good profit from a sale, Gary routinely
Just like his father, Gary has been somewhat of an innovator in the
set aside a portion of that money for little things.... a new home,
school picture business. Some two decades ago, while most other school
educating his kids... as well as studio upgrades. So, at a time when many
photographers sold “pre-paid” picture packets, Gary was showing proofs
photographers are closing their doors, Gary Bright is still hanging in
of his school pictures and doing it strictly on speculation. Every student
there. He can take pride in his accomplishments, knowing he did his
was photographed and a proof attached to an order form was sent home.
best. How many other professional photographers can say that today?
27
“Reflections”
David Edmonson
“Fools for Love”
Jim Herndon
“Seduction of the Black Widow”
Maria Bernal
“Ashley”
Teri Quance
“Valley of the Damned”
Richard Sturdevant
“Take the Bull by the Horns”
Jose Yau
“First in the Rain”
Carrell Grigsby
“Forsaken”
Brandon Trull
“Secluded Splendor”
David Sixt
“Three to Five Servings”
Margaret Bryant
“Lay Down Your Heart”
Luke Edmonson
“Smokin”
DeEtte Sallee
“Costa Rican Love”
J.B. Sallee
“The Lesson”
Jenny Hollis
“Guise of Innocence”
David Sixt
“Sunlit Senorita”
Elizabeth Homan
“The Legend of Brazos Texas Rangers”
Richard Sturdevant
“Sunset Passion”
Kathy Weigand
“Majestic Illumination”
Richard Sturdevant
“Prince Frederick’s Chapel”
Luke Edmonson
“Forgotten Aisle”
Farrah Braniff
“Prayers in Purgatory”
Brandon Trull
“Cassidee”
Liddie Deshote
“Quiet Reflections”
David Sixt
“Death Dealer the Apocolypse”
Richard Sturdevant
“Anticipating Alexander”
Angela Lynn Gonzalez
“Maiden of Madrid”
Cliff Ranson
“Fun with the Youngs”
J.B. and DeEtte Sallee
Raising Profits Without Raising Prices
With “Add-On” Specialty Items
by
Jennifer Turner, Cr. Photog.
M
oney is tight all over, the industry is swamped with competition
and you’re not sure how to make more money without scaring
off potential clients with higher prices. Sound familiar? The answer to
bringing in new clients is definitely not to lower your prices, but to show
more value in what
you offer, show a
unique product line
that they cannot
get just anywhere,
and make it all
convenient.
many vendors and designers that will let you set up a wholesale account
to do this. And put out an email to your clients. You’ll be amazed at how
many people make these types of things as a hobby or small business!
Consign them and it won’t cost you up front. You simply take orders like
anything else. Do
a promotion and
send an email with
outfits that would
look fantastic in
the images! Partner
with these designers
for seasons or
There are several
limited editions
ways to raise your
you are shooting.
sales average in
For example, “4th
lieu of raising your
of July Limited
prices. My thought
Edition, session fee
has been to add low
of $250 includes
priced products that
a “Cotton Candy”
people can easily
designer outfit
add on but won’t
for your session.”
take away from
These outfits range
a print. Here are
from $25 to $50,
several ideas to try
so up your session
out:
fee to include the
cost and profit of
Specialty Products
that and they get
- Mugs, calendars,
an extra “goodie”
bag tags, note
from their session
Jennifer offers low priced products that people can easily add on but won’t take away from print sales. to show off to
cards. These are
Mugs, calendars, bag tags, note cards and other specialty products are available from BWC.
a great way to up
friends and family.
your sales average
Cottoncandyshop.
from $10 to $50. Now that may not seem like a lot but when you do
com had adorable clothes and offers wholesale. Shopbabyposh.com has
that 10 times with $10 you made an extra $100 for doing nothing more
some CUTE stuff and offers a wholesale discount. There are many more
than suggesting something to them. BWC has a HUGE line of specialty
you just have to search for them and look local. You may find someone
products... bag tags, mugs, press printed note cards. You can contact
who needs catalog pictures!
them at BWC.net.
Frames - If you are not framing, START! People need frames. You can
Packaging & Bundling - Adding the specialty items above to packages,
sell frames. It’s a no brainer! People want convenience, so when they can
ie, Package B (for BIG) “includes a bag tag and 10 note cards for FREE!
pick up a print framed and ready for the wall or desk, you have made it
$60 Value!” Show them value, give them more, don’t charge them less to convenient and people will pay for that convenience! If you are not good
compete. If you don’t offer packages, then add on to a dollar amount.
at picking frames, talk to a sales representative; they can help you pick
“Orders over $500 receive a complimentary coffee mug and 10 free note
out 10 to 15 combinations that would look good with the style & look of
cards with their order.” These items are also available from BWC
your work. You just ask the client which they want.
“Boutique” Products - Add a corner of children’s clothing, burp cloths,
diaper covers, hair bows, hats and barrettes, blankets, etc. There are SO
30 And why stop at framing your work? Why not custom frame clients
artwork and their own pictures? I have designed hallways for clients
combining my images
and theirs into a cohesive
collection of family memories.
In that case, we chose 16x20
frames, simple black with
white gallery matts cut into a
variety of sizes from multiple
4x6s to 11x14s. The frames
were all the same size so it
created a beautiful gallery
effect down their hallway.
Frames are the perfect “add-on” to
Offer to frame their kids
any portrait order.
favorite artwork, snapshots
from their trip, anything!
Excelpictureframes.com most reasonably priced with biggest variety.
They do desktop frames with any moulding too! excelpictureframes.com.
Digital Frames - Why not sell the actual frame and then load them up
with images for an additional fee! You can buy digital frames wholesale
and offer them in your studio. You can even add a product for future
sessions that is “5 images for your digital frame.” For digital frames,
talk to Clint at Corporate Expressions Inc. (corporateimpressionsinc.
com). They have a great variety of other items as well. Think outside the
box!
Gift Wrapping/Packaging - So, you sold them some fun stuff for
grandma and grandpa at Christmas. Why not wrap it up? Charge an
additional fee to put the prints in individual boxes or bags with a gift tag
that has their child’s picture on it. You don’t have to wrap the presents;
you can box or bag them if that’s easier. Then a swoosh of tissue paper
and a pretty ribbon or bow and you’re set. Gift wrapping products are
available from Rice Studio Supply (ricestudiosupply.com), Bags & Bows
(bagsandbows.com)
There are so many ways to make extra money these days. You just have
to get out of the box a little. A key to this is not to overwhelm the clients
with 10 new things they can buy, but pick several that you want to sell
and that compliment the style and feel of your studio and offer them.
Jennifer Turner will be teaching a class at the
2010 Texas School of Professional Photography.
She is theFounder of Children & Family
Photographers of America and President of
Special Kids Photography. She teaches
programs on children’s portraiture
and studio management. Read more
about her class at Texas School
on page 18.
31
32 Texas Professional Photographer
South Plains News
by Leslie Ann Kitten
Last year, our 2008 President Chris
Hanoch, started a new and fun program
for the South Plains Professional
Photographers Association. The “Shoot
Ourselves” program was designed
to pair up photographers so that they
can photograph each other. Not only
does each photographer get to have a
portrait made each year, they also get to
participate in the entire process, from
sales to final delivery of the print, just
like one of our clients. This program
proved to be quite successful and
Chris Hanoch
was a learning experience and, more
by Christopher Barron
importantly, built relationships within the
guild.
Leslie Ann Kitten, our
2009 President, decided to
continue the new tradition. In
March, guild members placed
their business cards in a hat
and names were drawn. Each
member had seven months to
schedule and photograph their
partner. The October SPPPA
meeting was set aside as a social
Jen Cagle by Robert Suddarth
event to unveil the prints. Each
photographer printed a 16x20 of
their client to show the guild and gave the
photographer that they photographed a
CD containing all of the images.
Images were discussed by the group
and each maker talked about how they
set up the shot and their feelings about
it. The guild was also able to hear
comments and thoughts from the “client”
photographer’s viewpoint as opposed to a
professional’s viewpoint.
The guild will be drawing names for
the 2010 edition of “Shoot Ourselves”
Jenny Barton
at the Christmas Party in December.
by Leslie Ann Kitten
SPPPA’s next function will be the annual
Christmas Party at the home
of Leslie Kitten on December
18th. We welcome all guests
to come.
South Plains PPA is located
in Lubbock but has members
from all of West Texas,
including the Texas Panhandle
and New Mexico. If you are
interested in joining our guild,
please visit our website at
www.spppa.com.
Robert Suddarth by Jen Cagle
San Antonio News
by Jeanne Luna
Photos by Ed Alexander
At our September meeting,
Larry Lourcey talked about
“Optimizing the Home Studio.”
Larry began his business by
photographing sports and grew
from there. Today, he specializes
in portraiture. Have you ever
noticed how store-front studios try
to make their studios feel like a
home environment and home based
studios try to make their studios
feel like a store-fronts? Larry
pointed out the pros and cons of a
home studio that included pros such Larry Lourcey was guest speaker at
San Antonio’s September meeting.
as no rent and easy commute, and
cons such as never leaving work
and no walk-in business.
He also emphasized
that “image is everything”
and discussed how to build
an image for yourself with
continuing education, entering
print competitions, and even
taking an art history class.
Larry also advised us to
narrow our focus rather than
advertising that we specialize in
25 different things. Instead, find
your own niche.
Other advice included
dressing your price level and
exceeding your customers’
September Print Winners: Corene Dyer,
expectations by delivering
Pam Wessel, Angela Gonzalez, Michael
products and services that are
Plumeyer, Susanne Forman,
“above and beyond.” Online
and Mario Guerrero.
presence is another must.
Doing these things are great for your
image, but you also need to budget
for survival. You must also know
your role. Can you market yourself?
It takes a lot of time to market your
business. Can you do your own sales?
Are your giving things away by doing
your own sales? These are just a few
things Larry touched on during his
great presentation. Thanks to Larry
for all of the great information.
Our print competition winners for
September were: Corene Dyer, first
place; Pam Wessel, second place; and
Angela Gonzalez, third place. Folio
Farrah Braniff was the October
winners were: Michael Plumeyer,
speaker for San Antonio Guild.
first place; Susanne Forman, second
33
place; and Mario
Guerrero, third place.
Members Choice winner
in the Print Category was
Corene Dyer. The Folio
Category winner was
Mario Guerrero.
At our October
meeting we listened to
Farrah Braniff talk about
“Inspired Marketing.”
Farrah won the PPA ANNE Award in 2007, 2008
and 2009. Her business
deals mostly with
October Print Winners: Charles Parish,
children, maternity and
Angela Gonzalez, and Courtney Curtis.
families. Do you know
the difference between “Brand vs. Identity?” I didn’t think anything of it
until Farrah explain it. “Brand” is how people feel about you. “Identity”
is what you look like. She went into detail about being consistent
from your logo to your blog and keeping a common thread throughout
everything, including your marketing pieces. If you want people to
recognize your work, be different and be unique.
Being an amazing photographer is not enough in today’s market.
You need to be connected to your clients and be connected with your
34 community. Whether it is a mom’s group or a local charity, connections
matter. You also need to think how you package your product. Are you
just handing your clients their images and saying “Thank you” - or are
you going the extra mile and using boxes, bags or both? It all ties into
“Brand vs. Identity.” Thanks, Farrah, for all the valuable information
you shared about marketing.
Our October Print Category winners were: Angela Gonzalez, first
place; Courtney Curtis, second place; and Charles Parish, third place.
Members Choice winner was Angela Gonzalez.
Austin News
by Tracey Taylor
In September, we had a fantastic artist from Little Rock, Arkansas
speak to us about Corel Painter. Her name is Holly Pace and she
specializes in actual Oil and Watercolor Masterpieces painted from a
blank canvas as well as Fine Art prints that are digitally painted in Corel
Painter. She not only does this work for her clients, she also paints for
other photographers from all over the United States and beyond.
Holly had so much information to share with us that we could not
just do this at one evening program. We expanded her presentation with
a hands-on, day seminar where she showed us how she paints in Corel
Painter. It was very
helpful and gave
everybody who
attended a very
good start on how
to earn more money
for their studios.
Then, during the
evening portion
of that day, Holly
shared ideas on
how to get your
work out into the
community so it
September Print Winners for Austin: Maria Bernal,
will be seen. She
John rogers, and Stan Williams.
also explained to
us how she does her selling and that she has a consultation with each
client in their home before booking any session. Holly has the painting
sold before the session ever starts. Thank you, Holly, for being so open
and giving to our association. If anyone is interested in Holly’s work or
would consider hiring her to do your painting, her web address is www.
HollyPace.com.
Our print winners for the night were: Maria Bernal, first place; John
Rogers, second place; and Stan Williams, third place. Congratulations to
all of you. Everybody’s prints that evening were beautiful. Thank you for
entering and keep up the good work.
For the month
of October we were
honored to have
Larry Lourcey,
from Plano, share
information with us
about how he runs
his home studio.
He is a Master
Photographer, CPP
and is also a judge.
He specializes
in Children and
Families and
October Print Winners for Austin: Carrell Grigsby,
operates a very
Maria Bernal, and Maggie Messer.
successful full-time
business out of his home.
Larry opened our eyes to several techniques that work very well
for his business, including how he manages to get the majority of his
clients to book on the same day of the week just by the way he makes
suggestions regarding the days he has available. He does that and still
makes the client feel like he is very flexible and doing just what they
wanted him to do. Larry also shared with us the importance of having
multiple checking and savings accounts for his business and how he
transfers the funds among the different accounts to cover such things
as his cost of goods, his taxes and savings. In this way, he avoids the
problem of having to wait for the next sale to come in before he can print
the last clients order because the money is already there and it all comes
out of that account.
Our October print winners were: Carrell Grigsby, first place; Maria
Bernal, second place; and Maggie Messer, third place. Congratulations
to all of you. We have such a wonderful group of talented photographers
in this organization!
Houston News
by Cesar E Vargas C.P.P.- MBA
Our October speaker was the very talented Richard Sturdevant.
His program challenged those of us trying to find our way in the
photographic industry. Richard represents one of the new levels of
photographic excellence. In the past, the Master Photographer was
considered of high esteem by his peers. He was skillful at mastering the
situation at hand... lights, subject, and the environment around them... to
create an excellent product. Even though this is still true in most cases,
the paradigm is changing rapidly.
Richard and others
have embraced this
new paradigm. Not
only is he a master of
lighting, subject, and
the environment at
hand, he is imaginative
and creative enough to
see what is not there.
This new crop of
photographer has the
mind of a retoucher,
photographer, story
teller, art director,
visionary, open
Richard Sturdevant speaks to the Houston Guild.
minded, historian,
Photoshop guru,
Painter prodigy and
others. Imagination and creativity are the keys to succeeding in this new
paradigm. Richard Sturdevant and others like him are the vanguards of
the trade.
Being an illustrator gave Richard freedom to think outside the box,
or as he put it “crush the box.” It is difficult for some professional
photographers to find their way out of that box. The ever changing
repertoire of tools designed to make us better professionals must be a
part of our skill set in
order to produce new
and fresh work.
Richard showed us
that, if the professional
photographer does
not adapt, it will cost
him/her more than
reputation. It is up to
the photographer’s
imagination to make
it happen. Tools alone
will not help you to
get to that nirvana.
Lots of sweat and
October print winners were Krista Kaulfus
tears are necessary and
and Teri Quance.
important to endure
and appreciate this new place. Richard’s presentation was like a shot of
warning across the bows to those still waiting for Photoshop to get easier
to learn. The challenge is upon us.
Please visit the PPGH website: www.PPGH.org if you would like to
attend our meetings.
35
Ft. Worth News
by Michael S. Jackson, Cr. Photog., CPP
September was a busy month and a busy guild meeting. We began
with a sad bit of business, saying goodbye to our great friend and
member David Cisco. Dave passed away last month and will be
greatly missed. Along with this, Susan McKinney, of the “Now I Lay
Me Down To Sleep” organization, came to speak to us, asking for
new photographers to fill the void left by Dave’s departure. We had
a moment of silence before announcing the David Cisco Scholarship
Fund for Texas School. David was a Master Photographer, Photographic
Craftsman and an accredited print judge so an educational scholarship is
a very fitting memorial to him.
Over the past few years, we’ve attempted to upgrade our
organization by rewriting our bylaws and strengthening our ties with our
neighbors in the Dallas Professional Photographers Association. We also
changed our guild’s name. A lot of hard work has gone into improving
the function of each part of the guild from Studio Projects, Membership,
Competition, Communications and Education. We have now made the
next upgrade by holding our meetings at Colonial Country Club for
a more central
and prestigious
location. We are
putting our best
foot forward.
Our
September
speaker was one
of our friends
on the board of
the Dallas guild,
Liddie Deshotel,
giving a program
on “Seniors...
Marketing
September Print Winners: Keith Evans, Terry Ip,
Through the Final
and Richard Dalton
Sale.” She made
a wonderful presentation in a slightly shortened time frame because of
all of the business issues. It was announced that we were supplying her
final two merits for her Craftsman degree. Congratulations, Liddie, on a
job well done.
The September print competition winners were: Keith Evans, second
place; Terry Ip, third place; and Richard Dalton, first place as well as
Members Choice.
The October meeting marked the first meeting in our new home,
Colonial Country Club. This club has a long and distinguished history
including hosting the Colonial Invitational Golf Tournament. Our
members seem to be pleased, the room is a definite upgrade and the food
is excellent.
We inaugurated our new facility by voting in the final members of
the Board of Directors for next year. The new officers are: President,
Joe Rougraff; Vice President of Education, Patty Recca; Vice President
of Skills Development, Mike Duran; Vice President of Studio Projects,
Keith Evans; Vice President of Membership, Tracye Gibson; Vice
President of Finance, Eric Scott; and Vice President of Communications,
Derek Scott. Keith Evans and Michael Jackson will serve again as the
Texas Professional Photographers Representatives from the FWPPA.
36 Our program
was presented by
Cris Duncan from
Lubbock, along with
his wife and partner
Deanna. Cris gave an
inspirational program
on how to become
the photographer you
always meant to be. It
was somewhat fitting to
have a program about
reshaping your business
as that has been the
October Print Winners: Tracye Gibson, Mike
focus of our guild over
Duran, and Keith Evans.
the past few years... to
become the organization
that we had always meant to be. Print competition winners were: Tracye
Gibson, first place and Members Choice; Mike Duran, second place; and
Keith Evans, third place.
Texoma News
by Donna Statham, M.Photog.,CPP
The September
meeting for the Texoma
Guild was really down
and dirty... literally!
Most, if not all of us,
ended up barefoot,
scooting around on the
floor with paint brushes
in hand. We had lots
of fun while learning
how to make our own
Joe Rogers shows Texoma members how
textured and painted
to make textured backgrounds.
backgrounds out of
insulation board. With
plenty of experience under his belt, Joe Rogers was the perfect instructor
and he managed to bring out the artistic talent in all of us! Our meeting
was held in an empty building across from Joe and Todd Peterson’s
studio in Wichita Falls. There was plenty of room where we could all
spread out and create to our heart’s content without having to worry too
much about splattering a little paint here and there.
Donna Statham created an unbelievably realistic distressed
wood wall while Paula Lovelace etched and painted a beautiful rock
background. The girls from Decatur and Bowie teamed up to design an
incredible sunburst tile wall which they painted cool colors of grey, blue
and peach. We’re all wondering who gets to keep it... Tammy Kelly,
Donna Ashley or Sarah Slocum?
None of us knew just how much talent we possessed until Joe
showed us how to etch and paint these fun and inexpensive walls. We
all got good and messy but we learned a lot in the process. Thanks to
Joe Rogers for sharing his knowledge and talent to help us expand our
variety of backgrounds.
Plumeyer Wins Scholarship
To Texas School
by Don Dickson
We all miss our friend
David Cisco who passed away
in August. Dave attended Texas
School for many years and
loved the school. His dear wife,
JoRita, wanted the memory
of Dave to continue and gave
away a full scholarship for
the 2010 Texas School and set
up a fund to raise money for
future scholarships. Michael
Plumeyer, of New Braunfels,
JoRita Cisco with Texas School
won the 2010 scholarship that
Director Don Dickson and
was recently given away at
scholarship winner Michael Plumeyer.
the Texas PPA Convention
in Arlington. Anyone wanting to make a donation to the David Cisco
scholarship fund can contact Don Dickson, Texas School Director, at
806-296-2276 or email at [email protected].
Dallas News
by Jim Herndon, M.Photog., CPP
In September, the Dallas PPA hosted Scott Robert Lim. Scott gave
a great program on “The Ten Steps to Remarkable.” He told us that, to
earn a living in photography, you have to shoot what you love and not be
afraid of reinventing yourself. His advice is to always choose remarkable
over good. Richard Sturdevant won the trophy with his image, “Legend
of Brazos and Black Jack Bill.” Luke Edmonson placed second with an
awesome folio entry.
Congratulations to our members that merited at the TPPA Convention
in September,
as well as all
Judge’s Ribbon,
Fuji and Kodak
trophy winners,
Distinguished
Print or Album
winners, and
category winners:
JB and DeEtte
Sallee, Richard
Sturdevant,
David and Luke
September’s Dallas PPA print competition winners:
Edmonson,
Richard Sturdevant, JB Sallee, Hoang Vu, DeEtte
Margaret Bryant,
Sallee, Luke Edmonson, David Edmonson, Jo
Jim Herndon,
Merandi, JD Cooper, and Brandy Ruland.
and Liddie
38 Deshotel. Congratulations to
our three “4-for-4” winners:
Richard Sturdevant, Jim
Herndon, and Larry Lourcey. A
big congratulations also to Luke
Edmonson who won the high print
case for a first time entry.
A super huge congratulations
goes to Richard Sturdevant who
won both high print case for the
SWPPA and the Best of Show
award. He also won a Canon 5D
Mark III to boot! We’ve asked
Elena Hernandez with Scott Robert
him to share it with us, but no
Lim at the Dallas PPA’s September
go. Richard did, however, share
meeting.
his knowledge with us at his two
speaking appearances at the convention.
We were thrilled to have Cris Duncan of Lubbock with us in
October. Cris spoke about the need to optimize workflow in Photoshop,
and demonstrated
several techniques
to do so, including:
using tool presets
and Script Event
Manager, showing
how to better record
and organize actions,
and demonstrating
Wacom’s new brush
and tablet shortcuts.
He also gave us a
peek at the features
of Nik’s Viveza and
Print competition winners at the Dallas PPA’s
Silver Efex and he
October meeting, from left to right: DeEtte
showed the power
Sallee, Luke Edmonson, JB Sallee, Phuwadol
of Smart Objects in
Thamathitikhun, Richard Sturdevant, Liddie
album creation.
Deshotel, David Edmonson, and JD Cooper.
October’s trophy
winner was JB Sallee
with his emotional bridal portrait, and Phuwadol Thamatitikhun placed
second with a landscape of Bryce Canyon.
We are saddened about the passing of Jack Ford, a Life Member
of the DPPA. He is survived by his wife, Doris Ford, a past DPPA
President.
We’re currently
planning December’s
holiday party. We’re
going to have a
Depression-era theme,
a lot of giveaways,
and a costume contest.
Members are encouraged
to wear gangster, flapper,
or any other 1920’s and
1930’s era costumes,
and we hope to see
you there! For more
information, please visit Cris Duncan and wife, Deanna, at October’s
www.dallasppa.com.
DPPA meeting.
Your Help Needed For
TPPA Membership Survey
The Texas Professional Photographers Association is conducting an
online membership survey and they need your help!
The purpose of the survey is to help the officers and staff with future
planning in order to better serve the needs of the membership. Members
will be emailed and asked to participate in the short survey which can
be done in less than three minutes. As everyone knows, the profession
of photography is constantly changing and evolving and this survey
is designed to give officers and staff a better handle on the needs and
desires of the membership. So, when you are asked to participate, please
sit down right then and take a few minutes to help.
Brazos Valley News
by Daniela Weaver
Photos by Derek Henson
The Brazos Valley Professional Photographers Association has seen
so much variety among its speakers and events this year. From good
business and tax practices, marketing, motivation and goal setting,
networking, to photographic and post-processing techniques, we have
covered it! We’ve genuinely enjoyed our time of education together, and
have taken it further
by participating in a
PhotoWalk through
downtown Bryan,
and our annual Fish
Fry social event. And
the year is not over
yet!
September
brought us speakers
Cristie and Melinda
Reddehase, owners
of Silver Image
Photography, for
their debut “Create
an Amazing Baby
Program.” They gave
us all the details
of structuring a
Baby Program that
works, and how
Cristie and Melinda Reddehase presented
some of their policies
the September program for
differ and why.
the Brazos Valley Guild.
Their maternity gift
registry, referral program, and beautiful and unique products also create
a buzz and really “wow” their clients!
The sisters also explained the steps they take for advertising and
marketing through direct mail, blogging, social media, and email, and
acquiring space for doctor’s office displays. We thank Melinda and
40 Cristie for a program that was both valuable and enjoyable. Have a look
at their work at www.silver-image-photo.com.
In September, we began our new and improved Print Competition.
The winners were Melanie Hall with first place, and Kathy Norwood
with second place.
In October, Bradley Riner, a representative for Excel Picture Frames
and BWC Photo Imaging, showed us how to incorporate framing into
our photography businesses, and for those that already offer framing, a
brush up on pricing and selling strategy and some ideas and tips to make
higher sales. Bradley offered some other ways to showcase prints, other
than just a mounted print with frame and/or mat, glass and frame. He
showed an extensive amount of samples ranging from traditional to very
modern styles, and from single images to groupings. Bradley suggested
if you are having a hard time convincing your clients to let you do their
framing, try presenting all your work framed, including the images
on your website and any marketing materials. Or give your clients a
“Framing Allowance Certificate” for added value toward the purchase of
a frame.
Bradley also showed us some of BWC’s great products, including
a gorgeous 16x20 canvas wrap in a floating frame, which was given
away in a drawing to Nicole Franzetti, our newest member! We
certainly appreciate Bradley for taking the time to visit with us, answer
our framing questions, and give us great tips for driving our sales up!
Contact him at [email protected] with any framing questions. We only
had one Print Competition entry this month, Dennis Grimes with a great
motorcycle image he calls “One For the Road.” In the coming months,
we’re looking forward to these great speakers and their programs.
In December we will celebrate with our annual Christmas party.
The coming year will bring more great events... seminars on school
photography, dog portraits, proper portrait lighting, sports, and a full day
with Jen Turner to name a few! The BVPPA usually meets on the second
Tuesday of the month, at the College Station Conference Center. To get
more information about joining our guild please contact our President,
Karen Parks at [email protected]. To begin receiving our email
Newsletter, or if you are interested in speaking at a BVPPA event, please
email [email protected]. You can also get information about meeting
dates and times, events such as the Photo Walk, and upcoming speakers
and their program topics at our website, www.bvppa.com or look up the
“Brazos Valley Professional Photographers Association” on Facebook.
Image Art Box
Available from BWC
Our new Image Art Box is a
beautiful lined box featuring
an image framed cover; the
enclosed images are printed on
bright white or watercolor giclée
paper matted on archival art
board. The image Box is perfect
product for Babies, Children,
Brides or Weddings. Matching
wall frames are available to
display additional prints.
East Texas Forum News
by Don Orgeron
Brandon Trull,
owner of Perry Aslyn
Photography in Fort
Worth, was our featured
speaker for the September
14th meeting of the East
Texas Forum. For his
topic, “Be Different,”
he brought a model to
demonstrate female
posing. He presented
ways to make some
dramatic images with
rather simple wardrobe
use. After the model shoot,
he demonstrated some
Monthly Image Competition winners, from
photoshop techniques
left: Shawn Hodges, PPF President, holding
and went over the use
J.B. Lewis’ image, and Holly Bonner
of textures to enhance a
simple image into a dramatic portrait. He presented various images from
his work as well as some labor intensive images he has prepared for
competition.
For the monthly image competition, there was good participation,
but only
two images
received
recognition.
J.B. Lewis
received a
first place
ribbon for his
unclassified
image,
“Pollution.”
Holly
Bonner’s
entry “For
I Know the
Plans I Have
for You...”
received
Brandon Trull capturing one of various
Speaker’s
poses he demonstrated
Choice
ribbon for the
monthly assignment, Back to School. The meeting was concluded with
the presentation of door prizes provided by various vendors including
Pounds Labs, Full Color, and The Wedded Bliss Magazine.
Congratulations are in order to Guild Member Marc Bailey of
Marc Bailey Photography in Longview who has earned a Bronze Level
Photographer of the Year Award from the PPA. He will be honored at the
PPA’s annual convention, Imaging USA, in January in Nashville. The
Bronze Level Photographer of the Year Award is earned by placing all
four images in their print case in PPA’s Renowned General Collection.
Marc was only one of 61 to achieve the award this year.
42 Jennifer
Robison of
Jennifer Robison
Photography
in ShreveportBossier City,
Louisiana area
was our featured
speaker for
the October
12th meeting
of the East
Texas Forum.
Monthly Image Competition winners:
Her topic,
Don Orgeron, Donna Cummings, J.B.Lewis,
“Lighting and
and Karen White
Random ‘Other’
Photography” was quite informative. She discussed, as well as
demonstrated, some off-camera flash techniques with emphasis on
backlighting. She explained that this (use of off-camera flash) is one way
to have your photography stand out from the masses of people who have
digital cameras, whether for weddings or portrait photography.
The highlight of her presentation was her explanation and
demonstration of “painting” with light, using a continuous light source
instead of a flash. Those in attendance went outside into the night for a
demo of photographing an “engaged couple” as well as for a group photo
of those in attendance. The results were dramatic.
There were 25 entries in the monthly image competition. Winners
were Don Orgeron for the Wedding and members’ choice categories,
Donna Cummings in degreed, J.B. Lewis in Unclassified and Portrait
(also speaker’s choice), and Karen White for her B&W entry. Next
month is the annual end-of-year image competition and members
were encouraged to start getting their entries ready. The meeting was
concluded with the presentation of door prizes provided by various
vendors including Pounds Labs, White House Custom Colour, and The
Wedded Bliss Magazine.
APR Offers Soft Spin
For Underwater Photography
American Photographic Resources, better know as APR props has
been working with underwater photographers developing the right size
of Soft Spin and Silver Mylar for their underwater photo shoots. APR
developed Soft Spin for backgrounds in 1991. It is milled especially for
photography. It does not reflect light and it drapes and swoops easily. It
is so durable that you can step it, get it dirty, then throw it in a regular
size washer and dryer. and it comes out like new. Since Soft Spin never
looses its color, blacks stay rich and reds always punch, photographers
realized that it was the perfect fabric for underwater photography. We
are now cutting it in special sizes just for this purpose. Also, with new
added grommets to our Silver Mylar, you can weight down the mylar
for reflection off the bottom of the pool and even tie the end of the Soft
Spin to it so that they do not float apart. If you are interested in the new
underwater Soft Spin and Mylar, go to www.aprprops.com or call 800657-5213.

VOLUME 45 No. 1 Dec/Jan 2010

Transcription

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