Building my own career

I had a professional issue a few months back that took me back some. Sure it was upsetting but didn't shake me - I know who I am and what my intentions are as a person and as a pro photographer. I don't live in the past, as although you remind yourself not to take things personally, how can you not- especially when you have a passion in what you do, and work tirelessly to make it happen.

I use Facebook, enjoy connecting with friends, sharing images, posting various happenings. One day last year I posted a Sierra workshop in the events section. As a big fan of Galen Rowell's work (great outdoor shooter and mountaineer who past away with his wife in a plane crash in '02 - a young 62), I had joined a fan site of his on Facebook and decided to let others know of the workshop through a small message and link - Galen was big on the Sierras, spent many days and nights capturing images and climbing mountains there as I have - in fact John Muir's book "The Yosemite" was re-printed using Galen's images back in 2001. The fan site was not run by Galen's company, yet by a fan, so I figured like-minded Sierra-lovin' folk might be interested in a photo class.

I discovered Galen's work when I was 17. We lived in the same Bay Area town and although I came to know him over the years, I couldn't call him a friend. To me he was truly a kindred spirit (as he signed to me in one of his books). He was much like a mentor without the actual mentoring. I admired his work, attending a few of his lectures, but never inquired about how to run a photo business or get started in the industry. Out of respect, I felt that was my homework to do- my dues to pay.

My Facebook post went unnoticed - no one ever contacted me about our Sierra workshop through the site, until I received an email from someone who worked at Galen's offices (who no longer works there). This person basically accused me of using Galen's name, riding on his coattails to benefit my own career- truly laughable since nothing could be farther from the truth. Coming to know Galen's staff over the years, I never once asked him for advice or for industry info, nor did I ever receive Galen's help to get published, create a workshop, sell a gallery print, or make a stock sale. I know Galen admired me for this since so many did try to use his connections to benefit themselves. The ironic thing is when he passed, I was contacted by his office for advice on how to deal with a mutual client, which I gladly assisted with.

And of course to date I've been published around the world, shot hundreds of assignments, taught workshops for over 10 years, made thousands of stock sales, and sold numerous gallery prints. Although I've been lucky to have many wonderful people (clients, workshop students, editors) help make my dream of being a photographer come true, I didn't get to the place I'm at by using others- I built my career through tons of hard work, late nights, sacrifice and perseverance. No one dragged my butt out of my tent to capture dawn, no one wrote my letters or emails to land jobs, no one did my research and planned my shoots but me.

So to get a message like this was not only insulting, but ridiculous. Nevertheless I followed up with a reply explaining my intentions, which were never to attach myself to Galen in any way. But what can you do. It doesn't matter how you run your life or what your true intentions are, when someone opens their mouth without any forethought or research, you simply have to disregard their comments and move forward.

Although Galen's presence was a source of great inspiration as a built a career in the industry, I rarely thought of him as I traveled the world on assignment. But when he past, he came to mind often. I remember in '04 while on a job in St. Croix, overlooking the Caribbean sea while photographing at sunrise, I remember thinking "Aw Galen, you should be here to see this". I wish he was.

My Hoodman gear

Just tweeted about some Hoodman gear I picked up last week. One of the reasons for doing my tv show is to talk about a mix of photo gear, and one of the reasons for my blogs (and tweets) is to mention the products I use and believe in- I like finding great gear, and my simple test is if I use it for years then I know it's good.

Love Hoodman. I first picked up their loupe a few years back for my Nikon D200 and on every workshop I did, my students realized they were missing out - to review your LCD screen without any outdoor light was just fantastic- and besides that, the product is well made, tough, durable, and sharp.

I also use their UDMA RAW memory cards (fast speed memory cards), Right-angle viewfinder (great for macro work), eye cups (great to shoot with, to block out side light when you're looking through your viewfinder, and LCD Safe Cleaners.

I recently picked up their new loupe (the Hoodman 3.0 Glare Free LCD Viewing Loupe - Model H-LPP3) last week - used it on assignment and I dig it! Covers the whole 3" LCD screen, sharp as can be blocking out 99% of the light, allowing me to review my images fast without the influence of the ambient light. I also grabbed a MacBook Laptop hood (I should be using on photo shoots, with and without clients, on my MacBook Pro, allowing us both the ability to see the screen better in bright light), and a few LCD screen cleaners.

Anyway, that's my gear of the week- and no, they don't pay me to say this (at least not yet!). Check 'em out- solidly-made gear, quality, at a decent price, made by good people: http://hoodmanusa.com/

My upcoming ABC television segment

Thursday, December 3rd, I'll be on The View From The Bay (my third time this year) doing a Photoguru segment on cool fun affordable gifts for your photo enthusiasts- perfect timing for the holiday season.

Come to the taping and watch it live, check it out on your boob tube, DVR it, Tivo it, VCR it (if you live in the 80s), or look for it on their website after Dec 3rd (if you don't live in the area).

To check out the other two segments I did this year, go to:
http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=view_from_the_bay/consumer_finance&id=6914730

http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=view_from_the_bay/everything_else&id=6674127

IF YOU WANT FREE TICKETS to the taping, go on their site or review the info below:

The View From The Bay | ABC KGO-TV, Channel 7
900 Front Street, San Francisco
Thursday, December 3rd, 2009, 3-4pm

http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/channel?section=view_from_the_bay&id=5755208

Here's the info from ABC KGO-TV:

I would like to extend a special invitation to Sean Arbabi's friends, family and colleagues to be in our studio audience the day that he will be appearing on “The View From The Bay” Thursday Dec. 3rd, 2009.

Meet Spencer Christian and Janelle Wang and get a chance to see the behind the scenes of a live television broadcast. Tickets for the show must be reserved in advance. Audience doors open at 2:15pm with a cut-off time of 2:30pm, the show is live from 3-4pm.

To reserve your seats please call the ticket request line at (415)954-7733 or visit www.viewfromthebay.com and click on “be in our audience” and fill out a ticket request form. Or click on the link below to go to our online ticket request form. Simply fill out your information and press submit.

http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/feature?section=view_from_the_bay&id=6337461

Please be sure to note under “comments” if you are requesting a specific date to support someone scheduled to be on the show. We strongly encourage you to post this invitation and its contents on any blog or webpage that you host or participate in. Please pass this email on to any friends, family or colleagues who may be interested in being in our studio audience. You can also post an announcement on your webpage!

*Please note that all seats must be reserved in advance. Tickets that have been requested will be sent via an email confirmation with detailed instruction on where and when to arrive at the ABC studio. Also note that audience members come in a separate entrance and time than guests appearing on the show. If you are a guest on the show and you will be bringing your guests with you they will need to check in with me (Rachel Wyatt) by 2:30pm to be seated in the audience.

Rachel Wyatt/ Audience Coordinator: Rachel.Wyatt@abc.com

Hope to see you all there- thanks!

A long ride with a small camera

Last week I went for a long ride, from my home in Danville, CA to my brother's home in Pittsburg, CA - it's about 25 miles as the crow flies, but I took the undulating route on the back streets, roads and trails, over a number of hills - a tough long ride.

I had my GoPro Helmet Hero Wide with me- a great little 5 megapixel point-of-view camera with an ultra-wide lens and a mix of attachments - to attach to your helmet, around your chest (their chest mount harness), a suction cup mount for moving vehicles or boats- all kinds of ways to attach it to anything you wish. It's small (probably half the size of a regular point-and-shoot) takes an SDHC memory card, runs on batteries, and fits into a waterproof housing - all with an affordable price tag of $189.

I rode for about an hour in the late afternoon, up a big hill into open space on the flanks of Mount Diablo, entered the trails and turned my camera on (in the auto mode to take a still photo every two seconds). Over the next hour of so, my camera captured approximately 1400 images as I headed off the trails, onto the roads of Walnut Creek, through the city of Concord, before the memory card filled up cutting off the camera at dusk as I approached Pittsburg. I had another 45 minutes left to ride (over the last grueling hill in the dark), but I figured my GoPro captured enough images to check out later that evening.

When I returned home, I loaded the images into my MacBook Pro using iMovie, found the right timing per slide to make it flow well, added some copyright free classical music, and created this fun little movie.

So here's my ride October 22nd, 2009 - an hour portion of a 2.5 hour ride from Danville to Pittsburg, California - 1462 still images, broken down into a 3:38 minute segment, edited in iMovie (part of Apple's iLife '09). Enjoy- I hope to do more- maybe an all-trail version, or attaching it to a boat, kayak, or vehicle.

See it in HD on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dz7oQoHFtek&feature=autofb

Go Pro Camera: http://www.goprocamera.com/

Apple's iMovie: http://www.apple.com/ilife/imovie/

My segment on The View From the Bay (ABC KGO-TV 7, San Francisco) featuring the GoPro camera: http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=view_from_the_bay/consumer_finance&id=6914730

Discounts on photo gear, free shipping, and more

When you follow my blog, take a workshop, buy my book and write a positive review on Amazon, you get perks- that's right, I throw DOWN for my students and fans! :)

FREE SHIPPING on HOODMAN LOUPES:

Ordering a Hoodman loupe and want free shipping? Go to Hunt's Photo and Video and when you add the loupe to your cart, at checkout type in "SArbabi" to the coupon field - that equals free shipping!

http://www.huntsphotoandvideo.com

FREE GIFT WHEN YOU BUY A CAMERA BAG/ CASE:

Go to Think Tank Photo and use this link below:

http://www.thinktankphoto.com/affiliates.aspx?code=WS-142

When you do, if you buy a camera bag/case over $50, you get a choice of one free item valued around $20-30 (three to choose from). Great cases- I have four of them and love 'em- best camera bags made out there.

$20 OFF OF YOUR NEXT ONLINE WORKSHOP:

I teach online workshops with BetterPhoto.com - the past three years to students in 30 counties and 43 US States - come and take a course online, on exposure (my course) or many others including photoshop, composition, lighting, and more- tell 'em I sent you and you'll get $20 off of your next course: http://www.betterphoto.com/courseOverview.asp?cspID=144

ALL OTHER CAMERA COMPANIES / STORES / MANUFACTURERS:

If you read about them here, and I recommended them, tell 'em I sent you (Sean Arbabi - The Photoguru) and you just might get free shipping or a discount. More discounts to come in the near future!

Photographs aren't free

I recently received an email from someone claiming to be a writer for a how-to website. This person stated they wrote articles for the search site and wanted to use one of my images for their article (originally used from one of my Via magazine assignments).

This is normal in the photography industry, and a big reason why I own all of my images (and do not do "Work for Hire" jobs which transfer all image rights to your clients). I grant first-time publishing rights, and once my photos are used by my client, they are part of my image collection, available to license through my company or my stock agency. Some clients think licensing our images is 'extra money' but it's not- it's simply part of our income as freelance photographers - photographers with no guaranteed source of income, no benefits, no 401K or pension plans.

Getting back to the request, after doing a little research on my own, I come to find out this person was not a writer for the website, nor employee as a writer anywhere else. Instead the site relies on people for their content - it's like saying you're a writer for Wikipedia. And not to bash this person since most people aren't aware of copyright laws, or the licensing fees for a photograph, or the proper way to go about obtaining images - shoot, I've had some editors and clients in the past who didn't necessarily follow the proper way being in the business of licensing images - but pleading ignorance doesn't necessarily get you off scot-free either.

Then as I researched the how-to site a bit more I learned that my image was ALREADY on the site - with the credit listed as the magazine I originally shot it for! They basically took the image from Via's website and pasted it into their article.

At this point I had a few options - I could:

1) Contact my copyright lawyer and sue (which is the last thing I would do since mistakes do occur, and I'm not one to stick it to people that way)

2) Send them a bill for licensing, charging them a penalty for illegally using my image (this is more in line with the norm, and completely appropriate since the image was up for at least a week or two).

3) Notify the "writer" and the website were infringing on my copyright with the unauthorized use of my image and to remove it immediately or face a possible lawsuit and licensing fees (which is what I did).

The site removed the image that day, and at first the "writer" was a bit rude but after explaining the law, she relented and apologized. If they made me an offer to pay for the use, I would have looked up the licensing fee in my price guides, and charged them appropriately including the time they had already used it for. If she didn't apologize, she would have been dealing with my lawyer. The site also tried to claim that they didn't have control of what members uploaded- wrong- if it's their site, they SHOULD have control - or they might get sued.

Moral of the story- your photos are exactly that- yours. If you are a professional photographer with your own business, they are not just sitting in your files or computer, they are part of your inventory. I can't just go and take something off of the shelf at Target, walk out with it, and claim "it was just sitting on your shelf". A lot of money, time, effort, experience, knowledge, and equipment goes into all of the images I produce- as with any business that has a product to sell. Control your photos - do your homework - purchase pricing guides and/or software like Fotoquote or Jim Pickerell's stock guide, and prepare yourself for the day when a client wants to buy one of your images- or one uses an image without asking for permission. And if someone tried to abuse your copyright, find a lawyer.

Irregardless of royalty free photos, royalty free art, royalty free graphics, and all the accessible work on the internet, my photos aren't free.

9/11 plus 8

Today, on the eighth anniversary of 9/11, many channels ran specials, some of which I DVR'ed. After watching one tonight, taped in 2002, interviewing photographers who captured images that day, watching unbelievable images documented that day, I felt compelled to write something - if not to honor the people who suffered and died on that day (and in the subsequent years in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan),but at least to share what it's reminded me of.

As so many of us were, the attacks, chaos, and destruction that ensued from that day impacted my life profoundly. Although I was back in the Bay Area from a recent trip, I found myself depressed for weeks and months by all the events that occurred- it was weird since I'd never experienced that- to be moved and affected by something that happened 3000 miles away.

I look at America eight years later and wonder if we've changed for the better. Politically in many ways we have, but in other ways with the infighting, greed, the lack of finding common ground, the pursuit of arguing to win instead of fighting for what's wrong or right, and the push to merge church and state by some shows me that we haven't. And although massive greed almost killed the economic machine that allows us to live so freely and comfortably as compared to other countries, even that didn't stop business-as-usual for the ones who feel their place in this world is based on their bank balance instead of their character. Even Plato understood this when he wrote "All the gold which under or upon the Earth is not enough to give in exchange for virtue", and he lived almost 2500 years ago.

To top it off, we still seem to care about crazy reality couples who've become famous by having too many children, and buy the ridiculous magazines to read the gossip and support this behavior, instead of finding medical care for so many underprivileged children in this Nation. In this still rich Nation.

So these were the things I was reminded of today as a photographer who has traveled the world. September 11th, 2009 gave me the chance again to honor the fallen Americans, but also reminded me that this Nation was formed, compiled, created by people of all nations - and that all nationalities were changed, were moved, were killed.

On September 7th, 2001, I took the NY Subway to the World Trade Center and walked through the lobby for the first time; an Iranian-American with my Italian-Beliguim journalist friend ending our week of work in NYC. Four days later the world changed for so many lives. Eight years later it continues to affect Americans - Americans who came together from every corner of the world.

Time flies & love blooms when you haven't blogged

Seconds turned into days turned into weeks- I haven't blogged for almost a month- crazy.

The past month I shot a few assignments (built an on-location studio for a company in the North Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area, capturing 40 food & wine displays), taught an exposure course with a book signing at Book Passage in Corte Madera (a great bookstore in the Marin/ Mill Valley area), licensed some images to a few magazines and clients (a nice double-page spread of a Half Dome image which you'll see in a few months), worked on two new books which I'm very excited about (out in 2010-2011), and sold five 30x50 prints to recruiting company. All while my girls started school- a busy August.

But what I wanted to write about was something I found out while lecturing at Book Passage. Two past workshop students came to take the class, told me they met at my weekend workshop two years earlier at Pt Reyes, and ended up falling in love- now married- they said, I could add 'match-maker' to my list of accomplishments. I was tickled pink (when was the last time you heard that term?!). Actually, it really was a cool thing to hear. As we all go through our daily grinds, move through our busy lives, setting up events, meetings, goals, we rarely consider how it might affect other lives.

When I plan my workshop presentations, I think of all the experience and knowledge I've gained through my 19-year career, and how I can add specific images and information into my lectures and field notes to help photographic enthusiasts improve their skills - to help them learn how to communicate with their cameras better. But I don't think I ever imagined two people meeting at one of my events and deciding to spend the rest of their lives together. It doesn't seem far fetched, but I just never thought of it.

So here's to photography bringing more love to the world - in the day and age of glorifying ridiculous rude behavior on tv, where wars continue to tear lives apart, where corporate greed runs rampant, and where a wealthy country like the US can't find a way to take care of its own, I seems like we could use a bit more love.

eHarmony, eat your heart out.

My Photo of the Month

Just wanted to share an image I recently shot while on assignment. I was hired to capture an image of Lombard Street in San Francisco - best known for its one-way section on Russian Hill (between Hyde & Leavenworth Streets)- eight sharp turns (or switchbacks) that have earned Lombard the distinction of being "the crookedest street in world (part of The Presidio and Cow Hollow neighborhoods).

I traveled to the city one day after scouting some locations on Google Earth (that's right, sign of the modern age) and spent an afternoon picking the best spot to shoot from. Knowing the light could look nice at sunrise yet most likely devoid of vehicles, I choose to shoot in the late afternoon - not only to catch the hill in shade, slightly backlit, but also hoping the sun would reflect off of the street to help it stand out.

I shot from a few locations, one close to the actual street, others miles away. Using a 300mm lens with a 1.4 teleconverter and my digital 35mm SLR, I was able to crop the street nicely from one of my vantage points on Telegraph Hill. Although I mounted my lens on a large Gitzo tripod, I still set the mirror lock feature and shutter timer to keep the camera as steady as possible - afternoon winds blowing atop the hill made me worry about camera shake.

I shot all the way until twilight, finally documenting this scene below - the perfect time to capture a long exposure of the moving cars combined with the waning light of the day - which turned out to be my favorite. No filter was used and the final exposure turned out to be: f/11 @ 30 seconds using ISO 100

The magazine didn't end up using this image, and picked another I photographed during the afternoon. Although I'm partial to this capture, an old editor of mine sent me an email after seeing my image in the magazine - he wrote: "Your picture of Lombard St in VIA is probably the best I’ve seen. It’s so difficult to make a different shot of a famous place, and yours gave a new perspective. I can’t imagine how you got it without cars, and of course a nice touch with the cable car at the top."

Once again proving photography, as all art, is subjective.

Taking a break from photography

As I was on a run this evening listening to John Mayer's "Into Your Atmosphere", I thought I'd write to all of you to talk a bit about taking a break from photography. This may mean a few days to some, it may mean a few months to others- it all depends on your personality and what's going on in your life. Sometimes this simple act can work as a catalyst helping you push forward into projects you've been holding off on, or help you create new images you might not have thought of in the past.

As a person who's captured images since I picked up my first camera at the age of 11 (now 41), I've been deeply engulfed in photography in every way possible - from planning and shooting my assignments around the world, to holding gallery shows displaying my fine art prints - writing a 50,000 word book on exposure, to organizing industry events for ASMP - dealing with all that goes into a photo business, to all the self-educating needed to keep up with the latest and greatest in gear and software - and now attempting to create tv show and be the Photoguru to the general public - it's a lot to do on a regular basis.

And even though I love my career, a few years ago I began to burn out on it a bit. I was always aware of this happening and knew to get away and take breaks from it when I had to, but at that point I realized I needed to slow down on my shooting to find that hunger again. Photography tends to ground me from time to time and has brought a lot of peace to my life, but doing it as a full-time job is whole other ball of wax.

People often think having a career as a photographer is this great job where you travel and get paid for a living - piece of cake right? Far from it. Capturing great shots is a blast, but working on deadline, tight budgets, lots of pressure sometimes, all kinds of weather issues, as well as all the other major and minor details that goes into every shoot is tough. When I get just a one-day assignment, I have to plan that day out, make sure I produce the work needed within the budget allocated, and although some think "hey, if you don't get the shot, you can always go back the next day", that just ain't the case. Your profits drop, expenses increase, and it ends up being an expensive hobby and not your main source of income.

After a few year of shooting less (finding bigger clients, more commercial jobs, and diversifying my business some to maintain the level of income I was earning) my excitement for photography came back 100%. I never stopped shooting, but I definitely cut back on the frequency. I've never been one to take a camera everywhere I go, and that too I feel has helped me stay fresh in my outlook of the art, carrying that jubilation of capturing a great shot whenever I do so.

And whether it's jammin' to Kanye while ridin' my mountain bike, or leaving my cameras at home while visiting Lake Tahoe for the weekend, I believe these mental breaks have played just as big of a role in my photography as did the times where I had all my gear- where I may have worked 20 hours in a day to complete a job, or been two weeks away from home on assignment. Photography may be my job, and yes I love making images, but it doesn't rule my life- the constant search for happiness - contentment - peace - laughter - that does.

So if you take a deep breath or sigh when you pick up your camera, find yourself getting extra frustrated when you miss a shot, or think you've reached a plateau in the images you're creating, consider the option of back burnering your photography. Go for a ride, get back into running, or wait a while until a little dust collects on your camera. You might be thinking "What Sean? Stop shooting photos? Didn't think that would come from you." To quote Chris Rock in his last HBO special "That's right, I SAID it! And I'm looking straight at cha!" :)

Remember, you're not alone in feeling that way, and your passion for the medium will never go away. Happy humpday photo-geeks and geekettes.

How to Survive the Credit Crunch

This economic year is affecting everyone, not only in the U.S. and U.K., but as well around the globe. Budgets are tighter for companies small and large, resulting in less advertising, affecting ad agencies and magazines - this trickles down to photographers through fewer assignments, smaller stock sales, and less work. As for the public market, individuals are just as concerned and have less disposable income, resulting in fewer purchases of books, fine art prints, lower workshop numbers, as well as tighter budgets for wedding and family portraits.

So what to do? How do you keep your business going during these times? Here are a few ways to keep the ball rolling - some are tangible steps, and others can't be measured - but they’ve worked for me the past 20 years as a full-time pro.

1) Keep yourself busy, very busy - although it's not a tangible thing you can keep track of, I believe the more energy you put out there, the more comes your way. I’ve noticed when I’m busy, I’m not all that motivated to get to extra work since my schedule is packed and free time is limited. It’s not the best way to run your business since you should always be marketing, but it’s reality. Yet when times are slow, it's easy to get depressed and lose confidence. So instead, use that hunger to motivate you.

By keeping yourself busy and always have things to work on, whether capturing new images for your portfolio, cataloging your work, taking advantage of the time to connect with new clients, or starting new projects you’ve had on the back burner, time will pass and opportunities will arise from the positive effort.

2) Partner up with others. I also believe in synergy. I'm not big on trades since they don't pay the bills, but if you need a designer for some promotional materials, and a designer needs a photographer for their specific need, making a trade can save both sides money – and the collaboration of creative people can often lead to new opportunities.

3) Reorganize: Take time to reorganize your business and hone your skills- we rarely have time to do this, so no better time than the slow present. Whether captioning and organizing your images, cleaning out your computer, or re-packing your photo bags- when I’m swamped I rarely have time to do any of this, so I use my slower times for these tasks. I call it investment toward future earnings. How so? I’ll give you an example. When a request comes across my desk for Yellowstone images and my client needs to review some asap, I’m able to build a lightbox immediately and throw it up on the web due to captioning them a year earlier during a slow week. That quick response, in turn, leads to more sales.

4) Cut your overhead: Whether you have to rent a smaller office space or studio, or simply not purchase that new laptop or 35mm dSLR you’ve wanted, one way most companies survive the tough times is by cutting costs. It’s hard to do, but sometimes you have to rent out your studio, sell some gear you rarely use, or cut out services you don’t need. Less overhead means less pressure to make ends meet.

5) School yourself: Brush up on all the new software you may have in your computer - whether being Photoshop CS4, Lightroom, Aperture, or even Excel and Word hone your skills to tighten your workflow. A few years ago when I had a slow month, I transferred all my presentations from Powerpoint to Keynote, learned the application well, and when the next workshop date arrived, I was ready with a solid lecture.

6) Diversify: Diversifying your business is important in general, but critical during these times. When I started my business, I landed a stock agency and a job capturing production photography three days a week in a studio. As my business grew, I added editorial assignments, then workshops, more ad and corporate work, and slowly expanded my photo business. By putting “20 eggs in the basket”, and hoping a few came through, I was able to always have a check coming from somewhere.

7) Work on personal projects. Personal projects can not only be rewarding, but often bring new assignments – all the while allowing you to shoot exactly what you are most interested in. I’m currently working on two new projects – a book I hope to publish, and another a studio project capturing a subject I’ve been interested in for years- both of which I can do from my home or office.

8) Delve into the realm of social sites and email marketing. When you market your photography through emails, costs can be drastically lower than snail mail, and you can hit thousands of clients on a tight budget. Just remember though, respect client requested to be removed from lists, and be considerate of no-email requests.

New media sources such Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Word Press, MySpace, RedRoom, as well as blogging can also expand your web coverage and bring new business. These websites are the rage with many photographers jumping in, but if you haven’t, consider these social sites as potential marketing tools. After my first book came out, I joined a site where people can connect with authors and over a period of a few months, had roughly 2000 people visit my pages. By marketing my book through these sites, I believe I was able to keep it in the top 50 photo books for the first six months of 2009, an incredibly difficult year where sales are down- my publisher was very happy with the numbers, which hopefully will lead to more distribution and sales, as well as future book projects.

Just remember, you want to be unique, a bit different from the other million photographers doing the same thing – so pick an agenda or a style and run with it. Blogging about random thoughts not related to photography probably won’t get you new work. I personally have a page on Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, MySpace, and YouTube, and my blog appears on all the top blog sites - which has lead to thousands of hits for my business.

Sure it takes some work to keep these up-to-date, but it pays off in both tangible and intangible ways. This year I sold two gallery prints, made a stock sale, sold a number of copies my exposure book, had a few people sign up for my workshops, did a consultation for a photographer, and landed a big corporate shoot – all through my presence on these sites.

9) Create a dream client list: One way to market yourself is to go after a certain type of client you are most interested in, and one that fits the type of work you like to capture. Whether you obtain your list through a mailing list company (Ad Base, Fresh Lists, etc), or simply locate the information online, this exercise can not only help you focus on the type of imagery you want to market, and the type of work you want to do, but could also help you land that dream client you always wanted. I always said, someone has to shoot for the National Geographic- why can’t it be me? By focusing on that top 10 list of clients, you pay more attention to them, may get to know the principals, and since it often about who you know instead of what you can do, you may just land that client.

10) Brainstorm: Often during hard times, people come up with new ways to promote or sell a product or service- this usually occurs simply through brainstorming for better ideas. I’ve been a photographer more than half my life, but it doesn’t mean I’ve thought of everything- in fact quite the opposite. So remember, you may come up with an idea that saves your business – one that’s not even on this list.

Good luck and happy shooting!

Fuji's 3D camera coming soon

Too busy to write much this week, but do check out Fuji's potential 3D camera to launch this September - story on Engadget.com (a great tech blog I love to read): http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/12/fuljfilms-finepix-real-3d-camera-to-launch-in-september-cost-a/

Full article in Time's online magazine: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1909457,00.html?CNN=YES

My 2nd segment on The View From the Bay coming this July 14th

Next Tuesday I'll be back on The View From the Bay, a great afternoon lifestyle show on ABC Channel 7 KGO-TV in the San Francisco Bay Area. I'm looking forward to seeing Janelle Wang and Spencer Christian again, the two great hosts, as well as the whole production staff.

Continuing my goal to be the Photoguru, a commercial pro and photo expert with my own tv show, I'll be going on to promote my book and talk about five cool compact cameras to check out for the summer season. No side-by-side comparison deal- just cameras that are different in the features they have, price points, and functionality.

The five point-and-shoots I'm testing out and reviewing are:

GoPro's Helmet HERO Wide: I've had a blast with this 5 mega-pixel "point of view" camera, attaching it to my bicycle helmet, my bike, strapping it around my waist, and even on my car for great shots you couldn't otherwise get in a system under $200.

Leica's high end D-Lux 4:

If you looking for top quality and price isn't an issue, this compact comes with the Leica name and quality (their lenses are known as the best in the biz-nas), full control of functions, and made for the serious amateur interested in creating high-quality shots in an easy-to-carry system.

Nikon's Coolpix S60: A 10 mega-pixel p&s offers a great touch screen, - I went with Arctic White, the color of my old '86 VW Golf (see it at the start of this blog)

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX 150: A great compact has the highest mega-pixels in the group at 14.7 million, with manual functions and a Leica lens packed into a sleek body. I personally own this model.

FujiFilm Z33WP: A great 10 mega-pixel waterproof compact camera with a flash, LCD screen, and a cool strap that floats. I've enjoyed using it in the swimming pool with my daughters as well at in a river in the Sierras. Fuji sent me the bright pink model- that's right, I'm Mr. Fancy Pants.

I'll also show off Joby's line of cool bendable tripods- fun, functional, and they come in cool colors like blue, green, and pink! Use it for self-portaits, attach it to a tree branch or a pole, and pack it anywhere in your suitcase.

Canon never sent me a camera to review and I was a bit disappointed since they own the point-and-shoot market and have a great line of small digital cameras. But the ones I have are top-notch and would rate high in any comparison so I'm good to go.

So tune in Tuesday, July 14th, from 3-4pm for my segment- it will be fun, informative, and entertaining! And if you're not in the area, the segment will post on the web at KGO's site (as did my February spot on Great Family Vacation Photos): http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=view_from_the_bay/everything_else&id=6674127

You say Lacie, I say Lacie......rocks!

People often ask me what type of gear I use - whether in the field or at my desk. Today, with digital dominating the photo industry, I'm often asked how I back up or store the hundreds of thousands of photos I've acquired and store in my image collection.

Besides backing up a number of images on gold archival DVDs, I currently have seven Lacie hard drives - a 2TB, 1.5TB, 1TB, two 500GB, 250GB desktop, and a 250GB mobile HD (to backup memory cards while on shoots). I love Lacie, they have been fast and reliable for me ever since I started buying external hard drives, they work on Mac or PC easily, and their customer service is good- that's hard to say in the days of crappy customer service.

So when Lacie came along and asked if I'd join there website as a pro who could recommend their drives, I said 'you bet'. They provided me with a number of questions, and I've listed some of my answers below.

Provide a quote:
Being a photographer doesn't mean just taking good photographs- you need to be a well-organized, reliable, likable person who connects well with others- and one who can be uniquely creative in a moment's notice.

Which LaCie products you are currently using:
250GB Rugged,250GB d2, 500GB d2 (2), 1TB Big Disk Extreme, 1.5TB Big Disk Extreme, 2TB 2Big Quadra

How did you your start as a commercial photography?

I picked up a camera at 11, always knew I' be a photographer. Received a "F" in photography in high school, but didn't let it deter me. In 1988 I enrolled at Brooks Institute of Photography where I received my Bachelor of Arts in Commercial photography in 1991. That summer I sent out 150 resumés with no job offers, so I started my own business combining outdoor, on-location, & studio photography- 19 years later, I've traveled the world capturing images for hundreds of clients, published thousands of times in numerous countries.

What have been some of your favorite events to photograph?
I enjoy a mix of subjects, all challenging in unique ways - from adventure sports to environmental portraits, from culture to landscapes, from wildlife to studio still lifes. One of the most amazing experiences I had was traveling through Borneo photographing an adventure race and subsequently capturing images of the Penan and jungles of Sarawak.

How has LaCie made your life as a photographer easier?
I always know my digital images and business files are backed up on fast reliable drive, easily accessible. Plus, I can get to large files quickly on any computer I own, as well as set up new hard LaCie drives easily.

Where have you been with your LaCie drives?
I travel with my LaCie rugged 250GB hard drive everywhere my photo assignments take me - from Los Angeles to Chicago, Seattle to Las Vegas - anywhere I go on assignment today, my LaCie portable drives goes with me. If I have a one-day shoot with a budget of $15,000, I must back up my images.

How do you see the world of digital storage developing and how will it make your job easier?

If Hard Drives last longer with more storage space - that is having a longer life (more than 3-5 years), allowing you to store more images (as it has over the past 10 years going from 160MBs to 2TB as digital files get larger and larger) safely.

How long have you been a user of LaCie products?
I picked up my first LaCie HD, 200GB model a number of years ago from the Apple Store (after reading a number of reviews about the best hard drive). I've bought and own 7-8 since.

Describe an experience with your LaCie drive where our product greatly enabled your workflow:

Hard to describe one- my LaCie drives help my workflow everyday, accessing files from Adobe Photoshop and Bridge, adding images to my Extensis Portfolio database to track and reference thousands of images, and open original files hundreds of megabytes large straight from the drives. Backing them up is also very easy and simple, whether using software or dragging and dropping folders into a backup disk.

As the Photoguru, I want to recommend products I use and believe in - Lacie HDs are one of those products. I'll soon add an article to Photoguru.tv as well reviewing my Lacie rugged portable hard drive. Happy Summer folks- use sunblock & wear a hat.

Signed copies of my book, The BetterPhoto Guide to Exposure

For anyone interested in improving their photographic skill and learning more about exposure, you can order a signed copy of my book directly through us by going to this link:

Click on the "Buy Now" link and pay using any credit card through PayPal. We'll mail out a signed copy, and if you'd like me to sign anything specific besides my name, let us know.

The book remains in the top 50 photo books since January, has received a number of great reviews on Amazon as well as other websites, is packed with solid info, over 250 images, fun assignments, and more.