Canon Copyright

Attach your camera to the computer with the cable that came with your camera. Open EOS Utility. Turn on the camera. In the EOS Utility window click on the button for Camera settings / Remote shooting.

When the window opens look for the small wrench/hammer icon on the lower right. Click on it.  Click on owner’s name. Input your name and copyright year. I use Natalie Fobes copyright 2010. I don’t use the symbol because it has caused problems with a custom web gallery action I created in Bridge. Click ok.

Next click on Date/Time. You have an option of synchronizing the date and time from the computer. Click that button. Click ok.

Always click ok or your changes will not be saved.

Turn off your camera. Unplug it. Close the program.

Nikon D200

Set this by going to MENU > Set Up Menu > Image Comment > Input Comment > (add your message like you did on 1970s video games) > Enter. You must hit ENTER or it will forget everything you just did!

To edit or remove a character, select it in the Input Comment screen by holding the checkerboard button and clicking the big thumb selector. Select a new character with the same selector and press the center of the selector to add it. Press the Trash button to delete a character.

When you get your text message spelled out, go to Attach Comment and hit SET so a small checkmark shows. Now go to and select DONE. If you forget to check Attach it won’t attach, and if you forget to hit DONE it will also forget everything you just did. Sorry, I don’t write the firmware.

It’s great having everything you shoot have your contact info embedded. It also allows you to prove ownership in a third-world country when catching a thief with your camera. Help the cop go through the menus and read your personal ID information.

Your next assignment is to use your flash bounced off a wall as a key light. Read the assignment and review the notes from last week. Remember that your ambient light will determine your flash output setting. Once you have your ambient light reading you can adjust your flash output to be +1 or more based on the ratio you want between highlight (flash) and fill (ambient).

You will turn in two dng’s. One with flash as key and one with only the available light.  Play around with the flash output settings. Try it with auto exposure and without.

This, like all assignments, is just to get you thinking and experimenting with different settings. With experience you will learn which ones work for you.

Today we covered some posing techniques for individuals and groups. There are many great books out there including Mark Cleghorn’s Portrait Photography: Secrets of Posing and Lighting.  I’ve put together a pdf with some of my techniques here.

We also learned how to use your on-camera flash as a fill bounced off the ceiling and as a key bounced off the wall. Simply set your flash on e-ttl and adjust the output on the flash. You can find the demonstration here.

You should try different settings to see how you like them. If you didn’t take notes simply view the photographs in Canon’s Image Browser.  The flash settings are listed in the camera information.

We talked about avoiding automatic white balance and how I like to use the cloudy setting to add a bit of a tan to the skin tones.

And finally we covered posing from the ground up when photographing individuals or groups, tilting the head to soften the look, the trick of having someone hold a pen to create graceful fingers and using flash to soften wrinkles.

The assignment is to use an on-camera flash bounced off the ceiling to fill a portrait that has strong directional light. I’d prefer you use sunlight coming in a window but if we don’t get any light then use a lamp or hotlights. Take one shot without and the other with the fill.

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©2011 Natalie Fobes

If you make money with your photography or photography services you are a professional. You need insurance.

Why is this important? Because if you are sued you can loose everything. Your house, your personal assets. If you aren’t insured you could lose your equipment.

Two years ago one of the students went downtown for a quick dinner. He had all his gear in his trunk. It was stolen, a week before he planned to get a policy covering it.

A friend of mine let her auto insurance lapse because she was traveling for a few months and wouldn’t be driving. She came back and just forgot to renew it. She ran into a motorcyclist. He sued. She will be paying him $10,000 a year for the next 10 years.

Now that you are a professional, in all likelihood your camera equipment won’t be covered by your homeowners or renters insurance policy.  And your general liability insurance in that policy may not apply to you when you are working. Read your policy carefully and ask your agent to make sure you are covered.

Ask your agent about a MasterPac policy.  It is designed for small business owners. I have one from Travelers.

The very basic insurance that you will need includes:

•Camera and equipment insurance: Also known as inland marine. Make sure that you are insured 24 hours a day, domestically and internationally. Some policies restrict this to the US.  Also check to make sure you are covered for rented and loaned equipment.

•General Liability coverage: This covers you against legal claims for bodily injury to someone else or damage to someone else’s property. It does not cover what you own. That’s why you need other insurance like Inland Marine or Valuable Papers. You must have this to get permits or to have a booth at a show.  Sometimes clients want to see a proof of insurance and some even want you to include them on the insurance. Ask your agent the cost of issuing a rider on your insurance.

•Valuable papers covers you for the reshoot if your images have been lost by fire, theft or water damage. It excludes camera malfunctions, lab errors and bad film.  My policy is in place to cover my stock library.

Other insurance you may want:

•Errors and Omissions:  This protects you if you make a mistake on a model or property release, invasion of privacy accusations or allegations of copyright infringement. This is quite costly. A great alternative is to join the PPA. Every member pays $50 to be part of the PPA •Indemnification Trust. Lawyers are retained to defend photographers in lawsuits.

Portfolio: this covers your portfolio. In my coverage it is included in my office equipment coverage.

•Disability: this can be very expensive to get. I don’t have it. My insurance agent advised that I should put the premiums that I would pay for the insurance into a savings account instead.

Home, auto, health and life

•Home or Renters insurance: This covers your physical property and should include general liability coverage.

•Health Insurance: You should have some kind of health insurance even if it is just major medical with a high deductible. Another option are the relatively new Health Savings Accounts.  You can have take pre-tax income and set it aside in a savings account that you would use to cover your basic check-ups, eye exams, doctor’s visits. You pay a lower premium for the insurance because the deductible is higher.

•Life Insurance: This is intended to help your heirs weather the financial burden that might occur after your death.  Both my husband and I have life insurance policies. The amount we have is estimated to cover our mortgage and monthly costs for a period of about 15 years. It is very important if you have children.

Where to find insurance: Start with your professional organizations. ASMP, PPA, NPPA all have insurance plans.

For medical insurance talk to your insurance agent for a recommendation.

My homeowners insurance is through Skyway Insurance. Virginia Hale is the agent for medical insurance. Her number is 206.232.7355.

My business insurance is through Hoffberger Insurance Group, Baltimore, Maryland. 1.800.547.5501

Sally Nichols in Castro Valley, CA (sally@nicholsins.com; 510-889-0300) has been recommended by some photographers.

As strapped as you are right now for money, it is critical that you get insurance. The cost of insurance is small compared to what you would be out if you didn’t have it.

Other documents you should have:

A will

A living will

Power of attorney for health care

Succession for your business if you are a sole proprietor

For more information go to Nolo Press for their 12 Simple Steps to an Estate Plan: A Checklist.

Just got back from a great, but short, trip to LA and Las Vegas. I gave a presentation on documentary photography at the Annenberg Space for Photography. The space was wonderful and the crowd enthusiastic. Lynda, Bruce, David and Ben of www.lynda.com were there.

The next day I went to Las Vegas to give a presentation titled “The A-Z of documentary projects” and judge the photojournalism categories of the print competition. The experience of the  people at my talk ranged from just a few months to over 42 years. They were incredible and had lots of great questions.

I was in awe of many of the fantastic images I judged at the competition. Susan Stripling continues to do sweet work. A desaturated and vintage printing style is one of the trends right now. It adds a timeless quality to the photographs. Long narrow crops were also striking. Most winners were printed smaller than the 16×20 board and matted. Some were so small the judges had to get up to see the detail. In my mind, this doesn’t help the image. Make it big enough to see.

Another tip, especially for the photojournalism categories, GIVE THE PRINT A TITLE!  Too many compelling but confusing photographs were untitled. These are categories where the story is often as important as the imagery.

I was pleased to learn that one of my  portraits was honored in the Senior Portraits category. Riley is in his first year of a full-ride scholarship at Juilliard. I processed the file by pulling back the saturation, adding warmth and then creating a mask to bring back color in the grass.

Twenty percent of the grade of your Marketing Material Assignment is to include an Excel spreadsheet of 25 prospective clients and 5 media contacts. Please use this template. Do not use any other template.

In the future you may want to invest in other software to handle your customer relations management (CRM) databases. Inview, FotoQuote and PhotoByte all have good CRM features.

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Remember to turn in your VMS next week.

Your VMS is your foundation for both your photo and the text.  It is the theme of all of your marketing. Each time you start a marketing campaign ask yourself if it works with your VMS.

Here’s the one in the book.

Jeffrey Jacobs shoots architecture and architectural/design products. His approach is transformative, making the mundane appear stunning and the well-designed, quite literally awesome. Jeffrey can find the right angle to reveal the artistry of the designer’s work, be that a large structure or a product detail. When the production matters, Jeffrey is the man to turn to. He can produce a shoot with more tools and tricks than anyone could envision, but he also knows when natural light and “simple’ is the best choice. From scout to finish, Jeffrey Jacobs is the photographer to reveal your work. www.jeffreyjacobsphoto.com

Here is mine:

VMS Statement: Editorial and Corporate

“Natalie Fobes is a visual story-teller. For the last 33 years, Natalie has told the stories that need to be told about people, places, wildlife and the environment. Her magazine, book and corporate photography work often goes beyond the single shot to include a collection of photographs that illuminate and explains complex stories. Natalie amplifies the message of the photographs by skillful editing and sequencing. Her ability to immediately assess and adapt to changing situations results in photographs that are compelling and informative. Her skill at seeing available light, enhancing it or, in the absence of light, using her strobes to create natural-feeling light, has more than once saved an assignment.  Natalie puts almost everyone at ease and makes the photography session a  collaboration. No matter what culture she is photographing, from the ironworkers at construction sites to the reindeer herders of Siberia, she is at ease and immerses herself in it. She walks the walk. Natalie is passionate about learning: about people, wildlife, science and the environment. Her dedication and hard-work on the job is legendary. Natalie Fobes delivers insightful, fresh, photographically excellent images, on time, every time.”

Erik Skaar:

Erik Skaar is an exceptional studio photographer. He specializes in product and people and executes his images with superior quality, style, and professionalism. In each of his images, the subject is the hero whether it is a consumer product, model, or subject sitting for a portrait session. Erik’s ability to create a dynamic and bold image regardless of the subject matter is his specialty as is his meticulousness and his ability to creatively solve any creative communication problem. Each assignment undertaken is treated as a personal project and afforded the energy, dedication, and focus to produce superlative results every time.

Here is one from Anna Enger:  Focusing mainly on food and still life, Anna Enger’s attention to detail is a given in all of her photographic work.  She brings her own unique aesthetic to the styling of every image.  She loves spending time in her studio creating beautifully styled tabletop sets that bring interest and life to even the most ordinary of objects.  Anna loves to create a very natural feel in her images, and does so by modifying or enhancing natural light, or if called for, creating it entirely with strobes.  Anna is easy to work with as a photographer, listening and collaborating with clients to create photos that always exceed their expectations.  As far as assisting other photographers, she brings her attention to detail, abilities in lighting and styling, and basic digital-teching skills to every job.  All of these traits, along with her ability to anticipate what needs to be done, make her a valuable and reliable asset to any photographer’s team.

Lindsey Lee: Lindsey Lee is a fine art portrait photographer specializing in maternity, newborn, seniors, and weddings. Using a style that is both elegant and exquisite Lindsey will collaborate with her clients to create portrait art that will be treasured for a lifetime.  As an expecting mother, Lindsey knows how fast time flies and that these precious moments will soon be memories. Let her capture these moments before they pass by.

Can you come up with text that summarizes yours?

Don’t confuse the VMS with another important element. Your jingle or tagline. These are much shorter. Something that is to be published on your cards and website. Something for the public to see.

Danica Bell, wedding photographer, wrote this last year:

The Beauty of Life. The Wonder of Love.

Captured in memories to be cherished forever

Danica Bell Photography

One ad I saw on the bus the other day at a deli was “Not fast food but good food served fast.”  This was a successful marketing message. Do you have any other examples?

VMS statement due Jan. 14 to be reviewed in class. Not graded

Email Blast

Due January 28, 2011

Please design a marketing piece for use in an email blast and put it in my dropbox.

Include the following:

Subject line text for the email

Photo

Marketing Message

Contact info and logo

Please note:

Be sure to conform to the CAN-SPAM Act link below

www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/business/ecommerce/bus61.shtm*

*VERY IMPORTANT: you must have a way for the recipient to easily request to be taken off your email list.

Marketing Plan Assignment       Due Feb. 11, 2011

By Natalie Fobes

In addition to the information in Chapter 43 of ASMP Best Business Practices I’ve adapted information from the SBA website http://www.sba.gov/smallbusinessplanner/manage

A detailed marketing plan is critical to the success of your business. The research you do while creating one will help crystallize your ideas about your product and pricing, the differences between you and your competitors, what your target group is and what they want. It will help you form long-range goals for your business and act as a creative catalyst that will separate your business from all the rest. Marketing plans work… but only if you implement them. Your plan should include a clear articulation of your goals and a step-by-step action plan on how you are going to achieve those goals.
This assignment is to create a marketing plan for the promotional materials you will  create in Robbie’s class and my next assignment.
The plan must follow the 7 sections outlined below. The VMS should be written out. But because this is an internal document for your office use only you may use outline form for sections 2-7. Be detailed and make your action steps achievable with your schedule.

Review Chapter 43.

Please print out hard copies AND drop digital copies in my drop box.

1. Vision Marketing Statement

This is your vision of who you are as a photographer, your photography and what makes you unique from every other photographer out there. This is the foundation of everything you show to the public. It will help you develop your website and marketing materials. Before you send something out you should look at the photo and make sure it works with this statement.

2. Goals for one, two and five years

Your plan will be for one year but the two and five year goal sets help you plot a course for the future. Be specific in your goals, make them measurable (meaning you know you will achieve them if something happens to prove it worked) and make sure they are achievable within the time frame you’ve set up.

3. Market Analysis

Describe your general target categories. The example in the book is financial services companies and their advertising agencies. Last year one student targeted small breweries.  List 5 companies you want to target. Include the contact name, number, email, address and phone number. What do you do that is better than the photography they are using? Analyze what you can emphasize to make you more attractive to these potential clients.

4. Determine your overall annual marketing budget

Make it real based on your financial situation right now.

5. List potential marketing tools and their cost.

Determine what marketing tools would have the most bang for the buck.

And include sending out press releases and networking with other professionals in your overall plan.  Both are cheap marketing tools.

The following questions can be useful in deciding what tools to use

1. If my marketing objective is ………..

2. Then the tools or tactics I can use might include…………

An example: The marketing objective is to create awareness of baby photo sessions among mothers of newborns.

Possible tools

Advertise in baby care or motherhood magazines.  $$$$$

Distribute sample prints to obstetricians.  $$

Offer free baby photo seminars to expectant mothers. $

6. Choose your tools and tactics that stay within your marketing budget.

Assign time guidelines

Once you have your marketing objectives defined then you are ready to create your promotion plan that describes the tools and tactics used to accomplish those objectives

7. Action plan: convert the timeline guidelines into specific dates

This is where you get real and get going. It is great to have goals but they can be overwhelming. Break those goals into tasks you can get your arms around. For each  marketing tool you decide to use create a series of action plan items.

For example: you decide to send out direct mail pieces. Your action plan might be this:

2/3/11           research the people you want to receive it

2/7/11           determine the cost of printing and postage

2/10/11          decide on the text/visual message of the piece

2/15/11          design it (or hire a designer to do so)

2/22/11          send to printer or print it

3/2/11           put postage on it and mail it

3/3/11           finalize follow-up plan

3/18/11          finalize script for the follow-up phone call

3/22/11          follow-up

Be sure to plan your follow-up! Many plans fail because the photographer sends promotional materials but never follows-up.

Marketing Material Assignment

Due March 11, 2011

Be ready to talk about your assignment in class on March 11th.

Present a hard copy of the marketing piece, written materials and portrait in a black notebook. Put copies of the written materials and portrait in my dropbox.

You must include the following:

1. Your final schedule and budget for creating and sending your promotional materials Spring Quarter. 10%

1. Use real dates for your action steps as well as dates you plan to send promotional material.

2. Include real printing and design costs in a budget

2. Thirty prospects in an Excel spreadsheet. 20%

1.  Five media contacts

2.  Include 25 of the people you will be sending your pieces to

3. The spreadsheet must include columns IN THIS ORDER for the name, company name, email, address, phone, date of last contact, date of next contact, notes

3. Resume   10%

4. List of four references familiar with your work. 10%

Include name, address, email and phone

5. One marketing piece prototype designed with photo and text  30%

Will be graded on effectiveness of design and text, photographic excellence, grammar and creativity of approach. No need to put this in my dropbox unless it is a simple file.

6. One portrait of yourself for your website. Include a print and a digital file in my dropbox.  10%

Professional Packet

Due no later than March 18, 2011

You must include the following:

Proof of

_____Copyright registration of photographs

_____Membership in professional organization

_____State and local business licenses

Digital stationary with

_____Estimate and terms

_____Invoice and terms