Tuesday, March 31, 2009

"Water Dance"

"Water Dance"
©David A. Ziser

Here is another image from my film days - similar to yesterday's post, but with a completely different feeling because of the sky's color. You can see from many of my posts I'm into sunset images. I had almost completely forgot about this shot taken around 1990. I was teaching at the Florida Photography School. Sessions were held at Daytona Beach Community College and I had photographers from all around Florida as class members. I ask if we could arrange an evening photography session and catch the setting sun in the shot. Once again it got quite late, the setting sun lit up the evening sky, and with my assistant behind the couple, I think we got a pretty cool shot. Camera specs: Hasselblad fitted with 40mm Distagon, F5.6 @ 1/10 second, Kodak Vericolor 400 film. Enjoy! -David

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Technique Tuesday: Revisiting "Touch Of Color With A Twist"

Good Morning Everybody,
WOW! What a welcome in Jacksonville, FL with our Digital WakeUp Call - A New Dawn Tour. We had a great group of people that just brought a lot of energy to the program. I have to say, giving away $4000 in door prizes sure brought the house down! It was just a great evening. LaDawn and I are looking forward to Orlando tonight.

Technique Tuesday: Touch Of Color With A Twist - Again
Because of our tight schedule today, I'm going to revisit one of my favorite Technique Tuesdays from the early days which many of you may have missed. It's entitled, "Touch of Color With a Twist." It's a nice Photoshop tutorial with an interesting twist and turn at the end. Hope you enjoy it.



Thanks for bearing with me as we get tour routines established, schedules aligned with blogging schedules - it's a bit of a challenge. Hey gang, that's it for me today. Look for a new series to start tomorrow on "Shooting the Portrait - From Booking It To Shooting It."

See ya' then, -David

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Monday, March 30, 2009

"Dancing In The Midnight Sun"

"Dancing In The Midnight Sun"
©David A. Ziser
I was trying to get the post up quickly this morning and stumbled across another image from yesteryear. This is another film image I made about 18 years ago in La Jolla, California. We headed to the beach to catch the setting sun which made for some great sunset photos. Well, I like to shoot far past sunset while there is still a faint glow in the sky. What happens is that the sun sets and this "cobalt blue" firmament covers the sky. The bright full moon in this shot supplied the "midnight sun". The strong wind added the dramatic element to the shot with the bride's veil blowing off to the side. The slow shutter speed was negated by the firing of the remote controlled flash from behind the subject. We wrapped the shot, tried to find the camera bags in the dark and headed home - a nice shot, I think. Camera specs: Hasselblad fitted with 40mm Distagon lens, F5.6 @ 1/4 second, Kodak Vericolor 400 film. Enjoy! -David

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Quick Hit Monday: Today Is The Day - Digital ProTalk - A New Dawn Opens In Jacksonville, Florida

Good Morning Everybody,
I'm trying to get this post up bright and early this morning before we catch the plane to Jacksonville. We were at it all weekend ever since we stepped off the plane from Boston on Saturday. The prizes are ready, the bags are packed, and the program looks hot - can't wait to see everyone in Jacksonville, Florida this evening. If you haven't registered yet, here is the link to the Digital WakeUp Call - A New Dawn tour right here. Hey gang, before we hit the plane let me point you to some quick hits for the week.

A Few More Quick Hits For The Road

New Canon Rebel Shoots Video
So have you seen the news about the new Canon Rebel T1i - yep, 15.1 mega-pixels and it shoots hi-res 1080p/720p video too. Here is the link to the story right here. Now you can pick up an inexpensive second camera for all your wedding needs and have a back up to boot;~)

Some Good Marketing Tips Over At Graphic Authority
I was cruising Graphic Authority's website over the weekend. They offer about the widest variety of Photoshop templates, edges, brushes, and frames that I have ever seen. I'm happy to say that they are one of my sponsors and we will be showing how to use some of their products on my tour. Check out this link to their site right here. Go to their "Photographers" Corner and it's chocked full of cool design elements. But more that that, scroll down to Karyn Sarganis Fritz's images - she's the second one down - and check out her marketing articles - good stuff - couldn't have said it better myself.

My Kentucky Buddies - Tim and Bev Walden Launch New Site! I have known Tim and Bev for over 30 years. They are two of the best photographers in the country.


They are also two of the hottest lectures in the country and have traveled the world sharing their knowledge and expertise. Here is the good news - that are bringing their expertise to photographers everywhere and making it easily accessible through their new site. Check it out right here. Lots of good stuff coming down the pike from Tim and Bev.

Hey gang, that's about it for me today. We've got planes to catch, people to see, and programs to give. See everybody in Florida! -David

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Friday, March 27, 2009

"Surrounded By Beauty"
©David A. Ziser

Here is another shot from my pre-con from Photoshop World Boston last Tuesday. I had framed this image both horizontally and vertically and, while both looked good, I preferred this horizontal rendition. I like seeing the couple flanked by rising stain glass windows on both sides. Those windows add a sense of the "dramatic" to the image. Again, it was the wide angle lens - always one of my favorites - that pulls off this composition. My off-camera flash from the left through a translucent umbrella. Camera specs: Canon 5D Mark II fitted with Sigma 12-24mm lens at 15mm, F5.6 @ 1/20 second, ISO 1600. Enjoy! -David

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Saturday - Looking For Help In Florida

Good Morning Everybody,
As you know, we are heading to Florida on Monday kicking off my Digital WakeUp Call tour [link]. I am putting out a call today for two people in each city - Jacksonville, Orlando, Tampa, and Ft. Lauderdale - who can help us set up and tear down the show and help LaDawn with miscellaneous duties in the back of the room.

I will comp your registration and throw in another goodie or two for your help. Please email LaDawn at ladawn@ziser.com with your contact info including phone number so we can get things arranged with you. I've never tried this before, but I thought I'd give our DPT readers first crack at participating in the adventure. I was suppose to post this earlier in the week but with Photoshop World going on - I missed it. Thank, -David

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Soap Box Friday: To Much To Learn - I Don't Want To Learn Anything Else!

Good Afternoon Everybody,
We wrapped the whirlwind Photoshop World today. LaDawn and I were in the Tech Expo till 2 p.m. We are demo-ing some of the software magic bullets that bring a lot of efficiency to our studio operation. I plan to do a series on this as the tour progresses so stay tuned.

I also gave my first PeachPit program in the Tech Expo yesterday. Now you have to understand, my presentations are typically not from behind a computer. I think a lot of people were wondering, "What in the world was going on over at Peachpit?" - I had grabbed a microphone, jumped down in front of the audience and started to talk about lighting and composition - no mousing around here. Anyway, I think the audience enjoyed the presentation. My thanks to everyone for sticking around.

We had a great time in Boston this week but are looking forward to getting back home and hitting the trail with my Digital WakeUp Call - A New Dawn on Monday. Look out Jacksonville - here we come.

And speaking of Photoshop World one last time, I've got some thoughts about then whole educational experience. Please read on...

To Much To Learn - I Don't Want To Learn Anything Else!
I heard this remark from a photographer just last week. We were discussing all the new things happening in our digital world including cameras, software, digital products, in fact all things digital. He made the remark near the end of our discussion, "There is to much to learn - I don't want to learn anything else!" - I've been thinking about his comment all week.

Hit the "Read More..." link for my thoughts on the topic.

Is there too much to learn? It's my opinion that in this day and age, if we take that attitude, the competition will go whizzing right past us. There are a lot of people that really enjoy all the new digital technologies/latest greatest happenings out there. I have to admit, I'm one of them. I love checking out the new stuff really trying to see how it may save me time. Hey, none of us have enough time anymore, so anything that saves time is a really good thing.

But what's important here is that we MUST take the time to try the new things that may be beneficial to our business. If we become an "Old Dog" who can't be shown any new tricks then we will fade into the sunset with all the other "Old Dogs".

We need to think of these times as exciting times not trying times. Sure there may be some additional effort to get the new technologies under our belt, but we have to know that it is worth it - that our efforts will reap the rewards for our businesses.

As far as learning the new technologies, that's the easy part. Today the Internet provides VAST resources for training and knowledge - it's just waiting to be plucked from the vast regions of the Internet and put into our brains -so much of it is there for the taking for free. And, heck, for a few dollars a month, you can head to one of my favorite sites - Kelby Training - and learn just about anything you want to learn about photography, Photoshop, Lightroom, etc. Heck, you can even enjoy a "cold one" while you watch! That's better than my old school days ;~)

Most of the software manufacturers have available lots of tutorials showing how to use their products right on line. Take NIK for instance - everything you ever wanted to know about NIK software is right at your fingertips! That's my point - sure you might need to learn something new, but the resources to learn are readily available, and we need to take the responsibility and to make the effort.

So many times I see someone purchase software at a show and then come back to the booth the next day for a little hand holding even when there was available an hour of tutorials sold with the software! A little extra help is fine, but the answers were already at the person's fingertips if they would have only put forth a little effort.

Maybe it's just because our lives are so fast moving these days that people are looking for the quickest shortcuts to get up and running - most of the shortcuts are right in the box - we just have to make the effort to look. It's interesting to me that we have time for Facebook and so many other Internet diversions. Let's spend our time where it counts - learning what's out there that can save us time.

Folks, if we don't want this fast moving digital world pass us by, we have to make that effort and accept that responsibility to embrace the technologies that can save us time and free us up for enjoying a little more free time for ourselves, our family, our community.....

If we choose the alternative; if we choose to stop learning, then we choosing to let our businesses begin atrophying and dying. That's not and alternative for me. So set aside a little time each day to learn something new. Those hours a day will turn into a new found proficiency at what you study. A friend of mine told me he wakes up an hour a day to study something new - in this case it was Photoshop - he is now an expert on the program. Again, it comes down to each of us accepting the responsibility for our business's future - or let the others pass us by.

End of rant #17

Hey gang, I'm out of here today. Hope to see you on the road next week in Jacksonville. Have a great weekend! -David

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Thursday, March 26, 2009

"The Executive"
©David A. Ziser

I captured this image as we were leaving the church heading back to our meeting room. This view down one of the corridors of the Hynes Convention Center offered a dramatic background for my executive portrait. Notice how the wide angle lens renders the leading lines quite prominently in the scene. I placed the executive, my groom, directly in front of the intersection of the leading lines which, by default, leads the viewer's eyes directly to our subject. Camera specs; Canon 5D Mark II fitted with Sigma 12-24mm lens, F5.6 @ 1/40 second, ISO 800. From Tech Expo Boston 2009 Enjoy! -David

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Business Day Thursday: Bundling For Better Sales - Part 3

Good Afternoon Everybody,
What a day yesterday was at Photoshop World Boston - non stop from 8 till 8, but a good time was had by all. The thing about Photoshop World is that it truly is non-stop all the time.


Tonight they have an event called Midnight Madness which has nothing to do with Photoshop but it just a good party time for all that attend. Needless to say, when you give a program at 8 a.m and are walking out of Midnight Madness at 1:30a.m. it's a full day. If you want to follow all the Photoshop World action, head over to the PSW blog right here.

There are a lot of cool things to see here. NIK [link] have some really exciting things happening in BETA right now that I saw at their booth. It's kind of a Preset "Dashboard" for using their products I'll try to report on it as soon as I can. I also saw their Viveza plug-in for Lightroom - really cool [link]. I"ll show that on an upcoming Technique Tuesday.

Wacom was also showing their brand new Intuous 4 tablet [link]. I received a personal demonstration - maybe it's time for me to give up the mouse. Anyway, hit the links to check them out.

Hey gang, let's get on with a quick Business Day Thursday. Here we go...

Bundling For Better Sales - Part 3
We have talked about bundling coverages and bundling albums. Today let's talk about bundling images. So many times we photographers just wait for our clients to buy something. We too often are simply order takers instead of order makers. Our goal is to find out what our clients want and then helping them get it - that's really what selling is all about. Selling is not a dirty word! Selling is a service we offer our clients to help them enjoy what we have done for them with our talent as photographers.
Hit the "Read More..." link below for the rest of the story.


That said, our clients our looking many times for more than just an 8x10 so instead of us waiting for them to order that one 8x10 why don't we suggest some options. Why don't we bundle a couple of images together in picture packages.

Follow my logic - we know the mother of the bride wants a photograph of the bride and groom.
But instead of just taking an order for one 8x10, why not offer your client - let's call it - a "For Your Home" special. The bundle includes an 8x10 of their favorite image, and 2 5x7's - one for their bedroom and one for the den all nicely framed and ready to go.

The individual pricing on all 6 pieces (3 photographs and 3 frames) totals just for an example $150, but when purchased together, the cost would only be say $119 - a $31 savings. Heck, that's about a 20% allowance.

What's happening here is that you are suggesting to the client some options they probably haven't even considered. You are showing them how they can more fully enjoy the photography of the wedding day. It's a win-win for your client and for you.

My suggestion to you is to produce several different multi-image bundles. You have to think it through and decide what works best for your clients and your photography. Here are a few quick suggestions:

1. "For Your Home" special described above.
2. "Don't Forget Dad" - 2 framed images for dad's office - one of the entire family and a second of the bride and groom or even one of dad with his daughter.
3. "Thinking of Grandma" - 1 5x7 of the couple with gram and a second image of just the bride and groom.

I think you get the idea. If the frames bring the costs in a little high, then swith to plan B and offer the same image combinations in less expensive folios easily available from many vendors.

Now you have three levels of pricing to sell to; bundles of images in frames, the best value, bundles of images in folios for the more budget concious client, and the individual prints for the clint that wold prefer to purchase their own frames. In any case, the sale has the possiblity of beening much more successful than just waiting for the client to buy and 8x10.

Hey guys and gals, that's it for me today. I've got a presentation at 12:00 p.m. and I get to do a quick 1-hour demo in the PeachPit booth at 3p.m. So until tomorrow - have a good one. See you on Friday, -David

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Wednesday, March 25, 2009

"The Pianist"
©David A. Ziser

I made this image as part of yesterday's Wedding Shootout during Photoshop World Boston. The stain glass window, reflection on the piano, and organ pipes all combined to make this very striking wide angle portrait of my groom. Camera specs: Canon 5D Mark II fitted with 12-24mm Sigma lens at 12mm, F5.6 @1/40 second, ISO 1600. Enjoy! -David

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Wednesday: A Cool Flash Trick From My PreCon & Photoshop World Opens Today

Good Afternoon Everybody,
Yep, I'm in late blog mode again today. We wrapped the PreCon yesterday had a great group of photographers attending, and got some terrific images. I have to say, shooting in the Old South Church was quite a kick. The place is gorgeous. We even pulled of a cool shot off outside. I'll post it tomorrow.

Anyway, I got to get scooting pretty quick as I'm in the middle of the The Tech Expo/ trade show trying to get the post on the air today. Let's get to it.....

Cool Flash Trick Wednesday
We came out of the church yesterday which was right down the street about two blocks from the Hynes Convention Center - can you believe it - we took a bus. Anyway, we came out of the church about 4:15 p.m. Across the street was one of those slick steel and glass buildings flanked by a beautiful blue sky with white puffy clouds - what a great background for a portrait. In this case, think executive portrait.

I had my executive who really looks like a groom step into the shot. Only one problem - he was standing in direct sunlight. I decided to shade him with a 36 inch panel I had with me. Now his face was in the shadows so I had to get light on his face. The problem was the bright surrounding light - I needed a low ISO and fast shutter speed to to get the sky a dramatic shade of blue.

I tested the shot at 1/400 second at F16 - now the scene looked great. I just had to get the light on my executive. I brought my Quantum in close - remember my small aperture and low ISO. I needed a lot of umph coming out of my flash. My assistant, a class member got the light just right on the subject.
Next problem - my Canon 5D Mark II only syncs at 1/200 second. That means only 1/2 of the sensor sees the flash during the exposure. Look at the first image - only the right side of the image area received the light. But, the groom was on the left side. Here is the easy fix - flip the camera 180 degrees so that his part of the image area catches the flash during the exposure. Check out the next image above- it worked. Pretty cool, eh? I love the shot.

Anyway gang, on that note, I'm out of here. See everybody sometime tomorrow. -David

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Tuesday, March 24, 2009

"Man Of The Moment"

"Man Of The Moment"
©David A. Ziser

I made this image last year. We were doing a beach shoot in Florida. The plan was for a gorgeous sunset to happen with me getting all these cool sunset pics. Well, the best laid plans.... as they say were not to happen. We were presented with just a small sliver of color on the horizon and I had to make do with it. The challenge was to make that small sliver of sunset a very large sliver of color. The only option was a long focal length lens - say my 70-200mm lens at 200mm. By using the long optic, the background of the scene, in this case the sliver of sunset is magnified dramatically thereby creating this wonderful image of our groom. Light from the right, of course, from my off-camera flash. Camera specs; Canon 40D fitted with 70-200 F2.8 IS lens, F4.5 @ 1/160 second, ISO 200. Enjoy! -David

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Technique Tuesday: Parents' Albums - A Cool Alternative

Good morning Everybody,
We arrived safe and sound yesterday, took in the city a bit, caught up with some of our Boston buds (not Budweiser's) and are ready to go with my Pre-Con today. We are headed to the Old South Church of Boston - man, looks good to me - I can't wait to get there. I'll give you the low down tomorrow along with a pic or two.

Just a quick note - yesterday I mentioned Gavin Seim's 3 Day Incrediable HDR workshop coming up October 19-21, 2009 In Central WA. I posted the incorrect link - since changed. Here is the correct link to the workshop info.

Hey gang, I went with a different kind of Technique Tuesday today. I targeted the topic to sales. Let me know what you think. Anyway, on with the show...

Parents' Albums - A Cool Alternative
I have to say, the wedding world - it is a changin'. The fact that many clients for all their images burned to a DVD - never to see them again - is in opinion, a cryin' shame. The fact that any images printed from the DVD, most of the time lack any kind of post production or enhancement, would totally be a disservice to my clients. Oh, Oh, I feel myself climbing on my soapbox again - let's save this "rant" for another day.

Back to the tutorial - today I discuss how to offer your client a very cool parent's album that is a very nice, elegant, and classy alternative to what many photogs have been offering over the years. The reason we can offer this new product is simply because of the new printing/binding technologies available today. Listen to how we position this album product in our studio and see how it might work for yous too. Hit the PLAY button below and enjoy the show.






Hey everybody, that's it for me today. I'll see everybody tomorrow with a quick re-cap of today's shoot and a note or two about what's happening up here in Boston. See ya' then, -David

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Monday, March 23, 2009

"An Easy Afternoon"

"An Easy Afternoon"
©David A. Ziser

I really like the soft beautiful feel of this image. The soft lighting on the couple's was created with my flash through umbrella technique. What makes this shot work is the exterior foliage that completely filled the window in the background. That gave me the nice soft, higher key tonalities against which I placed the bride and groom. The trick was to balance the density of the daylight of the exterior with the axillary lighting on them. Too fast a shutter speed, the exterior would have been rendered to dark. Too slow of a shutter speed and the exterior would have been blown out. It's always about the balance and how that balance relates to the subject matter and the interpretation of the image. Camera specs; Canon 1D MkIII fitted with 70-30mm IS lens 230mm, F4.0 @ 1/100 second, ISO800. Enjoy! -David

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Quick Hit Monday: Heading To Photoshop World; HDR Webinar; Understanding AI Servo Focus; and More

Good Morning Everybody,
We are on the plane bright and early this morning heading for Boston and Photoshop World. We get in early enough to have time to get settled and stroll around the local neighborhoods for a bit. Although checking the weather it looks to be a bit cold. That's one thing I love about Boston it's neighborhoods - it's the city's small little centers of energy like Back Bay or Beacon Hill spread throughout the city that make it such fun to explore.

Anyway, we should be good to go for my class the next day. But before we head to the airport, let me point you to a few things I found quite interesting on the net recently. Here we go...

HDR Webinar; Understanding AI Servo Focus; and More
Just a quick note - blogging buddy, Gavin Seim, has an HDR Webinar coming up soon. Gavin's work is outstanding, particularly his HDR work. His webinars are reasonably priced so this might just be what you're looking for. Anyway, you can check it out right here. Heck, I wish I could go, but the tour calls, you know.

How To Use AI Servo Focus
I tripped over this article last week while looking for something on the Canon website. Know in advance this article targets the Canon 1D Mark II user but most of the info is quite informative about how AI Servo Focus works and how to obtain the sharpest pictures with this feature on any camera. So many people want to know when and where to use the AI Servo focus mode on their cameras and how to get the best results, etc. Well even though the info is available on the Canon site it's a good source of information for anyone wanting to be enlightened on the subject. I read it and enjoyed the info - I think it's a good read. Check it out right here.

Testing And Anything You Wanted To Know About Any Piece Of Gear
That's right and it's right here at TestFreaks.com. I got an email from these folks last week asking me to check out their site. I thought it was just another one of those test sites that are all over the net. After my visit to their site, reading the press reports, and seeing their Alexa rating - these guys look like the "real McCoy" to me. It seems they aggregate over 4000 test sites from around the web and consolidate all the results on their site. Their site is not just cameras - they consolidate tests on everything from LCD TVs, PlayStation's, Computer gear, just about anything electronic. I think your find this a worthwhile visit and definitely worth a peek - here is the link. I've now have them tagged as a favorite on my browser.

Levitation - It's Real!
Yes, it true. My buddy, tech support guru here at Photographic Resources, Inc, and my ace second shooter, Nicholas V has pulled off the unbelievable feat of levitating himself for his series of images he posted on his blog last week [link]. I couldn't post them earlier because I was still in shock over his results. His photographic documentation proves beyond any shadow of a doubt that with the right scientific ingenuity, anyone can levitate themselves.

Folks, this is not trick photography; this is not super Photoshop, this is the real thing. The images prove it - just look how natural he looks - well, Nicholas is looking as natural/normal as he ever looks - just kidding Nicholas. Look how his clothes are showing no signs of weird manipulation - he is levitating. How did he do it? I had to know. I made a call to him hoping he was earthbound and I could track his location. He answered - I asked - he told - mystery solved. All kidding aside, Nicholas has decided to emerge himself with photographic assignments each week, each with a different photographic challenge. Last week was levitation. I thought he pulled it off quite well!

Here is how he did it - his blog is a no-tell sight which is why DPT is the only place in the universe where you will find out how it was done. It seems Nicholas owns a remote control camera trigger. He would jump into the air and just at the moment his upward direction started to transition downward because of the pull of gravity - literally when he was weightless - he made the exposure.

His timing is what gives the images such a natural look - except for the element of levitation of course. Here is the rest of the story - he took over 300 images to get the 7 he posted! He was telling me how little kids in the park were looking at him strangely as he tried to get it just right. Here is the link to his blog one more time right here. You can check out his outtakes right here in the short slide show at the bottom of his post.

You know, sometimes you've got to just go out and play. This idea of play can lead to learning and it looks like learning can be a good time. Hey gang, that's it for me today. I hear the jet engines firing up and we don't want to miss our flight. We are jetting out of here right now. See ya' in Boston tomorrow morning, -David

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Friday, March 20, 2009

"Toes Of Giants"

"Toes Of Giants"
©David A. Ziser

This is another one of my 30,000 feet landscape portraits. We were crossing the country one more time and this was the view as we were approaching the Rockies. The contrasts of the highlights and the shadows rendered the foothills so interestingly that I could only think of what they might be - "Toes Of Giants." A final tweak or two in Lightroom and changing the image to B&W led to the final result. Camera specs: Canon 30D fitted with 17-85mm IS lens at 70mm, F14 @ 1/400 second, ISO 640. Enjoy! -David

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Squeaky Clean Friday: Keep It Running In Tip Top Shape - Camera Stories and Gear Maintenance

Good Afternoon Everybody,
Man, it was a bear yesterday getting the post to view properly. Sorry, to all you folks using RSS readers - I think it popped about 6 times before it posted properly. Anyway, hope you enjoyed the info.

We are wrapping the week on a full run as we head to Photoshop World on Monday. LaDawn and I are looking forward to the visit to Boston - and get this, I get to do a guest appearance at the Kelby Media booth - I'm stoked!! Oh No! I just realized - I've got to get another presentation prepared for my visit. OK, no problem - I'll be featuring content from my book - Captured By The Light.

The book totaled about 80,000 words and about 500 images - Whew! I love the piece of advice I just received from another author - It's best if you can write your second book first - it's a lot easier. I would definitely agree with that;~)

Keep It Running In Tip Top Shape - Camera Stories And Gear Maintenance
This topic or a variation has been popping up on my Skribit Widget on the right of this blog. Yes, I do review your suggestions and I thought I would discuss one of them today. A little footnote here - I know I need to clean up the suggestion listing over at Skribit since so many of the questions have been previously answered at Digital ProTalk over the recent months. I'll see what I can do to point you to the suggestions that have already been answered. More later.

So how do you keep your gear in tip-top shape? Nothing to it really, just take good care if it. Sounds simple doesn't it? I have to say I was pretty abusive on my Hassey gear. One time I lost a $1200 penta-prism when I picked up camera and tripod, placed it on my shoulder, and the penta-prism slipped right off - I forgot to replace the film back which kept the prism in place - OUCH!

Hit the "Read More..." link below for the rest of the story...

Anyway, I take much better care of my gear now. I use a Lowe Pro Pro-Roller #2 bag which is sturdy and let's me fit all my gear in it quite compactly. When on the job, we are disciplined to know that each lens has its own home and nothing else hits the hole from which another lens came from. Just this little tip lets us work efficiently and much faster during the heat of the wedding with all the "lens swap".

Before each wedding I polish all the lenses - front and back. I remember back in my film days, I had an assistant hand me a lens and without me seeing it had placed a big finger print on the REAR element. Needless to say, several shots were highly diffused. A thumb print or smudge on the rear element is a MUCH bigger problem than one on the front element.

There was another time when one of my assistants was shooting a wedding and didn't remove all of the paper wrapper from the roll of film he had loaded into his Hassy. That little piece of paper floated all around the camera box inconveniently blocking out various portions of the image. I had a headless bride walking down the aisle with her father - little things like that. Fortunately, this photographer took so many shots, we had one image that was acceptable. The small piece of paper dropped out when he changed film after the roll. You new digital guys and gals have no clue how easy you've got it now ;~)

Lesson learned - I try to clean out the cameras before each job carefully blowing the dust out of the camera cavity. Here is another tip - when changing lens, always point the lens opening downward so dust can't settle easily into the camera. Also, keep your cameras wiped down to remove any cling dust that could find it's way into the camera.

Sensor cleaning is always a great topic of discussion. Check out this link I posted last year about cleaning the sensor at ByThom - here is the link right here in case you missed it. Thom went into quite a bit of detail on sensor cleaning. He made one remark which I think is incorrect. I've always been a fan of the "Artic Butterfly" by Visible Dust. In his article he references that the Artic Butterfly is used to clean the dust from the sensor by spinning it on the sensor - NOOOOO! Spin the bristles first, that charges then up, then carefully brush the sensor. The static charge of the bristles pick the dust right up. Luminous Landscape has a great review on the Artic Butterfly right here.

I will agree that the brush may sometimes pick up some of the lubrication as it brushes up against parts of the camera innards - so be careful. Spreading camera grease on your sensor is not a good thing. It that happens, you have to resort to Sensor Swabs which I have used too and like pretty well.

If I ever have a problem with a camera or lens, it gets sent to Canon Professional Services for quick turnaround at reasonable prices.

Gang, that's about it. Handle your gear carefully, a place for everything and everything in its place gear bag philosophy, keep lenses clean, sensor cleaning is not brain surgery so keep it clean (but not squeaky clean - that what I do around here - hope it helps.

On that note, folks, I'm getting ready for Boston. Come on up and say HI if you are at the show. See ya' in Bean Town on Monday, -David

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Thursday, March 19, 2009

"I'm Ready"

"I'm Ready"
©David A. Ziser

Preparing for one's Bat Mitzvah celebration takes many, many months. It is always a joy for me to watch these young 13 year olds give it their best on their big day. The young lady featured in this image is literally "Rabbi for the Day." She is the one who will lead the Saturday service with nearly 200 in attendance through the entire morning celebration. I have been photographing Bar/Bat Mitzvahs for over 20 years and I'm constantly amazed by the poise, confidence, and character these young kids bring to their Right of Passage into Jewish adulthood. This image was made on a Saturday morning about an hour before the service was to begin. One of my goals in this series of photographs is to capture the confidence of the young Bat Mitzvah against the beautiful surrounds of the magnificent Temple. Lighting is simple as always. My assistant is holding my Quantum off-camera flash shooting through an umbrella just to my left. Shutter speed is adjusted to pick up some of the ambient light and details of the temple. Camera specs: Canon 40D fitted with 10-22mm lens at 14mm, F5.6 @ 1/30 second, ISO 800. Enjoy! -David

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Selling - Business Building, Adding Value, & Bundling - Part 2

Good Morning Everybody,

Wow! I can't believe the week has gone by so quickly. I was ready to do a Wednesday post today until I realized it was Thursday - I think I was thrown off by my Technique Tuesday actually being posted on Wednesday. Yep, some weeks it seems the days run together. This is one of those weeks.

About 4pm yesterday, I get a call from my team to head on over to the production area - my office is in an "Ivory Tower" you know ;~) They told me I had to see this really cool thing they wanted to show me. Well, it turned out LaDawn and my team of "angels" had popped the cork on a bottle of champagne to celebrate my book being finished and coincidentally, the Tour Handbook as well.

Jennifer had been working hard to complete and prepare it to specifications for the last several days. It was uploading to Marathon as we were enjoying the champagne and snacks! Anyway, lots to celebrate - might explain the late post yesterday. Anyway, how about on with another Business Day Thursday episode. Hit the "Read More..." link below - I know you will enjoy the read.


Here we go...
Selling - Business Building, Adding Value, & Bundling - Part 2

Last week I started a short series on how to sell more effectively in these trying times of our economy. A lot of photographers are feeling the budget pinch these days. Hey, it's not just because there are so many new photographers entering the market - even those new guys are feeling the squeeze, too.

It's always struck me over the years that businesses that are truly successful are businesses that are always on the move - one way or the other. It may be in new product offerings, enhanced customer service, or pre-packaging and polishing up their current product offerings.

How can we, the small studio owner learn from the big guys? Easy, copy what they are doing. What can we do to polish up our own product offerings. This is easier than you might think and I'm not necessarily talking about lowering the price. I'm talking more about raising perceived value for what you are offering.

Hear me out: Let's say you are a wedding photographer and the client is looking at their purchasing possibilities. One of those possibilities is a family album - notice, I didn't say parent's album. Why? Because only parents will buy parents albums. Any family member in addition to parents - godparents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, maids of honor, etc. - may purchase a family album. You get the idea.

OK, so we have some interest in someone wanting a family album - how do you "close the sale?" They may think the price is beyond their budget at this time. Heck, we all think that from time to time when we are buying things. What makes the decision "to buy" easier for us many times - it's that "perceived value". Yes, we will make a buying decision if we think it's worth it, don't we.

The deal is that when it comes to this family album, your client has to believe that the purchase is worth it. So, why not do this. Why not offer the client your new "Studio Special" - remember re-packaging and polishing your current product offerings as we discussed. What is that "Studio Special?

Let's give this a try. "Thank you Mrs. Smith. I thought Mary's images were beautiful too, I was really excited to have you see them. Have you thought about a family album for yourself?" We have a few new items together at my studio that we think our clients are going to be excited about." With this sentence, I am doing what the sales books call "building expectations." I say it not to trick anybody here - I really do believe our clients will like what I'm going to offer.

Back to my client conversation. "With the purchase of twenty or more images, we will include the leather cover at no extra charge. That's a $200 value." Value add #1. "Something else we are offering is one of our "Platinum Series" images with each family album with a minimum of 25 images - don't worry about the odd number of pages. Do you have a extra invitation? I'll be happy to mount it in your album with my compliments. Our new "Platinum Series" B&W images are printed to our exacting specifications and looks beautiful. (building expectations again.) We are even including our Onyx frame at a 50% savings."

How many times have I done a "Added Value" to my offer?
1. 20 or more photographs means the client receives a $200 value with the complimentary leather. Added value - $200.
2. We are including a beautiful 5x7 or 8x10 "Platinum Series" portrait. This is a new product offering. It's a B&W image printed on the Kodak "Metallic paper". It looks very contemporary, especially in B&W. This is something they probably have never seen before from any of the competition either. The image just shimmers in a black frame - Added value - $45.
3. Mounting the wedding invitation at no charge. Added value - $20.
4. 50% savings on the Onyx frame. Added value - $20.

So in all, if the client decides to make the decision to purchase 25 image family album for herself she will be paying for the 25 images plus $20 for the Onyx frame, but will actually be receiving a total of $285 in added value with everything else mentioned above. Now it does look like a really good deal - and better yet - it is.

So in review, what have I done? I've added substantial value - $285 - for the purchaser, offered to enhance the look of the family album by custom mounting the wedding invitation, introduced her to our cool and different new product offering - the "Platinum Series" B&W print, and gave her a convenient and stylish solution to framing her new "Platinum print."

Folks, I think you get the idea. But you have to develop your product offering, and develop more than just one. You need to rehearse your offer Value Add presentation being prepared with answers for any objections the client may raise, and lastly be confident and happy that this one business building process will add to your bottom line. You know, one of my favorite sales mantras is. "Stop being and Order Taker and start being and ORDER MAKER!"

Digital WakeUp Call Note:
My Digital WakeUp Call 58 city tour [link] is more than just about photography. Part III of my presentation is focused on "Business Building" for your photography business. The 20 ideas I'm presenting will have worked for photography businesses everywhere, large and small. Many of my attendees enjoy my business building sessions the best. I hope you will too. Here is the link to the tour's content right here. Hope to see you there!

Hey gang, on that note, I'm outta' here. See everybody tomorrow, -David

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Wednesday, March 18, 2009

"Sunset Beauty"

"Sunset Beauty"
©David A. Ziser

Yes, this is exactly what the sunset looked like on the evening I captured this image. We had just finished a great series of images with the bride and groom and were getting ready to pack things up when the sun burst into this beautiful, exciting sunset. I asked my clients if we could just get a few more shots. Seeing the newly appearing dramatic sunset, they gladly agreed. We don't get sunsets like this too ofter in the Mid-West, but this one sure was a beauty and a nice bonus for our photography session. My assistant is out of range to the left of the scene with my off-camera flash. Camera specs; Nikon D1x fitted with 16mm Fisheye lens (I'm considering picking one of these up for my Canons - I still like the look of the image); F5.6 @ 1/320 second, ISO 640. Enjoy! -David

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Wednesday Wonderfulness: Technique Tuesday On Wednesday

Good Afternoon Everybody,
And welcome to another late post Wednesday - or if you rather, a very late Technique Tuesday post. Regardless, Technique Tuesday is back on the air - and a mighty cool episode it is. I used cool here because I used "cool" about a 100 times in the video. Actually, I had some "roll over cools" left over from last month that I was trying to use up - so I used a lot of them today;~)

Hey gang, I think you are going to like my little Lightroom tutorial today. I've been using my Photoshop "Paint With Light" technique for years. In fact I featured it in a Technique Tuesday episode, "Our Emerging Future" right here. So I finish this baby shoot last week and after importing the images into Lightroom, I get thinking, "Can I make it work in Lightroom?" Well, the answer dear friends, is a resounding -YES! And now I can do it non-destructively - pretty cool. (Yep, I still have a few left.) Anyway, hit the PLAY button below and enjoy the show - "Painting With Lightroom."




Hey everybody, I'm back to the real world which means I'm back to real work here at the studio. I'll see everybody tomorrow afternoon and hopefully will be back on the normal schedule in the next few days. See ya' tomorrow, -David

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Tuesday, March 17, 2009

"The Feeling of A Lifetime"

"The Feeling of A Lifetime"
©David A. Ziser

I usually don't post many reception images but this image is one of my favorites for the book. Yes, it's the father of the bride dancing with his daughter on her wedding day. What a joy this dad is feeling as he is dancing with his beautiful daughter whom he has watched grow into a gorgeous women over the years. I don't think that thought hits many dads till they are on the dance floor with their daughters on their daughter's wedding day. Look at dads expression in the shot - you can see the joy in his expression. (Just click on the image to make it larger) I made several images with my flash at a safe, non-intrusive distance, but the special lighting on the dance floor was calling for an additional treatment of the shot. I turned off all strobes - mine, my assistant's, and the room light. I kicked the camera to one of my preset "custom modes" and fired away. I love the shot. Camera specs; Canon 5D fitted with 24-105mm IS lens, F4.0 @ 1/15 second, ISO 1600. Enjoy! -David

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Technique Tuesday: NOT--- How About Tomorrow?

Good Late Afternoon Everybody,
Well, I thought all I had to do was pull the set of images for my wedding book today. I thought it was going to be a piece of cake. It turns out - no way. Exactly 13 hours later without much of a break, I started uploading the first half of the 242 images. Man, it was like getting a wedding order out - everything needed to be fine tuned and cropped. Whew! It's finished. Anyway, my plate just got a whole lot lighter so let me plan on getting Technique Tuesday together for tomorrow. Hey, I did get the image of the day posted. On that note, folks, right about now, I think it's "Miller Time" ;~) See everybody tomorrow a bit more refreshed, -David

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Monday, March 16, 2009

"Berry, Berry Beautiful "

"Berry, Berry Beautiful "
©David A. Ziser

I stumbled upon this photograph over the weekend while doing screen grabs for my new book on wedding photography. The image was mixed in with several things from a trip we did about three years ago to the Washington, DC area. When it popped up on the screen I was really taken by the vibrant and rich colors of the scene. It's a simple still life taken outside the National Cathedral on a fairly overcast day which is the reason I believe that the colors are so rich and vibrant. I think the contrasting colors also work beautifully in this particular image. Camera specs Canon 30D. fitted with 17to55mm F2.8 lens, F5.o @ 1/200 second, ISO ISO 800.
Enjoy! -- David

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Quick Hit Monday: Quick In and Quick Out Today

Good morning everybody,
I'm in and out pretty quick today because things are really ramping up around the studio. It's a week before Photoshop World and my book deadline is due this afternoon. I've got the last five chapters uploaded to Kelby Media over the weekend and things are sure to start shaping up really quickly. I'm pretty fired up about the whole project! I just need the screen grabs for the last two chapters and we are good to go. I can't wait for all of you to see it. Anyway, lets get on with a quick quick hits for Quick at Monday.

Quick hit Monday
Pro Photography Show Podcast
I mentioned last week that I was a guest on the Pro Photography Show last Thursday. I just received an e-mail from my buddy and fellow blogger Gavin Seim who said that the podcast is live. He's got it setup that you can download it to your iTunes and listen to it at your convenience -- pretty cool. As I said last week it was quite a lively conversation and a very enjoyable experience.
One thing I've noticed that Gavin has done is also to include the favorite links from all of us participating in the discussion along with the links to all the things we discussed. I think you'll find a good set of resources available. Fellow blogger, Kerry Garrison, liked the Lens Pen which is a new device for cleaning your lenses and also cleaning your CMOS sensors. I checked out their site [link] and it looked like a nice product.

Anyway, cruise on over to the Pro Photography Show [link ] and give it a listen and give it a read. I think you'll enjoy the trip – lots of good stuff.

Heading To Detroit - Day Long Program
I also want to give a quick mention about my upcoming program at the Detroit PPA. I'm presenting an entire day in Detroit on April 6, 2009 9am - 5pm. This program is quite a bit different program for my Digital WakeUp Call tour which starts two weeks from today! In Detroit I’m talking about composition, lenses, and cameras. What is really sweet about this program is that they have lined up models and a church. We’re all going on location where I'll be shooting and then projecting the images as I'm shooting them – very cool!

I've been doing the same kind of thing at Photoshop World for the last couple of years and the attendees just love it. We’ll head back to the hotel review the images and discuss the images. I’ve got a few more surprises in store too so I hope to see you Michigan guys and gals at the program. You can check out the program PDF right here just scroll down a bit to read all about it.-- or contact Scott Green at 248-388-6947 to register.

Look at Florida here we come.
That's right in just two weeks from today will be landing in Jacksonville, Florida to kick off the Digital WakeUp Call tour. LaDawn and I are pretty fired up about starting. It's always great fun to meet the photographers that we meet on the road and share stories. Our first four cities from March 30 through April 3 include Jacksonville, Orlando, Tampa, and Fort Lauderdale. Hope to see you Florida guys and girls at one of the four cities. Check out all the info right here. Don’t forget to use PROMO CODE DWCDPT09 to save $20 on registration. Did I mention we are giving away $250,000 in door prizes!!

Photoshop world is right around the corner
That's right were heading to "Photoshop World 17 - Game On" in Boston next Monday. I love Boston because of the great people in that part of the world and also the great food which is probably why they're such great people. I've got my Pre-Con kicking off on Tuesday and then I'll be presenting again twice on Thursday.

What's exciting for me this time around is that I'm presenting a brand-new program on Lightroom 2. I'm targeting the program to those people who want to see how we use Lightroom with regards to a wedding/portrait studio. I'll be showing you all the tips and tricks I picked up in the last year working with the program. I'm pretty excited about the program so please come up and say HI if you're in Boston next week. LaDawn and I will also be available Wednesday, Thursday and Friday in our booth at the Tech Expo. See 'ya at the Game!

Hey gang that's it for me today. I've got to get back to pulling prints for the book. I promised I have things totally wrapped today. I hope to see everybody tomorrow for another episode of Technique Tuesday. I'm not sure when its going up but it will be up sometime tomorrow. On that note everybody I'm saying Adios, -- David

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Friday, March 13, 2009

"The Eyes Of Our Hope"

"The Eyes Of Our Hope"
©David A. Ziser

I mentioned yesterday that I had 2 good friends and past clients come over as I had promised to photograph the newest member of their family - 8 week old Ms. Lily. This is one of the images from yesterday's session. Photographing these very young babies is always a kick for me because you never know what is going to happen or exactly what you may get. Heck it's not like they are going to follow directions! It's always a process, a process that yields something different and exciting each time. I absolutely love this image. The beautiful bright eyes, grasping mommy's finger makes a compelling image, an image that's speaks first to a mother's love but secondly to an optimistic future seen in those big, bright eyes of young Ms. Lily. Camera specs; Canon 40D fitted with 18-200mm IS lens, F9.0 @ 1/100 second, ISO 400. Enjoy! -David

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Food For Thought Friday

Good Afternoon Everybody,
We're still jammin' here at DigitalProTalk world headquarters. I uploaded another 18,000 words and 150 images to the publisher this morning. By the way, did I mention that Kelby Media is my publisher -- I'm thrilled to have them involved in the book project. I know everyone is anxious to know when the book will be out and I'll be the first to tell you as soon as I know. The whole project has to be wrapped by this weekend which explains why time has been sooooo tight around here.

Last night I was invited by Gavin Seim to be part of his round-table at Pro Photography Show. I always have a good time during these podcasts. You get a bunch of like-minded geek types together and we're all in heaven talking about things geeks like to talk about. Both Kerry Garrison from CameraDojo.com fame and Gavin had attended the PMA show last week and pointed us towards their most interesting products at the show. Anyway, when a link to the show goes live and I give you a heads up. It was a lively and entertaining conversation by all of us involved and I really enjoyed the experience.

How about on with...

Food For Thought Friday...
You know, today's topic came about because of some of the comments that I read from some of my daily image posts. It's always enjoyable to see what other photographers think of your images. What's interesting to me though is that many photographers are more interested in the f-stops and the shutter speeds. I understand why that is important, but sometimes not most important.

I many times am asked why I use a higher ISO as opposed to a lower ISO, or I may be asked why I use a higher shutter speed instead of a lower shutter speed with that lower ISO. Anyway, you get the gist of what I'm talking about.

Hit the "Read More..." link below for the rest of the story.

So as I was reflecting on how I see and how I shoot, it occurred to me that I mostly never really chase the f-stops and the shutter speeds as much as I chase the image. That's the essence of why I raised the camera to my eye.

I see the scene, I'm intrigued by the possible composition, color, and design of the shot. The camera goes to my eye, I recompose, take the shot, recompose and take another, and then maybe a 3rd, 4th, or 5th tweaking the composition along the way. It's the thrill of the chase to get the image I see developing in my mind's eye that excites me about my photographic process.
But, folks, what is it about in the first place? It's always about getting the image, isn't it? I think so. And, those moments to capture the image are fleeting - a peek at a f-stop or shutter speed may mean I'll miss the shot. But, it's more than that too. Chasing the f-stop and shutter speeds means that I have to interrupt my creative process as I chase the shot. To my way of thinking - that's like throwing a "wrench in the works", sticking the broom stick in the spokes, pulling the carpet out from under, or truly hitting the brakes of my creative process.

Sure, after I know I've got the shot, I may then tweak the numbers to fine tune the shot if I think it needs it, but mostly I don't. So I know what you're thinking, "So, if Ziser is shooting first and asking questions later, he must -- here it comes, folks -- have his camera set to "P" for "Professional!!!!" I hear the global "cringe" from my DPT readers right now. Heck, let me add to the "cringe in motion" - I'm thinking of setting the camera to "auto ISO" too.

Heresy, heresy you say. Well, not really. A lot of my landscapes and fine art images are taken for fun - remember fun. I'm still trying to remember fun in this economy, but, you know what, the market is up 630 points in 5 days and this is even Friday the 13th ;~) Anyway, I digress. I do take many of my images for fun and that means I've got the camera ready to go on a moment's notice - nothing wrong in that if I get the shot.

I'm not lugging tons of gear with me on my shoots most of the time. Yes I do occasionally, but not most times. For me, it's mostly about chasing the shot, the image, the composition, the colors - it's about the thrill of that chase. That explains why my ISOs, f-stops, shutter speeds, etc. may not be perfect. I'm not chasing perfection all the time, I'm having fun with an image and how I see the image. F-stops and shutter speeds are secondary.

But, wait, before the emails start flying, let me say that when it comes to my wedding photography and some of my fine art photography - lens focal length, F-stops, shutter speeds, ISOs ALL come into play. In that case, I have to "nail the shot." I know what I want my composition to be, where I want the light to come from, how I want the background rendered with respect to the subject.

I've been training for that for many years and the tools of the trade to craft my finished images are the f-stops and shutter speeds, et.al. In this case I really chasing the image, but using every tool and technique at me disposal to get it.

On the other hand when I'm shooting for fun, without a care in the world, I chasing the image only and let the f-stops and shutter speeds fall where they lie. A lot of my favorite images are captured that way too. Food for thought.

Hey gang, that's it for me today. Duty calls and I'm back to the book. Everybody have a great weekend and remember one thing - "A pixel could care less about an f-stop or shutter speed - it's just enjoys playing catch with photons." See everybody on Monday. Adios, -David

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Thursday, March 12, 2009

"It Will Be Our Turn Soon"

"It Will Be Our Turn Soon"
©David A. Ziser

I made this photograph about 10 years ago back in my film days. I remember I was photographing the wedding of one of my Bar Mitzvah boys whom I had photographed in the mid-1980's. It was fun to be with the families again and catch up on what everybody had been doing in the last several years. Anyway, I was keeping my eye on the action and then I saw the three little flower-girls leaning close, whispering and smiling, and watching the other bridesmaids walk down the aisle. They knew there were only moments to go before it was their turn to walk down the aisle. I love how the bride's dad flanks the left side of the photograph just barely and how one bridesmaid flanks the right side of the photograph also just barely. The playful little flower girls make the shot. Camera specs Hasselblad 500CM fitted with 50mm Distagon lens, F4.0 @ 1/30 second, Kodak Vericolor 400 film. Enjoy! -David

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Business Day Thursday: To Bundle Or Not To Bundle - Better Selling Through Science

Good Late Afternoon Everybody,
Boy, I have to admit I almost bailed on the post today. We are still pretty jammed up around here with tour, book, and regular studio clients to photograph, interview and sales consultations going on. Whew!!

One of the highlights of the day was a good friend of mine came by today. I promised to photograph her brand-new and first granddaughter and today was the day. After visiting, we spent about an hour getting some really beautiful photographs of her little eight-week-old granddaughter. I might even run the experience on Technique Tuesday next week. Anyway, it was nice to visit but once they left it was back to the "salt mines" for all of us.

Oh, one thing I forgot to mention on Tuesday was another milestone here at DigitalProTalk - Tuesday was the day for the 1600th blog post. As I said, I'll keep writing as long as you keep reading. On that note let's get on with our Business Day Thursday...

To Bundle Or Not To Bundle - Better Selling Through Science
Today I'm going to begin a new series on how we might improve our sales if we rethink how we sell our products. So many times, me included, us sell the way the supermarket sells things -- we see an item on the shelf and we put it the basket. We see another item on the shelf and we put it in our basket. We photographers do the same thing. Our products, whether it be wedding albums, frames of many different colors, parents albums, wall portraits, and any other number of things are just sitting there waiting for our clients to just pick them off our shelves. Many times I think we miss the point, me included again, that we can create additional products by combining them with others we already have -- by bundling them.

Hit the "Read More..." link below for the rest of the story.

This week I want to talk about bundling your wedding coverages. I was just visiting with a client yesterday who interviewed me to photograph her wedding. I went through my entire enthusiastic presentation, reviewed all the pricing of our various coverages with her, and waited for her response. After we more or less settled on the level of coverage for her event I asked her if she was planing a rehearsal dinner or maybe even Sunday brunch. She mentioned that she had several out-of-town guests coming into Cincinnati, about 50% of the guest list, and that they had several festivities planned for the extended weekend.

Well, once the wedding is booked, we shouldn't necessarily stop there. We have been offering rehearsal dinner coverages and Sunday brunch coverages for many years at David A. Ziser photography. Now granted, these extra coverages are reserved for the more elaborate events taking place in town. But, please, don't be shortsighted enough to think that you can't sell multiple coverages to the right client for their special weekend.

So you may be thinking, "What can I bundle with the wedding coverage?" Well, there are several things you can bundle with your wedding coverage. How about an Engagement session? Maybe you have an engagement coverage already priced in your product listing. At my studio, if my client books a Level 1 coverage -- our best -- we bundle the engagement session with the pricing of that level 1 coverage.

There are times too, when my client books a Level 2 coverage that I may bundle the engagement session in at a reduced price. The reason for the bundling at the reduced price may be because I need to fill the date or maybe the date falls on a slow time of the year and I can afford to bundle the engagement session in with my level to coverage. In any event, it's an incentive for the client to make their buying decision with you and not the competition.

When ever I hear that a client is planing festivities for the entire weekend and they have selected our Level 1 coverage, I'm quickly going to offer to photograph the Friday rehearsal dinner and the Sunday brunch. Instead of selling the client two additional coverages for the two additional events, I'll combine both the Friday rehearsal dinner and a Sunday brunch into one event and offer to bundle my Level 4 (lowest) coverage with their Level 1 coverage. Basically, the incentive is that there is only one charge for one additional level of coverage instead of two charges for the two separate events.

Again, these selling options are generally only available for the larger events happening in town, but never overlook the possible opportunities here.

Another thing you need remember when offering rehearsal dinner coverage and the Sunday brunch coverage is this. Generally the rehearsal dinner cost is covered by the groom's family. That means that the cost of the additional coverage many times may not come out of the brides budget. So by offering to bundle the additional coverage in with the wedding coverage means not only a substantial cost savings to the client but you may also be able to stretch the wedding budget just a bit because someone else usually the groom's family might be picking up that part of the additional cost.

I think it's important here to mention that were not trying to sell the bride and groom everything including the "kitchen sink". What we are really trying to do is make them aware of all the photographic options they have available through my studio. Don't be afraid to give this idea a try. Just remember, "selling" is not a dirty word. "Selling" is finding out what the client is looking for and then helping them to get it.

Hey folks that is it for me today, I've got to get scootin'. I'm scheduled to do a podcast with Gavin Seim over at Pro Photography Show. In just about 15 minutes. I'll keep you posted on the link as soon as it becomes available. I plan to see everybody here again tomorrow for an interesting post entitled "Are We Chasing F-Stops or Images?". See you then, -- David

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Wednesday, March 11, 2009

"Having A Senior Moment"

"Having A Senior Moment"
©David A. Ziser

Here is an outdoor portrait I did of this high school senior a few years ago. She just wanted a carefree almost model portfolio type portrait out in the fields. No problem, we headed to one of my favorite locations, Aimee wondered into the field, and I took the photograph with the available light present - no flash. There is plenty of light in her eyes and the feel and look of this image worked for her. She loved it!! Did I mention it was only 30 degrees that day and she had to hold her breath so it didn't show in our shot. Camera specs; Canon 20D fitted with 50mm F1.4 lens, F2.5 @ 1/640 second, ISO 800. Enjoy! -David

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What's Up Wednesday: I'm Not Sure - Fusion Video or FaceBook

Good Morning (Uh, Afternoon) Everybody,
I had a few comments on yesterday's Technique Tuesday. It seems some readers were getting some hesitation when trying to play it. It sounds like a band-with issue to me.


I have the last two videos hosted at Vimeo.com. I wasn't a happy camper with the ads being added to my videos over at Viddler. So till I get the ad thing sorted out at Viddler, here is a quick fix. Hit pause, let it download a bit, then hit PLAY again. That should work - let me know. Thanks for watching.

One reader remarked that my last two Vimeo videos won't play - I have no clue why that is. That sounds like a Vimeo issue to me - why not email them and see what's up.

Another reader asked if I could caption them for the hearing impaired. I would love too if someone could get me a deal on 30 hour days. Unfortunately, there are only so many hours in a day. Yesterday's video took four hours to complete and get up on line - longer than most. I like the idea of offering a transcript of the videos. If one of our DPT readers wants to transcribe the videos and host them, I will be happy to provide a link. Just a thought.

So What's Up Wednesday? How About...
Hey gang, we are really jammed up around here today so I going to get in and get out - clients land in 10 minutes then more and more clients again all afternoon. Let me quickly point you to two really good resources that have me pretty fired up.

Bebbs Got It Nailed - The Fusion DVDs
Last week in my Business Day Thursday post, I talked about how Jen and Steve Bebb have been exploring the whole Video/Still image Fusion idea. Wait don't leave - this topic seems to be pretty polarizing these days among lots of photographers - but that's another story.
Here is my advice - If you want to explore the possibility of offering this kind of product to your clients, the Bebb's have got it worked out. I purchased their 2 DVD set to see their entire process. It is the most thorough and well thought out DVD set I have seen on the subject. I'm giving it my highest recommendation. Check it out right here - tell them I told you to visit.

Are You On Facebook - Or Can't Figure It Out?
On another note, how many of you participate on Facebook? I know I signed up and I am such a new-by about it. I thought my brain just didn't get it. I mean, when Facebook wants me to type..."What are you doing now?" I want to type, "None of your darn business." I think that kind of shows that I don't get it. But I'm still trying.

I received a note from Rod Evans last week. Rod is one of the most talented and creative photographers working. Check out his blog right here. His galleries are worth a peek too. His specialty is high school seniors and he is very good at what he does.

Another thing he is very good at is marketing himself. He took the "Bull" named Facebook, grabbed it by the horns and learned everything he could about it. He is an expert in my opinion. He used his new found expertise on the Facebook to leverage that into 70 additional high school senior sessions for his studio - not bad for $1 worth of advertising.

Included with his note was his DVD where he explained all the Tips and Tricks to making Facebook work for you. I watched the entire tutorial and think he packs a lot of wisdom into his 50 minute presentation.

I asked Martha, one of my team members to watch it too and give me her feedback. She's so much younger than me;~) I thought her perspective would be good input. She too thought it got you up to speed quickly on the social networking possibilities. Anyway, that's why I mention it. You can get more info on his Facebook tutorial right here complete with video intro. And wait there' more - I just reread Rod's letter and he says that if you are interested and enter coupon code "ziser", it will save you $30 bucks off the price.

And, on that note gang, I'm out of here - I see my clients coming now. See everybody tomorrow for another episode of Business Day Thursday: Bundled Or Unbundled? See ya' then, -David

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Tuesday, March 10, 2009

"Winter's Eve"

"Winter's Eve"
©David A. Ziser

I made this image while in New York City last week. We were just returning from a late dinner as the big storm was on the verge of covering the city with inches of snow. The Empire State Building was revealed itself through the fog, and "winter mix" falling on the city that March evening. The image I saw through my viewfinder exemplified the feeling of winter in the city. It was cold, dark and I was into the very high ISOs. In Lightroom, I changed the "white balance" to "tungsten" which gave even a colder feeling to the scene. I headed into Photoshop to remove the chroma noise from the image, but then added just a touch of noise back to the scene to recapture the grittiness and harshness of the evening. Camera specs: Canon 5D MkII fitted with 24-105mm IS lens, F4.0 @ 1/50 second, ISO 12,600. Enjoy! -David

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Technique Tuesday: Too Little - Too Much Time ; How Long Does It Take To Shoot The Wedding Formals

Good Morning Everybody,
Well, I pushed the cart over the hill a few days ago - brochures are in the mail and emails are zinging through the Internet inviting photographers to my Digital WakeUp Call tour [link]. I have to say, between finishing the book and getting the tour out the door, sleep time seems a bit rare around here;~)

We are putting finishing touches on the DWC Tour Handbook which is including a complete outline of my presentation along with several marketing and business tips. Our sponsors also have several specials for all the attendees too.

Wait there's more - I'm working on the Tour DVD which includes, count them, 46 tutorials on all things Lighting, Lightroom, Photography, Photoshop, Marketing and business building. Here is the kicker - all the published info says the DWC Tour DVD contains 2 hour of solid information which is a ton of good stuff. Here is the reality - it contains nearly 4 hours of instruction on all of the above! I know, I just added up all the times. Heck, now you can come by and hear the 4 hour "live" presentation and take four more hours of training home with you - 8 hours total!
My thanks to everyone dedicated to making Digital WakeUp Call - A New Dawn the best digital photography seminar of the year. Remember, we are heading to sunny Florida first, and then Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and Buffalo - hope to see you there. I'll keep you posted with further developments.

Hey, how about we kick off with another Technique Tuesday - here we go...

Too Little - Too Much Time; How Long Does It Take To Shoot The Wedding Formals
On the wedding day we never have too much time to do the "wedding group pics" or as we say - the wedding formals. It's always too little time. So how much time do I take to get all the pics of the bride and groom, moms and dads, wedding party, extended family groups and all the special shots. Do I shoot them before, after, or in-between? Hit the PLAY button below to find out.




Hey gang, that's it for me today. See ya' tomorrow, -David

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Monday, March 09, 2009

"The Organist"

"The Organist"
©David A. Ziser


Well, he's not really the organist but he looks like he might be with that imposing musical instrument in the background. I made this image a few years ago while working at St. Mary's Cathedral in Covington Kentucky. This is one of the most beautiful sanctuaries in the greater Cincinnati area in which we get to work. I think the dramatics of this photograph are enhanced by placing my subject in the bottom left quadrant of the image area and then letting the cathedral surrounds, including the pipe organ, offer the imposing background for this portrait. The illumination is coming in from my right and is created by my flash shooting through a translucent umbrella. Camera specs; Canon 5D fitted with 12-24mm lens, F5.6 @ 1/30 second, ISO 800. Enjoy! -David

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Quick Hit Monday: Radio Poppers Tested To the Limits; Kodak Decides To See Film Cameras (again); My New Video Camera?; and More

Good Morning Everybody,
Hope everybody had a great weekend -- the weather was perfect around here and we actually had a chance to go outside and get a breath of fresh air. The book kept me busy most of the weekend but I was able to hammer out three more chapters and find all the photography examples needed to nail down those chapters. Boy, I have to tell you just finding all the supporting images for the book is just as big of a job as writing the book. But things are coming together and the book project should wrap this week. Have you heard this before?-ld

I was cruising the net over the weekend and found some interesting items - at least I thought they were interesting to me. So let's get on with Quick Hit Monday.

Radio Poppers Tested To the Limits
Hey everybody, you have to check out Ed Zawadzki's blog, F1point0 - here is the link. I had the pleasure of meeting Ed last week while presenting at B&H and he did a nice write up on our visit [link]. I've mentioned Ed's blog here a few times in the past but I have to point you to his latest post. It seems a big discussion these days is Radio Poppers versus Pocket Wizards in the new off-camera flash wars.

Anyway, Ed decided to run the Radio Poppers through their paces and just see what kind of real working distances he could get out of them. He talks about being a city block away and the Radio Poppers still firing. Check out the whole story right here. On another note, I want to thank Ed for mentioning the Digital WakeUp Call tour. More thanks coming to other bloggers this week.

Kodak Decides To See Film Cameras (again!)

OK, here is a story I couldn't believe I was reading. I found this post over at blogging buddy 1001 Noisy Cameras. The post pointed his readers to an article posted by Lets Go Digital revealing that Kodak has partnered with Sakar to produce a number of film cameras including a $200 SLR! Now I have been a friend with Kodak for a number of years but I have to admit, I'm scratching my head in wonder. Anyway, you can check out to the story yourself right here.

The Strobist - Paso Robles April 27–May 1, 2009.
Strobist fans everywhere unite -- at least the Strobist fans in the Paso Robles area. I received a note from Syl Arena at PixSylated.com mentioning that he will be hosting the Strobist, David Hobby, who will teaching a 5-day workshop --for the first time ever! - in Paso Robles April 27–May 1, 2009. Everybody I've talked with that has attended any of Mr. Hobbie's programs says what a "kick' they are and can't believe how much information he jams into his daylong seminars. Imagine what a week will feel like. For more information on the Strobist's Workshop coming up just hit the link here.

My New Video Camera?
Well guys and girls, you know I'm intrigued with the new digital cameras shooting video. On the video side of the fence, there's been a lot of talk about this other camera for the videographer that shoots high-resolution stills made by RED. This is supposed to be one hot piece of equipment - lots of people have been talking about it for months now.

What's interesting to me is that the still/video convergence now on both ends of the spectrum -- the still shooters having video capability built in the into their equipment; and the videographers having the high quality still capabilities built into their gear. Anyway, I think makes for an interesting read you can check out the whole story right here.

Hey gang, that's it for me today. I plan on banging away at the keyboard all day today to try to get more of the book wrapped up. So - everyone have a good one and I'll see everybody tomorrow for another episode of Technique Tuesday. Just remember one thing - a pixel doesn't care if it's a still pixel or a video pixel. Adios, -- David

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Friday, March 06, 2009

"Baja Paradise"

"Baja Paradise"
©David A. Ziser

Just another beautiful sunset in Cabo, Mexico. They are gorgeous down south. We were having a glass of wine watching the spectacular cinematic display of colors for almost an hour as the sun set past the horizon only to continue the light show for several more minutes after that. Camera specs: Canon 40D fitted with 17-85mm IS lens at 17mm, F16 @ 1/500 second, ISO 400.
Enjoy! David

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F-Stop Friday: The Big Boy F-Stops

Good morning everybody,
I want to start off today by giving my blogging buddy, Syl Arena, a great big THANK YOU for all the good press supporting my upcoming Digital WakeUp Call tour. If you recall, I announced my"Bloggers Unite" contest [link] on Monday and Syl was one of the first to respond. I have to tell you, he put together a "first class" post about the tour and has his "Exciting Lighting" contest cooking too. Syl has done it right - go check it out. If you bloggin' guys and girls want to get in on the action, check out my Monday post, check out Pixsylated.com to see how to set it up, and send me an email and if you qualify, we will get you set up.

Now who is this Syl Arena you ask? He's the guy who hooked up 12 Canon 580EX2 strobes via Radio Poppers so he could take Digital Mastery guru, Ben Willmore's picture [link]. But wait, there's more - Syl was also "Guest Blogger" for NAPP buddy, Scott Kelby recently - here is the link to his post.

The Big Boy F-Stops
And welcome to another episode of F-Stop Friday. In today's post I want to talk about the big boy at stops - F1.2, F1.4, and their little brother F2.0. Occasionally when I'm shooting a wedding, particularly in the low light situation, I have my second camera strapped over my shoulder and fitted with my 50 mm F1.4 lens. The ISO set to 1600 - 3200 on my new Canon 5D Mark II and "I'm loaded for bear."

Hit The "Read More..." link below for the rest of the story.

This is my candid camera -- the camera I use to unobtrusively photograph the more private candid images of the wedding day. That would include the girls getting ready, the guys getting ready, available light images at the back of the church just before the bride and her dad walk down the aisle, tender expressions with tears, etc. These are moments where I really don't want the flash to intrude into the scene.

But here's the deal though . When using your lens at such a wide aperture, the depth of field is reduced substantially. Now this can be a good thing and this can be a bad thing. It's a good thing because it separates the subject from the background very effectively. The bad thing is the shallow depth of focus. Let's look at the depth of field with a 50mm F1.4 lens at say 10 feet - you have a whopping 7 inches depth of field! Many times I would be using this lens at even a closer working distance say 3 to 5 feet, to pick up some details of the wedding day. The depth of field at 3 feet is only 3/4 of an inch and at 5 feet increases to 2 inches. You better have your focus nailed here.

Our focus needs to be "dead on". That means that any slight change of our distance or the subject's distance to the camera will put the subject quickly out of focus with only a slight shift in position. The solution to this is to put your camera on AI Servo focus or "focus tracking."
In AI Servo focus mode, the camera will follow the focus and you can be assured of a more consistent sharp focus on your subject when taking these kinds of photographs.

I generally use the center spot for focusing in these kinds of situations. When photographing people, be sure that you focus on the eyes as that's what you want to be assured is in sharp focus in your image. Using this very shallow depth of field can be a very creative tool in our photography. But, it can also be a pain in the neck. That being said - I challenge you to be extra careful in selecting your focus spot when using the wider apertures.

When using my 70-200mm F2.8 IS lens I occasionally shoot it at F2.8 but not very often. I prefer shooting at F4.0 or F3.5. I always feel I have a bit more of a safety margin in the focus at that point. The same is true when I'm shooting my 50 mm F1.4 lens. I prefer shooting at F2 because of the added focus safety margin - a whopping 3/4 inch at 5 feet - at that particular aperture.

So the bottom line is this - I rarely use my lenses wide open just simple because of the shallow focus situation and I prefer to use a sweeter (sharper) center part of the lens.

Z-Note: When using a camera with an APS size sensor - like the Canon 50D, you are always using the sharpest part of the lens' image circle.

Whether you plan to shoot wide open or close down half a stop, I still suggest using AI Servo focus mode so that your camera will track focus on the subject and you'll be assured of a much sharper image.

Also remember that even though we can shoot at these very wide apertures to capture the faintest amount of light, that still doesn't necessarily mean that we are shooting at fast shutter speeds to stop the action. Sure we may have a nice tight focus on the subject but the action may give us motion blur that degrades the image. That's why I really like the new high ISO cameras and have no compunction about photographing at ISO 6400 on the new Canon 5D Mark II. You Nikon shooters have the same ISO range to work with too. Noise levels are not terrible even at this high ISO and with the noise reduction software NIK Define 2.0, we really have an easy solution to any noise that might creep through.

Now speaking of low light situations, another place I like using these wide-open apertures and high ISOs is at the wedding reception. I like capturing a different kind of reception photograph - available light candid photographs in the dark surrounds of the reception hall. It just brings a different "flavor" of imagery to our wedding photography. It's a kind of imagery that our clients are usually not used to seeing. It's one more kind of image that just helps differentiate us from the rest of the shooters in our area.

Remember it's always about differentiating yourself from the competition that makes you easier to be noticed by your prospective clients. Remember too, that you can charge a lot more for "differences" and you can for "samenesses." Anyway, it's time to open up and enjoy the shoot!

Hey gang that's it for me today. We have a busy day at the studio and I promised my book publisher I'd get this book wrapped in the next few days. So, everybody have a great weekend and I'll see on the flip side. Adios, -- David

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Thursday, March 05, 2009

"Dancing In The Clouds"

"Dancing In The Clouds"
©David A. Ziser

Here is another image I came across while reviewing images for my wedding book. I have to say, I really like it. I think it's all those cool, dramatic clouds that are firing me up. We don't get much of that in the Cincinnati area. Once again, it's a simple shot with a dramatic background. The off-camera flash adds to the dramatics. The beautiful bride and her simplistic totally natural position in the composition certainly add to the over-all feeling of the image. Camera specs: Canon 40D fitted with 10-22mm lens at 20mm, F16 @ 1/400 - cheating the sync, ISO 200. Enjoy! -David

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Business Day Thursday: Making Money With Video DSLR's - Some People Love Them, Some People Hate Them

Good Morning Everybody,
Today, let's touch on a subject near - but not so dear - to many digital photographers. Since Canon released the 5D MarkII and Nikon released the D90 there has been an uproar over the video capabilities of these cameras. And, the uproar necessarily hasn't always been positive. Photographers are aghast that they are going to have to learn brand new software to capitalize on the capabilities of these cameras. Most already feel overloaded. Hit the "Read More..." button below for the rest of the debate.

The point of today's post is to talk a little bit about the possibilities these cameras offer us in the way of new products and services we might provide for our clients. At the same time, what we can do to ameliorate the learning curve for the software involved to create these new products.
It seems to me that we can make the road along the video/still image process as simple and easy or as difficult and treacherous as we desire.

There are programs as simple and as inexpensive as ArcSoft DVD (PC) that will let you combine video and still images with music and produce a playable DVD for your client's personal DVD player. This would be the most basic and least expensive video/still image solution. It gives a result - but unfortunately it's not as polished and professional as one might like. On the positive side, ArcSoft DVD does at least give you an intro into how you might combine digital images and music with video images quickly and easily without a huge financial investment.

The most elegant solution would probably be Final Cut Pro (MAC) but who wants to spend that kind of money and learn the program if the process is completely new to you. A simpler solution would be Apple's I-Movie09 (MAC) which was just recently released. You'll need to upgrade to Mac OS X Leopard to allow the program to function. I just acquired the software and am in the process of giving it a try. It seems I-Movie07 did a pretty good job. When Apple introduced I-Movie08, they seem to neutered a lot of the advanced features that were present in I-Movie07. I-Movie 09 brought back a lot of the advanced features and added more to make the software a compelling solution for the still/video solution. Lots of tutorials on line too. But, it is a MAC only solution.

On the PC side there's a couple possible solutions as well. One would be ProShow Gold - Producer which cost $249. But many people on the PC side are quite happy with how it works. ProShow Gold have a whole slew of video tutorials on line which should get you up and running on the software fairly quickly.

Anyway, once we've crossed the learning curve hurdle and have created our video combined with the still images and added some royalty free music what do we do with it? What can we sell it for? Is the effort/time worth the financial result? These are all questions you will need to resolve for yourselves. Unfortunately, taking the time and the effort to produce these videos could be quite an intensive process.

I would think that one solution would be to outline exactly how much video you want to combine with your stills and come up with a formula that you can use repeatably from job to job. Once you've got your formula calculated, then you'll know which video to shoot when combined with those accompanying images, when repeated from job to job, the process should simplify itself substantially.

The bottom line is this. We need to determine how complicated or how simple we want our project to be. We need to determine how much time or how little time we want to invest in the project. Obviously the more time and effort we put into the project the more we're going to need to charge for that end project.

So just how much can we charge for this product? I was recently talking with Steve Bebb . The Bebb's have pioneered the video/still image media combination - they call it Fusion and they're able to sell their video products for about $1000. They produce videos from the engagement session and the wedding. Steve reports that their clients are loving it!

I wonder how many event clients will be willing to pay upwards of $1000 for a five minute video clips that combines both the video and still images. It seems to me that it might be a "tough nut to crack." But maybe there's a other creative ways that we can sell this new product. I think that if we spend about two hours getting a project together we should be able to sell the product for minimally $200 - $400. If there's more time involved then obviously the price needs to be higher so we can recoup our expenses and make a fair profit.

I have a few additional ideas on how we can crack the tough nut. The way to do this is to add more value to our efforts and deliver more than one media format to our clients. Those different forms could include a high def DVD that the client can play on their home DVD player; it can include a version for their FaceBook page; it could include a version for their I-Pod - the combination of all three looking much more palatable to their pocketbook.

Another way to recoup the expense of our time and effort in producing our new video product(s) would be to bundle it with additional products that we currently have available in our studio to offer. That way even though we're getting a bigger price for the video product the "value-add" from the other products that we bundle with the video adds value to the overall product combination.

Another solution is to increase the length of the video altogether. The client will clearly see a greater value in a longer video. We have been delivering a Wedding DVD of the still images with music for many years to our clients at a fair price of between $300-$400. Our shows typically ran about an hour or longer since they included several hundred images from their wedding day. By editing some video and sound into the video certainly would make it a more exciting product. It would increase the sense of intimacy between the viewer and the viewing experience and significantly enhance the emotional connect with the show thus justifing the addtitional cost.

So in recapping it comes down to this. The more effort and the more polish you bring to your finished video fusion product, the greater the price you need to charge for it. But now the next question - will the highly polished product sell at the significantly higher price? Will theless expensive product sell? For me, the best solution is to deliver a more polished, quality product, delivered in many different media formats, and/or bundled with another products certainly validates the higher price.

Hey gang, that's it for me today. Give me your feedback on how you plan to utilize the new video capabilities of the Canon or Nikon cameras. Post your suggestions in the "Comments section" below. Share your ideas with the rest of our Digital ProTalk readers. It will be good to share how you plan to add to your bottom line.

On that note I'm saying "Adios." See everybody tomorrow, -- David

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Wednesday, March 04, 2009

"Ceiling Mosaic"

"Ceiling Mosaic"
©David A. Ziser

I made the original image a few years ago while waiting around for my clients to arrive for photographs at the synagogue before the event. The interior of Plum Street Temple, which I have discussed many times before, is just magnificent. While waiting, I took a closer look at the ceiling - it is truly amazing! I wanted to create a perfectly symmetrical image capturing it's beauty, colors, details and so I pulled a wide angle lens from my bag. I lined it up the best I could and took the shot. I loved it. Well, it didn't stop there. Yesterday, I got fiddling in Photoshop, and decided I wanted more symmetry, I wanted a mosaic effect. With a few flips here and there, I got the result I wanted. Camera specs: (for the original image) Canon 20D fitted with 10-22mm lens at 10mm, F3.5 @ 1/15 second, ISO 800 - handheld. Enjoy! -David

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Wednesday: It Must Be Technique Tuesday: To Tilt Or Not To Tilt

Good Morning Everybody,
Well here we are - Technique Tuesday - a day late but note a dollar short. This week's episode is jammed packed with so much information, you may have to watch it 10-20 times times just to soak it all in! OK, maybe I'm exaggerating just a bit. But it's still a good one.

I put it together a little differently this time around. You'll have to watch it to better understand. Let me know what you think. I know, I know - get on with it already...

To Tilt Or Not To Tilt - It's About The Pixels
This title is so misleading, you will still be guessing about a third of the way through the post unless I tell you now. Here we go. Lots of times, I'm asked if I use a flash bracket - you know, so that when you take your vertical shots, the flash is still above the camera. My quick answer is NO. In this lesson, I'll discuss when I do and when I don't rotate the camera and why. It's the "whys" that may surprise you. Give a peek at the lesson. Enjoy!




Hey everybody, we are swamped this week so I'm going to finish up quickly. I'll see everyone tomorrow for another episode of Business day Thursday. See ya' then, -David

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Tuesday, March 03, 2009

"I'm Looking At You"

"I'm Looking At You"
©David A. Ziser

I just came across this image as I was reviewing images for my book - yes, I know I keep saying it, but really it's almost finished. I love the use of the wide angle lens in this photograph. It gives the image a wonderful sense of perspective with all the pews leading right to the groom. I positioned the groom dead center to enhance the impact of the image with the leading lines. My light is coming from my right - Quantum through a translucent umbrella - creating a nice directional light and separating the groom from the background. The image is pretty much as it was shot with an ever so minor adjust in Photoshop. Camera specs: Canon 5D fitted with Sigma 12-24mm lens at 14mm, F5.6 @ 1/20 second, ISO 800. Enjoy! David

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Bloggers Of The World - Unite!

Bloggers Of The World - Unite!
Be my guest when my tour, Digital WakeUp Call – A New Dawn, comes to a city near you - and save your readers $20 on their registration too!

Good Morning Everybody,
A change of plans today - look for Technique Tuesday tomorrow instead of today because I have a big announcement to make!


Bloggers Win and Your Readers Win!
Today I’m announcing my personal invitation to bloggers* everywhere - those who blog several times a month consistently - a great opportunity for their readers. I think Digital WakeUp Call – A New Dawn is the best 4 hour program on digital photography, lighting, Lightroom, and business building hitting the road to 58 cities on March 30, 2009! My tour kicks off in Jacksonville, Florida and I want to get the word out in a BIG WAY! So I need your help.

Visit Digital WakeUp Call - A New Dawn and you will see the tremendous amount of value built into the program with a jam packed 4 1/2 hour presentation, program bonuses worth $250 for each attendee, and almost $250,000 in prizes being awarded!

Your Readers Save $20!
For helping get the word out about Digital WakeUp Call, I am offering participating bloggers* a Promo Code that their readers can use to get a $20 savings off the regular price of $79 when they register. Bloggers wanting to participate need to email me directly david@ziser.com - for your special code so I can get you set up.

You And One Of Your Readers - Be My Guest
I also want to invite all participating bloggers* to be my personal guest at my seminar when it comes to a city near you. I’ll even pick up a refreshment or two in the hotel lounge afterwards. With 58 cities scheduled, that should be easy for the USA bloggers. Such a deal - complimentary registration and free drinks!

Also, I want to invite one of your loyal readers to attend the city of their choice as your guest. So, that’s one $79 registration for you and one for your guest.

*Eligibility to receive the Promo Code will be based on your blog activity and Alexa rating.

The "Exciting Lighting" Contest - How To Choose Your Guest
So how do you select your lucky guest? How about a contest? Hey, the Digital WakeUp Call - A New Dawn tour is about exciting lighting and a lot more so let's make it an "Exciting Lighting" contest. The lucky reader selected by you who submits the most "Exciting Lighting" image made with portable flashes wins the free registration to the seminar and their image, along with your blog site, will be featured during my presentation.

$100 From B&H - To Say Thank You
I also want to say "Thank You" to the top blog referrer with a $100 gift certificate from B&H. My plan is this. Bloggers will get points for each attendee that registers under your special Promo Code.

Points for bloggers will be weighted by their Alexa rating by the following formula:

Your Alexa rating/100,000 = Blogger Points per Attendee
Note: Maximum Handicap will be 15

This effectively reduces the playing field for all bloggers large or small. The blogger with the most points wins. It's just that simple. Pixsylated.com has provided the best example on how to inform your readers about Digital WakeUp Call and how to set up your "Exciting Lighting" contest. Check it out right here - it's the best!

Let the contest begin!! Drop me an email at david@ziser.com if you would like to participate. See ya' on the road! -David

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Monday, March 02, 2009

"Lines And Angles"

"Light And Angles"
©David A. Ziser

I made this image in April as part of my pre-con shoot at Photoshop World. The convention center in Orlando was just a paradise of lines, shapes, and forms. I took advantage of them in this shot. Notice how all the lines seem to lead your eye directly to the subject. Notice too how the lines, shapes and forms seem to surround him and frame him for the viewer too. Light was supplied by my off camera flash coming in from the subjects left side. Camera specs: Canon 30D fitted with 10-22mm lens at 13mm, F5.6 @ 1/25 second, ISO 800. Enjoy! David

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Quick Hit Monday: Big Day At B&H; Another Seagate Hard Drive DOA; Brand New Mini Z-Ray; and Imaging Insider Podcasts

Good Morning Everybody,
Well, as I type this morning, the snow is coming down like crazy, all NYC schools are closed for the first time since 2004, and all flights have been canceled out of LaGuardia Airport till noon. Things look like they're are going to clear up by the time our flight leaves later this afternoon. It is amazing being in this city during one of their famous Northeast storms. Nothing stops New Yorkers though - still lots of activity on the streets, albeit with 8 inches of snow on the ground in mid-town and over a foot of snow in Long Island.

Another kind of cool thing is the view from our hotel room - we are looking out onto the Hudson River right beyond the Javits Center where the miracle flight US Air Flight 1549 landed. It's amazing to me to try and imagine how the onlookers must have felt as they witnessed the "Miracle on the Hudson" that day. Anyway, everyday is a blessing - let's get to Quick Hit Monday.

Big Day At B&H Yesterday!
WOW! What a great time we had in NYC at B&H. We pulled up to the front door and people were lined up down the block - I wish I would have taken a quick photo. We reached their "Event Space" room, got set up and the crowd started pouring in - yep, it was a big crowd in a small room but everybody found a place and the show went off without a hitch.

These programs typically last 2 hours, but I was scheduled for 5 hours since I wanted to do a run through for my Digital WakeUp Call tour kicking off March 30 right after Photoshop World. Well, 5 hours wasn't long enough so B&H let me extend the program 1 more hour. Nearly everyone stayed to the end and I got some good feed back from the crowd. My personal thanks to all who came by to see the program and to Triple Scoop Music for a few door prizes. A good time was had by all.

New Yorkers are pretty darn lucky!! B&H hosts programs in their "Event Space" approximately 30 times a month - and they are FREE. Check out the link right here for upcoming programs.

Another Seagate Drive Bites The Dust
That's right, my second 1.5 tera byte Seagate Extreme hard drive bit the dust on Friday. Hey, at least I got 3 mores days of use out of that one. Here's the BAD news on this drive - it seems there is about a 30-40% FAILURE rate with the Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 drives. Check out the link right here for the full story. Thanks to DPT reader "amycham" who pointed to the problem when I last reported the first drive's failure.

Just Google "Barracuda 7200.11 problems" and a whole slew of posts come up about this drive. Check out the "horror stories" right here too. I would avoid these drives at all cost - don't play poker with your data!

NEW Mini Z-Ray
Thanks to Phil Walker from the UK who pointed me to a very cool mini Z-Ray device. Actually it's another one of those little LED flash lights, but this one is the "cat's meow" of all LED flash lights. It's one of the most powerful on the market and even has a "zoom" feature built in. Here is the link to the Model P-7, the one that caught my eye.

The babies are designed for the military, police, and the fire fighters. Their rock solid build, water proof design make then a bit "overkill" for photographers, but I loved the zoom feature and picked one up. Unfortunately it's no cheap little flash light, but I still can't wait to give it a try.

Imaging Insider And Podcasting
I got a note about a week ago from my buddies at Imaging Insider. It seems they have a series of podcasts with tons of information. Here is a link to one of their latest with Terence Tay, Product Architect for Bokeh from Alien Skin, a lens simulator plug-in for Adobe Photoshop. I wanted to point you in their direction because they have several more podcasts where that one came from too. Just head to their site right here and search for "podcasts" lots of them pop. Then have some fun on your next rainy afternoon.

Hey gang, that's it for me today - I hope we have a plane to catch. See you tomorrow for another episode of Technique Tuesday. See ya' then, -David

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