Today I’m Celebrating the 44th Anniversary of My 21st Birthday! Last History Recap

Good Morning Everybody,

Today is a BIG day in my life – it’s one of those “milestone birthdays”.  I’ll give you a hint – I just received my Medicare Card in the mail.  Yep, I’m celebrating the 44th anniversary of my 21st birthday today;~) Now the good news is that I sure don’t feel that old and thankfully, many folks tell me I don’t look my age.  I guess that is some consolation ;~)  So, what does LaDawn get me for my birthday – A TANDEM SKYDIVING ADVENTURE!!! Uhmmm…. I wonder if there’s a new life insurance policy floating around here somewhere? OK, just kidding LaDawn ;~)

So for today’s post I thought I would recap the DAVID A. ZISER PHOTOGRAPHY history posts I’ve been running the last few weeks.  I promise this is my last post reminiscing about the good old days.  But, like I said earlier, I hope these posts offer some insights into my growth and success in this business to the new and aspiring photographers considering this profession as their own.

That said, let me lead off today’s post with a photograph that we just stumbled upon over the weekend.  It’s a class photo of my very first class I ever took.  That was way back in 1979, and my first instructor was the legendary Monte Zucker.  That was quite the class. Click on the image for a larger view. Pictured here is my good friend, John Miele who went on to become the youngest PPA President ever.  Also pictured are my Aussie buddies talented photographer Robert Piccoli and Michael Warshall, current owner of NuLab Professional Imaging in Australia.  Michael and I still stay in touch.

You’ll also see Monte with his wife, yes, his wife Sandy in the front row. David Bentley, still a good friend is pictured in the back row. Eva, standing next to Michael eventually went on to marry Mark Roberts, owner of Art Leather, the largest wedding album manufacturer at the time. And, I can’t forget Gerhard Bakker, a major influence for all photographers at the time.  I’ve linked up where I could so check out the links for the rest of the stories. If you know any of the other photographers in this image not mentioned please drop me a comment.

The Life and Times of DAVID A. ZISER PHOTOGRAPHY

OK gang, I promise this is the last look  back on the life and times of DAVID A. ZISER PHOTOGRAPHY.  Here is the recap of all the links I’ve been running the last few weeks all gathered in one place should you ever want to visit them again.  Enjoy!

The Brief History Of Ziser Photography & Many Thank You’s To All Who Helped Me Reach This Milestone. [link]

50 Years Later: Celebrating Life, Photography and Friendships!  [link]

50 Years Later: A Grand Celebration & A Peek Down Memory Lane   [link]

Why not take a peek back in time with me in my WayBack Machine and smile at the images from my humble beginnings:

The Violinist: [link] Taken 45 years ago at age 20.

Budding Photographer: [link]

WayBack Machine #2: [link] Images taken in 1978 – the beginning of my studio career, age 30.

Oldie But A Goodie Wedding Image: [link] Image probably around 1980.

WayBack Machine #3: [link]

Engagement Sessions ‘80’s Style: [link]

WayBack Machine #5: [link]

WayBack Machine #6: [link]

And finally my life philosophy of why I got started in photography and what this wonderful profession means to me.

A Visit By A Friend – ASP THESIS 1988

Part 1: Life Is Too Darn Short To NOT Do What You What To Do With Your Life!   [link]

Part 2: Seeing The Magic Happen For The First Time - Amazing! And Time For Commitment! [link]

Part 3: Sameness Kills Enthusiasm! [link]

Part 4: Developing Your Own Distinct Style [link]

Part 5: Questions Seeking Answers  [link]

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Hey gang, that’s it for me today.  And starting today, I’m only looking forward to see what's next over the distant mountain ridge – greater challenges, beautiful travels, new friends, new memories to try and remember ;~) and many more sunrises and sunsets.

Have a great one everybody.

See ya’ soon!

-David

My Summer Success Collection Available Now!

For the last several weeks I’ve been working with several of our sponsors putting together the best collection of training materials, software, Photoshop templates, and business building materials available.

Thanks to their generosity, I have something unbelievable to tell you about today – my brand new Summer Success Collection!  Everybody told me I was pricing it way to low at $59 but I didn’t care – I wanted it to be the best photographic value of the summer!  We’ve done exactly that!  For only $59, looks what’s included.

Only $59 (over $400 value)

This limited time offer will not last for long. You can get more info and pick yours up today right here!

In this 5 DVD set you will learn:

10 amazing new ways to make your lighting exciting!

10 of the best lens choices and camera settings to produce strikingly beautiful results!

10 fast and easy lighting secrets to make people look their absolute best!

10 exciting ways to compose your image before firing the shutter guaranteeing the perfect shot!

10 fantastic tips to advance your digital designs to the next level!

10 unique post-production software solutions to save you "tons" of time!

10 awesome profit building marketing and sales techniques to add to your bottom line.

________________________________________

Add to that all the fabulous goodies you receive like:

• One FREE Week Kelby Training
• One month FREE Animoto
• FREE album design from Zookie Pro
• FREE very popular Artistry Cards from ACI Labs
• FREE Sample Pack from Graphic Authority
• FREE $50 Marathon Press Gift Card

Folks, these items alone is worth over $300!

Plus you receive:

• $40 savings on any NIK Software product
• 50% off ProImage Editors
• 50% off More Photos set up charges
• $50 Gift Card to our Digital Resource Center.

This is one impressive Summer Success Collection ready to supercharge your photography business for the rest of the year!

Hey, you can even add my best selling book Captured By The Light or my very popular Zumbrella for only $20 each. Get it today –

Right here, Right now!

PhotoPro Summer School July 9,10,11, & 12, 2011

Hey Gang, one more quick note for you today.

As you know, I’m President of the PhotoPro Network [link], the leading regional photography/educational organization here in the Midwest.

As the president, I wanted to give our DPT readers a sneak peak at what we’ve got happening this summer.  I also wanted to invite each of you to, as they say on TV, “Come on down!” and enjoy our “One Hot Time In The Summer!”

The cost is only $119 for the three day event, only $99 if you are a member of the PhotoPro Network.  You can find all the details and register right here.

Our presenters are at the top of their field - master lighting artist, photographer, and Photoshop Guru Kevin Ames; successful wedding photographer and boudoir artist, Lynn Michelle, Social Media Marketing Guru, A.J. Wood; and IT/Tech expert, Damien Tepe!

Here’s the quick bullet list of what we’ve got happening during PhotoPro Summer School this July 9, 10, 11, & 12, 2011

• Boudoir Photography, Wedding Photography, Fashion, High School Seniors, Speedlighting With Shoe Mount Strobes, Lightroom 3, Photoshop CS5, Adobe Camera RAW, Portfolio Development, Social Media Marketing, Print Review, Wireless Shooting To iPads and Laptop Computers, and much more!
• Digital Image Competition and Review Saturday afternoon broadcasted “LIVE”
• “LIVE” Webcast Saturday evening
• Mini Trade Show Two Days
• Digital Shoot-Out Sunday Evening
• Shootout image review and Hospitality for everyone Sunday night
• Monday Morning On-Location Safari with Lynn Michelle (Add’l fee $25)
• Tuesday all day program with Kevin Ames (add’l fee $89)

Want to be a member and save $20 on your registration, check out what your membership includes right here.  It’s like a no-brainer when you check out all the member benefits!

It's going to be One Hot Time In the Summer and we look forward to seeing you there!

PhotoPro Network

We hosted one of the most successful conventions this past January with 10 great speakers including top wedding photographer Cliff Mautner, lighting master Tony Corbell, high school senior specialists Kent and Sarah Smith just to name a few.  Here is the link to my recap post right here.

Want to check out our “mind blowing” program for February 2012? Hold on to your seats and check it out right here.

I’ll keep you posted as more details develop. 

I sure hope you’ll try to make it!

-David

Business Day Thursday: If You Can’t Beat Them, Join Them. Show Samples Of Products You Don't Want To Sell

Good Morning Everybody,

What a surprise I had yesterday.  We are in the process of restructuring our storage space.  That means out with all the “old” to make way for all the “new”.

It has been quite a treat to see some of the “old” that has been buried away in storage for years and years. I ran across some of my old cameras – a few Bronicas I had totally forgotten about, several Polaroid cameras.  Here is one of the Polaroid cameras pictured here.  I wonder what there're worth on the Antiques Road Show, and a few other historically old cameras too.

There were even a few rolls of film in some of those old boxes – I had forgotten what it looked like ;~)  Anyway, it was fun to go through the boxes of memories. No, I didn’t throw anything out,  I just repacked it in new boxes – LaDawn is ready to “kill” me ;~)

OK, enough “funning” around, time to get on with serious stuff.  It’s Business Day Thursday – time to make some money.

Show Samples Of Products You Don't Want To Sell

Last week I did a post that raised a few eyebrows, "Are Wedding Albums Dead?" [link]. I mentioned that in today's market there are so many inexpensive outlets for photo albums and prints and with so many photographers offering their images on DVD, the clients could easily create and design their own albums and have printed at Blurb or Costco.

Sure, I know many photographers still offer their clients the best product line available, us included. In fact the album is NOT dead in my studio because that's what our clients come to expect of us - exciting photography beautifully bound in a handcrafted leather album.

The fact of the matter is that photographers serve clients at all levels and price points. I believe it's that middle tier photographer that is suffering the most with the $400 wedding photographer and inexpensive album options. It's a simple fact that digital photography and all forms of social media have commoditized wedding photography.

But it's commoditized it for mostly the lower priced weddings. There is still hope for the middle tier wedding photographer who wants to be successful in this profession. The first thing we need to do is stop being in denial of the bottom tier wedding photographer. They are simply a fact of life these days.

Show The Cheap Imitations

I say, "If you can't beat them, join them!". OK, before I get a rash of nastygrams - hear me out. Here is what I am suggesting, and yes, this suggestion even goes for the "shoot and burn" photographer as well.

Hit the “Read More…” link below for the rest of the story.

You're thinking I'm crazy, right? Why in the world would ANYBODY show products they DON'T want to sell? My quick answer; "To educate your clients as to why your product offerings are so much better than the bottom end products being offered by your competition."

Order an album from Costco and say one from Zookbinders and let the client see, smell, and feel the difference, as Joe Girard would say. DAZ NOTE: Joe was considered one of the greatest salesmen in the world. Don't forget to have a custom labeled Wedding DVD so you can discuss the "pros and cons" of DVD only delivery of wedding images.

I remember visiting the Tervis Tumbler factory in Venice, Florida years ago. Tervis Tumbler is known throughout Florida and maybe the world, for making the best plastic tumblers among the seafaring set. The showroom was not very large, but right in the middle of the showroom was a table of cracked and broken "cheap imitations".  They wanted customers to see, feel and maybe even smell the difference in their product thus justifying the higher cost. They also guarantee their tumblers FOR LIFE!

Isn't that, in effect, what we are talking about here? We have to begin to educate our customers about the "cheap imitations", both is photographers style and product, that abound everywhere in the wedding profession.  Don’t get me wrong.  There is certainly a market for that level of product. But is it where you want your level of product to be? Probably not.  I’m not being derogatory here to the manufacturers of those selling these products. I shop the Dollar Store myself now and then ;~)

The "cheap imitation" shooters I'm talking about are the ones that are ONLY in it for the money, have no clue what they are doing, don't care to know, and are less than professional on the job. We’ve all heard the horror stories - you know what I'm talking about.

Answer The Objections Before They Are Raised

You know, from a sales point of view, it comes down to answering the objections before they are raised. "Why should I buy the more expensive album when I can get the cheaper version from this other guy?" Now you show them exactly what the "cheap imitation" looks and feels like. You can discuss the lasting quality, the design, style, enhancement of images all the specific details of your product.

If they just want a DVD, you can ask them how often and convenient will it be for them to enjoy a disc of images probably burned on low cost disks which have a life of only a few years with the possibility even probability that the images will be gone in 5 years. All these points should be addressed on your website, Facebook page, and blog too.

Visiting With The Client In Person

In the days of film, clients always made a visit to the studio. That is just as important to me today, maybe more so. I know we have the Internet and Craig's List shoppers, but discussing these matters in person certainly creates a greater impression of your product and service with your client.

I've been saying it for years. We professionals must CONSTANTLY strive to raise both the actual and perceived level of our profession to the buying public. It's harder these days because of the huge influx of new photographers and the commoditization of photography in general. What it all boils down to is that we need to work even harder at it!

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Hey gang, on that note I'm out of here. Check back tomorrow for Part 2 of last week's discussion, "Are Wedding Albums Dead". I promise we'll get more photo-centric next week.

See ya' tomorrow, David

"Surrounded By The Light"

"Surrounded By The Light"
©David A. Ziser

I'm actually using his image as the title image of my Friday Photo School program today. It was made last year as part of a special series of images I captured for the bride during her wedding reception. The Phoenix Club, where this image was created has always been a very popular venue for weddings in Cincinnati, Ohio. Why? Because of the gorgeous staircase. This image is one of my signature shots I take whenever I'm shooting at the Phoenix - the clients love it. The fisheye lens seems to make the stairway caress the couple with it's arabesque lines. Because of the constrained space behind the couple, we positioned my Quantum flash about 2-3 feet directly behind the couple and set it to 1/4 power. Next frame up the shot and shoot away. Camera specs: Canon 50D fitted with Sigma 8mm fisheye lens, F5.6 @ 1/25 second, ISO 1000.  Enjoy! -David

"An Evening To Remember"

"An Evening To Remember"
©David A. Ziser

I really enjoy this image. It was made shortly after the bride and groom entered the ballroom to view the beautiful decorated reception banquet room. They became caught up in the moment and decided to share a short first dance before all the guests entered. I had just finished photographing the room and my Sigma 12-24mm super wide angle lens was still fitted to my Canon 5D Mark II. I grabbed the camera, framed them up and shot away. My assistant jumped behind the couple and was kicking the light in with my off camera flash. The contrasting colors, deep shadows, and the spontaneous moment came together for a great photograph - one of their favorites. Camera specs: Canon 5D Mark II fitted with Sigma 12-24mm lens at 12mm, F5.6 @ 1/30 second, ISO 1000. Enjoy! -David

"Let's Go Shopping"

"Let's Go Shopping"
©David A. Ziser

The bride and groom were from out of town but loved coming to Cincinnati, Ohio for shopping and just plain hanging out. They were very specific in our planning sessions that they wanted several photographs throughout the downtown Cincy area.The wedding was taking place at a downtown hotel, and the couple had no problem seeing each other before the ceremony. This allowed me plenty of time to roam the downtown area and capture some great shots for them around the various Cincy landmarks - shopping landmarks included ;~)

We were on our way back to the hotel and I suggested a shot in front of Tiffany's. The problem was the curved reflecting surface of the big front door. Although I wanted to "put a little light" on the subject, there was just no place I could position the light to avoid the reflections on the door. I opted for no flash at all. Making the photograph B&W made for a very appealing image because of all the shades of grey throughout the composition.

Positioning the bride diagonally in the scene at the fourth nodal point (bottom right quarter of the scene) worked very well compositionally with the centered symmetrical framing of Tiffany's entrance. The bride loved it. Camera specs: Canon 40D with 18-200mm IS lens at 18mm, F5.6 @ 1/400 second, ISO 500. Enjoy! -David

Business Day Thursday: How I Sell My Wedding Services

Good Morning Everybody,

Things are pretty exciting and very busy since returning from our vacation. We are working on a very special project which will launch next week. Most of the "i's" are dotted and the "t's" crossed and I can't wait to tell you what's up! Please stay tuned - you won't want to miss it!

I also had a nice meeting with one of my favorite clients yesterday morning who is putting together a wonderful collection of images from her son's Bar Mitzvah celebration. Somehow we need to have the album accommodate over 280 images! Add to that 3 family albums and some additional images for family and friends - yep, it’s going to be a nice order.

I've got to get back to work on our BIG project, so how about we get right on with today's post. Here we go...

How I Sell My Wedding Services

Last week I did a post [link] about how I cover a wedding mentioning that we NEVER leave till the end of the event. The post garnered quite a few comments and debate. The secret with us NEVER leaving a wedding till the end of the party has to do with how I sell my photographic services to my clients.

The quick answer is that we SELL the level of coverage appropriate for the event. Notice I said level of coverage, not packages. To be honest with you, I have never sold package pricing. I've always sold our services ala carte - purchase the level of coverage and add family albums and extras on on top of that level of coverage.

Let's talk about levels of coverage for a minute. We have always had five levels of coverage ranging from 2 hours of coverage up to unlimited time. Yep, we put in a few 14 hour days now and then too.

Hit the “Read More…” link below for the rest of the story.

Here is how we have our levels of coverages set up.

Level One

Level One includes all day coverage as needed. This level of coverage includes 100 images bound in a beautiful Zookbinders leather album. It also included a $200 credit toward a wall portrait, or one of our Treasure Boxes. Our Treasure Box has always been a very cool way for our clients to display a select group of 12 -  5x7 most often B&W images.

Level One also includes an image enhancement package, too. That means that we make everyone look like movie stars. And lastly, it includes a casual portrait session of the bride and groom. Total cost - about 3 times more than our least expensive coverage.

A typical sales close would go something like this for a client booking a really BIG event. "Mary and John, for the type of wedding you're planning, I would not recommend anything less than our Level One coverage."

Level Two

Level Two is our second tier coverage. It still includes unlimited coverage for the day and 75 images bound in a Zookbinders leather album. It does not include the image enhancement package or casual portrait shoot of the couple. It is still a nice coverage for the client wanting to save a few dollars and still have complete coverage of their event.

A typical close for the Level Two coverage may go something like this after Mary and John tell me that Level One is beyond their budget. "OK, Mary and John, let me tell you about our most popular coverage." And then I tell them what's included.

They're saving a substantial amount of money with Level Two and it gets them much closer to their budget. The second thing the closing remark does is gives them approval for choosing the next lower coverage. Heck, it is our most popular coverage, which it is, so they feel perfectly comfortable making the same buying decision so many of our other clients have made.

DAZNOTE: Both Level One and Level Two coverages also include a second shooter who does the peripheral coverage of the event. Level One and Two comprise about 95% of our booked coverages.

Level Three

Level Three is our first coverage with a time limit associated with it. The coverage includes 6 hours of coverage and 50 images bound in a nice album, but not a leather album. Leather is a modest upgrade cost.

The secret to my sales success is how I present this option to the client. I let them know what this level of coverage is designed for. It goes something like this. "Mary and John, yes, we do offer a smaller coverage but it's really reserved for a smaller wedding - say for example 75 guests in a much smaller venue that what your planning. I would really recommend our Level Two coverage for your event."

Now if the client is planning an engagement party which typically run about 5 hours long with the preliminary family groups, cocktail party, and then dinner and dancing, Level Three is the perfect coverage for that type of event. Again, I'm selling the level of coverage to fit the length of the event. This coverage is then added to a Level One or Level Two event.

Level Four

Level Four is a 4 hour event which includes 35 images in a nice album, but not a leather album. This kind of coverage is perfect for very small weddings of approximately 25 close friends and family. This coverage is also perfect for Rehearsal Dinners, Birthday Parties, Special Occasions, Anniversary Celebrations and Corporate events.

Level Five

Level Five is our smallest coverage - 2 hours of coverage and 20 medium size images in a smaller album. Again, it's reserved for smaller corporate events, Luncheons, special events at the client's residence.

I hope as you read through these coverages you see how we are selling each level of coverage to accommodate the length of the event. If any of the events booked at the smaller levels of coverage run over by a short amount of time, say 30-60 minutes, we are still going to stay till the end. It's just no big deal.

Average Order

I would be remiss if I didn't tell you that our clients NEVER end up with the contracted number of images. If I've done my job right, they will want many, many additional images and ALWAYS do.

I've mentioned this several times at DPT, we sell pro-actively with our clients. With our clients making a personal visit to our studio in order that they can "fine tune" their album selection from the images they saw on-line. Our typical album leaves the studio with the client's choice of 200-250 images bound in a beautiful leather cover and looks stunning.

In Conclusion

Anyway, I hope you get an idea of how we present our coverages to our clients always stressing the proper coverage for the event. Once that is settled we can move on and show them the other products and services we offer.

Granted, digital has changed the way many photographers are offering their services, many photographers not even offering albums but just burning all the images to a CD. One of the more creative album delivery methods I've heard recently is about the photographer who delivers his images on the new Apple iPad.

Things are changing and they are changing fast. Those of us who have been in this business for several years can never rest on our laurels or be blind to additional creative ways to enhance the photographic experience for our clients and remain profitable ourselves.

The right way to do things is the way that leads to a successful outcome for the business owner and has the client thrilled with the result!

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Hey gang, that's it for me today. I should be able to give you a peak at our special project in a day or two, so stay tuned.

Everybody have a great rest of the day and I'll see you same time, same place tomorrow.

Adios, David

"My Embraceable You"

"My Embraceable You"
©David A. Ziser
I’m getting back to mostly wedding/portrait centric images this week since we are back from our travels. Here is another image made back in the good old film days.  This image was captured as part of the pre-bridal shoot I did with this couple.  Yes, we got together before the wedding and i was able to capture some great shots.  This was one of my favorites.  The bouquet, the center of focus, does not diminish the feeling you pick up from the couple as you look more closely at the couple.  See how they are moving towards each other for the kiss. It’s their "body english" that gives it away, but adds wonderfully to my shot of the bouquet.  Camera specs:  Hasselblad500 CM fitted with 150mm Sonar lens, F 4.0 @ 1/250 second, Kodak Vericolor Portra 800 (ISO 800) film. Enjoy!  -David

"You Take My Breath Away"

"You Take My Breath Away"
©David A. Ziser

Once again, because of the topic of today's post, I thought I'd share with you one of my favorite album page collages.  We put this together for a client a few years ago and I still love it.  I think each image looks good on it's own, but when combined as they are on this page, it really shows the feeling this young couple have for each other.  My favorite aspect of this collage is the B&W background image.  It is just a faint close up of the groom gently touching his bride's face.  What a warm feeling this brings to the entire collage.  Cameras specs were the same for most of these images - Nikon D1x (at the time), 80-200mm lens at 170mm, F 3.2 @ 1/320 second, ISO 500.  Enjoy!  -David

Webcast: "Fast and Easy Album Design" A Hit!

Yep, a BIG hit! Here's what several attendees had to say about yesterday's webcast.  My thanks to everyone for the very kind remarks.

"Thanks! The quality & sheer volume of what you share is a blessing to many of us. Thanks Much!"     …Mark B. - Lexington, Ohio

"Thank You David & rest of team for the show and prize for me :-)"  …Pawel W. - Dublin, Ireland

"Thank you so much for sharing your expertise with us! I LOVE it!"   ...Geneva P. -  Huntsville, Alabama

"Thank you, this was great!"  ...Beverly K. - Sarasota, Florida

"Thanks David. Great information."  ...Kortney J. - Powell, Tennessee

"The webinar was wonderful thanks for your time all the great info. And I won a door prize!!" Holly W. - Austin, Texas 

"AMAZING!"  … Philip G. - Florence, South Carolina

In the program, I mentioned some great Webcast specials we have running at our Digital Resource Center right now [link].  The BIG hit of the show - how to get Lumapix: FotoFusion, a $299 program, for only $99! Here is how it works.

This deal won't last forever - you can check it out right here.

"Fast And Easy Album Design" – Now On DVD!

A DVD of the webcast is available at our Digital Resource Center.  The cost of the DVD will be only $29 but that INCLUDES a $29 voucher good for any future purchases at our Digital Resource Center – what a deal – that kind of makes it FREE.

"Fast And Easy Album Design – Part 2"

And lastly, because I only got through about 1/2 of the material I wanted to cover in yesterday's program, I'm scheduled and brand new webcast "Fast and Easy Album Design - Part 2" for Tuesday, July 6, 2010  2:00 – 4:00 EDT. This time around, we have over $1,200 in door prizes to give away!

Once again, my thanks to my webcast team here at DigitalProTalk, all the sponsors who supported the program with over $1,000 in door prizes, and all of you who made the program such a success.

-David

Webcast Wednesday: Fast and Easy Album Design

Good Morning Everybody,

I hope yesterday's Technique Tuesday's post – Running Lightroom on a Network [link] didn't crash any computers out there;~)  More importantly, I hope you gave it a try and it gives you at least a partial solution to Lightroom's "network neutered" situation.  Let's keep our fingers crossed and hope the next Lightroom version solves the issue.

OK, today, as you know we have our free webcast on digital design. I'm foregoing a lengthy post today because we've got to get everything organized for the webcast in just a few hours. These webcasts are more involved that just hitting the PLAY button and letting things rip.

Let me just give you a few examples of some of the digital designs we use here in the studio.

Wedding Albums:  The big part of my business is our design process at my studio.  Each album is first designed and then reviewed before going to the "presses."  This is my "bread and butter" product. Each session, not just the obvious wedding celebrations but also including seniors, families, babies…. it is my intention that the client will leave with an album in-hand.  It better look fantastic!

Senior albums: Most of us shoot lots of photographs at our senior sessions, but how many of those images are finally delivered to the client? Unfortunately, not many.  That's why we started offering a senior album option.  Now the client has a place to put all those other images - a great sales ad-on.

Suggestion Selling:  We've designed several "Suggestion" templates into which we drop the client's actual images.  Now they can see first hand what the finished digital product will look like. It sure helps us to get to "YES" a lot more often when making the sale.

Vendor Collages:  For me, it's always about connecting with my "vendor buddies" and continuing to offer complimentary photographs to them of their products and services.  We can do it quickly and easily with our design templates.  The 11x14 print and frame do not break the bank and we are able to create a great sales piece for a vendor that features not only their products/services but also OUR photography - very effective advertising.

Those are just a few of the things we are going to be discussing today.  It's super easy to put these designs together and once designed, can be used over and over again for your next project.  I really hope you can join us later today.  We still have a a few seats left and you can still register right here.  See you at 2:00 P.M. EDT.

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Time for me to get moving gang.  If I miss you today, I'll see you tomorrow for another episode of Business Day Thursday.

See ya' then,  -David

Free Album Design Web-cast Coming Your Way June 23, 2010! and $900 In Door Prizes!

That's right!  Coming your way on Wednesday, June 23, 2010 at 2:00 p.m. EDT I'll be presenting my first ever album design webcast.
And we are giving away over $900 in door prizes too!!!
Yes, the program will be "LIVE" and you will be able to follow right along in the comfort of your computer screen's glow.
You can register right here.
During this presentation I'll be covering all the design rules, shortcuts, tips and tricks we use at David A. Ziser Photography to create the most exciting wedding albums ever! 
I'll show you how to design an album, or any design project for that matter, in 1/3 the time it takes to do the same project in Photoshop. You will be amazed, I promise!
We can design a 150-image album in approximately 3 hours - pretty darn fast! Want to see how we do it? Plan to tune in June 23, 2010 at 2:00 p.m. EDT.
I'll plan to wrap the presentation with an in-depth demo of LumaPix:FotoFusion.  I'll even show you how you can purchase the $299 LumaPix Extreme version of software for only $99!
Door Prizes Galore Given Away During the Program:
That’s right, once again we will be giving away over $900 in Door Prizes.  WOW!
Here is the list of door prizes below:

• LumaPix:Fotofusion Extreme Software ($299) [link]
• Divine Design Collection for LumaPix ($199) [link]
• NIK Viveza 2 Software ($199) [link]
• 2010 Digital WakeUp Call Success Collection ($89.00) [link]
• Graphic Authority Photoshop Templates ($99) [link]
• Captured By the Light Wedding Book ($54.95) [link]

We will call the winner’s names during the webcast so you must be present to win.
It should be an informative, fun, exciting afternoon.  Once again, we will be able to accommodate 1,000 attendees, so sign up fast! I hope to see you there.

Mark Your Calendars For

Wednesday, June 23, 2010 at 2:00 p.m. EDT

Please register early to reserve your seat.

Register Here!

Quick Hit Monday: Upcoming Webcasts/Podcasts; Get Educated; Inspirational Web Sites; And Specials

Good Morning Everybody,

We shipped out over 550 copies of my new wedding book last week. We have about 30 more copies to ship today. So first of all, many of you have waited several months for the book release. I want to say THANKS for your patience as I didn’t expect the process to take so long. Secondly, I want to THANK so many of you who have taken the time to drop me an email or post on Facebook with your very kind remarks about my book. THANKS a bunch it’s all very exciting!!

It’s shaping up to be a busy week at the studio. I'm polishing up my FREE LIVE "Captured By The Light" Web-Cast for next Wednesday [link], looking forward to tomorrow's LIVE Web-Cast  at LensFlare35 [link], and trying to get get our new Canon wide carriage image PROGRAF 8100 inkjet printer installed.

Anyway, let's get right to today's Quick Hit Monday

Catch Me On The Net

As I mentioned above, I'm doing a LIVE" web-cast  at LensFlare35 on Tuesday. I'm honored to be one of three special guests. The topic: HD DSLR’s, Fusion, Convergence, Video & Filmmaking. We expect about 400 people to be signed on so I hope you can be there.  Since it's "LIVE", you will be able to call in or Tweet you questions to the panel and we will get to as many as we can.  It should be fun. To join in on the fun here is the link right here.

Later in the week I'm doing a podcast with Kerry Garrison at Camera Dojo [link].  If you haven't visited Camera Dojo, you must make the visit.  Kerry has been adding great content over these last several months, Camera Dojo is fast becoming one of those sites you’ll want to visit often. I'll let you know when the interview goes live.

And lastly, Gavin Seim over at Pro Photography Show has just posted his latest podcast in which I was excited to be part of.  You can get program and download info right here.

Go Get Educated – Great Seminars Coming Up

I have to say, there are some fantastic learning opportunities coming your way.  Here are two of them I would highly recommend - why, because I've attended both in the past. Here is my quick list:

Marathon Marketing Workshops [link]:

Marathon Marketing "Make Money Now" Workshops [link] are coming to a city near you - San Antonio, Las Vegas, and Atlanta. LaDawn and I have attended Marathon's workshops and  I left with pages of notes and notes and notes.  The price is reasonable and worth every penny. One More Time - here is the link right here.

Walden's University [link]:

Bev and Tim Walden have been friends of ours for over 25 years.  They are two of the nicest and most talented photographers shooting and teaching today.  LaDawn and I had the opportunity to sit in on Walden U a few years ago, and it was one of the best learning experiences we had. 

For Bev and Tim, it's more than just the photography, although still covered extensively in their class, it's a lot about building relationships with their clientele.  I remember sitting in their class thinking, "These guys are some of the smartest marketers in the business."  Please check them out right here.

Way Cool Photography & Way Cool Blogs

I love finding nuggets of gold in the blogsphere.  That happened last week a few times.  I received my regular LexJet InFocus eNewsletter [link]. Go sign up it you don't receive it, it's free and always filled with a surprise or two.

Sam Gray's Site: [link]

This time around they featured the wonderful work of my good friend Sam Grey [link] from Raleigh, North Carolina. Sam and I have known each over for many years and he has always been one of my favorite, most talented portrait photographers shooting these days. Sam's work is simply breathtaking.  Visit his site right here - a visual feast . See if you don't agree with me.  In today's age of "soccer mom and dads" photography, Sam's work is miles high over the competition.

Jasmine Starr's Site: [link]

Had some fun over at Sam's site, now let me point you too one of the most creatively designed wedding blog sites I ever seen.  It's by Jasmine Starr, another very creative and talented photographers working today. The concept (the best I've seen), the layout, the imagery, everything about her site blew me away.  What do you think? Here is the link.

Best Of Wedding Photography Site: [link]

I have mentioned that I was involved in a project looking for the  best wedding photography on the web.  Well, now I can come clean with the site I'm involved with.  “We seek out photographers who are on the move. We offer the most forward thinking photographers a place to hang, network and be discovered by contemporary brides with an eye for art," says David Beckstead, BOWP Review Board Member.

The press release right here explains all the details of the site - pretty cool concept.  Head over to the BOWP site right here and enjoy the "browse."  Just hit the drop down menu, select a city, and enjoy the photography - pretty cool, and inspiring!

Grab The Specials Here [link]:

One of my favorite bookbinders/album companies over the last 15 years has been Zookbinders.  They do the best job of assembling the most beautiful hand crafted leather albums anywhere and have always been my top choice for my clients.

So where am I going with this? Well, Zookbinder’s has a great blog for wedding photographers that is worth a look. Here is the link right here.  Their content includes some great marketing and album design tips.  Head on over and get caught up on some great articles.

Now for the DEAL. Zookbinders is 15 years old and wants to spread the word about their birthday celebration.  Just follow them at twitter.com/zookbinders and retweet this message and you will save 30% on all Photobook Plus purchases through February 28, 2010! 

Here is the entire story right here. Check it out!

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Whew! What a post today - I hope my fingers last the week ;~)  Anyway folks I'm out of here today.  Since putting the "Tweet" button with the posts my thanks for all the re-tweets of the articles and helping spread the word about DigitalProTalk.

I'll see everyone back here bright and early for another exciting episode of Technique Tuesday.

See ya' tomorrow,  -David

"The Whisper Of Your Smile"

"The Whisper Of Your Smile"
©David A. Ziser

This beautiful young lady was the subject of my post on Monday.  Here is another image from that shoot. The image was made by available light only.  The couple were seated under a veranda that opened out onto the family's back yard.  The light was soft and gentle on the both of them. I simply asked them to just get close to each other and whisper their feelings to each other.  It worked.  I rotated around them getting a great series of images for their album.  Sometimes the easiest way to shoot is the best. Camera specs; Nikon D1x fitted with 80-200mm non-VR lens at 155mm, F 3.5 @ 1/500 second, ISO 800. Enjoy!  -David

A Little Trade Show News and Good Deals To Boot

Listen, I know photographers` are cheap - myself included although I prefer the term frugal - it sounds a bit more sophisticated. That being said, although I watched the demo of a bookbinding device at one of the booths, I wasn't ready to part with the $18,000 they wanted for the machine.

I was much more intrigued how Neil Enterprises - here is their link - was able to sell me a really nice 8x8 album with padded cover and moire lining and cover photo for only - get this - $15.00! What a great opportunity to feature those wonderful images of some of your favorite wedding vendors back home without breaking the bank. Just give them the books with your name included on several of the pages. It's an easy advertising dollar well spent. We picked up a quick 6 for just that purpose.