Quick Hit Monday: WPPI, A Visit To Matt’s Place, Crash Is At It Again

Good Afternoon Everybody,
With a 4 a.m. wake up call and a program at 8:00 a.m. should justify the late post. Anyway, we arrived safe and sound in Las Vegas yesterday morning, got settled and checked out the trade-show a bit. I put some finishing touches on my presentation which I presented bright and early this morning. Thanks to my DPT readers that showed up and said HI. I spent a few days last week scouring my hard drives for images for the program going back to 2000. It was cool to see some of the images I so much enjoyed taking over the years – I’ll share a few with you guys and girls this week. Anyway, I found a few tidbits on the net over the weekend I thought you might enjoy. Here we go…

My WPPI Program This Morning
Whew! Blogging during a convention makes things a bit busy for us lonely bloggers. It was fun and funny to see a Bloggers Hot-Spot set up outside the program rooms with fellow bloggers blogging away. I'm going to swing by during the show and see what up. I'll keep you posted with any interesting news.

Anyway, the program went great today. Yep, that's me getting fired up at about 8:30 in the morning. These two photos were taken by a good friend and excellent photographer, Larry Weaver from Louisiana. THANKS! Larry. About 800 photographers showed up to hear my new program on lighting. Another thanks to fellow blogger Kerry Garrison from CameraDojo.com fame for attending my program and sticking around to sayHI.

What's cool for the speaker - yours truly - was that everybody was locked to their seat till the end. I was test driving content for my Digital WakeUp Call tour - here is the tour link for all the info again. It looks like I hit a "sweet spot" with this morning's attendees who seemed to love the topic and the program - my sincere thanks to all that attended. We are kicking off the tour March 30 right after Photoshop World and yes, a lot of the lighting techniques will be covered. Remember, you can save $20 on registration by entering code DWCDPT09 - a steal of a deal.

Heading Over To Matt's Place
On a completely different topic, I have to tell you that you can never go wrong heading over too Matt’s place - FlashFlavor.com. Matt Adcock is a master of his lighting and it is always a joy to see what he’s been up to lately. I haven’t been there in a while so it was a real pleasure to catch up seeing his latest images and checking in on his latest posts. You have to check out his wife's Sol's best images of 2008. They will blow you away! Head on over to Matt’s place today and give a peek. Here is the link.

Crash Lands Another Great Interview
Crash Taylor has his continuing series of interviews going on too – always a pleasure to read. This week he welcomes Jeff Ascough . Jeff is considered one of the best wedding photojournalists in the world. I’ll tell you, his work is a bit edgy capturing the wedding day emotions in a unique way. Go check out Crash's interview with Jeff right here. Crash is a frequent commenter on this blog too. I’ve contacted him about doing a pod-cast for DigitalProTalk – we just need to get it scheduled – hopefully in the next few weeks. I’ll keep you posted.

Hey gang, that’s it for me today. It was a late night and a very early morning for LaDawn and I. We are heading back to the convention and check out what's new, improved, different, and exciting. Be sure to check back for Technique Tuesday filmed on location in beautiful Las Vegas. See ya’ then. -David

"The Winning Kiss"

"The Winning Kiss"
©David A. Ziser

I captured this image at Keeneland, one of the foremost thoroughbred race tracks in the world. This is where the bride and groom were having their reception - it was a beautiful venue for their event. The grounds also provided some great locations to create striking wedding images for the couple. This long row of trees at Keeneland's entrance supplied the background for this shot. It was dusk and the sun was setting quickly - hence the slow shutter speed. The flash also lit up some of the flying insects always present at a summer wedding which I think adds a nice wispiness to the shot. Nikon D1x fitted with 24-135 Tamron at 82mm, F4.0 @ 1/13 second, ISO400. Enjoy! -David

F-Stop Friday - The F-Stops Here At F4.0

Good Morning Everybody
Our bags are packed and we're ready to go, off to Vegas for the WPPI show.... - sung to the tune of "Leaving On A Jet Plane". That's right gang, LaDawn and I are ready to head west over the weekend. If you are planning to attend this GREAT Convention, plan to look me up 8:00 a.m. Monday morning in rooms 319-320. I'll be the one with the BIG cup of coffee. Hope to see you there.

Well, I'm out of camera equipment in the gear bag. I still have lighting equipment to explain, but I'm holding off for a week or two. Today I thought I'd talk F-Stops - when to use them and why. And today's F-Stop is......

Hi, I'm F-4.0 And I'm Happy To Meet You
F4.0 and I have been friends for quite a while. When I was shooting film, I dated F4.0's cousin F5.6, but since going digital I had to let the old girl go and see if I had a chance with F4.0. As luck would have it, F4.0 was perfect on my DSLR. In fact F4.0 was just as good as F5.6 was on my ol' 150mm Sonnar on my Hassey! OK, is this making any sense to anybody yet? Here is the deal.

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

Back in my medium format days when shooting portraits, I always used my 150mm Sonnar lens. The maximum aperture was F4.0 and I NEVER wanted to use the maximum aperture of F4.0. I was a "focus freak" and thought shooting wide open would compromise the sharpness of the final print. Anyway, F5.6 gave me a really nice result with nice separation of the subject from the background - assuming, of course, the background was far enough behind the subject. All was well with the world till I switched to "digital" the later part of 2000.

Now what do I do to get the same visual effect as I was getting with my trusty 150mm Sonnar? The easy answer was - get a slightly longer lens and shoot it wider open - like at F4.0. After doing some testing, I found the "Magic Bullet" of a beautiful outdoor portrait was about 125mm to 200mm lens at F4.0 on my DSLR - I was back in business. I once again had great background separation of the subject from the background. That focal length/F-stop combo are now my default settings when ever I shoot a portrait outdoors.

There is the occasional exception, but that usually has to do with shooting in a brighter ambient light situation where I need to stop the lens to F5.6 - Yes, you can tell the difference, it's simply not as pretty.

Remember too, I'm using an off-camera flash to create my direction of light. You know, life is just easier when you add your own light. That's why I do it. But back to my friend, F4.0. F4.0 or at least within 1/2 stop either way - F3.5 to F5.0 at about 150mm is the magic recipe creating a beautiful result. You know, if you stop down too much, the background comes into sharper focus pulling the viewers attention from the subjects. Look at the images accompanying this post. This is exactly the separation I want - the wider aperture forces the viewers attention right to the sharply focused subject with the soft background receding gently in the scene.

Too many photographers are afraid to shoot at the wider aperture causing the background to come into sharper focus which then competes for attention with the subject. Back in my early film days, I had to practice focusing at the wider apertures to be sure I was sharp on the subjects. Today, there is nothing to it with the auto focus cameras we have available.

So my advice, don't be afraid to shoot at a wider aperture. Give F4.0 a try. I promise, you will love the result.

Hey gang, that's it for me today - bags to pack and planes to catch - See ya' in Las Vegas next week. And just remember while you're in Vegas , keep your pixels away from the slot machines and you'll have more fun at the trade show;~) See ya' there, -David

"The Littlest Bridesmaid"

"The Littlest Bridesmaid"
©David A. Ziser

I'm going through images for my book and I keep running into these shots that have sort of drifted from my memory. I remember taking this shot as everyone was running around in many directions getting ready to leave for the church. This beautiful little girl was just standing around patiently waiting to leave. I spotted her, she spotted me and I snapped the image. It's completely available light, but the light was beautiful. Add those wonderful big eyes, that gentle expression, that beautiful face and you have a wonderful moment captured for not only the bride and groom but for the little girl's mom and dad. Camera specs; Nikon D1x fitted with 50mm F1.4 lens, F 3.5 @ 1/50 second, ISO 400. Enjoy! -David

Business Day Thursday: Out Of Sight, Out of Mind, Out of Business!

Good Morning Everybody,
Welcome to another Business day Thursday. Yesterday I received an email from my Seattle, WA photographer buddy, Bruce Hudson. Bruce and I have known each other for a number of years. Bruce's does beautiful portrait and wedding work. Here is the link to his website right here.

Anyway, I receive his email inviting me to sit in on his Webinar being hosted by Marathon Press Tuesday evening. I was honored by his request and signed on at 8 p.m. EST. Bruce and his son Josh gave everyone a great 60 minute "listen" on an important marketing topic....Staying connected with your clients. Marathon puts these webinars on all the time - I've even been featured a time or two myself - showcasing talented and well known photographers discussing photography, marketing, and sales. Here is the link to their upcoming programs right here. Tuesday evening Bruce's topic was on newsletters. Here is the link to his latest studio newsletter right here. His topic gave me the idea for today's post.

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

Out Of Sight, Out of Mind, Out of Business!
The minute I heard those words, I jotted them down - Bruce was spot on with that remark. How many times have you been guilty of making the delivery to your client, shaking hands, smiling and waiving good-bye. Once they are out the door we never think of that client again. This is a sad fact about too many business who wonder why they don't have any business.

READ MY LIPS - "WE HAVE TO BE CONNECTING WITH OUR CLIENTS ON A REGULAR BASIS IF WE WANT OUR BUSINESS TO GROW!" Folks, that's the bottom line. That why Bruce's remark rings so true - Out Of Sight, Out of Mind, Out of Business!
With all the resources we have at our disposal today, it extremely easy to stay in touch with your client. Bruce suggested getting started with a simple newsletter that goes out a few times a year. Folks, that like super easy to do. If you don't think so, just try to keep up with a blog 5 days a week - the newsletter is a piece of cake by comparison;~)

Anyway, I want you to think about it. No - I want you to do it!! Let me point you to some great resources to make it happen. First, you need to know how to put a news letter together. Check out this link to one of my favorite sites, AllGraphicDesign. Here is the link. They have a ton on info on newsletter layout and design - over 30 articles on design, layout, impact, mistakes, etc. This site can quickly get you up and running.

Another good source of info can be found at About.com. Here is the link to their newsletter resource page - more good stuff.

OK, there you have - no excuses. But now you ask, "Where in world do I get them printed?" Easy answer - Marathon Press for me and Bruce. At least I'd start there - that's their business - helping photographers promote themselves. They will help you lay it out and print it for you for about $.37 based on an order quantity of 2500 pieces.

I know what you're saying, "Heck, by the time I add the postage, which is going up by the way, I've got a small fortune invested for my little business. I knew you were going to say that so if you want an even more economical way to get your newsletter out - how about an e-newsletter? These are super simple to put together. That's how I stay connected with my monthly newsletter.

It takes me approximately 4 hours to get it together, proof read it and send it. You can do that for about $.015/per email - not too shabby. Contact Marathon Press for their eNewsletter service. Here is the link. Another popular service is Constant Contact - here is their link. Like Marathon, they offer lots of templates that will get you up and running in no time. These are two I am familiar with. Check pricing to see which is the best fit for your situation and budget. The only downside is that it may sit on your client's kitchen counter for days begging for attention.

Anyway, the bottom line is this - Do Something, Not Nothing if you want you customers to keep coming back! And it's pretty easy to do something, even without breaking the bank.

My thanks to Bruce for the invitation to sit in on his program. He has a lot more where that came from too. Check out his MyStudioMentor site right here. Bruce has been helping photographers for years build and fine tune their businesses.

Anyway, on that note gang, I'm out of here. See ya' tomorrow for who knows what, but it will still be worth the visit. See ya' then. -David

"Light And Airy"

"Light And Airy"
©David A. Ziser

Here is another image I just love mostly because it feels just like the title implies. This image was made in my early digital days when I was just getting the feel of the gear. The bride was illuminated with regular studio strobe shooting through a Westcott Halo light modifier - my favorite, by the way. I decided to convert the image to B&W and really push the mid-tones quite a bit lighter. The bride's look and how she is holding the veil complimented the high key look of the final image. Camera specs; Fuji S-1 fitted with 24-135mm Tamron lens, F8.0 @ 1/90 second, ISO 320. Enjoy! -David

Wednesday: Analysis Of A Wedding Shoot - Let The Competition Begin - The Bouquet Toss

Good Morning Everybody,
It's still a little "nuts-oh" around here with the DWC tour just launching and me continuing to play catch up. If you want the in-depth info and see all the goodies we are giving away, just hit the link in Digital WakeUp Call link to the right. Remember, if you decide to attend, enter the PROMO CODE - DWCDPT09 - and save yourself $20.

Can you believe it, I've got another episode of the Analysis of a Wedding Shoot today - this is the series that never ends. Yep, Still a few more to go. What should the next series be? Something to think about. Anyway, let's get right to it...

Let The Competition Begin - The Bouquet Toss
The bouquet toss is one of the high points at the wedding reception. It involves a lot of the guests participating and is always good fun. For me, this series of images covers two two-page spreads in the wedding album. As the wedding photographer shooting the bouquet toss, we need to cover it thoroughly. Let me walk you through how I put that series of images together.

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

1 - I like to suggest to the bride and groom that the bouquet and garter activities happen earlier in the reception rather than later. Wedding receptions pick up momentum throughout the evening. Doing the garter and bouquet shots later in the evening tends to slow the party momentum, so try to have it happen earlier in the evening. You can easily coordinate this with the bride and groom, bridal consultant, band, or DJ.

2 – The bouquet toss is typically the first of the two events. Coordinate with the band or DJ to ask all the single girls (and all the girls who wish they were single) to join the bride on the dance floor. You can see how I prefer to have the group arranged for the shot.

3 - NEVER stand in front of the bride with all the girls behind the bride to take the shot. The bride blocks way to many of the girls and the shot will look awful. It’s always about seeing as many faces, capturing all the excitement as possible for the shot.

4 -- How about the position of my second light – this is important to get your best photograph. It’s the assistant’s job to light up the far part of the group since these girls are furthest from the camera and my on-camera flash.

5 – How about the exposure – my standard F-stop is F6.3 on my Canon 5D Mark II fitted with my 24-105mm IS lens and F5.6 on my 50D fitted with either my 17-85mm IS lens. I also like working with the 18-200mm IS lens too. It’s a great working lens for wedding candids because of the range of the focal length.

6 - Another DON’T for me is the fake toss. Many photographers ask the bride to pretend to toss the bouquet to get a first shot. For me, it looks fake, set-up, not real and doesn't capture the true feelings and emotions of the moment. I prefer to get in position, let the band start the count and then take several, even zooming in on some shots for added variety, as the bride gets ready to make the toss.

7 -- As she continues with the toss, keep the cameras rolling. I try to get at least one shot of the bouquet within fingers grasp of the person about to catch the bouquet. This is the main action shot I want to capture.

8 – It’s at this point that I approach the person who caught the bouquet and ask her to join the bride for a shot. This image is a great ending image for the entire series. There you have it - it fast moving and fun. Be sure you camera and flash can shoot fast enough to keep up with the action. Remember, these aren't the film days anymore. We've got lots of opportunities to really make a difference with how we shoot, light, and cover the bouquet toss. Hopefully this advice will make a difference in your images too.

Hey gang, that's it for me today. LaDawn and I are starting to pack our bags and get ready to head for Las Vegas! See you tomorrow for another episode of Business Day Thursday. See ya' then. -David

"Autumn Beauty"

"Autumn Beauty"
©David A. Ziser

This is another one of my first digital images taken about 8 years ago. What strikes me is, even though so many years have gone by since I made this image, it is still a beautiful image with a certain timeless quality. I love the rich color of the sky further enhanced by the wonderful cloud formations throughout the scene leading the viewer's eye right to the bride. It was indeed a beautiful day, but my lens of choice for this image was a 16mm Nikkor Fisheye lens. It's super wide field of view is one of the main reasons we have such a dramatic rendition of the sky. The use of the off-camera flash allowed me to further control the exposure of the ambient tonalities of the scene which included the sky. Camera specs; Fuji S-1 fitted with 16mm Nikkor Fisheye lens, F8.0 @ 1/100 second, ISO 400. Enjoy! -David

Technique Tuesday: Is Lightroom Faster Than Photoshop?

Good Morning Everybody,
Yesterday's announcement of my "Digital WakeUp Call - A New Dawn" tour [link] sure created lots of excitement among our DPT readers - thanks to to all who jumped on board right away. I promise each and everyone of you a jam-packed, information filled, fun evening. I'm looking forward to seeing everyone there.

Is Lightroom Faster Than Photoshop?
A few months ago I re-ran one of my very early tutorials entitled, "Rocky Mountain High" [link]. I loved the tutorial because it showed how I solve the problem we portrait photographers sometimes encounter - dark, variable backgrounds. A couple readers commented wondering if I would have used Lightroom now that's its available.

Well, I decided to revisit the image and test out the hypothesis of whether Lightroom would be faster than Photoshop in this instance. You may notice that the length of the previous Photoshop tutorial runs a few seconds shorter, that's because I've gotten much longer winded these days. Hit the PLAY button below and you be the judge as to which solution gives the best result. You might be surprised.




Hey everybody, I've got to hit the trail. We've got lots of stuff to wrap before we head out to Las Vegas on Sunday for WPPI. I'm presenting a platform program at 8:00 a.m. on Monday. I hope to see many of you there. Anyway, got to go. See ya' tomorrow for Analysis of A Wedding Shoot - Part 987 ;~) -David

"With The Love Of My Life"

"With The Love Of My Life"
©David A. Ziser

This image was created in 2001. I was in the middle of my transition to digital and like most film shooters at the time, was running a little scared about all the technology. But, you know, that didn't last long when I saw the results I was getting and considered all the new digital possibilities. This image was made in Park City, UT at the top of the mountains. I love featuring the couple's rings while still the expressions and feelings hinted at in the image. The crop maintains the couple's anonymity as they warmly embrace each other with joy showing all over their hidden expressions. Camera specs; Fuji S-1 fitted with Tamron 24-135mm lens at 105mm, F4.0 @ 1/180 second, ISO 320. Enjoy! -David

Quick Hit Monday: "Digital WakeUp Call - A New Dawn" Launches Today

Good Morning Everybody,
That's right! - my "Digital WakeUp Call - A New Dawn" Launches Today" !!! Today is the day!!! Fasten your seat belts and get ready for take off. Ever since my 2006 Digital WakeUp Call, everybody has been asking when we would be hitting the trail again. The magic date is March 30, 2009 right after Photoshop World-Boston! Here is the link right here to check it out.

You won't believe what we've got planned in the 3-part program. Check it out.

• Everybody who registers will receive membership in WPPI for one year and a subscription to Rangefinder Magazine for 1 year - hey that's worth $99!
• Our buddies over at ACI - American color imaging - are throwing in a $100 rebate for their lab services. WOW!
• Plus Professional Photographers of America is giving a 3 Month subscription to Professional Photographer Magazine
• I'm throwing in a 36 page Tour handbook complete with the program guide and several more articles on marketing and sales.
• I'm also throwing in a Tour DVD with 2 more hours of Lighting, Photography, Lightroom, and Photoshop tutorials. That makes the program 6 hours Total!!

Wait, there's more...
Thanks to the generosity of our sponsors, we are giving away - get this - over $170,000 in Door Prizes and Grand Prizes!!! Folks, you read right here. $ 2500 in door prizes every night!

Head over to the site and register right now. Want to save $20, be sure to enter PROMO Code DWCDPT09. So registering for only $59, you walk away with over $160 of real value and a great chance to win one of the gazillion door prizes! I love the door prizes - I love giving them away and the audience has a great time winning them.

This seminar literally gives you over a 300% percent return on your investment - I'm stoked that we were able to jam so much value, information, and fun into one evening - heck, you might even want to come by a second or third time just for the prizes.

Here is a brief description of what I'm covering in the 4 hour program:

• 32 ways to use your on and off-camera flashes for creative and dramatic effects.
• 10 of the best camera settings and lens choices for creating striking images on every job.
• 7 ways to use the new DSLR video capabilities to transform your product offerings.
• 10 “Magic Bullet” techniques to make your digital work flow nearly effortless, highly efficient, and fun with today’s top software from Adobe Lightroom, NIK, and LumaPix: FotoFusion.
• 20 new product and solid marketing ideas targeted to today’s customers to add substantially to your bottom line.

Head over to DigitalWakeUpCall.com right now to get all the details. I can't wait to see you there.
Hey gang, that's it for me today. We still have a few loose ends to tie up before heading to Las Vegas and the WPPI Convention kicking off next weekend. I've see everybody tomorrow. Have a great one, -David

"Looking For The Limo"

"Looking For The Limo"
©David A. Ziser

I remember capturing literally hundreds of great candid images at this wedding. This was one of them. I had just completed photographing a group shot of all the girls from the stairway to the second floor. After wrapping the shot, the group broke up and the two little girls headed for the window to see if the limo, in this case, a "limo" that looked like a train - yes, a train - it was quite the deal. Anyway, as they peeked out, their mom joined them in looking for the limo. I thought the action, everyone peeking out the window combined with the rich, saturated colors of the bridesmaids gown and accented with the bouquets made for a wonderful image. Camera specs; Nikon D1x fitted with 18-35mm lens at 35mm, F5.0 @ 1/13 second, ISO 400. Enjoy! -David

Gear Bag Friday - Double Blast Video Week - The Video Tour Of My Gear Bag

Good Morning Everybody,
I'm super stoked today. We are inches away from launching my tour, "Digital WakeUp Call - A New Dawn." We are putting finishing touches on the web site as we speak. I can't wait to tell you the rest of the story - this tour will be absolutely the most informative, most valuable seminar you will ever attend - guaranteed!. If we get the site launched over the weekend, I'll give you a quick head's up. Anyway, let's move on to our last episode of Gear Bag Friday...

Gear Bag Friday - The Video Tour
Hey gang, today I thought I would wrap our series of Gear Bag Friday with a video tour of my gear bag. I'll show you where the lenses and cameras sit, and how we work the gear bag at a wedding. Remember, I'm an engineer by training so all my geek training in that department goes into what I want to cover in today's post. I hope you find it enjoyable and informative. Hit the PLAY button below to further see what lurks in my gear bag ;~)


That's a wrap for today. See everybody next week. Have a great weekend, and remember, its a good idea to vacuum any loose pixels out of your gear bag from time to time. See ya' Monday, -David

"Stealing A Kiss"

"Stealing A Kiss"
©David A. Ziser

Here is another legacy film image from the same wedding as the image I posted yesterday. The bride and groom selected a local college campus to begin their wedding celebration. They wanted many of their wedding images captured on the campus grounds which, by the way offered some great backgrounds and beautiful locations for some terrific images. I remember we were setting up for a shot at the top of the steps, I was setting exposure, and when I looked up, I saw the groom and bride talking. I raised the camera to my eye just as the groom leaned forward and stole a kiss from his bride. Camera specs; Hasselblad 500CM fitted with 150mm Sonnar, F8.0 @ 1/250 second, ISO 800 Kodak Vericolor film. Enjoy! -David

Business day Thursday: Wedding Inquiry - How To Get All The Info You Need

Good Morning Everybody,
I can't believe the week is almost by us again - time sure flies when you are having fun - or working your tail off!! The book is wrapping, if I find the time to just finish this project. Tour sponsors are being secured, schedule locked in place, venues contracted, websites tweaked, advertising pages read and re-read.......... The light, where is it? If I could only find the end of the tunnel!

I remember a piece of success advice I heard years ago, "Try to help others be successful and success will find you." I guess I've always tried to live by that advice. Anytime we are asked and even some times when not asked, we try to accommodate our vendor buddies - that could include complimentary photography, images, display items, we are happy to oblige. Just a little side note. How about we get on with Business day Thursday...

Wedding Inquiry - How To Get All The Info You Need
It doesn't matter how big or small your studio is, I think today's piece is good advice for any business. As a matter of fact, many businesses base a lot of their customer service success on today's topic of discussion. Here is the deal. The phone rings - how do you answer it? If you have someone else in the office, how do they answer it? Is everyone on the "same page" when it comes to conversing with the prospective bride, or any type of client for that matter? The answer to that question is probably no.

Consistency in how your company of one or many deals with a prospective client in that initial phone interview should be important to you in running your business. Why because consistency means that you and all your employees are "walking the walk and talking the same talk" to every new bride calling.

Hear me out on this. In my studio, we have up to four people that can answer the phone and take that client inquiry call. It's important for me (my business) that all four people are "on message" with the caller. "On message" means that every prospective client hears the sames words, engages in the same conversation, when any team members answer the phone. Again the question, "Why is this so important?" It's important because we want to book the client. Our best chances of reaching that goal are if every member has the same skill set - that is the tools, in this case the words to say, to have the best chance of booking the prospective client for an appointment.

"Train employees, skill sets - Ziser, what are you talking about? I'm just a small business. We are just trying to book weddings." Small is NOT the operative word. Are you a well run small business? If we can bring consistency to even this small aspect of our business, we add just that much grease to the wheels of our well run small business.

Hit the "Read More..." link below to hear the rest of the story.

Here is how to do it. Script EXACTLY what will be said in that phone conversation. Include alternative paragraphs that, from your experience, will arise. Let the script be your road map to the entire conversation. Be sure everyone that answers the phone in your business has a copy of the script in front of them, has practised and knows the phone script thoroughly without sounding mechanical. Each employee should follow the script as close as possible making notes right on the phone script.

Of course, if you book the prospective client for an interview, the completed phone script is the beginning of your road map for that future conversation. Based on your past, current, and future experiences, keep the script dynamic, improving on it every time you can. Practice and review it with anyone that answers the phone in your studio.

Here is our quick "road map" - what we want to get covered and in its proper order - to our phone conversation with our prospective client:

How did you hear about us?
I want to know if it was from a vendor or a client recommendation. Also, I want to know if it was the result of any advertising.

Check date availability.
Sure, we all do this. But, if you are booked what do you do? We ask them if they can move the date - yep, works about 1 in 10 times. Bottom line is this - we've increased our booking rate just by asking the question.

Quote prices – from low to high.
Everybody is looking for a deal these days. We do quote our range of prices. That quickly qualifies the client so as to not waste your valuable time with someone that truly can't afford your services. If our prices are beyond their budget, they usually let us know right away. No problem, we haven't wasted their time or our time.

Trial close – Does that fit within your budget?
Hey, if we don't even know what the budget is, how can we ever expect to serve our client with our bountiful list of services?

How close are we?
This is one of the best questions in the world. If our prices are still higher than their budget, but not that much higher then we increase the possibility of them coming in and seeing our product and maybe stretch their budget just a bit to make it work for them and create a booking for us.

Send out PR kit.
Well, we call it an information packet, but it is still a handsome packet of information that lists my involvement in the community, awards I've won, projects I'm working on, high profile weddings we may have photographed - anything that raises our heads above the crowd. I posted a few months ago how to put together a press kit. Here is the press kit link right here.

Follow-up phone calls.
Don't wait for them to call you, CALL THEM three days later to see if they received the information. This phone call gives you a chance to answer questions or hidden objections that they may have come to mind as they expanded their search. Remember, the goal is to have them visit the studio to see your work up close and personal.

Make appointment.
Wrap it up "thank yous" and pleasant "good-byes" being excited that you are looking forward to seeing them.

I've given you the outline we use. Now you can fill in the blanks developing your script for your next phone inquiry. Rehearse it, polish it, continue to review and refine it and you will find that it works better than the "off the cuff" meandering conversation we may be having now with your prospective clients. The phone script makes sure nothing is left out and all bases are covered regardless of who answers the phone in your company.

Hey gang, that's it for me today. Be sure to check back tomorrow for our last episode of Gear Bag Friday: The Video Tour. See ya' then, -David

"To Have And To Hold"

"To Have And To Hold"
©David A. Ziser

Here is another film image from the Ziser vaults - and I still remember making this image. It's a pretty traditional image in some ways but I think still has a certain timeless quality about it. I focused on the bouquet's bright colors and let the couple's hands go softly out of focus. We see the groom take the bride's one hand - is he simply holding it or drawing her closer for a kiss. We simply don't know but I think the hint of that possibility enhances the feeling of this image. Camera specs; Hasselblad 50CM fitted with 150mm Sonnar, F5.6 @ 1/250 second, ISO 800 Kodak Vericolor 800 film. Enjoy! -David

Wednesday: Analysis Of A Wedding Shoot - Father/Daughter Dance

Good Morning Everybody,
Good News! My 2009 tour "Digital WakeUp Call - A New Dawn" web site is nearly ready to launch - hopefully by the end of the week. I'll let you know the minute it does. We are putting finishing touches on the site and ads today. Things are pretty exciting around here. I did have time to sneak in one more episode of my Analysis of a Wedding Shoot - enjoy the read.

Analysis Of A Wedding Shoot - Father/Daughter Dance
Some of my favorite, and some of the most important images to capture at the wedding reception, is the bride dancing with her father and the complementary series of images of the groom dancing with his mother. I know, as a father this would be the highlight of the wedding for me. Watching your little girl grow up over all those many years and then seeing her as a woman marrying the man of her dreams has to be a wonderful thrill for any father. And sharing this thrill with his daughter on her wedding day has to be even a bigger inspiration for him. There are always smiles and sometimes tears and hugs, all of which need to be captured as part of the series. I have a regular routine that I use when photographing this series of events for my clients. It's a routine I follow every wedding to be sure that I have a great series of images of both the bride dancing with her father and the groom dancing with his mother.

Hit the "Read More..." for the rest of the story and pictures.

Let me walk you through the steps and share with you what I'm looking for as I look through the viewfinder of my camera to capture those images.

1 -- The band most often will announce that it's time for the bride to dance with her father. With that announcement the bride will make her way to the dance floor sometimes with her father and sometimes not. We need to capture whatever is happening at these early moments of the dance too – don’t miss them. 2 -- Early in the dance I try to grab one coaxed candidate of the bride and her father dancing. This would mean that right after the dance begins I would approach them easily and ask both of them to look into the camera give each other a hug.

3 -- In the opening moments of the father/daughter dance the bride and her dad, most of the time, share reassuring, loving words with each other and there are some great expressions to be captured at this time.

4 -- As the dance precedes, the comments between the bride and her father many times become a bit more reminiscent of the bride's childhood and, at this point many times you can see a tear or two well up in the eye of either the bride or her father. For me, I'm going to zoom in close on their faces and be sure to capture those wonderful expressions.

6 -- As the song reaches its end, be sure that you are ready for what will invariably happen at nearly every father daughter dance. As a last note is played the father and the bride will hug tightly with each other, maybe kiss, maybe a dip of his daughter and maybe hold each other for a moment or two. Don’t miss this – it’s a wonderful opportunity to capture some treasured expressions and great shots of these wonderful moments. Hey everybody, that wraps it for me today. I'll see everybody tomorrow for Business Day Thursday: Wedding Inquiry - How To Get All The Info You Need. See ya' then. -David

"Memories Of Years Gone By"

"Memories Of Years Gone By"
©David A. Ziser

I have loved this image since I first took it. Although originally photographed in color, it "sings" in B&W. The somber, innocent expressions of the two little girls just waiting patiently for everyone else to get ready echoes back to those more innocent days - of days gone by - back to the days of images reflecting the feel of the European "old country" when life was slower paced. Camera specs: Hasselblad 500CM medium format camera fitted with 50mm lens, F 4.0 @ 1/30 second. ISO 800 Kodak Vericolor 800 film. Enjoy! -David

Lightroom 2 In Reverse Part 2 - Rapid Fire Retouching

Good Morning Everybody,
So did you get through all those blogs yesterday? I don't know about you guys and girls, but sometimes I thinks it's therapy to hit some of the other sites just to get a fresh take on ideas, technique, photography, work flow - whatever. Now I'm not talking about spending hours and hours, but a short break every now and then is good for the creative juices. Anyway, I don't want waste to much time. I've got a pretty cool Technique Tuesday for everybody today, so let's get right to it.

Lightroom 2 In Reverse Part 2 - Rapid Fire Retouching
I think you are really going to like the retouching technique I'm discussing today. We have used our "tried and true" ways of doing retouching in Photoshop for years. Today's technique shows how you can use Lightroom 2 to achieve some wonderful results without even having to make the trip to Photoshop. Sure, we still let Photoshop do all the retouching heavy lifting for us, but many times this quick "rocket speed" trick in Lightroom 2 will fill the bill just fine. Hit the PLAY button below for the rest of the story...



Hey everybody, that's it for me today. It's back to work on the book, "Weddings and Beyond..." or "To Have and Hold...," or "David Ziser's Wedding Cookbook for Digital Photographers..." Nope, we still don't have a title selected, any suggestions from our DPT readers? Heck, I might just give you a signed copy of the book if I use your title ;~). See everybody tomorrow for yet another never-ending edition of The Analysis Of A wedding Shoot. See you then, -David

"A Father's Special Moment"

"A Father's Special Moment"
©David A. Ziser

I was cruising some of my legacy images over the weekend. Don't you love that word "legacy" - it says old in a very classy way. Anyway, I was looking for images to illustrate my book and ran across one of my old-time favorite images of a dad dancing with his daughter. The entire shot was made with the available light in the ballroom. The dance floor was illuminated with a special dappled pattern which looked great. The Bride and her father were followed with a spotlight as they enjoyed their dance. It was this added light that allowed me to capture this image. I took up my position placing the band in the foreground and waited for the bride and her father to move into the center of the scene. The dad was oriented perfectly for me to capture his wonderful expression as he enjoyed the treasured moment with his daughter. Camera specs; Hasselblad fitted with 40mm Distagon, F4.0 At 1/30 second, ISO 800 shot on Kodak Vericolor 800 film.

Enjoy! -David