Food For Thought Friday: Missing The Photographic Moments

Good Morning Everybody,

We had a full day yesterday exploring downtown Boston and seeing the sites. 

We love the history of the area. Visiting the U.S.S. Constitution (Old Iron sides) and hearing the stories of the sailors and the battles were amazing.  We also visited Paul Revere’s home - quite large for the 1700’s but heck, he did have 5 to 9 kids running around the house at any one time. He was also quite the entrepreneur of his times.  Again, a fascinating study of one of our great country’s founders [link] in our American history.

We plan on more of the same today, maybe with a little whale watching thrown in. 

They guarantee we’ll see whales so it should ne a pretty cool trip.  I’m looking forward to getting that great whale shot of the whale’s tail fins just entering the water – OK, maybe that is a bit ambitious for the tourist cruise but who knows ;~)

Hey gang, today I’d like you to consider “Missing the Photographic Moments” in our photography.  How many photographic moments do we miss personally or on the job and why do we miss them. 

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

Missing The Photographic Moments

I was sitting on the front terrace of our home about a week ago. There was a storm brewing In the clouds directly in front of my view. flashes of lighting were brightly lighting the cloud's interior.

This lightning was not like regular lightning that makes the ground strikes. This evenings lighting was confined only to within the clouds. And the clouds were dancing brightly with the millions of volts of energy they contained.

I just sat there mesmerized by what I was witnessing on this mild summer evening - it was truly beautiful to behold. As I continued to enjoy nature's Midwest version of the aurora borealis, I could see after a while, that the clouds were slowly spreading even more over the entire sky. The lightning flashes were not as the bright - still fun to watch but diminished substantially from the earlier minutes of the evening.

It was at that point that I finally decided to grab the camera and see if I could capture any of the last remnants of this amazing and beautiful cloud lightning display. But, I was to late. I missed the moment and there had been plenty of them earlier.

Had I grabbed the tripod and camera just about 30 minutes sooner, I could have gotten some great images of this remarkable "in the clouds" lightning storm. They would have been some exciting images.

That's when it hit me - how many moments do we miss in life that we could have captured photographically but we lazily just let them slip by. Heck, missing moments isn't always photography related either. How many other moments do we miss by being unprepared or just too lazy to just get up and move toward the moments?

Now let's put "missing moments" in the context of wedding photography. How many times has a bride complained about her photographer not getting some special shots (moments) at her wedding? The answer is that too many brides have that complaint too  often. What's the problem?

I think the answer can be summed up in the fact that many photographers are not actively attentive when it comes to shooting wedding. They are simply not paying enough attention to the events around them and are missing great shots. I've seen it many times myself at weddings/events where I have attended as a guest. I just cringe when I see the moment missed.

I remember years ago while shooting a wedding, the banquet manager came up to me and commented on my wedding technique. She said, "You always seem to be studying and watching the room waiting for something to happen. You seem to be on the prowl never dropping your attention from any part of the event and when you see the moment you are ready to capture the photograph."

Wow! It sure was a nice compliment but, I think it describes exactly how every wedding photographer should approach his/her craft. Yes, I said craft, not art. We have to be good craftsmen at what we do too. We need to know how to get the job done well. And getting any job done well is the result of preparation, training, and diligent execution.

The art of our wedding shoot is evident in how we bring the visual compositions together. The art is about how we use the light creatively to obtain that dramatic result. The art is seen in how we weave the images together into a wonderful story.

An excellent wedding photographer has to be both a good artist and good craftsman. Both qualities are necessary if you want to produce a standout job for your client. One's artistry comes from within. It's how one sees the world in their own mind's eye.

But wedding craftsmanship is a studied process and requires practice. It requires a certain "on the job" vigilance so that no moments are missed when they present themselves. That too is what defines a wedding professional because a professional is always pushing to be the best they can be so they can do the best job for their client.

So where does that bring us today? Whether you are an aspiring photographer or a seasoned pro, we all need to constantly be honing the craft of our profession. We can never let up on the job. We need to be vigilant for every moment that presents itself and be "camera" ready to capture the shot.

To suggest anything less than that only means that we are being less professional than we could be for our clients and that just doesn't play in my book. And, I hope, not for you either.

So, back to my lightning storm.

After bringing the camera out and setting up the tripod, I did manage to capture a few shots like this one, but it was not like the shots I could have captured had I chosen not to miss the moment. Maybe next time ;~)

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Hey gang, that's it for me today. We are enjoying our stay  in Boston and are heading over to the North Shore Music Theater this evening to see Gypsy. For anyone reading this post that lives within "shouting distance" of Boston, you have a great treasure in the North Shore Music Theater. It closed in 2009 but is roaring back this year with their grand re-opening - we can't wait!

They've recently moved their new quarters, now a theater in the round, so the show should be a fascinating experience this evening. Hey, if anyone reading this is in the audience tonight, come on over and say "HI". We are in Section A in the front row.

Sunday we head over to Bar Harbor, Maine. As I previously mentioned, we've never experienced that part of the country and hear it is gorgeous - we can't wait. So, how about I plan to see everybody here bright and early on Monday - blogging from the bay.

See ya' then. Have a great weekend everybody and I'll see you next week.

Adios, David

Food For Thought Friday: Are You Paralyzed By Perfection

Good Morning Everybody,

Hey, just a quick note about next Tuesday’s webcast “Fast and Easy Digital Design” [link] – we are at capacity (1,000 registered) as of late yesterday.  Typically a few folks won’t be able to make it at the last minute, so we will be accepting new registrants on a standby basis.  That means that folks registering today will probably still be able to sign on to see the program on Tuesday.  My thanks for everyone's enthusiastic support for my webcast.  I’m looking forward to seeing you on Tuesday!

This webcast is going to go WAY beyond album design.  This time I'm going to show you a variety of projects that you can use to promote yourself to your vendor friends and get them to promote you as well.

I'm also planning to show you a lot of cool new products you can create for your clients. These digitally designed products add sizzle to your photography and your product line. 

Just like last time, the projects I’ll discuss are not software dependent - you can create all these projects in Photoshop - it will just take you a lot longer.  In next week's webcast I'll show you at least 10 in-depth Lumapix:FotoFusion tips and tricks that will really get you up to speed in no time with this easy to use software! 

If you are new to Lumapix, I promise you, you won't believe your eyes! You can save $200 on Lumapix right now at our Digital resource Center [link].

OK gang, time to get on with today's post.

Are You Paralyzed By Perfection: 7 Ways To Get Unstuck

Have you ever felt that you were just stuck, you just could not get moving on a project.  Other projects were piling up because they needed no more than a tweak or two?  Man oh man, what a frustrating place to be!  Hey, I must admit, I've been there a time K&R two myself - and I can't stand it!

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

One place we sometimes experience this feeling is when working in Photoshop.  I tell a joke during my programs, "You can work 3 hours  on a project in Photoshop.  It will inevitably turn out to be your best work of art, OR ruined beyond recognition!" Lots of times, it's the latter.

A few years ago, I was asked to retouch a snapshot of a woman that had passed away.  The company wanted to hang it on the wall along side the other 25 framed images I had made for them.  Unfortunately the only image they could find from family and friends was a low quality snap shot.I thought I owed it to the company to make this snapshot look like a professionally touched portrait. I worked and worked on the image.  I thought I was getting closer to a decent result.  My staff did not like the fruits of my efforts.  I insisted we send it on the client. 

I have lived with this image through hours of retouching so I was "hypnotized" by my extensive efforts that the final image looked fine.  The company didn't like it either and kicked it back to us.  We went with a Plan B and everyone was happy.  Now if someone around here is spending too much time on a retouching project, our mantra is, crude as it sounds, "Remember the dead woman." That brings us back to earth in no time.  It’s a quick reality check for us.

Being paralyzed with perfection can also crop up when we are editing our images from a wedding.  We load them into Lightroom and begin the editing process.  I remember when we training a new employee how to do the edit - it was taking her FOREVER!  I was watching payroll $$$ go through the roof on this project.  She was trying to make each image perfect for the Internet upload.

I took to heart a quote I heard from my buddy, David Jay, at a program a few years ago.  It was good common sense editing advice.  He said, "It doesn't have to be perfect, just really good." It's that working to the perfect image that was "hamstringing" our design process. LaDawn now has a sign posted in our production area that says the same thing - good advice worth noting if you want to get a good job done in a reasonable amount of time.

Yes, we want those images nearly perfect before they hit the client's album, but now we're talking a much smaller number of images, not the original 1,000's of images.

How about a different kind of paralyzed feeling? Have you ever felt so overwhelmed with a huge list of things to do that you felt you could never get everything done?  Or, even more seriously, didn't even know where to start.  This is not a good place to be, yet we all find ourselves there on occasion.

I know when I feel that sense of impending, smothering doom with an overloaded project schedule, I FORCE myself to pull out the pencil and pad of paper.  I call my solution "Eating the elephant - one spoonful at a time."

This most important thing you can do to dig out of this sense of feeling overwhelmed is to make a list.  As simple as that sounds, it is truly one of the best ways to manage these kind of paralyzed feeling.  First Break all the projects out separately into their own entity.  Now, subdivide each project further into it's separate processes. Delegate if possible.

Soon the paralysis begins to dissolve away.  Now you can see the "spoonfuls of the elephant" that you need to tackle. Think of it as a "divide and conquer" strategy to get control of the situation.  Hey, if it worked for Caesar, it will work for you ;~)

Here are my 7 strategies to for getting “unstuck.”

1. Don't strive for PERFECT on all your projects. But Shoot for NEARLY PERFECT on the most meaningful ones.  As I once read, “The path to perfection only leads to procrastination.”

2. "Remember the dead woman.". If you are killing the production budget on a project, take a step back and re-evaluate what you've done and what still needs to be completed. Know when the project is nearly complete and know when to STOP.

3. "Eat the elephant one spoonful at a time." Understanding this concept will make all your overwhelming projects seem much more manageable and doable.  Remember to divide, conquer  and where possible delegate all BIG projects.

4. Have regular staff meetings to evaluate project workflow issues in your business.  Look to you whole team for solutions in tackling the larger issues. 

Don't have a large staff?  In that case talk it over with your spouse, partner, friend, and/or family member.  The secret is in a support team. These are family, friends co-workers that are willing to give a listening ear and help. This secret to why this works is the fact that others bring perspective to the issues you are standing too close to.  They help you see the entire picture and that can be a huge help with project paralysis.

5. Be a positive thinker and look at the bright side of life.  I'm reading an autobiography of Andrew Carnegie, one of the richest men in the world for his time.  Then he turned around and gave all his money away. 

Here is what he said in the opening chapter.

“I think my optimistic nature, my ability to shed trouble and to laugh through life, making "all my ducks swans," as friends say I do, must have been inherited from this delightful old masquerading grandfather whose name I am proud to bear.  A sunny disposition is worth more than fortune. Young people should know that it can be cultivated; that the mind like the body can be moved from the shade into sunshine. Let us move it then."

AWESOME advice, if you ask me.

6. Clean up you desk.  It will make you feel better and you will feel like you got something accomplished. And, it will make you feel like you've got that fresh slate to get started on your projects.  Simple as it sounds, it's works.

7. Go out and "smell the roses". Just take a short walk around the block.  Breath in the fresh air, smell the smells, listen to the sounds around you.  Just take a break, but make it a meaningful break that is totally void of any of your mundane daily duties.  My mom was always reminding me of my own advice for the many hears I was building my business.  Too many times I forgot to take my own advice about those roses, but my Mom would always bring me back to the power of  "smelling the roses."

We all go through these feelings these road blocks one time or another.  These are just a few of my strategies I use when I sense the quicksand setting in.  And, guess what, anyone or even a combination of these 7 strategies works for me all the time. 

My wish is that you don't find yourself there very often, but when you do, you have a way to get moving again.  Let me share with you one of my favorite YouTube videos.  It is a compilation of interviews with well known actor, Will Smith. I think he has a good take on our subject today.  Hit the PLAY button below and ENJOY! 

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Hey gang, I'm out of here and looking forward to the holiday weekend.  I'll be back again on Monday for a short reflection on the holiday and to remind you about our webcast on Tuesday.

Everybody have a great weekend.  And may all your 4th of July pixels be colorful, bright and sparkle.  See ya' next week.

Adios, David

Business Day Thursday: Kick Starting Your Brand New Attitude!

Good Morning Everyone,

WOW! Thanks to everyone who has made the launch of my new 2010 Digital WakeUp Call Success Collection [link] so successful!  I still can't believe all the valuable items included in this collection, thanks to the generous support of our sponsors. I firmly believe that no educational opportunity this comprehensive and value packed has ever been offered to photographers before. If you give it a try, I promise you, you won't be disappointed.

Thanks again everybody!

I've a different kind of Business Day Thursday post for you today.  I hope you enjoy it.  Here we go...

Kick Starting Your Brand New Attitude!

You know, I've been in the photography business a fair number of years and have loved every minute of it.  Like many photographers, my beginnings were very humble beginnings. I'd like to share some of those experiences with you today. Like many folks wanting to start their businesses today, I was nervous, scared, hopeful, and for the most part didn't know how I was going to grow my business.

My Early Years

I was working as an engineer at the time and lots of my college buddies were starting to get married.  They knew that I was a part time photographer shooting weddings and sports events for a prominent studio in Dayton, Ohio and thought I would do an adequate job for them. I graduated with a B.A. in Physics, and a B.S. in Industrial Engineering and thought that's what I wanted to do "when I grew up", but deep in my heart, I loved photography - particularly wedding photography.  I hung out my "shingle" in October, 1978.

By 1979, I was working to get any and every photography job I could.  I kept my prices low and was the CHEAPEST photographer in the Cincinnati, Ohio area.  You know, being cheap is good for building your business, I thought. Uhmmmm.... sound familiar?  My prices started at $119 and went all the way up $259.  For $259, I would even "double-light" the images just like Monte Zucker taught me at his class I attended that same year.

I continued to struggle in those early years,  making the same mistakes so many other photogs were making in starting their own businesses.  I knew the "turn over" rate was really high in wedding photography.  Heck, you could just check the Yellow Pages back in those days and see all the new ads for wedding photographers and also see so many missing from the previous year. Amazing, not unlike today's wedding photographer climate.

The Turn Around Begins

The reason I'm writing today's post is to let you know what turned things around for me. The idea came to me yesterday when I got an email from Ace #1 Assistant, Nickolas Viltrakis.  He asked me to take 10 minutes out of my busy day and watch this YouTube video he had discovered. 

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

Now before I give you the link, I want you to understand that this video was made back in the 1950's so there may be a little culture shock when you view it, depending on your generational niche - X, Y, Z-gen, new millennial, etc.  If you can get around that, I really think you'll enjoy the video.  In fact, it may even change your life - seriously.  This recording was one of the first that started to point me into the direction of success I was striving for back so many years ago.

Nicholas had sent me a link to Earl Nightingale's "The Strangest Secret In The World". The fact of the matter is that I had listened to that same audio tape almost 30 years ago! And now here it was again!  I did give it a good listen and it was refreshing to hear those wonderful words of wisdom again. Here is the link to the video Nicholas suggested I view right here.

Mr. Nightingale's message is exactly what we need to hear today, if indeed, we want to experience any kind of success. But don't let it end there. Hearing that recording sent me off on a YouTube quest searching for other recordings that have influenced my life and my success over all these years. I was lucky to find several.

I was a big fan of Earl Nightingale, listened to many of his inspirational recordings, and eventually got hooked up with the Nightingale-Conant Company, the leader in personal development, sales training, wealth building, and so much more. I still have several of their tape series that I purchased over the years. You can find all their info right here. And now everything is offered very conveniently in CD or MP3 format.

The Major Messages That Influenced In My Life

But today, I want to give a peak at some of the recording/messages that changed my life in those early years.  My business would not be here today without the messages I took to heart in those early 1980's.  I hope you'll let me share them with you and give them a good listen.

These first two videos are like pre- “Leave It To Beaver Days” and may grate a bit on your sensibilities. At least they did for me, but hang in there and listen to the important message.

Earl Nightingale -

The Strangest Secret In The World - [link]

Napoleon Hill -

Think And Grow Rich YouTube series [link]

Dr. Wayne Dyer -

Probably the most formative series for me, the message that really was life changing was the first series by Dr. Wayne Dyer entitled, How To Be A No Limit Person."  I’m certainly not saying that I've reached that pinnacle that Dr. Dyer was aspiring me to, but it certainly got me off to my best start.

Many more of Dr. Dyer’s resources can be found right here.

How To Be A No Limit Person

Wayne Dyer - Part 1 - [link]

Wayne Dyer - Part 2 - [link]

Wayne Dyer - Part 3 - [link]

Wayne Dyer - Part 4 - [link]

Wayne Dyer - Part 5 - [link]

Wayne Dyer - Part 6 - [link]

The message is the following video is really important too. If you get your head around the concept, lots of doors open up for you.

There Are No Excuses - [link]

Zig Ziglar -

Zig Ziglar, one of my all time favorite speakers has several series out on attitude, selling, and just living a healthful, meaningful life.  I love his "down home" southern Texas draw and Baptist preacher delivery.  He is both fun, funny, and has a great way to state the obvious, even if it's not always obvious to us.  I've seen him many times in person and it was always a good "kick in the britches" to get me moving in the direction I wanted to go. Gives these videos a listen.  I promise you many more than one smile will cross your face.

You can find lots more info on Zig's programs right here.

Attitude Makes All The Difference - [link]

Prime The Pump - [link]

Setting Goals Part 1 - [link]

Setting Goals Part 2 - [link]

Setting Goals Part 3 - [link]

Strategies For Success - [link]

Inspirational Quotes - [link]

Tony Robbins

Tony Robbins has been another favorite of mine over the years.  He just tells you how it is but leaves the choice up to you.  You are free to chose you own success path - which ever direction that may be.  Give a listen to his TED speech.  You'll get an idea what I mean.  You can also see much more information on Tony's programs right here.

Tony Robbins On TED - [link]

Randy Pausch

Lastly, I'd like to share with you my latest inspirational coach.  His name is Randy Pausch, a professor at Carnegie Mellon University who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.  With only months to live, be began spreading the word as to what was really important in life.

His "Last Lecture" went viral and that is a very good thing.  In this busy world in which we all live, Mr. Pausch's message needs to be heard loud and clear.  I'm pointing you to the short version and the long version of his "Last Lecture."

Oprah “Last Lecture” - [link]

Carnegie Mellon - "Last Lecture" - [link] 1 hour 

Drawing A Few Conclusions

Folks, too many people NEVER get around to taking the time to do the things they need to do to achieve their success goals in their life.  We are always too busy, out of time, don't have the money, etc., etc,. etc......

Only 5% percent of the population achieves what they want to achieve in their lives.  Too many others think they are owed success.  Too many others get caught up in the "hamster wheel of life" and just can't find the time to get off.  But that's what success in life is all about - it's about taking charge of your success.  It's about taking that first step in success's direction. 

I love what Zig Ziglar said in one of his videos.  He said to the person who was procrastinating - "I know one thing with absolute certainty.  I can't help you with the second step, till you take the first step." Folks, it's true - each of us has to take our first step to get to the rest of the steps for our "success journey" in whatever context success means for you.

If you’ve made it this far through today’s post and viewed the videos, then you’ve gotten a taste as to what motivates me and how these wise teachers/speaker/instructors changed my life in those early beginnings. 

I truly hope you too get a glimpse at your life’s possibilities by taking the advice from these video lessons. And, I hope these videos help you to take that first step if you haven't done so already.  If you have taken that first step, then these videos will help keep you on your certain path to your success.

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That's it for me today, everybody.  These videos will take you a while to get through.  Don't try to do it all in one sitting. Spread it out and enjoy the inspiration over these next few days.

I hope you really enjoy the journey - I sure did.

Sincerely,  David

Soap Box Friday: Are We All Just A little Bit Lazy?

Good Morning Everybody,
At least it's still morning in my part of the world. After a nice meeting with the Albuquerque photogs last night, we slept in a little later this morning and are heading leisurely to Santa Fe for a day or two of R&R before we head to Denver. Yep, lots of driving - lots to see.

I have to say, the last two Soap Box Friday's sure got plenty of play in the "Comments" section. Those that chimed in and voiced your opinion - it is much appreciated because that was the intent. I wasn't trying to pick a fight as much as I was attempting to instigate some dialogue going on about those topics - and the dialogue sure came through.
What I liked about the dialogue is that it did bring to bear some different perspectives on both subjects that have been missed in previous discussions. So, thanks to all who took the effort to post your comments. So, let's get right to today's Soap Box Friday.

Are We All Just A little Bit Lazy?
I hope today's post is another thought provoking topic. As usual, I have some strong thoughts on today's topic so here goes. Are we all a little lazy? The easy answer is that we all are at some time or another. I know that's true some of the time but I want to dig a bit deeper than that.

I hear all the time that we are all so busy and don't have time to learn new information a new software, a new camera technique..... I have to giggle a bit because people say, "I don't have time to read your blog every day." My quick remark is, It takes longer for me to write it than does for you to read it but I still write it every day." Don't get me wrong here - I'm grateful to all of the DPT readers. I crack this comment more as a "tongue in cheek" remark.

The fact of the matter is that many of us may be more involved too much with the busyness of our lives instead of living our lives.

I think the reality is this: If we want to be successful at anything we do, we need to invest some time and effort into the "success" process to get the results we want. Back in 2001 I was touring with my buddy, Ralph Romaguera. Ralph is a Photoshop guru - I wasn't even close at the time.

Ralph made a remark that has stuck with me all these years. I asked him how he got so good at Photoshop. He said he woke up an hour earlier each day and just practiced Photoshop - no phone calls, no interruptions, not much going on at 6:00 a.m. He went to "Self Taught Photoshop School" every morning for years until he became a PS guru. I knew if I wanted to get better too, I should take a hint from Ralph.

A few months ago, I read Malcolm Gladwell's new book, Outliers. The book discussed the most successful people in the world and the steps they took to achieve that success. One of the books observations was that many of these people had applied the 10,000 hour rule to their success. Simply stated, it takes 10,000 hours of study and practice to get really good at something! That's like 250 weeks or 5 years of work 8 hours a day everyday!

What are you doing right now in your own life to achieve your success? What kind of time do you invest in your success plan each day to reach your goals?

The answer for most is not much time at all. Many of us just move from day to day in our lives doing exactly the same thing, and that "same thing" usually has nothing to do with any kind of success goal or plan.

My favorite time of the day is between 6 a.m. - 8 a.m. That's generally when I work on the DPT blog, surf the web for new stuff, or just plain play on the computer trying something new in Lightroom, Photoshop, or what ever. That's the time that's best for me. By the time the day is in full swing, the phone calls, and interruptions of the day tend to negate any real effort I try to make. For others, it's the end of the day after the kids and spouse go to bed, the TV is turned off, etc.

Anyway, the point is to find the time that works best for you to work on your success plan and then pro-actively pursue it. Strive to maintain a "perfect attendance" record for yourself as you work the process. After a while, the process becomes a habit and is much easier to maintain. And, once you've got that "perfect attendance" record going, you don't want to break it - that in itself becomes further motivation to keep working it.

So are we a bit lazy - yes, I think we are. If we want change in our lives, it's time we change ourselves. I heard a quote not so long ago that's speaks straight to that wisdom. It went like this, "For you to get what you are not getting, you've got to do what you are not doing, and think like you are not thinking."

Just Food for thought---

Hey gang, that's it for me today. LaDawn and I are going to nap a little them explore a little of the enchanted lands of New Mexico over the weekend. See ya' in snow covered Denver on Monday, -David