Business Day Thursday: New Podcast - Marketing Wedding Photography Today

Good Morning Everybody,

 

Today I’ve got a special treat for you. Last week I did a podcast interview with photography marketing guru, Chuck Lewis, for his Inner Circle members.  I’ve done a few in the past so I was happy to oblige. The interview went quite well and I asked Chuck if I could share it with our DPT readers. He was happy to return the favor.

 

I’ve spent the morning setting up a new Podcast Channel over at Podbean – here is the link right here.  So far this is the only podcast listed but I hope to add to the list.  It’s something new I’m doing around here so I hope you enjoy it. 

 

 

Please give me your feedback as to topics you would like to hear and special guests I might invite to the program.  I would really like to get your input.  Just leave them in the Comments section below.  Thanks!

 

Anyway, that said, let’s get on with today’s post.  You can listen to the entire interview by hitting the PLAY button on the Podcast player inserted at the end of the post.  For iPad users, please go directly to my DigitalProTalk Podcast Channel right here to listen to the interview.

 

Marketing Wedding Photography Today

In this conversation with marketing guru, Charles J. Lewis, I’ll discuss the two main topics - Marketing & Selling.  Here’s a quick run down of what I’ll try to cover.

Marketing:

What are the best 2 or 3 ways to market wedding photography today? How do you get good, qualified people to call or email you about your wedding photography services right now?

What is the biggest mistake you see wedding photographers making today regarding their marketing?

Exactly how are you using the Internet to market your wedding photography, and what services or companies do you use that work well for you for your online marketing efforts?

Selling:

When you cannot meet with the bride in person, do you meet with her over Skype or GoToMeeting in some way so that you can show her things on her computer screen? If you do this, can you give our members some tips about what to do, and not to do, for this to be effective?

What is the biggest mistake you see wedding photographers making today regarding their booking and selling methods?

What do you say to a bride on the telephone to convince her to come in and talk with you about the possibility of photographing her wedding? How do you handle the question of price? How do you get the “buyers” – like mom, etc. to come in with the bride?

What is the best way to book wedding photography today – to actually get the decision made, and have them give you money today to reserve the date? With so much cheap competition everywhere now, it seems harder and harder to get a commitment.

Folks, that’s a quick synopsis of the webcast.  Give it a listen and tell me what you think.  Also you can get more info on Chuck Lewis’ Photography Secrets right here.  Check them out – I’ve been a fan for years.

Enjoy!  -David

 

Podcast Powered By Podbean

 

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Hey gang, that’s it for me today.  It’s back to book writing for me AND it’s LaDawn’s birthday today and we are quitting early today and getting ready for date night.  Have a great rest of the day.  I’ll see you soon.

 

-David

Quick Hit Monday: Great Speakers You Need To Hear; Project 52; Wedding and Portrait Photography On-line Magazine; and Fresh New Podcasts

Good Afternoon Everybody,

What a weekend it has been - including winter blizzard and all! We just wrapped our PhotoPro Expo and I have to tell you, it was a lot of hard work, a lot of long hours, and a lot of great fun! I was also just named named president of the Kentucky Professional Photographers Association – Wow!

I felt kind of bad that I couldn't get last week’s Business Day Thursday post up but with our blizzard dumping snow on us throughout the day and the total lack of any kind of free time during the convention – for example 7 hours sleep in two days - it just made it impossible to post last week. Sorry about that. I thought I might find a little more time to get it up on Friday but, that didn't go as planned either. 

Being a convention chairman and incoming president certainly has its benefits but it certainly has its time-consuming responsibilities as well.  I'm looking forward to a great year in my new role with the Kentucky Professional Photographers Association.  We've got some great activities and learning opportunities planned and I can't wait to get started. That’s me at the Awards Ceremony with our out-going Chairman of the Board, Jessica Vogel.

I was looking forward to getting back to the normal blogging schedule this week so with that said, why don’t we get on with today's post.

PhotoPro Expo Recap – Wow!  Great Programs!

Blair Phillips Hits It Out Of The Park

One of the highlights of our convention was in our speaker lineup. Our kickoff speaker was Blair Phillips, from Charlotte, North Carolina [link]. Blair arrived at the airport at 9:00 am for his 11 o'clock flight and after two delays finally arrived in Cincinnati at 8:00 pm in the evening. It was a very long travel day for Blair.

I was introduced to Blair while having dinner that evening at the Marriott restaurant. Blair was full of energy and looked that he was raring to go in spite of his many hours at the Charlotte airport. He had an infectious energy that you just couldn't resist noticing.

The next morning he ascends the stage and over the next three hours of presenting this program, he literally “knocked it out of the park.” This presentation manner was easy, relaxing, fun, entertaining, and most of all one of the most informative presentations I've heard. Blair is only 33 years old but “man oh man” does he have his act together on his business and in his photography.

If you get a chance to hear Blair down the road please jump at the chance.

Tony Corbell – A True Gentleman

Another highlight of our speaking lineup was Tony Corbell, from NIK Software [link] speaking on “The Power Of Light” [link]. Tony and I have been friends for many years and it was nice to just sit back and spend some time visiting during his stay at our convention.

Tony is genuinely one of the nicest people that you can meet. He mingled with the attendees as often as he could and was happy to help out with any questions anyone asked.  He gave a dynamite program for the over 210 attendees that were in attendance.  If you get a chance to hear Tony at Imaging USA or WPPI you must not miss this program. Oh, just a reminder, if you purchase anything from NIK Software and use the DZISER code, you’ll save 15% off your purchase – THANKS, Tony ;~)

Kent And Sara Wow The Audience

We also found a quick few minutes to spend some time with our friends, Kent and Sarah Smith [link], from Pickerington, Ohio. They also mesmerized the audience during their entire three hour presentation. I've said it many times before, there's no one that markets as effectively as Kent and Sarah when it comes to high school seniors, children and family portraits.

Cliff Mautner Tells It Straight

I picked up Cliff Mautner from the airport on Saturday. We had a nice visit about wedding photography on the way to the hotel. Cliff was the last speaker for our convention. In spite of the very tired, over educated, saturated attendees, Cliff had everyone nailed to their seats to the very end of the day.

One thing about Cliff is that he tells it straight and gets straight to the point. And his photography is outstanding -- heck, he's been named one of the top 10 wedding photographers in the country. But it is his no “BS” approach to what he does and how he shares with his audience that is quite refreshing. You can catch Cliff over at Kelby Training right here.

All of our speakers were just outstanding and everyone that was there knew they had just experienced something special over those previous three days. Were already planning for the 2012 convention and I’ll be sure and keep you posted as we proceed. I know a lot of people made a long drive or a flight to attend the convention in spite of our blazing snowstorm, but no one regretted one moment of their effort.

Southern Exposure Magazine - A Great Resource For The Portrait And Wedding Photographer

One thing that you do as convention chairperson is lineup the talent for the upcoming convention. I, many times, check other association websites just to see what the other states are doing when it comes to speaker talent.  In that search I found quite a nice photographic resource for our DPT readers. 

As I was browsing the net recently, I managed to find my way to the Southeast Professional Photographers Association website [link]. As I perused the site I found the link to Southern Exposure, their on-line magazine. This publication is just jam-packed with good information from talented photographers whose articles appear in the magazine. Let me point you to the link right here so you can enjoy it.

Project 52 - A Very Interesting Photographic Challenge

52 weeks, lessons, assignments for photographers -- that was a heading on this new website I just discovered. It looks like a very ambitious and interesting project from the guys at lighting essentials. Each week a different assignment is posted and each week the photographs from the previous week's assignment are also posted.

I think is a fascinating approach in learning many different aspects of photography. I invite you to check it out right here.

What's Up Over At LensFlare35?

As a blogger I spend a lot of time surfing the web looking for interesting articles, podcasts, tutorials -- anything that I think my readers will enjoy.  That’s part of the reason for DPT and the purpose of Quick Hit Monday. One of the special joys of that process is revisiting some blogs that you haven't been back to lately and see what they've been up to.

David Warner, the creative source behind LensFlare35.com always has solid content on his blog. Probably the highlight of his blog are his monthly podcasts. With last year’s CBTL tour, holidays, and even travels in the beginning of this year, I hadn't visited LensFlare35 in a few months .

When I made the trip over there recently, it was a pleasant surprise to see all the new podcasts they have available. It looks like it's going to take me a little while to get caught up on all the cool interviews that David has posted. Want to check them out with me -- here is the link.

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Hey gang, that's it for me today. We had an early meeting with the hotel and convention center in planning the 2012 convention. I didn't get back from the meeting until early afternoon hence the late post. As I said, we should be back on schedule this week so why don’t you plan to come by again tomorrow and see what's new for tomorrow's technique Tuesday.

Hope to see you then, David

Quick Hit Monday: New Podcast; Too Much To Learn; From Here To Eternity; and More

Good Morning Everybody,

Today is the day we begin leg 4 of our Captured By The Light 2010 tour. This week we head to Nashville, Atlanta, and Charlotte and are looking forward to meeting everyone along the way.

If you haven't registered, you can still get all the tour info and register right here. All attendees receive over $350 in goodies and a 9 hour tour DVD in the Welcome Bag just for registering.  And, don't forget those Door Prizes - over $6000 given away each evening! Hope to see you there.

We aren’t coming to a city near you. You can still sign up then just contact my office email jennifer@ziser.com and the entire Welcome Bag will be shipped to you.

Hey gang, I've got lots of interesting, fun photo bits for you today. Let's get right to it.

My New Podcast At CameraDoJo.com

A few weeks ago, Kerry Garrison, the force behind CameraDoJo.com invited me to sit in for another podcast. Kerry has about 100 of these podcasts on line with topics ranging the photographic spectrum. They are always a good listen.

On Thursday, we discussed Lighting, Clients, and Business. Download it to your iPod and give a listen. Here is the link right here.

Too Much Learning, Too Little Time

Adobe Press/Peachpit Press have recently introduced their brand new "Learn By Video" Series. I've had a peek behind the scenes at their new series with Peachpit/Adobe Press on board as a CBTL tour sponsor. I have to say, it's one of the fastest, easiest, not to mention fun way to learn Photoshop, Lightroom, or just about anything Adobe.

They have just announced that the "Learn By Video" series is now available for your iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Check it out right here.  Each lesson is a steal of a deal at only $1.99!

From Here To Eternity

Yep, that's the Buzz Lightyear mantra In Toy Story, but now, it seems that Adobe has made it true. I caught this unusual little story about Adobe showing off plenoptic lenses [link] that let you refocus an image after it's taken.

It's fascinating technology - how close is it to practical application? I guess nobody knows for sure, but the video was fun to watch. You can catch it right here.

More info over at Wikipedia right here about the original research.

Riding The Web Wave To 360 Pano Inspiration

One thing I enjoy doing over the weekend if I have a little time off is to just hit the web and see if I can find any new interesting photo sites. I found a few interesting sites over the last few weekends I'd like to point you towards. Here is my quick list in no particular order.

360 Degree Panoramas:

Originally I saw fellow blogger, Neil Creek's Tweet about his latest 360 degree image he recently posted at 360Cities.net [link]. I've always been intrigued by panoramas, especially the 360 degree variety. 360Cities.net is the Nirvana of 360 degree images. Here is the link right here to check out their amazing images. The site is almost addicting once you get started exploring the images. Plan a loooong coffee break today to check it out.

Fire and Ice - And HDR Amazing

Recently I  stumbled on some great images at Webecoist.com. This is another fun site to explore. Check out the HDR water, snow, and ice images right here.

Here is another link to some phenomenal natural phenomena too - worth the peek, the images are mind blowing!

A Video Peek 10 Of The World's Best Wedding Photographers

I also stumbled on this video right here showing video snippets of how 10 of the top wedding photographers capture their shots. It was fascinating for me to watch, because none of them, as far as I could tell, were using any auxiliary flash. Most images were shot in a coached candid fashion shoot kind of way. Anyway, these might tickle a brain juice or two and give you a few more ideas for you to incorporate on your next wedding shoot.

Finally….. Totally Not Related To Photography - Very Scary High Jinx (very high)

This is one of those links that maybe only I enjoy. It has nothing to do with photography, lighting, Photoshop, or Lightroom. It's just something I found really kind of boring, then interesting, and finally absolutely terrifying as I watched the video till the end [link].

As simple as it sounds, it is a video of an antenna engineer climbing one of the tallest antennas in the world to make some repairs. This antenna is taller than the Sears (Willis) Tower in Chicago  Sounds simple enough, doesn't it? Well, it is until about 2/3's of the way through the video then you are grabbing white knuckled onto the chair arms of your chair.

I was amazed how this video drew me into this guy climbing the super tall tower, but by the time he neared the top, I didn't want to look down at all! Skip the link if you want, but if you have nerves of steel, make the climb with the engineer. All in good fun.

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Hey gang, that's it for me today. We are on the road early today and plan to land in Nashville around 1:00 this afternoon for set up. I hope you get a chance to stop by tonight. If you do, please come on up and say HI.

If I miss you tonight, I'll see ya' bright and early tomorrow for Technique Tuesday.

Adios everybody, David

Quick Hit Monday: Cool Wedding Websites; Jam Packed Video Resources; CBTL Web-Cast Almost Full; Book Reviews; and More

Good Late Afternoon Everybody,

Hey, better late than never - right?  I've spent most of the weekend and all day today wrapping up my "Captured By The Light" Web-Cast for Wednesday.  I hope I can get through the entire program in 90 minutes.   Wednesday’s Web-Cast is shaping up to be the largest ever web-cast I’ve ever presented! If you haven't signed up yet, the room is nearly full with almost 900 planning to attend so far – WOW!  The web-cast room has seats for 1000 viewers so if you want to join us, please sign up before it's too late.  I’m really stoked and can't wait!!!  Here is the CBTL secure link right here to register.

As the Fonz would say, "Don’t be square - see you there."

Latest CBTL Reviews and "Thank Yous"

I have to say, I both "blown away" and humbled by the reviews coming in on my new book "Captured By The Light".  Fellow blogging buddy, Scott Kelby, at Photoshop Insider just gave it a great "rave" in his video review right here. THANKS a million Scott!

And thanks for all those who commented on Scott's blog, too.

David Hobby, the Strobist, tweeted, "Wedding photogs should give David Ziser's new book a look. It is packed to the gills with good info."

Thanks to those who reviewed my book over at Amazon - 5 out of 5 Stars, every review - and now it's up to #433 and climbing on Amazon's Sales rank!  It's all pretty exciting and amazing to me.

You can still get an autographed copy at our Digital Resource Center right here till March 12, 2010.

Podcasts Now Online

Last week was a busy week for podcasts - I was on two shows. LenFlare35's podcast on trends DSLR video is now posted right here.

My conversation with Kerry Garrison over at CameraDojo is also on line.  Kerry and I discussed all things lens related from F-Stops to focal lengths.  You can give it a listen right here.  CameraDojo has lots of good things happening so give the site a good cruise when you've got some time.

A Few Websites/Blogs To Check Out

I've been following Matt McGraw's work for years.  I'm on his newsletter list and always enjoys seeing what he's up too.  Matt just sent me a link to all his past newsletters.  If you want to check out some great work give a peek to his latest newsletter right here - some inspiring images. Here is the link to his regular site too. 

My Google Alert popped the other day saying I had something going on over at Vimeo.  I headed over and found that a few of my videos had been added to the Photo Tips and Tricks group [link].  I gave a quick look at the other 30 or so videos and it looks like there's some nice tutorials available there.

Head on over and check them out. Topics include Lightroom, Photography, Lighting, etc.  Not a bad collection of tutorials.

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Hey gang, it's late and I’m short on time today so I've got to run.  I'll plan to see everyone tomorrow for another episode of Technique Tuesday.  This weeks topic, "Capturing the Moment".  Hope to see everybody then. Oh, and don’t forget to sign up  FREE CBTL web-cast on Wednesday [link].

Adios,  -David

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

Podcast Wednesday: Should We Shoot The Shoot And Burn Wedding Photographers?

Good Morning Everybody,
OK, are you fired up? Whether you are a Shoot and Burn photographer or not, this topic is HOT among the Main Street, (established studio) wedding photographers currently in the market. Some professional photographers say, "Shoot them all, they're stealing my business!" The S&B's say, "Hey, I'm just trying to make a dollar, too."

Please, no nasty emails -this blog is about L-O-V-E, at least the love of photography that is. And remember, Shoot and Burners need love too - even if a lot of the established studios are ready to shoot them.

But, you know folks, it's a changing world out there especially for a lot of people who have been in business over the last 5, 10, 15, 20 years. The entire wedding industry has been turned upside-down with digital. It seems that everybody is a wedding photographer and not many people are making enough money to make a house or a car payment from what they are earning shooting weddings.

The real question; How do Main Street photographers compete with the Shoot and Burn wedding photographers? Is the client getting what they're paying for - for the bucks they are spending? What about the Orphan Brides? Those brides that took the disk and run, never to get wedding pictures printed, albums design and passed down from generation to generation. Are we going to have a large part of an entire generation of brides without any printed record of their wedding? Are the images that ARE printed going to continue to be the standard medium so many professionals have been delivering for years? How many of today's brides are having their hard earned dollars "burned" by receiving a lousy quality product from those less than scrupulous operators working the wedding market these days?

I'll cover all this and more in this week's PodPodcast Wednesday - give a listen. Just hit the PLAY button on the G-Cast widget to the right. Enjoy! David

Related Links:
A Thought About "Shoot And Burners"
"Shoot And Burn"
Tips that will help you click with the right photographer.
A Guide for Brides to Be by Alice B. Miller


P.S. You can also download this podcast or all others right here.

News You May Have Missed
A Wedding Booth on steroids was recently featured in LexJet's monthly newsletter. It tells and shows how one photographer created quite a buzz at a local bridal show. This article lists step by step what made the booth have so much appeal - a good read. Here is the link to the story.

Here is an interesting off-the-wall piece for you. I found it over at fellow blogger the PhotoNovice site. It's a Chase Jarvis video [link] showing how to do high-speed photography. If you like that kind of stuff and I do - it's worth the watch.

And last, but not least - something for free. In these times of economic downturns, everybody is looking for a deal. Every now and then I head over to Freeware.com just to see what's cooking. And, every now and then find a little gem or two. Heck, browse all their categories and you just might find that perfect holiday gift priced just the way you like it - FREE.

That's it for me today everybody. I'll see everybody tomorrow for Business Day Thursday: Putting Your Best Image Forward. See ya' then, -David

What Happened To Podcast Wednesday?

Good Morning Everybody,
We got all the bags over to Mandalay Bay yesterday and are ready to go with tomorrow's Photoshop World Wedding Shoot-out. It takes about 2 hours to set the room up for the class - LaDawn brought along 6 wedding albums and sets up about 60-75 24x36 images that reflect what we are planning to cover at the shootout. It's a lot of work, but the attendees love to see the design of our albums and those big prints covering the wall. Man, that hotel has some great places to shoot too- I'll preview a few in tomorrow's post.

What happened to Podcast Wednesday? Don't worry, this week's podcast is being moved to Thursday. Why? Because it speaks directly to tomorrow's topic - [B]Business Day Thursday: Secrets To Salesroom Success - Part 2. Tomorrow we will have my friend, Michael Jonas from Birmingham, Michigan discussion what we both have been using since the demise of ProShots. This conversation is pertinent for anyone looking for presentation software for their studio. Be sure to tune in.

And speaking of podcasts, in case you missed any, you can download all the past and current podcasts at this link right here. This new site feature seems to be getting good play - the podcasts have received nearly 120, 000 hits in the last 4 weeks. Thanks to you, our listeners!

I hope you are enjoying the listens. I love putting the conversations together and have several guests lined up for future interviews. Here is the quick list - Donnie Hoyle - "You Suck At Photoshop" fame next Wednesday; great wedding photographer, David Jay; outstandingly successful, Sandy Puc'; legendary photographer, Joyce Wilson-Holt and many more. Like they say, stay tuned.

Welcome To Podcast Wednesday: An Interview With Photographic Legend, Frank Cricchio

I have know Frank Cricchio for nearly 30 years. I remember attending his workshops and seminars way back in my formative years as a budding photographer. Nobody, absolutely nobody taught exposure and lighting the way Frank did.

He still is the grand master in those departments. His articles on exposure techniques have been translated into as many as eight different languages. Frank Cricchio lectures around the world and throughout the United States. He has also photographed President Lyndon Johnson, Jimmy Carter, and Bob Hope.

Frank and I have remained friends all these years and, I have to say, his enthusiasm for all things photography and Photoshop has never waned. If you are going to Photoshop World next week, you can catch up with him at one of his programs he'll be presenting.

Today's Podcast Topics:
10 Questions For Frank Cricchio
1. Is photography what you have always done.
2. How did you get your start in photography?
3. Is photography more exciting today than back in the film days, or is it more daunting?
4. Who in our profession have been your best teachers or influenced you significantly?
5. Can you tell us a little about your transition to "digital" ?
6. What's your biggest "turn on" within our profession today - gear, software, special projects your involved in, etc.?
7. Do you miss film?
8. What do you shoot today?
9. Who in our profession today, do you consider major influences for you and for our profession?
10. What advice would you give to the new "emerging pro" out there?

Please see the related links to references mentioned in this Podcast: everyone one is worth a look - David:

Frank Cricchio's website: [link]
Paul Linwood Gittings: [link]
Don Blair: [link]
Helen Yancy: [link]
Joyce Wilson: [link]
Terry DeGlau: [link]
Don Emmerich: [link]
Al Gilbert: [link]
Louise and Joseph Simone: [link]
Jousuf Karsh: [link]
Dye Transfer Printing: [link]

Download the MP3 for this Podcast right here.

Podcast Wednesday: Running A Million Dollar Studio

Good Morning Everybody,
WOW! You have got to listen to the podcast this week. I interviewed my great friends Kent and Sarah Smith who run one of the most successful studios in the country. What was scheduled for about a 30 minute segment evolved into almost a full hour of some of the most insightful conversation about how to grow your business to a million dollar operation.

A studio's success, or any business's success, is based on a quest for excellence, a diversified product line that stands out from the competition, and an exceptional customer experience. Listen as Kent and Sarah Smith reveal their secrets to running their "million dollar" studio.

I based the podcast on these 10 questions - Kent and Sarah's answers to these questions reveal so many "solid gold nuggets" of advice, you will have to listen more than once.

1. Has the business changed over the years?
2. What made the most difference in your business growth?
3. Gear - what works best. Lighting and exposure.
4. A quick touch on sales-flow and work-flow.
5. Have your promotions changed? Senior promos/Family Promos.
6. There are a million senior photographers out there these days, heck kids are even photographing themselves. How do you continue to grow with these attitudes?
7. What does your customer like to buy? What are your most successful senior/portrait products?
8. Is it easier or harder to do business today compared to 10/5/1 years ago?
9. Biggest mistake to avoid today.
10. Best advice to give aspiring pros.

Here are the links to Websites, Equipment, and Software mentioned in our conversation.
Websites: Kent Smith Photography, Walden's Photography, Gary Box Photography, PPA
Equipment: Cameras; Canon Mark II and Mark II 1Ds Lighting; Hensel; Photogenic, Larson Enterprises
Software: ProSelect, LumaPix

Enjoy the listen - you are going to love it!!!

Download this Podcast directly right here.

How To Get My Podcasts From I-Tunes

I had a few comments about getting my Podcasts to iTunes. It's real easy. Just hit the get Podcast button on the widget - see the first image.

That brings up the screen shown in the next image.

I hit the "Subscribe to iTunes" button, and presto, there it is downloading in my iTunes library. Hope that helps, David.