Quick Hit Monday: PhotoPro Expo 2013; My New Lighting Rig; & Shooting Eye-Fi To iPad3

Good Morning Everybody,

We just wrapped an easy weekend with our friends, Kent and Sarah Smith, from Columbus, Ohio. It seems all four of us were feeling a bit frazzled these last couple weeks so we decided to spend a relaxing weekend together here in Cincinnati, Ohio.  Kent and Sarah headed south after their last portrait session in Columbus and landed on our back deck around 8:30 PM Friday night. It was great to catch up with old friends.

On Saturday, after a slow-moving morning, we headed to Cincinnati and checked into the beautiful Cincinnatian Hotel – one of the best hotels in the city.  We spent a relaxing afternoon enjoying an adult beverage or two, walking the downtown area, saw an entertaining play on the Showboat Majestic, and wrapped with dinner at Morton's Steakhouse.

Sunday included another leisurely wake-up call, a relaxing breakfast at the Palace Restaurant, followed by a trip to the ball game to see our first-place Cincinnati Reds play the St. Louis Cardinals. I haven't been to a ball game in a number of years and it was kind of fun to get caught up in all the excitement. The Cincinnati Reds are fielding a good team this year (even though they lost Sunday’s game) and the fan excitement was everywhere. After the game we sadly said goodbye to our friends who headed back to Columbus – all of us still feeling a nice glow of a great weekend together.  LaDawn and I headed back to the Cincinnatian Hotel for one last relaxing night’s stay.

Personally, I think it's a good idea to take that occasional breather from the day-to-day pressures of our studio operations. Whenever we all get together, not only is it good times with lots of laughs, it's also a rich experience sharing ideas, techniques problem solving…. that further help both Kent and I enrich our studio’s growth.

Announcing PhotoPro Expo 2013 - The Best Photography Event In The Midwest!

I know that I've been MIA for the last couple of days with lots of projects I needed to get completed before the weekend. The biggest project on my plate was launching PhotoPro Expo 2013. PhotoPro Expo 2013 will be the largest photographic event in the Midwest happening next February 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 2013. 

Our talent lineup is unbelievable. Already confirmed to appear are Joe McNally, Julieanne Kost, Rick Sammon, Zach and Jody Gray, Kent and Sarah Smith, Alex Buono, Kevin Kubota, and nearly 20 additional speakers making next year's convention one of the most ambitious educational events available anywhere. PPE13 will also be the largest photo trade show in the Midwest with over 100 booths to visit. Mark your calendars now and plan to attend this exciting event.

The cost for this photographic extravaganza is only $129 until September 30, 2012. After that the price will revert back to its $179 normal price. If you want to take advantage of the biggest and best photographic event in the Midwest please head over to the PhotoPro Expo 2013 website right here where you can get all the details. The site is about 85% complete at this time but I plan to have it finished by the end of the week. Still, don't hesitate about registering for next year's terrific convention. I'll fill you in all the details as the days pass by. If you have any questions, you can call our Executive Director, Randy Fraley at 606-571-1908.  He'll be able to answer any of your questions.

Check Out My New Portable Lighting Rig

That's right, I'm completely revamping my lighting rig for shooting weddings. As you know, I've been experimenting with Canon’s Speedlite 600EX-RT these last couple weeks and I'm slowly getting a handle on how they work. I used them to photograph a small wedding about 10 days ago and everything went great. This coming weekend I've a huge 12 hour event in which I  plan to give these three little speed light gems a real workout.

Hopefully, over the next few days, I’ll finish testing the high-speed sync characteristics of the Canon speed lights. I plan to have some news later in the week.

Because of the capabilities of the higher ISO camera I'm using  –  the Canon 5D Mark III – I know I'll be able to get by with much less light output than what I would normally need. That should make the 60 watt-seconds of power I get from Canon’s 600 EX – RT speed lights adequate for most of the photography I'll be doing.

If I need more power I picked up an Interfit Tri Shoe Adapter that will hold up to three of the speed lights. The three Canon speed lights used in conjunction with each other will give me a total of 180 watt-seconds of light. That's actually even more powerful than my Quantum T5d that I've used for many, many years.

My thought is that when I need a powerful off-camera flash, all three of the Canon 600 EX – RT speed lights should fill the bill for me. For most of the reception shooting I'm confident that I can get by with one flash on camera and two other flashes set up to illuminate the dance floor as I described at DigitalProTalk in a recent post [link].

The challenge for me in using these new strobes is the learning curve. Not only am I looking at nearly a dozen buttons on the back of the new strobe, there are now four separate menus to also scroll through to take advantage of the full functionality of the Canon speed lights. But, it's like anything else – once you get the hang of it, the operation is really quite efficient.

Using Eye-Fi Card, Canon 5D Mark III, & iPad3 Almost Magical

One thing I love about my Canon 5D Mark III camera is the fact that it accepts a SDHC card in the second card slot of the camera. I've been using the 32 gig SanDisk card as my backup card for all of my photography sessions. I picked up one of the Eye-Fi 8 gig SDHC Pro X2 wireless cards last year and was hoping to be able to make it work in my Canon 7D camera. That never really came to fruition so the card is been languishing in a drawer in my office. I've talked with some other photographers that have reported decent success in making the Eye-Fi 8 gig SDHC Pro X2 work in their Canon 5D Mark III  so I’ve decided to also give it a try.

My intention is to shoot with the Eye-Fi 8 gig SDHC Pro X2 card and have it transmit images to my iPad 3. This is extremely useful for photographers, particularly high school senior photographers or family photographers, because you can hand off the iPad 3 to your client and have the client see exactly how the session is proceeding. The process offers a great sizzle factor to any photography sessions. My early experiences with the Eye-Fi 8 gig SDHC Pro X2 card have been mixed. Once I get the Eye-Fi card to pair up with the iPad 3, everything seems to work just fine. It's simply getting the Eye-Fi card to pair up that has been the problem.

I purchased my iPad 3 from Verizon so I would have the capability of having the iPad 3 act as a hotspot. Having a hotspot functionality built into the iPad 3, I felt would make it easy for the Eye-Fi card to pair with the iPad and easily transmit the images into  the ShutterSnitch application I have installed.

As I said, the pairing of the Eye-Fi card to the iPad 3 has been a bit problematic. The problem occurs in trying to get the hotspot to go “live”. My workaround, so far, has been to use my iPhone first to see the iPad hotspot and then connect to it. This takes a few tries – I think the problem is the wireless we have in the studio jammed the iPad 3 hotspot.  The connection is not immediate, it has a few second delay, as I would like it to be. But, after fiddling with it for a while, and after several tries, I finally get my connection with my iPhone.

Once a hotspot is activated and working, it's quite easy then to get the Eye-Fi card to pair with a hotspot and transmit the images directly to the iPad 3. I plan to be working with this hardware/software combination at Photoshop World next week during my Wedding Pre-Con. I'll provide additional details as they become available on how to make this potentially very useful scenario work for you as well.

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Hey gang, that's it for me today. I want to get back to work on the PhotoPro Expo 2013 website so that you have all the details when you check it out. Everybody have a great rest of the day and I'll see you soon.

Adios, David

Very Weird Blogging Experience Today–It’s All Chinese or Japanese To Me

Good Afternoon Everybody,

I was nearly complete with today's post – about 1,500 words - when something very weird happened. I was working in Windows Live Writer, hit some unknown keystroke combination, and suddenly all of my English text change to Japanese – at least I think it's Japanese, maybe Chinese. I've spent the last hour trying to figure out what happened and recover the post but to no avail.  Here is a screen shot of what I’ve been looking at. Anybody have any ideas? 

It looks like it's back to the drawing board and square one for me. I'll plan to have it completed and up online tomorrow before noon.

I also have a Technique Tuesday post ready to go. So let's look on the bright side. Tomorrow will be a 2-for-1 post day!  Anyway, it's getting late and I’m going to call it a day.

Have a great rest of the evening and I'll see you tomorrow, David

"Prettiest Day Of The Year!"

"Prettiest Day Of The Year!"
©David A. Ziser

OK, this isn’t strictly a wedding photograph but it was made on the day of the wedding at the couples chosen venue last Saturday.  So, I guess it is a wedding photograph, right ;~)  I mentioned to my couple on Saturday, that they had about the best day of the year on which to be married. The temperature was ideal, the location was perfect, and the sky - all day and evening long, was astoundingly beautiful.

I made this image right after I photographed the bride and groom with this sunset as a backdrop.  Nature’s beauty persisted well into the evening and I just had to get a few more images.  Besides the wedding and reception were outdoors and everyone had the opportunity to enjoy not only the wedding celebration but also Mother Nature’s beauty. This is just an example of the kind of photographs I capture on the wedding day that will serve as perfect backgrounds for the album we’ll eventually design for the couple.

In addition to that, this is simply a beautiful sunset landscape image and can be truly enjoyed on it’s own merit.  I choose a super wide angle lens to capture the full effect of the clouds spreading across the sky and lake.  A tweak or two in Lightroom 4 brought out all the detail and color of this fabulous scene. When all is said and done, what can I say,  I really like it.

Camera specs: Canon 5D Mark III fitted with Sigma 12-24mm lens at 12mm, F7.1 @ 1/400 second, ISO 800.  Enjoy!  -David

Technique Tuesday On Wednesday: Magical Sunsets or How The CS6 Content Aware Tool Is Now My New Best Friend!

Good Afternoon Everybody,

I couldn’t believe it – I was out cruising on one of my daily walks yesterday and saw that our local library was hosting a program on Advanced Photoshop that evening. Advanced Photoshop at the public library, and it was FREE – what a deal.  LaDawn and I headed out last night to check it out. Well, it turns out it was Photoshop Elements 10 – it seems the marquis sign didn’t have enough room for the word Elements. 

No problem, we sat through the hour presentation and I was quite impressed with the power of Photoshop Elements 10.  Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not suggesting that we all switch to PSE10 but hey, if I wanted to get my feet wet with an image editing program, I would definitely jump into PSE10 for starters – it’s a pretty amazing piece of software containing most of CS6 features we photographers use regularly.  It was an eye-opening evening.

Magical Sunsets or How The CS6 Content Aware Tool Is Now My New Best Friend!

It seems every time I get back from a wedding, I just can’t wait to load up my images into Lightroom and check them out.  That was the case this past weekend, too.  Once I’m in Lightroom I just gotta play.  I found an image I really liked from my Saturday shoot and got a wild idea on how I might improve on the original image. 

I quickly sent the image over to Photoshop CS6 and proceeded to try my idea.  It worked like a charm.  I was able to create an even more dramatic image with the help of CS6’s Content Aware Fill Tool.  I was really surprised at how I obtained my final result so easily and quickly.  Why not hit the PLAY button below and see what I’m talking about – way cool!!!

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Hey gang, that’s it for me today.  Just a quick note – we now have seven photographers registered for my Sunset Photo Walk in Rome, Italy.  Want to join me? Here is the link to register.

On that note gang, I’m out of here. 

Have a great rest of the day and I’ll see you soon,

David

"An Evening Kissed By The Sun"

"An Evening Kissed By The Sun"
©David A. Ziser

I captured this image at Saturday's wedding. This was the first time I photographed in this location, Lake Lindsay, in Hamilton, Ohio.  I see now why the bride and groom selected this fabulous location.  One of Carla's priorities was that I do my best to capture a great sunset for the both of them on their wedding day. With a little luck and Mother Nature’s help, the sun cooperated completely!

Not only did we have a perfect sunset but, we also had beautiful cloud structure in the sky that really added to the very dramatic feel of this image. The secret to creating an image like this is to be sure that you have the exposure of the sunset perfectly exposed. The best way to do this is with the camera in manual mode. That way I can adjust the shutter speed to give me the exact sky density I want for my photograph.

DAZNOTE: The “live view” feature of the new DSLR cameras also give you decent visual feedback for your best exposure to create that perfect sunset for your clients. Don't overlook using it when setting up for a beautiful sunset composition.

I was using my brand-new Canon 600 TX – RT speedlights for this photograph. In the heat of the shoot I was challenged to get the backlighting exactly the way I wanted. With the speedlights in ETTL mode I wasn't quite getting the bright backlight that I prefer. Quickly switching the speedlights to manual mode gave me the full blast of light I wanted for this particular image.

We got a great set of images for Carla and Harry and I can’t wait for them to see the rest of the images!

Camera specs:  Canon 5D Mark III fitted with Sigma 12–24mm wide-angle lens at 12mm, F7.1 @1/400th second (HSFS), ISO 800.  Enjoy! – David

Quick Hit Monday: Canon 600 TX–RT Speedlight Review Coming Soon; Rome, Italy Sunset Photo Walk

Good late Afternoon Everybody,

I sure hope everyone had a great weekend. Our weekend weather was perfect for the wedding we photographed on Saturday.  In fact it was so perfect that we got some fabulous sunset photographs for the wedding couple – note today’s image of the day post. I'll be sharing a few more of them with you this week.

As usual we been super busy around the studio and it seems that there just aren't enough hours in the day to get everything completed. For a guy who's trying to slow things down a bit it seems that we've only become busier with many new projects.

Canon 600EX-RT Review In The Works!

One of the big projects I'm working on is doing a thorough testing of the brand-new Canon 600 TX – RT speedlights that I've been working with these last few weeks. The more I experiment with them the more impressed I am.

Part of the challenge of testing the new radio controlled speed lights is the fact that I'm so used to shooting with my Quantum strobes. Bringing in the Canon 600 TX – RT speedlights into my shooting workflow introduces a brand-new learning curve for me. But never the less, the learning curve has been pretty quick and the more I play around with the new features of the strobes, the more I see the great possibilities they can bring into my wedding events and portrait sessions.

I was curious to see if the the 4 AA batteries would last for the entire wedding on Saturday. Even with a lot of intense “high-speed flash sync” shooting going on during the bridal session and the fact that the speedlights were dumping most of their power - most of their time on those specific images.  I was just hoping that they would make it to the reception. They did so with flying colors – I never changed batteries – I’m impressed! In two weeks I've got a giant wedding to photograph. That will be the big test for the new speedlights. I'll keep you posted.

Update on my Sunset Photo Walk in Rome, Italy October 13, 2012

I've been pleasantly surprised to see how many photo walkers have signed up for my Sunset Photo Walk in Rome, Italy on October 13, 2012 [link]. So far, with just a brief mention in the blog on Friday, we have four walkers joining us – not as fast as we book with the event in Cincy but I’m still encouraged we’ll have a good crowd.  You can find all the info and REGISTER RIGHT HERE!

I’m even thinking that they must be able to speak English too since I only posted in English on my blog. Hey, even if we don’t all speak the same language, it will still be a blast!  I'm still using Google Earth – isn't that a great tool these days – to plan the entire Photo Walk. Other photographers have also sent me their ideas and suggestions for the walk as well.  I'll keep you posted as to how things develop.

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Hey gang, it's getting pretty late in the evening so I’m cutting things short for this blog post. Tomorrow I have planned a very cool Technique Tuesday featuring wedding portraits and Photoshop. I think you will be “wide-eyed” and “drop jawed” when you see the results of two “before and after” photographs I'll share with you tomorrow. I sure hope you'll be able to join me.

On that note gang I'm out here. Have a great rest of the evening and I'll plan on seeing everybody again tomorrow.

Adios for now, David

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Announcing My 2012 Worldwide Scott Kelby Photo Walk in Rome, Italy!

Good Morning Everybody,

I've got some pretty exciting news to share with you. Today I'm announcing my fifth annual Scott Kelby Photo Walk for 2012. As you know, we’ll be traveling to Europe for two months leaving September 18, 2012. That means that we will be on the road during Scott Kelby's Photo Walk this year. The official date of the Photo Walk is October 13, 2012.

I thought, “Why not do the Photo Walk in Rome, Italy. We are actually arriving in Rome midday on that Saturday. We're catching up with LaDawn’s son Joshua and his wife Kristin around noon and spending the afternoon with them. I pitched the idea of the Rome Photo Walk to LaDawn and she graciously agreed to let me schedule it for later that day.

The plan is to meet at the Spanish Steps down by the fountain – Piazza Trinità dei Monti – at 5:45 PM and then kick off the Photo Walk promptly at 6 PM. I'm told that this is a very beautiful part of Rome and that we should have no problem getting some great images during our Photo Walk. Also, since our Photo Walk is scheduled in the evening with the sun setting at 6:30 PM, I thought that would add an extra special touch to my photo walk for this year.

You can get all the details about my 2012 Photo Walk and register right here.

What About My Cincinnati, Photo Walkers?

Don't worry gang – were putting a backup plan into action as we speak. I'm working with my good friend Larry Lohr, Ace #1 assistant Nicholas Viltrakis, and my good friend Eric Cameron to see if they can cover this year's photo walk in Cincinnati, Ohio. I'll post a follow-up with the details as soon as they nail down their plans right here on DigitalProTalk. At least I'll be here with you in spirit.

I have to say, that these photo walks have always been one of the high points of the year for me. The people you meet, the friends you make, and the images that we all capture just make the entire time a wonderful experience for everyone involved. Even if you're not close to Cincinnati, I sure hope you'll check out photo walks in your part of the world and plan to be part of the fun. Here is the main link to the 2012 Scott Kelby photo walks.

Hope you can make it, David

"City Sentry"

"City Sentry"
©David A. Ziser

This was the view of the sky shortly after we began our walk along the River Walk in New Orleans a few weeks ago. A chance of rain was predicted but we never expected to see this kind of storm brewing.

Fortunately, we were able to find cover before the clouds unleashed their torrents of rain. As we sat in the cover of the Natchez Riverboat waiting area, I saw this seagull perched on the large pier timber waiting out the downpour.  With the dramatic cloudscape implying impending doom on the city, the title for this image seemed to be a perfect fit.

It was an very unusual cloud formation and a tweak or two in Lightroom helped to add to the very dramatic effect you see.  I have to say, it was quite an experience to see this wonderful and dramatic landscape and enjoy the short storm.

Camera specs:  Canon 5D Mark III fitted with Tamron 28-300 VC lens at 84mm, F16 @ 1/1000 second, ISO 1600.  Enjoy!  -David

Technique Tuesday: Happy B-Day & New Orleans Wedding Shoot – Part Two

Good Afternoon Everybody,

First off, let me thank everyone for all the birthday wishes that came pouring in from around the world.  I read each and everyone of them and really THANK YOU all for the very kind thoughts. Yes, it’s another year older for me today – should I try that box of Grecian Formula or not ;~) All joking aside, a person is as old as they feel and I really don’t feel as old as I’m suppose to be.  I think it comes down to how one embraces life, always looking on the bright side, and always embracing all the new challenges that we sometimes must face.

This past weekend, after all the trials and tribulations of dealing with 3 cancelled Delta flights, and all the frustrations in trying to get my daughter, Elizabeth into town, I can happier report that we all had a great weekend even though it was much shorter than expected.  The highlight of the weekend had to be the trip to Kings Island and the marathon riding of the coasters. 

I remember a few years ago, I mentioned to LaDawn that I felt my coaster days were over. I was heading into that 6th decade of my life and felt like I was needing to slow down.  Part of those feelings were due to the extra weight I had put on and an overall felling of losing some of my never-ending energy. 

But about 4 months ago a few students in my Master Class and I were discussing getting and staying in shape. They convinced me it was my time to take the “bull by the horns” and do something about how I was feeling. The following week I began my journey to do just that. Now 4 months later I’m walking 7-8 miles a day, eating sensibly, and am currently 50 pounds lighter than I was at the beginning of my journey 4 months ago.  I felt alive again – and ready for the Kings Island coasters!!!

Now you have to picture this.  I am quite literally the “most senior” person in all the coaster lines.  I read with trepidation all the cautions about riding the coasters with bad backs or necks, high blood pressure, and the myriad listing of ailments that I probably have to some degree or another.  But, none of that deters me away from a great coaster ride. And, I want the front car too!!

Anyway, this weekend showed me that I have a few more years in me to ride the great coasters of the world and I can’t wait!!! Alright gang, time to get back to our regularly scheduled feature – Technique Tuesday.

Technique Tuesday: New Orleans Wedding Shoot – Part Two

As I’ve previously mentioned, we had a great time in New Orleans a few weeks ago. My wedding shoot-out was a kick because I got the opportunity to shoot with the new Canon 600 EX-RT speedlites and I really put them through their paces. In my first post about my shooting experience [link1], I covered a lot of details about the strobes. I also posted two other very informative articles covering my use of the strobes that you can find right here - [link2 and link3].

In today's shoot I will walk you through several more images from that session. As I review the series of images I’ll discuss the lighting, the exposure, and the compositional challenges we faced during that shoot. I was thrilled with the results that I was getting.  During that class-time, the bride had her mother with her, so I shared all the images with her mother as well as with the bride.  The bride and her mother were both ecstatic over the results.  

Why not hit the PLAY button below and let me share a few more those images with you here today.  I think you'll enjoy the show.

Other links discussed in today’s post:

Quick Hit Monday: My First Day With Canon 600EX-RT Speedlights–WOW!

Technique Tuesday On Wednesday: New Orleans Wedding Shoot - Part 1

Bonus Post: Canon 600EX-RT Works Great For Reception Photography

Canon 600 EX-RT speedlite info: [link]

David Ziser’s 42” Zumbrella: [link]

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Hey gang, that's it for this Birthday Boy today.

Have a great rest of the day and I'll see you soon, David

A Weather Weary Weekend Ends On A High Note

Good Morning Everybody,

Since we last visited I have to tell you that the weekend did not go exactly as planned.  In fact it almost did not happen at all. I was REALLY looking forward to seeing my daughter late Thursday evening and spending the weekend with her.  Bad weather hit Thursday afternoon and my daughter’s travel nightmare began.

She was cancelled from the LaGuardia to Cincy flight mid-day.  I rebooked her out of JFK – a $65 cab ride to the airport.  1 hour before take off that flight was cancelled!  $65 more bucks to get home from the airport.  I rebooked her out of Newark, NJ for the next day.  After a $95 cab fare and a 2 hour wait, that flight was cancelled too!! It took her 3 1/2 hours to get back home – that darn NYC traffic.  We decided to call it a day and we all had an adult beverage (maybe 2) that evening.

After a good night’s sleep I awoke at 7:00 a.m. and I was ready to give it another go with Delta – I’m 3 hours on the phone with them to this point. After 2 more hours on the phone with Delta Agent Brian, we managed to find a flight out Sunday Morning at 10:25 a.m. Eureka!  She made that flight and arrived – sadly 3 days later – into Cincy.

Yesterday was a wonderful day riding all the coasters at Kings Island.  The Diamondback Coaster – see video below was, in our opinion, the best ride ever!!!!  Today we still have a few hours to spend together before she heads back to NYC this evening.  So on that note gang, that’s my weekend update and I’m out of here to hang with Liz and LaDawn.  Things should be back to normal tomorrow.

See ya’ then,  David

Take A Ride With Me On Diamondback Coaster At Kings Island – The best coaster I’ve Ever Been On!!!

Digital ProTalk: Business Day Thursday: Have You Got The Right Pers...

Digital ProTalk: Business Day Thursday: Have You Got The Right Pers...: Good Morning Everybody, Today is a pretty special day for me. My daughter, Elizabeth, in flying in from New York  to spend the weekend wit...

Type your summary hereType rest of the post here

"Street Smart"

"Street Smart"
©David A. Ziser

I was reviewing images for today’s post and came across this image I made of a high school senior a few years ago. This is one of several from the session and is one of my favorites.

I think what I like best about it is the utter simplicity of the image – just a straight head shot against a simple background. The girl’s somber, almost confrontational look show a strength of character in her expression – OK, let’s call it “attitude”.

That feeling is enhanced even more with the wisp of hair falling across her face. Compositionally she was isolated from the background by my close working distance to her and the long lens I was using.

Lighting is simple too.  Quantum T5d camera right at 1/2 power through my umbrella about 6 feet away. You may be wondering why the shadows aren’t showing up on the wall next to our subject.  Actually, the shadows are falling on the wall but on the back surface nicely out of view.

Overall, I think this is a strong portrait of this young lady both technically and compositionally.

Camera specs: Canon 30D fitted with 70-300mm IS lens at 300mm, F7.1 @ 1/320 second, ISO 200.  Enjoy!  -David

Business Day Thursday: Have You Got The Right Person Selling Your Photography?

Good Morning Everybody,

Today is a pretty special day for me. My daughter, Elizabeth, in flying in from New York  to spend the weekend with LaDawn and I.  With her being in New York these last several years it's been seldom that she's had a chance to travel back home other than the occasional Christmas holiday.

About a month ago I suggested that she come on back into town, hang out with LaDawn and I, and we do some of the things we did when she was a kid - call it a nostalgic weekend visit. We’re going to be heading to Skyline Chili, Greater’s ice cream parlor, to Kings Island to ride the monster roller coasters, and even visiting the world-famous Cincinnati Zoo.

It's quite special when a dad gets a chance to do something like this with his daughter and I’ve been looking forward to it for over a month. It should be fun.

So, without any further ado let's get on with today's Business Day Thursday.

Business Day Thursday: Have You Got The Right Person Selling Your Photography?

I recently received some e-mail notices about a discussion going on over at Facebook. The main question under discussion was, “Who was the best person to sell your photography? Would it be the photographer, a staff person, or someone else?” What I like to do in today's discussion is to offer my opinions and my experience on that same topic.

The importance of this post is this: Anyone wanting to be successful in any line of work better be able to sell the product that they're trying to sell. In our case it's photography.

The Photographer Should Be The Salesperson Too?

One of the most notable commenters on the Facebook discussion is an extremely  renowned photographer from the Washington D.C. area. I do want to mention any names other than to say that I respected this photographer for many years and he runs a very successful,  very high grossing studio in that part of the country.

His point was that the most important person to be selling the photography needed to be the person behind the camera making the gorgeous images for the clients. His claim that there was an emotional connect between the photographer and the client and that he, the photographer, could easily share what he saw in his mind’s eye and what he felt in his heart as he was capturing the photographs for his clients. He posted that this emotional connect with the client and his emotional connect with the photographs would allow him to make the most thorough and successful presentation to his clients.

I have to say that I totally agree with his assessment of the situation. It's exactly how we've been doing things at my studio for over 30 years. As a wedding photographer I need to be able to share, as I said above, what I was seeing in my mind’s eye what I was feeling in my heart as I was photographing all those memorable moments for my clients. If I can bring my excitement, my enthusiasm, my passion to the presentation, I think the sale will be much more successful than someone much less enthusiastic about the photography and less connected to the clients.

But, What About The Photographer That Doesn't See Themselves As A Salesperson?

As I’ve traveled these many years talking to tens of thousands of photographers around the United States and the rest of the world, I hear many times about how the photographer does not see themselves as a salesperson and finds it extremely difficult in presenting (selling) their images to the client.

So, let's assume that you’re a great photographer and a lousy salesperson. – What are your options? You have two; learn how to sell or hire someone who knows how to sell. There are a gazillion sales resources available for you to study.  They range from millions of books on Amazon and several sales presentation tapes you can listen to.  I’ve certainly listened to my share of them over the years. Even with all those resources available, most will not take the initiative to use them. In that case, you have to go to Plan B.

If It Isn't Going To Be You, Find Someone To Do The Job For You!

I said earlier that if someone is selling your photography and they are not emotionally connected to those images the sale will suffer.  Sure, there are several companies with salespeople that just put in their eight hours. They really don't care and they're not motivated to produce greater sales.

But I know several successful studios that have salespeople in place that are motivated to sell the studio’s photographs. That motivation comes from commissions on the sale, bonuses and monthly goals, and other special incentives to make them and keep them fired up about selling photography.

The Right Person For The Sales Job

It’s simple, the right person for the sale is a person who is emotionally connected to those photographs. It's also the person that's shows a passion for the company they’re working for. You need to find someone who can resonate your own passion for what you tried to produce for your clients.

Are those kind of people hard to find?  Not really, just look at Microsoft, Apple, or Google employees – most would give their right arm for the company. They have a passion for what they do.

For your studio’s success, it's about having someone in place that brings your passion to your buying public. In my studio, that person has been mostly me.  But, over the years, I’ve also had others that could step up to the plate and make the sales presentation. It's about having the right people in that selling position. If that somebody is not you just be sure that person loves you, they share your passion for the product, and loves the photography you're producing.

But Good Selling Is Only Part Of The Big Picture Of Success

In addition to having a great salesperson in place, it's also about the product line that you offer and how you present that product line to your clients. We’ve certainly discussed that here at DigitalProTalk. I invite you to look back over any number of previous Business Day Thursday posts.  I’ve discussed building products that sell and how to bundle products to maximize the sale.  I’ve also discussed how to handle sales objections and so much more.

With over 3500 posts available at DigitalProTalk, there's an immense amount of resource material for any aspiring or seasoned professional photographer.  I invite you to start digging in and reap the benefits of those posts. I think you will enjoy digging for the hidden treasures.

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Hey gang, that's it for me today.  I’m taking a little time off to get ready for my daughter’s visit.  Have a great rest of the day and I'll see you soon.

Adios, David

"Watercolors"

"Watercolors"
© David A. Ziser

I thought I'd leave you with a little of the beauty we found at the Botanical Gardens in New York last year.  There wasn't much color this time of year - according to the guide, Spring is the best time to visit - but we did find some color in the Water Lily ponds.  Water Lilies are simply beautiful but the photographic challenge is being able to photograph them with an unobtrusive background.

That was the case here - lots of beautiful water lilies, but many times with a less than attractive background.  I managed to find one water lily that filled the bill - it was beautifully lit from my vantage point and the background was mostly working for the image.  I like how the green Lilly pad offers a nice contrast to the rich, vibrant color of the flower.

I composed the flower in the bottom right side of the frame which allows the eye to enter from the left side of the frame, travel across the textures of the pad and finally stopping on the full color brilliance of the water lily.  I think it makes a nice still life photograph.

I did tweak the image a bit in Lightroom and also made the trip to Photoshop to remove a few small distractions from the scene. Hope you like it.

Camera specs:  Canon 7D fitted with 18-200mm IS lens at 200mm, F8.0 @1/500 second, ISO 200. Enjoy! -David

Experiencing The Complete Wedding Weekend – Part 6

Good Afternoon Everybody,

Hey gang, It's good to be back home after our great visit to New Orleans. The weather is still as hot as in New Orleans but, without all the gulf humidity it doesn't  seem nearly stifling.  As usual, things are crazy around the studio. We seem to be going 1,000,000 miles an hour since we touched down last Thursday morning.  August is shaping up to be a huge month. 

The main reasons:

1. I've got to get my second book completed this month - still lots to finish up.

2. I've got to get everything pretty well in shape for next year's Photo Pro Expo 2013 by the end of the month too.

3. I've got all my Spring and Summer brides to contact and have them visit the studio to make their image selections for their wedding albums and get all their orders processed  and albums designed before leaving for Photoshop World on September 2.

4. And add to that all the unexpected day-to-day activities that go on around the studio on a daily basis.

Why is this Sword of Damocles hanging over my head? Mainly because of our Fall schedule. On Labor Day, we jump on a plane and head to Las Vegas for Photoshop World and then back home for a family wedding on Friday September 7th. For the next 10 days we'll be hanging at the studio wrapping up any other loose ends.

The Truly BIG Reason For This Busy Month!

…. is because LaDawn and I are heading out of town for two months on September 18 and not returning until November 8. That's right, you heard me. Were heading to Europe for TWO MONTHS!  And, have to complete everything before we leave.

Part of the time will be spent teaching but most of the time will be spent on doing what I've been looking forward to my whole life – traveling, eating, enjoying time with LaDawn, and shooting images for my portfolio. Our trip will take us through Italy, then a 12-day cruise throughout the Mediterranean including the Greek Islands and Istanbul, Turkey.  Then we fly to Barcelona and Madrid, Spain. 

I'm presenting programs on both the beginning and the end of our travels so it should be a kick all the way around. Anyway, if I sound a little stressed in my blog this month, that's mostly the reason why. Too much to do and too little time. What's new, right?  But, somehow everything always gets accomplished. Wish me luck and hang in there with me this month.

The Wedding Series: Experiencing The Complete Wedding Weekend – Part 6

This past weekend we had some of my favorite clients over to make their final image selections for their bridal albums and family albums. I'm thrilled to say that they put together a tremendous selection of images that truly capture the essence of their fabulous wedding weekend in Northern Michigan.  Today I want to move on with Part 6 of my wedding series which features that wonderful wedding weekend. 

Rehearsal dinner images are a great way to augment wedding coverages. We always book the rehearsal dinner coverage with our destination weddings. My thinking is, that because we’re already in town, why not give the client the added benefit of having a rehearsal dinner coverage. And, since we’re up there for the rehearsal dinner, I generally stick around for the Sunday brunch. The Sunday brunch is most often a sendoff event for all the out-of-town guests before they all travel back home.

Destination weddings can be a big expense for anyone planning one. That's why, when discussing the photography plans for any destination wedding with my clients, I always include in the discussion the rehearsal dinner coverage and the Sunday brunch coverage. Since I'm already in town I provide special pricing to my clients.  That way they can have the most complete coverage possible for all the weekend festivities.

In today's post I want to walk you through the rehearsal dinner we photographed in Michigan a few weeks ago. In this series, so far you've seen a lot of images discussed and a lot of challenges that we encountered. In today's post I’ll walk you through the actual rehearsal dinner shoot.  You need to know that rehearsal dinners can take place anywhere - country clubs, restaurants, the backyard of the bride or groom's parents home….. That means that the challenges that occur during rehearsal dinner coverages can be quite varied.  And, we had of a few of our own to deal with during the rehearsal dinner that I'm discussing in today's post.

The venue was Blu Restaurant, I believe to be one of the finest restaurants in the entire state of Michigan. In fact, LaDawn and I drove back Sunday evening to have dinner in this fabulous restaurant – it was everything we expected it to be.

The restaurant, as you'll see in the photographs I’ll share with you today is quite small. Seating maybe for only 55 or 60 people. The restaurant has a very light and airy atmosphere to it. That's mostly because two complete walls of the restaurant are huge plate-glass windows with a large skylight making up the ceiling.

We were beginning coverage at six o'clock in the evening with dinner wrapping around 9:30 or 10:00 p.m. That meant that most of the photography was going to be taking place in this very brightly illuminated location. So, what do you think the lighting challenges would be? The answer to that question is whether to use flash or not.

To Light Or Not To Light - That Is the Question

As I surveyed the location I knew we were going to be facing some lighting challenges, particularly if I chose to use any kind of on-camera or off-camera flash. I had huge plate-glass windows on two sides of the restaurant which meant that I had a huge “reflection” problem if I was using flash of any kind. But on the other hand, this location did have those huge plate-glass windows and that huge skylight above filling the venue with beautiful soft lighting.

DAZNOTE: Well, I say soft lighting but that wasn't always the case. There were some moments during the rehearsal dinner when the sun was settling down on the horizon and casting direct sun rays onto some of the seated guests.

Because of the restaurant being opened to the daylight on two the four sides I knew that fact would give me a decent “direction the light” falling on most people attending the dinner. I also knew that with the other two walls being a very bright white, I should have enough fill light on the scene as well. I took a few photographs with just the natural light streaming into the restaurant and was very pleased with the results.  I decided to photograph the entire event sans flash.  That’s right, no flash at all – totally natural light.

My Favorite ISO In This Situation

After making the decision to shoot everything with just the natural available light I had to determine the ISO that would work best for me in the shooting situation. I knew there would be photographs capturing the excitement, emotions, and spontaneity of the event. These kinds of moments generally require a faster shutter speed to be sure that we stop the action adequately for the photograph. Because of the brightness of the room I chose a higher ISO – ISO 2000 – and began shooting away. Because of the high ISO characteristics of my Canon 5D Mark III camera and the noise reduction capabilities of Lightroom 4 I knew I would have no problem with noise.

Which Lens To Use?

The other consideration was which lens to use.  All of you reading this blog know that my new favorite all-in-one lens is the Tamron 28 – 300 mm VC lens. It's long 10-1 zoom range allows me the versatility to cover just about any candid situation particularly at this kind of event. Because of the very bright ambient light in the restaurant I knew I could use this lens even with it’s fairly small F5.6 maximum aperture. At ISO 2000 and maybe above, I would still have adequate exposures with respectable motion freezing shutter speeds.

So, those are some of the specific challenges facing me in photographing this rehearsal dinner.  In  the video below I'll walk you through several images from the rehearsal dinner and discuss, in greater detail, the challenges presented to us during that shoot along with the type of images I like to capture for my clients. I think this tutorial will be a good roadmap for you when faced with shooting your next rehearsal dinner. Why not hit the PLAY button below and enjoy the show.

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Hey gang, that's it for me today. I’ve challenged myself to get at least the first two chapters of my book finalized. That means I've got a move through 16,000 words, fine tuning and word-smithing the text, and preparing the illustrations to be added. The polishing up of any opus should be fun for the author. It's during this polishing process that you actually see the book taking shape.

As previously promised,  I'll share some excerpts of the book with you here at DigitalProTalk.

On that note I'm back to the keyboard. Have a great rest of the day and I hope to see you again tomorrow for Technique Tuesday  - once again on Wednesday.

See you soon, David

"Pizza By The Slice - Bourbon Street Style"

"Pizza By The Slice - Bourbon Street Style"
© David A. Ziser

I captured this image last night while walking Bourbon Street one last time. My goal was to shoot with the Canon 8-15mm fisheye lens only and shoot everything in HDR (Art Vivid) mode on my Canon 5 D Mark lll.  I wondered around for about 2 hours walking up and down Bourbon Street looking for the right subject matter of my self imposed late night assignment.

The bright, rich colors and strong contrasts of this location seemed to be perfect for my assignment.  I stepped into the building and grabbed a few shots.  This one was my favorite.  What struck me about this image was the sense of loneliness about it.  Here we are in the middle of one of the rowdiest streets in the country - music blaring, the smell of stale beer and perspiration everywhere, the wild come-ons and colors everywhere, and in spite of this "neon peacock" location, only three people could be found inside.

The emptiness of this location I think echo's some of the emptiness some people wondering these streets might feel in their own souls. The chaos and shear din on Bourbon Street masks that out for these lonely souls.  But Like Dragnet's Joe Friday said so many years ago.  Every city has a story and every person in that city has a story too.  What are the stories to be told in this Bourbon Street neon electric bawdy colored bar/pizza parlor?

Camera specs: Canon 5 D Mark lll fitted with Canon 8-15mm fisheye lens at 15mm, F7.1 @1/400 second, ISO 6400.  Enjoy!  -David

Business Day Thursday: You've Got To Meet Them Face To Face!

Good Morning Everybody,

OMG, 4:00 a.m. comes way too early in the day for me but that was the time the wake-up call came in this morning.  We quickly packed and headed to the airport for our 7:00 a.m. flight and were back on the ground in Northern Kentucky by 10:15 a.m.  Now I’m too tired to get started on anything today ;~)

All joking aside, we wrapped our 7 day trip to New Orleans and are back home safe and sound.  I spent last night walking Bourbon Street and grabbing some fisheye HDR images.  I'll plan to share a few with you in upcoming posts. 

I also managed to get back home without too much damage done to my waistline.  The food in New Orleans is great but the calorie count can be off the charts.  And yes, since I'm counting them these days, it was a challenge to wage the calorie wars in New Orleans.

Wondering what my secret was? Walking, that's right, walking.  This trip had me, and occasionally LaDawn, seeing a lot of the city on foot.  Yesterday we logged over 11 miles walking from from one end of the town to the other.  For the week, I walked over 52 miles walking, walking everywhere!  BTW, it's a great way to see details of this fabulous city. Now it's back to the real world and back to work for me.  I've got to get my book wrapped this month and that's going to take most of the month - a very busy month too.

Business Day Thursday: You've Got To Meet Them Face To Face!

It amazes me just how everybody seems to be so connected to they're email, Facebook, Google+, Twitter, Pinterest, et.al. accounts.  It seems to me that the world would not go on for many folks if they were cut off from their constant connectedness.  Don't get me wrong, I know it's the way of the world these days, and I'm as connected as everyone else. 

But I do want to make a point that the world does not live and breathe by email, Facebook, etc. alone.  Sometimes there has to be a real connect with your client, especially if you plan to run a successful business.

At our recent visit to New Orleans for the Southern Pro Exposure photography convention, I got to sit in on Tom Munoz's program.  Tom and his family, mom and dad and several brothers, run one of the most successful wedding studios in south Florida.  They do over 300 weddings a year at a very good average.  Each photographer books his/her own weddings and they are "wedding booking" machines.

Tom made a very good point during the sales/marketing section of his program.  He said, "Booking a wedding photographer over the phone or by email is like buying a wedding gown over the phone or by email.  It just doesn't work". He wanted to make the point that the prospective client really needs to see and touch the product before they can make a qualified buying decision about wedding photographs and albums.

Tom hit the nail on the head.  So many of today's wedding photographers think the entire booking process can be handled by phone or email.  With that kind of thinking they can only be doing one thing very well - killing the sale!  That's right, so many photographers are complaining of low averages, cheap customers, and the bottom dropping out of the wedding industry. Yet, down in south Florida, we have a studio doing in excess of $1 million dollars a year in wedding photography. Why? Because they know how to sell.

Remember, selling is NOT a dirty word.  It about finding out what the client wants and then helping them to get just that.  You simply can't make that happen over the phone or in numerous emails with a prospective client.  It takes a real connect with your client to be able to pick up on the subtle nuances of the conversation, the body language, and the hidden objections associated with any sales process. 

Phone calls and emails are ROADBLOCKS to a successful sales process. Another point I'd like to make is that the client eventually appreciates that personal connect with their photographer.  It is always about relationship building in any business and the best way to make that happen is face to face.

I truly believe that Tom and the Munoz family have it right.  Buying a wedding photographer over the phone is like buying a dress over the phone or online.  You take a big chance with one of the most important aspects of the wedding day is you select that course of action.

As Tom says, your clients need to know that they are taking a chance on compromising their photography result by booking over the phone. Wedding photographers reading this blog must also realize that they too are flirting with sales disaster in trying to book a bride over the phone.  You've got to meet them face to face, begin building trust, lay the foundation for a lasting relationship with them for years to come.  Success doesn't come from a quick email or phone call bookings.  It comes from incorporating a complete and connected strategic sales process that serves the customer personally so they can get exactly what they want beyond question and love their finished result.

End of sales rant #102

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Hey gang, that's it for me today.  I just received news that the mother of one of my clients recently passed away while we were out of town.  Services are today not very long after we touch down so I'm heading over to pay my respects and offer my condolences to the family.

Have a great rest of the day in your part of the world and I'll see you soon.

Adios, David

Technique Tuesday On Wednesday: New Orleans Wedding Shoot - Part 1

Good Morning Everybody,

We’re getting a pretty slow start on the day today – it feels kind of good just lazzin’ around.  Besides LaDawn can’t get enough of the Olympics. Last night we had a very romantic anniversary dinner at Irene’s, one of the best restaurants in the French Quarter. And for lunch today we are heading to Katie’s, a restaurant featured on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives.  Yes, we have very eclectic culinary tastes ;~)

This is our last day in this fine city so we are just planning to soak up as much of the NOLA as we can today by walking from one neighborhood to the next.  We should get pretty many miles under our belt by the end of the day.  It will be another very hot day but who cares – we’re in New Orleans!

New Orleans Shoot - Part 1

Hey gang, I've got so much to share with you from our travels while here in New Orleans. I'm going to spread it over a few posts otherwise we'd be here all day.  In today's tutorial I'm going to walk you through a few of the images Monday post [link] so today I'm going to take you on a short video trip and show you how I continued to utilized those little lighting jewels, the Canon 600 EX-RT speedlites, to create some great wedding images of my bride.

I’ll be covering lots on technique in today's video including lighting, composition, and exposure.  You don't need to own the Canon speedlights to do what I'm demonstrating, any remotely fired strobe will work.  But remember, the premise for my shoot was really to work with the Canon speedlights and see just how they would perform in a regular wedding portrait situation.  As I said yesterday, they did great!!  Why not hit the PLAY button and see what I've got in store for you today.  Enjoy!

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Hey gang, that's it for me today.  We’re off to start walking – hope you get a chance to relax today.

Have a great rest of the day and I'll see you soon.

Adios, David