Authority or Guru

The first thing to clarify is the difference between an “authority” and a “guru.”  Basically, if you can tell someone more than they care to hear about a topic, you are probably an Authority on that topic.  It’s also possible that you are just boring – but lets try to keep things positive.  Being an authority implies a great deal of knowledge in that specific area.  It is pretty cut-and-dried.

A guru, on the other hand, is a little more complicated.  In addition to a great deal of knowledge, it also implies a willingness to help others.  In other words, a guru is a teacher.  In today’s society, it usually means someone who will teach you – for a price.

Guru Requirements

So how can you tell if YOU are a guru?  Well, it can be a little confusing – but there are a few unwritten rules.

1.  Know It All

To call yourself a guru, you need to either have a vast knowledge of a subject or at least claim to have a vast knowledge of a subject.  Who can really say when you officially become a Photoshop Guru or a Painting Guru.  At some point, you just start using the term.   If you can talk about a topic for 30 minutes – and still have people standing there when you finish- you might be a guru.

2.  Subject Matter

Unfortunately, you can’t be a guru in anything you want.  Certain subjects are off-limits.  Basically, a guru is generally an expert in a field of study that is considered good or helpful.  For example, you can’t be a Crime Guru – they are referred to as “criminal masterminds” or something like that.   You could, however, be a Crime Solving Guru.  See the difference?

There is no such thing as a Death Guru or Poverty Guru – they just don’t exist.   If your field of expertise is in one of these fields, you probably need to forget about being a guru.  Sorry.

3.  Stuff For Sale

As far as I can see, the final requirement for being a guru is that you have to have some sort of product for sale.  If you are an Kitchen Organization Guru, you better have a book-or even a utensil sorting tray- for sale.  People like to buy things from gurus.

Can you imagine meeting someone who claimed to be a Marketing Guru, but didn’t have a marketing book for sale?  You’ve got a better chance of stumbling across the Loch Ness Monster.

Make Sense?

Hopefully that will clarify things a bit for everyone.  If you read over the requirements and you have determined yourself to be an actual guru- congratulations!

If not, keep at it.  I didn’t just become a Guru Guru overnight – believe me.

This week, I’m continuing my “Ten Questions” series with internet traffic diva Ana Hoffman.  Ana’s Traffic Generation Cafe is an incredible website with lots of great content.  She was kind enough to answer my ten questions – so enjoy the post!

1. What made you choose traffic generation as a theme for your site?  Is it something you struggled with yourself?

Yes, I started Traffic Generation Cafe out of necessity. 

I needed to learn how to drive traffic to my then primary business site and had a hard time finding simple actionable information to help me with it.

2.  You went from modeling to blogging.  Which one is tougher?

Modeling is by far one of the most difficult things I’ve done in my life.

Even though it’s always nice to see your face on the cover of a magazine, there are many rejections that line the way.

Blogging is not easy, but my success is entirely under my control. If I fail along the way, there’s no one else to blame.

3.  You’ve obviously been photographed many times.  Which image best shows “the real Ana” ???
Out of all the question, this is the one that took a while to answer.

It seems like we spend our lives trying to present ourselves in a better light.

Sometimes even to the point where we forget who we really are.  However, this face can’t lie.

This is the best expression of the true me.

4.  Even your best friends would be surprised to learn that when you were younger, you _______________

I live in Arizona because I hate being cold.

I hear it over and over again from my friends and family “But you are from Russia! How can you be cold when it’s in the 80s outside?!”

Little they know I used to do ice swimming. lol

5.  If I had a friend who never heard of your site and I was going to send him a link to ONE post – the one that you are the most proud of – which post would it be?  

I think this post is the most useful one:
http://www.trafficgenerationcafe.com/popular-blogs-from-scratch/

6.  Mac or PC?

Mac all the way.

7.  Favorite TV show of all time?

I don’t watch much TV, but the one show that always made me close my computer (not an easy thing to do) was “24″ with Kiefer Sutherland.

8.  If you could only read ONE other person’s blog, which blog would it be?  And don’t feel like you have to pick mine to make me feel good!  :)

Alex Whalley http://alexwhalley.com/ always manages to make me laugh when I read his blog – as well as teach me a thing or two.

9.  What is the biggest goal you have set for yourself this year?

I am more of a goal-getter than goal-setter.

Life taught me not to make plans too far in advance, and I am fine with it.

10.  How long could you go without internet access?

I once almost had a breakdown when we got to a hotel in the Rockies and their Wi-Fi access wasn’t liking my computer.

I am a blogging junkie – there, I said it!

Want to learn how Ana generates web traffic?

Stop by her traffic generation blog or follow her on Twitter.  Trust me, she is very entertaining!

Who is next?

When was the last time YOU came across someone really interesting on the internet?  An entertaining Twitter friend or a photo blogger with incredible images?  I’m always on the lookout for more “Ten Questions” participants.  Leave me a few suggestions below and I’ll add them to my list!

Every portrait is ultimately judged by the expression on the subject.  It doesn’t matter if you are a photographer or a client- everyone hates fake smiles. Nothing spoils a session like a long, dramatic “CHEEEEEEEZZZEEEE!”.

So how do we avoid it?

First Things First
Like most projects, the planning is a critical part of the process. When you are scheduling a portrait session for your child, there is absolutely no need to prep your child in any way.

A good photographer will know how to work with your kids to get the expressions that they need.  Any coaching you do ahead of time will only make the photographer’s job harder.  Kids are pretty good at just going with the flow, so they don’t need a whole lot of build-up for the portrait session.

Clothing

One common snag that will derail a portrait session is when a child is forced to wear an outfit they don’t want to wear.   I was lucky to not ever have this issue with my boys – they would generally just put on the outfit and be done with it.  If your child isn’t so tollerant, try this:  Bring two outfits that you like and let them choose which one to wear.   That way, they feel like they are in control – but you are still choosing the clothing.  (Of course, you could make the same argument from the kid’s perspective)

Ease Into The Session

The first few minutes after a child arrives will set the tone for the session.  Don’t rush right into the studio.  Take a few minutes to let your kid get their bearings and let the photographer start building rapport with them.  Once the child is comfortable, they will head into the studio on their own.

Mom Pressure

When I am photographing a child, one of the biggest obstacles is often the mother.  It is human nature to try and guide your child -but it will drive the photographer crazy.  Every time you say, “Do a big smile” or “That’s not your real smile” you are adding more confusion to the situation.  Sometimes it is best if you just bring a magazine and sit in the next room.  Trust me, you will get better results.

Forget Smiles

From my standpoint – behind the camera- I’m not interested in kids making a smiling face.  I’m interested in actually making them laugh and then capturing it in the camera.  That is the only way to get an authentic expression.   The key is to have a whole bunch of tricks and strategies ready, since every kid is different.  A joke that makes one kid laugh might be totally lost on the next one.  Working with kids is truly an art, just like the actual photography.  If you don’t believe me, just ask any teacher.  The people who are best at interacting with children are almost always the best photographers.

Have Fun!

Honestly, the best advice is to have fun and enjoy the session.  If your child isn’t in the mood to smile that day, just go with it.  Some of my favorite portraits of my boys are ones where they are not smiling.  As long as the expression is authentic – smiling or not – it will have emotional impact.

A while back, I was at a school auction and won a certificate for four music lessons at an area music school.  One of my boys has been wanting to take some music lessons, so it seemed like a good match.  Then I called them…

The Concept
When most businesses donate something to a school auction, they aren’t generally doing it to help the school.  Unless you have kids at that school, you are usually just doing it to get your name out there.  In other words, it is a form of self-promotion.  It is important to keep this in mind, because you need to stick with that strategy.

Mistake 1
When I called the studio to setup his lessons, we ran into our first problem.  They couldn’t find their copy of the certificate.  I tried to explain that I had the certificate with me and would bring it to the first lesson – but they said they needed to find their copy of it.  The puzzling question is….. Why?

Mistake 2
The next issue was the expiration date on the certificate.  It was due to expire at the end of February.  Since I knew we had a conflict in February, I asked it we could move it back a few weeks.  The receptionist said she would have to discuss it with the director and let me know, but they didn’t usually do that type of thing.

As a business owner, you have to ask “why?”  Think about it… nobody takes just 4 music lessons.  The goal should be to get me – a potential client – to try out their services.  They have absolutely nothing to lose by extending the certificate a month.

From there the situation just slowly got worse.  They said the best they could do is push it back a week – maybe two.  She just kept saying, “we don’t usually do that.”  From a customer service standpoint, if you are willing to extend the certificate, why not go with a “Sure- whatever it takes to make you happy” strategy vs the “We’re doing you a big favor- we don’t usually work with our clients like this” approach?

Now I’m all for having a policy and sticking to it.  The question is, why have that policy?

Opportunity Lost
In the end, I got frustrated and told her to never mind.  I said I would just throw away the certificate and find a different music school.  At this point, she said, “Well, ok, I’ll check and see if we can extend it through March.”

Unfortunately, at this point, I had no interest in doing business with them.  A potential customer lost due to poor customer service.

Your Business Policies
Take a minute and look at your business policies.  Are they designed to bring in more business or are they simply hoops for potential clients to jump through?  Once you have a clear picture of what you are trying to accomplish with your promotions, it will be much easier to set your policies.

What About You?
We always learn from our mistakes, but it is a lot less painful to learn from other people’s mistakes.  Have you had a similar dealing with a business-or maybe made a bad decision yourself on something like this?  I’d love to hear your story.  Leave a comment and share!

About a year and half ago, I started a YouTube Channel.  It was actually just one video, explaining exposure.  I posted it so people in a photography class would have a reference to remind themselves what they had learned in my beginner photography class.  From there, it just kind of grew.   It now has almost 40 videos and has amassed over 133,000 views.

But Why?

I actually get asked that a bunch.  Why put all these video tutorials online for free?   Doesn’t it devalue them by just giving them away?

To be honest, it hasn’t really been an issue for me.  When I was learning about photography, I asked a LOT of people a LOT of questions.  I couldn’t help it… I had a bunch of questions.  Giving back to the photography world just seems like the right thing to do.

The Perks

There are a few minor perks, I guess.  First off, the YouTube ads contribute a little bit of money – at least in theory.  Last time I checked, I hadn’t made the minimum commission for Google to even send me a check.  That is after a year and a half of making videos lol!

It does give my blog a little bit of extra traffic – especially when I coordinate blog posts and channel updates – which doesn’t happen all that often.

Honestly, I just enjoy putting the videos together and reading the comments from people who found them helpful.  Maybe at some point I’ll put together some larger-scale video production and make millions of dollars – but for now, I’m happy to just post the occasional video.

Pass It On

If you have had people help you out along the way, take some time to give back.  If you are new to the industry, make sure you find a way to help when you are more comfortable with your skills.  Don’t worry about what is in it for you.  Sometimes you have to give something before you will get something.

Check It Out

If you haven’t been there, I hope you will take a minute to check out the channel:  Lourcey Photography Channel.  If you like it, subscribe!  Of course, I’d love to get a comment from you on your favorite video.

Selling our work seems to be one of the toughest jobs a photographer has to do.  It is can be stressful, difficult and ultimately lead to the demise of your business if you don’t know what you are doing.

When I speak at photography conventions, the topic always comes up – in one form or another.  It seems to really baffle people.  The truth is that is is actually pretty simple- if you break it down.  Just remember the Four P’s.

The Product

Would you rather try and sell water to hikers or sell ice to Eskimos?  If you have a product that people really want, it is a LOT easier to sell it.  That is why improving your photography will actually help your sales.  If you are creating images that people fall in love with, then the selling will generally take care of itself.  Sure, people will always be limited by what they can afford – but if they want something bad enough, they can generally figure out a way to make it happen.

Also the images need to be different (in a good way) from what others are offering.  Otherwise, you will be competing based on price – and that makes the sales process unpleasant for everyone involved.

The Process

You need to make the sales process as simple and straight-forward as possible for the client.  I don’t care if you do your sales with Photoshop or with sales software, you need to make it efficient.  Don’t overwhelm people with too many options at once.  If you struggle with this in your studio, check with some friends and see how they do it.  Keep fine-tuning your process until you have something that feels comfortable.

Projecting

If you are selling with proofs or with online proofing, you are giving away money-plain and simple.  You are also giving away images.  It is important to remember that we are selling the image, not the paper it is printed on.   When people have an online copy of a shot, why do they need a printed 5×7?

You are also not giving the client the full benefit of your services.  Often times, people will assume that a simple flaw in an image cannot be fixed – such as a stray hair or distracting object in the background.  When you project your images, you can address these concerns right away.  You are also able to guide them through the process and offer assistance with sizing, finish, etc.

There are plenty of places in photography where you can take shortcuts.  Sales is NOT one of them.

Promote Trust

Building a trusting rapport with the client is critical to your sales success.  You know more than they do about sizing, frame choices, cropping and other aesthetic decisions.  The problem is, if they don’t trust you, you can’t help them.  It is your job to give them your honest opinion on things.  If you think a 20×24 is the appropriate size for their den, don’t try to talk them up to a 30×40.  I talk people into smaller sizes all the time.  It helps to build trust, so they will believe you when you tell them that the 8×10 isn’t going to look good over the fireplace – no matter how much matting they put around it.  Remember, your artistic vision is part of the product.

Where Do YOU Stand?

So how does your sales process stack up?  Take a few minutes and give yourself an honest assessment of the Four P’s.   By making some small improvements to each area, you can start adding extra dollars to your bottom line.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on sales!  Leave me a comment below and let me know if you agree.  Also, feel free to add another item to the list.

By the way – if you found the post helpful, please take a second and give me a “+1″ below!

I met Cher several years ago, when I was first starting to learn Painter. We have kept in touch over the years and I was honored to have some of my paintings featured in her latest book- the tenth edition of Painter Wow.

Self-Portrait, 2009

In addition to having a few of my images featured in the gallery, she actually used my Polo painting as an example of expressive photo-painting – with a step-by-step guide to how I created the piece. It is pretty cool to see how the pieces come together to create the final painting.

Of course, it was also a very humbling experience. I’ve always thought I had a pretty good grasp on Painter, but when I saw some of the other artists featured in the book – I was blown away.  These are not no-name artists, but folks like John Derry!  You just don’t get much more “painter” than John.

It was very eye-opening.  Like most things – the more you learn, the more you realize how much more you have to learn.

Now having my images in there obviously makes the book a must-buy item, right? Well, there is actually a lot more! Whether you are just starting out or a seasoned Painter veteran, I think you will find something interesting in this book.

Polo Player

It is broken up into smaller sections that take you through one technique at a time – so you don’t get overwhelmed with too much info at once.  You can decide what type of technique you want to work on and give it a try.  If you don’t like a particular style, you just go on to the next one.  For me, that makes for a much more flexible learning experience.

If you get this book and take the time to work through it, you WILL get better at Painter. There is no doubt about it.

If one of your 2012 goals was to grow as an artist, this might be a great place to start. Check it out and let me know what you think!

For more info on Cher and her work, check out Cher’s Website

You can also follow her on Twitter:  @CherPendarvis

I just got back from ImagingUSA in New Orleans. If you aren’t familiar with ImagingUSA, it is the big national convention for the Professional Photographers of America. Photographers from all over the world gather to talk shop and learn more about the craft.

Of course, just visiting New Orleans is quite a photographic experience. SOOOO much to photograph. We spent some time walking around the French Quarter and I got this shot in Jackson Square – right as some rain was about to move in.

One of the highlights of the convention is the print exhibit – where the top competition prints from the previous year are displayed. I love going through and seeing images that I remember from judging a state convention. They even have mentor booths where you can sit down for a one-on-one consultation with a PPA juror to get all your print competition questions answered.

Of course, if you have a few extra dollars to spend, you could probably find a few items at the trade show. It was massive. It took a couple of hours to walk through the whole thing.

I put together a quick video to show you what all this looks like.

To make things a little more exciting, one of my images – Judges Pleas Rotate – was a finalist for the Grand Imaging Awards. Unfortunately, things didn’t go my way and I walked away without the trophy. However, it was a huge honor to know that my print was in the top ten illustrative images in the entire competition – so it wasn’t all bad.

"Judges Please Rotate"

Viewing the prints and strolling around the trade show was a lot of fun. Add to that the interesting programs, fun parties – and of course, getting to hang out with photographers for a few days. It really makes for a great artistic getaway. If you missed it this year, put it on your calendar for next year. It is a lot of photography education for the money.

I hope your 2012 is off to a very creative start.  If one of your New Years Resolutions is to add some new looks to your image portfolio, then you are in luck!

This week, I was working on a video tutorial on how to get a cool antique effect in Photoshop.  I’ve tried several different ways over the years, but I liked the look I got from this technique- so I thought I’d share it.

BEFORE

Here is the portrait I started out with.  I find the technique works best if you start with an image that has fairly dramatic lighting.

I basically added a texture layer on top of the image, then adjusted the blending mode.  If you’d like to see the step-by-step Photoshop tutorial, you can view it on my YouTube Channel.

AFTER

Here is the final image:

The image has taken on a rich, golden tone – along with some vignetting.  We’ve also applied some grit and texture to add to the effect.

Want to give it a try yourself? 

No problem!

Just use the “SHARE TO GET” button below.  You basically give a shout-out on Facebook or Twitter telling your friends about the technique and the texture file will download for FREE!  Can’t beat that, huh?

Give it a shot and let me know what you think.

Doing a print critique after the Print Competition program

It was a LONG day.  I feel bad for those people having to listen to me talk for 9 hours straight!

Local Flavor

Although I didn’t get to check one out from the inside, I got to see a few “fish houses” and got the scoop on ice fishing.  Next time I’m up that way, I’ll have to add that to the “To-Do” list.

I also managed to dodge the cold January weather.  Sure, it was 22 degrees Sunday morning – which is pretty cold for a Texan- but I’m told it could be as cold as 20 below that time of year!  Not sure if I’m happy or disappointed about missing that!

Chatting with photographers after the seminar

Minnesota Hospitality

Big thanks to Chris Lommel for being a fantastic host and even sending me these images from the seminar.