Any Benefits?

When I started with Klout, I saw two potential benefits.  One was a way to benchmark my social media efforts.  Even though I don’t understand WHY my score goes up and down, it is an interesting way to track your overall progress.  After all, if your Klout score is going up, you are interacting with more and more people online and doing a better job of getting your message out there.  For as little time as it takes, I think it is worth monitoring your Klout score.  The key is to just not get obsessed with raising your score.  Just monitor it like you do anything else.

Perks?

The other interesting potential benefit for me was Klout Perks.  The concept is that your Klout score qualifies you to participate in various perks – which range from access to events or free products.

To be honest, I always considered the Perks part to be kind of a scam.  Most of the “perks” were things that people didn’t really want or else they were in super-limited supply and never available.  I always read the perk alerts, but never really pursued them.  A while back, however, I saw a perk from Sony.  They were touting their new cordless Walkman and offered me a free one.  I took the time to fill out the perk claim form, but really wasn’t expecting to get anything.

To my surprise, this beauty showed up in the mail last week.  Now this isn’t some crappy, throw-away type of item.  It was a brand new, $70 Walkman.  I was shocked.

The Walkman

For the record, I really like the Walkman.  It is super-easy to load songs and sounds pretty good.  Its weird not having to deal with a cord dangling from your neck, but once you get used to it- you will never want to go back.  If you like to run or workout at the gym, this thing is awesome.

Back To Klout

Sorry… I digress….

So the long and the short of it is – Klout just might be worth your time.  I can’t guarantee your mailbox will be filled with cool electronic gadgets, but you will at least have some way of charting your social media growth.

What about you?

Do you use Klout?  What has your experience been?  Any cool perks???

This month, I was thrilled to have one of my images grace the cover of Professional Photographer Magazine.   The lucky image was “School Spirit” – a senior portrait I created a few years ago that made it all the way to the PPA Loan Collection.   As if the cover wasn’t exciting enough, they also did a great story on how I approach senior photography – and all portraits for that matter.  It was a seven page article with a bunch of my favorite senior portraits featured.  I’ve been fortunate enough to win my fair share of awards over the years, but having a cover story was definitely a new high!

THE INTERVIEW

I never realized just how stressful it is to be interviewed for an article like this – especially one that you know will be read by all your peers.  You worry that you will say something wrong or come off sounding like a knucklehead.   Fortunately, the story was done by the incredibly talented Stephanie Boozer.  We had a great talk and I felt like she really understood what I was trying to say.  It was a huge relief.  We spoke for a few hours and I was wondering how she would ever compress all that info into one article- but she managed to assemble the most important parts into a great piece.  I couldn’t be happier with the entire process!

THE CONCEPT

Of course, the whole thing would have never happened if it weren’t for that great senior session with Dayton Blankenship.  There is actually a funny story about how this image happened.  Here’s the backstory:

A few years ago, when I did my 40@Forty Project, the first week’s portrait was going to be a shot based on the “I’m a Mac, I’m a PC” commercials.  I dressed up in an Apple T-shirt for some shots, then switched to a suit – planning to combine them in Photoshop later.  Here is what the final image was going to look like.

However, as I was taking off the suit- with the T-shirt still on underneath- I realized it looked like Superman.  I went back and reshot the portrait with me ripping open my shirt.  The final image ended up being one of the most popular shots from the entire series and set the bar really high for the rest of the project.

THE SESSION

Fast forward a few years and I’m photographing Dayton for senior portraits.  Dayton is my Godson, so I’ve known him his whole life.  He had been following along with my 4040 Project and was familiar with all the images.  At the end of the session, he said he thought it would be fun to recreate my Mac image from the 4040 Project.  I thought it would be a great way to show off the green “W”.   He had earned his letter, but didn’t have a jacket to display it – so taping it to the front of his T-shirt worked out great.

We took several images and I knew we were on to something great.  The funny thing is, I learned afterwards that it was a big misunderstanding.  The shot he wanted to recreate was the first image – the “I’m a Mac” one – not the Superman image.   So the shot was really just a happy accident.  For the record, I like my idea better!  :)

How do you put a price on a kid’s smile?  How about $240???

IT’S BACK!

In April, we will once again be participating in Celebration of Smiles – an event organized by PPA Charities.  Those of you who participated last year will certainly remember it.  If you missed it, you need to mark your calendars for April 26 right now!

THE CAUSE 

The event benefits an organization called Operation Smile.  Started in 1982, this organization is dedicated to treating children who are suffering with cleft lips, cleft palates and other facial deformities.  In 1996, they were the first recipient of the Conrad Hilton Humanitarian Prize in recognition of their contributions to alleviate human suffering.  Last year, medical volunteers provided free surgeries for 9,221 children – both international and local.  I think this is truly amazing.

As a professional photographer, I make my living off smiles – so this charity was clearly something I wanted to get involved with.  My wife found out about the program at a photography convention last year and we have been big fans ever since.

THE EVENT

It costs $240 for Operation Smile to repair one child’s smile, so the Professional Photographers of America came up with Celebration of Smiles as a way to raise awareness and raise money for the cause.

On April 26th at The Westwood School, I will be offering special mini-sessions in exchange for a $24 donation to Operation Smile.  You will also get a free 5×7 print and a digital file for Facebook.  For every 10 portraits I create, one smile will be saved.  Everybody wins!

My goal this year is to raise enough money for 20 smiles.  It is quite a lofty goal, but I think it is worth the effort.  Granted, that is a LOT of portraits for me to take in one day- but I’m going to shoot til I drop!

HOW CAN YOU HELP?

I’ve setup a page on DonationTo where you can make a donation to the cause.  After you donate your $24, just show up on the 26th and smile for your portrait.  If you have kids who attend Westwood (grades 5 and up), I will even arrange to photograph them during school hours.

Don’t like having your picture taken?  Sign up your child.

Don’t have kids?  Just donate online and smile at your desk.  You don’t have to attend the portrait sessions to help out.  Every $24 donation gets us one step closer to a smile.

If you are the over-achiever type, you can even gather up some friends, family or even co-workers to make a donation for the entire $240 and fix a smile all by yourself.  How cool would that be?

ONLINE

You can certainly just show up on the 26th and we will happily photograph you.  However, you can now donate online at : http://www.donationto.com/Smiles2013

“A year from now, you will wish you had started today.”

     –Karen Lamb

Think about that for a second.

Really let it sink in.

The Plan

If you are like me, you probably have a ton of plans.  A million things you plan on doing at some point.  The problem we all run into is that they never seem to work their way to the top of the To-Do list.  When I came across this quote a while back, it really spoke to me.   Its the whole ” A long journey begins with a single step” thing…. the hardest part is starting.
For example, I love to play guitar- but I rarely pick it up and practice.  I’ve often thought about dedicating just 15 minutes EVERY day to a quick practice.  I wonder- if I had started doing this a year ago, how much better would I be today?  Man- I wish I had started a year ago!!!  So why didn’t I?  That’s the question.

I think the biggest obstacle we face is that life is geared toward putting out fires.  Whatever your job is, you probably don’t have the luxury to pick and choose what you do each day.  Sure, you get to pick SOME things – but a good part of your day is spent putting out fires.  Maybe it is filing paperwork or returning calls – but it is something that has to be done right away.  It has a deadline.  The things that don’t have deadlines get pushed back.

The Deadline

Pick something off your long-term ToDo list and set a deadline.  Promise yourself that you will start that project by the end of the week.  Even if you have to get up 30 minutes early Friday morning or work an extra 30 minutes Thursday night – you will START the project by Friday.  Write it down and tape it to your computer – then DO IT.  Just start.

When I did my 40@Forty Project a few years ago, it was a great creative exercise.  It was also an incredible exercise in self-discipline because I had to meet the Monday deadline every week.  Deadlines can be a powerful motivator- even if they are made-up deadlines.  Again, the key is to take the first step.

Final Thought

As you sit down with your ToDo list, I hope you will keep in mind this final quote from The Shawshank Redemption.

“It comes down to a simple choice, get busy living or get busy dying.”

Everyone can use a good, relaxing vacation every so often.  Of course, we all need to learn things also.  How about combining BOTH into one fun-filled weekend?  If you are a photographer – from an enthusiast, all the way to a pro- you won’t want to miss this!  I’ve teamed up with the folks at Legacy Travel to offer an educational getaway for a few lucky shutterbugs.  If you know me, you know that two of my passions are travel and teaching photography.  If you want to get better at photography, this is going to be a no-brainer.

The Plan

We will spend a few days in Mexico at El Dorado Royale, a spa resort- voted one of the top 100 hotels in the world.

THE WORLD!!!

In addition to beautiful scenery and all inclusive dining, I will personally take the group on a few photo excursions and teach you how to take better vacation photos.  We will photograph in the jungle, on the beach- even in an underground cave!  Trust me, you will come back with images that will cause quite a stir on Facebook!!!

Equipment

It doesn’t matter if you have a high-end DSLR or a simple iPhone.  Many of the concepts we discuss will apply to whatever camera you use.  You will learn to see light and compose images like a pro.  I’m even putting together a cool “cheat sheet” you can carry with you and keep at the end of the trip.

It won’t be all photography, however.  Did I mention the great food and incredible hotel???

The Bad News

The only drawback is that space is very limited.  This is my first ever photo excursion like this, so we want to keep the group small.  That way, you are ensured to come home with lots of great info.

Don’t Delay!

If this sounds like fun, click this link now and get signed up:  ONLINE INFO

If it doesn’t sound like fun, take a second to reread this post!!!

The Olloclip

I was first introduced to the Olloclip a couple of years ago when I bought one for my iphone 4.  It is basically a small lens that attaches to your iphone, giving it either a wide angle, fisheye or macro lens option.  The optics are very nice and it opens up a whole new world of iphone photography.  When you combine this lens with your favorite app- like Snapseed or Instagram- the sky is the limit!

Here is a sample photograph taken with my iPhone 5- just to give you a reference point for comparison.

Next we will look at a shot taken from the exact same distance, but using the Olloclip wide angle lens.

Finally, here is a shot from the same distance, but using the Olloclip fisheye lens.  You can see we are getting a LOT more area.  You do get a little bit of vignetting around the edges, but this is only with phones. You don’t seem to get it with video-though I’m not sure why.  Hopefully one of you techies will leave the answer in the comments!!!

Easy To Use

The great thing about the Olloclip is that it is soooo easy to use.  You just slip it onto the corner of your phone and then use whatever app you want.  Now I don’t use the macro lens too often, but having the fisheye and wide-angle options is something I absolutely LOVE!

Here is an image I took using the fisheye lens- combined with an HDR app- then output via Instagram.  Not a masterpiece by any stretch of the imagination, but definitely not your typical cell phone photo!  Trying to get that whole room into a typical iPhone shot would have been impossible.  It even comes with a little cloth pouch to carry it around in your purse or pocket – so there is no excuse for being caught without your Clip!

Slight Downside

Ok, there’s only one real negative about the Olloclip- and its kind of a big one for me.  To attach the lens to your camera, you have to remove your camera case.  I’m not one to carry around a “naked” iPhone, so constantly taking the cover off and on is a huge pain for me.  Its just something I live with, since I love the results.

The good news is that Olloclip is coming out with their own case that allows you to slip on the lens without removing the cover.  I know, I know… its one more thing to buy – but I will definitely be in line for that one when it becomes available!

Check out Olloclip online

You can find your own Olloclip at Olloclip.com.  If you order one – or if you already have one- I’d love to hear what YOU think.  Leave me a note in the comments with your personal review.

I just got back from a fantastic week in Iowa, hanging out with the Iowa Professional Photographers Association.

I spent the first few days serving as a juror in the North Central District print competition.  The North Central District is made up of 10 states and part of Canada.  The best photographers from those areas sent their best images to be judged by yours truly and his PPA Juror buddies.

Trophy selection after the judging

It was a great chance to work with some top-notch judges and we had the pleasure of judging some incredible images.

It was a mentally draining couple of days, but the fun didn’t stop there.  Instead of heading home after the judging ended on Saturday, I stayed around to put on a program Sunday evening.  Actually, there were TWO programs!  The first was on the do’s and don’ts of print competition and the second was on optimizing the home studio.

Speaking

We had a packed room for both programs and I got some very positive feedback from everyone afterwards.  How anyone can sit through 6 hours of me talking in one evening is beyond me, but they did it.  Its always fun to speak to a packed room of people, because you can feed off of the energy.

Of course, this group also likes to party – so I ended up having a few late nights as well.  Of all things, they had an 80s themed party Sunday night.  Those of you who know me, know that the 80s are right in my wheelhouse.  I just wish I hadn’t been completely wiped out from doing back to back programs.  The whole evening was just a blur.

Time To Head Home

My battery was just about run down by Monday afternoon as I headed to the airport.  I’m a big fan of travel, but there is nothing quite like the return trip home!

Of course, now I’ve got a week of catching up in the studio – but the weekend was definitely worth it.

The results are in and the people have spoken.  Just a few weeks ago, we started out with 16 great profile pics and each week we narrowed it by half.

Yesterday the polls closed for the final round.  The winner will walk away with an iTunes gift card and the bragging rights of being the 2013 Twitter FaceOff Champion.

First off, a big congratulations to our finalists @JeremyCowart and @Michrod.

WHO WON?

So who has the best Twitter profile picture?

The people have spoken!

The winner -with a whopping 88% of the votes- is…

@Michrod

Congrats Michelle!  Wear your crown proudly!

THANK YOU

A sincere thanks to everyone who took the time to vote over the past few weeks.  It wouldn’t have been the same without you!  Also- keep an eye out for interesting profile pics so we can make sure they are entered in next year’s competition!

There are tons of great Twitter profile pics out there – and tons of eggs.  A couple of weeks ago, I set out to find the person with the BEST Twitter profile pic.   Some were nominated by friends and fans, others I just stumbled across during my usual Twitter travels.  They have been battling it out every week. Thanks to everyone who has voted along the way and helped us make it this far.

We started out with 16 great Twitter profile photos and have narrowed the list down to the final two.

Unfortunately, only one can walk away with the crown – so who will it be?

The Finalists

It comes down to @JeremyCowart and @Michrod.

@JeremyCowart —————-vs—————- @Michrod

Both are pretty dang good profile pics.  It is really going to come down to personal preference on this one.

Please take a good look at both profile pics and vote for the winner.  Then, leave a quick comment and let me know WHY you chose it.

I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Let The Final Voting Begin!

Polls close Tuesday night, so please vote now!

*****

Congrats to the final four competitors in the 2013 Twitter Face-Off.  We searched the internet for the best of the best and they’ve been battling it out for the past two weeks.

Clearly, all four of these folks have fantastic profile portraits.  The big question remains, who has the BEST one?

Meet The Finalists

I thought I’d give you a little more info on each contestant and a link to their Twitter page.  They are all definitely worth a follow.

@Swonderlin

Sr. Mgr @momofactor specializing in social media for direct sellers, Host Tweetheart TV, named #TwitterPowerhouse by Huffington Post, ’12 Chevy SXSW Video Host

Austin, TX · stephaniewonderlin.com

@JeremyCowart

Family Man. Photographer. Artist. Humanitarian. App Creator. Teacher. Founder of @OKDOTHIS and @Help_Portrait.

I’m bad with directions. · http://www.jeremycowart.com

@Michrod

Radio Personality in Dallas, TX on 96.3 KSCS. Opinions are my own, a fiery Texan! http://facebook.com/MichelleOnTheRadio …

Worldwide! · http://michelle.kscs.com

@JosephCristina

Professional Photographer, Studio Owner, Inventor, Speaker, Internationally Published Photography & Cinematography • Co-Host DigitalPhotographyCafe.com

West Palm Beach, FL · http://alluremm.com

Semi-Final Matchups

Ok, its time to figure out which two make it to the finals.  For this matchup, we will pit photographer vs photographer in one match and Texan vs Texan in the other.

I know, I know… how can you be asked to choose between them?  Hey- nobody said it was going to be easy.

You have this week to place your vote- polls close Friday night.  Please spread the word and get your friends to vote as well.  The more, the merrier!!!

Ready?   Its time for the Face-Off!!!