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.

The first of January is always such a great time.  You have the whole year ahead of you- with big plans to improve on everything that went wrong the year before.  Its like moving into a new house – it looks so big and spacious before you have a chance to clutter it up!

Of course, it is the time you make those New Years Resolutions and hope you can follow through on them.  I thought I’d share my resolutions for a Kick Butt 2012 with you for two reasons.  First off, I want to have them in writing somewhere – in case I get side-tracked and can’t remember what I’m supposed to be doing.  Secondly, I think I’ll be more inclined to follow through if I have you guys holding me accountable.

I think it is important to have concrete, measurable goals -so I will try and provide a specific goal for each resolution.  The easier it is to track, the more likely you are to follow through!

So without any further delay, here are my 2012 Goals.  Feel free to follow along at home!

Blog Consistency

This was one of my 2011 goals that kind of slid to the wayside, so I’m going to try again this year.  The key for me is to plan out my blog posts.  Last year, I planned out the first four months or so and did great.  After that, the posts became very inconsistent.  This week, I will plan out the first three months and schedule a time in early March to plan out the next three.  Without fail- I must get the planning done.

My specific goal is to post twice a week.  In addition, I will post an updated video to my YouTube Channel at least 3 times a month.  This is where you come in!  If you notice that I’ve gone a week without posting twice, call me on it.  Leave a comment or email me.  Maybe I’ll offer some sort of prize for the first person who catches me falling behind.

Improve My Running

Last year’s big goal was to run in a 5k – something I had never done before.  I reached that goal in December when I ran in the Frosty 5K in Frisco, Texas.  This year, I want to build on that, but I’m not exactly sure HOW I want to build on it yet.  Therefore, I’m giving myself a little wiggle room by having two different goal options available.  My goal is to do ONE of the following.

I ran the 5K in 32 minutes.  Not horrible for a first time, but not great either.  I’d like to get my 5k time down to 30 minutes.  If any of you are running experts and have any advice on how to do this, I’m all ears.

The other option is to bump up the distance and run in a 10K before the end of the year.  Again, not sure if I want to run faster or longer – the goal is to just do one or the other.

Creative Consistency

I tend to procrastinate a lot with my print competition entries.  The month before a competition, I find myself scrambling to create four images to enter.  This year, my goal is to create one competition-worthy image every month.  This is in addition to my daily client work.  This is a specific project that I will do just for me to stretch myself artistically.  At the end of the year, I should have a dozen cool images ready to enter.  Heck, I did it weekly with the 40@Forty Project, so monthly should be no problem.

And Away I Go

So those are my plans for 2012.  What about you?  Have you set a specific goal or resolution for 2012?  If so, leave a comment below and let the world know.  We can hold each other accountable!

Best of luck in 2012!

I really had three big things I took on during 2011.

Run A 5K

Sometime this summer, Heather and I decided we would take on the Couch To 5K training program and run in a 5k.  It took a while to build up to that, but I finally made it.  In early December, I ran in my first 5k – the Frosty 5k.
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED

Survive The Blog

The next big challenge was competing in a blogging competition – Survive The Blog.  As many of you are painfully aware, it was a pretty big project.  Basically, I was placed on a team with four strangers and tasked to create a blog from scratch.  Our team had to promote the blog and outperform a group who was building a blog of their own.  Each week, someone was voted off – ala TV’s Survivor.  My goal, of course, was to win the competition.

The bad news is I ended up finishing fourth.  My biggest fear was to be the first competitor voted off- so at least I dodged that bullet.

The good news is that it was an incredible learning experience.  My own blog fell to the wayside a bit, because it was so much work, but I gained some good tools.  I also met four fabulous bloggers and we created a very cool blog called TheNextGoal.

MISSION SEMI-ACCOMPLISHED

Grow My Blog

My plan was to take my own blog to the next level.  I setup an editorial calendar and planned out my first three months of blog posts, as well as the first three months of video tutorials for my YouTube Channel.

The first three months went great.  I posted more consistently than I had ever done.  It went downhill from there.  I just didn’t follow up with the plan.  By the time summer rolled around, my posting had become a bit more haphazard.  When I was chosen as a contestant in the blogging competition, the schedule got even worse.  The silver lining, of course, is that I was making some great contacts and improving my blogging skills- even though I wasn’t getting a chance to apply them to my own blog.

The reason I wanted to improve my blog – among other things- was to get more traffic.  Interestingly enough, being in the blogging competition actually caused me to have a huge increase in my traffic- so I kind of met my goal, even though I didn’t follow my plan.  I guess it depends on how you look at it.

MISSION SEMI-ACCOMPLISHED

So What Next?

This week I’m working out some specific goals for 2012.  Once I get them ironed out, you can be sure I will post them online. I need you guys to hold me accountable and keep me on track!

What About You?

So how did YOU do with your 2011 goals?  I hope you will take a second to share your experience with me!

Now we are down to two – the final matchup!  We will take votes through 11pm Friday (CST) – so we can wrap this thing up before Christmas Eve.

THE FINAL CONTENDERS

CAST YOUR VOTE!

Now it is YOUR turn.  Take a good, long look at both profile pictures.  Decide which one you like best and cast your vote.  Remember, the one with the most votes by Friday night will win the $25 iTunes gift card – so choose wisely!

Also- if there is a tie, the tie-breaker will be the person with the most comments below.  Please take the time to let us know which one you chose and WHY.  Your comment could be the deciding factor in the Championship.

Best of luck to both of the contestants!

Don’t forget to leave a comment and help your favorite win!

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*** UPDATE ***
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Well, the votes are in and here they are:

Officlal Results from PollDaddy

Congratulations to @Cloudhq for winning the title!  Thank you to everyone who took the time to vote- it wouldn’t have been the same without you!

The Best Twitter Profile Picture of 2011

It doesn’t matter if you specialize in wedding photography or portrait photography, your goal should always be the same- to get better!  So often we hope that buying a new camera will make our photography get better.  Unfortunately, it doesn’t really work that way.  If you want to be a better photographer, you will have to work at it.

Here are a few goals you can set for yourself for 2012.

1.  Do a Google search for “photography tips” or “black white photography” and you will be amazed at the results that come back.  There are tons of great photographers and teachers out there.  The trick is to find them!  Dedicate an hour each week to looking for a new technique or style that can add a fresh look to your workflow.  Nothing major – just a small tweak here or there.

2.  Do you remember black and white photography?  If you shoot film, go out and buy yourself a roll of black and white film and shoot something just for fun.  If digital photography is your thing, switch your camera to black and white mode and experiment a bit.  Scenes that look good in color, don’t always translate to monochromatic.  Of course, the reverse is also true!  Teach your eye to see the difference.

3.  Find a good photography blog and subscribe.  Obviously, I would recommend THIS ONE, but find one that YOU enjoy.  Subscribe to their RSS feed and get a free flow of information throughout 2012.  (You can click on the orange Follow RSS button on the right side of my website!)

Don’t forget to interact!  Leave a comment every now and again.  Trust me, bloggers LOVE to know that someone is following along.

4.  Push your limits by creating photography art.  Don’t limit yourself by what others think is good – create what YOU want to create.  There will be plenty of clunkers as you go along, but you will also find a few gems.  In the end, isn’t that what it is all about?

The best photography advice I can give you is to never stop trying to get better.  Trust me, the more you expose yourself to new artists and new techniques, the more you will realize how little you knew before.  There is no finish line you are trying to reach.  Its all about the journey.

In January when you sit down and write out your resolutions for 2012 – be sure to include a few photography-related goals.  They don’t have to be huge – just something.  To paraphrase the famous saying, to move a mountain, you begin by moving small stones.

What about you?  What do you find to be the best way to grow as a photographer?