They technically describe their writings as “The Business of Aesthetics,” however, a much more accurate overview is that they are “teaching people how to maximize profit while minimizing mistakes!”

“We have each made just about every wrong move known to man, yet somehow managed to build a respectable business!
Our goal is to make sure that photographers know they are not alone as they navigate the tricky path of selling, marketing, investing and shooting ”

GRPP meeting is on Wednesday September 8th – Networking & Print Critique is from 6-7; 7pm Meeting begins.

* bring a food or beverage to share if you would like to
* bring up to 3 professionally printed 8×10s for critique

Meeting is open to current paid members. Non-members are charged $30 at the door or may join GRPP.

BookSmart Studio
250 North Goodman St.
Rochester, NY

Heather McKay of McKay’s Photography, Terri Parthum, Danielle Zielinski, Scott Crist, and Patrick Luke of Luke Photography in Rochester, NY have earned the Certified Professional Photographer (CPP) designation from the Professional Photographers of America Certification Commission.

McKay, Parthum, Crist, Luke and Zielinski earned this designation after meeting rigorous requirements measuring her artistic and technical competence. The Professional Photographic Certification Commission currently recognizes less than 2,000 Certified Professional Photographers.

The Professional Photographic Certification Commission is the leading body for certifying imaging professionals. Certified Professional Photographer must complete a written examination, an image evaluation, and adhere to a stringent code of conduct. Certification must be renewed on a periodic basis, ensuring continuing confidence in the professionalism of Certified Professional Photographers.

For more information:
Heather L. McKay
585.244.4866
www.mckaysphotography.com

How did you know you were successful?

That thought occurred to me when I had 7 PPA print merits my first year of competition (out of a possible 8). That gave me the confidence that the images I produce can be up there with the best of them.

How did you get into photography?

I left my nursing career and planted a garden. I picked up my husband’s camera and took pictures of the flowers. I wrote a lot of letters in those days so I made my own note cards with the images.  I approached a local garden store with the idea of carrying them and they said “‘yes”! My art card business was launched one store at a time and the rest followed—weddings, portraits and then travel. The fine art images resulted from the travel.  I took my first trip to Provence in 2000 with a group of photographers and I have not stopped since.  There is so much to see and learn about and so many ways you can touch people and give back with your work.  It is very satisfying.

Where do you want to be in 5 years?

I’d like to be Involved in a major humanitarian effort with my work.

Do you have any formal education?

I assume you mean in photography.  No, I do not.  I have learned everything I know about photography from workshops, mentors and fellow photographers.

What has been your greatest achievement?

My 45 image ’A Leap of Faith’ exhibit which tells a bit of the story of Burma was  a highlight of my career. It raised thousands of dollars for the refugees in our community. It is available by the way, on loan, at no charge to other organizations wanting to aid the people’s democracy efforts in Burma or to assist the refugees in their communities. Please get the word out!

How do you stay fresh and creative?

I attend workshops regularly and I make a point to photograph something every day.  I try to not do the same thing over and over but to think out of the box—forcing myself to try a new technique or composition.

What is the best piece of gear in your camera bag?

My Nikkor  105 mm.  2.8 macro lens.  It is so sharp.  It’s great for the florals and the portraits.

What do you wish you knew when you began?

I wish I understood the importance of buying the best equipment from the start and not just moving up as you could afford it.  If you are serious about photography, buy the best camera and just one versatile sharp, fast lens and use it all the time.

Worst day on the job and what you learned?

Of course it had to be a wedding—-something you can’t reshoot. For key shots I used a broken lens and I didn’t know it.  It overexposed everything. From that dreadful experience I learned many things:  always test your equipment before a shoot; pay attention to the +/-  scale in your camera-  it really is there for a reason; never shoot a wedding solo and always shoot in RAW.

Best day on the job and what you learned?

Oh gosh, I guess I learned to turn around. There are images in every direction and not just the one in first view. My best day had to be when I caught ‘A Leap of Faith’ (see home page of www.chriskogut.com) by looking behind me while we were focused on shooting something else.

3 favorite non-photo hobbies?

They all involve photography! Sailing (I shoot a national regatta every year),grandchildren and their sports (I’m never there without a camera) and travel..

Best piece of software?

Photoshop

What is the best business tip you have been given?

Don’t undercut yourself—charge what you are worth.  It’s better to sell/work less while being comfortable with the price you asked. It’s a terrible feeling to give your work away for a song and then spend hours at the retouching etc. and regretting how little you’ve charged.  I’ve learned this many times over.

Please be AT Bay Creek Paddling BY 4pm.  You will paddle from about 4:30 to 5:30pm  and will head back to (click ‘Ellison Park’ for the map) Ellison Park (Roadside Shelter) by 6pm where the BBQ will be ready!    We’ll spend the rest of the evening enjoying a picnic, mingling, and games!  We’ll have a lot of space, so feel free to bring your own games too!  (Badminton anyone?)

Thanks to the few volunteers so far!

Terri Parthum: Guacamole
Kathy Pieters: Taco Dip
Paul Freeman: TBA
Michael Fisher : Caesar salad
Bob Steere: pasta salad
Steve Craddock: cookie bars
Pat Luke: cookies
Danielle Zielinski: dessert
Sue Egan: Watermelon
Erin Perrotta: water

Here’s a link to the map of the park along with the trails;  and some basic info about our pavilion:

*Athletic Fields nearby (rented separately)
*NO ELECTRICITY OR LIGHTS AVAILABLE
1 Large grill
2 eight foot tables outside
27 parking spaces in  adjacent lot
8 eight foot tables inside
Ball field nearby
Flush toilets (150 yards, not handicap accessible)
Playground nearby
Water outside nearby

I think that’s everything ~ sorry for any confusion!!  Hope you can make it ~ don’t forget to bring games!  Did I mention games? 

Linda Dow Hayes graciously opened her home and back yard to us last year and we had a GREAT time; click here to see!
We’re gonna have fun ~ bring your cameras!  Any photos will be linked back to YOUR site which is great exposure!  See you soon!

Article and images provided by Denise Batiste.

Professional Photographer Society of New York State Workshop will be hosting a  seminar with Michael Barton on Sunday July 18 from 3-5. The summer workshop is held at Hobart/William Smith College in Geneva, NY.

Register at the room 116 in O’Dell housing to get your name badge.
This is a PPSNYS member benefit so is free to ALL PPSNYS members. Non Members can attend for $20.  You do not need to be attending workshop to go to this event, but everyone needs to register as you will need the name badge to get in. If you are wondering if you are a PPSNYS Member, then look at the GRPP Membership page on the PPSNYS website by clicking here!
This includes Michael’s 2 hour seminar and the wine and cheese party afterward.

Easily process high-volume shoots, Automatically apply metadata stamps, Simple categorizing, Automatically rename files, Easily group photos, Quickly find any photo, Create virtual copies, Manage offline photos, Nondestructive editing, Enhance specific areas of a photo, Work smoothly with Adobe Photoshop, Edit large numbers of photos at once, Professional presentation, Share more easily, Print more efficiently, Create web galleries, Publish to your website in one click, Stamp your photos, Compose sophisticated slide shows.
It’s gonna be good ~ don’t miss this one!

Networking & Print Critique is from 6-7
* bring a food or beverage to share if you would like to
* bring up to 3 professionally printed 8×10s for critique

GRPP meeting begins at 7

Meeting is open to current paid members. Non-members are charged $30 at the door or may join PPSNYS.

Meetings are held at Booksmart Studio at 250 N. Goodman St. on the corner of Anderson and Goodman.

The Photographer Registry
The Photographer Registry (www.PhotographerRegistry.com) is a free service designed to help past customers, retailers, and media buyers locate photographers with a small amount of information. Professional Photographers of America (PPA) members’ contact information is automatically included.

With this, those who need photographic reproductions can locate the copyright owner; and photographers can keep their contact information current, choose what information to display, identify their heirs, and specify how reproduction requests can be handled.

Why is this important? A consumer often only remembers the old address or phone number of the photographer. But the photographer might have closed their business, moved, or even be deceased. Compiling a list of current and previous contact information just makes sense.

Take advantage of the Photographer Registry…it’s simple:

• Go to www.photographerregistry.com (there is no cost).
• Log in using your PPA Member number as the username, and the first ten characters of your last name (including capitalization).
• Keep your record updated.

Remember: The Photographer Registry is neither designed nor intended as a search engine for someone looking for a new photographer. It is simply used to locate photographers (usually in issues of copyright). In addition, contact information in the Registry will not be used for other purposes, is kept on a secure server, and will not be shared with any third parties. Members of the Registry may, however, receive periodic communications about Registry or Copyright issues.

Customers/Retailers/Researchers: Locate photographers for free to see if you can reproduce their copyrighted material.

Photographers: Create a free account that features your most up-to-date business information.

~ This post was taken from the very helpful Professional Photographers of America website.

When you become a Professional Photographer, you become one of many other professional photographers who are all aiming for the same business goal: success. Everyone is striving to get their name out there and get more clients through the door. With all of the options people have for photographers, the question then becomes, “How do I stand apart?” One of the answers that many professional photographers give is “certification.”

What Is Certification?
Many industries have certification programs that allow professionals in that industry to show their expertise and give clients a reason to come to them—and photography is no different. The Professional Photographic Certification Commission (PPCC), the leading certifying agency for imaging professionals, is the commission through which you earn your Certified Professional Photographer (CPP) designation. By becoming a CPP, you are showing both your peers and potential clients that you are serious about your craft and have met a standard of excellence.

“Certification indicates to our clients that we have aspired to a higher level,” explains Marie Curtis, M.Photog., CPP, owner of Curtis Studio in Durham, Conn., and a CPP for 20 years. “It tells them we have learned all we can to successfully handle most of the common photographic projects put before us. It is a benchmark known all over the world, letting clients who expect a certain level of competency know that we can meet or exceed those expectations.”

Dennis Nisbet, CPP, of Nisbet Photography in Riverside, Calif., agrees. “Technological advances have resulted in a huge number of aspiring photographers entering the market and presenting their imaging skills as being professional,” he notes. Nisbet believes that certification can help to separate you from those masses. “Isn’t it time you demonstrated to the public that there is a difference in being a CPP, that you have the skills for your profession, and that you can be held to the same high standards that are expected from other professions?”

How Do I Get Certified?
The certification requirements established by the PPCC were put into place to prove your technical competency in professional photography. It may sound daunting, but John Metcalfe, M.Photog.Cr., CPP, doesn’t want that to discourage you. “The hardest part of the certification process is deciding to do it,” he says.

If you have questions about the certification process or are looking for more information, a great starting point is your state’s Certification Liaison. These individuals are selected by the PPCC and are all CPPs themselves. They have been through the Certified Professional Photographer Certification process and can answer questions about it and the three steps: declaring CPP candidacy, passing the Certification Exam and passing a successful Image Submission Review.

Written Exam—The comprehensive written exam is comprised of 100 questions covering the technical aspects of photography, including subjects such as exposure, meters, composition, lighting and digital post-production. CPP Certification Exams are held throughout the year across the U.S. and Canada at local, state and regional events for photographers…and, of course, at Imaging USA!

While it may be an exam, Curtis suggests having fun with it. “Find a study partner, join a study group or play Jeopardy to break the monotony of reading and studying.”

Image Submission—An Image Submission Review occurs every two months. It involves submitting 20 images of your client work to be reviewed and approved by a panel of CPP judges. These images should be representative of your style of photography and the work that you produce for your clients. Keep in mind that each image must have a different subject matter.

“The question most get hung up on is what to submit,” Metcalfe notes. “The judges are looking for a candidate’s images to be the practical application of the knowledge used to pass the written exam.” In other words, use the knowledge needed for the exam to create the images for the review. And keep in mind that you want to put your best foot forward. As Curtis points out, even if your photographic style is avant-garde, you want your images to demonstrate that you know the rules of portraiture and have produced an image worthy of your client’s expectations.

Why Certify?
Simply knowing what it takes to become certified is not enough to convince you to do so. You need to know why you should make the effort. You need to know what is in it for you. While the benefits may vary from photographer to photographer, certification offers you the potential to grow—both as a photographer and as a businessperson.

The steps you take to achieve this certification test your knowledge and demonstrate that you have met a standard of excellence. Once your obtain your Certified Professional Photographer designation, you have the ability to use it to prove to your clients (and potential clients) that you are a leader in the industry and have gone above and beyond to prove yourself as a professional photographer.

Gregg Martin, CPP, of Gregg Martin Photographic Design in Columbia, S.C., believes that becoming a CPP helped him stand out from the pack. “Photographers are coming out of the woodwork in every town in America, and being a CPP places you in a much different category than the average photographer,” he explains.

By having CPP after your name (and explaining it to them), you are showing your clients that you are committed not only to your job as photographer, but to the product you deliver as well. And certification can lead to and help you seal the deal with new clients! “Being a CPP has opened doors to numerous corporate jobs, magazine work, sports contracts and several other opportunities in my career,” adds Martin.

Re-Certification
To maintain your CPP designation, you must re-certify every five years. Why? When you first achieve your certification, you have to demonstrate your technical competency and meet a standard of excellence. And in an industry where technology is constantly changing and expectations are continually growing, it is important that you keep up with the changes in order to maintain your skills and continue to expand. This is where re-certification comes into play.

“Once certification is obtained, it is not the end,” says Metcalfe. “Certified Professional Photographers have to continue to educate themselves and share their knowledge with others—continuing the growth and preserving the knowledge.”

By re-certifying, you show the industry and your clients that you are continuing to perfect your craft. Stay active and always look for ways to expand your knowledge—continuing to take classes and gain knowledge through opportunities like Imaging USA, Super Monday and Affiliate events.

One More Reason
By becoming a Certified Professional Photographer, you not only show yourself that you have the skills necessary to excel as a professional photographer, but you also show the industry and your clients that you are serious about what you do. Clients have a multitude of options when it comes to finding a photographer—give them one more reason to come to you.

The next Greater Rochester Professional Photographer study group for the CPP exam is starting soon…. please let one of us know if you would like to get on board. This is an excellent way to improve your skills and get to know your fellow GRPPsters. ~Heather