I have just returned from the first UGCX (User Generated Content expo and conference). What I came away with (besides a good sized pile of business cards) was in increase in my optimism about the future. I heard over and over again from everyone from Guy Kawasaki to Patricia Vargas (Senior Director of Content, Jupiter Images) that ultimately great content is what counts most. To succeed in stock photography is largely putting great content in front of buyers.
I also consistently heard that rights managed stock photography is going do well. As if to confirm that general belief, I received word during the conference that Blend Images, a stock agency of which I am a part owner (more on Blend Images in an upcoming article), had made its first direct (on its own web site) Rights Managed sale…for $9,664.00. Not a bad start! Blend also had a very good 4th quarter of Royalty Free sales.
Another common theme was that the growth in the demand for imagery is growing rapidly, and will explode once the economy picks back up. Alan Meckler shared his belief that the next ten years will find 15 billion new web sites…most of which will need multiple photos. Key question, will they be buying Micro, Macro…or getting free images?
Perhaps the coolest thing I saw was TinEye.com. TinEye enables images searches across the web. Upload one of your own images, or any image for that matter, and you can instantly search their database of 1.5 million images (indexed by their web crawling spiders) finding every place the image has been used and how it has been changed. Can you imagine the ramifications if image theft can be virtually eliminated? Wow!
I didn’t fully understand the ImageSpan presentation, but it also struck me as something that could change the landscape enabling individual photographs to compete for a part of that online pie. I’ll have to check that out a little further. I also got a better understanding of Creative Commons and think that might also be able to play a role in diminishing online theft and increasing at least the awareness and mind set that every image has value. That can only help our industry.
Anyway, it is late and I am ready for some mindless TV. More later!
John
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Rights Managed, Royalty Free, or Micro Stock?
The Choice Between Rights Managed, Royalty Free, and Micro Stock
Recently a friend of mine, Greg, a man who owns a house painting business in my town, requested that I create photograph for him to run in a direct mail piece. Greg was familiar with my Animal Antics® series of images in which I anthropomorphize cats and dogs putting them in funny human-like poses. He asked that I photograph his own two dogs and utilize them in a similar way…put paint brushes in their hands, and have them
appear to be actually painting a house.
Greg told me that it was the first direct mailing he ever did in which not a single person requested to be removed from his mailing list. He was ecstatic with the results. Why do I bring this up? Because it is an example of how the right picture can make a huge difference for small and large businesses alike.
Are people willing to pay for quality?
As a stock photographer this is a huge issue. I know the right picture can indeed make a significant impact. But perhaps a bigger question is, are people willing to pay the premium for such pictures? I suspect that the answer is that knowledgeable people will recognize the value, and those who do not realize the cost benefits of quality imagery will opt for the less expensive options.
I firmly believe that as time moves on more and more images will be searched for and found on the web outside of the traditional channels of the stock industry. I want to be prepared for that. As I plan for the future I run into the question of whether to put my images into the Rights Managed category, the Royalty Free category, or the Micro Stock category (which seems to me to just be a lower priced Royalty Free model). I believe that the Rights Managed category is most appropriate for the bulk of my stock photos. Yet if I stick to that category I might be shooting myself in the foot. If it does come to pass that eventually the majority of picture sales come from individuals outside of the traditional stock industry, I don’t see them calling up Getty and negotiating rights for an RM image. The most compelling reason to put images in Micro Stock, for me, is the sheer number of people who are looking at those images. But, if people are searching and finding my images via Google (or some yet-to-appear search mechanism), then the appeal of Micro Stock simply becomes one of lower price.
At this point I am counting on creating stock photos that are strong enough that a potential buyer who sees them is willing to either pay Royalty Free rates, or to pick up the phone and negotiate for an RM image. I am not yet ready to put material into the Micro Stock business model. The recently abandoned (modified?) Rights Ready model championed by Getty seemed interesting to me in that it created a higher-priced category that also seemed reasonably simple to license. There still seems to me to be merit in that strategy so perhaps we will eventually see it evolve to the point where it truly works. I would love that!
Where to put stock images?
At least one industry pundit has suggested to me that the migration of sales outside of the normal stock industry channels means that it would behoove me to quit submitting my images to the agencies and license them all myself over my web site. Maybe someday that would be a good strategy, but I think that day, if it ever comes, is still a long, long way off. Despite the industry problems, my stock sales remain strong. Buyers within the stock agency channels are still willing to pay for a quality image. Every month I have multiple sales in the $1,000.00 and up range (and yes, Getty sales in the 40 cent range too). Hey, apparently one of the great things about RM is that it can actually undercut RF and Micro prices! However, for now I am going to concentrate my web site stock efforts on increasing the exposure that my “agency” images have and directing potential buyers to the appropriate agency where they can license the image without my having to get involved.
If any photographers who might happen to read this have any stories of images that have made a difference I would love to hear about them. It might help us all if we help educate the market place and the consumer to the true value that a great image can provide.
Recently a friend of mine, Greg, a man who owns a house painting business in my town, requested that I create photograph for him to run in a direct mail piece. Greg was familiar with my Animal Antics® series of images in which I anthropomorphize cats and dogs putting them in funny human-like poses. He asked that I photograph his own two dogs and utilize them in a similar way…put paint brushes in their hands, and have them
appear to be actually painting a house.
Greg told me that it was the first direct mailing he ever did in which not a single person requested to be removed from his mailing list. He was ecstatic with the results. Why do I bring this up? Because it is an example of how the right picture can make a huge difference for small and large businesses alike.
Are people willing to pay for quality?
As a stock photographer this is a huge issue. I know the right picture can indeed make a significant impact. But perhaps a bigger question is, are people willing to pay the premium for such pictures? I suspect that the answer is that knowledgeable people will recognize the value, and those who do not realize the cost benefits of quality imagery will opt for the less expensive options.
I firmly believe that as time moves on more and more images will be searched for and found on the web outside of the traditional channels of the stock industry. I want to be prepared for that. As I plan for the future I run into the question of whether to put my images into the Rights Managed category, the Royalty Free category, or the Micro Stock category (which seems to me to just be a lower priced Royalty Free model). I believe that the Rights Managed category is most appropriate for the bulk of my stock photos. Yet if I stick to that category I might be shooting myself in the foot. If it does come to pass that eventually the majority of picture sales come from individuals outside of the traditional stock industry, I don’t see them calling up Getty and negotiating rights for an RM image. The most compelling reason to put images in Micro Stock, for me, is the sheer number of people who are looking at those images. But, if people are searching and finding my images via Google (or some yet-to-appear search mechanism), then the appeal of Micro Stock simply becomes one of lower price.
At this point I am counting on creating stock photos that are strong enough that a potential buyer who sees them is willing to either pay Royalty Free rates, or to pick up the phone and negotiate for an RM image. I am not yet ready to put material into the Micro Stock business model. The recently abandoned (modified?) Rights Ready model championed by Getty seemed interesting to me in that it created a higher-priced category that also seemed reasonably simple to license. There still seems to me to be merit in that strategy so perhaps we will eventually see it evolve to the point where it truly works. I would love that!
Where to put stock images?
At least one industry pundit has suggested to me that the migration of sales outside of the normal stock industry channels means that it would behoove me to quit submitting my images to the agencies and license them all myself over my web site. Maybe someday that would be a good strategy, but I think that day, if it ever comes, is still a long, long way off. Despite the industry problems, my stock sales remain strong. Buyers within the stock agency channels are still willing to pay for a quality image. Every month I have multiple sales in the $1,000.00 and up range (and yes, Getty sales in the 40 cent range too). Hey, apparently one of the great things about RM is that it can actually undercut RF and Micro prices! However, for now I am going to concentrate my web site stock efforts on increasing the exposure that my “agency” images have and directing potential buyers to the appropriate agency where they can license the image without my having to get involved.
If any photographers who might happen to read this have any stories of images that have made a difference I would love to hear about them. It might help us all if we help educate the market place and the consumer to the true value that a great image can provide.
Friday, February 6, 2009
Time to Be Shooting!
It seems that a lot of photographers have cut way back, or have stopped shooting stock altogether. I can understand that. Every time I turn around I hear bad news for the economy and threatening news on the stock photo front. Today I happened across a micro stock blogger who was pretty pumped up that after six months of dedicated work, he had just earned a new monthly high of over seven dollars. Is that depressing or what? BTW, no offense intended to all you micro stockers. I encourage micro stockers to learn as much as they can about the other areas of stock. The market embraces all the forms of stock and all of us need to know as much as we can.
In my opinion though, now is a great time to be shooting micro or macro. I can’t help but feel the weight of all the bad news and it makes me want to conserve my money. But I haven’t lost sight of the fact that almost every stock shoot I have attempted has turned a profit. Seriously. And in this economic environment there are deals to be had; it isn’t hard to find people willing to work at bargain rates.
Great images rise to the top
My approach is to put extra effort into coming up with shoots that either cost me little to nothing, or that I am super excited about both in terms of the shots themselves and in what yield I believe they will return. Of course, I pretty much believe that if I am really excited about creating a stock image it will naturally end up turning a nice profit. Great images rise to the top. I have a number of images that to this day I can’t figure out how people use, but I was excited about creating them, and I still love to look at them (one of my big vices is staring endlessly at images I have created). And many of these ideas have brought in thousands of dollars. A quick example of an image that cost nothing but has returned thousands: a close-up image (RM) of an airplane lavatory sign indicating, “occupied”. Now don’t go and copy it…it still sells!
Creativity is the answer, again
Creativity is the answer, as it usually seems to be. Creativity not just in creating the shot, but also in coming up with photographic ideas, and in coming up with ways to create images that don’t require a lot of money. I keep a list of hundreds of ideas. I am constantly adding to this list. I can now go through that list and filter out the ones that can be executed with little to no expense and bring those to the front. It is a creative challenge. I am actually having fun with it!
One great benefit from these times is that I am fine-tuning my process; becoming more efficient and less wasteful. These processes not only serve me well now, but also will serve me well in the future. Already I have benefited from relying less on employees. When an assistant recently moved on I resisted replacing her. Not only does that save me some overhead, but also as a result of it I have learned to use programs myself that I used to relegate to others. Ultimately I not only save money, but I am also in more control of my business. It’s all good!¬
In my opinion though, now is a great time to be shooting micro or macro. I can’t help but feel the weight of all the bad news and it makes me want to conserve my money. But I haven’t lost sight of the fact that almost every stock shoot I have attempted has turned a profit. Seriously. And in this economic environment there are deals to be had; it isn’t hard to find people willing to work at bargain rates.
Great images rise to the top
My approach is to put extra effort into coming up with shoots that either cost me little to nothing, or that I am super excited about both in terms of the shots themselves and in what yield I believe they will return. Of course, I pretty much believe that if I am really excited about creating a stock image it will naturally end up turning a nice profit. Great images rise to the top. I have a number of images that to this day I can’t figure out how people use, but I was excited about creating them, and I still love to look at them (one of my big vices is staring endlessly at images I have created). And many of these ideas have brought in thousands of dollars. A quick example of an image that cost nothing but has returned thousands: a close-up image (RM) of an airplane lavatory sign indicating, “occupied”. Now don’t go and copy it…it still sells!
Creativity is the answer, again
Creativity is the answer, as it usually seems to be. Creativity not just in creating the shot, but also in coming up with photographic ideas, and in coming up with ways to create images that don’t require a lot of money. I keep a list of hundreds of ideas. I am constantly adding to this list. I can now go through that list and filter out the ones that can be executed with little to no expense and bring those to the front. It is a creative challenge. I am actually having fun with it!
One great benefit from these times is that I am fine-tuning my process; becoming more efficient and less wasteful. These processes not only serve me well now, but also will serve me well in the future. Already I have benefited from relying less on employees. When an assistant recently moved on I resisted replacing her. Not only does that save me some overhead, but also as a result of it I have learned to use programs myself that I used to relegate to others. Ultimately I not only save money, but I am also in more control of my business. It’s all good!¬
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Social Networking – Perhaps a useful tool after all
When I first started out in the photography business the formula for success seemed very simple. Make great pictures and get them in front of potential buyers. That hasn't changed. Of course, back then we didn't have fax machines, answering machines, or personal computers. We didn't e-mail, Facebook, blog or twitter.
As I scramble madly to keep up with all this new technology, and the resulting screens all demanding my attention, it occurs to me that even though everything has changed, nothing has changed! It is still about creating great work and getting it in front of the appropriate people. We have different tools and a lot more choices now. For those of us in stock photography we have a whole lot of new business models too. Should I "micro" as well as "twitter"?
By at least getting involved in these tools I can see which ones don't seem to work for me and which do. By actually participating I can determine which ones I find onerous and which ones actually contribute to my life and wellbeing. At this, admittedly early point in the game, I have my doubts about the fit between Facebook and me. However, I am finding twitter kind of fun and perhaps even useful. The jury is still out, but at least I am starting to get a sense of things, something that certainly wouldn't happen if I hadn't made the decision to get my feet wet.
Also important for me, by getting involved I can at least let go of the angst of not knowing. I can make informed decisions. And I am, slowly but surely, becoming informed. I am becoming more informed in two different ways. Obviously, by trying out these tools I am learning, but also the tools are actually getting me more involved with my peers--- increasing even more the information sharing that leads to greater understanding.
What lead to this post was my realization this morning that, as I looked at the "tweets" from my fellow "twitters" I was feeling closer to them, communicating more, and learning. Imagine that!
John
As I scramble madly to keep up with all this new technology, and the resulting screens all demanding my attention, it occurs to me that even though everything has changed, nothing has changed! It is still about creating great work and getting it in front of the appropriate people. We have different tools and a lot more choices now. For those of us in stock photography we have a whole lot of new business models too. Should I "micro" as well as "twitter"?
By at least getting involved in these tools I can see which ones don't seem to work for me and which do. By actually participating I can determine which ones I find onerous and which ones actually contribute to my life and wellbeing. At this, admittedly early point in the game, I have my doubts about the fit between Facebook and me. However, I am finding twitter kind of fun and perhaps even useful. The jury is still out, but at least I am starting to get a sense of things, something that certainly wouldn't happen if I hadn't made the decision to get my feet wet.
Also important for me, by getting involved I can at least let go of the angst of not knowing. I can make informed decisions. And I am, slowly but surely, becoming informed. I am becoming more informed in two different ways. Obviously, by trying out these tools I am learning, but also the tools are actually getting me more involved with my peers--- increasing even more the information sharing that leads to greater understanding.
What lead to this post was my realization this morning that, as I looked at the "tweets" from my fellow "twitters" I was feeling closer to them, communicating more, and learning. Imagine that!
John
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Stock Photo of a Wrecking Ball produced with quality images and Adobe Photoshop tools.
Perception Is More Important Than Reality
Out with old, in with the new! That is the concept behind my concept stock photo "Wrecking Ball". But perhaps more importantly, the image is a good illustration of the fact that the "imagined" image can be more powerful than the literal one. In stock photography I certainly believe it is true that “perception” is more important than “reality”! I believe the viewer is more comfortable and more accepting of an image that fits their mental picture…and let’s face it…so many times reality just does not live up to what we picture in our heads. Also, when a viewer sees an image and it matches their perception of something they can quickly, in their thinking, move onto the message…rather than using their subconscious process to fit the reality into their pre-conceived notions. At any rate, in my experience, catering to preconceptions seems to work well in conceptual stock photography.
Difference between Perception and Reality
When I first decided to do this image I went to a demolition site in San Francisco and shot a few images. It was, however, immediately apparent that the reality didn't match my mental picture. What I had pictured in my mind as a wrecking ball was a steel ball on the end of a chain…smashing through brick and concrete as it swing laterally from the end of a crane. In reality, it is a tear-shaped concrete device on the end of a cable usually being "dropped" onto a building…at least that is what I was witnessing as I set about shooting that demolition scene. My “imagined image” was far more graphic and powerful than the real one. I decided to go with the perception rather than the reality.
Finding the Parts
As I was walking back to my studio pondering how to create my image it occurred to me that a manhole cover might do as a wrecking ball. Since I had my cameras with me I photographed one about a block from my studio. I also photographed the sidewalk including a portion that was cracked. Once back at the studio I set up an old rusty chain that had been gathering dust for some time in my prop room and shot that. I scrounged up a brick and shot several angles of that too. In my stock photo files I found some pictures of a simulated computer explosion I had photographed years before for a magazine cover. Shots I had taken of a freeway demolition (after the 1989 quake) provided the background. In short time I had all the parts I would need to create my new photographic reality.
Creating the Image
To create the image I started with the wrecking ball. I used the "spherize" filter in Photoshop on the manhole cover, a cover that had been worn smooth by years of traffic. The filter, at 100% turned the flat manhole cover into a steel globe. I added a specular highlight by creating a new adjustment layer (Brightness and Contrast) and maxing out the brightness…then using the accompanying layer mask to isolate the layer effect to just one small hotspot. I repeated the process, this time darkening the adjustment layer and painting it around the bottom edges to provide an even greater illusion of roundness. I used the pen-tool to create a clipping path around the outside of the ball…turned the path into a selection (with a one-pixel feather) and then inverting the selection before deleting… leaving only my new very “dimensional” “wrecking” ball.
I created another clipping path to separate the chain from its background. After copying and pasting the chain into the image with the ball, I used Free Transform to size and position it…then used the warp filter for adding some curve to the chain…and the motion blur filter to add just a touch of movement.
The pen tool and clipping path again did the job for selecting the sidewalk, which, after pasting in, I turned into a crumbling wall by the use of layer masks “painting” the sidewalk in and out as needed . The layer masks also worked well to “paint in” the exploding computer shots to look like dust and flying debris. Finally, the same technique was used to add the bricks. To integrate the whole image I used an adjustment Hue and Saturation control in an adjustment layer to give the image a sepia-toned look. That is how a manhole cover and a sidewalk become a much more powerful graphic than the real thing....
Success!
Though done many years ago, the image is a timeless one. By creating images that match our “perceptions” rather than “reality” we can create stock images that have both more impact (OK…pun intended), and provide a longer revenue stream. The best of both worlds!
Out with old, in with the new! That is the concept behind my concept stock photo "Wrecking Ball". But perhaps more importantly, the image is a good illustration of the fact that the "imagined" image can be more powerful than the literal one. In stock photography I certainly believe it is true that “perception” is more important than “reality”! I believe the viewer is more comfortable and more accepting of an image that fits their mental picture…and let’s face it…so many times reality just does not live up to what we picture in our heads. Also, when a viewer sees an image and it matches their perception of something they can quickly, in their thinking, move onto the message…rather than using their subconscious process to fit the reality into their pre-conceived notions. At any rate, in my experience, catering to preconceptions seems to work well in conceptual stock photography.
Difference between Perception and Reality
When I first decided to do this image I went to a demolition site in San Francisco and shot a few images. It was, however, immediately apparent that the reality didn't match my mental picture. What I had pictured in my mind as a wrecking ball was a steel ball on the end of a chain…smashing through brick and concrete as it swing laterally from the end of a crane. In reality, it is a tear-shaped concrete device on the end of a cable usually being "dropped" onto a building…at least that is what I was witnessing as I set about shooting that demolition scene. My “imagined image” was far more graphic and powerful than the real one. I decided to go with the perception rather than the reality.
Finding the Parts
As I was walking back to my studio pondering how to create my image it occurred to me that a manhole cover might do as a wrecking ball. Since I had my cameras with me I photographed one about a block from my studio. I also photographed the sidewalk including a portion that was cracked. Once back at the studio I set up an old rusty chain that had been gathering dust for some time in my prop room and shot that. I scrounged up a brick and shot several angles of that too. In my stock photo files I found some pictures of a simulated computer explosion I had photographed years before for a magazine cover. Shots I had taken of a freeway demolition (after the 1989 quake) provided the background. In short time I had all the parts I would need to create my new photographic reality.
Creating the Image
To create the image I started with the wrecking ball. I used the "spherize" filter in Photoshop on the manhole cover, a cover that had been worn smooth by years of traffic. The filter, at 100% turned the flat manhole cover into a steel globe. I added a specular highlight by creating a new adjustment layer (Brightness and Contrast) and maxing out the brightness…then using the accompanying layer mask to isolate the layer effect to just one small hotspot. I repeated the process, this time darkening the adjustment layer and painting it around the bottom edges to provide an even greater illusion of roundness. I used the pen-tool to create a clipping path around the outside of the ball…turned the path into a selection (with a one-pixel feather) and then inverting the selection before deleting… leaving only my new very “dimensional” “wrecking” ball.
I created another clipping path to separate the chain from its background. After copying and pasting the chain into the image with the ball, I used Free Transform to size and position it…then used the warp filter for adding some curve to the chain…and the motion blur filter to add just a touch of movement.
The pen tool and clipping path again did the job for selecting the sidewalk, which, after pasting in, I turned into a crumbling wall by the use of layer masks “painting” the sidewalk in and out as needed . The layer masks also worked well to “paint in” the exploding computer shots to look like dust and flying debris. Finally, the same technique was used to add the bricks. To integrate the whole image I used an adjustment Hue and Saturation control in an adjustment layer to give the image a sepia-toned look. That is how a manhole cover and a sidewalk become a much more powerful graphic than the real thing....
Success!
Though done many years ago, the image is a timeless one. By creating images that match our “perceptions” rather than “reality” we can create stock images that have both more impact (OK…pun intended), and provide a longer revenue stream. The best of both worlds!
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
The Poodle Is Truly a Wonderful Dog Breed with Outstanding Qualities.
Taking pictures of many types of dog breeds in my work as a stock photographer has provided me an opportunity to work with both large and small dog breeds and a number of poodle breeds. I've worked with teacup poodles, miniature poodles, standard poodles, etc.
Miniature poodles
One of the very first dog breeds that I photographed for my Animal Antics series was a miniature poodle. We shot him for the cheer leading poodles image. You could tell he was smart…and certainly was a bit of a trickster. He would race around the studio checking on what everyone was doing…until it came time to shoot him. Each time we started to shoot he would suddenly come up with a limp and could hardly walk. As soon as we would finish our session off he would race with no sign of difficulty!
The poodle is truly a wonderful dog breed with some outstanding qualities. The breed is generally recognized as coming in three sizes, standard, miniature and toy…though teacup poodles are also available. They have hair rather than fur…so they are, in effect, hypoallergenic and don’t shed.
Poodles are very intelligent.
Poodles are extremely intelligent and take well to training. They learn quickly…but because they also forget slowly an owner must be consistent or risk resentment. Poodles are a sturdy breed and live between 10 and 18 years and in some cases up to 21 years. They are, however, susceptible to a number of genetic health problems. Like most large dog breeds, Standard poodles need a good amount of exercise but are comfortable in pretty much any size of home. Of the three sizes, standard, miniature and toy, standards are considered the most adaptable.
The “Poodle Clip” was originated to help reduce resistance in the water.
The breed is an ancient one…there are likeness of Poodle-like dogs on Roman coins and Egyptian carvings. There are references to Poodles as far back as the fifteenth century in France, Holland and Italy. The first reference to Poodles being good swimmers was in 1642 (the Poodle was originally bread as a water retriever). The “Poodle Clip” was originated to help reduce resistance in the water. The patches of hair left covering the vital organs and joints were left to help protect those areas. In France the Poodle is the national breed and is used for truffle hunting as well as the more expected duck hunting.
The standard poodle.
The standard poodle is a truly a versatile breed and in addition to being excellent water retrievers they have served as guide dogs, in law enforcement…and even competed in the Alaskan Iditarod Sled dog race! Miniature poodles are sometimes thought of as “one person” dogs, but are obedient, can be a child’s best friend and make good trial dogs. They do tend to think they are bigger than they really are and one has to be careful of their protective tendency…particularly around other dogs. Toy poodles make great companions and are especially good when quarters are tight.
Pet Poodles.
Poodles are too intelligent to be “part time” pets…but need to be a regular and consistent part of their owner’s lives. Poodle’s coats need to be kept well groomed or their coats could become unpleasant to be around, and in extreme cases it can be a health hazard. Poodles have a great disposition…are cheerful and confident and can make a truly great companion.
Miniature poodles
One of the very first dog breeds that I photographed for my Animal Antics series was a miniature poodle. We shot him for the cheer leading poodles image. You could tell he was smart…and certainly was a bit of a trickster. He would race around the studio checking on what everyone was doing…until it came time to shoot him. Each time we started to shoot he would suddenly come up with a limp and could hardly walk. As soon as we would finish our session off he would race with no sign of difficulty!
The poodle is truly a wonderful dog breed with some outstanding qualities. The breed is generally recognized as coming in three sizes, standard, miniature and toy…though teacup poodles are also available. They have hair rather than fur…so they are, in effect, hypoallergenic and don’t shed.
Poodles are very intelligent.
Poodles are extremely intelligent and take well to training. They learn quickly…but because they also forget slowly an owner must be consistent or risk resentment. Poodles are a sturdy breed and live between 10 and 18 years and in some cases up to 21 years. They are, however, susceptible to a number of genetic health problems. Like most large dog breeds, Standard poodles need a good amount of exercise but are comfortable in pretty much any size of home. Of the three sizes, standard, miniature and toy, standards are considered the most adaptable.
The “Poodle Clip” was originated to help reduce resistance in the water.
The breed is an ancient one…there are likeness of Poodle-like dogs on Roman coins and Egyptian carvings. There are references to Poodles as far back as the fifteenth century in France, Holland and Italy. The first reference to Poodles being good swimmers was in 1642 (the Poodle was originally bread as a water retriever). The “Poodle Clip” was originated to help reduce resistance in the water. The patches of hair left covering the vital organs and joints were left to help protect those areas. In France the Poodle is the national breed and is used for truffle hunting as well as the more expected duck hunting.
The standard poodle.
The standard poodle is a truly a versatile breed and in addition to being excellent water retrievers they have served as guide dogs, in law enforcement…and even competed in the Alaskan Iditarod Sled dog race! Miniature poodles are sometimes thought of as “one person” dogs, but are obedient, can be a child’s best friend and make good trial dogs. They do tend to think they are bigger than they really are and one has to be careful of their protective tendency…particularly around other dogs. Toy poodles make great companions and are especially good when quarters are tight.
Pet Poodles.
Poodles are too intelligent to be “part time” pets…but need to be a regular and consistent part of their owner’s lives. Poodle’s coats need to be kept well groomed or their coats could become unpleasant to be around, and in extreme cases it can be a health hazard. Poodles have a great disposition…are cheerful and confident and can make a truly great companion.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
The Most Influential Photographer of My Career (Not)
The Most Influential Photographer of My Career (Not)
I recently got an e-mail from a young photographer wanting to know who was the most influential photographer was for my career. It got me thinking. The most influential person in my career hasn’t been a photographer at all. Rather, it was a motivational speaker named Brian Tracy. I have an audio book on tape, and now CD, by Brian called “How To Get Everything You Ever Wanted Faster Than You Ever Thought Possible”.
I have listened to Brian Tracy more times than I can remember and every single time I get something out of it. There are always nuggets that motivate me and fire me up for just a day and there are a number of principles that I believe, if followed, can’t help but make me succeed.
For example, one of Tracy’s tenets is that one should take a realistic assessment of where one is. A person needs to be realistic if he or she is going to make good decisions. This is an important thing I try to remember whenever I am making decisions, but looking back one particular instance comes to mind when that “reality check” made a huge difference in my career.
The year was 1990 and while I was coming off of my best year yet, the economy was tanking. It was like someone had turned off the faucet, I just wasn’t getting any work. I took a good hard look at my entire situation and in particular my portfolio. I asked myself who was going to hire me instead of my competition…and why. The answer was no one. I wasn’t doing anything unique, anything to set myself off from other photographers.
I had been dabbling with in camera multiple exposures. That experimental work was the only really interesting work I had. I committed to building my entire book around that technique. I spent the next two months going through my files finding images that worked together, and creating multiple exposure in-camera montages. Then I went out and started showing the work. Two things happened. First, it worked. I began to get assignments for that kind of approach. Secondly, it was one thing to find images in my book that worked well together, but an entirely different thing to get an assignment and have to create a montage from images that don’t work well together! Arrgh!
It was precisely at that time that a friend suggested to me that I look at this new thing called Photoshop. I did. As they say, the rest is history. Now at that time I was truly broke, but I knew I had to start using this program if my career was going to succeed.
I used the money I was saving for taxes to buy a used Macintosh computer. I called Adobe and asked if I could trade photography for a copy of the program. They agreed and even offered to give me some training. To make a long story short, I immediately began to train myself by making stock shots for my portfolio and soon began to use Photoshop in my assignment work.
Another Brian Tracy principle that I embrace is this: Ask yourself what is the one thing that you need to do better; more than anything else, to move your career forward. What is your weak spot? Find out that weak spot and then master it. Once you have mastered it, ask yourself, what is the one thing that you need to do better more than anything else to move your career forward…and so on.
Heck, how could anyone follow this principle and not succeed? BTW, right now, in answer to that question, I am learning Final Cut Pro. I believe motion is already an important part of the stock photo mix and the thing that right now is the most important skill to acquire to advance my career in stock.
To take one more page from Tracy, I have a plan and I write it down. There is something magical about writing goals down. There are some who believe there is something mystical about this process, and maybe there is, but what I ascribe to it is firmly planting the goal in your mind and giving you a much higher chance of actually taking the steps one needs to take to reach that goal.
The process is simple. Write down your goals and the dates by which you want to achieve them (push yourself but be realistic). Then write down the steps you need to reach those goals and assign deadlines for each step. If you miss a deadline, simply give it another deadline using your best educated guess. This plan is not set in concrete, and as you review it changes will come. Your goals will shift; the steps will come and go. But you will be making progress and success will breed success. I have followed this process and every once-in-a-while I pick up an old plan and…wow…I have reached so many of my goals!
One thing that never ceases to amaze me is how easily it is for me to lose sight of those important steps I need to take while I attend to all the piddling little things that vie for my attention. Reviewing my plan, the more often the better, helps keep me on track to actually do those important things. To that end, writing out my goals each morning is a truly powerful way to stay on track and reach those goals faster than I ever thought possible!
I recently got an e-mail from a young photographer wanting to know who was the most influential photographer was for my career. It got me thinking. The most influential person in my career hasn’t been a photographer at all. Rather, it was a motivational speaker named Brian Tracy. I have an audio book on tape, and now CD, by Brian called “How To Get Everything You Ever Wanted Faster Than You Ever Thought Possible”.
I have listened to Brian Tracy more times than I can remember and every single time I get something out of it. There are always nuggets that motivate me and fire me up for just a day and there are a number of principles that I believe, if followed, can’t help but make me succeed.
For example, one of Tracy’s tenets is that one should take a realistic assessment of where one is. A person needs to be realistic if he or she is going to make good decisions. This is an important thing I try to remember whenever I am making decisions, but looking back one particular instance comes to mind when that “reality check” made a huge difference in my career.
The year was 1990 and while I was coming off of my best year yet, the economy was tanking. It was like someone had turned off the faucet, I just wasn’t getting any work. I took a good hard look at my entire situation and in particular my portfolio. I asked myself who was going to hire me instead of my competition…and why. The answer was no one. I wasn’t doing anything unique, anything to set myself off from other photographers.
I had been dabbling with in camera multiple exposures. That experimental work was the only really interesting work I had. I committed to building my entire book around that technique. I spent the next two months going through my files finding images that worked together, and creating multiple exposure in-camera montages. Then I went out and started showing the work. Two things happened. First, it worked. I began to get assignments for that kind of approach. Secondly, it was one thing to find images in my book that worked well together, but an entirely different thing to get an assignment and have to create a montage from images that don’t work well together! Arrgh!
It was precisely at that time that a friend suggested to me that I look at this new thing called Photoshop. I did. As they say, the rest is history. Now at that time I was truly broke, but I knew I had to start using this program if my career was going to succeed.
I used the money I was saving for taxes to buy a used Macintosh computer. I called Adobe and asked if I could trade photography for a copy of the program. They agreed and even offered to give me some training. To make a long story short, I immediately began to train myself by making stock shots for my portfolio and soon began to use Photoshop in my assignment work.
Another Brian Tracy principle that I embrace is this: Ask yourself what is the one thing that you need to do better; more than anything else, to move your career forward. What is your weak spot? Find out that weak spot and then master it. Once you have mastered it, ask yourself, what is the one thing that you need to do better more than anything else to move your career forward…and so on.
Heck, how could anyone follow this principle and not succeed? BTW, right now, in answer to that question, I am learning Final Cut Pro. I believe motion is already an important part of the stock photo mix and the thing that right now is the most important skill to acquire to advance my career in stock.
To take one more page from Tracy, I have a plan and I write it down. There is something magical about writing goals down. There are some who believe there is something mystical about this process, and maybe there is, but what I ascribe to it is firmly planting the goal in your mind and giving you a much higher chance of actually taking the steps one needs to take to reach that goal.
The process is simple. Write down your goals and the dates by which you want to achieve them (push yourself but be realistic). Then write down the steps you need to reach those goals and assign deadlines for each step. If you miss a deadline, simply give it another deadline using your best educated guess. This plan is not set in concrete, and as you review it changes will come. Your goals will shift; the steps will come and go. But you will be making progress and success will breed success. I have followed this process and every once-in-a-while I pick up an old plan and…wow…I have reached so many of my goals!
One thing that never ceases to amaze me is how easily it is for me to lose sight of those important steps I need to take while I attend to all the piddling little things that vie for my attention. Reviewing my plan, the more often the better, helps keep me on track to actually do those important things. To that end, writing out my goals each morning is a truly powerful way to stay on track and reach those goals faster than I ever thought possible!
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