FotoBento Better Photos

Do You get Asked to Work for Free?

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 11:12:34 -0700

Prints are a personal thing!

As the social media poster child for the SmugMug Perfect Pairs contest (124 Likes & 110 Comments by the contest deadline) I feel an obligation to speak up for everyone who participated in this contest.

First, Congratulations to the winners! I hope it brings you lots of good P.R., customers, goodwill and whatever else you wish for...

Now, for the rest of us. I wasn’t going to comment. However, today’s tweet by SmugMug: “Do you get asked to work for free?” echoed SmugMug’s Contest announcement: “How to Get Famous for Free.”

And something clicked.

The issue here is not whether you broke a few rules,
or took a few liberties with your party guests - you did.

Right from the start, issues surfaced with the Perfect Pairs contest implementation. As an example, even though Twitter was mentioned first in the contest rules, the Twitter feed counter never worked. I’ll use my experience dealing with that issue as a representative example.

On Sept. 18, I posted to the SmugMug Perfect Pairs Blog page that the contest Twitter feed counter was not working. By Oct 3, I had not seen a response. Since Twitter was prioritized first among social media, I forwarded an email to the SmugMug help desk. To their credit, SmugMug got right back to me saying my issue would be looked into. Later the same day, I pointed out that the Twitter counters did not work site wide. SmugMug’s definitive response came on Oct. 11, saying: “we have that recorded as a “bug.” I’ll let the rest of my email that day speak for itself:

“When I ask customers to vote, I am in effect using my business capital, resources, and contacts to promote SmugMug. Yes, I also benefit when people go to SmugMug to vote. However, when people vote by "Tweeting," and are not rewarded with an uptick in the Twitter counter, you have not upheld your end of the social contract. My customers do not get the "atta boy" for their good behavior. I have received numerous emails from my customers who voted and thought their votes didn't count. This lack of acknowledgment frustrates my customers, reflects poorly on both of us and requires me to spend time rebuilding that relationship.

I hesitate to point this out again 'cause we all know what happens to whistle-blowers, so I chose to send this by email as opposed to posting it.

The photography business is a people business. I want to reward and thank my customers, not anger them or have them call into question my judgement for using a product that doesn't work.”

I would extend the previous sentiments regarding the Twitter Feed to include the thought that that I also don’t want to confuse my customers. And neither should SmugMug. I am SmugMug’s customer. Incorrect dates on the contest website and linked pages, ambiguous language in contest rules, a Twitter feed that didn’t/doesn’t work are only a few of the issues with the structure and implementation of this contest. As Tom pointed out so eloquently in the blog comments. SmugMug could have run a contest in which there was a prize for their selected best photo and another prize for the top vote getter. The above issues and more should have been smoothed out or at least checked before the contest was launched.

Do you get asked to work for free?

But the real issue. The one that hurts the whole photography industry, is that one of our own, SmugMug, values our work -- capturing the photo, building the business and marketing that business, even social marketing the business -- as “Free.” I may not have won the contest, although I did win the popular vote, but SmugMug is winning the race to the bottom.

When SmugMug titled their Contest Announcement: “How to Get Famous For Free,” and encouraged voting and commenting, SmugMug belied their own prejudice and added to the problem that we all struggle with everyday - the perception that our work comes at no cost, should be free and that they should freely be able to profit from it.

Kissing Eddie Money

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 15:52:28 -0700

It’s a fine line at a private party or wedding. You want to get good photos but you also don’t want to piss off the guests or the talent so much that they bring you up on paparazzi charges.

“Give him a kiss” Usually means a peck on the cheek. But kudos to Judy for going all the way. Kudos to me for not asking every other woman at the party to give Eddie a kiss - ‘cause I gave that some consideration.

I also try not to blind the guests or especially the band with my flash. At least not until the last song or two. So thanks to Eddie and his band for being good sports and giving great concert!

Enjoy the rest of the photos!

jcarpenterclicks.com - Lauri’s Birthday - Eddie Money

It was a hell of a show!

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 08:06:02 -0700

We were Shakin’ it!

It’s hard to pull off a good surprise party, and even more difficult to surprise not only the Birthday girl but ALL the party guests. John did it!

He started planning for Lauri’s 50th birthday last summer.
He started planning for Lauri’s 50th birthday 30 years ago.

They met in college. John would sing “I got two tickets to paradise” to Lauri. He was a big Eddie Money fan and still is. But weren’t we all? Great dance music, great running music, I still have a running tape I made in the early 80’s that includes “Wanna be a Rock ‘n’ Roll Star”.

So John invited a hundred of Lauri’s closest friends to surprise her on her 50th Birthday. He wanted her friends to show up for her, not because there would be a big musical act. So no-one knew that there would be a live band, much less Eddie Money.

From the moment John & Lauri went upstairs in The Coach House to meet Eddie, it seemed as if Lauri and Eddie were old friends. He graciously posed for photos, went downstairs and mingled with all of Lauri’s party guests.

And, He put on a great show. He played many of the old favorites, including “Two Tickets to Paradise”, “Baby Hold onto Me”, “Shakin’” and some great cover songs. His daughter was featured on at least two songs - a chip off the “old” block - she’s a great singer!

The party was a lot of fun! I’ll update soon with lots of photos of Eddie and the party guests.

Great Cameras for Kids

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 13:12:46 -0700

What camera should I buy? Friends ask me this question all the time. Less frequently, I am asked “What video camera should I buy?” Fortunately, FotoBento’s in house video expert, Carpentography, was standing by with an excellent suggestion for anyone looking for a good introductory video camera.

Why I take pictures

Mon, 20 Jul 2009 10:42:51 -0700

We went to look at puppies this weekend. So, of course, you’re expecting puppy photos. The puppies were really cute. But the real excitement for me was meeting Champion Bernese Mountain Dog Nitrous, his handler/owner Carlos and breeder/owner Shirley.

Just as a particular scent can bring back a long forgotten memory, a photo can capture an emotional moment in a very special way. As the participant, you can look at that photo and be right back in the moment. As an observer, you may not have put in the hours training, grooming and preparing, but you can look at the photo and share the tension, the excitement and adrenaline rush of the participant. It was the moment Nitrous, Carlos and Shirley were all at the top of their game.

There’s also a special moment when the participant sees the photo. As a photographer, I don’t always get to see this moment. But it’s my favorite.

I brought a few 8X10 prints of Carlos and Nitrous competing in the National Dog Show. Neither he nor his wife, Shirley, the breeder, had seen these photos before. As I watched them re-live this high point, this moment that represented the culmination of years of hard work, it almost brought me to tears. I was happy to be able to give them a record of this special moment. I was also happy to be able to share the excitement and pride they felt in
their accomplishment.

At the end of our visit, Nitrous gave us each a big gentle bear hug. Those giant soft furry paws felt like really soft arms. It wasn’t like having any other dog jump up on you. It was a real hug.

So when I go out to take photographs, some days I’m an athlete, some days I’m a dog trainer, some days I’m a girl getting married on the beach.
I’m always happy to be there.

Writing the Great American Novel? Have you considered a magazine?

Sun, 12 Jul 2009 06:59:10 -0700

Sometimes content doesn’t need a leather bound hard backed book to make it shine. Publish your own high-res glossy magazine at MagCloud. It costs nothing. Why? Modern digital technology has driven the cost to compile and deliver the artwork to almost nothing. The time, effort and cost is in the creation and printing of the magazine.

Magazines are printed when ordered (think Kinkos but higher quality paper/printing). Each magazine can be up to 100 pages. They cost 20¢ per page. Judging by the competition in the printing industry that price is likely to drop. So your 100 page special edition magazine would cost $20 each. How cool is that?

Print a magazine of your favorite posts? Sports Team? Professional Organization or Seminar? Kid’s artwork? Fundraiser? Birthday, Wedding or Anniversary? Portfolio of your work? College Application? What would you print?

SmugMug Star Weds Fabulous Photos with Customer Care

Sat, 6 Jun 2009 23:31:35 -0700

SmugMug’s first Orange County meet up featured “Diva” wedding photographer Jasmine Star. Jasmine’s business has taken off over the past two years. It’s easy to see why. She pays attention to every contact she has with the customer. From her kick-ass web site to the shipping labels on her prints, this is a photographer who understands branding. Oh, and she takes great photos, too. Her outsized energetic personality is easy to like. It wouldn’t seem out of place if a theme song played whenever she enters a room.

Chris MacAskill covered a variety of new features coming on line soon. These include packages, coupons and greater site customization. Customers will be able to pull photos from multiple galleries to put together their custom print packages. By dragging and dropping from a filmstrip of photos they will build their desired package. I believe photographers will also be able to stipulate certain combinations of photos for customers.

Sarah Bergeron from Bay Photo wowed us with photo images printed on metal. The process makes saturated colors and especially black really pop. They are pretty reasonably priced, a 4X6 is only $11. She also passed around some thin wrap photos - easy for wall mounting. FotoBento is thrilled to have a west coast printer - shipping times are greatly reduced.

David Wolf shared his SmugMug business model. He came for the photos and stayed for the customization. I’m sure a lot of us can relate. He coined the term Smugization to describe the process of maxing out your SmugMug account.

While not formally on the agenda, David Jay also shared information on his flash based custom web sites. DJ has been a big influence on wedding photography with lots of nifty innovations. He also has the sharpest business card ever. Not sure how he gets through airport security with those.

FotoBento will hopefully have some video of the event up soon. We’re next in line for processing after our videographer finishes a project for ESPN and his homework.

Photo Customers: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

Mon, 1 Jun 2009 08:21:35 -0700

Thinking of being a freelance photographer or other seller of intellectual, digital or creative property? It’s a glamour job. You can make your own hours, choose your customers, try new business ideas without going through a long corporate approval process. It’s also not without a darker side - customers who want your ideas but don’t want to pay for them. I’m not talking about paying the market price, much less an inflated premium price, I’m talking about pay anything. There are lots of variations on the theme, but these three categories are top on my hit list right now.

1. The Naif: This is the customer who coyly says: “I know this is your business but could you just forward the digital file to me?” Sure, and investment banking is your business could you just forward some cash to me?

1. The Dissembler: The customer who agrees up front to a photo shoot, then once the photos are completed, proceeds to try to analyze my cost structure down to the price per gallon of gasoline on the day of the shoot so she can suggest the price she thinks I should be charging her. As opposed to the price agreed upon up front in the contract.

1. The Biggest Fan: Agrees on a job, loves your work. Pays for the job, but: “oh but by the way, could you add these 14 things that we didn’t include in the job contract?” It’s never all at once. It’s a slow steady drip drip of requests. Each one taken alone very reasonable. But aggregated, represent 2-3 times the amount of work in the original job.

That said, there are some spectacular customers out there. Not all of these people actually become paying customers. But I treasure them even more. What distinguishes them?

1. The Coach: They explain what they are doing and why. They are unemotional and direct. Not buying my services? Fine. Giving me direct, constructive feedback still helps me be a better photographer. So I’ve come out ahead in the exchange.

1. The Amateur: These are hands down my best customers and they aren’t all amateur photographers, many are pros just like me. They see me at an event. They stand right next to me. They have fancy equipment. They chat me up, we talk about our common interest in photography. They’ll ask me how to set up their camera or what I’m doing to address the lighting challenges. I give them my card so they can compare their shots to mine after the event. These are people who completely understand the particular challenges of the event we were photographing. They buy more of my photos than all other groups of customers combined.

1. The Athlete: They are the individual being photographed. It’s a peak experience. The years of emotion, struggle and effort are all there in the image for everyone to see. I’ve captured a moment that they, the others at the event and I will never forget. That’s the best part of my job.

Camera Envy: Photographers vs. Videographers: The Nikon D5000 Takes on The Canon Vixia HFS100

Wed, 15 Apr 2009 08:29:32 -0700

FotoBento tackles an enduring human dilemma: will photographers take video, do videographers care about still images?

Considering a new camera? There are lots of good options right now. Each with a mind boggling array of features and specs. But what really matters? When buying a new camera, you don’t want it to be obsolete by the time it arrives in the mail. By obsolete, FotoBento means incompatible with current uses and technology. But what if it’s too far ahead of where you’re currently shooting? FotoBento examines the cutting edge of capturing life in a box: the convergence between still and video cameras.

Of course, we will have to start with that perennial Elementary School favorite – The Venn Diagram.

Cameras that can take both still photos and video are being introduced with exponentially greater frequency. While these dual function cameras have always been around, some of the latest are finally able to shoot both more than adequately. Sometimes even simultaneously! Two of the newest entries are: the Nikon D5000 and the Canon Vixia HFS100. Both were introduced (this week) and are projected to ship in May.

Intriguingly, many attributes of these new cameras are similar if not identical. Both the Nikon D5000 and the Canon Vixia HFS 100 have:

- CMOS Sensors of at least 8 MP
- Optical Zoom, in the case of the Nikon, zoom lens sold separately
- Self timer
- Remote Capability
- Pop-up flash
- Silent shooting
- 2.7” LCD Screen of comparable quality that swings out and pivots
- LCD Video preview shows full frame coverage
- Auto-Focus active during still photography
List price (w/lens bundle for Nikon D5000) of approx. $1000.00

Moore’s Law and FotoBento’s Law of “More”
More power and more features will continue to
bring digital still and video cameras closer together

The Nikon D5000 and Canon Vixia HFS 100 are only the two most recent examples of how these different types of cameras are going to continue to converge. Eventually, the differences will become very small. For now, however, you do have to choose one or the other. Which camera is right for you?

FotoBento Dilemma: Buy a still camera that shoots video or a video camera that can shoot stills?
- What will you be recording?
- How will you use the results?

FotoBento Solution: FotoBento matches the Nikon D5000 and the Canon Vixia HFS 100 to your shooting style. The following chart highlights the benefits of Photographic versus Video cameras as they relate to three basic types of recording.

SmugMug Pro Comes to L.A.

Tue, 7 Apr 2009 20:51:11 -0700

FotoBento Management Summary: SmugMug came to LA ostensibly to “preview some upcoming features” and definitely to promote some third party apps. Hosted by Robert Evans, Hollywood Photographer to the stars, it was an eye opening evening. It highlighted SmugMug’s strengths, and there are many, but also left many questions unanswered.

Most disappointing - No big announcements were made regarding an eagerly awaited revamp of SmugMug Pro. Knowing that Pros will get paid by direct-deposit is nice but that’s just playing catch up with the rest of the big internet players. Sorry Dgrinners, but we’ll just have to keep waiting.

FotoBento Background: SmugMug gives aspiring photographers and established Pros the ability to share and monetize their Photographic talent. That is a great thing. It allows the aspiring amateur to get experience in both the photography and business sides of the industry. Experience builds credibility and confidence. For the established Pro, it’s an easy way to reach a broader, more national audience.

SmugMug has achieved phenomenal success in 7 short years. They’ve also demonstrated many core competencies of which companies in any industry would be envious.

1. Point of Sweat: SmugMug effectively puts a potential Pro Photographer everywhere there is a camera. It allows users to easily feature their best shots and share them with the world. One downside, unlimited storage means less editing of how many photos are uploaded. The best photographers use the tool to merchandise only their best shots.

1. Store Fronts for Noobs: SmugMug has easy to use software with relatively easy customization options.

1. Pro Photo Elegance with ease: SmugMug has a sleek high end look with lots of great templates.

1. Customer service that is second to none.

1. Let me repeat that, Customer service that is second to none. Burning question at 3 a.m.? No Problem. You’ll probably get an answer before sunrise. It is not uncommon for one of the Macaskills to respond directly to questions. Always polite, always patient, no question is too basic. They are all about helping the Photographer succeed.

1. Dgrin forums that are also responsive, helpful and energetic. Some of their posters are the stuff of legends – Allen, "tweak 'til it squeaks", for example.

1. SmugMug was one of the first internet based businesses to share “back of the house” information and blog about problems and solutions. This transparency was one of the things that originally sold me on signing up for SmugMug Pro. Their Jan 2008 response to a question about the potential security of their url’s should be a case study for all others in any industry.

SmugMug’s primary business is to provide a high-end online photo sharing experience. Originally, SmugMug didn’t even offer the ability to print photos. This may actually be a case of being too far ahead of the curve.

However, printing photos became an important part of their business model – great for liftoff but not helpful in an economic downturn. Especially because photo printing has already been hit by negative trends mentioned in earlier blog posts. Such as: consumer’s greater willingness to print their own photos, and the ubiquitous photo sharing sites, of which SmugMug is one.

So the stage was set for this L.A. meet up to be where SmugMug laid out its vision of the future. Instead, SmugMug’s Chris M (Baldy) opened a Bayview box and Jeff Jochum shared the following top tips for making money:

1. Prioritize:

Use your unique talent to its best advantage.

FotoBento Note: This concept of comparative advantage is frequently lost on small businesses and entrepreneurs. Perhaps best expressed in Mankiw’s oft repeated example “Why Michael Jordan shouldn’t mow his own lawn” - use others to help do tasks for which you are not inherently suited, or in economic terms cannot perform efficiently.

Even though Michael could mow the lawn faster than most people, he could make far more money in the same amount of time by appearing in a Nike commercial. Of course, that assumes that there are enough “Nike Commercials” available for hire.

Jeff mentioned another aspect of comparative advantage which is to value your time as an asset. Too many individuals have the perception that their time is free. As a Pro Photographer, all the time you spend building a web site or catching up on the books, is time away from your unique photographic talent.

2. Customize: Keep your customer busy enjoying the attention around her event and she won’t have time to be out shopping for a new photographer. An example - create an online event site as soon as you get the order. Update it frequently with photos from milestone events as you count down to the main event.

3. Merchandise: Customers can be overwhelmed by choices. They want to see “all the proofs” so they can make a choice but how many have that kind of time? Their intentions are good, customers just want to feel that they have chosen the best photos to print or put in a wedding album.

That’s why they hire a professional. Show them you have their best interests at heart and guide them through the process. If that drags on too long, take the initiative and provide the customer with your choice of the best deliverable.

While helpful and interesting, none of these are the kind of specific “here’s where we’re taking SmugMugPro” kind of information we were expecting.

My Blue Heaven - Divine White Balance

Tue, 31 Mar 2009 15:55:13 -0700

Problem: Sometimes everything in your photo looks yellow, or with flash it all turns blue. This difference between what you see and the resulting image is the color cast.

Fotobento Solution: Make sure your camera “sees” what you see by adjusting the white balance on your camera. Even though it’s called White Balance, adjusting it will improve all colors.

Two variables affect the white balance of the image recorded on your camera:

1. The color composition of the scene being photographed.
1. The light source illuminating the scene.

What is White Balance? Adjusting your white balance removes the color cast on your photo by matching the white point your camera uses in recording the scene to the temperature (or white point) of your light source.

What is White Point? When you take a photo, your camera’s digital imaging sensors only record how much red, blue or green light is reflected off your subject.

To re-create the image from the raw data, the camera selects a point to represent the color white. The color temperature of this pixel is then compared to the color temperature defined (by you manually or as measured by the camera) as white for your light source. The rest of the colors in the image are then calibrated based on this white point.

In other words, the processor, in your camera or computer, adjusts the amount of red, blue or green to compensate primarily for the red or blue tendency of the light source (more on that below). So this one white point has a disproportionately large impact on the color of the resulting photo.

The white point matches a pixel to a temperature: Relative to the source of the light, the white point is the temperature at which the white portions of the image look white. Balancing the white point of the composition with the temperature of the light can be assigned automatically in most cameras. It can also be set to more closely approximate actual conditions.

For example, a white piece of paper will look different depending upon the type of light shining on it. Indoors, under an incandescent bulb, the camera will record the
white paper as slightly reddish/yellow. Turn on the flash, and the paper will look slightly bluer.