VA hospital may have infected 1,800 veterans with HIV - CNN.com
"The instruments were supposed to only be put in the cleaning machines, Michael said.The handwashing started in February 2009 and went on until March of this year, the hospital told KSDK.
The hospital has set up a special clinic and education centers to help patients who may have been infected. However, Carnahan said he feels more should be done and those responsible should be disciplined.
"I can only imagine the horror and anger our veterans must be feeling after receiving this letter," Carnahan said. "They have every right to be angry. So am I."
This is not the first time this year a hospital has been in hot water for not following proper procedures."
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
VA hospital may have infected 1,800 veterans with HIV
Government healthcare FTW!
NO ONE in the current administration is really serious about the oil spill. You better understand that.
If you still think this administration is really trying to fix the problem in the Gulf, you are either blind or part of the problem itself. That problem is "we have to make the President look good, and who really gives a shit about the Gulf... that's just a little south of flyover land anyway."
They have turned an environmental disaster into a political punt. They cannot even bring themselves to ask for help (until today - and then only partially) to fix it.
I believe it is more about souring people on oil than actually fixing the problem. The Dutch can fix it, not invited. The Japanese can mitigate it greatly, not invited.
The list is long, but asking for help would mean that the Fed Gov is incapable, and that means they would lose face. And when all you have is face, it cannot be lost on any account.
Morning Bell: Obama’s Oil Spill To-Do List | The Foundry: Conservative Policy News.They are not serious about the cleanup. They are beyond incompetent.
"Unfortunately, the American people are not hearing any of this. Day after day, blind allegiance to the president causes his supporters on the left to simply say the government is doing all that it can. The national media, prone to attention deficit disorder when a president they support is in the White House, have already moved on to a myriad of other subjects, offering only sporadic updates on the continuing crisis.
When the president answered questions following the G20 conference, not one reporter asked him about the situation in the Gulf. Not one question. When attention is paid, it is focused on BP, which is only half the story — the other half being government incompetence or an ideological rigidity that prevents commonsense solutions."
They have turned an environmental disaster into a political punt. They cannot even bring themselves to ask for help (until today - and then only partially) to fix it.
I believe it is more about souring people on oil than actually fixing the problem. The Dutch can fix it, not invited. The Japanese can mitigate it greatly, not invited.
The list is long, but asking for help would mean that the Fed Gov is incapable, and that means they would lose face. And when all you have is face, it cannot be lost on any account.
Why 'Modern Progressives' are simply cartoonish
They DROVE there. Keep that in mind... they DROVE there. In CARS, or, more probably for this area of the CA coast, a very expensive SUV or import.
View From The Porch: And joining hands, they made a metaphor...They fkn DROVE there.
"In sum total, what you people did was drive someplace where there wasn't a problem, complain about something you don't fully understand, get in the way of people who may actually be performing a function, and then do nothing, en masse, except hope that someone else notices your little snit and makes it all better.
My god, if there's a more perfect metaphor for the modern progressive movement, I've never seen it."
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Jan Klier's Photo Journey: iPad on Location
This is where the iPad has become indispensible for me. I keep a fairly large archive of ideas, location snaps, comp images. I’ve copied them onto my iPad. As I meet with clients and crew members we can brainstorm ideas, discuss locations, looks, etc. Sitting at Starbucks over a cup of coffee, iPad on the table, the creativity can just flow. No paper shuffling or bulky laptops. And thousands of images and all of the web at your finger tip. Whether it’s your own images, or you need to pop over to Nordstrom’s site to look at some wardrobe options.
Jan presents a very concise look at how he uses the iPad in his photography business. Very cool. Check it out.
How To Use Photos To Sell More Online - Smashing Magazine
As a photographer and UX designer, I pay particular attention to the effectiveness of photography when I’m testing with users. Regardless of the context, users rarely fail to comment on or be influenced by photography when shopping online.
This article pulls together principles from psychology, marketing, UX design and photographic theory. It provides a set of principles to follow when commissioning and editing photography and when planning and designing profitable e-commerce user experiences.
This is a great little post that photographers can use to remind clients, and themselves, why good, custom, non-stock imagery can actually help the ad or design SELL more goods and services.
Thanks to Smashing Magazine.
http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/06/25/how-to-use-photos-to-sell-more-onl...
Saturday, June 26, 2010
How To Use Photos To Sell More Online - Smashing Magazine
Tell me and I’ll forget, but show me and I’ll remember.” Learning can be difficult, but supporting theory with visual stimuli can help us grasp complex concepts and confirm our understanding. Images are easy to remember; how often have you met a new person and found later that you could recall their face but not their name?
Fantastic post on the usage of images to enhance the quality of design and advertising.
http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/06/25/how-to-use-photos-to-sell-more-onl...
How To Use Photos To Sell More Online - Smashing Magazine
Tell me and I’ll forget, but show me and I’ll remember.” Learning can be difficult, but supporting theory with visual stimuli can help us grasp complex concepts and confirm our understanding. Images are easy to remember; how often have you met a new person and found later that you could recall their face but not their name?
Fantastic post on the usage of images to enhance the quality of design and advertising.
http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/06/25/how-to-use-photos-to-sell-more-onl...
Friday, June 25, 2010
Jack Hollingsworth Portraiture
So what you need to try to do, if your aim is to showcase your work and hopefully get new business as a result...is to look objectively at the work. Eliminate all those emotional triggers that you think make the image cool. And try to look at the image for what it is - good content. Forget the personal, even professional, narrative context for how the image was created. Those sentimental reasons and notions are only important to you. Not to the customers looking at the picture(s).
Photographers, especially those starting out, are notoriously sensitive to their photographs being reviewed or criticized. Sorry guys and gals - that's just part of what it means to hang your shingle on the door. Get ready. It's coming. And it won't ever stop. Maybe for some, it will never come easy. But that's okay, too.
It all comes back to infatuation again. Photographers are just too infatuated with their own images. And infatuation means you're too irrational and emotional about your photographs.
Yes... I always say to leave the baggage home. The image must stand on its own.
Jack Hollingsworth Portraiture
So what you need to try to do, if your aim is to showcase your work and hopefully get new business as a result...is to look objectively at the work. Eliminate all those emotional triggers that you think make the image cool. And try to look at the image for what it is - good content. Forget the personal, even professional, narrative context for how the image was created. Those sentimental reasons and notions are only important to you. Not to the customers looking at the picture(s).
Photographers, especially those starting out, are notoriously sensitive to their photographs being reviewed or criticized. Sorry guys and gals - that's just part of what it means to hang your shingle on the door. Get ready. It's coming. And it won't ever stop. Maybe for some, it will never come easy. But that's okay, too.
It all comes back to infatuation again. Photographers are just too infatuated with their own images. And infatuation means you're too irrational and emotional about your photographs.
Yes... I always say to leave the baggage home. The image must stand on its own.
Four Photographers on the Trek to the Top | LIGHTING ESSENTIALS For Photographers
Guys… I got so tired of hearing how it is so horrible out there, and how there’s no this and no that. I just got over it. So I decided to put out a tweet for some emerging photographers to chat with. No formal questions, just some chatting. I was so happy when I got several takers early on, and we set some times and got together for some fun chat.
It is so important to remain constantly revitalized and positive. I wanted to talk to people who weren't moaning and whining about photography and - voila - I found 4... and there are a ton more.
Become one of them. Become positive and upbeat and someone who others want to be around.
And turn off the naysayers... turn the volume way down on that crap.
Four Photographers on the Trek to the Top | LIGHTING ESSENTIALS For Photographers
Guys… I got so tired of hearing how it is so horrible out there, and how there’s no this and no that. I just got over it. So I decided to put out a tweet for some emerging photographers to chat with. No formal questions, just some chatting. I was so happy when I got several takers early on, and we set some times and got together for some fun chat.
It is so important to remain constantly revitalized and positive. I wanted to talk to people who weren't moaning and whining about photography and - voila - I found 4... and there are a ton more.
Become one of them. Become positive and upbeat and someone who others want to be around.
And turn off the naysayers... turn the volume way down on that crap.
On Being a 21st-Century Peasant - Reason Magazine
Funny thing is... this asswipe has been wrong for 25 years, and now he writes another book that is so far off reality that it should be in the comedy section. Of course, manipulating data, creating false assumptions and downright lying is not above these cretins. "Why would he lie?" Well, he wrote a book, and needs the money for his car and his house and his electric and all the other things he warns us 'little people' about.
Moron.
Moron.
On Being a 21st-Century Peasant - Reason Magazine:- Sent using Google Toolbar"
"McKibben is so eager to make his case for doom, though, that he can’t resist pushing the data farther than they go. Consider his comments about hurricanes. McKibben asserts that “one hundred eleven hurricanes formed in the tropical Atlantic between 1995 and 2008, a rise of 75 percent over the previous thirteen years.” Fair enough. But according to hurricane researchers at Florida State University, the global number of major tropical cyclones was 149 in the 1980s, 179 in the 1990s, and 165 in the 2000s. The overall trend is not significant during the last 30 years. The overall numbers for tropical storms are 324 in the 1980s, 367 in the 1990s, and 317 in the 2000s. Moreover, the total energy of tropical cyclones has been declining for the last 30 years. In McKibben’s favor, new research by climate modelers suggests global warming will result in fewer but stronger hurricanes."
The Blurring Line Between Amateur and Professional - Business - The Atlantic
Read the whole thing, and make notes. The future is not written, but the pencils are sharp and they are ready to go...
The Blurring Line Between Amateur and Professional - Business - The Atlantic:- Sent using Google Toolbar"
"In his new book, Cognitive Surplus, Shirky argues that what looked like a fact about human nature turns out to be merely an artifact of limited 20th century media technologies. Because only a small group of professional writers had access to the technologies of mass publication, it seemed obvious that writing for publication was a job for professionals. And because the rest of us had never participated in the process, it was widely assumed we didn't want to.
We now know that assumption was wrong. Many ordinary people jump at the chance to be producers as well as consumers. They blog. They tweet. They upload YouTube videos and Flickr photos. They create Wikipedia. They leave comments telling bloggers like me that we're idiots. Moreover, it turns out that we sometimes prefer amateur content such as Charlie bit my finger or ICanHasCheezburger: what they lack in polish they make up in charm."
Whats Old Is New Again!
Photographers often ask me to name the one ad tool that will bring them work. I always respond by telling them that there is no one tool that is the magic vehicle. Rather, it’s the consistent use of a palette of tools over time that generates assignments.
HOWEVER, there is one action that you can take, that turbo charges all of your efforts. It’s an action that used to be the foundation for all photo sales programs until websites came along. Once photog's got web happy, they happily and foolishly put this effort on the back burner.
The marketing mainstay I refer to is the in person portfolio visit.
Before you start to wine, moan and log onto facebook may I share with you a few recent comments from successful clients and sales pros who have scored big and who credit their sales visits as their ace in the hole sales tool.
Cynthia Held, agent extraordinaire is a woman who is at the top of every smart photographers “must have her as a rep ” list. A national agent representing some of the best talent in the U.S. she is a HUGE proponent of constantly getting her talent’s work in front of buyers.
During a recent email conversation with Cynthia she mentioned that she had just come back from a sales trip to several cities showing the work of her photographer’s.
I was excited to hear that she still consistently travels to see clients and asked her why
She felt that in the day of email, web land and social media she needed to travel. Her response? “Visibility is key – and meeting contacts and clients is an important part of our visibility. We are big believers in getting out there! In the last year alone we have been in Portland, Seattle, SF (several times), Chicago and NY (several times), Atlanta, Boston, Minneapolis, Dallas, Austin,
Denver. This from an agent, who reps busy, working successful, photographers.
Need more evidence?
I was in NYC a few weeks ago taping 6 video segments to promote my MP3 program THE VIEW FROM HERE www.seinmaitreya.com/theviewfromhere/html and I got a call on my cell from my client Nick Thomas. Nick created a new beautiful, illustrative, still life portfolio with me last year and he has been promoting it through direct mail, email, his web site, portals and in person visits. He was calling to tell me that he just landed his second major job, a mid 5-figure baby that came after 3 in person visits to the same client. Nick was smart enough to send emails and direct mail as well. However he feels that the visibility and credibility he gained from meeting his potential client was the reason that he got the nod when an assignment that matched his vision was on the table.
So, what about you? When was the last time you took your print book out to see clients? Have you been relying on your website? On direct mail?
Do you have a book that represents your vision? Is it tight? Have you identified your market?
Are you ready to see clients, to stand behind your work, and show up?
I’d love to hear your thoughts about going on in person visits. Join this conversation and share, your successes; your fears. Cynthia and Nick have proof that sales calls bring in work! What are you waiting for?
... Cause she don't know where 'tis...
IDIOT lawmaker shows herself to be truly, and I mean TRULY STUPID. This person got elected amongs all the pinhead elitists of her county. I guess actually KNOWING about the geography of her nation is way too granular for her. This woman votes... seriously. Do you see the issue?
- Sent using Google Toolbar"
County Board Delays Vote on Arizona Boycott"There was an odd moment..." Odd moment, my ass. Stupid bitch ain't fit for no speakin' nowhere.
"There was an odd moment during the debate when Supervisor Peggy West stood up and seemed to be confused about her geography. 'If this was Texas, which is a state that is directly on the border with Mexico, and they were calling for a measure like this saying that they had a major issue with undocumented people flooding their borders, I would have to look twice at this. But this is a state that is a ways removed from the border,' West said during debate.
- Sent using Google Toolbar"
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Ask Anything – Showing Wedding Photography With Editorial And Commercial Work
Great info for those who mix wedding and commercial/editorial work.
A Photo Editor - Ask Anything – Showing Wedding Photography With Editorial And Commercial Work:Read the whole thing.
"PHOTO EDITOR:
Shooting weddings or any other kind of work has no bearing on how I feel about working with photographers, as long as their non-wedding work is solid and fits what I’m looking for. If anything, a photographer who shoots weddings might be better at dealing with difficult subjects — wedding clients (or, more accurately, their parents) can sometimes be a real pain in the ass."
Dem Congressman: We Must Have Campaign Finance Disclosure To Stop Republicans From Getting Elected
So with it we will continue to have stupid people like you get elected? Hmmm - this is a tough one.
- Sent using Google Toolbar"
Dem Congressman: We Must Have Campaign Finance Disclosure To Stop Republicans From Getting Elected:
"Rep. Hank Johnson (D-GA) says 'we will see more Republicans getting elected' if the Congress does not pass campaign finance disclosure reform."
- Sent using Google Toolbar"
Dem Congressman: Financial Regulations Will Help "Good People" Not "Minorities" Or "Defective" People
Hey BillfknMaher... flap your stupid chops on this...
Dem Congressman: Financial Regulations Will Help "Good People" Not "Minorities" Or "Defective" People:BTW... did you notice the DEM part?
"Rep. Paul Kanjorski (D-PA): 'We're giving relief to people that I deal with in my office every day now unfortunately. But because of the longevity of this recession, these are people and they're not minorities and they're not defective and they're not all the things you'd like to insinuate that these programs [are] about, these are average, good American people."
- Sent using Google Toolbar"
Burns Auto Parts Super Premium blog » Blog Archive » The Fallacy of Free
Your IP, your images, are not fluff to your business model. Your IP is your core product, and you cannot give it away.
The correct analogy for photographers who wish to use a “free” model thus is not “give away some photo (licenses) to get more photo work” but rather would be “give away t-shirts (or music or a book or a toaster or internet advertising space, even) to get more photo work.”
This is a very important, and possibly dangerous time for photographers. Many things may be decided in the next coming years... not the least of which is how important the images you create are.
There are forces at work that are trying to create an atmosphere in which just the 'thrill' of seeing your work in print should be enough compensation for being a professional photographer. They say the 'market' demands it...
Well, if one side of the transaction is not receiving enough compensation to stay current with gear and business and all that goes into having a career, then it really isn't a 'market' at all.
Leslie Burns has been fighting the good fight... let her know you appreciate the hard work she is putting in.
Burns Auto Parts Super Premium blog » Blog Archive » The Fallacy of Free
Your IP, your images, are not fluff to your business model. Your IP is your core product, and you cannot give it away.
The correct analogy for photographers who wish to use a “free” model thus is not “give away some photo (licenses) to get more photo work” but rather would be “give away t-shirts (or music or a book or a toaster or internet advertising space, even) to get more photo work.”
This is a very important, and possibly dangerous time for photographers. Many things may be decided in the next coming years... not the least of which is how important the images you create are.
There are forces at work that are trying to create an atmosphere in which just the 'thrill' of seeing your work in print should be enough compensation for being a professional photographer. They say the 'market' demands it...
Well, if one side of the transaction is not receiving enough compensation to stay current with gear and business and all that goes into having a career, then it really isn't a 'market' at all.
Leslie Burns has been fighting the good fight... let her know you appreciate the hard work she is putting in.
Monday, June 21, 2010
BPand the Democrats.
So the same people who were beating the hell out of BP are the people who sought to get special favors from the government? Wow... just freekin' wow.
Note that these people were in place BEFORE the spill, not hastily assembled after. Do these people have even an understanding of the word shame. They are obviously without any moral standing, ethical standing, or 'spirit of the law' standing. Just sanctimonious, clueless hacks who have nothing but the bringing down of this country in their sites.
I just wish they weren't being so successful at it.
BP, Transocean tap a well of Washington lobbyists and consultantsBold is mine.
"BP, which has garnered the bulk of public attention and contempt for the spill, has assembled a formidable team of Democrats for its Washington lobbying, legal and public-relations offensive. There is Tony Podesta, who heads one of the District's leading lobbying firms; legal adviser Jamie Gorelick, a top Justice Department official in the Clinton administration now at the law firm WilmerHale; Hilary Rosen, a former recording-industry lobbyist who heads the Washington office of the Brunswick Group, a public-relations consultancy; and Michael S. Berman of the Duberstein Group, who was a longtime aide to former vice president Walter F. Mondale before becoming a lobbyist."
Note that these people were in place BEFORE the spill, not hastily assembled after. Do these people have even an understanding of the word shame. They are obviously without any moral standing, ethical standing, or 'spirit of the law' standing. Just sanctimonious, clueless hacks who have nothing but the bringing down of this country in their sites.
I just wish they weren't being so successful at it.
The paranoid delusions of the expert class | Washington Examiner
The disassociated 'expert' class is becoming a real burden on humanity. I think their time would be better spent cleaning oil off of beaches than spewing their stupidity awash in large words and a sense of entitlement that comes with spending too much time in the sounding boards and echo chambers of universities.
The paranoid delusions of the expert class | Washington Examiner
"Best friends teach us all kinds of things, including the pain of loss, betrayal, and, perhaps most importantly, loyalty. And yes, loyalty can be painful, but it’s also one of the most vital lessons we learn as children. Later in life that loyalty translates into hard work, patriotism, sacrifice, and the multitudinous other life skills necessary to be a citizen and a parent and a grown-up human being. We learn these through the pains of friendship more than through any taught lesson. These are not things we can be tested on.Certainly bullying has its limits, and kids who are chronically bullied do need help from parents and teachers and other adults, but most bullying is relatively benign. Sometimes it can teach us valuable lessons, not the least of which is our own personal limitations. Again, I'll turn to the inherent value of a black eye. Realism is not a necessary feature of childhood, but it is necessary if we are to ever grow up.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Selina Maitreya: Old/New - You decide
During a recent email conversation with Cynthia she mentioned that she had just come back from a sales trip to several cities showing the work of her photographer’s.
I was excited to hear that she still consistently travels to see clients and asked her why in person visits are so important.
Her response? “Visibility is key – and meeting contacts and clients is an important part of our visibility. We are big believers in getting out there! In the last year alone we have been in Portland, Seattle, SF (several times), Chicago and NY (several times), Atlanta, Boston, Minneapolis, Dallas, Austin, and Denver.”
This from an agent, who reps busy, working successful, photographers.
Need more evidence?
I was in NYC a few weeks ago taping 6 video segments to promote my MP3 program THE VIEW FROM HERE http://selinamaitreya.com/theviewfromhere.html and I got a call on my cell from my client Nick Thomas. Nick created a new beautiful, illustrative, still life portfolio with me last year and he has been promoting it through direct mail, email, his web site, portals and in person visits. He was calling to tell me that he just landed his second major job, a mid 5-figure baby that came after 3 in person visits to the same client. Nick was smart enough to send emails and direct mail as well. However he feels that the visibility and credibility he gained from meeting his potential client was the reason that he got the nod when an assignment that matched his vision was on the table.
Selina's post exactly mirrors what I have been discussing with a group of emerging shooters for a post coming up soon. In-Person, with photos, and phone calls and direct mail and website and... targeted work with high expectations.
I hope this gets you all thinking about getting back to the marketing of yourself in traditional ways along WITH the new SM/Digital methods.
Really inspiring post!
Selina Maitreya: Old/New - You decide
During a recent email conversation with Cynthia she mentioned that she had just come back from a sales trip to several cities showing the work of her photographer’s.
I was excited to hear that she still consistently travels to see clients and asked her why in person visits are so important.
Her response? “Visibility is key – and meeting contacts and clients is an important part of our visibility. We are big believers in getting out there! In the last year alone we have been in Portland, Seattle, SF (several times), Chicago and NY (several times), Atlanta, Boston, Minneapolis, Dallas, Austin, and Denver.”
This from an agent, who reps busy, working successful, photographers.
Need more evidence?
I was in NYC a few weeks ago taping 6 video segments to promote my MP3 program THE VIEW FROM HERE http://selinamaitreya.com/theviewfromhere.html and I got a call on my cell from my client Nick Thomas. Nick created a new beautiful, illustrative, still life portfolio with me last year and he has been promoting it through direct mail, email, his web site, portals and in person visits. He was calling to tell me that he just landed his second major job, a mid 5-figure baby that came after 3 in person visits to the same client. Nick was smart enough to send emails and direct mail as well. However he feels that the visibility and credibility he gained from meeting his potential client was the reason that he got the nod when an assignment that matched his vision was on the table.
Selina's post exactly mirrors what I have been discussing with a group of emerging shooters for a post coming up soon. In-Person, with photos, and phone calls and direct mail and website and... targeted work with high expectations.
I hope this gets you all thinking about getting back to the marketing of yourself in traditional ways along WITH the new SM/Digital methods.
Really inspiring post!
Reason #458 why I have NO interest in professional sports
I have none at all. Couldn't care less. In fact, in some cases I could be considered to even loathe professional sports. I have little to no respect for the players, the coaches... just don't. Thugs, arrogant children with too much money and no self control, and downright criminals seem to dominate these days.
And while there are the occasional good guys (Armstrong, Williams and such) they aren't enough to offset the other shitholes that proliferate.
So I ignore it.
Personally, I would have shot every fuckin one of them under domestic terror laws.
And while there are the occasional good guys (Armstrong, Williams and such) they aren't enough to offset the other shitholes that proliferate.
So I ignore it.
What I Saw at the Lakers RiotsThis is amazing - but expected - behavior from people who have been coddled and given a pass for aberrant behavior for way too long.
"When things got out of hand after last year’s championship, the mayor and the LAPD brass surveyed the damage and said it could have been worse. They’re saying the same thing this year. It’s true, as far as it goes, but it’s hardly a goal to aspire to.I hope the Lakers lose every game next year."
Personally, I would have shot every fuckin one of them under domestic terror laws.
The "unintended consequences" of stupid
Hope and change? Yeah... working out real well for Americans. Living overseas does NOT automatically make you a criminal. At least it shouldn't.
But telling other businesses in other countries how to run their business may find them telling you to fuck off. As more and more banks in other countries are doing. But watch the spin now... 'hiding assets' and 'war on terror' and all kinds of buzzwords to sort of infer that those living abroad are somehow not paying their 'fair share'... no trial, no investigation even... just a brutish, thuggish attack on fellow Americans. Or at least people with the same citizenship.
But telling other businesses in other countries how to run their business may find them telling you to fuck off. As more and more banks in other countries are doing. But watch the spin now... 'hiding assets' and 'war on terror' and all kinds of buzzwords to sort of infer that those living abroad are somehow not paying their 'fair share'... no trial, no investigation even... just a brutish, thuggish attack on fellow Americans. Or at least people with the same citizenship.
Toxic Citizens? - WSJ.com
"The U.S. government – under a new law incorporated in the Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment Act signed by President Barack Obama on 18 March 2010 – is demanding that international financial institutions reveal which of their clients are U.S. citizens with accounts of more than $50,000. Foreign banks are, in effect, being asked to act as the international enforcement arms of the Internal Revenue Service. Those banks that don't comply will be subject to a 30% withholding tax on all payments made to them in the U.S. Many banks and wealth managers have decided it is far easier to politely show their U.S. clients the door"
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Is it the Death of Desktops?
Forrester's projections reflect the shifting definition of the personal computer. In spite of their name, desktop PCs often have several users. Laptops, netbooks, and tablets are usually single-user machines—that is, they really are personal. Modern mobile operating systems are built with room enough for one—Apple's iOS and Google's Android are both tied in to a single user's e-mail, calendar, and app-purchasing accounts. Forrester's numbers also suggest that in the future we'll have many such machines around the house. Your "main" computer will be a laptop—and you'll probably have several smaller, tablet-type machines that you use regularly as well.
via slate.com
Interesting the changes that are coming in the tech world. My new android phone is probably more powerful than desktops of a decade ago.
I do like my desktops, but am increasingly interested in a large laptop like a MacBookPro 17... seems like it would do most I needed it to do.
Lance Armstrong: 'Outside' Magazine Cover Is 'Lame Bullshit' (PHOTO)
Just one problem: Armstrong never wore the shirt.
As the cover explains in small text, the garment is "not Armstrong's real T-shirt," and the cyclist is none too pleased. On Twitter, he wrote that the text was Photoshopped into the image and called the stunt "lame bullshit." He also derided the altered photo as "weak."
Wow. When did the kids take over. I don't have any problem with Photoshopping in or out things that were not shot, but I would think it common practice to at least let the subject KNOW what was going t be done. It would be the right thing to do. It makes sense. It is smart business.
Hell, it would be common courtesy to do it.
Sigh... we need some more grownups in the publishing business. Not only is it lame, as Armstrong pointed out, it is plain stupid business as well.
When this happens, it can be the end for a small creative business
THE CUSTOMER “TELLS” US THE PRICE. Few customers wake up wanting to pay a higher price. But most do seek value. By voting with their feet, customers determine what they are willing to pay. But it’s your responsibility to frame and deliver the value proposition, and the pricing mechanism.
Remember: A price is not the same as pricing. The price is what a customer is willing to pay. You and your organization do pricing; and the leverage — up and down — can be tremendous.
Don't be a 'victim' of your customer base. Find a way to be a partner, affiliate, associate, vital team member, or 'go-to' person for all things photographic.
As is stated... few want to pay a higher price, but they will for higher value.
Burns Auto Parts Super Premium blog / Pricing v Price
As I was saying yesterday over drinks with some photo friends, we are at an incredible cusp in the history of creative-based businesses. The power that used to be in the hands of publishers and other middlemen is up for grabs. That’s why there are more bullying clients–because they are scared as they lose the control they used to have. Now is the time when creatives could grab that power, once and for all, but it means rejecting rights-grabbing contracts and/or giving work away (via CC licenses or otherwise). One way to take this power and to wield it fairly is to use a variable pricing system–usage pricing in our case–as this article suggests.
Great minds and all... Leslie noted the article I just posted and added some much needed clarification to our call to action.
Now is the time...
Photography from Emotion and Concept – w/ Renee Byer’s TEDx Presentation | Permission To Suck
I can’t grip rational leverage on conceptual composites that look like photography but really aren’t, even though they defy any other category and have original photographic components. What are these things? Common sense says they’re illustrations yet they’re not freehand creations.
On the other hand, I know what feels real. When I see a photograph I don’t have to speculate about manipulation, my senses care less because they’re consumed by examination and filled with emotion. Once I whiff movement too far from photo-authenticity, I sense too much personal jurisdiction lost over interpretation; I begin to feel as manipulated as the image.
Great questions about the photographer's role in the digital age. Maybe a little too soon for answers, but these things must be in the forefront of our creative minds.
I love Bruce's PermissionToSuck blog. Make it a must read.
Raise Your Prices! - Does that make sense now?
First, I never think it is a good idea to lower prices, although I am also aware that it may be necessary in some situations. That is sometimes called being a realist, but it is also because I am a business person as well.
So while it may be necessary in some instances, as a tactic for more sales it falls flat... for the long run. And that is hopefully what the race is about... the long run. Short term gains do not necessarily transfer to long time success.
There is a list of questions there that really cut to the heart of any business... and the business of commercial photography especially.
Take a look at an article I responded to on raising prices in a down economy. You may be surprised.
Raise Your Prices!
This article is for everybody else: those who choose not to compete on the basis of cost and low price. This article is for companies that can and should compete on the basis of performance, for which their customers willingly pay higher prices.
By competing on performance instead of price, you shift the battle to where your company’s strengths lie — in the ability to deliver unique benefits. So-called performance pricers are adept at three core activities: identifying where they can do a superior job of meeting customers’ needs and preferences; shaping their products and their business to dominate these segments; and managing cost and price in those areas to maximize profits.
Sometimes business is counter-intuitive, and markets can make no rational sense. It may take a rethinking of the position to make it more understandable. This great post at the Sloan Review website doesn't specifically target photographers... but the information is right on.
Take a few minutes to read the article. It is quite the eye opener.
First, I never think it is a good idea to lower prices, although I am also aware that it may be necessary in some situations. That is sometimes called being a realist, but it is also because I am a business person as well.
So while it may be necessary in some instances, as a tactic for more sales it falls flat... for the long run. And that is hopefully what the race is about... the long run. Short term gains do not necessarily transfer to long time success.
There is a list of questions there that really cut to the heart of any business... and the business of commercial photography especially.
1. Focusing on improving. Do you shoot everyday? Every week? And remember that every hour you are sitting in front of a bigscreen, one of your competition is working on a new image, making a new contact, putting final touches on their website.
2. Communication is so key. Staying in touch is the most important thing you can do with a new, and long time customer. Blogs, twitter, LinkedIn, FaceBook... and postcards, note cards and phone calls. Yeah... that texting thing you have in your hands... you can hear people through it. Very cool.
3. Finding the decision makers can be daunting... but terribly rewarding. WHO wants what you do? Where do they congregate/assemble/or work? Go there, make contacts... Identify markets and channels.
4. Most of us don't have big companies with people to check in with. But technology can make it easier to create groups online to help with the day-to-day and the extraordinary challenges we must meet. Find friends, engage them in discussion. (I belong to a very small group online and we discuss some pretty granular stuff - as well as some silly fun things as well. I have learned a lot from those Apogee guys.)
5. Pricing. How do you do it? Pull it from thin air or work hard to establish a point that makes sense for you and your client - and for the industry at large that you are part of? Leaving money on the table, or trying for the big score are two opposite points of a line called clueless. Be real. Be honest. Be aware of what the rates are. Be competitive, but not stupid. If you don't know what is going on in your demographics, find out. Easy? No, who said it had to be easy... missed that memo. But it can be done.
Paying attention to these items will put you in a tiny % of people doing this business. And it is a great place to be.
Raise Your Prices!
This article is for everybody else: those who choose not to compete on the basis of cost and low price. This article is for companies that can and should compete on the basis of performance, for which their customers willingly pay higher prices.
By competing on performance instead of price, you shift the battle to where your company’s strengths lie — in the ability to deliver unique benefits. So-called performance pricers are adept at three core activities: identifying where they can do a superior job of meeting customers’ needs and preferences; shaping their products and their business to dominate these segments; and managing cost and price in those areas to maximize profits.
Sometimes business is counter-intuitive, and markets can make no rational sense. It may take a rethinking of the position to make it more understandable. This great post at the Sloan Review website doesn't specifically target photographers... but the information is right on.
Take a few minutes to read the article. It is quite the eye opener.
First, I never think it is a good idea to lower prices, although I am also aware that it may be necessary in some situations. That is sometimes called being a realist, but it is also because I am a business person as well.
So while it may be necessary in some instances, as a tactic for more sales it falls flat... for the long run. And that is hopefully what the race is about... the long run. Short term gains do not necessarily transfer to long time success.
There is a list of questions there that really cut to the heart of any business... and the business of commercial photography especially.
1. Focusing on improving. Do you shoot everyday? Every week? And remember that every hour you are sitting in front of a bigscreen, one of your competition is working on a new image, making a new contact, putting final touches on their website.
2. Communication is so key. Staying in touch is the most important thing you can do with a new, and long time customer. Blogs, twitter, LinkedIn, FaceBook... and postcards, note cards and phone calls. Yeah... that texting thing you have in your hands... you can hear people through it. Very cool.
3. Finding the decision makers can be daunting... but terribly rewarding. WHO wants what you do? Where do they congregate/assemble/or work? Go there, make contacts... Identify markets and channels.
4. Most of us don't have big companies with people to check in with. But technology can make it easier to create groups online to help with the day-to-day and the extraordinary challenges we must meet. Find friends, engage them in discussion. (I belong to a very small group online and we discuss some pretty granular stuff - as well as some silly fun things as well. I have learned a lot from those Apogee guys.)
5. Pricing. How do you do it? Pull it from thin air or work hard to establish a point that makes sense for you and your client - and for the industry at large that you are part of? Leaving money on the table, or trying for the big score are two opposite points of a line called clueless. Be real. Be honest. Be aware of what the rates are. Be competitive, but not stupid. If you don't know what is going on in your demographics, find out. Easy? No, who said it had to be easy... missed that memo. But it can be done.
Paying attention to these items will put you in a tiny % of people doing this business. And it is a great place to be.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Crude-Sucking Barges Stopped by Coast Guard - ABC News
IMPEACH THEM... Impeach them all.
Meanwhile the asshat Coast Guard shuts down the siphoning because there may not be enough lifeboats on board? Are you fucking kidding me? Are you FUCKING KIDDING ME?
These people, from OBAMA on down are not serious about this problem. Nothing shows that more than this reprehensible show of stupidity by the Coast Guard.
Beginning to wonder if they WANT it to be really bad.
BP Oil Spill: Against Gov. Bobby Jindal's Wishes, Crude-Sucking Barges Stopped by Coast Guard - ABC NewsThey simply are not serious about this at all. Obama has the worst team in the history of the country, and all he can do is talk and talk and create commissions and TELL everyone how concerned he is.
"Sixteen barges sat stationary today, although they were sucking up thousands of gallons of BP's oil as recently as Tuesday. Workers in hazmat suits and gas masks pumped the oil out of the Louisiana waters and into steel tanks. It was a homegrown idea that seemed to be effective at collecting the thick gunk."
Meanwhile the asshat Coast Guard shuts down the siphoning because there may not be enough lifeboats on board? Are you fucking kidding me? Are you FUCKING KIDDING ME?
These people, from OBAMA on down are not serious about this problem. Nothing shows that more than this reprehensible show of stupidity by the Coast Guard.
Beginning to wonder if they WANT it to be really bad.
How to Get Work from Ad Agencies - 11/365 | karen maze photoblog
It was a lot to take in. But it was also inspiring and reassuring. These were three successful industry experts who clearly want to hear from photographers, and love working with us. They want us to get the jobs. I know it’s not all sunshine and roses, but I have to say that listening to them talk demystified some what I had assumed to be a very adversarial process all around. It all seems even more possible now.
via karenmaze.com
Want to get work from Ad Agencies? Take a look at this little post from Karen Maze... no, the print portfolio is NOT dead.
How to Get Work from Ad Agencies - 11/365 | karen maze photoblog
It was a lot to take in. But it was also inspiring and reassuring. These were three successful industry experts who clearly want to hear from photographers, and love working with us. They want us to get the jobs. I know it’s not all sunshine and roses, but I have to say that listening to them talk demystified some what I had assumed to be a very adversarial process all around. It all seems even more possible now.
via karenmaze.com
Want to get work from Ad Agencies? Take a look at this little post from Karen Maze... no, the print portfolio is NOT dead.
Are All Photographers the Same? : Ajaton Joki
The easy answer is that an experienced photographer – one who has spent years studying the craft, honing skills, and perfecting style, is going to give you a much better image than the beginner who is simply clicking a shutter button. If clicking the shutter is the only parameter of a professional photographer, I’d like to offer the services of my 7 year old – she takes great pictures (everyone says so!) and I’m happy to hire her out for $200 for a disk of images. She’ll be happy too – she’d love a new Lego Star Wars set. But why pay $200 for my 7 year old (or a beginner photographer) when you can just have the grandparents click the button instead – and for free? I could make this post longer by summing out costs of being a photographer: VAT/taxes, insurance, business development costs, time, the desire to not work for free for other people ……. but really, I would think that most would recognize there are obvious costs behind owning any business. Would you really feel you were saving money if you hired a lawyer or Doctor who had no formal training or education (but who felt they would be good at heart surgery or winning lawsuits because they saw someone do it on TV?)
via ajatonjoki.com
Interesting take on photographers and clients.
The Linked Photographers' Guide to Online Marketing and Social Media
I love this book by @lindsayadler and @newmediaphoto. Not because I ( @photojack ) or Don Giannatti ( @wizwow ) are featured in it, but because of its much needed content for the photographers' trying to build their online brands and business. This is trusted information from two shooters that are walkin' the talk.
I would argue, for those just entering this space, that this should be your first stop! Devour this book. Cover to cover. Make a personal follow-up list after reading each chapter. Even for those online veterans that have been around the block, there is much information and inspiration here for you too. Trust me.
I am about half-way through the book on my own read, and I'm not just impressed by psyched! Really psyched. It's really good. Both authors (accomplished photographers) speak in such practical, gentle, understandable terms that it makes you want to run out and put into practice everything they are talking about. If you're a photographer that is all freaked out about online marketing, social media and new technologies...breathe. Help is right here, right now. Inhale. Exhale.
Good news is here, even if you're new to social media, and if you join the party right now, you'll still be considered an early adopter. The rules for photographer marketing and branding have radically changed. Wildly and widely. Now is the time to jump on the bandwagon. And change with the times. Change or die. This is the new mantra. And it's that simple.
This great piece of writing will and should catapult you into a whole new tactical online direction. Don't procrastinate. Buy the book today. It's that good. More importantly, start applying what good friends @lindseyadler and @newmediaphoto are sermonizing about. Join the conversation. Join the revolution.
If you want to reach out directly to either author, here is their full content information:
Lindsay Adler
@lindsayadler
Rosh Sillars
@newmediaphoto
A Photo Editor - Former Photography Director Rob Haggart
Don’t shoot the messenger, but from what I’ve heard from local photographers, the clients they are working with that even ask about a “buyout” don’t want to pay anything additionally for them. Despite the “renting not owning” argument, with pinched budgets, clients have a hard time understanding that they paid for all the inputs but do not have all rights to do what they wish with the images. These photographers have tried everything to educate the clients, but with the market the way it is, the client will have no problem finding someone to shoot it without charging additional usage.
via aphotoeditor.com
This is may be one of the bigger problems facing photographers in the future. It seems to be harder and harder to get around the "buy out" and there is a lot of market pressure to go to a leaner system.
That means leaner for the photographer, we're afraid. And it brings us to issues that are confronting the very fabric of what we do... make images and charge for their use.
This will be an area of contention among photographers who will begin to play the blame game and try to duck the responsibility, but in essence we need to decide what to do with this problem. Now.
Do we continue to push hard against a tide that seems unbreakable, or simply give up, lick our wounds and cede yet another part of our income - one that will NOT be made up by higher fees?
The choices are not easy, and I personally come down on the fight to the bitter end side, but there are incomes and families and established businesses on the line.
It is a tough question, for sure. Read more at Rob's blog, A Photo Editor.
A Photo Editor - Former Photography Director Rob Haggart
Don’t shoot the messenger, but from what I’ve heard from local photographers, the clients they are working with that even ask about a “buyout” don’t want to pay anything additionally for them. Despite the “renting not owning” argument, with pinched budgets, clients have a hard time understanding that they paid for all the inputs but do not have all rights to do what they wish with the images. These photographers have tried everything to educate the clients, but with the market the way it is, the client will have no problem finding someone to shoot it without charging additional usage.
via aphotoeditor.com
This is may be one of the bigger problems facing photographers in the future. It seems to be harder and harder to get around the "buy out" and there is a lot of market pressure to go to a leaner system.
That means leaner for the photographer, we're afraid. And it brings us to issues that are confronting the very fabric of what we do... make images and charge for their use.
This will be an area of contention among photographers who will begin to play the blame game and try to duck the responsibility, but in essence we need to decide what to do with this problem. Now.
Do we continue to push hard against a tide that seems unbreakable, or simply give up, lick our wounds and cede yet another part of our income - one that will NOT be made up by higher fees?
The choices are not easy, and I personally come down on the fight to the bitter end side, but there are incomes and families and established businesses on the line.
It is a tough question, for sure. Read more at Rob's blog, A Photo Editor.
Lighting Essentials Workshops - Baltimore with Don Giannatti | Leo Dj Photography
I found out later that the one in Baltimore was the advanced workshop. I could still do it, but I really wanted to learn about the different strobes and modifiers, and how they would affect the lighting quality. Fortunately, Don was kind enough to give me and few others a “catch-up” session the day before. So it was more like a three-day workshop for me.
via leodjphoto.com
Check out Leo DJ's post on the Lighting Essentials Workshop in Baltimore, MD a few weeks ago. He has some great shots.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Vermont Earns First Place, Moocher Index
Well... that explains so much, doesn't it?
With Vermont Earning the Dubious Distintion of First Place, Northeastern States Dominate the Moocher Index « International Liberty
"A few quick observations. Why is Vermont (by far) the state with the largest proportion of non-poor people signed up for welfare programs? I have no idea, but maybe this explains why they elect people like Bernie Sanders. But it’s not just Vermont. Four of the top five states on the Moocher Index are from the Northeast, as are six of the top nine. Mississippi also scores poorly, coming in second, but many other southern states do well. Indeed, if we reversed the ranking and did a Self-Reliance Index, Virginia, Florida, and Georgia would score in the top 10. Nevada, arguably the nation’s most libertarian state, is the state with the lowest number of non-poor people signed up for welfare."
Identifying Who You Want to Work For Can Invigorate Your Photography
Selina's recent post on the "6 Key Steps That All Emerging Photograhers MUST Take", she includes this"
* Identify the market that can support the vision
That single thing can be one of the most important things an emerging photographer can do. And choices can be terribly difficult to make.
Several emerging photographers I work with were struggling with identifying the people who would want to buy pictures from them, and it showed in books that were all over the place with subject matter, style and vision.
If there is no particular market to shoot for, then it becomes more like shooting for every market.
And shooting for every market isn't gonna cut it. You cannot make images for everyone. The work becomes scattered and unfocused... and confusing.
This past weekend I was asked to review a photographer's portfolio. He had seen a precipitous fall in booking, and even queries.
The work was good, quite good actually, but the presentation was so wide, so all inclusive, that it made it difficult to figure out what he did exceptionally well. And while the work was pretty good, only the people and places stuff stood out. His addition of food, architecture, flowers, cars, motorcycles and still life, while competent, were not nearly as good as the people work.
And people is where he was making most of his contacts.
The reason was he felt he could get more work if he 'expanded' his markets. Problem is that the additional work watered down his presentation, and it must be confusing to the buyers. Showing work that is less than wow, means that you may not recognize wow in the work you do.
He took Selina's key step, and started to identify the clients who;
a: he wanted to work with
b. who he was working with
c. who would be interested in working with the images he created.
Last night he sent a message... totally energized. After spending a few days... long days... working on this, he had worked out a targeted market list of 8 who would use his work. He hadn't even thought of some of those markets, but now he has a 'direction' to go with his work. He is planning shoots for the entire month of July.
Next, he will be changing his web site and focusing on the work that he loves to do, focusing on the markets he has identified for his presentation. Will he see more work from this effort?
I'll keep you posted, but I am pretty positive on the outcome.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
"You F'd Up. You Trusted Us"
Yes. I have been saying for at least a decade that borrowing money to go to school is beyond stupid. But then, I do not rape kids minds... errr, 'teach' at a Uni. So no one listened.
A MILLENNIAL CRI DE COEUR: InstaPundit reader McKean Evans emails in response to this Michael Barone…Listening now, are we?
"Did my generation grow up with unreasonable expectations about life, employment, and the value of a degree? Absolutely. But before you’re so quick to judge us, please remember that for the vast, vast majority of our admittedly short lives, we worked intensely hard to do what we were told was the right thing to do, the only thing to do, by absolutely everybody in authority. The worst you can really say about us is that we did what we were told when we were children."
Torrent Thieves STEAL content, and make people like me not want to bother. If you still think content needs to be free...
Torrent Thieves STEAL content, and make people like me not want to bother. If you still think content needs to be free..., originally uploaded by Wizwow.
Unfukkinbelievable.
friggin thieves.
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