Why Are Photographers Horrible at Business?

For the last seven years, our video tutorials have taught the Fstoppers community how to take better pictures. Our latest tutorial, Making Real Money: The Business Of Commercial Photography, is the opposite of that. In fact, there isn't a camera or lens in the entire 14-hours of video. But, I believe it's the most valuable tutorial we've ever made. 

Our job, as the producer of these tutorials, is to identify a need in the photography market, find the best instructor to teach in that field, and present the information in an entertaining and easy-to-understand way. Over the years I think we've done a great job of teaming up with some incredible instructors and the tutorials we have created have really changed the market. Before Peter Hurley, headshot photography was hardly an industry outside of NYC and Los Angeles. Sure, there were people taking snapshots of business owners, but Peter Hurley's first tutorial The Art Behind The Headshot completely changed the way headshots were taken. Now, you won't just find headshot photographers using his techniques, you'll find your portrait and wedding photographers telling their clients to jam their forehead toward the camera and to "squinch."

Mike Kelley was also able to totally shift the architecture photography market with his tutorial. Since the release of Where Art Meets Architecture, there are world-class photographers shooting properties in almost every major city in America using Mike's light painting and editing techniques. 

Since then, we've worked with many other incredible photographers like Dylan Patrick, Clay Cook, Joey Wright, and Elia Locardi. Some photography genres like fashion, swimwear, or landscape photography are pretty exciting on their own and making educational content that was also entertaining, wasn't very difficult. But what about filming a tutorial on a boring subject? Is it possible to make "business" fun? 

We've known for years that a tutorial on the business side of photography was probably the most important tutorial we could make. We've met so many incredible photographers around the world who are struggling financially. No matter how good their pictures are, they still can't figure out how to land the jobs they want. Although we knew these photographers needed help in this area, we feared it would be impossible to make a tutorial on business actually fun to watch and, if it was boring, nobody would buy it.

Two years ago we asked Monte Isom to teach at our live workshop in the Bahamas. During the event, both Patrick and I got to sit in on sections of his business of commercial photography class. Both of us were shocked by how much Monte was willing to reveal. He was sharing his secrets for breaking into new markets by going after certain people in ad agencies. He was sharing how much he was paid to shoot major jobs and going through his bids line by line. He even gave away lawyer letters he has used to make hundreds of thousands of dollars going after copyright infringers. The numbers that Monte was talking about were unbelievably high, but as he explained the entire process of marketing to the client, sending them a bid, and then shooting the job, it actually seemed attainable. 

For two years we've been planning to do this tutorial with Monte but six months ago we actually started planning it. I assumed the tutorial would be similar to his live workshop but Monte wanted this video to be better than that. For the past 20 years, Monte has been making connections throughout the industry with creative professionals at the top of their fields. Monte wanted us to fly to NYC, L.A., and Charleston to film interviews with nine of these industry leaders. These interviews ended up being packed with some of the most interesting and valuable information we've ever included in a tutorial. Instead of this tutorial being four or five hours like I expected, it ended up being 14. I've never heard anyone in these positions speak so candidly about every aspect of hiring photographers. I've been a professional photographer for 14 years, and the majority of the content in this video was foreign to me. I can't imagine where my career would be if I had known this stuff when I g raduated from college. 

I realize that the average Fstoppers reader is not a professional photographer. If you simply take pictures for fun, you probably won't enjoy this tutorial. But, if you're a professional photographer, if you actually take pictures for a living, this tutorial just might be the most entertaining and informative video that we've ever produced. More importantly, if you're a full-time shooter, I believe this will be the most valuable educational content you'll ever purchase. Monte completely changed my view of the industry and If you want to know how to take your photography business to the next level, Making Real Money is going to completely change the way you run your business. 

Source: Why Are Photographers Horrible at Business?

12 city neighborhoods meet 12 female photographers

Not so very long ago, cameras were cameras and phones were just phones.

The democratization of photography now allows anyone with a phone to travel around with what amounts to a personal photo gallery in their pocket, able at any moment to proudly and enthusiastically show friends or strangers their spontaneously shot photos of cute kittens, autumn leaves or plates of whatever it was they ate for dinner last night.

But many people still use cameras and shoot with purpose, and some of that sort of work is on the walls of the Jackson Junge Gallery at 1389 N. Milwaukee Ave. (www.j2gallery.com), where it will stay (and perhaps dazzle, provoke and prompt conversations) through Jan. 14.

The photos, taken over one year by a dozen female photographers in a dozen of the city's neighborhoods, are part of the Chicago Neighborhoods Project, which in turn is part of a larger Jackson Junge venture called In the 'Hood.

This is an ongoing mission intended to present, as the gallery folks put it, "a visual representation of Chicago's physical and cultural vastness … in the form of an array of media from photography and painting to sculpture and works on paper."

Initially meant to showcase the gallery's neighborhood, which is lively and colorful Wicker Park, it expands with this show thanks to the efforts of Women in Focus.

This outfit was founded in 2013 by Tiffany Weems and Karen Egerer in partnership with the Chicago Photography Center. When that latter institution ceased to exist, WIF (www.womeninfocuschicago.org) carried on with monthly meetings to discuss ways to support and promote what they refer to as "the photographic arts." With 30-some members, WIF is active in offering workshops, lectures, outings, skills and business development, often in collaboration with other arts organizations and groups, "especially those without ready access to the visual arts. "

It was at one of the monthly meetings in the summer of 2016 that the Neighborhoods Project was born. "And who could not immediately love this idea?" says Egerer.

Photographers signed up, and their first collective task was choosing which of the city's many neighborhoods (the exact number of which is ever up for dispute) to feature.

"It was all but impossible to pick just 12 neighborhoods," says Kristin Cass, one of the photographers whose work is featured in this show. "There was a lot of debate and lobbying."

This was all Cass' idea, hatched over breakfast one morning with another female photographer pal. "We were talking about neighborhoods and in so doing realized we had such different outlooks on the city, and so one thing led to another and here we are," says Cass.

Cass was born in West Pullman, grew up mostly on the South Side and, she says, "has since lived in many of the neighborhoods we eventually chose."

So, the list was made — Bronzeville, Chinatown, downtown, Pullman, Hyde Park, Lincoln Park and the lakefront, Logan Square, Pilsen, Rogers Park, Uptown, West Loop and Wicker Park — and the photographers hit the road.

"There was such a sense of discovery that we all felt," says Cass, whose work as a photographer (and as an attorney) is firmly focused on social justice. "I knew little or nothing of Bronzeville and would end up going there to shoot several times. It was up to each of us to create our own stories of these neighborhoods."

By summer 2017 the women's work was completed, and that's where a couple of guys came in.

"We did think about perhaps having a woman curate the show, but it wasn't at all strange to consider men," says Egerer. "I wanted the best I could find."

She found Richard Cahan and Charles Osgood.

"There was not one objection," says Egerer.

And that's understandable since there are few people who know photography and the city better than these two.

Cahan is a former picture editor for the Chicago Sun-Times and was the director of CITY 2000, that amazing project that consisted of having some 200 photographers spend an entire year capturing in photos the city's people and places. Created and funded by the late Gary Comer, the more than 500,000-image photo archive can be found at www.comerfamilyfoundation.org/culture/city2000.

Cahan has also written and published several stunning books about photography, many of them in collaboration with Michael Williams and most of them from his CityFiles Press (www.cityfilespress.com).

The latest are "Chicago: Classic Photographs" and "Un-American: The Incarceration of Japanese-Americans during World War II." Photos from that latter book form a powerful foundation of the "They Came for Me: Incarceration of Japanese Americans during WWII and the Demise of Civil Liberties" exhibition through Nov. 19 at the Alphawood Gallery at 2401 N. Halsted St. (www.alphawoodgallery.org)

"It was great that these women got out of the downtown area," Cahan says. "I was impressed that they were so bold in going into unusual places, getting off the beaten track."

Osgood, formerly of the Tribune, and I go way back, having met in 1987 when teaming up for a feature on the blues queen Koko Taylor. Later, and for nearly 15 years, we collaborated in words-and-photo fashion for the weekly Sidewalks column, a rewarding adventure that took us to every corner of the city and suburbs and later between the covers of two books. He has been having a fruitful freelance career (www.charlesosgood.photoshelter.com) since leaving the Tribune and was happy to help his old friend Egerer. "I did not know any of the photographers' work," he says. "But I found so much of it interesting, strong in emotional content."

The "boys" selected 72 photos, six from each photographer, six from each neighborhood, and some were exhibited a couple of months ago at Cafe Selmarie in Lincoln Square.

This current show features 25 photos, and there are plans to exhibit the entire project in the spring. In the meantime you can get a look at some of the photos at the website and on the walls of Jackson Junge.

Jackson Junge is where I'll be from 2 to 3 p.m. Sunday looking and talking, as best I can, about the meaning of this so-called city of neighborhoods. (Other events at the gallery include a Historic Wicker Park Photo Walk, 2 p.m. Nov. 19, and a Discussion with the Women in Focus Photographers at 2 p.m. Dec. 3).

I am eager to see the photos, see what the city looks like through, as Egerer puts it, "the collective feminine eye."

Source: 12 city neighborhoods meet 12 female photographers

Quick Guide to the Rule of Thirds for Artists and Photographers

Most creatives, from painters to photographers, will have come across the Rule of Thirds at some point. Anyone who deals in producing visually appealing work will have had this golden guideline pushed on them in order to achieve a balanced composition. But what is the Rule of Thirds? And where does it come from?

What is the Rule of Thirds?

The Rule of Thirds is a general guideline for how to create an interesting composition which states that any image—painting, photograph, graphic design—should be broken into a grid with two vertical and two horizontal lines, creating nine equally proportioned boxes. Important compositional elements should then be placed either on the lines or at their intersections. This results in dynamic, interesting compositions that draw the viewer's eye across the scene.

This technique is often employed in landscape painting and photography, but really can apply to any genre. As one of the beginning rules of composition taught to visual artists, it's a quick and easy way for anyone—from beginner to expert—to improve the visual impact of their work. And while today the Rule of Thirds is most often associated with photography, it should come as no surprise that it originates from painting.

One of many compositional tricks that artists use, the Rule of Thirds was first written down in 1797, when an author quotes English painter Sir Joshua Reynolds. In discussing the balance of light and dark in an artwork, Reynolds refers to the Rule of Thirds, discussing it as a more general principle of balance. It would later be transformed into the grid system we know today.

An easy way to see if artwork—whether your own or by others—follows the Rule of Thirds is to lay a grid over the final image. If you don't feel like making the simple calculations, you can download a grid.

Rule of Thirds in Painting

Photographers aren't the only ones who use the Rule of Thirds. Long before the world's first photographs, famous artists frequently employed the technique in order to achieve harmony and balance in their compositions. Let's look at three different artists across different genres to see how they all applied the Rule of Thirds to great effect.

Johannes Vermeer

'A Maid Asleep' by Johannes Vermeer (ca. 1656–57)

This early painting by Vermeer shows a use of the compositional trick by the manner in which the sleeping maid's head lines up with the upper horizontal line. Interestingly, the top of the jug on the table matches with the lower horizontal line, creating a pleasing distance between foreground and background subject. Even the door cracked open has a compositional purpose. The door itself fall exactly on the right vertical line running through the painting. These choices, combined with Vermeer's use of light and shadow, lend dramatic tension to this seemingly everyday scene.

J.M.W. Turner

'The Fighting Temeraire' by J.M.W. Turner (1838)

This famous landscape painting by acclaimed English Romantic painter J.M.W. Turner makes great use of the Rule of Thirds. Not only does the horizon fall on the lower horizontal line, the ships intersect along the first vertical line. Placing the ships slight off center gives the piece a sense of dynamic movement that helps make it one of Turner's most acclaimed paintings.

Pierre-Auguste Renoir

'On the Grass' by Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1873)

Impressionists may be known as rule breakers, but that doesn't mean they didn't practice the fundamentals of good composition. Renoir's 1873 oil painting, now part of the Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia, shows the careful placement of his subjects, letting them hit along multiple lines in the grid. Renoir's masterpiece is a good reminder of how the Rule of Thirds can be used to create natural groupings of people within a composition.

Source: Quick Guide to the Rule of Thirds for Artists and Photographers

3 Must-Have Gadgets for Budding Photographers

The holidays are just around the corner … well, kinda. Either way, it doesn't hurt to get started on your shopping list early—or to treat yourself early. Whoever you're shopping for, if they've got a smartphone, they'll want these three gadgets. Pick them up at the Mary Sue Shop.

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The RevolCam is a selfie-lover's dream. It's a trio of high-quality camera lenses, adjustable brightness LED, and selfie mirror all in one, perfect for getting the perfect shot. Choose from wide angle, fisheye, and macro lenses with a flick of your finger — the light will give you a great picture in any condition. Grab the RevolCam for $34.99, a savings of 40%.

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The Blips Smartphone Lens Kit is the perfect kit for keeping in your bag and pocket for on-the-go picture perfection. Nature lovers will live the Blips Macro, which gets amazing shots of insects, flowers, and the like.  It's basically a microscope in your pocket. Get it for $24.99, a savings of 26%.

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The Universal 3-in-1 Lens Kit outfits your smartphone and tablet alike with a 180-degree fish eye lens, a wide-angle lens, or a macro lens in seconds, thanks to the clip-on design. Bring it on your adventures with the included carrying pouch, and capture great shots. This one's $11.99, a savings of 58%.

Want even bigger savings? Probably. In that case, head over to the Mary Sue Shop now and enter code GIFTSHOP15 to get an extra 15% off the already discounted prices.

Source: 3 Must-Have Gadgets for Budding Photographers

The Bitter War Between Photographers and News Organizations

Photographer John Tannen is being sued by CBS for copyright infringement. His alleged misdeed: Posting a screenshot from the TV show Gunsmoke on social media. It's an act so common that, if it is ruled an infringement, could land even this website in serious trouble.

However, Tannen isn't just an ordinary citizen. The lawsuit against him comes on the heels of a lawsuit of his own targeting CBS Interactive. That lawsuit accuses CBS of using several of his photographers on the site 247 Sports without permission.

The lawsuit against Tannen is clearly retalitory, with CBS hoping to use it to minimize their own damages. However, the lawsuit has come to highlight just how ugly the fight between photographers and news agencies has become and how ugly it may still grow to be.

Photographers Vs. News Organizations: A Brief History

To be clear, new organizations have always faced copyright issues and those issues haven't been limited to just photographers. Writers, musicians and other creatives have long had issues without their work is used in the press.

But that issue has become much more serious for photographers in recent years. As news rooms have shrunk as part of the move to digital, photographers have been on the front lines of layoffs. Sports Illustrated famously laid off all of its photographers, the Chicago Sun-Times did the same (though they hired them back) and other organizations have been cutting back their photography staffs.

This, at a time where the need for images is higher than ever. News agencies have been filling this gap through a variety of means including crowdsourcing images, using more wire/stock images, more images from press releases and turning to freelance photographers.

Unfortunately, whether it's due to honest mistakes or unethical practices, a number of the  images used by news outlets have turned out to be unlicensed and infringing. This has resulted in hundreds of lawsuits filed against mainstream media outlets over the unauthorized use of images.

This effort has been spearheaded by the Liebowitz Law Firm, which has secured hundreds of settlements on behalf of photographers and, in the first quarter of 2017, was the most active law firm for filing copyright infringement lawsuits.

This, in turn, only tracks the cases that make it a court. It says nothing for the countless cases that play out social over social media, in private or go completely undiscovered.

Still, one thing is very clear, the battle between photographers and news agencies is very hot and shows no sign of cooling down.

Why The Battle?

On the surface, this seems like a fairly senseless battle. Major news agencies have the resources to license photographs and the legality seems to be clear, with one photographer, Daniel Morel, having previously won $1.2 million in damages after the AFP and Getty Images took his images off of Twitter without his permission.

But while every case of infringement is unique, the issue often comes down to one of time.

In a rush to get stories online first, news agencies often have serious lapses in their rights clearance.

For example, in the photos at the center of Tannen's original lawsuit, CBS claimed that they thought the images belonged to the player featured in the photo and had gotten permission from him.

Whether that serious lapse in rights clearance was willful ignorance will be an issue for the courts.

However, the truth is that rights clearances on images, especially for major publications, is a complex issue that often involves a long chain of clearances. Any breakdown in the chain can, sadly, result in unlicensed images being used.

News agencies have repeatedly shown that they are either unable or unwilling to reliably ensure that chain is intact.

And, from their perspective, there's little motivation to so. The expense and delay in religiously clearing rights is far less costly than the settlements and bad publicity that result from the ones that slip through.

Though results such as Morel's are certainly eye-popping, they are abnormal. Most photographers settle for much smaller amounts as so to avoid a protracted legal battle with a much larger opponent.

In short, news agencies are in a place where it's simply easier to ask forgiveness than ensure they have permission.

The question is, will it remain that way?

A Changing Equation

To be completely clear, the vast majority of images on news sites are licensed from one of the myriad of sources we discussed above. However, news agencies have little motivation to worry about the percentage that aren't because of a simple fact:

Most photographers never learn that their images were used.

If they do, most either don't care or settle for an image credit.

If they do care, most are unable to sue either due to financial situation or copyright registration status.

If they do sue, most usually settle for a small amount.

The ones who do sue and win large amounts are rare.

Change any part of that equation and there's an increased motivation on news agencies to verify the licensing on their images.

And change that equation is.

New tools make it easier than ever to find misused images on the internet. Copyright registrations are becoming easier to obtain and efforts of law firms like the Liebowitz Law Firm are making lawsuits more common.

This is likely a big part of why CBS is pushing back so hard in the Tannen case. If photographers get more aggressive at litigating their rights, the current system may well be unsustainable.

By filing a highly questionable countersuit against Tannen, they aren't just hoping to minimize their own damages, but to also dissuade others from following in his footsteps.

What remains to be unseen is whether that approach will work, or whether it will backfire.

Bottom Line

One of the great ironies in this story is that CBS, along with many of the other companies involved in these lawsuits, have been very aggressive in fighting piracy of their works.

While they certainly have every right to defend their work, it's important work created at great expense, it is difficult to encourage others to respect your work when you show so little respect for other creators.

Mistakes are going to happen, unlicensed photos are going are going to be used. Though there are steps CBS and others can and should take to reduce that amount, how one responds to mistakes is just as important as avoiding them.

CBS' response here takes what is already a boiling war between photographers and news agencies and escalates it. Such an escalation, unfortunately, doesn't bode well for either side.

Here's hoping that this is a one-time outlier and not the start of a pattern for CBS and news agencies.

Source: The Bitter War Between Photographers and News Organizations

Panasonic launches the Lumix G9, a micro 4/3 camera geared toward photographers

Panasonic is a name most know when it comes to cameras. Videographers have been drawn to the Lumix series for quite some time, with the GH4 and GH5 cameras being the #1 go-to camera for budget cinematographers and YouTubers alike. Today, Panasonic launched the Lumix G9, similar to the previously announced GH5 camera, but with more of a gear toward photographers.

The Lumix G9 has a 20.3MP Live MOS sensor backed by the latest Venus Engine processor. This enables the camera to capture amazing photos and videos even up to ISO 25,600. This means you'll be able to shoot in low-light and still have great quality photos or videos.

The G9 also features continuous shooting up to 60 fps with an electronic shutter function. No, this isn't video at 60 fps (more on that later), this is photos. If you're always wishing you had been able to capture that action shot of your kid on the field, or a dolphin jumping out of the water, this is a must-have for you.

Speaking of video, the G9 also features up to 4K 60FPS. Until recently, 4K 60FPS was reserved for only super high-end cameras and wasn't offered in anything available to consumers or prosumers. 4K 60FPS is great for high-speed action when you want buttery-smooth video.

The Lumix G9 also features a fully weatherproofed body. This means that the body is splash, dust, and freezeproof according to Panasonic. You should have no problem taking the G9 out into the world and not experiencing any malfunctions in extreme conditions.

This new camera also features an autofocus system with 225 areas of detection for fast and crisp focus no matter what. The G9 also features Dual I.S. 2.0, which is a 5-axis sensor stabilizations system that can compensate for up to six stops of camera shake. This should help to make shaky photos a thing of the past.

If you're into super-high-resolution shooting, the G9 is perfect as the new sensor and processor give it the ability to do a multi-shot with eight separate images. Once the photos are taken, the camera compiles them into a single 80MP raw image.

Panasonic claims you should be able to get around 380 shots per battery charge, which means you should be able to take plenty of photos before needing to juice up. Sadly, unlike the GH5, the G9 doesn't offer a USB Type-C connection for external battery charging, though Panasonic does sell a battery pack that uses the microUSB port.

The Lumix G9 is set to launch in January 2018 for $1,697.99 body only. It's currently available for pre-order at B&H and Amazon, with more retailers to come soon.  This means you'll still need lenses in order to use it, but since it's based on the Micro 4/3 system, there are plenty of great options out there. Some retailers, like Amazon, have bundles already built for the G9 to get you going on day 1.

Source: Panasonic launches the Lumix G9, a micro 4/3 camera geared toward photographers

Oregon Coast Photographers to host show

NORTH BEND — The twice yearly Show and Sale by the Oregon Coast Photographer's Association will take place Thursday through Sunday, Nov. 9-12 at the Pony Village Mall, during the regular mall hours. Images for the Show and Sale are provided by the members of the OCPA, and represent a wide range of subjects and styles encompassing landscape, seascape, wildlife, domestic animals, birds and other creatures, transportation, still life, found art, people, action and sports, in color or monochrome. Additionally, there will be a club related fundraising raffle, the winner of which will be given an image created by a club member.

The Oregon Coast Photographer's Association is a fellowship of photographers on the Oregon Coast, and is a member of the photography association of The Columbia Council of Camera Clubs, which is made up of many photography clubs throughout the Pacific Northwest. OCPA's objectives include sharing the enjoyment, knowledge, and expression of the photographic by education, development, exhibition and promotion of the creative expressions of the photographic artists. 

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All photographers, are welcome to at the club's meetings, held at 6:30 p.m. the first and third Monday each month at the Pony Village Mall.

Source: Oregon Coast Photographers to host show