THE VEGAS STRIP

You’re ready for WPPI, and your brain is about to implode with knowledge.  Why not meet up with Alicia Caine, creator of Easy as Pie, and yours truly while you’re there?
Our Vegas Strip bundle of goodies is available to just three peeps!

You’ll receive:

•    A 60-minute meeting with the Easy as Pie Chefs, Kristen and Alicia, in Las Vegas during WPPI
•    A follow-up pricing consultation with Alicia (Spoon Full of Sugar – $75 value)
•    A follow-up mini branding consult with Kristen ($149 value)
•    A copy of Easy as Pie and Pastry School from Easy as Pie ($199 value)
•    A copy of the Projection & Sales Merit Badge from Brand Camp ($89 value)

Why?

•    Gain unprecedented access to the chefs, together!  Ask anything!
•    One-on-one coaching after the event, so any questions you have will be answered
•    Move your business forward with pricing changes and branding tweaks that are easy to implement
•    Get nerdy with our PDF goodies before Vegas hits

How much?

$499.  The products and consults themselves are worth more than that, so your time with Alicia & Kristen in Vegas is a huge bonus!

What if I already have Easy as Pie and/or Pastry School?

You’ll receive a 90-minute meeting in Vegas for the same price of $499 — booyah for an extra thirty minutes!

Where and when?

We’re aiming to schedule all Vegas Strip spots on Thursday, March 10th.  Location details will be shared after you’ve reserved your spot.

Reserve your spot!


stacyZ - February 23, 2010 - 3:42 pm

Love this! I am leaving Tuesday but seriously people you should sign up for this! Awesome deal I know I would do it if I was staying.

ON HATERS.

No matter what you’re putting into the world as an artist and/or product developer, there’s always going to be a hater.

One of the most common hater arguments: I can get _________ a lot cheaper/for free at ___________.

It’s easy to wring your hands and respond in an ugly way, since this is a hater hitting you in the wallet.  Remember, however, that this statement is true.  It’s no reflection on you for a cheapass to point out that wedding photography on Craigslist is only $40, or that there are thousands of free _____ products in the world.

You get what you pay for, and haters always want it cheaper.  If you get this e-mail, at least you know your work is close to being priced appropriately.;)

Another hater argument, common among photographers: oh, _______’s work is so totally overpriced. MY work is so much better.

Let’s remember that when a photographer brings in $20,000 for shooting a few hours of wedding photography and delivering a fabulous album, the industry as a whole is valued, appreciated, and monetarily viable.  Whether you like the work of x or not, those photographers who are commanding a great deal of money for their work are the rising tide that’s raising all ships.

My guess is that jealousy is speaking, right at that point where you devalue someone else.  Instead of pointing fingers, why not work on your own pricing strategy, lovely?

The ultimate hater argument, even more common among photographers: ___________ totally sucks, I don’t know why anyone pays attention to ___________ and why ___________’s blog has had x million hits.

Again, that’s jealousy talking.  If someone walked into your studio and told you that you’d be receiving x million hits to your blog in the next year, you wouldn’t turn it down.  You would be ecstatic.  Your self-esteem would probably go through the roof, your business would benefit monetarily, and my guess is that you would soon be launching a product or workshop aimed at sharing your knowledge.

Don’t let the big green monster make you a hater — remember to blog regularly.  To add that x factor of humanity, blog about yourself once for every three times you blog about photography.

Finally, the most common hater argument, from clients and photographers: I CAN TOTALLY DO THAT.

Maybe you can, maybe you can’t, but it’s insulting to say it.  I’ve handed my camera to clients who commented about how awesome my camera was, asking them to go ahead and make magic happen.  (Want to see a middle-aged, very-smug man shut up in a nanosecond?  Try it sometime…)

If we won’t accept that behavior from our clients, don’t go saying it about others in the industry.  Maybe you can light a couple with three strobes in the dark in front of an abandoned factory during a wedding time crunch and land on the cover of PDN, but you didn’t.

Minimizing other’s achievements, integrity, and creativity only demeans the photographic industry.  Don’t go there, honeybun.

Phoenix area photographers: there are two spots left for my trip to Arizona from March 29 to April 1.
Click for details.

Gretchen Davis - February 22, 2010 - 12:01 pm

Great words and reminder – just do your own thing, right?!

ezra - February 18, 2010 - 9:12 pm

It’s Apprecia-Love!

Christine - February 17, 2010 - 2:00 pm

Oh thank you for this post, I’ve had a week full of haters… are they all like that?? Anyway, this makes me feel better! Have a good day! :)

Marissa Rodriguez - February 17, 2010 - 12:17 pm

This is GREAT! GREAT! GREAT! VERY well said!

johnwaire | photo - February 17, 2010 - 11:26 am

i REALLY hate this post! :)

Michelle Tippmann - February 17, 2010 - 8:44 am

Well said!

Christine - February 17, 2010 - 5:00 am

So ironic to have read your post this morning (first thing, in my email! you always start my day off!) and then to have found myself dealing with a hater post later in the day.

This actually helped keep me calm about the whole thing though, and in the end we found a way to understand each other’s opinions instead of ending up in an ugly Hater war. Although I did tweet about your post, suggesting everyone should read it! :D

Maalaea - February 16, 2010 - 7:45 pm

I love it! Such a great reminder to focus on my own growth and not others!

I’m going to pass this on!

Kristine Paulsen - February 16, 2010 - 5:41 pm

Thank you for posting this – we could all use a dose of positive energy and a dash of humility and respect.

I certainly hope there are many photogs out there reading this who are evaluating their attitudes, whether or not they fall into the negative category.

It’s always good to take a step back and reevaluate how we see the world, our own business and our colleagues and competition.

Thanks again!

emily - February 16, 2010 - 5:33 pm

I seriously just read this straight though 2 times. So appropriate right now. So great, well said!

Anne-Marie - February 16, 2010 - 3:14 pm

Great blog post. Though I don’t do photography (huge fan of Christine Tremoulet work though!), much of this blog rang true for all art in general. I agree with Sarah above – if we could take that negative energy and flip it into something more positive, we would all be better off.

dustin meyer - February 16, 2010 - 3:08 pm

As I’ve said before, “When you pay peanuts, expect monkeys”

Thanks for posting this,
Dustin

Huong - February 16, 2010 - 1:03 pm

Hi! I also really enjoyed stumbling upon this post and have blogged about it as well :) Thanks for sharing!

Ashley - February 16, 2010 - 12:41 pm

This is exactly what I needed today!

brandcampblog - February 16, 2010 - 12:08 pm

LOL — well played, Stacy, and deeply ironic. We all value different things, and I value SEO about $39 worth. To those who find it work $2k, more power to ‘em! :)

muyiwa - February 16, 2010 - 11:58 am

Brilliant post – it reminds me of a Bambi Cantrell workshop I went to. She tells the story wonderfully. Someone said “Wow no wonder your pictures are so awesome – you have a badass camera!” She said to herself “When you go to your mom’s for Thanksgiving, do you say – wow mom, this meal is delicious – your stove is incredible!”

Stacy Reeves - February 16, 2010 - 11:50 am

This is a great post, and something we definitely all need to hear. I think every photographer at some point in their career has been both the hater and the hatee, it’s a vicious cycle! Regardless of what you think of (Insert Rockstar Photographer here)’s work, you should respect the fact that they’ve made a name of themselves and they’re making money and they’ve got happy clients, and you should try to learn everything you can from their example.

On a side note, I don’t want to be a hater and all, but I did find it a little ironic that you’ve got an ad on the side of your blog that says “KNOW THAT $2,000 SEO WORKSHOP? THIS WILL SAVE YOU $1,961.” Isn’t that kind of a form of hating? Why do you need to bring down the guy doing the $2k workshop in order to lift your own workshop up? Isn’t that basically a modified form of the hater arguments listed in the post?

Kylene - February 16, 2010 - 11:23 am

Kharma will always come back to bite you in the butt.

EVELYN SAVAGE - February 16, 2010 - 11:20 am

UMMM….I’ll be retweeting this NOW. I love the clarity that my online friends bring to my life. Hugs to you!!! And Happy Mardi Gras ::::brings in hypnotist::::: “BRAND CAMP BLOG WANTS TO COME TO NOLA” ::::::okay, i’m done! heehee.

brandcampblog - February 16, 2010 - 10:53 am

Absolutely, Christina! :)

Sarah - February 16, 2010 - 10:44 am

Great post! Just imagine what we could do if we took that hater energy and focused it on our own work and business…

Eliza Claire - February 16, 2010 - 10:43 am

LOVE this post! I want to ‘favourite’ it and come back and read it weekly!

Christina Sloan - February 16, 2010 - 10:39 am

I LOVE THIS! May I share it on my blog?

Michelle Sidles - February 16, 2010 - 10:35 am

“Don’t Hate… Appreciate.” Yep. Thank you high paid photogs for being brave and having high prices. I’m trying to raise mine up to bring more value to the industry, too. But it’s “scary” business. Great post. :)

Karyn - February 16, 2010 - 10:07 am

Amen. Great post. Maybe the haters just need hugs. For that matter – we all need more hugs. =)

Meredith Perdue - February 16, 2010 - 9:30 am

Such good advice! It’s so easy to compare one’s work, website, blog, etc. to another’s. How can you focus on your own growth and success if you’re preoccupied with someone else’s? Thank you for sharing!

Erica - February 16, 2010 - 9:17 am

I needed to hear that. Good reminder!!!

BEHIND THE CURTAIN: TOTALLY RAD LIGHTROOM PRESETS

The Totally Rad Lightroom presets have finally launched, so I can give you a look at the behind-the-scenes goodness that made the product happen…and what you can learn from Doug Boutwell’s approach to bringing a product into the world.

Wait until the product is glorious before release.

Totally Rad peeps have been harassing the Doug for YEARS to get onto Lightroom Presets.  But he’s taken his time, watched what the competition offered, tweaked it to his (totally rad) tastes, and ultimately attempted to one-up himself.  A profitable product is great, but a truly remarkable product that’s also profitable is the goal.

In the wedding & portrait world: yes, you can throw together a dog portfolio or add an ‘available for commercial work’ tag to your website.  But taking the time to hone your skills, craft a killer collection of images, and/or learn more about the commercial process will probably be better for you.  And for your clients.

Take time to listen to your users.

When Doug sent his goodies off to peeps for review, he didn’t want to hear ‘Yay!  Awesome!’ He was looking for honest feedback that would lead to a better user experience.  I suggested a tall, grande, venti-type of breakdown to control the power of the preset effects.  Other suggested adding basic Lightroom tweaks to the process to correct exposure, recapture highlights, etc…all tweaks that were not part of the initial plan.  He may be a master of the technical stuff, but his greatest entrepreneurial strength lies in his ability to capture what the market wants at any given time.

If you’re a portrait photographer and 90% of your clients ask for digital files, make them available.  Don’t sell yourself short, by any means!  (I recommend pricing from $1500+ for portraits.  Pricing strategy here.)  But don’t be stupid enough to think you can change what the market wants.  Those clients who really want digital files will find someone who offers them.

Reward your users for their awesomeness.

When I ask Doug to sponsor a workshop, hold a contest, offer a promo code for reader-created blog articles, or reward a fan for an exceptional recipe, the answer is always “Yes.”  Without hesitation.

If you have clients who consistently refer you to others, reward them.  Flowers, chocolates, go-cart rides, a trip to the spa, a portrait session, one-on-one camera lessons, or a handmade gift.  A phone call.  An hour of babysitting.  A latte and some girl talk.  Whatever it is, make it unique to them.

And of course, go buy the Totally Rad Adobe Lightroom presets.  The images in this post feature the Purple Nurple preset!

Doug Boutwell - February 9, 2010 - 1:09 pm

BTW – did you re-design the brand-camp blog? Seems niftier since I was last here…

Doug Boutwell - February 9, 2010 - 1:09 pm

Thanks Kristen! You just kinda made my day a little :)

INSPIRED BY: THE BOOKWORM

Being creative for a living means you need to be inspired.  A lot.

The more creative juice you’re putting into the world, the more lovely goodness you need to soak up and internalize.  It’s dreary February.  I long to be outside for hours at a time without turning into a popsicle.  Instead, I’m holed up with a book and a mug of tea.  No long photo walks or blooming flowers in sight.

Thus, I turn to the interwebs, home of today’s source of inspiration: the bookworm.  Enjoy the eye candy and food for thought.

The best part of My Fair Lady: the library.

It’s similar to this one…that giant ladder makes me weak in the knees.

Remember when the beast gifts the castle library to Belle? I was so jealous.

No library is complete without a tongue-in-cheek illustration or two.  I love Handy Handlebars, from Hisss Illustration.  Just $14.  Purchase here.

You may as well haul your laptop into the library and watch  Handmade Nation, a documentary film about the DIY/arts & crafts movement that’s swept the nation.  If only Netflix was into indy flicks and grassroots films, I would have seen this by now.

Modern libraries require chic magazine organization!   This vintage magazine rack on sale at Fishbone Deco.  (Feel free to purchase and ship to me.)

While you’re busy being a bookworm, you must be chic.  I love Anthropologie’s latest take on bookworm-dom.  This updated plaid dress, called Atop the Mezzanine, is off the hook.

Of course, Quiet Hours is none too shabby, either.

Each image remains the property of his or her creator, which isn’t me.  It feels kinda dirty, since I usually show off only images I’ve taken, but it’s a brave new world, baby! (Do you dig it?  The inspiration post like this? Or not so much?)

As you nod off snuggling a book, don’t forget the GloWorm.  Did anyone else fall asleep to the light of this as a kid?

Finally, share that library card goodness for Valentine’s Day.  Card shown by Card and Envelope.

Jay - February 18, 2010 - 12:34 pm

Did anyone else notice that library ladder has wheels but is permanently affixed at the top?

erika - February 6, 2010 - 12:00 am

i sure did love my glo worm!

Rebecca - February 4, 2010 - 11:42 am

I LOVE libraries and cozy book rooms that feel like old school cigar lounges. Belle’s library is what my heaven looks like. I hope.

BRAND CAMP RECOMMENDS: LUXECETERA

I’ve yet to hear someone who’s worked with Luxecetera say a word against them.  Yes, there’s a waiting list, and yes, they’ll get to you.  Don’t believe me?  Go forth.  Ooh and aah at their branding magic.  Report back on Thursday, full of inspiration.

Related Posts with Thumbnails
Stacy Reeves - February 16, 2010 - 2:03 pm

Worked with them on two of my brands and have nothing but glowing reviews. So talented and professional, they gave me exactly what I wanted and needed, and their prices are very reasonable. Cannot possibly recommend them more!!

karen gunton - February 3, 2010 - 10:40 pm

i’m feeling inspired just looking through that gorgeous blog. thanks for the link =)

Candice Cossel - February 2, 2010 - 11:58 am

We are talking to them right now. What’s the WOH forum. I don’t recognize that one.

ashley - February 2, 2010 - 11:52 am

thread about them on WOH Forum. Not all rosey.

Kaysha - February 2, 2010 - 10:48 am

I used Luxecetera for my brand design and they were amazing!!! I’ve also gotten a TON of compliments on my logo since they designed it! Get on their wait list NOW, you won’t be disappointed with them! :)

Kimberly Hill - February 2, 2010 - 10:08 am

The partners of Luxecetera are AMAZING! Talented, professional and so easy to work with – well worth the wait!

S P I F F   U P   P O R T R A I T   S A L E S
B E   A   F A N