Maine Wedding Company members, all wedding vendor friends, brides, buds, business pals…. you’re all invited to the big holiday party again downtown! If you’ve never been, Brian and I throw a fabulous, fun party to kickoff the holidays, blow off some steam and give thanks for another incredible year. We have so much fun and would love to see all of you! We put a theme to this party… last year was Winter White. This year … drum roll please…it’s Little Black Dress. Obviously, black dress or not, we really just want your company. So come as you are! This is upclass, never uptight—per usual with us! We simply request two cans of food that we will deliver to the food banks. All our welcome. Pass it on and bring friends!

Please RSVP to beth@blushimagery.com or facebook event page: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=179978088755990

Vendor Growth:

Our members are now over 67 strong, filling all our wedding categories.

Members have contributed an amazing 1,144 blog posts about Maine weddings — hundreds of  posts of true Maine wedding stories.

72 expert articles were released this year from MWC writers and members.

The MWC has over 7, 760 pieces of  indexed web content for the Maine wedding industry including expert articles, photos, quick tips and vendor profiles. (Blogs are not indexed content.)

2011 Benchmarks: 

MWC successfully completes BETA testing

MWC adds SEO team to position website and starts ad campaigns

MWC moves from page 26 to page 1 on Google for search term Maine wedding

MWC moves from page 36 to page 1 on Google for search term Maine wedding venue

MWC installs a lead generator to help MWC vendors receive better couple leads

MWC produces new advertiser’s kit 

MWC contracts first sales manager

Major MWC release will be announced at The MWC Little Black Dress Holiday Party on Dec. 1 and you’re invited!

You guys know that I am a big supporter of photographers taking care of their bodies for a long-term career. With hauling gear and computer work, it matters. Your health is all you have, right? The self employed have to protect their income by taking care of their health.

Here’s another way to better your body in shape. Get adjusted!

In our area:

Dr. Aaron MacArthur (Dr. Mac)
Portland Chiropractic Neurology
19  Commerciial Street Suite 2A
Portland, Maine
207 – 699-5600
portlandchiro@aol.com
www.portchiro.com

COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING EXERCISE:

1. On one piece of paper, write at least three pieces of “gear” that is on your photo business wish list to buy for this year. “Gear” can be software, admin tools, marketing needs, educational seminars, professional groups, small photo toys, or actual honest to goodness camera equipment. Got it, good. Flip it over so you are no longer seeing your wish list.

2. On another sheet of paper, answer the following 10 questions …. interpret each how you like. Don’t spend too much time… you should do this in 5 minutes.

A. Write down three words that describe your photography.

B. Write down three words that describe your business.

C. Write down three reasons why people hire you.

D. Write down three things that are current frustrations in your business.

E. Write down three things that take lot of your time in your business.

F. Write down 3 business rules you live by.

G. Write down 3 fears you have in business.

H. Write down 3 things your competitors have that you don’t.

I. Write down 3 ways  your business you wish to grow your business.

J. Write down 3 health concerns you have.

STOP. DON’T PEEK AHEAD.

STOP. DON’T PEEK AHEAD.

STOP. DON’T PEEK AHEAD.

STOP. DON’T PEEK AHEAD.

STOP. DON’T PEEK AHEAD.

Finished? Ok, let’s decide if we should buy that snazzy new thing-a-ma-bob. Here’s how to analyze your answers.

Take a look again at your thing-a-ma-bob wish list and look at what you wrote down for your other answers.

Questions  A & B were just to get your mind off the “gear” you wished for on the first sheet of paper. So you can just enjoy your thoughtful answers and continue.

Questions D, G, H are never good reasons to buy gear. Daily frustrations like any one client issue, fears of not being good enough or (and this is a big one for competitive markets) insecurities about what your competition has in terms of gear are never reason to buy expensive equipment. It’s bad business. Emotions get wrapped up in what should be a numbers game. Let’s take those emotions out. There’s no real value in fear and frustration. It felt good to get it off your chest though, eh!

Instead, ask yourself if each must-have “gear” item you want for this year solves an issue or affirms who you already are as a photographer.  Questions C,E,F,I, or J are the important questions to answer when you want to buy anything for your business. Here’s why:

C. Write down three reasons why people hire you.
If your answers were based on your personality, then maybe you don’t need the megabucks camera, maybe a smaller make and model is just fine. A big camera is not the reason a consumer “buys” you. Now, if you are a lighting super-star and that makes you the “it” photographer to hire, then maybe more lighting equipment will keep you at your best game.

Look at your gear list with honesty. Is that Photoshshop action set really why people hire you? Is it even your style? Or is it Susie Q’s style down the street— who’s studio, you hear, is doing well. Susie Q may be in some serious debt! Who knows? Don’t buy things to quiet a frantic voice in your head.

E. Write down three things that take lot of your time in your business.
Time is so precious. Spend it how you want to spend it. If accounting is wearing you down and keeping you from selling or shooting, then go ahead and buy that accounting software or booking system you’ve been wanting. Approved!

F. Write down 3 business rules you live by.
Most people have some sort of theme song, a tagline, figure of speech, mantra or ethic they live by. Maybe it’s something like: ‘Go above and beyond’, ‘Offer only the best’, or ‘everything in moderation.’ So if your life phrase is ‘everything in moderation’, you may have different spending habits then someone else who’s inner voice yells ‘go to the mattresses’ (see the movie Godfather). The point: make sure your equipment purchases align with your core business values.

Personally, I like doing things ‘right the first time’ so I actually make fewer purchases in any given year and cost tends to be higher per purchase, but I feel great because my magic gadget lasts forever. This makes me so happy. I hate, hate, hate when I go cheap on gear and then I have to re-buy something to fix it. I always regret it. But then again, I know other photographers who only buy items on sale and that satisfies some deep desire for them to ‘get the best deal.’

Try to avoid the internal conflicts. Simple example: A super cute huge, pink polka-dotted camera bag may not sit well with the belief  that a photographer should stay ninja-discreet during a client’s wedding ceremony. When the purchase and the value don’t match, you will regret the buy.

I. Write down 3 ways your business you wish to grow your business.
Whether you grow creatively as a photographer or aggressively as a business owner, if your wish-list item is not helping you really grow, just skip it. It’s probably a novelty item you think is fun now but will likely collect dust. Sure, it would be cool to get your staff had a personalized beer cozy with your logo on it. But maybe getting them a better commission by placing a perfectly placed new ad would be appreciated even more. That’s great growth.

J. Write down any 3 health concerns you may have.
Photography is a physical job. If you want to stay in it for more than 5 years, you need to take care of your body. Gear-based purchases that help you stay healthy are a great investment. Period. If your wish-list item is to get a better strap for your camera so your back doesn’t hurt, fabulous! Get a message. Go to that chiropractor. You’re approved. Skimping on short term care may give you long term health nightmares!

Now that your snazzy new thing-a-ma-bob meets these top, core business ideals, THEN AND ONLY THEN, go ahead and consider the money — the rate of return on an item, read reviews, look at your finances (honestly) and comparison-shop for the best deal.

Too often, artists fret about how to afford something before they even know if they should buy something. Do the gear therapy exercise when in doubt and you will mentally work it out!

Each 1 hour session includes:

30 minutes review with Beth of Blush Imagery an award-winning photojournalist and wedding photographer for over 10 years. Beth will look at portfolios for branding, marketing success, and consumer connection.

30 minutes review with Brian of Fitzgerald Photo, an award-winning photojournalist, commercial photographer and former photo editor for the Seattle Times Co. Bri will concentrate on redundancy, technical skills and order of presentation.

Online portfolios are fine. It’s a good idea to bring optional portfolio images so we can suggest adding, deleting images as needed. Reviews will be done here at the downtown studio: Blush Imagery, 28 Maple Street, 3rd Floor, Portland, ME 04101.

100% of all money raised will go straight to Preble Street. Join us to help people in need right now during this cold Maine winter.

Legal Zoom by Heleigh Bostwick on Intellectual Property Right.

What is protected by copyright?

According to the US Copyright Office, in order for something to qualify for copyright protection, that something must exist in a tangible form. Specifically:

Protection under the copyright law (title 17 of the U.S. Code, section 102) extends only to original works of authorship that are fixed in a tangible form (a copy). “Original” means merely that the author produced the work by his own intellectual effort, as distinguished from copying an existing work. Copyright protection may extend to a description, explanation, or illustration, assuming that the requirements of the copyright law are met.

In other words, that great idea you told your friend about the other day cannot be protected by copyright in and of itself, but if you write that great idea down, the words can be protected.

Still, there’s always room for interpretation, confusion, and ongoing debates over what is and isn’t protected by copyright law. So below we’ve outlined five things the US Copyright Office clearly states are not protected by copyright—even if they are a tangible expression of an idea or thought.

What is not protected by copyright?

1. Ideas, Methods, or Systems

Ideas, methods, and systems are not covered by copyright protection. According to the US Copyright Office, Circular 2, this covers quite a few things including making, or building things; scientific or technical methods or discoveries; business operations or procedures; mathematical principles; formulas, algorithms; or any other concept, process, or method of operation.

2. Commonly Known Information

This category includes items that are considered common property and with no known authorship. Examples include standard calendars, height and weight charts, telephone directories, tape measures and rulers, and lists or tables taken from public documents. A phrase such as “The sky is blue” also falls under this category since there is no known authorship associated with it.

3. Choreographic Works

A choreographic work, whether original or not, is not subject to copyright protection unless it has been videotaped or notated. The same applies to speeches that have not been transcribed before or after they are given, as well as any other types of performances.

4. Names, Titles, Short Phrases, or Expressions

Also exempt: names, titles, short phrases, or expressions—such as that catchy slogan you came up with for your business—product descriptions, pseudonyms, titles of works, and business names. The good news is that while they are not protected by copyright, if they pertain to your business (for example, goods and services) they can be protected with a trademark.

Recipes also fall under this category. Specifically the listing of ingredients (even if it’s your own recipe ingredients) is not protected by copyright. This applies to formulas, compounds, and prescriptions as well. There are exceptions however, such as when recipes are compiled in a cookbook for instance or if the recipe is accompanied by “substantial literary expression,” a term that refers to text such as directions, or when there is a combination of recipes, there may be a basis for copyright protection.

5. Fashion

Contrary to what you might think, fashion (that is, a shirt, dress, or other article of clothing) is not protected by copyright law. Despite the fact that copyright law protects such things as architectural design works (Circular 41) or works of the visual arts (Circular 40), fashion is all about clothing and accessories, which under copyright law are considered “useful articles.” It is possible however, to copyright a specific fabric pattern (Burberry plaids for example), but not the actual dress. And, it should be noted that while designs can’t be copyrighted, they can be patented.

January 8th & 9th :  Maine Wedding Show  :  For brides, wedding vendors  :   Portland, Maine  :   Info here :  Stop by the Blush booth on the top floor, middle row for great specials this year. Event is $10 at door.

January 10th :  Maine Photographers Coalition  :  For all photographers  :  Info here :  Tim and Chris Riley of Riley Photographic to give a Lightroom Workshop  :  Cost $10  :  At Stacey Kane’s Studio, Scarborough.

January 19th :  Pictage User Group  (PUG)  :  For all photographers   :  7pm  :  Blush Imagery Studio (Emilie of emilie inc. is on maternity leave, so I will sub temporarily)  :  Program- Gismo and Gadget Share :  Info Here :   Free.

January 25th :  Maine Wedding Company :  For all wedding vendors  :  5:30 pm at Blush Imagery Studio : Learn the true brilliance behind the new MWC website, our short and long term plans and how the site works for our clients— Maine wedding vendors. A $275.00 membership will be given away! (Already a member? Come learn best practices to increase your visibility.) Event is free and open to all but limited, so you must RSVP here.

January 28th – Feb 1st  : Maine Professional Photographers Association  :   Annual Convention  :  Lewiston, Maine  :  Info Here.

Find out more about Maine Studio B, click here.

10. How are your people management skills?
9. Are you familiar with my type of wedding ceremony?
8. Can you show me a complete, unedited wedding shoot?
7. Are you comfortable with providing direction?
6. Can we arrange to do an engagement shoot first?
5. What is your turn-around time?
4. Are you easy to get along with?
3. How long have you been shooting weddings?
2. Do you work with an assistant and what’s their role in photographing?
1. Can you describe your photographic style?

Read the Full Article on Photoashelter by Grover Sanschagrin

For starters, we have auto, home, life (We use Liberty Mutual) and commercial insurance for our business. (My original blog on commercial business insurance for info & our agent.)

For health insurance, our business went to a health insurance agent to find a policy that fit our family. I’m not going to lie to you, health insurance stinks in term of plan options and expense in the state of Maine. (I will skip my rant on this subject.) Still, Brian and I have it as self employed business owners because we have a child and we ‘re not willing to take chance if someone gets seriously sick. I can say that Roberta, our agent at O’Hearn in Portland, Maine, gave us great information and comparative charts that allowed us to get what was best for us.

And for us, we chose a newer plan model— a health savings account. We opened the HSA account with Blush Imagery LLC as the owner of the policy. It is basically an insurance plan as well as a savings trust. We still pay a monthly fee for a family of 3, but it also allows us to move money into the account tax free. For example, say I make $50,000 in gross income in any given year. I can move $5,000 income into the account and my adjusted gross income would be $45,000 for tax purposes. That’s a good, purposeful write-off. I can then withdraw that money for any approved health need. (This year was a growth year for us, so without a gob of cash at hand, we took the funds from an old, small IRA, rolled from my work back at newspapers, and transferred it to the HSA to fund it for the first year! That’s allowed too—up to a certain amount!)

Other sources for health plans can be found at your local chamber of commerce or professional photography organizations. Most pro groups offer a group health plan as a membership perk.

We also added short and long term disability coverage. For not much more, this adds to your health policy to protect you from more realistic life injuries— not a death, but injuries that would keep you from your photography work. Let’s face it, one broken leg and you may be out of your studio for a long time. We have physically demanding jobs!

So stay healthy and protect your family and business as you grow!

(Tell her Blush Imagery sent you.)

O’Hearn Insurance Agency
Roberta Lane
Portland, Maine Office:
1087 Forest Avenue
Portland, Maine 04103
Office 207-797-9400 |

Calling all local photographers: Continuing the tour of Portland photography talent, join the Maine PUG (Pictage User Group) for a round-table discussion with several of the area’s premiere commercial photographers: Brian Fitzgerald, Darren Setlow, Zack Bowen, Jeff Stevensen and Trent Bell as they show us a peek into their world of advertising, architecture and food imagery.

Thursday, July 15th
emilie inc. photography, 227 Congress St., Portland

7p: arrivals, mingling
7:30-9p: program
10p: evening ends

Snacks will be provided, please BYOB and RSVP to photo@emilieinc.com by Tuesday 7/12. Guests welcome.

First thought: FABULOUS. I love this camera! Great metering and color, quiet and fast.  I was originally concerned about the weight of the body, but for me it was surprisingly light. I had no wrist or forearm pain after a 10 hour wedding. My only adjustment was the AE/ AF lock button moved to the left a bit. It is more of a reach for my thumb compared to the Nikon D700 bodies. I’m sure I’ll live. I also love the security of the dual CF card slots with backup option. Added warm fuzzies.

I haven’t shot with a flagship camera since my newspaper days. (I shot Cannon back then. Good stuff too.) I typically buy the lowest pro camera body to be money smart about business. In reality, if you are not shooting pro sports, you do not need the tippy top camera bodies for wedding work. Just my opinion and belief that the equipment does not make the photographer. That said, it’s nice to ride in a Mercedes instead of my typical Ford Focus.

I haven’t really played with the video component yet. Let you know when I do!

BASIC SPECS:

12.1-megapixel, FX-format CMOS sensor; 720p HD video capture
Body only; lenses sold separately
Low-noise ISO sensitivity from 200 to 12,800; continuous shooting up to 9fps
Fast, accurate 51-point AF system; Nikon EXPEED image processing
3-inch super-density 921,000-dot VGA LCD; one-button Live View with two shooting modes
Dual CF card slots with overflow, backup and copy options (CF card not included); up to 4,300 images per battery charge

Lauren by Ralph Lauren Shirt, Aaron Solid No-Iron. AVAILABLE at Macy’s.
Rendered in smooth wrinkle-resistant cotton for easy style, Lauren by Ralph Lauren’s timeless Aaron shirt has classic appeal.

* Cotton
* Machine washable
* Imported
* Buttoned placket
* Straight point collar
* Barrel cuffs
* Shirttail hem
* Embroidered “LRL” logo accents the left chest
* Split back yoke for a smooth, contoured shoulder

This is the funniest thing ever… I love BJORN shoes for wedding work. I have serious feet issues and have to wear orthotics. For this blog, I just went to their website to find a picture of my trusted favorite shoes… guess what? They are DUDES! Nooooooooo!! I should have known! I bought them 2 years ago on clearance somewhere and only wear them for my full days of shooting. Otherwise, my feet kill. I try every season to buy something more stylish but even this year I tossed my new ones (Naturalizers) back in the closest for these!  I am laughing my tail off right now. No wonder they are so comfortable and supportive! (Brian just came by and said “My wife’s blogging her man-shoes! Great.)  I crack myself up. Whatever! Here they are! Meet my  “Hutchins II,” hmmm… seems really obvious now!

First, I called my local rep for home and auto. Most home, auto or residential insurance companies do not offer commercial or business insurance. It is a different specialty for agents. So I asked my local guys who they recommended. That’s how I found Innova. (Info below for you guys.) I went and met with Ron at Innova Insurance. He is wonderful, helpful and informative. He explained what I needed was fairly simple. I have a standard million dollar business policy to cover my liability in case something ever happened on-location, during a shoot, at my office or to my equipment. I simply supply my list of equipment to Ron each year and he adjusts the policy as needed.

I started with covering my small meet -and-great office and my gear. Now, we have the full studio covered in our policy for Blush Imagery LLC and also everything for my husband’s (Brian’s) Fitzgerald Photo LLC was now added.

So how much does this starter million dollar policy cost? Get this … It was like $400 a year when I was a smaller business. Now that we are larger, it is closer to $600. Seriously, for a starting policy like what $30 a month— totally worth the peace of mind! Most of us photographers, are walking around with about $6-10 K strapped around us every wedding when you add up the bag, batteries, flashes, do-dad and oh yah, cameras!

“But, I work from home, doesn’t my home insurance cover my office and my equipment?” Well check. You need to report that you operate a business from home to your home or renters insurance company. You may need to add what is called a business rider. Riders are special insurance policy provisions that provide additional benefits not found in the original contract, or that make adjustments to it. The name “rider” is taken from the concept that they have no independent existence; they have force and effect only when they’re attached to a policy, or “riding” it. It will add just a minimal cost to your policy per year. No big deal!

Be sure to consult a great commercial insurance agent like Ron. When I have questions, I call him to avoid calling the actual policy company. Sometimes, calls and concerns will magically add dollars to your policy!

Being a professional photographer means protecting yourself and others at your home or business by getting professional insurance. Get it done! It’s so easy!

Where I get my business / commercial insurance:

Innova Insurance

Ron Blumenthal

innovain@maine.rr.com

Scarborough, Maine

207-855-5522 EXT. 101

Tell him Beth @ Blush Imagery sent you!

I left realizing though that some pros may take what I may say to heart. One of the best ways to learn within any industry is outside influence, of course. But never take one pros word as gospel. There’s so many great opinions out there. Listen and learn, but hear one voice the loudest— your own. I don’t think any photographer would argue that equipment makes art. No, the artist makes the art and the equipment is simply a tool. Same goes for your business model. If your packages and products, give you time and money and mostly, enhance the joy in your life, seriously, keep doing it.

Remember too, that 99% of what come out of people’s mouth is about them, not you. Case in point: Last night, I made a jab at Shoot Sac bags. I called it a girlie bag. Here’s the truth behind my comment. I was a tom-boy as a kid. In high school, I secretly wanted to be a cheerleader but in my family girls were not allowed to be cheerleaders. My folks are pretty big feminists. Now, I find myself watching Bring It On as a guilty pleasure a lot. In college, I could have been in a sorority, might have been fun. But within journalism, you didn’t do “organized” groups. It would a bias and might affect your news coverage. My only group was the newspaper…. my mostly male newspaper.  Here’s the big confession: A few years back, I couldn’t even approach the Shoot Sac booth at WPPI. I wanted to— really, really bad. It made my chest tight, literally. For me, I could never allow myself or admit out loud that I wanted a girl, or I should say, a more fashionable bag. I’m tough, I’m serious, I’m a pro. Really, it’s just a bag! My comment was 99% about me, right! Kind of sick! It wasn’t about those gorgeous bags … oh those gorgeous bags. (I am laughing so hard at myself right now!)

So take it all with stride, stay positive, have fun with friends and trust yourself. I’ll try a little harder on this too! Be comfortable in your own photography skin.

Also, if you a buy a flash unit on the gray market, the calculations will be in meters and not feet. The same servicing and resale issue would also apply.

I made a mistake of buying a European / gray market camera back when I was a photo student. A camera shop convinced me that it was no big deal. Hey, I’d save a couple hundred bucks. Big mistake! No one would service it or clean the camera. Now, some photographers may have had a different experience but for me … totally not worth it! Buy only USA models.

™

I trademarked my Blush Imagery logo over a year ago. Here’s the why, when, where and what you need to trademark your business logo or name. (Disclosure: This is info for small, service businesses. I am not a lawyer and you may want to consult one before you begin the process.)

WHY: I trademarked my logo because of our name. Turns out that our ‘Blush’ is used in a ton of places, including in the wedding, videography and photography industries— let alone the makeup and ummm, well, that sassier industry. I love our name enough to protect it. When I retire from Maine photography, maybe I’ll sell the established brand or a larger company.

If you’ve named your wedding photography business after yourself, like Jane Doe Photography, you may not be the only one. See info below to check. It’s fun to see what pops up. Not everyone needs a trademark. If you have a new small, local business and early in your branding process, I would not do this just yet.  You may change your logo several times before finding the one.

Just FYI, the government does not allow trademarks on very general terms like “wedding photographer.” The two words could represent or define several businesses. It is extremely difficult to trademark

WHEN: The trademark costs about $350 and lasts for 10 year once approved. Good reasons to trademark include if you sell products nationally, if your brand is popular for its ideas or thoughts, if your products or services are sold in a highly competitive market or to prepare a company for growth. You can also trademark a new, unique term. Rumor has it,  a photographer in California applied to trademark the term: Nudoir. That’s fabulous.

Unlike copyrights and patents, trademark rights can last indefinitely as long as the owner continues to use it to identify its goods or services. The term of a trademark is 10 years, with 10-year renewal terms. The United States Patent and Trademark Office requires that between the 5thh and 6th year after registration, you file to renew it or it will be canceled. Low maintenance!

WHERE: It is a fairly easy process to apply at the USPTO but the government website is a little confusing. I filed mine online all by myself. First you’ll define the actual words for trademark, in my case ‘Blush Imagery.’ Then you’ll describe your logo mark in very specific terms. You can find examples of that legal speak online. Also you will define what the business does. For me, it was simply ‘photographic services and products.’ If your business is hard to define and you’d prefer not do this yourself, most corporate lawyers provide this service.

According to the USPTO the minimum requirements are these five (5) elements: (1) the name of the applicant; (2) a name and address for correspondence; (3) a clear drawing of the mark; (4) a listing of the goods and/or services; (5) a filing fee for at least one class of goods or services. Obviously, a “complete” application must include other elements; however, merely providing these five elements at least ensures that the application will not be held “informal” and returned. The online application system walks providing and uploading this information step by step.

Links:

More basic info here.
Search your business name. (Click the basic search. This is actually fun to do… see what pops up!)
Start an application.

WHAT: File online and pay the fee, then what happens? The USPTO sent me a confirmation email. It took over 6 months to approve the mark once the USPTO office researched it, then a lawyer from the USPTO called me to clarify a few things. (She said I did a great job and asked if I wanted to be a lawyer.) I was able to ask her a ton of questions about trademarks— for free.  My logo was then published in a government document where individuals and companies can protest the mark. If no one protests, it yours and the agency sends you a certificate.

That’s it!

Here’s some habits to avoid and rules to better your Maine wedding photography and keep your manipulations in check. These are really important if you are a Maine wedding photojournalist or “capturing moments naturally” — like me.

While imaging / toning your final images ask yourself one simple question with each manipulation: Why? With all of the fun, trendy Photoshop actions available, it is tempting to give each pic a little ZING. Ask WHY before you apply. Why? You need to have reason, purpose or strong art intention if you take your image away from its original state. You shot the frame a certain way for a reason. Trust that! Over manipulation is like a pair of crutches. Crutches are a helpful tool we lean on from time to time—  but your legs shouldn’t be broken all year! Manipulations like over saturation, types of colorization, glow/soft actions, punch, sepia and, yes, even black and white are used too much.  It is a quick fix. We use these to give our takes more looks, add punch to an otherwise dull, boring image or to mask a technically weak picture. Ask, but why? Make sure you have a great reason, or easy-does-it!

WHEN SHOOTING

1. Fish Eye. You have the lens, you love it. Use it once with purpose at a gorgeous church or setting. Makes for a great album piece, I know, I know. Then put it away. Fish eye lenses are a distortion of truth so lather, rinse…. but don’t repeat.

2. Tilting. (Guilty of this one myself! It’s a goal.)  When you get to a certain level of photography you learn how to avoid A | B  compositions in your work where there is a gap between two subjects. It leaves an image looking disconnected. You learn to tilt to solve this problem. It lines the subjects up in a way that they appear less distant. It also fills all your frame’s corner space. Once you learn it, though, it can be a crutch. Don’t tilt your camera too much. In reality, there is a flat horizon. Stay a straight shooter.

3. Motion blur. If you can’t focus in the dark, blurring every reception image by using the rear sync of your flash is not going to make up for it. I love the party blur. But do it once to show that the party is a rockin’ then put the trick away until another client comes a knockin’.

4. Missing moments. Don’t miss granny tearing up because the bride’s shoes are a slam dunk shot with a few tricked out actions. Ask yourself: Why do I hate granny? She’s telling me a story. But I like the Kate Spade’s better? No good.

5. Signs and children: This isn’t an actual manipulation, but it is manipulating. If you have a sign… yes, something with just words on it, in your portfolio you need to toss it— unless it tells you something about the event beyond your location. Better be Pulitzer Prize stuff or ditch it! Ask, why is this storytelling? Do not use signs to tell the story you should be telling visually in more substantial ways.

Now kids. Kids are cute at a wedding, yep. It is tempting to spend every second capturing the cuteness running about. If you’re whole set of images is just the kiddos, ask yourself, why? Why did my couple only have children at their reception? Bet you can’t answer that well. They had adults. Lots of them— that you just missed. While I judged photo contests, if your entry was deemed a ‘cute kid” then it was an automatic out. Way too easy! So easy-does-it!

6. Gimmicks. We all have that one photographic cheap trick we do really well … then beat it like a cheap drum. You’re not that one-trick-pony. Hells no. We all do something. Identify it and concur it! For each wedding this year though, try asking yourself why. Why should I shoot this picture— again?

WHEN IMAGING / TONING

1. Black and white. That’s a manipulation? Yes. We see the world in color. Flipping a pic to BW is changing the truth so use it carefully and with intention. Again ask, why? Your answer should be something like: the color in this image is detracting from the truth of the moment. Ex: Maybe a gorgeous moment between a bride and her father took place in a children’s room of a church. The window was vivid green, red, yellow. Yuck. Beautiful moment, very distracting surrounding that doesn’t tell extra necessarily about the day. I’ll take the color away to spotlight the truth of the photo. Good answer to why. I love BW, of course, but don’t take the color away unless the color is a distraction or adds nothing to your story. You may be selling your color work short.

It’s also easy to flip a technically poor image to BW. Just cause it’s BW, doesn’t mean it’s art. In this case, ask yourself why is it worth saving?

2. Sepia. For those who don’t remember printing sepia, it is an chemical process applied to a final print. (The chemicals stink like rotten eggs). You can’t shoot in sepia. Some clients find it as old timey— my clients say it reminds them of the western dress up pics their family once took at the state fair. Yee haw. Use it super sparingly on a client by client basis. If your answer to why apply sepia is I need more looks of the one good photo I got of my couple — then that’s not good. Work on that shooting and posing more and your clients will be happier.

3. Poppy color. I like color. Color is great. Color that is super unreal— not so much. If your portfolio is looking like your HD TV on crack,it’s time to taker easy again. Back in the day, Kodak sold a natural, great-for-skin-tones line of film called VPS. (Ironically, Kubota has an action called VPS IT!) To compete, Fuji sold a super color intense film in areas like sports and news instead. When I think of color actions, I actually say to myself… see it as Kodak, not like Fuji— especially in my portrait work. Lean toward natural, suptual color instead of the trend of high key pop.

4. Glow. Trends in actions come and go. Keeping your work pure and clean will give it a lasting sophistication. Glowey images may be back in style today but in the 90′s, glow was considered sad, sad, sad— something only traditional 80′s photographers used. Ask why before you apply! What are you doing today that will look out of date tomorrow?

5. Yellow, tea stain, whatever. There’s a yellowing action out there. Take care with it! People aren’t yellow. They are not tea stained either. Ask yourself: why am I making all my key images and subjects look like Oompa Loompas? Use it once in an edit if you need to but then stop. If your key blog images are all stylized in one fashion, time to ask why before you apply!

Like I said, I set goals for myself at the beginning of every wedding season to stay aware of where I am as a shooter and where I want to be. My goal this year is to reduce my tilting, ease up on the glow stick (that’s my cute name for using actions) and get more natural light back into my work.

Photographers, what are your shooting or imaging/toning goals this 2010 wedding season?

CNN, FedEx, Whole Foods, Pizza Hut, Bed Bath and Beyond, Enterprise Car Rental, Exxon Mobil, IBM, Disney, Microsoft, Hyatt, Kraft, General Electric, Apple, Southwest Airlines, Chevron

Maine camera store

People ask me all the time about the fabulous Nikon pro camera gear I have in my bag at weddings. My family and friends ask my advice on amateur and simple point and shoot cameras too. To quench their thirst for camera knowledge, I put together a little Nikon store. Check it out.

Although I shot Cannon gear throughout my newspaper days and really enjoyed it, I honestly prefer the Nikon line overall. Our studio is completely Nikon now. In my little Maine camera shop, I’ve posted the pro, amateur and the basic Nikon point and shoots for every level of photographer. I included the main Nikon lenses I use as well. There’s a few accessories that I love, love, love to have on jobs too. To boot, I added the Apple products that we can not live without in a section not-so-creatively called iLove. Our studio is completely Mac crazy— as you can imagine.

There’s a ton of photography and business books on the shop as well. You can never learn too much. Enjoy!

There are significant discounts for reserving spots early so if you are a New England wedding photographer and want to see him when he comes soon to Hartford, Connecticut check his team and workshops out at: http://www.baumanphotographers.com/

Back from a week-long tour of Boston for a terrific photo workshop, a few business meetings and a bridal shower / gal-pal retreat at The Taj Boston with my two life-long bff’s Katie and Krisanne … I am catching up on emails, associate applications and client requests … so bare with me! I am so very happy to be back in the studio for you.

Inspire Boston! OMG! I tacked this workshop onto my trip very last minute and man …. I am so glad! I’ve attended a lot of workshops in my career and this one was the best! I took classes from Anne Ruthmann, Mark Higgins, Melissa Tirado and Lara and Kate with Studio Nouveau. All awesome! Classes were small, personable and packed with great info— even for seasoned photographers.

To my workshop mentor Eric Laurits … the loveliest soul. Thank you for critiquing my work. In just an hour, you changed everything for me—  for the better. EVERYTHING! I am forever grateful!

Thanks to Paul at Lens Pro To Go for the kindness and an amazing space he so generously shared. To Jim Collins CEO of Pictage for the good company, great conversations and endless drinks at the bar! So glad to know you. To the Colonial Inn for hosting the group and the great little old-man-jug-band on our last night!

So much credit and thanks to Matt and Enna Grazier a wonderful couple and creators of Inspire Boston. I had an amazing experience and will surely return in 2011! Fantastic job.

Check out this fusion video by Richard Esposito and his team. Great time for all!

TO APPLY: Please include an email letter explaining your interest with a link to an online portfolio of wedding work (will also look at news or editorial photos), and a PDF resume. Your email subject line should read: RE: 2011 Blush Imagery Work. Please follow these instructions exactly.

DEADLINE: 03-01-2010

POSITIONS NOW OPEN:

Blush Imagery – Professional Photographer (two needed)

This contract position is intended for a pro photographer who will be part of the Blush Imagery team. This person will meet clients (as needed) and photograph weddings solo but no imaging, processing or final product work is required. Blush Imagery will handle all organizational and back end work. It might be a great opportunity for a professional photographer looking for more seasonal work, a full-time mom pro photographer or a pro photographer who enjoys another full time career as well.

Blush Imagery – Associate Photographer (one needed)

This contract position is intended to be a younger pro photographer looking to be part of the learning process. The right candidate will receive full critiques to better their work and one-on-one training with Beth Fitzgerald— lead photographer at Blush. This team member will photograph weddings but also be a part of their own editing, processing and final product work for their education. Great opportunity for a mature student or a highly motivated amateur photographer.

Requested for either positions:

• Experienced in wedding photography. (Our style calls for news, editorial or event experience as well.)

• Weekend availability with reliable transportation and insurance. Our basic coverage area is Boston to Bar Harbor.

• Nikon or Cannon professional equipment (We shoot Nikon.)

• And — of course — may only photograph weddings exclusively with Blush Imagery.

You can read more and book the space : maine studio b.

We kept the studio room perfectly neutral for our own various clients. And as a courtesy, we don’t hang portraits (only wedding work) in our space … a great thing for our visiting portrait photographers.

The best part, for me personally, is we get to host exceptional photographers from the area. We’ve already had a handful of professionals here for video and photography work.  It has gone fabulously! Really, a lot of fun. When you book, your maine studio b host will prep the space for your requested needs, stay out of your way, but of course, assist with equipment and guest needs while you are here.

So when you need a space, come and knock on our door! We’ll keep you posted as we start photography education in Spring 2010 too!

The new studio is well underway. I’ve seen the UPS man more than my husband in the last few days! Yesterday we had 7 backdrop delivered to the studio…. 9 feet each. Crazy. Today (hopefully) the blackout curtains and the new lamps are coming. We should have things really up and running soon. We decided to name the studio room ….  kinda fun…. maine studio B. (Get it… It could be Beth’s, could be Brian’s, could be Blush’s, could be generic.) I want it to be it’s own separate space. We’ll be using it of course but we’ll also be renting it to other photographers so we want people to feel there’s no specific branding in that work area. Just simple, clean, well equipped space for special projects.

I’ll tell you more about maine studio B and get pictures up of the entire new place when it’s all set. It’s a very exciting time.

I can’t wait to get on with it though! I have a wedding this weekend and couldn’t be happier! A girl can only decorate for so long before she needs air. Beth :)

It is a fun bunch of chicas! Lovely time for all! Beth :)