In today’s digital world everyone expects things to be either instantaneous or at least fast. Your clients expect results almost as soon as they express their desires. You in turn need your suppliers to anticipate your needs so you can meet those of your customers. Yet it still takes time to provide services and products.  So how do you keep up with the pace?

Often executives tell you to “anticipate the customer’s needs,” and use your sales skills and tell the client what they need based on what you have available. Anticipating your customer’s needs is the goal of every business in the world. The whole idea to starting a business is seeing a need and filling that need. To grow that same business you have to start to anticipate.

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In the news lately you have heard that in many ways our economy has to transform itself, it needs to morph into something new. I have also heard that each of us has to transform ourselves too. It is said that the careers of our parents and grandparents, where you could look forward to finding a position with a company and spending your entire career there, are gone. With the world as it is today each person just starting out can expect to change employers 13 times in a 40 year career. Each time they may have to transform themselves into something new.

Transformation has become the norm rather than the exception. For each new client your company has to change and adapt to the needs of that situation. As the driving force to those adaptations you have to think in ways that are challenging and different. To make change the norm, not just a constant, you have to remain pliable and innovative. You have to see opportunity at every turn and with each challenge you have to welcome new ideas so that each becomes an opportunity rather than an obstacle.

Just last week I was photographing two locations for a construction company. Each had its own challenges. None of the preparation had me expecting the challenge of a memory card going bad ¾ of the way through the shoot.

Here I was with the creative director of this company shadowing me for the first time and when we are within sight of calling it a wrap, I have to tell her that everything we had done to that point was gone. After hanging my head for a moment I looked up and told her what happened and said that I would need to reshoot the first location over again as well as all of the shots we had gotten at this location.

Of course I told her that this was a technical problem and because of that it is 100% my issue and that the reshoots would be at no charge. She opted to call it a day as would have I in her position. I then proceeded to reshoot the location where we were.

As an architectural and estate photographer, I often find myself waiting for the light. Waiting for the sun to reach the right place in the sky to compliment the building in that perfect way to show everything the architect meant to be seen. In the case of the first location of the day, we had arrived at 7am to catch the morning sun so that we could use the evening to highlight the second location. Now I had to shoot midday and make it look, not just good but great. The only way to do this was to shoot interiors during the day and squeeze time in to do both exteriors in the latter hours of the day.

Before Transformation

So it was that I had to adapt the way I had planned the shoots. I was able to get back to the first location and reshoot the interior without incident. The sky was helpful as were the trees near the entrance. This gave me the chance to shoot fast and get the shots needed and still make it back to the second location. Here was the challenge.

The second location was behind schedule to begin with. At a local university there was a rush to get the building complete prior to the students coming back to school in 3 days. The construction company pulled out all the stops and had crews everywhere doing everything. I had to get shots of a building to make the construction company and the architect proud. I had to do it around electricians, plumbers and maintenance crews putting on the finishing touches.  I had no time to wait for the light. For that matter, I had no time to wait for the grass to grow. There wasn’t any yet due to the heavy equipment being there longer than anticipated.

I was able to clear away the work trucks and vans, set up lights inside the location and grab a few quick shots. I also took shots of the lawn across the street so I could virtually “move” it to the new building.  I think the image was transformed from a snapshot to a true image showing the architects vision and the construction company’s ability.

After transformation

Because the companies, the university and I were able to be flexible, adapt and think around problems the students have a beautiful new art center to grow their education. A place where they can transform their creative ideas into reality.

Until next time…

pərˈspektiv

1. a particular attitude toward or way of regarding something; a point of view
2. true understanding of the relative importance of things; a sense of proportion

In any given project we can see the positives and the difficulties. The differences between those that succeed and those that fail is how we translate them. A pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity yet an optimist sees opportunity in every difficulty.  It’s just a matter of perspective.

Not long ago I was sent on a job to shoot a recently completed rehabilitation center. The marketing director wanted an image of the front of the building showing the grand entrance way and the wonderful design of the new building.  After driving the 4 hours to the job site, I arrived to see that the old building was still intact and in fact occupied as the residents had not yet moved into the new building. Until the moving was complete the old structure obviously had to remain. Normally that would be too much of a problem. I could take a selective angle and shoot what I can and work with what I had. In this case however, the old building was only 24 inches from the new, not yet completed, entryway.

Even with my widest angle lens 24 inches is a bit tight. My assistant for the day was saying that we should just drive the 4 hours back and then return to reshoot when the building was occupied. Being the stubborn person my wife says I am, I wanted to see what we could shoot.

Once we were able to find the site foreman, we gained access to the building. Inside the space was technically completed. Although the furniture had been delivered, unless it actually needed to be installed, it was not even unpacked. The floors had not yet been cleaned from the construction phase and the place was still a bit messy. My creative mind went nuts!

Suddenly I saw opportunity all over the place. Here was an interior that was not setup as the designers and architects had planned, the place is basically a mess and I was lucky if I could even find a lamp among all the boxes. A clean creative canvas!  I got to shoot what I wanted and not just what I found.

I couldn’t actually shoot the entrance as requested as there wasn’t even a door there let alone anything “grand”.  However as we walked the floors I found that there was furniture for the dining area and for most of the common areas too.  I asked the site foreman for a broom and a box cutter and we went to work.

Out of nothing came something. We were able to create images that so impressed the client that they submitted them as examples of their project for a state recognized award.

My assistant that day was ready to pack it in and call it a day. I on the other hand wanted to see the opportunities at hand. By doing so we were able to complete the job and do it in a way that thrilled my client.

It’s all just a matter of pərˈspektiv.

How many times have you heard that phrase before?  Usually it’s right after you forgot the smallest detail that turned out to be a major issue.  How do you catch everything and make sure that that little red, horned little guy stays home? The best start is to hire a professional.

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This past Sunday I went to see the Wailin’ Jennys (great harmonies btw) at the World Café Live here in Philadelphia. The show was fantastic to say the least. We got there early and had a great meal and then watched a fantastic show in a nice intimate theater.

After the show I went to have my CD signed by the ladies in the group. As I approached both Ruth and Heather said almost in stereo, “We know you right?” I replied that this was my first time seeing them live. They insisted that I looked very familiar. To make a long story short, after discussing it we found that they actually recognized me from my “FreeShots” (Free Business Portraits for the Unemployed) Charity. It seems they read the article that appeared in the LA Times last February.

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So now that you have decided to hire a professional photographer for your campaign, how can you be sure to get the right shooter for the job? You can Google photographers in your area. But honestly, that rarely gives you any insight to what kind of photographer you are going to get.

The first step in getting the right photographer starts with referrals (whenever possible). Being able to ask someone you trust if they know of someone or if they can recommend someone often leads to getting a good photographer. Photographers get most of their work through referrals and word of mouth. If you don’t know anyone to ask, check your contacts on LinkedIn, at your local chamber of commerce or even your competitors.

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I just read a story about an Art Director that saw an image on the packaging of a TV and then later saw the same image on a billboard ad for cosmetic surgery. Does this mean the TV needs a facelift or is the facelift going to be shown on TV?

As a photographer I am always going to suggest getting original photography done for your business. I have my own motives of course, but there is more to it than that. Your brand depends on it.

Why spend the money on original photography when there are literally billions of images out there? Why play the lottery when there are literally billions of tickets sold every day?  In one of these scenarios someone is going to win and win big. In the other at least two businesses are going to lose, big time.

In the story I read the writer closed saying that he has “a permanent negative perception” of both the TV and the cosmetic surgeon. In both ads the same stock image was used and recognized. Stock is a great choice if you don’t have the budget for a photographer. The surgeon may be more hurt than the TV manufacturer because he/she has a smaller audience and hence a greater percentage of the business can be affected. The TV manufacturer has a broader client base and only need worry about that particular city. Both are affected but to different degrees.

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On my LinkedIn.com group, Photography: Clients and Professionals Networking Group, I recently asked “what is the #1 pain point for both Photographers and their clients?” There were some good replies but one stood out above the rest. Julien Mc Roberts, (Julien’s Blog) of Santa Fe New Mexico, made some great points that she collected from her clients. As a working photographer, I am very mindful  of these  points when working with my clients.

Many of  you are on tight schedules where images need to be turned around immediately. Deadlines  these days are getting tighter and tighter. In today’s digital age, there is no technical reason why I as a photographer would take two weeks or more to deliver images. With the tools available today, I deliver the final images in 24-72 hours. I am able to do this because I have developed a production process that allows me to control every aspect from start to finish.

Even though I now have better control over the results of my product, that doesn’t mean that I can just go “CLICK!” and hand over just any image. In order to separate a good image from a great one, some additional fine-tuning is needed to create the superior result you expect. Even in the days of Ansel Adams and before, fine tuning an image creates the ultimate result. But as we are no longer processing film in a dark room, today, that power is at my fingertips via a keyboard and mouse, and it does it faster.

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So you have decided that you need to update your company’s portraits. Now what? What images are going to show your company in the way you want and what will the images say about you? Not an easy question.

The hardest step has already been taken; you have made the decision. I mentioned in my last post the questions to ask to find the right photographer. Now that you know who you want to capture your company’s face, what type of images?  There are the good old group shots where you have the entire company empty out into the parking lot and stand together, perhaps waving or holding up a banner with the company’s logo or tag line, but that style is a bit dated IMHO.

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