It seems that the “Free Business Portraits for the Unemployed” is a great topic of discussion in the Italian media. I found out this morning that yesterday I was featured in a blog about jobs and employment. The article is here: blog.cercalavoro.it.

I have been in some of Italy’s top newspapers and I will be featured in a Italian magazine within the next week or two and now this as well.

I went ahead and used Google Translator to translate yesterday’s blog post into English. It’s not a perfect translation but you can get the point. If any of my readers know Italian and want to have a crack at translating more accurately let me know. In the mean time, click the link to read the English(ish) version (Thank you Google!).

Help The Unemployed With Their Jobs

How did a respected and award winning photographer free of charge devotes part of his time trying to help people in need and maybe a different address the crisis that is rampant. Do not ask how come there are people who run their own brains and their skills in a different way from the common masses, they try to learn.

Michael Albany is an award winning photographer who lives in southeastern Pennsylvania. He owns a company specializing in photography, and more precisely in the portrait. Mr. Albany, as reflected in his photographs and what he has said in numerous interviews, he loves to capture moments of quirky, pictures and portraits that lead to the idea of the character of the goofy and echoing a real style. Albany contends that portraying an image of a serious person who shows proper look easy. However, different convince that person to lower his guard, but convincing him to do so and adding a good trick, Albany claims to give the precise result that is obtained in the spontaneity animated. Add to that, he says, and then you will know that the smile is real, the image is real and has a life of its own. In addition to being able to get people to smile and have fun, Mr. Albany is convinced that it is possible to obtain the image that moves.

Michael Albany said with great simplicity and honesty that he has no other way to help people, if not to make available and who knows what he has done with great professionalism and care. Besides, his theory is simple and close to several sociological theories, which analyze the situation of social groups and try to find simple and effective solutions that do not endanger the lives of people, but that pushes them without too much effort to raise the fate of those who are in difficulties.

It ‘obvious, unfortunately not in many popular writings, which would be a realistic option the possibility, by estimates, wealthy and good professional practice to put at free disposal of the less fortunate his work in the form of voluntary and permanent and constructive non-monetary alms.

Mr. Albany says he would be happy to do what he does often, but not be able to provide a forum for his work, he too was a victim of the crisis and because of the fact that the labor shortage has been forced to market their home to move forward.

He remains convinced he can help the unemployed find work with his photographs. Its activities in support grows for some time and is to make freely available to the unemployed his professionalism.

He, in fact, within the famous and busy business meetings, which take place in the U.S., rent a booth and take pictures for those who need a nice picture you can enter the curriculum, but especially on their online profile of what can be considered essential to the virtual place in which to be present in order to find work in the United States, you are obviously talking about LinkedIn, the site will soon be finding work in the U.S..

People have lined up to face the goal, following the directives of the photographer and advice, practical, offered by the expert hands of make-up, all this without paying any money for a service that usually has a cost which is around 250 dollars.

According to an Italian journalist, Paul Ribichini Mr. Michael Albany: “In the past job meetings in which he participated, on 28 January in Philadelphia, has worked continuously for five hours, photographing 170 people, without taking a break to eat or smoke a cigarette. “Unfortunately I could not please everyone, and so 50 people who were lined up, went away empty-handed. In the future I hope to do this every week or at least every month.”

And ‘interesting to hear the thoughts of those who have been in professional contact with the photographer over the top, so we report three witnesses:

“Michael Albany is one of those rare photographers who work with the customer, not against them. I hired Michael many times for my meetings and events, and he always wears the “A game”. I also managed a coffee house in the area of Willow Grove and Michael was invited by the council to hold a show July 24, 2009. I highly recommend you consider Michael for your event, personal needs, as well as for your corporate events and association.”
Kimberly Ruby CMM
Meeting Manager
Professional Meeting Planners Network

“The pictures of the Middle School are FANTASTIC! – thank you! Mark is thrilled with them, and I could not be happier – thank you!”
Melissa Biermann
Marketing Coordinator
Nason Construction

I recently received a photograph taken by businessman Michael. I wanted to have a framework available for Linked-in and a professional biography. The experience was positive. Filming was expertly managed by a professional and quality customer service. The photos were delivered immediately and was given assistance to crop the photo to linked-in. I recommend Michael, if you are looking for a pleasant and easy experience with a quality product. You will not be disappointed.
EMercier
Operations Executive

http://www.michaelalbany.com/

Thank you Italy for understanding the ‘why’ behind all that I do.

Until next time,

Happy Shooting!

This week I thought we would do some finishing touches on our image of James, popular guy that he is, I am getting tired of looking at him. So this week its Edge Effects! It seems that everyone wants to know how to do the best edge effect. Well that depends on a few things, the image, the look you want and how you wan the image to be seen. All depend on you!

Click the link to see the video

In this video I wanted to fit in a few different effects less than 10 minutes. I fit in 3 or 4 and gave direction on how to create many more. Check it out below.

I hope you enjoyed this weeks 1 handed tutorial. Next week may be our last in the 1 Handed series as I might get my cast off at the end of the week. After that, what do you want to see? Is there something you need to learn, something that you just want my view on or something you just can’t figure out? Let me know! Leave a comment and ask. I read them all!

Wow! I got this whole thing typed in just 8 hours! I am getting better.

Until next time…

Happy Shooting!

“Just a photo to beat the crisis? Maybe not, but Michael Albany (look at the website) is convinced it will help to find work. In fact, Michael, a photographer from Pennsylvania, since last summer offers free his professionalism for the unemployed. Inside the crowded job meeting Michael rented a booth and portrays those who need a nice photo to be included on the curriculum and especially on their online profile LinkedIn, the site will soon be finding work in the U.S.. Thus, people who stand in line for a portrait, first passing through the hands of a makeup artist and then in front of the goal of the photographer, without spending a penny for a service that typically costs $ 225. “I can not do anything to help people – explains Michael – I want to do it more often but I have a home. In fact, he is a victim of the crisis. The job shortage is compelled to sell their houses to go forward. Past job meetings in which he participated, on 28 January in Philadelphia, has worked continuously for five hours, photographing 170 people, without taking a break to eat or smoke a cigarette. (di PAOLO RIBICHINI). “Unfortunately I could not please everyone, and so 50 people who were lined up, went away empty-handed. In the future I hope to do this at least every week or every month” (by Paolo Ribichini). Above, Michael Albany”

I get thank you’s from all over the world for offering this service to the unemployed for free. In fact, I just received a thank you from Marta Machesi of Italy while I was writing this. You are more than welcome Marta! If we meet in person, coffee is on me!

Please read more by clicking the link:

Although it is great to be globally known, or some may say even famous, the thing is that these people that I photograph are unemployed and need your help. They aren’t looking for a handout or even a bail out, they are looking for a job. They just want to work, to earn a decent living, to take care of their families. They want a chance to start over.

I know how that feels. I lost my ‘real job’ not that long ago and it gave me an opportunity. I got the opportunity to take my part time photography business full time. It is a dream come true in some ways and a nightmare in others. I get to do what I love and what I am good at. I get to think about the one thing that gets me excited all the time. That part is great!

But the other side, the nightmare side, is the fact that businesses aren’t spending as much money on photography as they used to. Everyone who has a camera thinks they can take photos that will do fine for the bride or their company or their friends. And some do, but many don’t. In the mean time becoming a successful photographer is getting to be as difficult as becoming a rock star.

Is it possible? Sure it is, but what is the cost? The cost to me so far is my life savings, my house and many, many 20 hour workdays. I can honestly say that I am quickly becoming a ‘famous’ photographer. But guess what. Like those I photograph, I don’t really care if I am famous, I just want to work. I want to do what they want to do. I want to get up in the morning and have a job to go to, in my case, a gig, a shoot, anything that puts the camera in my hand.

If you don’t have a need for a photographer, that’s fine. Do you need a receptionist, a medical tech, an experienced business person, a forklift operator, a driver, a data entry person, a… The list is very long. Stop saving those few Dollars, Euros, Rubels or whatever and hire somebody!

If we get people working, they will spend the money they earn, that money will go to the company that hires someone else and eventually someone will spend it on your company, service or product. If you hold on to it and you don’t put out a helping hand, there will be no relief from this crisis and you think we’re in a shit storm now?

Be your neighborhood’s, your city’s, your state’s, your country’s, or even our world’s solution. Hire someone. And if you need a professional photographer I probably know someone that can help you out. One of them might even be me.

Until next time…
Happy Shooting!

Well, it’s Monday and I have another One Handed Photoshop Tutorial for you! I apologize for the length of time it takes to make these. The videos themselves only take a few minutes its the typing the blog post that takes time. I am typing one handed after all. Drat! Now its Tuesday!

Anyway, I got such a positive response from the first 1 Handed tutorial I just had to keep going. That and the fact that I will be one handed for at least 3 more weeks. This time I took the same image and removed a few distractions and cleaned up a little razor rash.

You can view the full tutorial right after you click the link!

As promised, here is the tutorial!

That was easy wasn’t it? Photoshop is actually an easy program to use once you just know all the tools that are available in it. I have been using it since version 4 and I still don’t know all it can do.

Next time we will look at completing this image of James with a few final touches. Until then,

Happy Shooting!

Happy Shooting!

I was due to write my weekly post over the weekend but now I can only type so much and its less than half as much when using only one hand. So I got to thinking, what can I do one handed that I can put on my site? 1 Handed Photoshop Tutorials were born!

Below is the first in what I hope will only be a short series of tutorials that can be done quickly and easily, and with only one hand, in Photoshop. This first one is on how to use the High-Pass filter to make your images pop out at the viewer. Click the link to watch the video and take a look!

Before I sign off I want to put a special thank you out to the staff at Riddle Memorial Hospital in Media PA. They had me patched up and out the door in less than 90 minutes. They truly are Angels of Mercy!

Until next time, Happy Shooting!

This time my team consisted of Theresa Rivers, Sol Levy, Annie Nason, Susan Schroeder and Linda Slodki. All were of great help and you can see us working together in my previous post Joblessness in the LA Times and the video in that post. Linda felt the need to say more about the event so for the first time ever below is a “Guest Blog” entry.

You Need A Helping Hand In These Tough Job-Hunting Times

It’s 2010. It’s still double digit unemployment. It can be really tough putting your best face forward. You have your suit, you have your resume, you have your “elevator pitch.” But how do you show a prospective employer that you are computer savvy and help them navigate the web? One way to do that is have your digital business photo displayed on LinkedIn, Facebook, or other social media sites. Getting that photo done by a professional can be expensive—hard to afford when you’re unemployed. That’s where Michael Albany steps in. He extends a helping hand by shooting professional shots of jobseekers—free of charge.

Why would Michael extend his services at Job Fairs (this is not his first time)? Pure and simple—he sees it as a community service. He knows what it’s like to be unemployed; he knows what it takes to sell yourself. He knows how it can feel, when you go to a Job Fair flooded with applicants, feeling that, just maybe, you could have done more to sell yourself. That’s why he gives back…you leave with another tool that may help you land that job you’ve been seeking. And you get a professional photo at no charge to you. I’ve seen the photos, you all look great!

I had the privilege of assisting Michael at the “Jobs Gone Wild” Career Fair on Jan. 28 at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia. They were expecting 2,000 participants. Instead they got 6,400! As soon as the doors opened at 10 am, we had a line down the corridor which continued all day. Many folks waited 1½ hours for their photo session, but Michael had it covered. Every person had the experience of a professional “photo shoot.” He thanked everyone for their time and patience, and then he proceeded to get them relaxed and prepped—smiles, laughter, and confidence only.

Did I mention his extra added bonus? He brought a makeup artist! Here was this line, stretching as far as my eyes could see, lasting all day long, with crowds of jobseekers pushing them tight up against the wall. After the long wait, as they arrived at the photo shoot area, both men and women were seated in chairs and treated to hair styles, makeup, and some serious pampering. I watched as smiles spread across their faces—they were freshened up and even had wrinkles removed from their clothing. They were ready! I heard one woman say she couldn’t believe that someone was going to do this for her at a Jobs Fair. She said, with confidence, that she had come to that event, and left with something that would clearly benefit her. Michael Albany was really there for her, for everyone.

The Career Fair lasted until 2:30 pm. Although Michael had worked continuously, there were still 60 people waiting. The disappointment in their voices weighed heavily on us all. So, Michael had one of his assistants take photos of those folks while he continued to capture images of as many as possible. He got every last person’s email, promising to let them know of his next Job Fair and giving them the option of being first on line.

At the end of the day, we were all exhausted. But, you know what? Having someone who offers you a helping hand has value, keeps you going, and keeps you motivated to do whatever it takes to find a job. It reaffirms your faith in what is possible.

Thanks Michael, for all that you do.

Linda Slodki

Thanks Linda!

Until next time, Happy Shooting!

Additionally Scott Lewis of Scott Lewis Images to some photos of the event that are outstanding. In the article you can click on my image on the left column to see them (I’m the bald guy in the purple shirt with a camera in front of my face).

I put together a little video of stills and some video clips so you can see the crowds and perhaps get a feel for what I was trying to do at the event. You can take a look at it below.

It was a humbling day. So many needing just a job. They don’t want handouts, they want a job; a chance to prove they can do the job and do it well.

I also wanted to thank Annie Nason, Sol Levy, Linda Slodki, Theresa Rivers and Susan Schroeder for all their help and a special thank you to Michelle Buckman of Fox 29 in Philadelphia who allowed me to be a part of the event.

Until next time, Happy Shooting!

I arrived at 5:45am to begin setting up and to be interviewed by Michelle Buckman of Fox 29 News in Philadelphia. When I arrived fire alarms were screeching in our ears. After about 20 minutes they stopped temporarily. Then just 1 minute before we were to go live on Fox they went off again! Luckily they were just testing them and we were able to have them turned off in time for us to go on air. The interview is below. (and yes I have a cold)

I took over 550 images that day and I took the time to talk to each person I photographed. My job is not only to snap a portrait but to make people relax for that portrait. I will be blogging about the event again soon. I will have images of the photoshoot, the event and of course the lines too! I will also be adding some of the finished portraits when I get through all of them. Please check back often to learn more about how the event went. I was also interviewed by a reporter, Tina Susman of the LA Times and as soon as I know when that interview will be published I will be sure to add a link to it.

Moving forward I am looking for location hosts. Anyone that has the space where I can continue these events please contact me. I had to turn away over 50 people and I want desperately to help them all. As a location photographer I do not have a studio to use and I need a space that is in Philadelphia for these people. I am open to planning other events outside of the Philadelphia area as well. If you or your company can help, contact me via the Contact Michael page of this site.

If your company is planning layoffs, Free Business Portraits for those being released gives your employees a better chance at landing their next position. Please contact me so we can work together on helping those that need help the most.

Thank you all, Stay Tuned, and until next time…

Happy Shooting!

I said to myself one day last summer, “what can I do to give back to all those that helped me? What can I do that will make people feel good and that will help them out of the jam they find themselves in?” What can I don’t have a lot of money, I don’t have a huge house or even a couch the average person can sleep on. I can take pictures and I do that well. I can take peoples portraits and I can help them look their best when recruiters and potential employers look at their resume’ on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook. That is something I can do!

So back in August of 2009 I did my first Free Business Portraits for the Unemployed. I was impressed by how grateful everyone was and how it seemed to be big news that I was doing such a thing. I’m still not sure why being nice to people is news, but it got the word out to people and we were busy all day. I was able to make people smile because I was there to help in an unconventional way. There is nothing in this world as gratifying as lending a helping hand. Nothing feels so good as when you look into a person’s smiling face and they say, “Thank you.”

When Michelle Buckman of Fox 29 asked me if I wanted to do it again, how could I say no? So this time next week I will be making final preparations for the next session of Free Business Portraits for the Unemployed. This time we are going to be shooting at a job fair. Not just any job fair but Fox 29 (http://www.myfoxphilly.com) and JobCircle’s (http://www.jobcircle.com) “Jobs Gone Wild!” job fair! (http://www.jobsgonewild.com/)

These events are a tone of work for all involved. If you think about it, even the participating companies have a heck of an investment. There is the space they have to rent there is the booth (and trust me, they ain’t cheap), the staff to staff the booth, the onsite quick interview, the follow-up and review of all the resumes and inquiries they get and that only gets them to the point where a standard ad on a job board gets them. That’s a lot of work!

Are you giving back to yourself? Are you working as hard as these companies are working to land your next position? If you are trying to help place someone, are you coaching them to make sure that when they attend these events or go on interviews that they are dressed properly? Do you ave the same information on your LinkedIn or Facebook account as you do on your resume’? Do you have an image in person that matches your picture on social networking sites?

If you are not 100% with any of these questions, you want to attend this job fair. This event is going to be different. There will be the usual resume’ critiques and the companies looking to hire, but that is about where similarity ends. There is also going to be a personal stylist. Adrienne Simmons of “PS I Love You” (http://www.psiloveyoullc.com/) to give advice on your attire and your look. Does it match the position you are striving for? Or are you dressing for an entry level position?

Don’t forget to come see me too! Get your picture taken! Why not? You’re dressed nice anyway, you may as well get a good portrait done. Besides, your parents or spouse will love having an updated picture of you!

I hope to see you on the 28th at the Wachovia Center in South Philadelphia. Bring your resume and your smile!

Until next time, Happy Shooting!