Professional photographer 2008 02

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FEBRUARY 2008 | WWW.PPMAG.COM | $4.95 ©Louise Botticelli

Transcript of Professional photographer 2008 02

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FEBRUARY 2008 | WWW.PPMAG.COM | $4.95

©Louise B

otticelli

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PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER | FEBRUARY 2008

CONTENTS

DOUBLE VISIONLouise Botticelli’s boomingbicameral business model

by Jeff Kent

SHOT THROUGHTHE HEART Marcus Bell throws heart and soul intohis photography, whether documentinga wedding or creating fine art

by Stephanie Boozer

9TH ANNUALHOT ONE AWARDSTechnology that works for you

by Jeff Kent

COMMERCIAL: FLIP SIDE

Jason Lindsey forges a commercial career with a dual perspective

by Jeff Kent

IMAGE BY MARCUS BELL

82

90

68

74

Features

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DepartmentsCONTACT SHEET

20 Inspiration Sundance style

22 Irving Penn exhibition

24 Dutchess of Carnegie Hall:Editta Sherman

28 Public lands and permits

PROFIT CENTER

33 What I think: Louise Botticelli

36 The joy of marketing by Sarah Petty

40 Buying into booksby Kalen Henderson

42 Do more in less time and prosperby Charles J. Lewis

THE GOODS

45 What I like: Kerry Brett Hurley

46 Pro review: Nikon D300 by Ellis Vener

54 Pro review: Canon EOS-1Ds Mark IIIby Ron Eggers

60 Lighting: In the studioby Ed Pierce

64 Lighting: The Zeus Systemby Ellis Vener

ON THE COVER: Louise Botticelli photographedCameron, age 3, at her Setauket studio. Theimage was captured using a Kodak DCS Pro Back645 on a Contax body with a 140mm Zeiss lens,exposed for 1/125 second at f/8. The image wasretouched in Photoshop, finished with Corel Painter,and titled “Sailing the Seas of Imagination.”

6 • www.ppmag.com

14 FOLIO

112 CALENDAR

119 PPA TODAY

138 GOOD WORKSPROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER | FEBRUARY 2008 | WWW.PPMAG.COM

Commercial photographer Jason Lindsey of Champaign, Ill.,

is living proof of the value of having a dual perspective. His experience as an art director

and designer enhance every shoot, and his clients appreciate the difference.

©Jason Lindsey

CONTENTS

68

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director of sales and strategic alliancesSCOTT HERSH, 610-966-2466, [email protected]

western region ad managerBART ENGELS, 847-854-8182, [email protected]

eastern region ad managerSHELLIE JOHNSON, 404-522-8600, x279, [email protected]

circulation consultant MOLLIE O’SHEA, [email protected]

editorial officesProfessional Photographer

229 Peachtree Street NE, Suite 2200, Atlanta, GA 30303-1608 U.S.A.404-522-8600; FAX: 404-614-6406

Professional Photographer (ISSN 1528-5286) is published monthly subscriptions

Professional Photographer P.O. Box 2035, Skokie, IL 60076; 800-742-7468;

FAX 404-614-6406; email: [email protected]; Web site: www.ppmag.commember services

PPA - Professional Photographer 800-786-6277; FAX 301-953-2838; e-mail: [email protected]; www.ppa.com

Send all advertising materials to: Debbie Todd, Professional Photographer, 5431 E. Garnet, Mesa, AZ 85206; 480-807-4391; FAX: 480-807-4509

Subscription rates/information: U.S.: $27, one year; $45, two years; $66, three years. Canada: $43, one year; $73, two years; $108, three years.

International: $39.95, one year digital subscription. Back issues/Single copies $7 U.S.; $10 Canada; $15 International.

PPA membership includes $13.50 annual subscription. Subscription orders/changes: Send to Professional Photographer, Attn: Circulation

Dept., P.O. Box 2035, Skokie, IL 60076; 800-742-7468; FAX 404-614-6406; email: [email protected]; Web site: www.ppmag.com.

Periodicals postage paid in Atlanta, Ga., and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to Professional Photographer magazine,

P.O. Box 2035, Skokie, IL 60076Copyright 2008, PPA Publications & Events, Inc. Printed in U.S.A.

Article reprints: Contact Professional Photographer reprint coordinator at Wrights’s Reprints; 1-877-652-5295.

Microfilm copies: University Microfilms International, 300 North Zeeb Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48106

Professional Photographer (ISSN 1528-5286) is published monthly for $27 per year by PPAPublications and Events, Inc., 229 Peachtree Street, NE, Suite 2200, International Tower, Atlanta,GA 30303-1608. Periodicals postage paid at Atlanta, Ga., and additional mailing offices.

Acceptance of advertising does not carry with it endorsement by the publisher. Opinions expressedby Professional Photographer or any of its authors do not necessarily reflect positions ofProfessional Photographers of America, Inc. Professional Photographer, official journal of theProfessional Photographers of America, Inc., is the oldest exclusively professional photographicpublication in the Western Hemisphere (founded 1907 by Charles Abel, Hon.M.Photog.), incorporatingAbel’s Photographic Weekly, St. Louis & Canadian Photographer, The Commercial Photographer,The National Photographer, Professional Photographer, andProfessional Photographer Storytellers. Circulation audited andverified by BPA Worldwide

10 • www.ppmag.com

PROFESSIONAL

senior editorJOAN [email protected]

features editorLESLIE HUNT

[email protected]

editor-at-largeJEFF KENT

[email protected]

art director/production managerDEBBIE TODD

[email protected]

manager, publications andsales/strategic alliances

KARISA [email protected]

sales and marketing assistantCHERYL [email protected]

EDITORIAL

To market, two marketsCATERING TO DISPARATE CUSTOMERS THE SMART WAY

Thanks to the hospitality of family friends who own a beach home

there, for the last 10 years I’ve been fortunate enough to vacation on

a very lovely and luxurious little island near Charleston. The

exclusive summer enclave is brimming with million-dollar houses

and the wealthy vacationers who enjoy them.

For years, the only place to buy groceries in the area was a mid-

range, practical sort of chain store right off the island, where both

year-round residents and wealthy summer vacationers bought their

milk—the kind of place where I normally shop, with a discount aisle

and half-price specials.

One summer we returned to find that a gourmet grocery had

been built right on the island. It’s the kind of “shoppe” that sells $45

imported olive oil. I couldn’t help but notice how the disposable

income went flying when we visited the store for our freshly ground

dark-roast coffee.

After check out, I glanced at my receipt. At the very bottom in

tiny print was the name of none other than the mid-range grocery

store down the road. How clever. The owners had opened a luxury

store directly targeting those monied vacationers, wisely choosing to

keep the two brands separate.

Louise Botticelli, whom we feature this issue, has also embraced

this separate but equal concept. After years at the helm of an

upscale portrait business catering to customers happy to fork over

big dollars for art, Botticelli opened a second, more accessible studio

that targets customers looking for more affordable portraits and

other photographic services as well. She gave it a moniker of its own.

The way she and her team executed the expansion reinforces a

fundamental concept in professional photography: Your brand is

sacred. Botticelli’s savvy in opening a wholly separate storefront

protects the desires and comfort of both clientele. Turn to her story

on p. 74 to learn more. �

Cameron Bishopp

Director of publications

[email protected]

technical editorsANDREW RODNEY, ELLIS VENER

director of publicationsCAMERON BISHOPP

[email protected]

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Professional Photographers of America229 Peachtree St., NE, Suite 2200Atlanta, GA 30303-1608404-522-8600; 800-786-6277FAX: 404-614-6400www.ppa.com

2007-2008 PPA board

president*JACK REZNICKICr.Photog., [email protected]

president-elect*DENNIS CRAFT M.Photog.Cr., CPP, API, [email protected]

vice-president/treasurer*RONALD NICHOLSM.Photog.Cr., [email protected]

chairman of the board*MICHAEL GLEN TAYLORM.Photog.Cr.Hon.M.Photog.,API, [email protected]

directorsRONNIE NORTON ABI, Qualified EuropeanPhotographer, Associate of the Irish [email protected]

LOUIS TONSMEIRE Cr.Photog., [email protected]

DON DICKSONM.Photog.Cr., [email protected]

SANDY PUC’ M.Photog.Cr., CPP, [email protected]

RALPH ROMAGUERA, SR.M.Photog.Cr., CPP, API, [email protected]

CAROL ANDREWSM.Photog.Cr., [email protected]

SUSAN MICHALM.Photog.Cr., CPP, [email protected]

TIMOTHY WALDENM.Photog.Cr., [email protected]

industry advisorMICHAEL [email protected]

legal counselHowe and Hutton, Chicago

PPA staffDAVID TRUST Chief Executive Officer [email protected]

SCOTT KURKIANChief Financial [email protected]

CAMERON BISHOPP Director of [email protected]

DANA GROVES Director of Marketing &[email protected]

SCOTT HERSHDirector of Sales & Strategic [email protected]

J. ALEXANDER HOPPERDirector of Membership,Copyright and [email protected]

WILDA OKEN Director of [email protected]

LENORE TAFFEL Director of Events/[email protected]

*Executive Committee

12 • www.ppmag.com

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14 • www.ppmag.com

folio| Comprising images selected from the files of the PPA Loan Collection, Folio is a monthly sample ofaward-winning photography by PPA members. The Loan Collection is a select group of some 500photographs chosen annually by the PPA print judges from more than 5,000 entries.

TIM OSTERMEYER“The entertainment value of this image is that there are four long telephoto lenses withminimum focal length of more than 10 feet to photograph polar bears in the distance, but thisbear was less than 3 feet away,” says Tim Ostermeyer, M.Photog.Cr., CPP, of OstermeyerPhotography in Allen, Texas. With a Canon EOS A2E 35mm camera and 100-400mm Canonf/4.5-5.6L IS USM EF lens, Ostermeyer exposed “Polar Paparazzi” for 1/125 second at f/8,ISO 400, on Fujicolor NPH 400 Professional film. Though the image didn’t originally merit,“The late, great photographer and wonderful person Buddy Stewart asked the judges toreconsider,” says Ostermeyer. “He saw the humor and challenges of getting this photograph.”

©Tim Ostermeyer

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MOLLIE ISAACSHired by an architect to photograph a series of model homes in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, Mollie Isaacs, M.Photog.MEI.Cr., of F2Photographic Design in Kill Devil Hills, N.C., created “Simple Sophistication” for the client’s Web site. Shooting with a Canon EOS 20D digitalSLR and 20-35mm Canon f/3.5 USM EF lens, Isaacs exposed the frame for about 1 second at f/22, ISO 400. Isaacs performed minorretouching, tinting the back window soft pink and removing distortion caused by the wide-angle lens.

DON MONTEAUX“Contrary to popular belief, this image was not a composite made in Photoshop,” says Don Monteaux, M.Photog., CPP, of Virginia Beach, Va.While driving toward Hatteras, N.C., Monteaux saw this gaggle of geese walking single file along the dunes. He captured “Grounded” with aCanon EOS-1D Mark II digital SLR and 24-105mm Canon f/3.5 II USM EF lens, exposing the frame for 1/250 second at f/8. The only digitalretouching Monteaux performed was minor enhancement of the sky in Adobe Photoshop.

©Don Monteaux

©Mollie Isaacs

16 • www.ppmag.com

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CONTACT SHEETWhat’s New, Events, Hot Products, Great Ideas, Etc.

InspirationFive-star accommodationsmeet top flight talent at the 2008 SundancePhotographic Workshops

©Eddie Soloway

Sundance style

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The popular Sundance Photographic Workshop

kicks off the year with a series of travel,

landscape, nature and portrait photography

classes in three seasonal sessions. Set amid

the breathtaking scenery of Utah’s Sundance

Resort, the Workshops are headlined by

award-winning photographers Nevada

Wier, Eddie Soloway, Bobbi Lane, Tony

Sweet, Brenda Tharp and Tom Bol.

Founded by actor and environmentalist

Robert Redford in 1969, the Sundance Resort

lies in a canyon in the shadow of scenic Mt.

Timpanogos, about an hour’s drive south of

Salt Lake City.

With classes sizes capped at 15 students,

there’s plenty of opportunity for one-on-one

instruction. Between sessions, students are

free to roam the grounds of the five-star

resort, one of Forbes magazine’s Top 10

Coolest Resorts.

The spring Workshops, May 7-11, emphasize

travel and landscape photography. The courses

are: “Photographing on the Move” with Nevada

Wier, and “A Natural Eye” with Eddie Soloway.

The summer Workshops, August 25-29, offer

tutorial-style training in nature and portrait

photography. The Workshops are: “Exploring

Your Personal Vision” with jazz performer

turned nature photographer Tony Sweet, and

“Portraits on Location” with commercial

photographer Bobbi Lane. The fall Workshops,

November 5-9, focus on travel and adven-

ture sports photography. Outdoor and travel

photographer Brenda Tharp presents “The

Art of Travel Photography: Capturing the

Essence,” and Tom Bol shares his sports and

environmental portrait skills in “People in

the Landscape.”

Evenings include a reception and dinner

with presentations by the instructors. Tuition

is $1,100 with one scholarship available per

workshop. Meals and lodging are not included.

For more information, visitwww.sundanceworkshop.com.

February 2008 • Professional Photographer • 21

©Brenda Tharp

©Eddie Soloway

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New York City’s Morgan Library & Museum

presents an exhibition of modern photography,

showcasing its first major acquisitions in this

field, through April 13. “Close Encounters:

Irving Penn Portraits of Artists and Writers”

features 67 portraits of influential artists,

authors, and performers of the 20th century.

Acquired in 2007, this rare collection of gela-

tin silver prints is an extraordinary visual record

of some of the greatest creative minds of the

period, including T.S. Eliot, Truman Capote,

Arthur Miller, Tennessee Williams, Aaron

Copland, Richard Rodgers, and Oscar

Hammerstein II.

A resident of New York City for more than

50 years, Penn (b. 1917) began his career as a

photographer in the 1940s at Vogue magazine.

His compositions not only helped define the

look of the magazine, but established a ground-

breaking aesthetic for modernist photography.

“Irving Penn’s incisive portraits illustrate

a rich and defining period in this city’s

cultural history,” says Charles E. Pierce Jr.,

director of The Morgan Library & Museum.

“Many of Penn’s subjects are artistic and

literary icons whose own drawings, musical

scores, manuscripts, and books are

represented in the Morgan’s growing

twentieth-century collections.”

“Each of these works is a vivid record of

the encounter between Penn and his subject,”

says guest curator Peter Barberie. “If a funda-

mental task of portraiture is to capture sub-

jects differently than they present themselves

to the world, then Penn has succeeded

admirably. He enters into hard negotiation

with every personality that stops in front of

his camera and, very often, he wins.”

More than one-third of the exhibition com-

prises works from the 1940s, images that por-

tray the evolution and maturation of Penn’s

style. In 1947, he began photographing subjects

seated on or before a draped rug, subjects such

as Salvador Dalí, whose persona generally

dominated whatever milieu he appeared in.

Yet on Penn’s rug, Dalí, if still stylish and

defiant, looks caught.

In 1948, Penn defined a corner of his studio

with movable walls, and directed sitters to

inhabit the restricted space. Among these

portraits is one of Marcel Duchamp, svelte

and elegantly posed, who becomes a tall line

that echoes the lines of the corner itself; and

Georgia O’Keeffe, who as Alfred Stieglitz’s

wife and model was acclimated to being

photographed, looking wary standing unposed.

In the 1950s, Penn begin to capture subjects

up close, sometimes cropping their forms to

accentuate the two-dimensional design of

the composition or filling a large frame solely

with a bust or head. In Penn’s iconic 1957

image of Picasso, the artist’s face is cloaked

in the shadow of his wide-brimmed hat, his

body by a dark overcoat, leaving only the

piercing stare of a single illuminated eye to

glare from the center of the photograph.

Penn is also known for his celebrated

group portraits, such as the 1967 photograph

“Rock Groups,” picturing Janis Joplin and

Big Brother and the Holding Company

alongside the Grateful Dead in San Francisco,

both groups on the brink of frenzied stardom.

If you go to just one exhibition this year,

make it “Close Encounters” at the Morgan.

For more information, go towww.themorgan.org

CONTACT SHEET

22 • www.ppmag.com

Close encountersSix decades of Irving Penn’s work at the Morgan Library & Museum

Arthur Miller, New York, 1983

© Irving Penn, gelatin silver print from an edition of 14, 1984

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This isn’t a struggle to save Carnegie Hall

from demolition, which she helped fight in

the 1960s when the city bought the 117-year-

old property. This time it’s Carnegie Hall vs.

Carnegie Hall. The venue’s management

intends to evict tenants who live above the

concert hall, many of whom, like Sherman,

have been there for decades. They refuse to

go quietly. Tenants in some 50 studios have

filed a lawsuit.

Carnegie Hall studio apartments have been

home to such arts luminaries as Isadora

Duncan, Marlon Brando, Leonard Bernstein

and Martha Graham. In 1947 Sherman moved

in with her ailing husband (who died in 1954)

five children and an already antique 8x10

camera, with which she made portraits.

Back then the studios were advertised as

places where artists could live and work for

a philanthropically motivated low rent. In

her five decades above the rapping of tap

shoes and the discord of orchestral tuning,

Sherman photographed inventors, poets and

writers, including Carl Sandberg and Pearl

S. Buck, and Broadway and Hollywood

stars, among them Yul Brynner (left), Tyrone

Power, Boris Karloff and Henry Fonda.

Today the youthful faces of Golden Age

celebrities gaze from frames covering the

walls of Sherman’s studio, where the decades-

old sign, “Celebrity Camera Portraits,” still

hangs on the door. “Most of the people I

photographed are dead now,” she laments.

The dramatic lighting in those portraits is

due in part to the graceful north light flooding

in through a skylight 40 feet overhead. “I

used to rent out my studio to Vogue magazine,”

she says. “It was in demand at that time,

thanks to the skylight. It was annoying,

because I had to stop my photography, but it

paid well and I had these five children to

raise so I needed the income.” Some of the

photographers turned the camera on her

(above), as evidenced in numerous pictures

displayed in the studio, often wearing

vintage clothes once worn by Gloria

Vanderbilt’s mother. Andy Warhol both

photographed her and made a short film of

her at work in her studio.

Sherman had learned photography from

her father, Italian-born portraitist Nunzio

Rinalo, who had immigrated to New

Jersey. By age 10 in 1922, Sherman was

working with her father in the darkroom,

CONTACT SHEET

The Duchess ofCarnegie HallPhotographer Editta Sherman is legendary

24 • www.ppmag.com

Recently, 95-year-old portrait photographer Editta Sherman hadlittle time to talk with a reporter on the phone. She was busy sav-ing Carnegie Hall of New York, her home of 61 years. At an up-coming gathering, she plans to auction some of her famous photo-graphs and sell copies of the book “Facades,” a 1978 collaborationof Sherman and New York Times photographer Bill Cunningham,and donate the proceeds to the hall’s legal defense team.

Photo of Editta Sherman by Roberta Ciacci

©Editta Sherman

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and by 16 was helping him photograph

weddings. “I didn’t have much of a

childhood because I was so involved in his

photography,” she says.

Photography remained a hobby until

her husband’s illness made her the family’s

sole breadwinner. She set up a studio in

Martha’s Vineyard to attract the wealthy

crowd who vacationed there. She earned

enough referrals to relocate to the Carnegie

Hall studio, where she converted the

kitchen into a darkroom. Many years later

when photographer Bill Cunningham

moved in, he dubbed her the “Duchess of

Carnegie Hall.” The nickname is so apt

that it stuck.

Sherman still does portraits occasionally,

these days mostly of non-celebrities. “Back

in the day I was pretty well known, but

now the young ones are coming up and the

older ones are dying off.” Nevertheless, she

continues to get calls. “You know, there’s no

difference between a celebrity and non-

celebrity as long as they pay the price!”

Lorna Gentry is a freelance writer in Atlanta. ©Editta Sherman

In her five decades above the rapping of tap shoesand the discord of orchestra tuning, Shermanphotographed inventors, poets and writers.

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How many photographers have made

photographs at a national park or anywhere

that requires a Special Use or Filming

Permit from the government? With high a

price tag, unclear definitions, and narrow

application windows, seeking a permit can

be stressful. Several photographic associations

are collaborating to redress the process.

Professional Photographers of America

(PPA), Commercial Photographers Interna-

tional, the Society of Sport & Event Photogra-

phers, the Student Photographic Society and

Evidence Photographers International Council

are speaking with two entities, the Department

of Interior and the New York City Mayor’s Office

of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting (MOTFB).

The Department of the Interior proposed

streamlining the permits that apply to land

managed by the National Park Service, Bureau

of Land Management and Fish and Wildlife

service. Laudable, yes, although the associations

also want to address the high fees and loose

terms that remain in the proposed change.

For instance, photographers pay a location

fee of $50 to $250, plus a varying cost recovery

fee for application processing and operating

expenses associated with the photo session.

Having to pay the cost recovery component—

whether or not a permit is granted—is likely to

be a financial burden to many photographers.

PPA maintains that professional photogra-

phers covering a school class or family portrait,

working with only a tripod and a reflector,

make less impact on a site than moviemakers

or commercial shooters, and should not have

to pay as much. PPA asked for clarification of

the department’s definition of “commercial

photography,” “model,” “sets” and “props,” to

stem confusion over how photographers are to

classify the work they plan to do, which influ-

ences their decision to apply for a costly permit.

In regard to the MOTFB proposal to

amend Title 43 of the Rules of the City of

New York, the associations submitted com-

ments for the second time. MOTFB wants

to include Chapter 9, an ordinance requiring

photographers, filmmakers and others to

obtain a permit on a first-come, first-served

basis before photographing, filming or

otherwise broadcasting on city property.

MOTFB released a revised draft on

October 29 that’s more favorable to the

photographers. The ordinance now applies

to causing “obstruction of daily activities”

rather than the number of people and kind

of equipment that will be used.

MOTFB also intends to offer an optional

permit that would allow photographers to

apply for a permit, even if the project doesn’t

warrant what’s now termed a “required

permit.” The optional permit should enable

photographers to complete outdoor assign-

ments on city property.

While no final rule decisions have been

issued by either the Department of Interior

or the MOTFB, PPA and its allied organiza-

tions are vigilantly monitoring these and

other issues related to film and still pho-

tography permits.

For more information, visit www.ppa.com.

28 • www.ppmag.com

CONTACT SHEET

Public placesPhotography permit rules need monitoring

©Rita A. Bales

Page 29: Professional photographer 2008 02

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Page 30: Professional photographer 2008 02

Albums“ Collages.net albums have superior print quality, the ordering process is effortless, and the customer service is above exceptional. However, the basis of my choice doesn’t do the product justice until seeing it fi rst-hand. Plus, the feedback from my studios’ clients is phenomenal! With an abundance of attractive and vibrant leather color choices available for covers, my clients always fi nd the perfect fi t for their album. As the owner of three busy studios, I’d like to thank Collages.net

albums for taking yet another product to the next level. ”

Julie MadisonArtistic ImagingLas Vegas

High-End Cards“Uniquely beautiful, high-class, and extremely professional are all phrases my clients use to describe Collages.net’s high-end cards. Adding this

product to my studio’s line couldn’t have been a more profi table choice. Not only has it greatly increased my bookings, but it has increased the appreciation and the quality of my work. There isn’t another card product that comes close to this innovative, personal product line.”

DeeDee DallasD2 Photography

Riverside, CA

Gallery Wraps“ Extraordinary is the best way I can describe Collages.net’s gallery wrap line. I have several gallery wraps displayed at my studio, and my clients love them. Not only do these products sell themselves, but Collages.net’s lab turns them around quickly, their specialists go above and beyond to help you, and Collages.net’s print quality

is fi rst class. Collages.net has exceeded my clients and my expectations once again!”

Dan DokeDaniel Doke PhotographyBoston

Listening. Creating.

xx-collagespd.indd 2 1/15/08 1:19:51 PM

Page 31: Professional photographer 2008 02

Press Printed Books“Collages.net’s press printed book collection is a key part of our studio’s high-end product line. The hard cover, hand-sewn books are very popular with both our wedding and portrait clients.

The variety of sizes, colors, and templates allow us to create everything from proof books to customized books.

Brittany and Eric HansonBLR Life Photography

Las Vegas

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Brett ChisholmBrett Chisholm Photography

Houston

Check out Collages.net’s comprehensive product line at www.collages.net/products.

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©2008 Collages.net Inc. All rights reserved. Photos are ©2008 of their respective photographers.

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February 2008 • Professional Photographer • 33

Professional Photographer P R E S E N T S Business, Marketing and Sales Strategies

What I thinkLouise Botticelli staysahead of the game

What’s the biggest business risk you’ve ever taken?

About three years ago, I decided to expand the busi-

ness to accommodate the clientele who were look-

ing for more of a modestly priced, less elaborate pho-

tography experience. It was risky, setting up my

own competition within the same area.

What’s the secret to running a successful photography

business? Continuously evaluate and reevaluate

what the market is looking for and figure out how

to make it work for your business. Choose a lab

that cares about the success of your business and

gives you the support you need to grow.

What’s your deal breaker? A long time ago, I had

a client who kept negotiating and bargaining with

me about the price of his portrait, and I felt

uncomfortable. After the portrait was delivered,

the client apologized, and said he and his family

loved it so much that I couldn’t buy it back from

him for any amount. Now I tell people, if you do

not love your portrait, I will buy them back from

you. Well, I don’t have a gallery of other people’s

portraits in my house!

What’s your motto? Look for the good in

people, and it will show in your portraits and in

your business.

IMAGE BY LOUISE BOTTICELLI

WWW.BOTTICELLIPORTRAITS.COM

Page 34: Professional photographer 2008 02

Photography by Gregory Heisler.

epson.indd 1 1/15/08 1:18:13 PM

Page 35: Professional photographer 2008 02

Epson Stylus Pro 4880, 7880, 9880 and 11880Epson Stylus Pro 4880, 7880, 9880 and 11880

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Introducing the all new Epson StylusIntroducing the all new Epson Stylus®® Pro Series. Redefining the perfect print. Pro Series. Redefining the perfect print.

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Page 36: Professional photographer 2008 02

Before you can think about generating

desire for your brand, you have to create a

consistent identity. There must be a con-

sistent look to everything about your

business that the public sees, including

your logo, the colors you use, your signage,

your business forms, even your photography.

Think of your logo as your face. A logo

can be letters, symbols, graphic elements,

pictures or a combination of any and all of

them. The key is to create a unique logo and

stick with it. My best advice is to hire a pro-

fessional graphic designer to help you create

an identity package you can use for years. It

is an investment in the future of your brand.

Last February, after years of working in

the family’s photography studio in Indiana,

Jeff and Michelle Richardson decided to

branch out and open a studio of their own

in another Hoosier town, Bloomington.

They agreed to spare no cost in creating a

new identity for Richardson Studio Ltd.,

including engaging just the right graphic

artist and brand manager. The Richardsons

understand that the power of a brand

depends on having a strong identity from

the beginning, and braced themselves for

the process to take as long as necessary.

36 • www.ppmag.com

With a strong visual identity, you give yourbusiness a face. Repetition and consistencyturn your logo and branding into a familiarface that your clients will grow to love.

Identity crisisCREATING A LOGO AND BRAND

SARAH PETTY, CPPTHE JOY OF MARKETINGTM

Building a brand identity takes consistency, notjust in the usage of your logo, but in colors, styleand the message of your marketing material.

All photos ©Richardson Studio

Page 37: Professional photographer 2008 02

Partnering with a local graphic designer,

they started with nothing more than a few

words they liked and some sketches, and the

identity began to evolve. In addition to a

logo and color palette, the Richardsons

wanted to include sketches of people in their

brand identity, but not in the logo itself.

They’ll use the sketches in their marketing,

and eventually people will automatically

associate any arty renderings of people with

the studio. When creating wallets for high

school seniors, they might print a sketch of a

girl in the corner. For a promotional piece

about family photography, they could use

sketches of an entire family.

Another part of their identity includes a

shortened, initials-only version of the

company’s name, RS, which is imprinted

on all of their images. It works because it’s

been consistently used from the start. If

you choose to use a symbol or your initials

in a shorthand version of your identity, it

must be done the same way each time. To

tie the two versions together, look for

opportunities to use both versions in places

like your blog.

Your logo must withstand the test of

time. Coca-Cola has retained its logo for

more than 100 years—I’m sure that over the

years graphic designers were clamoring for a

crack at creating a new logo for this high-

profile company. The company’s executives

had enough faith in the brand to resist. I’ve

heard small business owners say they’re

bored with their logo, but it isn’t until you’re

about sick of it that others actually start to

notice it. Repetition and consistency are the

keys to creating a successful identity. They

must exist early on to get people emotionally

attached to your brand.

When you meet with your graphic

designer, the more information you can pass

along about your vision, the better job the

designer will do. Show examples of your

photographic style and the style you want

for your studio. If your photography style

and your studio are both traditional, then

your logo and identity should have a

traditional flavor. If you want to reposition

your business as more contemporary, then

display contemporary images and style your

studio accordingly. Contrasting elements in

your identity will only cause confusion.

Never let anyone who is reproducing

something for you try to recreate your logo.

Always give the printer a vector file of your

logo, even if it’s in a standard font. It will

February 2008 • Professional Photographer • 37

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Page 38: Professional photographer 2008 02

guarantee the scale and the spacing

between the letters is accurate. It makes

me wince to see the names of prominent

businesses set in a style other than their

logo. Once you have your logo and detailed

specifications figured out, put a copy of

them in a folder on your desktop so they’re

always readily available.

To stay fresh in your business, you can

use trendy fonts, colors and designs in your

marketing and promotional materials. The

key is to stay true to the face of your busi-

ness, your logo. If you feel your logo is dated

or needs to be changed to reposition your

business, make a 100-percent commit-

ment—including financial—and follow

through with everything you use. If it’s

handled well, it can create buzz that your

business is growing and evolving. Replace

the old logo on everything, from signage, to

business cards, to mailing labels. Even if you

have a huge pile of letterhead remaining, be

strong and take it to the recycling bin.

Having your old logo anyplace will weaken

your brand in the mind of the consumer.

Once you have a new identity, define

the usage parameters so you know how it

will look in color, black and white, on

your prints, in ads, everywhere it will be

used. Finally, protect your identity as if it’s

your child. �

Sarah Petty Photography is in Springfield,

Ill. (www.sarahpetty.com).

38 • www.ppmag.com

THE JOY OF MARKETINGTM

• As with selecting a photographer, price

isn’t necessarily a primary factor in choosing

a graphic designer. Because it’s such a

major part of your business plan, the goal

is finding a designer who gets you.

• When interviewing candidates, ask

tons of questions about their portfolios,

about the kind of direction the clients gave

them, about problems they might have

encountered and how they resolved them.

• Ask to see the first round of logos that

have been presented to a past client so you

know what to expect when it is your turn.

Are they rough pencil sketches or are they

detailed computer-generated files?

• Ask how many proposed logos they’ll

show you and what happens if you don’t

feel the designs represent you.

• Ask for references and call them to see

how they liked working with the designer.

• Ask if he met deadlines, and if he

missed the mark, how he handle the

situation.

• Offer to trade professional services

in-kind.

• Start a design file for your designer.

The more direction you give regarding your

likes and dislikes, the more efficiently the

designer can pick up on your style.

• Stress that your logo needs to be

strong in black and white as well as color.

Ask your designer to show you both ways.

• Discuss font choices. Because you

should plan on keeping the logo for at least

10 years, don’t choose a highly stylized,

trendy font.

• There must be some chemistry between

you and the graphic designer. You need to

be able to bounce ideas off each other and

come up with better ideas together.

TIPS FOR FINDING A GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Richardson Studio imprints an abbreviatedversion of its company name, the initials RS,and a sketched figure on all of its images.

Page 39: Professional photographer 2008 02
Page 40: Professional photographer 2008 02

Labs throughout the industry are offering

high-quality, reasonably priced book lines,

printed on digital offset presses, with a

menu of binding and cover options. Would

offering such books be profitable for your

studio? Considers these factors:

TIME. In a one-person studio, you can’t

afford to invest countless hours designing a

book that may never sell. You can design the

individual pages in Adobe Photoshop and

many other programs, some of which provide

templates. You don’t have to compromise

your creativity. Some of the applications have

stylish, attractive templates with ample choices

for each page. You could do a complete book

design in as little as 30 minutes.

Whether you use templates or custom

Photoshop layouts, the image file preparation

is crucial to the finished look. Most labs want

flattened JPEG files, and some require page

numbers and elaborate layout specifications.

If the lab has a ROES software ordering

system for books, you don’t have to hassle

with tracking page numbers, and you can

adjust the layout without remaking the entire

book. Once the images or pages are loaded

into the ROES software, you can check the

layout, and even render a printed image for

client approval. When the layout and design

are approved, uploading the book is easy.

WILL IT SELL? Consumers know they

can have photographs printed on pillows,

mugs, cards, practically anything. Professional

photographers should select only the

products that will reflect the value of your

work. You can develop and market high-

quality books in many ways, from children’s

portraiture to seniors to weddings.

One photographer offers a “Baby’s Life:

Volume 1” book as part of a package clients

purchase before the birth of the child. The

package includes sittings at 1, 3 and 9

months old, and age 1, and the book can

include sonogram images. Clients can also

opt to have photographs made on the day of

the birth at the hospital. The finished book

will feature images from every session. Of

course, this arrangement provides ample

opportunities to make additional sales of

portraits and add-ons from each session.

The delivery of the Volume 1 includes a

coupon toward a Volume 2 package, a book

with images from two sessions over the next

year, in addition to other images the parents

want to include.

High school seniors can be tempted into

having a personal yearbook made with images

from the senior session and others they’d like

to include. Printed just before graduation,

the book can include pages for friends and

family to write in personal messages.

Wedding albums produced as coffee

table books are already popular. In most

cases, clients can order a large-format book

with a designer cover, as well as smaller, less

richly bound versions with the same layout.

MARKETING VALUE. Though often

considered an add-on, a press-printed book

can have value for your studio beyond a one-

time sale. Parents and newlyweds proudly show

these books to everyone, giving you word-of-

mouth endorsements from happy customers.

A 20-page soft-cover book generally costs

the studio less than $25, and a survey of

studios shows it retailing for $49 to $69.

There are volumes of stories out there just

waiting for your creative touch to tell them. �

Kalen Henderson is a photographer, studio con-sultant, and teacher (www.kalenhenderson.comand www.hendphoto.com). Her lab is AmericanColor Imaging, a provider of press-printedbooks and free software to create and uploadyour own design (www.acilab.com).

PROFIT CENTER KALEN HENDERSON, M.PHOTOG.MEI .CR. , CPP, AP I

40 • www.ppmag.com

Labs now offer gorgeous book lines hot off the digital offsetpress. How do you decide if this product is right for you?

Buying into books

©Kalen Henderson

Page 41: Professional photographer 2008 02

41 buckeye.indd 1 1/15/08 1:13:30 PM

Page 42: Professional photographer 2008 02

French novelist Victor Hugo wisely said, “He

who every morning plans the transactions of

the day and follows out that plan carries a

thread that will guide him through the labyrinth

of the most busy life. …But where no plan is

laid, where the disposal of time is surrendered

merely to the chance of incident, chaos will

soon reign.”

I’ve been using a things-to-do list for the

last 30-some years, and it’s truly one of my

secrets for success. More than a list, it’s a

plan, and that’s why it is so effective.

If you use this tool every day, you will

accomplish more than you dreamed

possible, and you’ll do it in less time and

with less effort. You’ll also earn more

money with your photography. First thing

in the morning, sit in a quiet place in your

home and work on your things-to-do list.

Devote about 20 minutes to it every

morning, and you’ll save yourself hours of

wasted time. It keeps you focused on what’s

most important, and helps organize your

day, week and month to keep you on the

path to success.

To be begin, on a sheet of paper, draw a

line drawn down the middle. On the left

side, write everything that needs to be

done; the order of the items doesn’t matter.

Keep the list with you throughout the day

and add tasks as they arise. The following

morning, review the list, then copy it onto a

new piece of paper, updating it and

reorganizing it, writing what you consider

the most important things at the top of the

PROFIT CENTER CHARLES J . LEWIS, M.PHOTOG.CR.

Time is more valuable than money. Everyone has thesame amount of time in a day, it’s a question of how you organize, prioritize and invest it in growing.

Do more in less time and prosper

42 • www.ppmag.com

Page 43: Professional photographer 2008 02

new list. Delete tasks accomplished the day

before and add new items that have arisen.

As you review the list, write an “A” next

to items that are important to the accom-

plishment of your long-term goals, a “B”

next to items moderately important to your

long-term goals, and a “C” next to tasks that

have little to do with achieving your long-

term goals. You know how important it is to

write down key goals for your life and your

business, and prioritizing daily tasks this

way keeps you aware of what you’re

working so hard for.

Look at the A items on the list, and

consider if there’s anyone you could delegate

these tasks to. Look at the remaining A

items and prioritize them from 1 to 6.

That’s all you’re going to worry about today.

Just the top six. Now copy those top six

items onto the right side of the paper, in

order of priority.

When you get to work, begin with the

top item on the list. If the phone rings, and

if you’re the one responsible for answering

the phone, answer it. When you’ve taken

care of the caller, go right back to working

on the task. If you have an appointment,

keep it, then return to working on the task.

When you finish it, proudly scratch it off

the list, and begin work on the second most

important task.

Perhaps this sounds too easy, but if you

adopt and use this simple system, you’ll be

amazed at how organized and focused you

become. The first few days or weeks will feel

strange, but you’ll soon see exciting improve-

ment in your productivity and profits. �

For more information from Charles J. Lewis,visit www.cjlewis.com.

“I’ve been using a things-to-do list for thelast 30-some years, and it’s truly one of my secrets for success. More than a list, it’s a plan, and that’s why it is so effective.”

February 2008 • Professional Photographer • 43

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Page 45: Professional photographer 2008 02

February 2008 • Professional Photographer • 45

Professional Photographer P R E S E N T S Products, Technology and Services

What I likeKerry Brett Hurleyfell hard for digital

What makes your workflow flow?

Adobe Lightroom. When working with

tight deadlines for my magazine I feel

that I can edit super fast.

What's the best equipment investment

you've ever made? My first digital camera.

I bought the Canon EOS-1DS Mark II and

was blown away with what I could do.

What hot new product are you going to

go out of your way to use? Larson's half-

and-half reflector and BellaGrafica's

marketing materials.

Has a piece of equipment ever changed

the way you approach your photography?

I love the Canon EOS-1D Mark III.

I can do back to back beach sessions at

night and I don't have to worry about

the light falling because I can push the

ISO and basically shoot in the dark.

What's the one piece of gear they'd have

to pry from your cold, dead fingers? My

70-200mm lens.

IMAGE BY KERRY BRETT HURLEY

WWW.BRETTPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

Page 46: Professional photographer 2008 02

THE GOODS: PRO REVIEW

All im

ages ©E

llis Vener

Nikon incorporates the design and functionimprovements working photographers have beenasking for in its new ASP-C class DSLRs.BY ELL IS VENER

Amazing NIKON D300

This image and the detail above show the impressiveamount of detail and low noise level even in a long exposurein low light. Exposure: .4 seconds at f/8, ISO 200, -1 EV.

Front view, Nikon D300

Rear view, Nikon D300

Page 47: Professional photographer 2008 02

Wireless Radio Triggering9 1 4 - 3 4 7 - 3 3 0 0PocketWizard.com

SmartTransceiverNEW PocketWizard PLUS II

Profoto, Norman, and PhotogenicMonoblocsA built-in radio receiver provideswireless triggeringfrom a PocketWizardTransmitter and wireless metering.

Profoto, Dyna-Lite,Norman Packs andBattery PacksA built-in radio receiver provideswireless triggeringfrom a PocketWizardTransmitter and wireless metering.

The Plus II joins the growing system of photographic products with built-inPocketWizard Wireless Freedom. Ask for these brands.

SekonicL-758DRL-358Choose which flash unit to trigger and measure simultaneously and even fire your camera.

PocketWizard Plus II MultiMaxTrigger your flash, cameras or both without wires from thepalm of your hand.

Triggers your flash, camera or both wirelessly from up to 1,600 feet away.Auto-Sensing Transceiver TechnologyAutomatically Transmits or Receives forfaster, easier, carefree wireless triggering.Auto-Relay modeWirelessly triggers a remote camera and a remote flash at the same time.Fast Triggering SpeedTriggers cameras and/or flash units up to 12 frames per second.Digital Wireless Radio TechnologyFour 16-bit digitally coded channelsprovide the world’s best triggering performance.

Page 48: Professional photographer 2008 02

The theme of the advertisements for Nikon’s

new ASP-C class DSLR is “The new Nikon

D300 vs. compromise.” That’s a bold

challenge. Since I’m both as hopeful for

great things and as wary of hype as the next

guy, I had to test the D300 for myself, not in

a lab but the real world. After a modicum of

testing under controlled circumstances,

most of this review is informed by simply

going out and shooting photographs.

These days, the criteria for choosing a

DSLR camera go beyond resolution; now

you have to weigh the whole package: the

accuracy and speed of the auto-focus system,

the ISO sensitivity range, the dynamic range

of the signal, the TTL flash control, the

range of compatible lenses, the ergonomics,

and above all, the quality of straight-from-

the-camera color to speed the workflow.

Clearly, Nikon has been listening to working

photographers, and put that information

into the design and functionality of this

camera and its much larger sister, the D3.

Built around a 15.8x23.6mm, 12.3-effective-

megapixel sensor array, the D300 weighs 1.82

pounds and is slightly larger than the D200.

The APS-C format (in contrast to the 24x36mm

format) is a boon for telephoto fans, but a

slight bane for ultra-wide-angle fans. As for

the angle of view, a 200mm f/2.8 lens used

with APS-C format equals a 300mm f/2.8

on the larger format, while a 20mm lens

covers the angle of only a 30mm lens. The

viewfinder magnification is a respectable

.94X with 100-percent coverage of the frame,

in contrast to about 95 percent with the D200.

Even better is the larger new high-resolution

LCD display; 3 inches on the diagonal, it’s a

920,000-dot (VGA) screen with a 170-degree

viewing angle, which translates into a full-

screen 2.25x1.5-inch, full-format image display.

A tap of the zoom button gets you a full-

screen, 2.375x1.8125-inch view. When

reviewing an image at any magnification other

than full view, one tap of the OK button

takes you back to the full view. A second tap

opens a limited set of in-camera, post-

capture manipulation options: D-lighting,

trim (cropping), monochrome conversion,

filter effects, and color balance.

Other improved handling characteristics

include the relocation of the control buttons,

now on the back of the camera, reflecting a

more natural set of options. The D200’s

rarely used bracket button, located on the

far left of the viewfinder, becomes the image

review button on the D300, and the D200’s

review button at the top left of the LCD

display is now the menu button. In the

location of the D200’s menu button, the

D300 sports a control for three items:

image lock when you’re reviewing images, a

large display of the camera settings when

you aren’t, and info about the highlighted

48 • www.ppmag.com

specs: Nikon D300

SENSOR: 3:2 aspect ratio, 23.6x15.8mm APS-C format CMOS

RESOLUTION: 12.3 effective megapixels (4,288x2,828 pixels)

METERING: TTL full-aperture exposure metering, using 1,005-pixel RGB sensor: 3D

Color Matrix Metering II (type G and D lenses); Color Matrix Metering II (other CPU

lenses); center-weighted; spot metering

SHOOTING SPEED: Continuous shooting up to 6 fps

ISO SENSITIVITY: ISO 200 to 3200 in steps of 1/3, 1/2 or 1 EV, with additional 0.3,

0.5, 0.7 and 1 EV (ISO 100 equivalent) under ISO 200 and 0.3, 0.5, 0.7 and 1 EV (ISO

6400 equivalent) over ISO 3200

SHUTTER SPEED: 1/8,000 second to 30 seconds in steps of 1/3, 1/2 or 1 EV, bulb

WHITE BALANCE: Auto (TTL white balance with 1,005-pixel RGB sensor), seven

manual modes with fine-tuning, color temperature setting, white-balance bracketing

possible (2 to 9 frames in 1/3 increments)

VIEWFINDER: SLR-type with fixed eye-level pentaprism; built-in diopter adjustment

(-2.0 to +1.0 m-1); approx. 100 percent coverage; about 0.94X magnification with a

50mm lens at infinity

LCD MONITOR: 3-inch, about 920,000-dot (VGA), 170-degree wide viewing angle,

100 percent frame coverage

LIVE VIEW: handheld shooting mode—TTL phase-difference AF with 51 focus areas (15

cross-type sensors); tripod shooting mode—focal-plane contrast AF on a desired point

within a specific area

LENS MOUNT: Nikon F Mount with AF coupling and AF contacts

LENS COMPATIBILITY: DX AF Nikkor all functions; other Nikkor lenses with limited function

FLASH: Nikon i-TTL Speedlight flash units; built-in Speedlight—manual pop-up with

button release; ISO 200 guide number (meters) about 17. X sync 1/250 second; flash

sync up to 1/320 second

STORAGE: CompactFlash

PRICE: $1,799 body only

THE GOODS: PRO REVIEW

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Page 50: Professional photographer 2008 02

menu choice. When you’re reviewing

images, navigating between a grid of

thumbnails or a magnified section of the

frame is much simpler. The former Enter

button is now the OK button. With the

exception of the autofocus area switch, the

other controls remain the same.

The change in AF mode reflects a definite

upgrade in the autofocus mechanics of the

earlier Nikons, including the D2Xs. The

new Multi-CAM 3500DX autofocus module

incorporates many of the advances in the

3500FX AF of the D3: 15 cross-type sensors

and 36 horizontal sensors, compared to 11

in the D200 and D2Xs. By incorporating

color and brightness info from the 1,005-

pixel 3D Matrix metering system (as filtered

on the fly through Nikon’s Scene Recognition

System algorithms), the D300 does a better

job predicting focus on moving subjects.

According to a technical analysis by

kammagamma.com, in 14-bit per channel

NEF mode, the D300 has an overall dynamic

range of 8.6EV, a full stop greater than the

D200. At a Sendai, Japan, press briefing I

attended last August, Nikon engineers stated

that depending on the lighting and the subject

matter, photographers could expect a 50- to

150-percent increase in highlight dynamic

range. Translation for wedding photographers:

Greater dynamic range means more fine detail

in white-on-white wedding dresses and tux

shirts and in black tuxedo jackets as well.

If you’re shooting subjects with a large

dynamic range, like a man in a black tux

dancing with a woman in a white dress, you

can speed up your processing workflow by

activating the Active D-Lighting option (low,

normal, high or off) under the shooting menu.

Active D-Lighting works on both ends of the

exposure scale, lowering overall exposure to

retain highlight detail, boosting shadow values

to bring out detail separation by applying a

digital simulation of a partial dodge effect.

Then, instead of broadening the dynamic

range to show shadow detail, Active

D-Lighting applies contrast adjustments.

It takes some playing with to figure out

when to use it and with which setting, but

the intention behind Active D-Lighting is to

speed your workflow by handling a commonly

used processing step, exposure, before it

needs to be addressed. Active D-Lighting is

no substitute for real HDR processing, but

combined with the larger dynamic capture

range, it does seem to help. (Active D-Lighting

differs from the standard Nikon D-lighting

compensation that’s applied post capture in-

camera or in Capture NX.)

There are several post-capture processing

options built into the D300 that I didn’t

fully explore, but it’s fair to say there’s a mini

version of Capture NX onboard. Applying

these options creates a JPEG copy of the

original NEF, TIFF or JPEG. (Yes, you can

shoot 24-bit TIFFs if you like.)

Live view on a DSLR is sometimes derided

as being like turning a DSLR into your great-

aunt’s point-and-shoot, but don’t be hasty to

judge. The D300 offers both handheld and

tripod-mounted modes. You can live-preview

a frame on the camera’s LCD rather than in

the viewfinder. The handheld mode is useful

when you can’t hold the camera to your eye.

The tripod mode is designed to help you

determine focus accuracy when shooting

still life, landscapes and architecture. It’s not

quite as good as shooting tethered with a

20-inch monitor, but it works surprisingly

well with the high resolution LCD.

If you already own a D200, the big improve-

ments for you in the D300 are its increased

resolution of fine detail and far better per-

formance at high ISO. I photographed a simple

target in constant daylight with a D200, a

D300 and a D3, using the same 24-70mm

f/2.8G ED Nikkor lens at the same aperture,

to make a series of exposures covering the

THE GOODS: PRO REVIEW

50 • www.ppmag.com

The portrait at right was exposed with theNikon D300 for 1/200 second at f/18, ISO 800,using a 15-55mm Nikkor f/2.8G ED lens andAlienBees and Zeus studio lighting. Above aredetails pulled from the image.

Page 51: Professional photographer 2008 02
Page 52: Professional photographer 2008 02

full range of ISO settings for each camera.

The D300 noticeably out-resolved the D200.

From the L1 setting (about ISO 100) to

ISO 800, the D300 resolution remains near

constant and virtually unaffected by noise. With

the onboard high ISO noise reduction function

turned off, at ISO 800 the noise-to-signal

ratio is noticeable on a good monitor, but

nowhere near as much as with the D200 or

D2X. If you must go to ISO 1600 and higher

(top end is 6400), the resulting images will

be usable, but softer and more noise-freckled

than with the D3. The ability to easily go up

to ISO 800 with only marginal loss of image

quality has big implications for the way we

work—not only can we work in dimmer

ambient light, but we also get broader

lighting tool options.

Nikon Capture NX has also been

updated, and finally comes with the camera

at no additional cost. I usually use Adobe

Photoshop Lightroom for raw processing

and archiving, but I thought it only fair to

give Capture NX a spin. It’s a lot slower than

Lightroom, but it did a markedly better job

of processing D300 and D3 images, before I

started using the targeted U-point controls.

In files processed with Lightroom and Adobe

Photoshop Camera Raw-processed NEFS, I saw

strange artifacts in the high ISO images, mostly

in large areas of reddish colors. These simply

weren’t there in the same images processed

through Capture NX. The difference is great

enough for me to change the way I archive my

NEF files in Lightroom. I’ve started to embed

my original NEFs in the Lightroom-created

DNG folder to use when I need to process

them in Capture NX or a future version of

Lightroom, ACR or other raw processor.

Despite all its improvements, the D300

still has room for future innovation: greater

noise reduction at ISO 800 and above—

presently you have to step up to the D3 for that,

at three times the price; another EV or two

of dynamic range, this time extending into

the low values; and a built-in viewfinder blind

to block meter-foiling stray light when your

eye is away from the camera. While we’re at

it, let’s make Capture NX run as fast as Adobe

Photoshop Lightroom and also be able to

export Capture NX-edited NEF files as DNGs.

If you don’t need a DSLR with a so-

called full-frame sensor (about 24x36mm

sensor), or you don’t have the budget for it,

with an MSRP of $1,799, the Nikon D300

is the king of APS-C class cameras. �

Go to Web Exclusives on www.ppmag.com tosee high ISO GretagMacbeth’s chart shots.

52 • www.ppmag.com

THE GOODS: PRO REVIEW

Page 53: Professional photographer 2008 02
Page 54: Professional photographer 2008 02

Canon repeatedly denied the rumor that

they were developing a 22-megapixel

camera. The new Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III

has a 21.1-megapixel, full-frame CMOS

sensor, so technically the denials were

legitimate. Still, Canon succeeded in keeping

the competition guessing.

With this 21-megapixel DSLR on the

market, the competition has something to

strive for. The EOS-1Ds Mark III has the

highest resolution 36x24mm sensor in a

DSLR. That resolution is a significant increase

over the 16-megapixel ESO-1Ds Mark II, the

previous holder of that distinguished position.

With maximum resolution of 5,616x3,744

pixels, that’s packing a lot of pixels into the

space of a 35mm frame. In fact, it’s closer in

resolution to medium-format digital backs

than to conventional 35mm-type digital

SLRs, but with the advantages in size,

weight and ease of use of those SLRs.

The 1Ds Mark III comes equipped with

dual DIGIC III processors. Without tandem

processing engines, analog to digital (A/D)

conversion and other image processing and

transfer tasks could easily be choke points

with such high-resolution images. With it,

THE GOODS: PRO REVIEW

All im

ages ©R

on Eggers

More than 21 megapixels in a 36x24mm sensorsupported by dual image processors make theEOS-1Ds Mark III the big dog in its league.BY RON EGGERS

Big timeCANON EOS-1DS MARK III

The 1Ds Mark III’s dual DIGIC III processors and 14-bit-per-channel A/D conversion ensure smooth gradi-ents and exceptional skin tone. Model: Natalia Stella.

Page 55: Professional photographer 2008 02

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Page 56: Professional photographer 2008 02

the EOS-1Ds Mark III achieves exceptional

speed. It can capture up to 5 frames per second

in bursts of 56 JPEG frames or 12 RAW frames.

To come close to achieving that speed, it’s

important to use high-speed cards. The

Mark III comes with both CompactFlash

(CF) and SecureData (SD) slots, so with

current card capacity, it’s possible to have up

to 20GB of internal storage, although that’s

not as roomy as it sounds. If you capture

maximum-resolution JPEG + RAW files,

about 350 shots will fill a 16GB CF card.

The camera’s 14-bit A/D converter

produces an exponential increase over a

12-bit A/D converter, yielding 16,384 tonal

variations per channel, as opposed to the

customary 4,096, resulting in smoother skin

tones and gradations. Once raw images have

been processed internally, they can be

opened in the 16-bit Photoshop color space.

I shot extensively with the EOS-1Ds Mark

III in manual mode, where most creative

controls can be made without taking your

eye from the viewfinder. The viewfinder displays

all the pertinent information, including

shooting mode, exposure settings, frame

count, and ISO. You can set the two navigation

wheels on the front and back of the body for

different functions, such as shutter speed and

aperture or shutter speed and ISO. Changing

exposure by adjusting the ISO, without

affecting the shutter speed or aperture, simplifies

action photography and depth-of-field control.

For a camera of this caliber, the ISO

range is somewhat limited. The standard

ISO range that can be used without image

degradation is 100 to 1600. Even when

extended through a custom function setting,

the ISO range is still only 50 to 3200.

Electronic noise was noticeable at 3200, but

tolerable at 1600.

I experimented with most of the scene

modes, including Portrait, Landscape, Neutral

and Monochrome. Monochrome was inter-

esting because its lens-type filtration effects

will simulate yellow, orange, red and green

56 • www.ppmag.com

specs:Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III

SENSOR: 3:2 aspect ratio, 36x24mm full-

frame CMOS

RESOLUTION: 21.1 megapixel

(5,616x3,744 pixels)

IMAGE PROCESSOR: Dual DIGIC III

Processor

METERING: 63-zone TTL full-aperture

metering, evaluative (linked to all AF points),

partial (approx. 8.5% of viewfinder), spot

(approx. 2.4% of viewfinder) with three

variables (center spot, AF point-linked spot,

multi-spot), and center-weighted averaging.

SHOOTING SPEED: Rated at 5 fps, up to

56 JPEG frames per burst or 12 RAW frames

per bursts

ISO: 100 to 1600; to 50-3200 via custom

function

EXPOSURE SETTINGS: Program AE

(shiftable), shutter -priority AE, aperture-

priority AE, E-TTL II program AE (evaluative

flash metering, averaged flash metering),

manual, bulb

SHUTTER: Vertical-travel, mechanical,

focal-plane shutter with electronically

controlled speed of 1/8,000 second to 30

seconds. X-sync up to 1/250 second

WHITE BALANCE: Auto, daylight, shade,

cloudy, tungsten, white fluorescent light,

flash, custom WB, user-set color

temperature (2,500-10,000K)

VIEWFINDER: Eye-level SLR with solid

glass pentaprism; about 100 percent

horizontal and vertical

LENS MOUNT: Canon EF

FLASH: Accepts Canon Speedlite flash units

STORAGE: CompactFlash and SecureData

PRICE: $7,999

This photo was taken using custom white balance. Taking a custom white balance measurement,which can be stored for future use, is a simple process.

THE GOODS: PRO REVIEW

Page 57: Professional photographer 2008 02
Page 58: Professional photographer 2008 02

filters for dramatic black-and-white photos.

Most of these model shots were taken in

the Manual/Portrait mode, with off-camera

flash providing fill light. The EOS-1Ds Mark

III accepts most Canon Speedlite flash

units. Using a non-Speedlite flash, I had to

experiment a little to balance daylight and

fill flash, but once I had the settings down,

the results were good.

The camera has 45 autofocus points. When

shooting with f/2.8 or faster lenses, there are

19 cross-type focusing points, and the 26

assist-focusing points are sensitive only

horizontally. Cross-type focusing points are

more accurate than assist-focusing points.

The cross-type focusing points drop as the

lens speed drops. With an f/4 lens, only the

center AF point works as a cross type; with

f/5.6 lenses, all AF points have horizontal

sensitivity only; and with f/8 lenses, only the

center AF is active, so it makes sense to

shoot with fast lenses whenever possible.

With the full-frame sensor, there’s no lens

conversion factor. It’s compatible with more

than 50 Canon professional EF lenses.

In low-light, shooting in the predictive

AI Servo focusing mode, the camera had

difficulty initially locking in on the subject.

Theoretically, when the shutter release is

pressed down half-way in the AI Servo

mode, the camera will continuously focus on

the primary subject, but that didn’t work

particularly well in limited available light. If

the camera didn’t lock on right away, it

tended to take considerably longer to focus

than expected, often making me miss the

shot I wanted entirely. Rather than making

only fine-focusing adjustments, it would run

through the entire focusing sequence, some-

times repeatedly, before locking on. I haven’t

encountered that in previous high-end

Canon DSLRs.

The EOS-1Ds Mark III uses a 63-zone

TTL full aperture metering system that sup-

ports evaluative, partial, spot and center-

weighted averaging modes. I prefer shooting

in the center-weighted averaging metering

mode, and I had no problems there. But the

evaluative mode, which should be the most

intelligent assessment, as it takes into account

the largest number of readings within a

frame, at times yielded underexposed images.

You can set the camera to various standard

defined color temperatures and specific

Kelvin values from 2,500 to 10,000, as well

as custom color temperatures. Setting up a

custom white balance is simply a matter of

registering an image taken specifically for

that purpose, or an image stored on a card.

It’s important that that image is correctly

exposed, as significant under- or over-

exposure will throw off the process.

First you select Custom WB registration

in the menu and indicate which WB (1-5)

the reading will occupy. Then you set the

lens to manual focus and make an image of

THE GOODS: PRO REVIEW

58 • www.ppmag.com

Shooting in the Monochrome Scene mode, it's possible to simulate various lens filter effects, including ared filter for dramatic sky effects.

Page 59: Professional photographer 2008 02

a pure white card, exposed to produce a

light gray (18 percent) image. For some

reason, in both sunlight and shade, the first

few times I tried it, the image of the card

had a blue cast. Thereafter they recorded

correctly. Once the camera finishes the

computations, the results are stored in one

of the five personal white balance slots for

later recall. There’s a faster method of taking

a custom white balance, using the function

button and dials to skip the menu

navigation, all explained in the manual.

The Mark III’s extra-large 3-inch LCD

screen is highly readable under almost all

lighting conditions except very bright sunlight.

I could still see the overall image on the screen,

but the details were barely distinguishable.

In most viewing conditions, you could see well

enough for framing, even shooting in the

Live View mode and framing using the LCD.

The camera’s My Menu option lets you

group all of the most common commands

and settings onto one screen, greatly speeding

up access to frequently used items. It’s also

possible to write the camera settings to a

memory card so you can revert to favorite

settings, and have available various sets of

preferred camera settings for different

shooting situations. It also simplifies loading

the settings of one camera onto another.

The Mark III has a rugged body and the

shutter is rated to 300,000 frames—high, even

for a professional camera. Its integrated cleaning

system activates each time the camera is

turned on or off, shaking dust particles from

the sensor. There’s also a software dust removal

method for artifacts on captured images

once they’ve been transferred to a computer.

Considering its resolution, image quality

and speed, the Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III is

ideal for high-end commercial work, both

on location and in studio. However, when I

was shooting tethered to a computer, the

USB cable tended to pull out. Disconnecting

cables plagued photographers when studio

flash systems were generally triggered by PC

cords. Wireless triggering devices eliminated

that problem, but the problem returns with

the USB cable. To be fair, it’s an inconvenience

with any DSLR used in USB-tethered mode.

Still, Canon could have come up with some

sort of USB cable locking mechanism.

The camera comes with Version 16 of

the EOS Digital Solution Disk, which

includes Digital Photo Professional 3.2. for

professional grade image transfer,

organization and conversion, and a

number of other applications and utilities.

The Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III has a

suggested retail price of $7,999. �

February 2008 • Professional Photographer • 59

Page 60: Professional photographer 2008 02

There’s a quiet revolution taking place in

studio lighting. For almost 50 years, the

studio experience included a pop and flash

with each exposure, while powerful strobes

fired away. Before flash, constant light

sources ruled. Today, photographers are

rediscovering the beauty, simplicity and

intimacy of constant light.

Manufacturers are responding to the

trend with new technology, such as the

Westcott Spiderlite constant light series,

which can be attached to any Westcott

soft box or strip bank. Spiderlites work

with either tungsten or cool-running,

daylight-balanced fluorescents. Switches

on the units control the light output by

turning on or off individual or multiple

THE GOODS: LIGHTING

Flash isn’t the only way to light in studio. New lower heat sources can illuminate likenorth light or be easily configured into setups that flood the space with light.BY ED P IERCE, M.PHOTOG.CR.

ConstancySTUDIO LIGHTING

60 • www.ppmag.com

Figure 1

All images ©Ed Pierce

Page 61: Professional photographer 2008 02

bulbs, without changing color temperature.

I shot all of the images shown here with

a Canon EOS 5D, using a PhotoVision One-

Shot Digital Calibration Target to achieve

proper exposure and custom white balance.

For the high-key image of Melissa (Figure 1),

I used a basic two-light setup with Westcott

daylight-balanced fluorescent bulbs. The

butterfly-positioned key light had five bulbs

in a 31x42-inch soft box boomed above and

in front of the subject. I placed a 12x50-inch

strip bank with three bulbs on the floor in

front of the subject for fill. Exposure: 1/30

second at f/3.2, ISO 200, with an 85mm

Canon EF f/1.2 II USM lens.

I’ve always been envious of studios that

have northern exposure window light in

the camera room. But as beautiful as

window light is, it can be challenging to

maintain proper exposure and color

balance on sunny days when the sun darts

in and out of the clouds, and nearly

impossible on rainy days.

When Westcott introduced the 8x8-foot

Scrim Jim frame a year ago, I got the idea

to build myself the perfect window. I

combined two frames, 18 inches apart, with

a one-stop translucent fabric in one and

silver reflective material in the other.

Between them I suspended five 8-foot

Figure 3

Figure 2

February 2008 • Professional Photographer • 61

Page 62: Professional photographer 2008 02

sections of track lighting holding 25

Westcott fluorescent bulbs. Voila! Perfect

window light that can be moved and

feathered, is consistent in intensity and

color balance, and can be used day or night.

I used “Ed’s Big Box” in Figures 2 and

3. The first image of Ashleigh began with

a fairly traditional approach to window

light, with a 72x42-inch white Scrim Jim

reflector for fill. I added two Spiderlites in

strip banks, one as a hair light, the other as

an accent to add a second catch light at the

bottom of the eye. Photographers with

window-lit camera rooms will be excited

to learn they can now add accents and

supplemental lighting to backgrounds and

hair in this way. Exposure: 1/160 second at

f/1.4, ISO 100, with an 85mm Canon EF

f/1.2 II USM lens. The second image of

Melissa was taken from a high angle. In

addition to the big box, I used a single eye-

lighter fill strip bank on a boom arm.

Exposure: 1/100 second at f/2.0, ISO 100.

Another welcome use of the Spiderlite

with fluorescents is adding flash when

needed for depth-of-field or action-stopping

shots. You can add strobes by either

replacing several of the fluorescent bulbs

62 • www.ppmag.com

Figure 4

THE GOODS: LIGHTING

Page 63: Professional photographer 2008 02

with the Westcott screw-in strobe units or,

as I prefer, simply inserting Quantum

Qflashes through the soft box vents, as in

the portrait of Michael on the gold couch

(Figure 4). The Qflash with 150 watt-seconds

of output, which can be AC- or battery-

powered, is more than powerful enough for

portraits. Here, I shot at f/7.1, ISO 100. All

Qflashes were set below half-power. One strip

bank provided hair light, another eye-lighter

fill. Again, the main light was a 31x42-inch

soft box boomed into a butterfly position.

The final two images of Melissa (Figures

5 and 6) look almost like opposites, yet

were created with identical light sources. I

switched to tungsten in my Spiderlites, a

simple switch-out of the screw-in bulbs. I

used strip banks for hair light and fill, but

instead of a soft-source main light, I used a

4-inch theatrical Fresnel (purchased online

for about $150). The accent lights are

Photogenic mini-spots I bought some 20

years ago for the purpose of simulating print

competition lighting. Surprisingly, I still find

several sources for them online. I shot this

homage to the glory days of Hollywood

black and white for 1/40 second at f/2.2,

ISO 100, with the 85mm lens. I shot the

alleyway grunge image with my 200mm

fixed Canon EF f/1.8L USM lens for 1/30

second at f/1.8, ISO 100.

Not one of these takes was handheld.

The camera was mounted on my Bogen

camera stand. I could have bumped up the

ISO, as all but one were shot at ISO 100,

but I learned to do it this way 25 years ago

and I still prefer it today. You can always

make a sharp image soft, but it doesn’t work

in reverse. Call me old school. �

Pierce is teaching a 68-city educational tourin 2008. Go to www.edpierceseminars.comfor dates and locations.

February 2008 • Professional Photographer • 63

Figure 6

Figure 5

Page 64: Professional photographer 2008 02

The new Zeus system from Paul C. Buff has

a combination of desirable features that

similar systems lack, starting with the price.

The system is compatible with select Dyna-

Lite M2000 heads, and Zeus heads work

with Dyna-Lite packs. Users can remotely

trigger and control output, or simply trigger a

pack via various optional Paul C. Buff wired

and wireless remote control units. The system’s

version of Balcar’s reflector and light

modifier attachment design is very secure.

The packs and all of the heads are fan cooled.

The Zeus System may lack the looks and

the sleek interfaces of more expensive systems

from Broncolor, Elinchrom, Hensel and Profoto,

but it does the job it’s supposed to do:

consistently produce the light

you need and lots of it.

ZRM1 RINGMASTER

Perhaps the least obvious strength of the

Zeus system is the ZRM1 RingMaster flash

head. Yes, it’s a ringlight, and poking your

lens through the donut hole makes it easy

to make shadowless portraits with the hard,

near-clinical feel you’d expect, but it’s much

more versatile than ringflash heads that

cost a bundle more.

Like most standard heads, and unlike

virtually all current ringflash heads, the

ZRM1 is the platform for a system of light

modifiers. With the inner and outer edges

of the ring used as attachment points, it’s

the Swiss Army knife of lighting. It’s also

light enough to handhold longer than

other ringflash units with the same output

capacity. Like its ABR800 monolight

sibling, its functional modeling lights

let you see what you’re doing. And

like the ABR800, the head can

be used as an off-camera light,

mounted on a tripod or light

stand, or handheld.

Start by working with

the basic bare ZRM1

head with or without the

included diffuser. Add

the removable 10-inch

reflector, then try those

combinations with the optional 20-inch

grid spot attachment.

For a softer look, add one of the two sizes

of Moon Unit soft boxes, either the original

with a 30-inch diameter or the new 56-inch

diameter version. Shoot through the center

or change the diffusion screen and use it as a

standalone soft box.

For something even more exotic, try a set

of the optional heavyweight black paper masks

precut in various shapes and patterns, pack-

aged with four blanks for your own signature

patterns. None of them really changes the

overall quality of the light, but they create

interesting catch-lights in the subject’s eyes

and subtly alter the shape of the shadows.

The masks tend to block a fair amount of

light, which isn’t a problem given the power

and efficiency of the Zeus system. Try removing

the internal diffusers to get a large light with

a brighter center hot spot. Go back to the

bare tube configuration and add the center

deflector in conjunction with the 10-inch

reflector, or some strategically placed bounce

cards for shadowless macro work light.

There’s also an included umbrella adapter.

Two more terrific things about the ZRM1

and 56-inch Moon Unit soft box—the com-

THE GOODS: LIGHTING

From Tennessee comes a versatile lightingsystem with smart design features. It’sconsistent, reliable and priced right.BY ELL IS VENER

All-star comboTHE ZEUS SYSTEM

Zeus ZRM1 RingMaster Flash Head

Zeus Z2500SH Standard Flash Head

Page 65: Professional photographer 2008 02

bined shallow depth and a weight of just 1

pound, 14 ounces for the fully assembled

soft box and speedring. The ZRM1 and 56-

inch Moon Unit are only 5.5 inches deep,

great news if you have to get a large light

over a set in a low-ceilinged room. Compared

to standard head and soft box combinations,

this combo requires less ballast when the

light is mounted on a boom. Despite the

shallow design, using the internal diffusers

evenly and smoothly illuminates a wide area.

POWER PACKS

Zeus packs come in two strengths, the 1,250

watt-second (WS) Z1250 and the 2,500WS

Z2500. These are the actual output specs, not

“effective” watt-seconds. Paul C. Buff designed

the Zeus packs with only two head connection

ports, Channels A and B. A single slider controls

total pack output over a continuous 5-stop

range, and power can either be distributed

symmetrically between the two channels or

split into a fixed 3:1 ratio between channels

A and B. By combining the asymmetric setting

and the slider, you gain two more stops of

low-power output if you use just the B channel.

With the Z2500, which we used for this

evaluation, this means the total power range

is 7 stops, or from 2,500WS to about 20WS.

Of course, how raw watt-seconds translate

into the quantity of illumination on your

subject depends on the modifier or reflector

on the head and its distance from the

subject. In a large space, at a diffusion

screen-to-subject distance of 8 feet, meter and

camera set to ISO 100, a Z2500 + Z2500SH

+ Medium Chimera Super Pro soft box

combination produced f/16.5 at full power

and a little less than f/2 at minimum power.

Bare tube color temperature, as measured

with a Broncolor FCC meter, ranged from

5,850 Kelvin to 5,500 Kelvin at 1/8 power.

There are pack and head systems with better

color temperature stability throughout their

range—Profoto and Broncolor in

particular—but they cost much more.

There are two standards for measuring

flash duration. The t0.1 standard is equiv-

alent to the motion-stopping ability of a

shutter speed, and the more commonly

used (at least in marketing literature) t0.5

standard, which is about 3 times shorter

than t0.1 flash duration. If stopping

motion is important to you, the t0.1

standard is the one to bear in mind.

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February 2008 • Professional Photographer • 65

Page 66: Professional photographer 2008 02

With the head plugged into the B channel,

at full power in symmetric mode, the t0.1

flash duration of the Z2500 and Z2500SH

combination measured a very

respectable 1/230 second (1/690

second at t0.5). Using the variator and

cutting power by 2 stops slightly length-

ened flash duration to 1/175 second.

With the variator at full power but

switched to asymmetric mode, in which the

B channel has only 1/4 power at maximum,

the t0.1 flash duration dramatically shortened

to 1/655 second (about 1/2,000 second at

t0.5). These measurements are slightly

longer than the company states, but their

measuring tools are different.

There are some things I wish were

different about the Zeus. For one, I’d like

the pack to have a more squat shape with a

lower center of gravity. I’m not crazy about the

clamshell lid design. I’d like the option to

side-mount a hook to the pack so that I could

hang it from a stand as ballast. I wish the

lever to open the reflector/speedring attach-

ment clamps were on the side and not the

bottom of the head. I’d like the heads to

have a short pigtail connection so the 12-foot

cable could be disconnected for easier

storage. And I’d like a pencil-light type head

like the Dyna-Lite Enertec pencil light,

which won’t work with the Zeus because of its

lower power capacity.

In the big picture, these are minor matters

of design, and adding these features would

likely add to the price. Bottom line, if you’re

looking for new studio lighting and you want

a lot of versatility for your money, the Zeus

is definitely a serious contender. �

THE GOODS: LIGHTING

66 • www.ppmag.com

specs:The Zeus System

ZEUS Z1250 POWER PACK

MAXIMUM POWER OUTPUT: 1,250WS

FULL-POWER RECYCLE TIME: 1.2 seconds

QUARTER-POWER RECYCLE TIME:

0.35 seconds

SIZE (h x w x d): 10.5x7.5x4.25 inches

WEIGHT: 7.4 pounds

PRICE: $599.95

ZEUS Z2500 POWER PACK

MAXIMUM POWER OUTPUT: 2,500WS

FULL-POWER RECYCLE TIME: 2.4 seconds

QUARTER-POWER RECYCLE TIME: 0.7

seconds

SIZE (h x w x d) : 10.5x7.5x4.25 inches

WEIGHT: 11.2 pounds

PRICE: $799.95

ZEUS Z2500SH FLASH HEAD

INCLUDES: 7-inch 80-degree reflector,

250-watt quartz-halogen modeling light

MOUNT: standard swivel stand, hardwired

12-foot cable

MAXIMUM POWER INPUT: 2,500WS for

maximum continuous usage up to

30,000WS per minute

SIZE (h x w x l): 5.25x4x7 inches

WEIGHT: 3 pounds (without cable)

PRICE: $299.95

ZEUS ZRM1 RING MASTER

FLASH HEAD

INCLUDES: 10-inch reflector, eight 20-

watt lights, flash tube cover/diffuser

MOUNT: universal camera platform, tripod

and light stand mounting bracket, 12-foot

head-to-pack cable

MAXIMUM POWER INPUT: 2,500WS for

maximum continuous usage up to

20,000WS per minute

SIZE: 8-inch diameter, 2.75-inch depth, 4-

inch center port for lens

WEIGHT: 1.5 pounds (excluding cable,

camera, mounting bracket)

PRICE: $299.95

ZEUS Z5000BTH BI-TUBE FAN

COOLED FLASH HEAD

INCLUDES: 7-inch, 80-degree reflector,

two flash tubes, 250-watt quartz halogen

modeling light

MOUNT: standard swivel stand, and two

12-foot head-to-pack cables

MAXIMUM POWER INPUT: 5,000WS for

maximum continuous usage up to

30,000WS per minute

SIZE (h x w x l): 5.25x4x7 inches

WEIGHT: 3 pounds (without cables)

PRICE: $399.95

Zeus Z2500 Power Pack

Page 67: Professional photographer 2008 02
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68 • www.ppmag.com

Commercial photographer Jason Lindsey of Champaign, Ill., has adual perspective. He learned about the business of image creationduring his years in commercial design and art direction.

Flip sideJason Lindsey forges a commercial career with a dual perspective

n business, it often helps to see things

from the perspective of your customers.

For a public relations agent, it’s useful to

spend some time working in the media.

For a real estate broker, it would pay to go

through the home-buying process. For a

commercial photographer, it certainly helps

to have been an agency art director.

Commercial photographer Jason Lindsey

of Champaign, Ill., is living proof of the

value of having a dual perspective. Lindsey

had always been interested in photography,

but his education and early career experience

were in graphic design. Over five years of

commercial design and art direction,

Lindsey learned about the business of image

creation from the perspective of an ad

agency. He learned how to deal with clients,

figure out the logistics of commercial

projects, and how to turn a concept into a

fully realized campaign.

Meanwhile, photography kept pulling at

Lindsey’s heartstrings. He started shooting

tourism and travel images, first for fun

and then for a fledgling list of clients.

Lindsey found an increasingly receptive

market for his images. Clients liked his

style. Art directors liked his knowledge of

the industry.

When Lindsey felt the time had arrived,

he dove headfirst into the business of

commercial photography. He bought a

lighting kit the night before his first big

commercial shoot, but had to hire someone

who knew how to work the lights. The

technical skills came soon enough, but have

never been a focus of Lindsey’s. Instead, he

All images ©Jason Lindsey

COMMERCIAL By Jeff Kent

I

Page 69: Professional photographer 2008 02

February 2008 • Professional Photographer • 69

sells his particular vision of the world, with

an emphasis on emotion, innovation and a

clear sense of commercial artistry.

A decade later, Lindsey’s business is

going like gangbusters. His clients include

Anheuser-Busch, Fujifilm, the U.S. Postal

Service, Geico Direct, Amazon.com and

dozens of others. He’s done editorial shoots

for National Geographic Books, Smithsonian

Magazine, The Wall Street Journal and

U.S. News and World Report, to name just

a few. We sat down with Lindsey to get

some details about the approach that’s

made him so successful.

Professional Photographer: How has your

experience in art directing affected your

work as a photographer?

Jason Lindsey: Not only was I working as a

designer, but my degree from college was in

Page 70: Professional photographer 2008 02

design. In school, we learned about trying to

communicate something for a specific purpose

or need. It’s more a commercial way of

thinking than a purely artistic approach.

Much of the photography training I’ve seen

is more about art. My design training is

valuable for my work because it was all

about being creative on demand, or creating

something for a very specific purpose. That

background helps me talk to art directors

and get on board very quickly with what

they are trying to accomplish.

Tell us about your working style. Do you do

a lot of planning before a shoot, or do you

work more intuitively?

In general, I try to make the images feel

natural or intuitive, but much of my work is

consciously produced, even if it’s an

intuitive consciousness. I try to do as much

preparation as possible before going on

location. Once there, I can work more

intuitively. The more prepared I am going

into a shoot, the more reactive I can be to

the changing situations on location.

COMMERCIAL

70 • www.ppmag.com

‘‘’’

When I started shooting professionally,

my portfolio and promo materials were what I

thought clients wanted to see. Later, I put

together materials that were much more personal.

My business almost doubled.

Tell us about your approach to lighting,

particularly the difference between your

environmental lighting and your thematic,

communicative lighting.

Back when I started, I asked an established

photographer friend if I should take a

lighting class. He told me no. “I think it’s a

good thing that you don’t light by rules,” he

said. He had a good point. I don’t light

certain things certain ways because of some

lesson I learned in a class. I developed my

lighting style more naturally.

I light with one of two approaches. The

first is based on emotion, on what I’m trying

to communicate in the image. For example,

I did a portrait of an author whose book

opened with a nighttime car wreck on a

rural stretch of road, so we did the shoot

before sunrise and replicated the look of

truck headlights illuminating a scene at

night. I set up a battery-powered light kit

and lit the author with strong directional

light from the side to create a connection to

Page 71: Professional photographer 2008 02

the scene in the book. If my light is very

noticeable, as in this case, you can be sure

there’s a reason.

My other approach to light is based on

how the subject would appear in a natural

environment. In natural environments, light

comes from everywhere, not just a window

or single light. It reflects and bounces

around from all sides. I visualize how

something would look in a natural

environment and use that as my guide.

I like shooting outdoors after sundown. I

also make a lot of images shooting directly

into the sun, intentionally creating lens flare.

In general, I don’t worry about photographic

rules. If there’s lens flare, but the shot has

more emotion, more impact, that’s fine.

From where do you draw your inspiration?

A broad variety of sources. The Web has

been an amazing source of inspiration. I look

at online magazines, photo news groups and

other photographers’ portfolios. I also often

brainstorm with a photographer down the

street named Christopher Rory. He does

children, seniors, families and pets. We look

at each other’s work and draw inspiration

from each other. People often put the

[commercial and retail portrait] markets in

separate categories. It’s strange that those

two worlds don’t usually meet. Maybe they

should. My interactions with Rory have

broadened my visual reference significantly.

How has your work developed from your

first days of pro shooting?

When I started shooting professionally, my

portfolio and promo materials were what I

thought clients wanted to see. About two

years later, I put together promos and a new

portfolio that were much more personal.

The new materials were focused on how I

see the world, how I like to shoot things. My

business almost doubled after I started

showing my vision. It was encouraging that

my outlook had such value. It helped me to

have confidence in my approach from a

business standpoint. I still have to remind

myself to push out there further, to pursue

my photographic vision.

What would you recommend to those

interested in establishing a stronger career in

commercial and editorial photography?

Make sure you’re listening to yourself in

terms of how you see the world. What I sell

is my vision of the world, how I interpret a

scene or a setting. I don’t sell my equipment

or my technical expertise. These days, because

there are more and more high-quality

digital cameras out there, it’s easier for

clients to shoot certain things on their own.

When they hire a professional photographer,

they want that photographer to bring a

unique vision to the project. That’s how you

find a market for your work in this field. �

To see more from Jason Lindsey, visit himonline at www.perceptivevisions.com.

February 2008 • Professional Photographer • 71

Page 72: Professional photographer 2008 02

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Page 73: Professional photographer 2008 02

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You’re not just taking a picture when you push that button. You’re laying bare

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that will grow more telling with each passing year. And every new set of

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That’s the power of photography. Every shot you take adds a branch to

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Page 74: Professional photographer 2008 02

All images ©Louise Botticelli

DOUBLE

Page 75: Professional photographer 2008 02

Louise Botticelli’sbooming bicameral

business model

BY JEFF KENT

VISION

Page 76: Professional photographer 2008 02

It’s a common conundrum in photography

—should you follow a high-end, low-volume

business model or a moderately priced, higher

volume model? There are big differences

between the two, including the areas of

marketing approach and workflow.

Louise Botticelli, M.Photog., decided to

follow both models. A former teacher with a

master’s degree in early childhood education,

Botticelli got into professional photography

about 15 years ago, after a long break from

the workforce while her children were

growing up. She was taking classes in art

and photography at Stony Brook University

in New York when she was drawn to a mall

display of portraits on canvas by Jeff Lubin,

M.Photog.Cr. Fascinated, she signed up for

Lubin’s seminars. She found a direction for

her photography and learned how to

establish a market for it. Botticelli joined

PPA and took dozens more workshops

presented by well known portrait masters.

She opened a portrait business in her

home in Setauket on New York’s Long

Island. A natural with kids, Botticelli con-

centrated on child and family portraiture,

and within a year or so, the business had

“You can never let your guard down. If you get busy andstop promoting your business, you’ll eventually feel it. It could take a year, but you’ll see a downturn.”

Page 77: Professional photographer 2008 02
Page 78: Professional photographer 2008 02

outgrown the confines of her home. She

rented a small space in West Hampton on

Long Island, which the business again

outgrew in about a year, and she moved

one more time before adding a 3,000-

square-foot studio on the side of her home.

Then Botticelli Portraits really took off. She

bought a small gallery space on Main Street

in West Hampton to display her work to a

wider audience, and hired a studio manager

so she could concentrate on making artful

portraits, most of them rendered on canvas.

About four years ago, the studio’s sales

averages started to drop. The storefront

gallery, promotions and mall displays were

bringing in clients, but they were ordering

78 • www.ppmag.com

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smaller prints and lesser packages. Botticelli’s

son Brian graduated from college about

then, and he wanted to join the business.

Taking both matters into consideration, she

and her manager brainstormed about

revising the original business plan.

To the high-end, labor-intensive portrait

line, Botticelli decided to add a venture to

cater to a different market, one that would

offer more products and services and go for

higher volume sales. The West Hampton

gallery was revamped into a separate

division of Botticelli’s business, Uniquely

You Express Photography. Under Brian’s

management, the new business included

wedding and event photography.

Sales averages rebounded and the Uniquely

You brand was building a reputation in the

area. Botticelli purchased another space, this

one in the commercial district of Huntington,

Long Island, a town closer to New York City

with year-round traffic. Brian Botticelli moved

into the new space, and the West Hampton

business was placed under the management

of a recent photo school graduate.

“It was a hard decision to change the busi-

ness structure, but when we saw the numbers

going down it was obvious that something was

holding people back,” says Botticelli. “It was

the pricing. When my son joined the business,

I said ‘We need to offer a good product at a

different price.’ I knew it couldn’t be out of

the main studio that I work in, because that

was identified with high-end canvas portraits.

So we started Uniquely You. Once the

people came in for the smaller-scale products,

there was a percentage that would still opt

for canvas portraits. It worked really well.”

Using StudioPlus studio management soft-

ware, Botticelli’s studio manager coordinates

the business of all three locations from her

office in the home studio. The West Hampton

and Huntington studios use Phase One digital

camera backs linked directly into the

StudioPlus system for ordering and image

Page 81: Professional photographer 2008 02

management. All phone calls go directly to the

manager’s office, freeing up the three photogra-

phers to work with clients without distractions.

“If you’re going to advertise and put

money into getting your phone to ring,

someone needs to be there to answer it,” says

Botticelli. “It’s also important to train the

people you work with, whoever answers the

phone, because that’s where you form the

first connection with a potential client.

Clients want that connection. It’s so important.”

To manage the growth of the business

and maintain a healthy volume, Botticelli

uses a marketing plan that’s “a little bit of

everything.” She has image displays in five

malls, which generate most of the studios’

calls. She hangs prints in libraries, physicians’

offices, clothing stores and other local busi-

nesses. For one clothing store, she designed

business cards that feature one of her images

and her studio name. She’s bought print ads

and worked with Marathon Press on direct

mailings, even partnered with car dealerships

that give studio coupons with the purchase

of a new car. “You can never let your guard

down,” she says. “If you get busy and stop pro-

moting your business, you’ll eventually feel it.

It could take a year, but you’ll see a downturn.”

Besides marketing, Botticelli credits much

of her success to good customer service and

consistency once she gets people in the door.

“Always have time for people while they’re

there. Be consistent with pricing and

turnaround. If you make promises or

promote a particular system, stick to it.”

Another key is workflow. Botticelli man-

ages the multi-location business by doing

what she does well—photographing children

and families—and delegating the rest. Part

of it is working closely with trusted partners

and vendors. “There will always be problems

when you establish a new partnership, but

as long as you solve them in the beginning,

you can establish a level of consistency so

that everything coming out of your studio

will be acceptable to you,” she says.

Because of Botticelli’s successful business

model, other photographers are seeking her

advice. The former teacher will once again

be tutoring pupils in one-on-one, weeklong

workshops that go behind the scenes at her

three studios. Her Photography for Life work-

shops focus on sharing the lessons that she’s

learned—or, as she puts it: “Everything you

need to know to turn your passion into a career.”

“I find that no matter what level you’ve

reached, what your experience is, you can

always learn,” says Botticelli. “I yearn to go

to PPA conventions, to attend workshops,

and to look at Loan Collection prints. You

can discover so much by looking at good

work. And the whole PPA community is so

eager to share. Learning is the clearest path

to success in this business.” �

To learn more about Louise Botticelli, visither online at www.botticelliportraits.com.

February 2008 • Professional Photographer • 81

Page 82: Professional photographer 2008 02

Al images ©Marcus Bell

Shot through the heart

Page 83: Professional photographer 2008 02

Marcus Bell throws heart and soul into his photography

whether documenting awedding or creating fine-art.

BY STEPHANIE BOOZER

Page 84: Professional photographer 2008 02

appily situated in Queensland,Australia, Marcus Bell is thehead of Studio Impressions, a choice photography

studio popular with globetrotting brides.

Specializing in what he calls a “global approach,” Bell travels anywhere to photograph weddings.

Clients around the world seek him out for the

quality of his work and the emotion it evokes.

Professional Photographer: How did you

get started in photography?

Marcus Bell: Believe it or not, I was a banker,

struggling to escape and find my passion.

What was always under my nose became

one of the greatest finds in my life. My

father was a photographer, and my grand-

father before him. I never imagined I’d do

what my forefathers did, but when I picked

up the camera, it was like being hit by a bus.

What sets Studio Impressions apart?

One major factor is our print presentation.

Early on, we incorporated our fine-art

Page 85: Professional photographer 2008 02

‘‘ ’’My father was a photographer,and my grandfather before him.I never imagined I’d do whatmy forefathers did, but when I picked up the camera, it was like being hit by a bus.

Page 86: Professional photographer 2008 02

training into everything we do. Every image

goes through a comprehensive process to

draw out the emotion. I think of it as

communicating my vision into the final

print while enhancing the viewing

experience through composition and light

and drawing out the center of interest.

What’s your philosophy?

Shoot from the heart. Build relationships

with your clients. Communicate your vision

into print. Be remarkable in everything you do.

Studio Impressions was founded on a few basic,

yet powerful philosophies. First, passion. From

day one, my passion ensured I’d create a studio

for all the right reasons. I also emphasized

high quality, fine-art images and a comple-

ment of outstanding products. The most

important ingredient of our success is creating

a strong relationship with each of our clients.

Emotion and real moments are the essence

of Studio Impressions’ photography. I use

Page 87: Professional photographer 2008 02
Page 88: Professional photographer 2008 02

‘‘

the camera to tell true stories of real people.

Being invited to share clients’ most precious

moments is a privilege.

Is there any location you wouldn’t travel to?

I would say Antarctica could be too far

away. Not to contradict myself, but it

would be great if you could fly there, yet

[its remoteness] is part of its beauty. The

most interesting location I’ve photographed

is due more to the people than the place—

Ireland. I always come away with the most

amazing experiences and images. Paris is

the most problematic location, only

because so many photographers have

captured it from every angle.

Tell me what you love most about weddings.

I would travel the world to capture candid

emotional images in street-scene environ-

ments, but as soon as I saw that these

moments happen week-in and week-out at

weddings, I was hooked and always will be.

Every wedding is unique to me.

Where does your fine-artwork fit in?

It’s the largest inspiration of all for my

wedding photography. Being taught about

the art of photography instilled so much of

what my images represent today. I’ve

incorporated a number of new tools that

let the creative side run wild. Principles

that painters use enable a photographer

look at images on a whole new level, and in

turn produce standout works of art in their

own right, even in wedding images.

At the end of the day, who are you—

a photographer or a businessman?

A photographer for sure, though a pho-

tographer who’s had to learn to be out-

standing in every single way to compete

alongside the businessman. My whole

business was based on this.

I’m a strong believer that the major

events in our lives shape who we are, and

in turn, shape the photographers we are.

A number of major events have shaped

my photography: the death of my father

when I was 16, meeting my wife, the birth

of my son Jackson, and the premature

birth of my twins.

At the birth of my son Jackson, I

handed my camera to the anesthesiologist,

a keen photographer. He captured one of

the dearest moments in my life. For the

first time, I saw for myself the gift that

photography gives others. With a single

image you can encapsulate a moment that

will be relived over and over again. That’s

an amazing gift to give to our clients. I

can’t remember ever seeing a bank state-

ment that gave anyone this kind of joy. �

Visit Marcus Bells’ Web site atwww.studioimpressions.com.au.

’’

I use thecamera totell truestories ofreal people.Beinginvited toshare clients’mostpreciousmoments isa privilege.

88 • www.ppmag.com

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90 • www.ppmag.com

CAMERAS

DIGITAL SLR (35MM STYLE)LESS THAN $1,000

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Pentax K100D SuperIn the K100D Super, Pentax provides a full-featured, technologically advanced SLR at anaffordable price. The K100D Superis compatible with all Pentaxlenses andcan beadaptedto screwmountand645/67lenses(adaptersold sep-arately). Itfeatures shakereductiontechnology, a 2.5-inch LCD with 210,000-pixel resolution and a dust removal system tokeep the CCD surface clean. The K100DSuper has a 6.1-megapixel APS-C size CCD,an 11-point autofocus mechanism and 16-segment multi-pattern metering. Thepentamirror viewfinder provides a 96-percentfield of view with 0.85X magnification. Price: $519.95, body only; $599.95with 18-55mm lens.www.pentaxslr.com

Olympus Evolt E-510The Olympus Evolt E-510 portable digital SLRhas a 10-megapixel Live-MOS sensor. Thecamera’s mechanical image stabilization withSupersonic Wave Drive technology providesblur-free images, while the Live View LCD allowsyou to compose shots from a variety of angles.The E-510 is compatible with more than 30

A high-techstate of mind

There are two schools of thought on technology. The first prescribes using

existing technology as long as possible: Save money, wait until the system is

obsolete. The second declares that technology is a tool, and new tools should

replace old ones the minute they’re available: The cost will pay off in greater

efficiency, broader functionality, and staying ahead of the competition.

Professional photographers have largely belonged to the second school,

embracing and mastering new technology, and never at the expense of artistry.

The Hot One Awards reflect not only the technology in the photographic industry,

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to vote on the best of the year’s new and upgraded products and services.

We hope you’ll be as eager to see what they chose as we were. Here’s to

putting these wondrous tools to the most artistic of uses!

Jeff KentHot One Editor

[email protected]

The Hot One Awards showcasethe most advanced,

useful tools on the market

Page 91: Professional photographer 2008 02

February 2008 • Professional Photographer • 91

digital-specific lenses. Its dust reduction systemkeeps the sensor spot free. Lightweight andportable, the E-510 has an ergonomic grip forease of use in a variety of quick-shooting situa-tions. Price: $549.99, body only; $749.99with 14-42mm and 40-150mm lenses.www.olympusamerica.com

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Canon EOS 40DThe Canon EOS 40D brings digital SLR usersa host of cutting-edge features at a mid-rangeprice. Housing a 10.1-megapixel CMOS sensor,the camera comes with the EOS IntegratedCleaning System, Canon Live View, 3-inchLCD monitor and a DIGIC III Image Processor.Canon’s noise reduction technology providesclean images, and 14-bit conversion providesexcellent color tones and gradations. Well-configured for fast-moving applications suchas sports, wedding or event photography, theEOS 40D can capture 6.5 frames per secondwith a burst rate of up to 75 consecutiveJPEGs. Price: $1,299, body only.www.usa.canon.comwww.fujifilmusa.com

DIGITAL SLR (35MM STYLE)$3,000 TO $7,000

Canon EOS-1D Mark IIIWhen Canon released the EOS-1D Mark III, itwas heralded as a technological breakthrough.The EOS-1Ds Mark III has since assumed topplace in a EOS line, but the 1D Mark III is farfrom a forgotten stepchild. With a 10.1-megapixel CMOS sensor (APS-H size), a new45-point autofocus system, a 3-inch LCDmonitor with Live View technology, and the

Canon EOS Integrated Cleaning System, theEOS-1D Mark III impressed our judges as arobust, tech-loaded DSLR. It shoots at astaggering 10 frames per second in bursts of upto 110 JPEGs or 30 RAW files. Dual DIGIC IIIImage Processors speed up camera processeswhile refining image quality. Price: $4,499,body only. www.usa.canon.com

DIGITAL SLR (35MM STYLE)OVER $7,000

Canon EOS-1Ds Mark IIIThe eagerly anticipated Canon EOS-1Ds MarkIII was a unanimous winner in this category.An engineering marvel, the camera boasts anentirely new 21.1-megapixel, full-frame CanonCMOS sensor. It features Highlight TonePriority and 14-bit A/D conversion for excellentcolor tones. Dual DIGIC III Image Processorswork together to accelerate data handling andspeed up the operation of camera features. TheEOS-1Ds Mark III is durable, with a tough body,rugged shutter design and EOS IntegratedCleaning System to ensure pro-grade reliability.

It has a 3-inch LCD monitor with a Live Viewfunction, plus a 45-point autofocus system.Price: $7,999, body-only. www.usa.canon.com

MEDIUM-FORMAT DIGITALCAMERA SYSTEM

Mamiya 645ZD Digital SystemMamiya won this growing and hotlycontested category with the 645ZD DigitalSystem, the first 22-megapixel digitalcamera system priced under $10,000. Thesystem brings plenty of bang for the buck,including the Mamiya 645AFD II medium-format camera, an 80mm f/2.8 AF lens and the newly introduced Mamiya ZD 22-megapixel digital back. The 645ZD DigitalSystem features the Mamiya communica-tion protocol (Mamiya Serial Communica-tion for External) for optimized two-waycommunication between the 645AFD II

camera and the ZDdigital back.

The system

handles shooting at 1.2 frames per second,has an optional low-pass filter to reducemoiré and aliasing, and comes with customwhite balance features. It even includesAdobe Lightroom software. Price: $9,999. www.mamiya.com

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LENSES

MACRO LENS

Zeiss Makro-Planar T* 2/100 ZFOffering a dash

of Hollywood totoday’sphotographers,the ZeissMakro-PlanarT* 2/100 ZF isthe first still-camera lenswith ARRI/Zeiss MasterPrime optics

straight from themovie industry.

The lens exhibitssuperior optical performance, even at wide-open aperture, from infinity to the close focuslimit at half life-size. Configured for an F-bayonetmount, the Zeiss lens features all-metal con-struction and nine-blade aperture from f/2.0-f/22 in 1/2-step increments. Price: $1,507. www.zeiss.com

MEDIUM-FORMAT LENS

Medium Format Lensbaby 3GLensbaby widens its popularity with the medium-format Lensbaby 3G. Compatible with Mamiya

645 and Pentax 67 camera bodies,the Lensbaby 3G brings the

unique features of theprevious Lensbabies

to the medium-format world. The

Mamiya 645configuration

has an80mm

fixed focallength andan aperture

range of f/3.4 tof/39. The Pentax

67 configuration has a 100mm fixed focallength and an aperture range of f/4 to f/45.The Lensbaby 3G can be locked into a bent

position with a press of a button. Workingwith a traditional barrel focus mechanism,photographers can then fine-tune the focus.Price: $390. www.lensbabies.com

STANDARD ZOOM LENS

AF-S Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8G ED LensNew from Nikon, the AF-S Nikkor 24-70mmf/2.8G ED lens is designed to be a universallens for a range of applications, including

weddings, photojournalism and outdoor pho-tography. It features Nikon’s Nano-Crystal Coatto reduce ghosting and flaring, and internalfocusing to ensure fast focusing. The NikonSilent Wave motor contributes to even faster,quieter focusing. The AF-S Nikkor 24-70mmf/2.8G ED is compatible with Nikon FX- andDX-format image sensors. Price: $1,699. www.nikonusa.com

TELEPHOTO LENSIT’S A TIE!

Zeiss Sonnar T* 2/85 ZMCarl Zeiss takes a share of the telephoto lenscategory with the Zeiss Sonnar T* 2/85 ZM.Configured for rangefinder cameras using an

M-bayonet mount, the lens delivers sharpimages over the entire focusing range, even atwide-open aperture. Judges loved that theSonnar T* 2/85 ZM is the first M-mounttelephoto lens with floating elements thatincorporate a nonlinear rangefinder couplingmechanism. Price: $2,774.www.zeiss.com

AF-S Nikkor 400mm f/2.8G ED VRJudges also loved Nikon’s new Nikkor400mm, the 400mm AF-S Nikkor f/2.8G EFVR. The lens features vibration reduction (VRII) image stabilization, which allowsphotographers to shoot up to four shutterstops slower than without VRII. The NikonSilent Wave motor delivers quick, quietautofocus. Three extra-low dispersionelements reduce ghosting and flaring whileenhancing sharpness and contrast, even at

the widest apertures. Nikon Nano CrystalCoat further reduces ghosting and flaring. The400mm f/2.8 lens is made of a lightweightmagnesium alloy that withstands dust andmoisture. Price: $8,799.95. www.nikonusa.com

TELEPHOTO ZOOM LENSIT’S A TIE!

Tamron SP AF70-200mm F/2.8 Di LD (IF) MacroCapturing its share of the telephoto zoom lenscategory, Tamron wowed judges with the new SPAF70-200mm F/2.8 Di LD (IF) MACRO, alightweight (39.3-ounce) telephoto zoomdesigned for DSLRs with full-size image sensors.The lens has a minimum focusing distance of just 37.4 inches over the entire zoom range,

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February 2008 • Professional Photographer • 93

FILM

BLACK-AND-WHITE

Kodak Professional T-MAX 400No, film is not dead. Kodak hammers homethe point with the improved T-MAX 400, acontinuous-tone, panchromatic, black-and-white negative film. T-MAX 400 is particularlyeffective for dimly litsubjects, fast-movingaction, andcapturesthat requireboth gooddepth offield and fastshutterspeed. T-MAX 400 has Kodak-patented T-GRAIN emulsions for finer grain and greatersharpness than previous 400-speed black-and-white films. In fact, film experts compare the clarityprovided by this film to that of 100-speed films.Price: about $3 per roll in 35mm format.www.kodak.com

COLOR TRANSPARENCY

Fujichrome Velvia 50 for Professionals (RVP 50)Winning the Color Transparency category isFujichrome Velvia 50 for Professionals (RVP50), a high-color saturation, high-contrasttransparency film.Velvia 50made itsname inlandscapeand naturephotographywith itsimage depthand colorfidelity. Afterdiscontinuing it in 2005, Fujifilm reintroducedthe widely popular Velvia 50 with a new process.The updated version features an RMS granularityof 9, and uniform gray reproduction from highlightto deep shadow. Price: $6.20 per roll in35mm format. www.fujifilmusa.com

for a maximum magnification ratio of 1:3.1;both specs are the best available in this lensclass. The lens has three low-dispersionelements to compensate for the lateral andon-axis chromatic aberrations typical oftelephoto shooting, which can mar imagequality. The lens also features internal surfaceand multiple-layer coating to help preventghosting, flaring and reflections from lenssurfaces. Price: $699. www.tamron.com

smc Pentax-DA* 50-135mm f/2.8 ED AL[IF]SDM telephoto zoomSharing the prizefor telephotozoom lens is the50-135mm smcPentax-DA*f/2.8 EDAL[IF]SDM. Thisnew telephotozoom deliversexcellent opticalquality, andincludes SDMtechnology forfast, accurate andquiet focusing.The lens’sadvanced opticaltechnologyincludesasphericalelements, specialoptical-glasselements and original lens coating. Ourjudges particularly liked how the lensdelivered image contrast, clarity and edge-to-edge sharpness. Price: $999.95.www.pentaxslr.com/lenses

WIDE ZOOM LENS

AF-S Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8G ED LensNikon’s impressive showing in the lenscategory continues with the 14-24mm AF-SNikkor f/2.8G ED. One of the fastest 14mm

wide-angle zoom lenses on the market, thisversatile lens has attractive features forphotojournalism, interior and landscapephotography and a variety of wedding andportrait applications. The f/2.8 aperture

handles an array of lighting conditions, whilethe overall clarity and sharpness approachesthat of prime lenses. Price: $1,799.95.www.nikonusa.com

WIDE-ANGLE LENS

Zeiss Distagon T* 4/18 ZMCarl Zeiss certainly gave Nikon a run for itsmoney in the lens categories, tying theJapanese manufacturer with three awards.This year’s Zeiss collection is rounded outby the Distagon T* 4/18 ZM, a super-wide-angle lens configured for rangefindercameras with an M-bayonet mount. Thelens provides excellent image quality overthe full 24x36 frame, through the entirefocus range, and even at wide openaperture. The Distagon T* 4/18 ZM comesin a compact package with impressively highresolving power. Price: $1,055. www.zeiss.com

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LIGHTING EQUIPMENT

CAMERA FLASH

Metz Mecablitz 58 AF-1 digitalMetz won the camera flash category with thenew Mecablitz 58 AF-1 digital, with USB-upgradeable wireless flash. The unique USBupgrade feature allows easy software updatesvia any Internet-enabled PC. The flash connectswith the Canon E-TTL and Nikon i-TTL remotesystems via wireless infrared. The 58 AF-1yields a max guide number of 58 meters/190feet at ISO 100, 105mm focal length. Otherfeatures include an integrated fold-awayreflector card for the vertical and horizontal

swivel-and-tilt reflector; a built-in wide-anglediffuser for illuminating at an 18mm focallength; a large LCD; and new multi-zoneautofocus metering technology. Price: $350

for Nikon-compatible version; $375 forCanon, Olympus, Pentax, Samsungand Panasonic compatibility. www.metz.de/en/

LIGHT MODIFIER

Paul C. Buff Foldable soft boxes and octaboxesPaul C. Buff scored with a new series offoldable soft boxes. Designed for use with allAlienBees, White Lightning and Zeus standardflashes, and all Zeus bi-tube flash heads, PaulC. Buff foldable softboxes and octaboxeshave an opaqueblack exterior shelland a recessedfront lip, where atranslucentwhite diffusionpanel attaches.This recessed liphelps control lensflare, and willhold a 40-degreehoneycomb grid(sold separately) tocontrol light spread. Theinside walls have a reflective silver liningto bounce light before it’s diffused throughthe front panel. The boxes have a secondinternal baffle for double-diffusion. Price:$119.95 for 10x36 and 24x36 inches;$129.95 for 32x40; $159.95 for 30x60; $149.95 for 35-inch diameter;$169.95 for 47-inch diameter.www.alienbees.com and www.white-lightning.com

PORTABLE LIGHT UNIT

Profoto AcuteB 600/600RProfoto scored high marks by condensing theperformance features of its Acute2 pack into asmall, battery-operated version for locationshoots. The Profoto AcuteB 600 produces upto 160 full-power flashes from a singlecharge. In addition to its 600-watt-secondsof flash power, the AcuteB comes with a

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DIGITAL STORAGE MEDIA

IN-CAMERA MEMORY CARD

Lexar Professional UDMA 300x CompactFlash CardThe Lexar Professional UDMA 300x CompactFlash cardwowed the judges with its fast transfer speed, reliable datastorage and its compatibility with the newest generation ofUDMA-enabled digital SLRs. Available with 2-, 4- and8GB capacity, the card delivers industry-leading read-writespeed, with a minimum sustained write speed of 300x, or45MB per second. The UDMA CF card comes with LexarImage Rescue 3, Lexar Backup n Sync and Corel PaintShop Pro X software. The card has a limited lifetime warranty and free dedicated technical support.Price: $79.99 for 2GB; $129.99 for 4GB; $219.99 for 8GB. www.lexar.com

PORTABLE HARD DRIVE AND DISPLAY

JOBO SpectatorThe new JOBO Spectator mobile storage device features a high-resolution, 2.5-inch, TFT color LCD display with a 16-million colorspectrum. With built-in card slots supporting all popular memory cards,the Spectator ensures secured copying from card to hard drive with anintegrated auto-verify function. Additional features include image zoom,thumbnail and slideshow modes with adjustable display duration; apower-saving function; and free firmware updates. With a high-speedUSB 2.0 interface and TV-out hookup, the Spectator can function as aMac- or PC-compatible external hard disk. The Spectator is availablewith storage capacity of 40-, 80- and 120GB.Price: $249 for40GB; $299 for 80GB; $379 for 120GB. www.jobo-usa.com

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600-watt-second lamp head that uses ahigh-efficiency 65-watt halogen modelinglight, which produces output equivalent to a90-watt bulb. In the studio, the modelinglight can be powered from a wall outlet. TheAcuteB 600R model comes with a built-in32-channel PocketWizard receiver for wirelessflash triggering. Price: $1,899.www.profoto-usa.com

POWER PACK

Paul C. Buff Zeus Power PacksDesigned for use with the ZeusSystem, Zeus Power Packs come intwo models, the Z1250 (1,250 watt-seconds, 7.4 pounds) and the Z2500(2,500-watt-seconds, 11.2 pounds).With two flash head outlets, eachpack provides asymmetrical powerdistribution (1:1 or 3:1) with steplessflash power adjustment over a 5-f/stop range. Synchronization isaccomplished via

sync cord, built-in slave tripper or remotecontrol. Zeus Power Packs are designed foruse with Paul C. Buff Zeus Flash Heads(standard, bi-tube and ringflash), and are also pin-for-pin- and voltage-for-voltage-compatible with the Dyna-Lite 2040, 4040 and 4080 series of flash heads. Price: $599.95 for Z1250; $799.95 for Z2500. www.alienbees.com/zeus.html orwww.white-lightning.com/zeus.html

SLAVE/TRIGGER SYSTEM

Elinchrom EL-Skyport WirelessFor the hottest new slave/trigger system, thejudges selected the Elinchrom EL-Skyport Wireless, a miniaturized secure, high-speeddata transmission system for wireless handheldor computer control of all Elinchrom RX powerunits. There are four modules available in the

Skyport system: transmitter, RX receiver, trans-ceiver RX USB and universal receiver (usedwith a sync socket to fire most flashes). Thesystem can sync up to 1/1,000 second. Thecombined studio operating range is 165 feet—395 feet in the great outdoors—with inter-ference-free operation in 40-bit security. Ourjudges loved the speed of the Skyport, 2.4GHz,more than 7 times faster than most competitors.For multiple flash unit control, there are eightfrequency channels with four work groups perchannel. Price: $206 for Universal Kit. www.elinchrom.com

STUDIO LIGHTING SYSTEM

Profoto ComPact RProfoto impressed the judges with its next-generation ComPact system for controlling

modular lighting setups. Withthe same functionality as its

predecessor, the

ComPact R also has a built-inPocketWizard. The system’ssimple learningmode remembersthe first signal receivedduring power-up. It holds

the memory until you enter a new channel.Compatible with all 32 PocketWizardchannels, the ComPact R can be triggeredfrom more than 300 feet. The ProfotoComPact R ProValue Pack includes two 8-foot light stands, two white umbrellasand a custom carrying case. Price:Starts at $899, increases withmodular additions. www.profoto-usa.com

February 2008 • Professional Photographer • 95

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DYE-SUB PRINTER

Mitsubishi CP-9800DWThe Mitsubishi CP-9800DW set the standardfor this year’s crop of dye-sub printers withits sophisticated adaptive thermal-headmanagement engine and 300dpi high-densitythermal head. When combined with newhigh-grade media, it produces deep blacks,strong color depth and smear-free gradation.The CP-9800DW comes with a high-speedUSB 2.0 interface. It prints 4x6 photos in 8

secondsand batchprints at400 printsper hour.It offersedge-to-edgeprinting infour out-put sizes.As with all

Mitsubishidigital photo

printers, the CP-9800DW is backed

by the Express Replacement Assistanceprogram. Price: $2,595. www.mitsubishi-imaging.com

INKJET PRINTERS

INKJET PRINTERLESS THAN $500

Epson Stylus Photo 1400The budget-friendly Epson Stylus Photo 1400impressed judges with its ability to producehigh-quality prints in 11x14-, 12x12- and 13x19-inch sizes. A successor to the Stylus Photo1280, the 1400 comes with a bevy of improve-ments. The printer delivers Claria Hi-Definitionink in droplets as small as 1.5 picoliters. Thenew DX5 print head prints nearly three timesfaster than the head in the 1280, giving you 8x10 photo prints as fast as 108 seconds and11x14 in 173 seconds. The Stylus Photo 1400also features Auto Photo Correction tech-nology, which provides an array of auto-fix

features for improperly exposed photos. Thismodel even prints on inkjet-printable CDsand DVDs. Price: $349.99.www.proimaging.epson.com

INKJET PRINTER$500 TO $1,000

Canon PIXMA Pro9500Our judges selected the Canon PIXMAPro9500 in this price category. The printerfeatures Canon 10-color (no swapping) Luciapigment ink system for high-quality outputup to 13x19 inches. Using FINE print head

technology, it can output images at amaximum resolution of 4,800x2,400dpi.Matte black, photo black and gray inks areincluded. Price: $849.99.www.usa.canon.com

INKJET PRINTER$1,000 TO $5,000

Epson Stylus Pro 4880The Epson Stylus Pro 4880 incorporates a17-inch-wide printer design with new ink tech-nology and an advanced print head. The Stylus

Pro 4880 uses Epson UltraChrome K3 inkswith the new Epson vivid magenta pigments.The MicroPiezo AMC print head combines withEpson AccuPhoto HD screening technology to placedroplets with extreme precision for smoothtonal transitions and fine detail from highlightsto shadows. The 4880’s high-capacity paper trayhandles cut-sheet media up to 17x22 inches,which can be loaded four different ways, androll media up to 17 inches wide. Price: $1,995.www.proimaging.epson.com

INKJET PRINTERMORE THAN $5,000

HP Designjet Z3100ps GP Photo PrinterIn this category, a winning printer better deliversomething above and beyond the norm. TheHP Designjet Z3100ps GP Photo Printer doesjust that, featuring a built-in spectrophotometerfor simple, push-button color management.Using a HP Vivera 12-color pigment inkset,this printer produces prints with exceptionalwater resistance and archival longevity ofmore than 200 years. The printer comes witha new embedded Adobe PS3/PDF RIP that

improves productivity by working seamlesslywith Photoshop and PDF files. Available in24- and 44-inch models, the DesignjetZ3100ps GP includes the HP AdvancedProfiling Solution for building customizedRGB and CMYK profiles for a variety ofmedia. Price: $5,095. www.hp.com

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INKJET MEDIA

FINE-ART MEDIUM

LexJet Sunset Select Gloss CanvasLexJet Sunset Select Gloss Canvas impressed

our judges with its water-resistant, poly-blend, gloss canvas surface, which lends itselfto an exceptional color gamut and imageclarity. The pH-neutral, acid-free inkjetcoating and bright white point render brightcolors, fine detail and consistency from printto print. Sunset Gloss Canvas can bestretched or mounted, and is compatible withpopular dye- and pigment-based inkjetprinters. It’s available in 40-foot rolls instandard widths of 17 to 60 inches. Price:$1.96 per square foot. www.lexjet.com

GLOSSY PAPER

LexJet Sunset Fibre Elite 285gLexJet developed the Sunset Fibre Elite basedon feedback from users of the previous HotOne Award-winning Sunset Fibre Gloss.LexJet’s customers wanted a super-smooth,bright white, glossy surface in a fiber paper,and the company obliged. The result isanother Hot One Award winner. Sunset FibreElite has a 285g microporous high-gloss-coated surface with a special acid-inhibitinglayer. Available in standard sheet sizes and rollwidths up to 60 inches, it is universallycompatible with all dye and pigmented inksets. Price: $1.80 per square foot.www.lexjet.com

MATTE PAPER

Moab Lasal Photo Matte 235Moab Lasal Photo Matte 235 is a double-sided, professional-grade photo paper thatyields excellent image sharpness and colordensity. The paper features an instant-dry,smooth matte surface that works well inhigh-speed production. Lasal Photo Matte235 is universally compatible with a widerange of printers and ink sets. Price: From$10.95 for 50 4x6 sheets to $48.95for 50 13x19 sheets. www.moabpaper.com

SEMI-GLOSSY PAPER

Hawk Mountain Papers Sharpwing LusterNew from Hawk Mountain Papers, SharpwingLuster is an 11 mil. opaque, resin-coated,photorealistic inkjet paper. Its bright white,quick-drying, microporous, low-luster coatingallows particularly high-resolution printing.Sharpwing Luster works with all types ofinkjet printers and with both dye and

pigmented ink. It comes on 3-inch-core rollsand 17x25-inch sheets. Price: $100 for24-inch x 100-foot roll.www.hawkmtpaper.com

98 • www.ppmag.com

SCANNER

MUTLI-FORMAT SCANNER

Epson Perfection V500 PhotoEpson takes all the marbles in the scanner category with the Epson Perfection V500 Photo colorscanner. It delivers 6,400dpi optical resolution with 48-bit color depth and 3.4 Dmax optical

density. The unit works with Epson’s new ReadyScanLED technology, which delivers fast scans withno warm-up. The ReadyScan LED adjusts thecolor of the light source based on the type oforiginal. The unit includes Digital ICE toremove dust and scratches, and Epson EasyPhoto Fix for restoring faded color. The Epson

V500 Photo has a built-in transparency unit(TPU) with a moving carriage and a lamp optimized

for scanning multiple 35mm negatives, slides andmedium-format film. Price: $249.99.

www.epson.com

9TH ANNUAL HOT ONE AWARDS

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Set Yourself Apart.

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craft a style all your own.

Used by today’s top professionals, Color Efex Pro 3.0 offers

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New fi lters like Bleach Bypass, Polaroid™ Transfer, Glamour

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PRESENTATION

CONTEMPORARY/UNMATTED PHOTO ALBUM

AsukaBook Book Bound EX in VarnishAsukaBook continues its popularity in thiscategory with Book Bound EX in Varnish. The

regular EX tookhome the prizelast year, andAsukaBook’s addition of a

varnish finishand the new 11x12.5-inch size lands it theaward again. The EX line of coffee-table-stylebooks features the same design on the bookjacket and the hard cover underneath. Insidelaminate pages are available in matte orglossy finish. EX books come in high-glossred or black cases with personalized hotstamping. Price: $175 to $262,depending on size and design. www.asukabook.com

DISPLAY ITEMIT’S A TIE!

Finao Seldex Image PortfolioThe judges were impressed by these unique,custom-designed, personally branded image

portfolios from Seldex Artistic Albums. Theseboxes come completely wrapped in an imagefrom the photographer, printed on eithercanvas or silk. Every print is treated with aprotective coating to increase the longevity ofthe portfolio. Inside, there are 15 rag matswith bevel-cut openings for image display.Price varies from $16.40 to $162.60. www.finaoonline.com

Collages.net Gallery WrapPart of a wave of new products introduced byCollages.net in 2007, Gallery Wraps won praisefrom our judges as a high-quality display

option for contemporary images. Eachgallery wrap comes on a 1.5-inch wooden

stretcher and is finished with a protectivecoating. Collages.net wraps the image

around the sides of the frame for fullimage display. Photographers canuse an online interface to preview

images in the gallery wrap format. Collages.nettechnicians take care of the production end.Price: Varies with image size. www.collages.net

FRAMEIT’S A TIE!

Digital Foci Image Moments IMT-083We know there are some great traditionalframes out there, but the digital displays just

keep winning. This year, we have a tie. TheDigital Foci Image Moments IMT-083, a newaddition to Image Moments line that won lastyear, provides digital image display on a selec-tion of interchangeable frames. Memory cardscan be inserted directly into the unit, whichdisplays the images on an 8-inch, 800x600-pixel LCD screen with a 500:1 contrast ratio.With 256MB of internal memory, the newImage Moments frame stores as many as1,500 images. An auto slideshow featureautomatically scrolls through the images in aset sequence. Price: $199. www.digitalfoci.com

JOBO Photo Display PDJ701JOBO grabbed the judges’ attention with thenew Photo Display PDJ701, a digital framewith a 7-inch, 800x480-pixel TFT color LCDwith a contrast ratio of 400:1. The Photo DisplayPDJ701 earns points for its impressive cache

of internal memory—1GB to hold more than10,000 pictures. Like Image Moments, the JOBO frame can display images directlyfrom memory cards, and has an automaticslideshow feature. Price: $179.www.jobo.com

NOVELTY OR ADD-ONSALES ITEMeMotion Designer Picture ShowsProfessionally produced eMotion MediaDesigner Slideshows are broadcast-qualityphoto presentations with such features ashigh-end title sequences, 3D animation,

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©B

rett Chisholm

Photography

Page 101: Professional photographer 2008 02

color-matched background layers and all sortsof special effects. The whole thing is timed tomusic for a pro-grade multi-media experience.EMotion Media offers all this through asimple ordering process at affordable prices.Photographers pick a show, upload theirimages, and let eMotion Media take care ofthe rest. Shows are available for the Web or

on DVD, presented in a leather folio andsilk-lined gift box. Price: $39.95 to $119.95.www.emotionmedia.com

ONLINE PRINTING/ORDER FULFILLMENT

collagesDesktop + collagesColorCollages.net took a big step forward with thisyear’s introduction of collagesDesktop +collagesColor. CollagesDesktop is a free, down-loadable workflow application for Collages.netcustomers. The software integrates withcollagesColor, a professional printing solution.The combination of these elements provides

seamless image management and ordering ina variety of photographic products, includingalbums, gallery wraps, magazine-style books,greeting cards and individual prints output onKodak Endura paper. Price: Desktop softwareis free for Collages.net customers. Print and product prices vary.www.collages.net/collagescolor

February 2008 • Professional Photographer • 101

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SOFTWARE

ALBUM DESIGN

Art Fotografic Album DS PRO—My Designer Studio EditionWinning the competitive album design categoryis Art Fotografic Album DS PRO—My DesignerStudio Edition. Working with Photoshop, AlbumDS PRO features over 500 templates that can

be used forany sizealbum. Thenew MyDesignerStudioEdition fea-tures an addi-tional 500customizabletemplatescreated by aprofessionalalbum designstudio, insuch cate-gories aschildren,

seniors, sports traders, announcements andstationery. There are also hundreds of borders,edge effects, masks and frames. Layouts canbe configured free form in Auto Layout modeor via other options provided by the software.Video tutorials accompany the application,which is available in several languages.Price: $449. www.albumds.org

CAMERA CAPTURE/PROCESSING

Craig’s Actions ProductionAssistants—Creative SuiteEver dreamed of automating image productionfrom camera to printer with the touch of abutton? Our judges certainly have, which iswhy they tapped Craig’s Actions ProductionAssistants—Creative Suite as the Hot Onewinner in the camera capture/processingcategory. This set of Photoshop Actions isavailable as a full suite or in three sets:Portrait/Wedding, Jazz for a collection of color

and duotone effects, and iTones 1, the first ina series of funky image effects. Price: $647for the full set; $247 per module.www.craigsactions.com

DIGITAL ASSETMANAGEMENT

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 1.3.1Adobe Photoshop Lightroom, now in version1.3.1, has taken the industry by storm, servingas the professional photographer’s essentialtool for importing, raw processing, managingand presenting volumes of digital

photographs.The softwareis organizedinto fivetask-orientedmodules:Library, fororganizingandselecting;Develop, fortone andcoloradjustments;Slideshow,

for presenting; Print, for output; and Web, forcreating and posting Web pages. Otherfeatures include a hue, saturation andluminance adjustment tool for intuitive imageediting. Clone and Healing features provide

non-destructive edits to eliminate sensordust marks. Lightroom uses AdobePhotoshop Camera Raw technology tosupport more than 150 native raw fileformats, as well as JPEG and TIFF. Price:$299. www.adobe.com

IMAGE EDITING

Adobe Photoshop CS3In one of the most crowded categories of thecompetition, Adobe Photoshop CS3 was aneasy winner, and king of imaging applications.Photoshop CS3 has enhanced colorcorrection, improvements to the interface tomaximize workspace, and new imageprocessing and alignment algorithms.Automatedfeatures helpusers createadvancedcomposites andpanoramas in afraction of thetime it took withprevious versions.The newNondestructiveSmart Filtersallow you tofreely experimentwith imageeffects withoutrisk of altering the original image file. Andthat’s just the tip of the iceberg. The entireapplication has been upgraded, enhanced andoptimized for faster operation, more robustfunctionality and even broader compatibility.Price: $649. www.adobe.com

IMAGE EDITING PLUG-INIT’S A TIE!

Nik Software Color Efex Pro 3.0Our judges liked the simplified control affordedby Nik Color Efex Pro 3.0. Nik Software’s U Point technology allows users to selectivelyapply enhancements to color, light andtonality without configuring masks, layers orselections. The plug-in includes more than 50

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traditional and stylizing filters, including neweffects such as Film Effects to replicate thecolor, contrast and grain of more than 30 filmtypes; Bleach Bypass to emulate the popularcinematic effect; Glamour Glow; and TonalContrast to separately control the contrast inthe highlights, mid-tones and shadows. Theinterface is also newly redesigned. Price:$299.95. www.niksoftware.com

Ron Nichols Digital Solutions PalettesJudges also gave kudos to Ron Nichols DigitalSolutions Palettes. This collection of digitalpalettes speeds retouching and enhancementwith programmed setups of common tasks,

preset tools, brushes, blending modes and layersmanagement. The system is facilitated fromone desktop docking interface that controls allother Ron Nichols palette products. The familyof Ron Nichols Palettes includes the latestversions of the Production Retouching Palette,ProSelect Video Tutorial Palette, Helen Yancy’sArtistic Enhancement Palette, Peter Eastway’sInspired Landscapes Palette and Tim Walden’sBlack and White Darkroom Palette. Price:$199 for download; $239 on CD.www.ronnichols.com

DIGITAL PAINTING

Corel Painter XWith Painter X, Corel takes the next step indigital painting. Judges loved the breakthroughtechnology of the RealBristle PaintingSystem, which makes the virtual brushesblend andsplay, for afeel closer tohand-paintingon canvas.TheUnderpaintingPalette isaugmentedwith colorschemesbased ondifferentstyles,includingImpressionist, Classical, Modern and ChalkDrawing. The Auto-Painting palette has beenupdated with the Smart Stroke Paintingoption, which applies brush strokes along theforms and detail in the original photo. Price:$229 upgrade; $429 full version.www.corel.com/painter

PRESENTATION/SLIDESHOW

Photodex ProShow Producer 3.2After a one-year absence from the winner’spodium, Photodex recaptures the Hot Oneaward for presentation/slideshow softwarewith ProShow Producer 3.2. The application

offers everything from digital proofing tomultimedia slideshow production. WithProShow Producer,photographers can create professionalshows with artisticeffects previouslyavailable onlythroughsophisticatedphoto and videoediting software.Features includethe Chroma KeyTransparency toolto createcinematic green screeneffects, the built-in vignette tool, photo andvideo cropping and rotation tools, enhanceddrop shadow control, caption textures andmore. Price: $249.95.www.photodex.com

STUDIO MANAGEMENT

SuccessWareFor the second year in a row, SuccessWarecaptures the prize for hottest studiomanagement software. SuccessWaremanages day-to-day studio operations,

helps you price products for profitability anddesign plans for increasing revenues. Theapplication is based on proven photographybusiness management practices developedby Charles Haynes, a past PPA president,and other industry experts. The newestversion of the software has increasedfunctionality with more complete pricing,accounting and business managementfeatures. Price: $1,495 to purchase;$299 plus $49 a month to lease.www.successware.net

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STUDIO & LOCATIONEQUIPMENT

BACKGROUND

Denny CP6262 Rusty MetalJudges gave the nod to the Denny CP6262Rusty Metal background, a computer-painted

background with an industrial chic feel. RustyMetal is available in a variety of sizes and canbe accessorized with the Denny Rusty MetalSenior Numbers. Price: $792 for 8x16-foot background. www.dennymfg.com

CAMERA BAG ORTRAVELING CASEIT’S A TIE!

jill-e camera bagsWe had such a diverse anddeserving set of entriesin our camera bag andtraveling case

categories that we decided to give threeawards. The first goes to jill-e, a new line ofcamera bags and accessories designedspecially for women. Our judges—especiallythe women in the group—loved thecombination of fashion and ruggedfunctionality of these bags. Jill-e bags havethe padding and protection of traditionalbags, but they’re crafted for panache inleather, suede and other stylish materials.Price: Varies by design. www.jill-e.com

Lowepro Apex AW Camera PouchesLowepro Apex AW Camera Pouches areperfectly suited to carry consumer-size cameras.With single-compartment design, the Apex AW Camera Pouches can accommodatea camera, memory card and battery, smallaccessories and a variety of video devices. Lowepro’s patented All Weather Coverprotects against rain, dust and sand, and the interior is lined with soft, brushed-tricotand has dividers topreventscratches.

It features amemory card pocket, reversed zipper withsilent zipper pulls and molded bumper. Price:$19.99 to $25.99. www.lowepro.com

Tank Photo Airport InternationalFor taking your pro gear into the air, thelarge rolling Think Tank Photo AirportInternational meets all international carry-onregulations. The bag includes severalsecurity features, such as a combination lock for the zipper sliders, a security cableand an ID plate with a unique serial number.Photographers can register their bag with

Think Tank Photo’s online security foridentification in case of loss or theft. The roller holds two DSLRs, accessories and lenses up to a 500mm f/4. The optional Airport International Low Dividerreconfigures the lower section of the case to accommodate laptops with no bulge.Price: $319. www.thinktankphoto.com

COLOR MANAGEMENT

PANTONE hueyPROThe PANTONE hueyPRO improves colorclarity and consistency across multiple CRT,laptop and LCD displays. An upgrade from the original huey, hueyPRO has addedfunctionality for users who frequently print photos and other graphics, sharethem among workstation monitors orupload them to the Web.About the size of a thickpen, the hueyPRO cancontinually adjust a monitoras the room lightingchanges. New softwareallows increased control overbrightness and contrastthrough user-selected gammaand white point settings.Price: $129.www.pantone.com

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Get a new perspective on studio management software.

“SuccessWare has been hands-down one of

the best investments I have made for my

business. It helps me make critical decisions

such as which prices need to be raised, what to

pay employees and how much I can afford in

rent. I also base our marketing decisions on the

client sales information. At only $49 a month,

this software can save you time by helping you

make better business decisions.”

Sarah PettySarah Petty Photography, Springfield, IL

©2

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Pet

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phy

SuccessWare is the only software that will managethe day-to-day operations of your business, priceyour products for profitability and create a plan tomake you more money.

SuccessWare knows that as a professional photographer, your focusis on creativity. That’s why we have a team of specialists ready to help.

They’ll solve problems and create solutions to make you more money. So the

next time you have a studio management challenge, turn to the place that

photographers trust–SuccessWare.

SuccessWareSuccessWareGET YOUR FREE DEMO AT

WWW.SUCCESSWARE.NET | 800.593.3767

PURCHASE OR LEASE | WINDOWS & MAC

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STUDIO & LOCATION EQUIPMENT CONTINUED

DIGITAL PROJECTOR

Epson PowerLite 77cThe Epson PowerLite 77c multimediaprojector features 2,200 lumens with XGA

resolution and high-aperture 3LCD technology. The 3LCD technology is a solid-state opticalengine that works without a moving color wheel.Users can adjust each color’s hue and saturationfrom six different axes. The unit starts up within5 seconds and can be powered down immediatelywith Epson Instant Off. The projector includessoftware for displaying slideshows fromportable storage devices or directly fromdigital cameras. At 6 pounds, the PowerLite77c is highly portable. Price: $749.www.epson.com

POSING TOOL

Lastolite HiLite The Lastolite HiLite illuminated background isa versatile, evenly lit surface for a variety of

poses against a white backdrop. The HiLitecan be backlit so that subjects can stand asclose as 6 inches away without casting ashadow. The HiLite also works as a large rearsoft box to illuminate the subject as well asthe background. This setup needs just oneother flash head to light the subject from thefront. The self-supporting, collapsiblebackground sets up in minutes. Price: $456for 5x7-foot; $537 for 6x7.www.bogenimaging.us

POWER SUPPLY

Paul C. Buff Vagabond II Portable Power SystemDesigned to work with all Paul C. Buff flashunits and power packs, the Vagabond IIPortable Power System is a major upgrade.The Vagabond II offers faster recycle from asingle second-generation PSI900GF puresine wave inverter that converts power froman internal 20AH, 12-volt battery into acurrent-controlled, pure sine wave power

source (120VAC, 60Hz OUT). The system includes a built-in global battery charger withcharging cord, and a built-in GFCI thateliminates the need for physical groundingand auxiliary battery cables. The Vagabond IIsystem weighs 18.6 pounds and measures10.5x8.5x6 inches. Price: $299.95.www.alienbees.com/VIIsystem.html orwww.white-lightning.com/VIIsystem.html

TRIPOD OR CAMERA STAND

Manfrotto 055XPROBManfrotto’s 055XPROB features a fasthorizontal center column system for quick andeasy horizontal positioning. You can extendthe column to its highest vertical positionthen swing it around to horizontal positionwithout removing the head or disassemblingthe column. This greatly simplifies switchingbetween framing andpositioning setups. The055XPROB has improvedergonomics in the leg anglerelease mechanism and better functioning in the quick-action leg locks. Price: $168.www.bogenimaging.us

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EDUCATIONALRESOURCES

BOOK

“The Adobe Photoshop CS3 Book for Digital Photographers”In a how-to published by Peachpit Press,Scott Kelby, best-selling author on Adobe

Photoshop,delves intoCS3 to uncoverthe mostimportant and usefultechniques for digitalphotographers.Our judgesliked Kelby’sdirect approachwith step-by-step instruc-tions. In thisnew edition,

Kelby shares even more secrets from thetop pros. Price: $49.99.www.peachpit.com

DVD OR CD

Kubota RAW Workflow for Lightroom“Kubota RAW Workflow for Lightroom” is thelatest time-saving tutorial from digital workflowmaster Kevin Kubota. The tutorial provideseasy-to-follow instruction for working withraw files in Adobe Lightroom. Kubota coversorganization, editing, adjustments, enhance-ments and presentation. Kubota sharesinsider tricks and the proven techniques heuses in his own busy studio. Our judges likehow the tutorial provides a big-picture look ateffective raw workflow. Price: $79.www.kubotaimagetools.com

WEB SITE

Collages.net Build Your BrandNew from the expanding educational catalogavailable at Collages.net, Build Your Brandprovides numerous marketing techniques thathave proved successful for real studios acrossthe country. The site covers such topics aslogo usage and blogging, as well asinnovative, free ways to reinforce your brand.The marketing practices are updated regularlyand tweaked with constant feedback fromCollages.net customers and partners. Price:Free for Collages.net customers.www.collages.net/studiomarketing

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9TH ANNUAL HOT ONE AWARDS

MISCELLANEOUS

NEC MultiSync LCD2690WUXi DisplayThis year we decided to give some love to someworthy items that just don’t have a home in theHot One categories. No surprise, Miscellaneous

brought in more than three times the numberof entries in any other category. With dozens of great products to choose from, our judges hadto compare apples to oranges to pears totangelos, but what finally stood out in themixed fruit salad was the MultiSync

LCD2690WUXi Display. This modelfeatures SpectraViewII Series LCDdisplays on ultra-thin frames. Themonitors come with theSpectraViewII Color CalibrationSolution, which combines a colormeasurement sensor withsophisticated profiling software.Available in screen sizes of 19 to 26inches, the SpectraviewII Seriesincludes a widescreen version andthe MultiSync LCD2180WG-LED, thefirst LED-backlit desktop LCDdisplay. Price: From $1,900.www.necdisplay.com

HONORABLE MENTION: PhotoShelter Personal ArchiveA special honorable mention in themiscellaneous category goes to the

PhotoShelter Personal Archive. The PersonalArchive organizes image archiving, distribution,pricing and sales in a single online hub. Itprovides the fotoQuote pricing grid to helpphotographers manage competitive pricing.New in 2007, PhotoShelter offers one terabyteof redundant storage for $1,000 per year.Price: $9.99 for standard subscription;free starter accounts available.www.photoshelter.com

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Current EventsMarch 7-11C: Wisconsin PPA, Marriott Madison West,Madison, Wis.; Donna Swiecichowski, 920-822-1200; Paul Tishim, 715-384-5454;Deb Wiltsey, 866-382-9772; wppa-online.com

March 7-12C: PP of North Carolina, Inc., Sheraton ImperialHotel, Durham, N.C.; Loretta Byrd, 459 GreenleafRoad, Angier, NC 27501; 888-404-7762;[email protected]; www.ppofnc.com

March 16-20C: Mid America Regional, Decatur ConferenceCenter, Decatur, Ill.; Kathryn Northcott,[email protected]

March 28-30S: PP of Oklahoma, Quartz Mountain Resort,Lone Wolf, Okla.; Ted Newlin,[email protected]; www.ppok.org

April 4-8S: PP of Washington, Wenatchee, Wash.; RadleyMuller, 360-676-9279; [email protected];www.ppw.org

April 6-9C: PPSNY, Hilton Rye Town, Rye Brook, N.Y.;Barbara Bovat, 518-851-2187; [email protected];www.ppsnys.com

April 12-15C: Heart of America, Mid America Center, CouncilBluffs, Iowa.; Stephen Harvey, 620-624-4102;[email protected]; www.hoappa.com

April 13-15C: Montana PPA, Billings, Montana; ScottFairbanks, 406-761-2059; [email protected];montanappa.org

April 14S: Connecticut PPA, Crowne Plaza Hotel, Cromwell,Conn.; Harvey Goldstein, 203-430-8276;[email protected]; www.ctppa.com

April 21S: PP of Massachusetts; Steve Meier, [email protected], www.ppam.com

April 26-29C: New Hampshire PPA; North Conway, N.H.;Lorraine Bedell, 603-743-5732; [email protected]; nhppa.com

April 27-29C: PP of New Jersey, Bally’s Hotel & Casino,Altlantic City, N.J.; Leslie Meltzer, 866-985-4300; [email protected]; wwwppanj.com

May 18-20S: PP of Louisiana, Marksville, La.; DaynaPonthieu, 318-359-6633; www.ppla.net

May 18-23W: Imaging Workshops, Mountain Summit,Breckenridge, Colo.; Thomas J. Hissong,303-933-9461; [email protected]; www.coloradoworkshops.com

June 15-16C: PP of Oregon, Mt. Bachelor Resort, Bend,Ore.; Arlene Welsh, 800-370-5657; [email protected]; www.pporegon.com

June 16S: PP of Massachusetts; Steve Meier, [email protected]; www.ppam.com

June 22-23S: Kentucky PPA; Embassy Suites, Lexington, Ky.; Randy Fraley, 606-928-5333;[email protected]; www.kyppa.com

June 22-24S: PP of North Dakota, Northern Light Seminar,Doublewood Inn, Bismarck, N.D.; Poppy Mills,701-222-3040; [email protected]

August 2-5C: PP of Louisiana, New Orleans, La.; DaynaPonthieu, 318-359-6633; www.ppla.net

September 12-15C: PP of Oklahoma, Radisson Hotel, Tulsa,Okla.; Ted Newlin, [email protected];www.ppok.org

September 13-16C: PPA of New England, Radisson HotelNashua, N.H.; Roland Laramie, P.O. Box 316,Willimantic, CT 06226; [email protected]

October 3-7C: Southwest PPA, Sheraton Arlington Hotel,Arlington, Texas; Michael Scalf, Sr., Box 1779,Blanchard, OK 73010-1770; 405-485-3838;[email protected]; www.swppa.com

October 5-6S: Kentucky PPA; Hyatt Regency, Lexington,Ky.; Randy Fraley, 606-928-5333; [email protected]; www.kyppa.com

October 20S: PP of Massachusetts; Steve Meier, [email protected]; www.ppam.com

October 20-21C: Wisconsin PPA, The Osthoff Resort, ElkhartLake, Wis.; Donna Swiecichowski, 920-822-1200; Paul Tishim, 715-384-5454;Deb Wiltsey, 866-382-9772; wppa-online.com

October 26-27C: PP of Iowa, Airport Holiday Inn, Des Moines,Iowa; Chris Brinkopf, P.O. Box 108, Sumner, IA50674; 563-578-1126; [email protected]

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calendarSubmit your organization’s convention,workshop, seminar or exhibition dates toProfessional Photographer at least sixmonths in advance. Editors reserve the rightto select events to be announced on thesepages, and to determine when announcementswill appear. Editors are not responsible forconflicting or incorrect dates. For readers’convenience, each event is identified by a codepreceding its name: C=Convention, W=Work-shop, S=Seminar, C/E=Approved PPA ContinuingEducation Seminar, E=Exhibit. Send all Calendarof Events additions or corrections to: SandraLang, Professional Photographer, 229 PeachtreeSt., NE, Suite 2200, Atlanta, GA 30303;FAX: 404-614-6404; [email protected].

PPA EVENTS

Professional Photographers of America (PPA)has a proud tradition of providing its memberswith outstanding educational opportunitiesthrough its annual events, PPA-Merited classesand its PPA Affiliate School Network. Don’tmiss out on the vital knowledge you’ll gain atthese events! For information on PPA events,call 800-786-6277 or visit www.ppa.com.

June 6117th Annual International PrintCompetition Deadline for Entries

July 22-23Judges Workshop, Daytona Beach

April 7Super Monday

October 9-18PPA Fall Cruise

January 11-13, 2009Imaging USA, Phoenix

January 10-12, 2010Imaging USA, Nashville

Certification ExamApril 27North Conway, N.H.

Image Review

Online submission:May 9, August 8, & October 10

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PPA members receive both merits and the best-published prices.

March 30 - April 2International Photographic Arts School,Mariott Hotel & Conference Center,Indianapolis, Ind.; Janell Spencer, 812-384-3203; [email protected];www.apag.net/ipasschool.html

March 30 – April 4Triangle Institute, Greentree Radisson,Pittsburgh, Pa.; Samuel Pelaia, 724-869-5455; [email protected]; www.trianglephotographers.org

March 31 – April 4California Photographic Workshops,Fisherman’s Wharf, San Francisco, Calif.;James Inks, 888-422-6606;[email protected];www.cpwschool.com

April 6-11New England Institute, Ocean Edge Resort,Brewster, Mass.; Sal Genuario, 401-738-3797; [email protected]; www.ppane.com

April 27 – May 2Texas School, Texas A&M University,College Station, Texas; Donald Dickson,806-296-2276; [email protected];www.tppa.org/school.htm

May 4-9Georgia School, N. Georgia Tech,Clarksville, Ga.; Tom McCollum, 888-272-3711; [email protected];www.gppa.com

May 4-9MARS (Mid-Atlantic Regional School),Grand Hotel, Cape May, N.J.; AdeleBastinck, 888-267-6277;[email protected]; www.marsschool.com

May 6-9 and May 11-14Wisconsin Professional PhotographersSchool, UW Stevens Point-Treehaven,Tomahawk, Wis.; Phil Ziesemer, 715-536-4540, [email protected]; www.wiprophotoschool.org

May 18-22Florida School of Photography, DaytonaBeach Community College, Daytona Beach,Fla.; Teri Crownover; [email protected];800-330-0532; Marybeth Jackson-Hamberger, [email protected];www.fppfloridaschool.com

May 18-23Imaging Workshops of Colorado,Breckenridge, Colo.; Jeff Johnson, 303-921-4454; [email protected]; www.coloradoworkshops.com

June 1-5Kansas Professional Photographer School,Bethel College, Newton, Kan.; RonClevenger, 785-242-7710,[email protected]; www.kpps.com

June 1-5Mid-America Institute of ProfessionalPhotography, University of Northern Iowa,Cedar Falls, Iowa; Charles Lee, 641-799-8957; [email protected];www.maipp.com; Al DeWild,[email protected]

June 8-12Illinois Workshops, Grafton, Ill.; Bret Wade,217-245-5418; [email protected];www.ilworkshops.com

June 8-13Great Lakes Institute of Photography,Northwestern College, Traverse City, Mich.;Greg Ockerman, 313-318-4327; [email protected]; www.glip.org

June 15-20West Coast School, University of San Diego, San Diego, Calif.; Kip Cothran, 951-696-9706; [email protected];www.prophotoca.com

June 22-25Golden Gate School of ProfessionalPhotography, Mills College, Oakland, Calif.;Julie Olson, 650-548-0889; [email protected];www.goldengateschool.com

June 22-26PP Oklahoma School, St. Gregory’sUniversity, Shawnee, Okla.; Glenn Cope,580-628-6438; [email protected];www.ppok.org/school.html

July 13-17Image Explorations, Shawnigan Lake, British Columbia; Don MacGregor, 604-731-7225; [email protected];

www.imageexplorations.ca/

July 20-25PPSNY Photo Workshop, Hobart/WilliamSmith Colleges, Geneva, N.Y.; LindaHutchings, 607-733-6563; [email protected]; www.ppsnysworkshop.com

August 4-7Long Island Photo Workshop, SheratonHotel, Smithtown, Long Island, N.Y.; Jerry Small, 516-221-4058; [email protected]; www.liphotoworkshop.com

August 10-14East Coast School, Sheraton Imperial Hotel,Raleigh, N.C.; Janet Boschker, 704-567-0775; [email protected];www.eastcoastschool.com

August 24-27Carolina Art & Photographic School,Randolph Community College, ArchdaleCampus, Creekside Park, N.C.; Bob Henderson, 336-288-1132; [email protected]; www.capsartschool.com

September 28-October 2Lamarr Williamson School of SouthCarolina; Springmaid Resort, Myrtle Beach,S.C.; John Wrightenberry; 803-781-2130;[email protected]; www.ppofsc.com

Send all additions or corrections to: MarisaPitts, Professional Photographers ofAmerica, 229 Peachtree Street, N.E., Suite2200, Atlanta, GA 30303;[email protected].

2008 PPA-AFFILIATED SCHOOLS

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COMING TO ORLANDO, FL. APRIL 2-4, 2008

REGISTER TODAY! CALL 800-738-8513OR VISIT WWW.PHOTOSHOPWORLD.COM

PHOTOSHOP WORLD IS THE OFFICIAL CONVENTION OF THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF PHOTOSHOP PROFESSIONALS

REGISTRATION OPTIONS

NON-NAPP MEMBER(before February 29, 2008) includes a full-year NAPP membership $599

(after February 29, 2008) includes a full-year NAPP membership $699

NAPP MEMBER(before February 29, 2008) $499(after February 29, 2008) $599

Mark Your Calendar! The world’s largest Adobe® Photoshop® educational event, featuring the latest Photoshop CS3 training, and an expanded 3-day tech expo is coming to Orlando, Florida!Photographers, graphic designers, Web developers, educators, art directors, students, and Photoshop fanatics — this is the conference you don’t want to miss in 2008!

Adobe and Photoshop are registered trademarks of Adobe Photoshop Incorporated.

Photoshop®World:

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November 2S: PP of Louisiana, Northern Exposure,Shreveport, La.; Dayna Ponthieu,318-359-6633; www.ppla.net

November 9-10C: PP of Ohio, Hilton Easton, Columbus,Ohio; Carol Worthington, [email protected]

Future EventsJanuary 31 - February 3, 2009C: PP of Iowa, Airport Holiday Inn, DesMoines, Iowa; Chris Brinkopf, P.O. Box 108,Sumner, IA 50674; 563-578-1126;[email protected]

February 20-23, 2009C: PP of Oregon, Mt. Bachelor Resort Bend,Ore.; Arlene Welsh, 800-370-5657; [email protected]; www.pporegon.com

February 27-March 3, 2009C: Wisconsin PPA, Marriott Conference Center,Madison, Wis.; Donna Swiecichowski, 920-822-1200; Paul Tishim, 715-384-5454; Deb Wiltsey,866-382-9772; wppa-online.com

February 26-March 4, 2009C: PP of North Carolina; Sheraton ImperialHotel, Durham, N.C.; Loretta Byrd, 888-404-7762; [email protected]; www.ppofnc.com

March 28-31, 2009C: Heart of America, KCI Expo Center, KansasCity, Mo.; Stephen Harvey, 620-624-4102;[email protected]; www.hoappa.com

April 3-8, 2009C: Minnesota PPA; Joanie Ford, 763-560-7783; [email protected];mnppa.com

April 4-8, 2009C: Northern Light, Minnesota, Jeff Fifield,218-722-377; [email protected]; NicoleBugnacki, P.O. Box 567 Ironton, Minn.;56455; 763-390-6272

November 15-16, 2009C: PP of Ohio, Hilton Easton, Columbus, Ohio; Carol Worthington, [email protected]

February 2008 • Professional Photographer • 117

PPA-Approved ContinuingEducation SeminarsPPA members receive both merits and the best-published prices.

February-MarchC/E: New Hampshire PPA Photofestival2008; 603-627-7563; www.nhppa.com;[email protected]

March 3-8C/E: Painter Panache Master; Jeremy Sutton,San Francisco, Calif.; 415-626-3971;www.jeremysutton.com

May 5-9C/E: From Traditional to Digital; JeremySutton, San Francisco, Calif.; 415-626-3971;www.jeremysutton.com

July 12-18C/E: Copan Honduras Study AbroadExcursion with Paul Wingler, Suzette Allen & JonYoshinaga; 800-483-6208; [email protected]; www.suzetteallen.com/copan

August 1-4C/E: Oxford Painter Workshop; JeremySutton, San Francisco, Calif.; 415-626-3971;www.jeremysutton.com

September 12-17C/E: Great Gatsby Impressionist Workshop;Jeremy Sutton, San Francisco, Calif.; 415-626-3971; www.jeremysutton.com

October 20-23C/E: Painter Creativity; Jeremy Sutton, SanFrancisco, Calif.; 415-626-3971; www.jeremysutton.com

November 2-6C/E: The College! Master Biennale; JeremySutton, San Francisco, Calif.; 415-626-3971;www.jeremysutton.com

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PRESIDENT’S MESSAGEJack Reznicki, Cr.Photog., API

2007-2008 PPA President

news from the world’s largest professional photography association | Professional Photographers of America | www.ppa.com

PP

AN

ews &

Notes

P 1

The hardest part of being a professional photographer is not about taking a photograph, deciding which lens to use, knowing what directions to give the model or what props to pick. Nope. The hardest part of photography is deciding what and how to charge for it.

As a commercial photographer, I rarely sell prints; I only provide tightly licensed les to clients. I learned a long time

ago to stop selling images and think instead about licensing images. While licensing wouldn’t work exactly the same for wedding/portrait shooters, I do think it is a business model that needs to be looked at seriously. The current business model used by many wedding/portrait photographers will not hold well over time. But that, of course, is just my personal opinion.

I personally believe licensing is a concept whose time has come for wedding and portrait photographers. So many industries have changed radically over the last 10 years, and there is no reason to believe that our industry will dodge a shifting marketplace. You can’t continue doing what you did 10 years ago and survive today. The business “kingdom” is just like the animal kingdom: adapt, migrate, or die.

Many industries and individuals who didn’t adapt to changing times—who wouldn’t admit there was a changing paradigm in the marketplace—basically died off. We saw it with Web designers who faced families with computers, small shop printers facing home copiers and printers, and mechanics facing car engines that can only be diagnosed with a computer. The collectible industry has been radically transformed by eBay. And the music industry changed shockingly fast because of iPods and iTunes.

Our industry is not immune to changes in the marketplace.

I’ve always been a strong advocate of licensing, which, I believe, strengthens your control over your images. It can be as simple as just a few sentences on your invoice, specifying what your client can and can’t do with the images (and, in some cases, for what length of time they can do it).

I’ve heard photographers say that licensing is like “giving away” copyright. Balderdash. Licensing gives you more control and lets you give your clients what they want. It’s a win/win situation. You should never “give away” or “sell” your les, but you should gure out a business model that makes what

you do a win/win situation. And that situation should add more to your bottom line at the end of the year.

This is a complex issue, and I’m limited here by space. I’d be happy to talk more about this on the OurPPA.com Forum, where opposing views—if respectful to others—are very welcome. Discussing these issues from several sides enlightens everyone.

On a side note, this will be my last column as I’m in the nal month of my presidency. As of March 1, I’m leaving this of ce and this spot in the magazine to your new president, Dennis Craft, and his wonderful and capable hands. Looking back at the year, I have to say it’s been a fantastic and enlightening experience.

A special thanks to PPA’s staff for keeping me on track, on time, and looking good because of what they did behind the scenes. And thanks to all the volunteers who continually give so much to this association.

Thank you and good night.

Jack Reznicki, Cr.Photog., API2007-2008 PPA President

TODAY FEBRUARY | 08

SOMETHING TO PONDER…© Lester Miller © Rachel Gracie © David Huntsman

© Bruce Belling © Nathan Beck © Robbin Loomas

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Laura Novak put together her AN-NE Marketing entry in a day, shipped it overnight, and won the award for Best Family & Children Campaign. How? Let’s just say her campaignitself wasn’t created overnight.

Perhaps her business degree helped. More likely, though, it was a combination of her determination to know her customer and her strong awareness that she needed to know her customer. In fact, “know your customer” is one thing she always tells other photographers.

“You have to understand what your customers care about, value, and believe in. They can’t be simple demographical numbers,” Laura commented. “If you know what they value, then you can make them happy. And a happy customer births the elusive referral!”

But Laura rst had to get customers through her doorway before she could make them happy. While she had an

established reputation for weddings, she wasn’t known for family and children portraits. “I knew I needed something full scale to capture people’s attention. That’s what really drove the idea,” she said.

So Laura listened to her customers and potential customers. “I began to see a pattern,” she remembered. “When I talked to people around town, they would say, ‘Oh, I’ve been meaning to call you…I’m going to schedule a session, but I’m waiting for…’ ”

Those who scheduled family and children portraits needed a reason to do so. “When I sell weddings, there’s already a sense of urgency because there’s a wedding date. But with portraits…there’s no urgency, no ‘reason’ for them to take action now. That was my inspiration for the ‘What’s Your Reason’ campaign. We wanted to give customers reasons to come.”

However, she didn’t skip straight to the execution phase of marketing. In her

words, marketing is de nitely a “process with strategy and execution sections.” These are the steps Laura takes:

1. De ne audience. 2. Decide your purpose.3. Create the message.

“A lot of photographers skip straight to creating and designing their messages and materials. You just can’t do that,” Laura stressed. “You need to know what you want your customers to believe about you.”

In order to do that, you have to know your audience (as Laura stressed earlier) and decide your purpose. These rst two steps—the strategic part of the

marketing plan—are what really make a campaign effective. In fact, when Laura teaches, she often compares such a plan to driving a car: “You want to go to Ohio, so you head east. But if you have a map in hand, you don’t waste time getting there,” she laughed. “That’s why planning our marketing is so important—we don’t have lots of time or money to waste!”

2007 AN-NE MARKETING AWARD SPOTLIGHT: LAURA NOVAK by Angie Wijesinghe, PPA Marketing Specialist

IN MEMORY: Buddy Stewart, M.Photog.Cr., CPP, API, F-ASP PPA member since 1968

Buddy Stewart died November 30, 2007 of cardiac arrest at his son’s home in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Buddy was an award-winning photographer, a distinguished competition juror, a wonderful educator, and a dedicated volunteer leader in his state organization, the American Society of Photographers, PPA and his

community. His special passion was helping photographers improve their craft through the International Image Competition. As a Juror, Jury Chair, PEC Committee member and PEC Committee Chair, Buddy’s leadership was instrumental in establishing and maintaining the high integrity of the International Image Competition. And

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TAKE A PEEK AT HOW IT WORKED FOR LAURA NOVAK AND HER STUDIO:

TARGET AUDIENCE: They pro led their ideal customer, from age range and location to household income and interests in art and design. Not stopping at numbers, Laura also polled the mothers who called to inquire about services, but didn’t book immediately; and she paid attention to conversations, learning what customers wanted.

PURPOSE/GOALS: To introduce the area to the studio’s brand and philosophies (which were spelled out) and to encourage purchases throughout the year.

MESSAGE: Not only did this involve the humorous, yet provocative “reasons” for portraits, it also involved the color scheme and graphic elements that would entice customers with a strong interest in art/design. An added bonus: Laura used models of well-known residents. Thus, the overall message was one of inspiration—an inspiration to act.

IMPLEMENTATION: The studio’s staff graphic designer created the materials in-house (direct mail postcards, postcard displays, local magazine/newspaper ads, and a Web site ash introduction). Each piece was placed in a carefully researched location.

RESULTS: The results were every photographer’s dream: 120 portraits from August 2006 to August 2007, with an average sale of $1,650. It even created such a demand that Laura raised her prices several times that year!

Laura and her team reached out to their ideal client, presented them with images, copy, and an overall feeling that they would connect with. That inspires the audience to act…and act they did.

“Even though marketing is a process, you can’t be discouraged by it,” admitted Laura. “It simply takes time to learn what will work, to learn what your customers want. You learn about them as you service them, which will re ne your customer pro le. Then you take that information and put it into next year’s plan.”

Laura Novak – Laura Novak Photography – Wilmington, DEwww.NovakPhotography.comwww.StrategyAvenue.com (A Business Resources for Photographers Web Site)

The annual AN-NE Marketing Awards competition recognizes outstanding ingenuity and effectiveness in real-world marketing endeavors. Named in honor of Ann Monteith and Marvel Nelson, both marketing gurus and past PPA Presidents, the competition is open to PPA members only. More information is at the Competition & Awards page on www.ppa.com.

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If you can make people laugh in an ad, they will remember you. It forms a connection, relaxing them to the point where they begin to trust you.– Laura Novak

at Imaging USA ‘08, he received the PPA Directors Award posthumously.

Overarching his many accomplishments, titles and responsibilities, Buddy was a good friend to all. He freely shared his skills, his knowledge, his creativity and

passion for our profession in helping thousands of individual photographers.

His friend Barry Rankin said, “[He] was always on the side of what is right and good...always willing to share his knowledge, his last possession, anything that would help a friend.” Helen

Yancy added: “To all of us, Buddy was an example of the highest integrity, a bigger than life personality that represented PPA and photography in the best possible way.”

BE A WINNER YOURSELF!The 2008 AN-NE Marketing Awards are earlier this year, with a deadline of July 1, 2008. Rules will be online in February, but you can start getting ready now. Named in honor of Ann Monteith (AN) and Marvel Nelson (NE), both PPA past presidents and marketing gurus, this competition helps you take a closer look at what your customer sees before they see you: your marketing. See how you stack up against your peers in 2008.

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AFFILIATE SCHOOL SPOTLIGHT

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CALIFORNIA PHOTOGRAPHICWORKSHOPSMarch 31 - April 4, 2008Scotts Valley, CAContact: Jim Inks; 888-422-6606; [email protected] site: www.CPWschool.comTuition: $545 (PPA members); $620 (non-members). Special tuition rates for John Teague’s “Seeing the Light” class: $295 (Members); $325 (Non-Members). Lodging for 5 nights and meals at the conference center are available for students attending the session: $480 (double); $680 (single)Course Information: Choose one photographic expert to study with throughout the week. For details on classes, visit the Web site listed above.Advanced Photoshop –

Suzette Allen Artistic Elements of Portraiture! –

Carl Caylor,Wedding Photography –

Joe Buissink Passion for Portraiture –

Paul TumasonLifestyle Children’s Photography –

Tina WilsonBeginning Photoshop –

Jon YoshinagaLighting and Business Basics –

John Teague (with a special tuition rate)

WISCONSIN PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHERS SCHOOL @TREEHAVENMay 6-9 & May 11-14, 2008Tomahawk, WIContact: Dennis McGill; [email protected]; 715-369-1226Web site: www.WiProPhotoSchool.orgTuition: $595-$750Course Information:May 6 – 9, 2008 PhotoshopCS3® –

Peter BauerAll 5 PPA Business Modules –

Steve Larsen & Aletha SpeakarPortraits, Weddings, & Children –

Louis TonsmeireMastering Light –

John Woodward

May 11 – 14, 2008 Portraits, Weddings, & General Business –

Doug BoxUnderstanding People, Light, & Style–

Ken Skulte Sales, Marketing, & Psychology –

Clark & Rachel Marten Digital Work ow –

Dave Johnson

IMAGING WORKSHOPS OF COLORADO, INC.May 18 - 23, 2008 | Breckenridge, COContact: Jeff Johnson; 303-921-4454; [email protected] Web site: www.ColoradoWorkshops.comTuition: $925 Member; $975 Non-MemberCourse Information: “Take Your Talents to New Heights!” Join us in Breckenridge for professional development workshops, designed for imaging professionals of all skill levels. Our 2008 faculty includes Kevin Kubota, Scott Dupras, Don MacGregor, Kalen Henderson, David Ziser and more. Take your imaging career to new heights atop this Rocky Mountain paradise. Call 303-933-9461 or view our Web site for more details.

Chances are, people stay connected to local and regional organizations thanks to a newsletter, magazine, or Web site. But these publications don’t produce themselves! Have you—the editors and Webmasters—been thanked?

If you are in charge of these publications, you need to enter the 2008 Af liate Communications Competition.

All PPA Af liate editors and Webmasters are invited to participate in this competition, designed to encourage excellence in Af liate publications and to recognize the individuals who spend their time and energy editing, designing and maintaining these publications in order to keep their members informed. Earn an achievement merit if your entry is accepted into the competition and an additional merit if you win!

Get the recognition you deserve. Entry forms are available at http://competitions.ppa.com. Entries must be received at PPA no later than Friday, February 22, 2008. If you have additional questions, please contact PPA at (800) 339-5451, ext. 226, or e-mail [email protected].

AFFILIATE COMMUNICATORS GET RECOGNIZED

Now that Imaging USA ’08 is over, what are you going to do for education? Just check OurPPA.com for topic threads about PPA Af liates, News, Events, & Schools; PPA Approved & Merited Education; Super Monday (the one-day

classes held around the country); the new PPA-hosted Webinars and more! After all, you can never have enough education.

CONVERSATIONS ON OURPPA.COM

http://ourppa.com

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Publisher not responsible for errors & omissions

PROFESSIONAL

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ACCOUNTING

CPAs FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS. Business set-up, taxplanning and preparation, business valuations andconsulting. Decades of experience. Darryl Bodnar, CPA,(410) 453-5500, [email protected]. Visit our websiteat www.nlgroup.com.

ALBUMS

GP ALBUMS (formerly General Products L.L.C.) is focusedon flush mount and digital offset albums along with ourNEW extensive line of self-mount albums and folios. GP’sOptimus, Quick-Stick, Digital Vision, Tempus, and Eclipsealbums are the products that will help take your photographybusiness into the future. You will experience the same greatquality with a whole new look. As a manufacturer, GP Albumsalso has the ability to create custom photo packagingproducts upon request. GP Albums continues to offer varietyand flexibility allowing photographers to design the perfectproduct that will last a lifetime. For more information, pleasevisit us at www.gpalbums.com or call 1-800-888-1934.

BACKGROUNDS

THE DENNY MFG. CO., INC. is the World’s Largest Manufactureof Hand Painted Backgrounds, Computer Painted Backgrounds,Muslin Backgrounds, Studio Sets, Props, Lift Systems, andrelated Studio Accessories. Contact us today to receive ourFREE 180 page color catalog filled with exquisite productsand ideas to help you succeed in Photography. Write P.O.Box 7200 Mobile, AL 36670; Call 1-800-844-5616 or visitour Web site at www.dennymfg.com.

STUDIO DYNAMICS’ muslin and canvas backdrops offerquality and value at outlet prices! Call 1-800-595-4273for a catalog or visit www.studiodynamics.com

CHICAGO CANVAS & SUPPLY—Wide Seamless Canvas andMuslin, Duvetyn, Commando Cloth, Theatrical Gauze, Velour,Sharkstooth Scrim, Leno Scrim, Gaffers Tape, Primed Canvas,Gesso, and Deka Fabric Dyes—Fabrication Available. Curtain Track& Hardware for Moveable Curtains and Backdrops—Easilyinstalled. Quick turn around time. Our prices can’t be beat. Visitour website or call for a free catalog and samples. 773-478-5700;www.chicagocanvas.com; [email protected]

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HASSELBLAD REPAIRS: David S. Odess is a factorytrained technician with 31 years experience servicing theHasselblad system exclusively. Previously with HasselbladUSA. Free estimates, prompt service, reasonable rates anda 6 month guarantee. Used equipment sales. 28 SouthMain Street, #104, Randolph, MA 02368, 781-963-1166;www.david-odess.com.

CANVAS MOUNTING

CANVAS MOUNTING, STRETCHING, FINISH LACQUERING.Original McDonald Method. Considered best AVAILABLE.Realistic canvas texture. Large sizes a specialty.WHITMIRE ASSOCIATES, YAKIMA, WA. 509-248-6700.WWW.CANVASMOUNT.COM

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SUCCESSWARE®—Studio Management Software availablefor both Windows® and Macintosh®. Recommended by AnnMonteith, the nation’s foremost studio managementconsultant. Call today for a FREE SuccessWare® Tour 800-593-3767 or visit our Web site www.SuccessWare.net.

Learn how you can revolutionize customer and ordertracking and ignite your marketing fire with customizedsoftware that knows what’s going on in YOUR business—even when you don’t! More professional photographerstrust Photo One Software, powered by Granite Bearthan all other studio management software combined! 5Powerful Guarantees: 5 days to customize your PhotoOne to match your studio; personalized phone training foryou and your staff; 75 minute no-hassle guaranteedsupport call-back time; 365 days of unlimited support andusable upgrades and a 365 day unmatched money backguarantee! Zero-Risk. Only $299.00 deposit gets youstarted. Call 888-428-2824 now for your free workingdemo or visit www.photoonesoftware.com. Photo One,Building better businesses, one studio at a time.

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SCHOOL PHOTOGRAPHERS—Kessler Color’s digital unitsstart at $.90 each. Beautiful color and great value! Call 800-KES-LABS.

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DIGITAL PAINTING FORUM. The Digital Painting Forum,hosted by Painter Master Marilyn Sholin has thousands ofinternational members and over 50,000 post about Corel®Painter, Essentials, and Photoshop.Forums includetutorials, brushes, digital painting, art, and the business ofcreating, marketing and selling digital art. This forum hasa small subscription fee that is well worth the educationgained. www.digitalpaintingforum.com

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HELP WANTED: Assistant photographer for contemporaryphotojournalistic wedding coverages in Orange County, CAarea. Must have digital equipment. E-mail John [email protected].

PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHERNORTHEASTERN WISCONSIN

Harmann Studios is a progressive portrait company withmultiple locations with emphasis in seniors, children,families, sport, and school photography. We have been inbusiness for more than 45 years and have unlimitedresources to make our portraits stand out. We are seekinga candidate with 5 years of portrait experience, goodorganizational skills, exceptional understanding of DSLRcameras, and most of all, a fun and adaptive personality.Health, vacation, and flexible scheduling are just some ofthe benefits we offer. Please send resumes and sampleimages and sample images to John Harmann [email protected].

PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHER.Company: Club Services of America. Description: Family portraitphotographer with wanderlust. Great earning potential forexcellent family photographer with quality portraitexperience. Photograph and sell to Country Club membersthroughout the United States. Many assignments arewhere the weather is good: south in the winter and northin the summer. OK to travel with spouse. PPA Certified orMasters of Photography are preferred. Requirements:Must have tools of the trade and a dependable automobile.Family portrait photographer. Some sales experience.Excellent knowledge of digital photography. See ourwebsite at: www.clubservicesofamerica.com. Email resumeand sample portraits to [email protected].

PHOTO LAB MANAGER—Responsible for digital photoprocessing. Large in house production lab. Must have generalknowledge of photography. Candidates will be proficient inproducing color correct portrait quality images. Fax coverletter and resume to FCS 315-733-3214. No phone calls please.

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February 2008 • Professional Photographer • 137

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138 • www.ppmag.com

p to now, “Good Works” has

focused on charities related to

humans. But what about the

at-risk populations that can’t

speak for themselves?

The planet is dotted with

threatened and endangered

species of plants and animals, and we’re

not talking about faraway, exotic locales.

There are thousands of at-risk plants and

animals here in the United States, in our

communities, in our backyards.

Three years ago, Carol Freeman decided

to do something to help the threatened and

endangered species in her area, the environs

surrounding Chicago. A nature photographer

with clients among environmental organiza-

tions, Freeman has visited various natural

sites around Chicago on assignments for

clients. Speaking with site stewards on location,

she learned about many endangered plant

and animal species in Illinois. Their plight

was compelling, yet there weren’t many striking

images of these species. If they existed at all,

the images tended to be bland scientific cat-

alog shots. “I felt that if we were going to

save these species, we needed to produce

jaw-dropping images,” says Freeman. “There is

definitely a need for good quality nature

photography in this area.”

Freeman set out to photograph all 487 of

the threatened species in her area. She also

founded a nonprofit called Team Green

Environmental Network to promote education

about the plants and animals she documents.

This enormous undertaking pits Freeman

against the forces of time, development and

the inevitable demise of some of the plants

and animals. “I am aware that this may be

the one and only time I ever see some of

these species, and my photograph may be

the last picture people see of a particular

plant or animal,” she says.

Over a little more than three years,

Freeman has photographed 66 of the threat-

ened and endangered species in Illinois, and

she hopes to document most of the species

within the next five years. She plans a school

exhibit, an educational Web site and a cam-

paign to promote awareness about how

human activities are affecting the fragile

ecosystem. “I’m hoping that with awareness

comes change in our lifestyle,” says Freeman.

“The biggest threat to these species is from

us, primarily from development and destruc-

tion of their habitat. I’m hoping that people

will begin to think about that. I’m hoping

people will elect politicians who are commit-

ted to the environment. I’m hoping people

will think twice before they plow over a field

of wild grasses, before they clear-cut land for

a new development, before they destroy a

stream. Most of all, I hope people will opt to

make a change.” �

To see more of Freeman’s work, check outwww.carolfreeman.com.

Images wield the power to effect change. In this monthly feature, Professional Photographer spotlights professional photographers using their talents to make a difference through charitable work.

Share your good works experience with us by e-mailing Cameron Bishopp at [email protected]

good works |

Silent plightGIVING A FACE—AND A VOICE—TO THREATENED SPECIES

©Carol Freeman

U

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Page 140: Professional photographer 2008 02

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