Do your best. Then relax.

I’m teaching a class today called Studio & Business Boot Camp. So, I have pre-written this article to keep me from freaking out at the last minute that nothing would be posted and scrabbling for an article. I know myself well.

My mind is full of wonderful ideas for the class, but of course, as time looms on, I have more ideas than time to implement them. I’m wrapping up the slideshow and handout information and I’m starting to wonder if I may have packed the day too full. I always worry that I have either too much material or not enough material and in the end, it works out every single time.

I always get a little nervous about teaching classes full of students I’ve never met before. The roster says that I have 5 registered students and two more contacted me after the deadline, so I guess we’ll have 7 students.

I’ll stand up in front and I’ll run the projector and talk talk talk and then we’ll have lunch and then I’ll talk some more. We’ll go into a practical lighting & shooting application and then we’ll go back to classroom stuff and I’ll talk some more. I’ll send everyone away at 5 and have a 1 hour break and then I’ll proctor a CPP exam from 6-8pm. At the end of the day, I’ll be tired, but happy.

The students will have evaluations to fill out at the end of class. but they turn them into me, so I’m not sure how honest people are comfortable being. That’s kind of intimidating – handing them to the person they’re about.

After they go home, I’ll worry. About how I looked, about how I sounded. I’ll worry that folks won’t take anything new away with them. I’ll worry that I was boring or that I talked too much. I’ll wonder if the CPP candidates will all pass their exam.

And then I’ll snap out of it and go put my feet up and have a beverage.

I guess that’s all you can do. Do your best, and then relax.

Photog Crush: Rod Brown

2010-2011 PPO President Aaron Patterson, Lynda Brown, Rod Brown. @2011 PPO Annual Convention. Copyright Tom Welsh Photography.

I think it’s great to have photog crushes. I have a lot of them. I’m happily (VERY happily) married, so my crushes are all about photographic ability.

I’m an active member of the Professional Photographers of Ohio and am lucky enough to have been elected as a trustee on the board of directors for 2011-2014. So, I have a pretty good overall view of the photographers of the PPO.

Anyone who is active in their state organization knows who “the photographers” are.

Maybe I’m being partial, but Ohio has several “the photographers.” The names most often seen are Warren Mott, Rod Brown, Darell Moll, Lynda Brown, Mark Garber, Jennifer Gillman, John Johnson, Linda Johnson, Robert Kunesh, Bob Hughes, Elaine Hughes, Greg and Kathie Wurtzler, Steve and Julie Busch, etc etc etc. When you become involved in a state organization, you very quickly become acquainted with the award-winning photographers on your state level. Maybe I’m being biased, but I think Ohio represents VERY well in competition.

It’s really easy to have a crush on people like Jasmine Star, Joey, [B]ecker, Zach Arias and others because they’re so OUT there. It takes some study and patience to find people like Rod to crush on. Yeah, Rod, I hope you and Lynda can look me in the face when I see you in a few weeks ;).

A few years ago, the PPA had a special class day, similar to a Super Monday, in which qualified people gave an all-day presentation on how to get involved in print competition. Rod taught one of these classes. That’s no surprise, the man is brilliant in competition. I drove 4 hours one way to attend his class. And 4 hours home. And didn’t regret a moment of it.

At Ohio’s last annual convention, I helped out in setting up the print display. Afterwards, we realized that we also had a ASP Fellow display to set up. ASP is the American Society for Photographers. Suffice it to say, not many are members, a PPA degree is required for membership. There are just over 100 fellows. Every year a very small handful of photographers apply for the fellowship with a 25 print display and a thesis. Last year Rod Brown was successful in his bid for fellowship.

So, there is a metal case with 25 prints plus a few extra general prints to be hung. The PPO president arranged for the pipe and drape and I took the case down to the area and hung the display.

I felt so incredibly honored.

I know that most people working print room would look at this at yet another mundane task to be taken care of  – but I – oh – the chills that ran through me as I handled each of the prints with gloved hands and decided how they should be displayed. It was as if I was in charge of arranging a museum display, for that is truly how it felt. The beauty in each of the pieces just could not be expressed in words. If I may…it was a spiritual experience for me. I’m sure that sounds nuts, but it is what it is. A Fellowship is on my bucket list and I know how extremely hard this process will be, but I am determined…and to handle the display of a fellowship recipient was an honor I cannot begin to explain.

At the end of the conference, Rod and his wife, Lynda and friend Darrel Moll helped me take the display down. I mentioned that some day I hoped to be a fellow – I’m sure that came across as a little silly. But I don’t care. I’m gonna do it. Mark my words.

So, to Rod and all the PPO peeps…I am not worthy…

Check Rod’s work out:

Facebook: Rod Brown Photography

See Rod’s ASP Fellowship Thesis and Submitted Images

Who do I think I am?

This photo has nothing to do with this article. I'm weird like that. Yeah, it's mine. copyright christine walsh-newton.

I’m skipping “Social Sunday” this week. Or maybe I’ll write one later today. But for now, there’s this.

Who do I think I am?

I know I am 48 and when I was 45, I was forced to change careers. A risky thing for a woman to do at my age. There was downsizing, I lost my job,  I couldn’t stay in my previous career due to its high degree of specialization and low number of local jobs. I decided to turn to photography.

I’m a genuine person, but I’m also a realist. As such, I knew the cards were stacked against me.

I was driven. I was on a mission. I’m an OCD driven maniac of a woman. I’m so highly focused on goals that they don’t dare be out of reach. I steamrolled my way into business and never looked back. I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished inside of 3 years and I have no desire to stop. Don’t get me wrong, I have no illusion that I’m a “Rock Star” or that any of you have actually heard of me. I’m not all that and a bag of chips, but I’m very happy where I am, photographically speaking. I’ve been a very lucky girl.

I’m also at that age where I can say “Been there, done that, honey!” And I don’t mean in a “I’m so better than you” way – I mean it in a “don’t waste your time, learn from my mistakes” way – you know?

For a long time I’ve wanted to put down on paper (or screen) some of the lessons I learned and the things I found out along the way. First, because I want to help and second, because it drives me crazy to see everyone repeat the same damn mistakes over and over again.

So, anyways- I wanted to write. But I had a full time studio, so there really wasn’t the time. I co-authored a book on photography last year. It took 4 months to write 37 articles. I remembered the nights and nights of edits and rewrites. Frankly, I wasn’t sure I had it in me to go through that again, especially for a book where I would be the sole author and responsible for ALL the content.

And then some sort of cosmic force intervened. My mother-in-law needed someone to stay with her at all times, so I began staying at my inlaws’ house during the day, while my sister-in-law (who lived with them) taught school. I temporarily closed the studio.

Suddenly I had 30+ hours a week where I could work on something other than photos. I was limited to a laptop that I could carry back and forth; it was entirely unsuitable for doing photo editing or retouching.

30 hours a week turned into  a writing project of no-nonsense advice for the new photographer. Advice I wished I’d received. Advice that darn near anyone of us could pass on, but no one does.

So, what’s with the ‘tude? Am I angry? Am I negative? No. I’m just realistic.

I have an advisory-girl team that takes a look at any article that I’m feeling may be “pushing the envelope” and tells me what they think. And  yes, I listen to them when they tell me I need to sit on one or that it needs a rewrite because it sounds too bitchy.

I think, if anything – the filters are a little bit off. Someone needs to say the things I am saying. So I’m saying it. And it ain’t all candy-coated and nicey nice. I don’t buy into the fairy-bearing unicorn theory and neither should you. So yeah, I’m being a bit blunt.

Maybe I’m tired. Tired of trying to be 100% tactful all of the time. I would never be rude or mean, but some of the things I say may hit close to home. Let’s just stop beating around the bush and say what needs said. It is what it is. Let’s be adults and talk on that level. It’s quicker and far more effective communication than the namby-pamby thing we’ve been engaging in. Let’s just all agree that we’re going to skip the nicey nicey stuff and cut to the chase and talk about the issues. That doesn’t mean I disrespect any one or their work, it means we can use our time as efficiently as possible. I won’t have to waste time writing all of the airy fairy politically correct crap and you won’t have to read it. Fair enough?

And… I’m getting old. Maybe I’m just getting all cranky like those dudes in “The Odd Couple.”

It pains me to see some of the truly idiotic stuff going on out there, so when I cop an attitude and declare some activity “reprehensible” or “downright tacky” it more than likely is. And if you find yourself part of a group that I have expressed disappointment in, I don’t know what to tell you. It is what it is. Let’s suck it up, acknowledge the error and change things around and go forward. That’s what I like to see. That’s Wootness!™

It’s time for a Wootness!™ Critique!

Ok, ya’ll, this is your opportunity to tell Wootness!™ what you like, dislike, want to see more of, topics you’d like covered etc., etc., etc.

All submissions are anonymous.

Use the State of the Wootness!™  Survey below.

Go!

[cc_full_width_col background_color=”f1f1f1″ shadow_color=”888888″ radius=”6″] State of the Wootness Survey[/cc_full_width_col]

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Just monkeys pushing a button…Part 1

From "Haiku-tography: A 365 Project" copyright christine walsh-newton

This is so totally a pet peeve of mine. I’ve been all nicey nice about it because it can be a hot topic – but for the love of all that is holy, learn to take a decent photo before you start with all the Photoshop actions. Better, yet, just skip the Photoshop actions.

And if you’re being all snooty because you don’t use Photoshop action, but you DO use the www online photo editing site that shall not be named, go sit in the corner. And grab that cone shaped hat off my desk.

I have plenty of actions that I have written myself, but they’re mostly utilitarian in nature, like resizing or adding a copyright notice, things of that nature. I do use 2 plugins; one is Portraiture, which I use for every single retouch I do and the other is Topaz Effects, which can be totally overused if not used with care.

What happened to good, clean photography?

Turning everything blue in a photo or adding those weird vintagey effects just makes it look like you yanked the photo out of a shoebox that’s been stuck in a hot attic for 20 years. Seriously? With the technology available to us now, we’re going to make all of our photos look like they’re 40 years old? Alrighty then.

It drives me absolutely batty to see these types of photos over and over again on Facebook with tons of ooh and aah comments underneath them, when in reality, there is no photographic excellence being exhibited. We are being distracted with the ooh shiny special photoshop effects that have been added to it.

If perhaps a special photograph of a series was selected to do this special effect to, it might be different. But sadly, that is not the case. Entire sessions are treated with multiple special effects.

We have become monkeys pushing a button.

And while we’re at it – if you want to use a special effect action – learn what all of the steps in the action do. Adjust the steps to suit your unique situation.

A few months ago, late at night, I was perusing a forum and saw a plea for help from one of my very local competitors. The photos they were sending to the lab were being rejected because their were not the correct number of pixels to print the enlargement they ordered.

After some preliminary information was exchanged, I realized that the photographer was running an action that had a step programmed to resize it for web/email use. I could only shake my head. How many other photogs out there are just pushing a button with no clue of what is going on, but just love the results? Start going through your actions step by step. Know where the saturation step is so you can go in and adjust that when your client’s skin turns orange.

Someone I know has a saying.

I’m not being all protective of their identity, I honestly can’t recall who it is at the moment. I’m old. And I haven’t had any coffee yet. Give me a break.

Anyway, that saying is: You can’t polish a turd. Think about it.

I’d like to challenge you all to lay off the special effects. For a week. Get back to the basics. Use Photoshop only to white balance, crop and do layer adjustments. Learn Photoshop from the ground up – the way it was intended. I’d be interested in knowing how many users out there just jumped straight into using actions and plugins and never bothered with the basics.

That’s some expensive glitter.

Stay off the tracks. Pinky swear.

I recently read a story on the www about a tragedy in Utah. Three girls were taking each others’ photographs on the railroad tracks when they were unable to get out of the way of an oncoming train.

Here’s a link to the story. Go read it and then come back. I’ll wait.

Here’s the deal. Shooting on RR tracks is dangerous as hell.

Part of me is a little bit sick to my stomach at this story. Those girls were mimicking popular photography locations. Many many photographers use RR tracks. It’s time to stop. We  set a REAL bad example by doing this.

Starting today, let’s promise to stay off live tracks. Let’s get a little creative and find something else to use. Declare RR Tracks “old style” and go in search of something new. Seriously, it’s about time for the RR tracks AND the junk yard senior photos to go away, anyway.

And yes, I shot on RR tracks until last year. I was wrong. That’s the cool thing about being an adult, you can say “I was wrong. I’m sorry” and move on.

To find out what RR Tracks are live or dead, please check:

Federal Railroad Administration

Abandoned Rails

Git some fetchin’ up!

I said “I schedule those two times per year in my studio, usually during April and October.” What part of that sounded like an offer to meet you halfway between my studio and yours in December?

“Yes, I live in Ohio,” does not mean – “Although we’re 4 hours apart, sure I will find one of those dang pea pod thingies at a store an hour away from me, pay for it and drive it an additional 3 hours to meet you with it.”

“For the love of all that is holy, READ the website! Somebody paid the big bucks to have that website designed for ease of user navigation and access to information. We idiot-proofed that sucker and then you and 27 of your peers crushed that theory.”

OK – rant over. This is about fixing things – so I’m going to give ya’ll a crash course in online manners and why I think they’ve gone to hell in a handbasket. Or to hand in a hellbasket. Or something.

I think sometimes that we need to step back and evaluate the importance that social media and online altar-egos skew our view of what consists of good manners. Yes, we are all part of the photography brotherhood  – we have that chunk of us that is SO in tune with other people with the same chunk. That’s why some of you are readers here – because we think the same (but I’m the one with the guts to say it. Eh?)

However, this commonality with our “online” social world does not necessarily translate to “real life” relationships. Just because you like who I am online, does not mean that you will like me in person. I hope you do, but let’s be realistic about it; you are only seeing one side of me. The side I WANT you to see. Okay – now shake that off – that sounded a little “creeperish,” but I’m guessing you get my drift.

I think that this camaraderie or strong feelings of affiliation with WWW folks leads us to dispose of some common sense when dealing with WWWers. We have, in our minds, established some kind of history and relationship with this person that may not realistically be there. And we will presume a level of friendship and ask a degree of favors that we would not dream of asking someone else.

Lately, I’ve been on the receiving end of requests for help that do not fall under any common-sense definition that I can come up with. And I can only guess that what society now accepts as reasonable behavior from a complete stranger has changed. Or something like that. Maybe it’s the younger generation, maybe it’s the newbies. I don’t know – but I’d like to see us step back a bit and learn how to make friends all over again. Apparently the instant online access has turned us into a society that will accept instant friends. I have over 900 people on my friends list on Facebook. Want me to count how many I actually know? And how many of those I’d actually call a friend in real life? Nah, let’s not waste the time. Suffice it to say, not 900.

I challenge you to go out there and make the effort to meet a local photographer. In person.

That was the original “networking.” Before computers. Nevermind.

There’s a local photographer named Eric that I would help out in an instant. We’ve gotten together in person several times, and I lent him a book to help him study for his CPP exam (Hey, I need that back, by the way). He took the exam at my studio and received his certification earlier this year. I used to say I was the only CPP in Dover, Ohio and now I can’t say that anymore. That’s ok. We have mutual respect for each other. He also kicks my rear with his wedding skills, but I kick his rear in studio work, so we’re even. 😉 If Eric ever gets in a bind and needs a 2nd shooter or a piece of lighting equipment, he knows he can call me (I think he knows – hey, if you’re reading – you can call me!). If he hadn’t had the bad taste to invest in Canon cameras & lenses, I could help him out with that, too,  but alas, I am a Nikon girl. See? I do have it in me to be helpful and nice. 🙂

Time for a reality check, gang. Back up and get your social life in perspective.

So, to all the Forum Franks and Fannies out there…

  • Do not ask for help from a stranger that you would not offer in return.
  • Furthermore, do not ask for help from someone that you haven’t taken the time to develop a relationship with.
  • Do not impose your life choices upon someone else. Only being available in your home an hour away during 2-4pm because that’s when the baby naps is unreasonable on so many levels.
  • Do not assume a friendship that does not exist. This is the WWW, it is not real life.
  • Say “please”, “thank you” and “I’m sorry” when appropriate.
  • If you have been helped – offer help in return. To continually ask for help, but not offer it only works for you and no one else. This is called entitlement and taking advantage of someone else. Stop it now.
  • Just because someone is handy geographically or has a skill you need help with does not mean it’s appropriate to try and avail yourself of their help, it’s actually quite insulting. Just imagine the reaction if I were to call up Gordon Ramsey and ask him for cooking help. Assuming he’s my neighbor. And then ask him if he minds popping over for a bit and running through that risotto recipe that he uses on “Hell’s Kitchen.” Yeah, it’s like that.

To all of you:

  • Set boundaries. Learn to say “I’m sorry, I can’t do that.”
  • Do not feel obligated to help someone else just because they are a photographer. If you do not have a pre-existing friendship with them, you do not “owe” them anything.
  • When someone takes advantage of you, learn to say “I feel like you are taking advantage of me.”

Let’s all start thinking twice before we ask for help.

Ouzo & Baklava

No, you didn’t mistakenly find a recipe website, you’re at the right place.

Today is Wootness™ Wednesday, so I must talk about something that brings Wootness™ to my life.

So, I’ve decided to talk about teaching, And my students. And how sometimes they crack me up, sometimes I smile because they have learned the lessons I have taught, and sometimes I worry about them.

My students make me smile, laugh and cry. I get to know each of them on a personal level. Maybe that’s just a fancy way of saying I’m nosy, or not shy about asking questions. All I know is that I’ve hugged every one of my students. Some of them multiple times.

Teaching isn’t for everyone. I spent 10 years pre-photographer working in a facility teaching work skills to adults with mental retardation and developmental disabilities. I went through specialized training on how to teach skills to people with issues with learning issues. It prepped me well for the future. Later, I spent 5 years teaching a series of art classes to adults.They required an Ohio Teaching Certificate, so I went through the process to get that. In the past year and a half I’ve been working on the PPA Craftsman Degree requirements and have done a number of speaking engagements in Ohio and Pennsylvania. I find it enjoyable and inspiring. I even discussed the “12 elements of Wootness™” as part of my presentation last month to the Professional Photographers of SouthWest Ohio. How cool is that?

I have found that I enjoy the small studio classes I teach the most. I see the students over a 4-6 week time period and I really get the opportunity to see them apply the knowledge I have shared with them.

Right now I’m teaching a Photography 102 class at the studio, which is composed of several students who went through the 4 week Intro class and a new student who already had the basics under her belt.

Part of the homework for this class is to read the daily articles on Wootness™.

It was evident last week that the Gear Hound article had made an impression.

One of my students has a friend that recently acquired a Canon 5D Mark II. She relayed to the class a conversation she had with this friend in which the friend said she was trying to learn to shoot in manual. The outrage my student displayed over a $3200 camera being used to shoot in Auto was absolutely priceless. A true Wootness™ princess in the making!

To further add to the enjoyment, my princess, using the lesson she learned in the Gear Hound article, questioned her friend about some purchases and asked “Why did you buy this? Why do you need this?” and then with horror in her voice, she said “…and she had NO CLUE!” I laughed until I cried.

Recently my students taught *me* a lesson. In the very first Photography 102 we went through a very complex lesson on shooting in manual and adjusting camera settings in full stops. All of you out there who have mastered the full and partial stops know how tough this can be in the beginning. Well, after a three-hour lesson on these concepts, I sent my students off for a week to do some homework assignments.

At the next class it was obvious that I had not presented the lesson as well as I could have – every single student was confused on precisely the same point in the lesson. OK – in my world, when every single student doesn’t understand the lesson, it’s the instructor’s fault. So, we spent some time reviewing and I explained things a little bit more in English and we were able to achieve understanding.

During the course of evaluating what went wrong, I told my students that I was pretty much teaching them something in a foreign language and they only caught hold of a few of the concepts and the rest went out of the window. Sort of like teaching you how to order from a Greek menu. We went though all the words in Greek for different foods, but when it came time to order, you only ordered one or two items that you remembered…to which one student replied “So, we got lots of Ouzo and Baklava!”

Exactly.

Sometimes I worry about my students. I like to help them learn to shoot better and I watch their progress and take much pride in their skill improvements. Sometimes I see a student try a new project that I didn’t give them guidance in, or perhaps I did, but they’re not doing things how *I* would. I worry that I have adequately prepared them for future steps. I guess I need to learn to let go – kind of like a mom.

Sometimes my students challenge me. I have a student that has noticed that I have not done much creative work lately. In July, she challenged me to take a specific portrait. I have yet to do it. But I will. Soon. Seriously – it’s a good idea and I have a competition coming up in 3 weeks, so I’ll use it for that if my plan works out.

Another student is a high school art teacher who is taking the knowledge she is learning in class to help her teach her own students. That’s pretty cool, too.

So, this is kind of becoming an article about me – but the subject is, after all “Wootness™ Wednesday.” And these are things that bring Wootness™ to my life.

Drop me a line and tell me what brings you Wootness™. I’ll do some interviews and feature some Wootness™ readers in future articles. Use the “contact us” in the red bar at the bottom of the screen, or send an email to christine@wootness.net.

 

Releases: Copyright vs Print vs Model

Put your brains in gear – it’s Manic Monday and time to wrap your head around some terms that are used interchangeably and incorrectly.

First of all, NEVER use the term “copyright release.” You will probably NEVER be in a position of someone wanting to purchase full and permanent rights to one of your photographs. The price for this kind of usage is probably in the 4 figures, so unless you shoot commercially, you will never have to worry about this.

You do NOT want to GIVE a client a copyright release. If they are asking for it – they are uneducated. What they need is a print release. A print release gives them authorization to have the file printed at the lab of their choice in the sizes of their choosing, unless you have placed a restriction on that. Most consumer print labs will ask for a print release or print authorization form from the client if they suspect that the files are done by a professional.

The last term we need to straighten out is a Model Release. That is a paper that your model or client signs giving you permission to use the photos of them for advertising, website or whatever other uses the model release specifies. You should have these forms handy and have all clients sign one. Some photographers incorporate this agreement into their portrait or wedding contracts.

Check back tomorrow, the Fan Club Freebie will be versions of my print release and model release forms for download.

This article is a mere introduction, stay tuned, for the next three Manic Mondays we will be exploring each of these releases in depth. Have a happy Monday!

PS – Yes, I know there are two photos up above. WordPress is experiencing some technical difficulties this morning.

Syndicate your posts with Networked Blogs

So, today is Social Sunday. The time when we chat about social media, website, blogs and anything having to do with the WWW.

A LOT of time can be spent, err… wasted….on social media.One of the biggest (legitimate) time suckers is populating all of your social media sites with your latest blog post. You SHOULD be posting on a regular basis. I post at least daily and sometimes more than that. Probably overkill, but this is a new site, so I want to get it established. After a while, I’ll slow down a bit.

Anyway – after you write and publish a blog post, you need to link to it from all of your social media websites. You need to put your material under the noses of your targeted audience. You just can’t wait for them to remember that they have a link to your blog in their bookmarks and go there. Not gonna happen.

So – you must link,  link, link. And that’s one of those boring repetitive jobs that you wish there was a Photoshop action for. Well, there is. Kinda sorta.

Introducing Networked Blogs. I discovered this on Facebook.

Go to THIS LINK to register your blog. it’s FREE!

After you add your blog, then you’ll need to syndicate it – basically, you tell Networked Blogs everywhere you would like updated with a link to your blog posts. So far, you can add Twitter accounts and Facebook Groups and Pages. As you can see below – I have the Wootness Twitter account updated as well as my personal Facebook page, my business page and the Wootness page. This should at least save you some of the drudgework.