Business – Page 16 – Journeys of a Hybrid

April 30, 2010

The Future of Photography

Ethan G. Salwen posed the question on his After Capture blog “Where do you see the photography industry going in the next 5 years?” He asked that the answer be stated in 50 words or less. I’ll give it a try – and this paragraph doesn’t count.

Still photography will be delivered via electronic platforms – the web and mobile devices. Print magazines will still exist but only in genres that don’t deal with timely subject matter. Still cameras will continue to morph as hybrids capable of shooting video and sent wirelessly to the Internet.

That was 48 words but maybe just enough. Who really knows what the industry will look like but I do know it will continue to change with the exponential growth of information technology. And along with the technological changes will come new business models. That part is predictable.

Two years ago I attended the Photo Plus Expo in New York City. I saw a talk listed in the schedule called “The Future of Photography” so I headed to the theater to listen. When I got there a sign was in the doorway and it read “The Future of Photography – Canceled”. I hoped that wasn’t an omen and then I thought “I’m glad I learned video”.

April 27, 2010April 27, 2010

Copyright and Video

As still photographers move and expand into video because of the convergence of their tools, they often ask me about copyright, licensing and usage and how to apply that to video. Essentially they are trying to apply a licensing business model from their still photography and sometimes that doesn’t work in video production.

The biggest distinction between shooting video and shooting still images is that for the most part a video camera operator is just one of the many creative people involved in a video production. So unless the camera operator is also the producer and in charge of the entire production, including the hiring of the crew, they will be working in a “work for hire” situation. One video project can’t have every collaborator on a project maintaining ownership of their part of the whole.

Depending on the job and the market you work in will ultimately determine who will maintain ownership, copyright and control. Generally speaking the end client or video production company holds the copyright to the finished production. This is why I made a conscious decision when I got into video many years ago, to position myself as a producer and not “just” a content provider. I wanted to maintain creative control and ownership of my projects.

But even in still photography these days, I see more and more “work for hire” contracts, and in market sectors like editorial where that wasn’t the case just five years ago. Sometimes I feel that in our efforts to protect copyright laws, we end up fighting for that right for big corporate entities that in turn grab those rights from the creators through lopsided contracts.

Something to think about – maybe with new eyes. Perhaps we need to start thinking of ourselves as “publishers” rather than just content providers. It’s never been more possible to be a publisher, because distribution has been democratized by the web, giving all of us a pipeline to a global audience.

It’s time to look at our creative businesses with new eyes and not just on the creative part of the process – but the business part as well. I’d love to hear others’ thoughts and ideas on this topic.

April 23, 2010

Using Video to Market Your Business

Video is the hot topic these days. You’d think it was a new thing. But there’s nothing new about video – it’s been around almost as long as TV. What is new is that broadband has made online video viewing integral to the Internet experience.

In the last year alone we’ve seen an explosion of video viewing and sharing on social networking sites. Advertisers are shifting their marketing dollars to the Web and online ads are booming. Why? Because marketers know that the consumer is going online to see and hear more about the products they are thinking of buying. It’s one thing for a potential customer to see a static image accompanied by text and quite another to see a product in use and demonstrated, or to hear the story behind a company. Online Web videos can be linked and shared and are searchable, providing more possibilities for potential customers or clients to find you and what your company offers.

Using Video to Promote Photography

If you run a video production company, it’s a no-brainer that you’ll want to use video samples to promote your business. But video is also effective for promoting all types of businesses, including still photography.

You can import your still images into some type of non-linear editing system like Final Cut Pro, add a narrative track and/or music and create a video promo of your work for online viewing. This promo can also be uploaded to a mobile device giving you the ability to show your work to potential clients in a quick and interesting fashion, anywhere, anytime. Better than your typical “elevator speech” when someone asks “What do you do?”

Another very effective way to market and promote your photography business is to create a behind-the-scenes video. Everyone loves a story and this is a great way to tell people about your company as well as provide more information about yourself and how you work.

Read more about video and marketing in my article in Adbase Insight that came out yesterday “Use Video to Market Your Business.”

April 20, 2010April 20, 2010

How To Survive as a Photographer or Life in General

I’m headed into New York City today to speak to college students who are studying photography. A friend of mine who is an educator and also a photographer himself asked me to talk to his students. My first thought was to talk to them about video, because that is what I have been doing lately – speaking to groups of photographers about video. But then I thought about it more and thought it would be unfair to show a power point presentation about another skill set. More importantly, I thought it would be another talk about another tool.

So this morning I switched gears and I started writing down some thoughts that I feel have helped me survive the life that I have carved out as a visual communicator. I remind myself of these ideas whenever I have drifted from my life’s purpose and it gets me back on track.

Seek opportunities – or better yet take notice of them when they come along – they are everywhere if you open your mind to them. I have found that some of the jobs that I almost turned down because I thought that it wasn’t for me have been the most rewarding jobs I’ve ever worked on. Here’s a blog that I wrote about one of these opportunities that I almost didn’t embrace. “Breaking the Spirit”
Find your passion – don’t define yourself by your tool – whether it’s a still camera or a video camera or something that hasn’t been invented yet. Stay true to who you are and how you “see” the world. I need to be reminded of that every once in a while. Recently, a friend of mine got me thinking about whom I am, and I realized that I’m really that same 19-year-old girl who took off around the world with an insatiable curiosity for people and cultures. I became a photographer because I wanted to share this passion with others and I use my camera as a tool toward that end.
Don’t just “be” a photographer – By that I don’t mean that you should also shoot video – although it wouldn’t be a bad idea. What I really mean is that in order to be a visual communicator, you need to have something to say. When I attended Brooks Institute many, many years ago, the constant tech talk used to bore me to tears. I had just come back from hitchhiking around the world and I knew there were more interesting topics to talk about than f/stops and shutter speeds. The funny thing is I don’t remember the technically perfect photos that were critiqued in class if they didn’t have something else going for them – something that evoked a feeling. It’s kind of like an actor who studies acting technique but doesn’t understand or portray the character they are playing.
Keep learning and growing – I’ve never stopped learning. My college days and days at Brooks Institute are long over, but I’m constantly learning and trying new things. I’m an explorer by heart and there will always be something out there to discover.
Take risks – The most important things that have ever happened to me have been also been the things that scared me the most. Nine out of ten times things didn’t work out as planned or what I had hoped for. But it’s that one time when things did work out that brought great value and rewards to my life. So when I try to talk myself out of doing something, based on my fears, I think about the times when the risk did pay off. If I don’t take the chance – I know I won’t have a hope for anything happening at all.
Don’t listen to the naysayers – I try not to let others talk me out of my dreams. I dodge the roadblocks that people try to put in my way. Surround yourself with other dreamers – not the half empty crowd.
Be a publisher – Don’t wait for someone else to validate who you are by assigning you a job and handing you a lopsided contract that is not in your best interest. Distribution is king in regards to content and it’s never been easier in these days of the internet and social media.

Lastly be true to yourself and love life – all facets of life, the bitter and the sweet. We are all just tiny blips on the timeline of life – make the most out of it in your own way.

April 15, 2010April 15, 2010

NAB – A Week of Gadgets, Geeks, and Great Inspiration

Today is the final day of NAB and as usual my head is exploding with ideas and information. But before everything totally leaves my head – I’ll share some cool things with everyone.

I come to NAB to learn, however this year I also needed to research and buy some things for my upcoming project Opening Our Eyes. In particular I was looking for a stabilization rig for my Canon 5D and 7D. My timing was perfect because at this year’s show just about every booth had gear for the DSLR cameras – the show was all about either the HDSLR or 3D. I settled on the Zacuto Striker because I wanted something lightweight and quick to put on a tripod. Zacuto had redesigned the plate making the weight distribution better and it felt just right for me. And that’s important – get the right rig for you – if at all possible visit a vendor where you can try these stabilization rigs out so that you buy the one that literally “fits” you and your needs.

One of the biggest buzz items was the HD Hero, a tiny wearable video camera for sports, made by GoPro and at the $200 show special – they sold out the first day. But check them out – even at the retail price of $300, they are amazing little cameras that can be used in all types of situations where you need something small.

RedRock Micro debuted their new HDSLR remote which uses sonar for auto follow focus. The booth was mobbed with attendees dying to get their hands on this accessory that is priced around $1000. Check out the review from the show floor at PhotoCineNews.

Canon unveiled their latest tapeless camera the XF305 that will give the Sony EX-3 a run for their money. Even as stunning as this camera is, Canon didn’t integrate that nice big chip/sensor that we see in their hybrid HDSLRs. But Panasonic did and they had their new prototype camera in a plexiglass box perched on a museum type pedestal. The Panasonic AG-AF100, is the first professional micro 4/3-inch video camcorder optimized for high-def recording. that did make use of that large sensor that everyone seems to be waiting for – stay tuned. Canon-are you watching and listening?

I’m maxed out right now with technology and information yet inspired and energized at the same time by the notion of possibilities. If you’re a still photographer singing the blues because of the lousy economy and the changing paradigm of print giving way to electronic delivery – I can only say one thing – convergence. Embrace that notion, get energized by the idea and open your mind to the possibilities and opportunities that are exploding in this new world of information technology.

April 14, 2010April 16, 2010

Tools of Revolutionary Change Are In Everybody’s Hands

I heard Ray Kurzweil speak yesterday at the NAB conference. His keynote address was titled: Acceleration of Technology in the 21st Century and simply put, I was knocked out by his insights and clarity on our changing world. The Wall Street Journal describes Kurzweil as the “restless genius” and Ray has been included in PBS’ list of “16 revolutionaries who made America”, along with inventors of the past two centuries.

To hear people like Ray Kurzweil speak, is exactly why I attend the NAB conference every year. Sure, it’s fun(and overwhelming) to walk the show floor and see the latest and greatest tech tools and toys, but my focus is always on listening to and soaking up whatever bits of insights I can from visionaries like Kurzweil.

In speaking about information technology and its affect on us all, Ray stated “There’s no way to establish the same business model and social contract and protect intellectual property if the public doesn’t embrace and respect it”. Just look at what happened in the early days of shifting from analog to digital, and how the recording industry reacted when it became easy to “share” music electronically. When they tried to hold onto their old business model and along with that bullied the “public” – it pretty much blew up in their face.

We all should have learned from that. But if you look back to when photography went from the analog to the digital world – many photographers made that same mistake with their clients. Ray goes on to say that “technology progresses in an exponential manner and if you measure the underlying trends in technology – it’s predictable”. “Our intuition is linear”. What that means is that this paradigm shift in information technology is only going to accelerate.

He went on to say that “once things become based on information technology, they progress exponentially”. This is happening right now in the world of healthcare and medicine. As it too becomes based more on information technology as far as research and development, it’s not hit and miss or trial and error anymore.

Information technology is democratizing our world. One could say that this is a prime reason for political systems like the old USSR to collapse. It’s hard to control a country’s people when they are open to information. ” The tools of revolutionary change are in everybody’s hands”. Kurzweil cites the example of the Chinese and Google. He says, “When you limit your own success like the Chinese with Google, ultimately you will strangle yourself”.

So what can photographers and other creative types get out of all this? We must recognize that if we base our business model on our gadgets and our tools – we will limit our own success or worse yet create our own demise because the tools of disruptive change are in everybody’s hands. But if we understand that and build a business model that is not based solely on technology but on our vision and it’s perceived as “fair” to our clients and the public – then we will thrive. We need to open our eyes and adjust as to how we distribute our intellectual content.

I’ll leave you with a simple analogy that Ray cites: In the early 1900’s if you saw yourself in the horse and buggy business, you should have been concerned. But if you saw yourself in the transportation business, then you saw opportunity as the automobile changed that paradigm. So, if you see yourself and define yourself by what camera you shoot with – you’re in big trouble as technology races forward. But if you see yourself as a visual communicator and embrace the opportunities made possible by technology – then you’ll survive and thrive.

April 9, 2010

Should I Be Thinking of Video – Or Not?

I give a seminar to still photographers for ASMP entitled “Should I Be Thinking of Video?” It’s a broad overview of the different facets of video production along with how I have positioned myself in this medium and where I think some of the opportunities are. I’m quick to point out what it’s not – it’s not going to tell you everything you need to know to make video part of your business and it’s not about how to use your DSLR. And if anyone promises that they can teach you that in two hours – they’re lying. But most importantly, I can’t possibly answer the question “should I be shooting video” for each individual in the room. And that’s because there is no ONE answer to that question – that’s up to the individuals to decide for themselves.

I think perhaps I should point out some reasons why one shouldn’t be thinking of video:

• Fear – Because you are consumed with fear of your future. It’s understandable to be afraid when the world as you know it, is changing. But if you are so focused on the thought that you have to do something because technology has changed your business to the extent that it just isn’t there anymore, instead of focusing on how you can use technology to grow your business – then you’ll paralyze your mind to new possibilities.
• The Camera – If you are getting into video because your still camera is capable of shooting video and you’re not concentrating on thinking and seeing in motion, then you’ll end up with isolated video clips that have no relation to one another and you’ll have a rude awakening in the editing room when you realize you have no clue on how you’re going to put together a cohesive story.
• Because everyone else is – With all this talk of video of late, everyone feels they need to jump on board. The truth is video may not be the answer for some photographers. And it may not be the best medium for the markets you work in.

You should be thinking of video if:
• You think that motion and sound is the best way to visually communicate your clients’ story or message.
• You recognize the power of collaboration in this medium
• You understand that there’s a learning curve and there’s no magic bullet.

I cannot tell you if video is the answer for you – that’s up to you to make that decision for yourself. I can only tell you what’s involved and guide you through the process.

When my daughter was growing up, I was always careful not to make all her decisions for her. It was a hard thing to do because many times she wanted me to and I wanted to but I didn’t. I knew if I made all her decisions for her that I wouldn’t be doing her any favors in the long run – because sooner or later she’d be out on her own without me there telling her what she should or shouldn’t do. I think it was one of the hardest things I had to do as a parent.

It’s been challenge this year scheduling time for my production business, along with traveling around giving these seminars. As much as I enjoy sharing information with others through these seminars, I know that I need to be doing what I love most and that is being a visual communicator. So, I’m taking to the road on May 25th – around the world actually, working on a personal project Opening Our Eyes. I need to get back to some real quality time of creating. And the best part – my daughter decided that she wants to join me and be part of this – and she made this decision all on her own.

April 7, 2010

The Race To The Bottom and/or Video

I’m waking up to a beautiful day in San Diego and thinking about my old California days when I lived in Santa Barbara and attended Brooks Institute. That was a long time ago but whenever I’m in southern California, my head goes back to my beginnings – my beginnings with my husband and partner and my beginnings of my career as a photographer.

Sounds funny now when I mention career and photographer in the same sentence. But that’s the way it was back then (mid ‘70’s) when you had to be technically savvy to make a good photograph – a technically good photograph that is. These days just about anybody can create a technically good photograph because of how technology has changed the tools of our trade. And that’s why it’s gotten harder and harder to make a career out of photography.

It seems like there’s a race to the bottom in photography these days. By that I mean that a lot of photographers will do just about anything to get the job – from giving away rights to almost doing the job for nothing. I almost can’t blame them when they are facing mounting bills and the phone rings less and less and they consistently get undercut by their peers. On the other hand I have to wonder, is technology totally to blame for the race to the bottom or did we do it to ourselves?

I talk to lots of photographers these days because I give short seminars about video. A lot of photographers have clients who are asking for video and they want to respond to that. A lot of photographers see their business dwindling as print needs dry up and as we move to electronic publishing. With that of course comes even more of a demand for video content. And a lot of photographers are there because still cameras are now capable of shooting video.

I cringe when I hear that someone’s motivation for getting into video is because of a tool. I cringe because I know that it’s not about the tool and that one should really focus on what makes them unique – and how they “see” things. Right now, you have to still be technically savvy to be able to produce decent videos – with good sound and edited well. Is it only a matter of time before technology makes these tools so good that just about anybody can shoot good video? Perhaps.

I strongly suggest that photographers get out of their solo independent ways of thinking and embrace collaboration when they move into video. Get away from the tool centric way of thinking. Surround yourself with people who you can work with – sound people, editors, and musicians. Place more importance on thinking in motion and storytelling in motion. And most importantly, produce your own videos, even if that means taking a chance. Work directly with clients instead of being just one rung on the ladder. Otherwise you’ll be on the content rung, which is way down at the bottom of ladders these days.

So, while I’m sitting here on a beautiful morning in San Diego and California dreaming – I’m remembering a lot of my peers from my old Brooks Institute days. I think about what they are doing now – are they still working in photography? I think the ones who are the ones who shot images that had some soul and went way beyond being technically perfect.

April 5, 2010April 5, 2010

The “Dancing Inca” and Video

When I was a young woman, newly married, my mother decided to have a psychic come to her house one evening and hold individual sessions with all of her family members. My mother was searching for something at the time, which I didn’t know then but I do know now – but that’s a story for another time.

There were two things that I remember from that “psychic reading”. One was that he told me that in a past life I had been an Inca and that I had fallen off a cliff and had broken my hip. The second thing he told me was that I was going to be shooting video.

As for the Inca past life comment – I recently had to consult a chiropractor after a night of dancing at a fundraiser had left my right hip inflamed, sending shooting pains down my sciatic nerve. When the chiropractor asked me what I did to cause this, I told him about the dancing, but not the Inca part – that was probably best left unsaid.

As far as the video prediction, he had a crystal ball into my future, but at the time I thought – video? Are you kidding? I equated video with soap operas and really bad late night commercials. I was a young still photographer just getting a name in the magazine world and starting to make some money in the corporate sector. I couldn’t have been less interested in video at that time.

Fast forward to now. I’ve been shooting video with traditional video tools for over ten years. I give seminars to still photographers who may be thinking of getting into video and I have just made a big investment in both money and mental power and have embraced the HD DSLR tools for an upcoming project I am working on Opening Our Eyes.

I’m not the only still photographer thinking of video these days – it seems like everybody is. As print platforms give way to electronic ones like the iPad that debuted this past weekend, the way we communicate is rapidly changing and along with that there is a huge demand for video. On the April 12th cover of Time Magazine is a portrait of Steve Jobs and inside a review of the iPad entitled “Do We Need the iPad?” The writer Lev Grossman wraps up the article nicely:

“If I have a beef with the iPad, it’s that while it’s a lovely device for consuming content, it doesn’t do much to facilitate its creation. The computer is the greatest all-purpose creativity tool since the pen. It put a music studio, a movie studio, a darkroom and a publishing house on everybody’s desk. The iPad shifts the emphasis from creating content to merely absorbing and manipulating it. It mutes you, turns you back into a passive consumer of other people’s masterpieces. In that sense, it’s a step backward. Not much of a fairy-tale ending. Except for the people who are selling content. Read more: http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1976932-2,00.html#ixzz0k3oIUDqY

In Time’s editor’s column “Ushering In a New Era”, Managing Editor Richard Stengel talks about making the magazine available on electronic devices like the iPad and Time will soon be delivering it’s entire contents to paying customers as a self contained application that can be downloaded to the iPad. Sports Illustrated is ready to go electronic as well.

If this doesn’t send a signal to still photographers the need to diversify and embrace video – what will? With print moving to electronic delivery – the demand for video will increase. I sit on the National Board of ASMP and we recognize this changing paradigm. In fact that is exactly how I came to be involved with the Board of ASMP. I was asked to run for the Board because of my video experience. It’s been a year since I’ve been on the board and in that time I have set up a motion/video committee with the intention of gathering and sharing information about video production. So far, through the efforts of the committee an online resource for video was developed and has been uploaded to the ASMP website.

I continue to learn as technology drives us forward and I continue to network and collaborate with people. One person that I’ve learned a lot from is Richard Harrington of Rhed Pixel. Richard is one of those guys that never seem to sleep. He runs a successful business, teaches, writes and shares a lot of information on various forums like Creative Cow and on his own blog. I’ve also worked with Richard’s team of motion graphics animators on an industrial that I produced last year. I continue to learn from Richard who has just written a book called “From Still to Motion” that I can’t wait to get my hands on. It’s all about working with the hybrid DSLR cameras.

Looks like that psychic was right – at least about the video. Not sure about the past life Inca thing but it makes you wonder doesn’t it? Was it destiny? Or was it just that I was a restless soul at the time wanting to learn more about how I could tell a story and with what tools. Not really sure – I’m just glad that I followed those instincts.

March 25, 2010

Ten Things Still Photographers Need to Know About Video

1.   Buying a DSLR is only a start. Choose the right tool for the job. A DSLR might not be the right tool for many video productions. And keep in mind that most shooters spend sometimes twice as much as the price of these cameras on add-ons to make these cameras a viable solution.
2.   It’s more than just the shoot. There are many facets to video production. In fact positioning yourself as just a camera operator may not be the best business model.
3.   Shooting video is a different mind set than shooting still images. I think differently when shoot video. I think in sequences and in storyboard mode – not in moments in time.
4.   Audio is everything. You can have the best visual in the world but if you don’t capture your audio properly – you’ve got nothing.
5.   Shoot horizontals. There are no vertical TV sets – yet.
6.   Editing – Again the shoot is just one part of video production. Editing is just as important and there is a steep learning curve that comes with it. But learning to edit and editing your own material will make you a better shooter.
7.   There’s no standardization of codec’s and formats. It’s like the Wild West when it comes to standardization of codec’s. There is no standardization! Every time a new camera gets rolled out – it seems like there’s yet another format.
8.   Output – Here’s where a lot of people get confused. How are you going to output it? What type of file? What platform – TV, web, big screen?
9.   Interviews – A lot of video productions require on camera interviews. Many times the interviews drive the story – or create the backbone of the audio track. Pay attention to good interviews and interviewers to learn the art of getting good sound bites.
10.   Collaboration – Video production is ripe for collaboration. Still photographers are more independent creatures. Learn to surround yourself with people that will make you look god.