denarosko

Tim you're a genius - and funny, too ;)

David L.: Wow, thank you for your information, those are new things for me to learn. I'm glad to know what CMYK values well lit skin should have, that is incredibly helpful. Typically I've managed color using HSV values. Thank you.

This is rich:

 

The scammer actually replied to my email in which I requested he _not_ email me anymore and that I knew he was a scam artist:

 

"Hello Dena,

 

Many thanks for your cordial message. I'm glad to hear you have availability to render us your services, but my advise to you is never you address a servant of God like that again.

 

I'll need your services for 5 hours every day for 3 days (1st to 3rd March) and at the end of the event, i expect you to be able to package for me atleast a complete album. 60 page album with 120 images on disc. The number of people that will be present each day will not be less than 10 ? 15 gentle men and women and your service will be at my residence only,formal family portraits is what i look forward to have.

 

My itinerary is been handled by my traveling agents here in Ghana and they are yet to give me their recommendations of the exact place for the event. But be assured that you will be getting all necessary information needed by you before our arrival . INTERNATIONAL CENTRAL GOSPEL CHURCH (ICGC) will be paying for my flight, accommodation and all other holiday expenses, so payment will be sent to you from our head office. I will instruct our head finance department to send you a payment by (Cashier Cheque) on my behalf covering the total cost of your service.

 

For this, I would need your :

Full Name,

Address:

Telephone Number

Grand Total Cost

which is; Cost of your service plus all Taxes payable. Go ahead and provide this information ASAP, so that payment can be instructed to you. Hopefully you should receive it by next-week to secure your service.

 

We?ve been looking forward to this trip for a long while; I do hope your service will meet our expectations. I hope to read from you soon.

 

Best regards.

Rev. Edwin Donko.

Direct line: +233-274-767-779."

 

You are right Dawn there are indications of a scam within the text. Thank you Bonnie and David for your additional information.

Mark: I appreciate your contribution. I do agree that I took something beneficial from all pnet responses thus far in that I knew I had some refinements to make. However, in the interest of creating community of professionals, the way in which we say things can be more important than what we are actually saying. That is, if someone gives me advice it is helpful if it is respectful, specific, related, and accurate. It can still be helpful even if it is disrespectful, but that is the value I assign to it, and whatever camaraderie that could have been obtained is in jeopardy.

 

My interest is to network with colleagues who share my desire to treat others with respect, and I do not think that assigning negative labels to another's work, or making inferences about their character based on an image, are appropriate for here or anywhere. Of course these comments relate more to my post on relating to professional peers under Philosophy forum, so perhaps we should continue that discussion there. I do appreciate your comments and insights and will keep them in mind.

 

Christopher: Though your communication "style" did not work for me, I'm grateful I can find helpful advice now and avoid future faux paus. The most important thing is that my clients receive the best service and images I can provide them, and that they leave their wedding season with a happy sense that all went well, even -- especially -- the wedding photography. ;)

 

David: Once again I appreciate your kind words and advice. I have respect for your expertise and posts. Also I really appreciate you noticing the rapport I had with Gail and Mike. That was so important to me. The bride thanked me for the "great job" I did on their photography -- and even before they saw the pictures! That made me happy.

 

Hooman: Thank you for giving me a much needed laugh and perspective. It can be an intimidating and fear-driven industry, and for my part it is good to remember I do what I do not for other's varying opinion, but because I genuinely enjoy being with others and providing quality images of their life's special moments.

 

Tambria: Thank you for your kind compliments; it always encourages me to hear a positive word and I'm excited you all noted my style without my stating it as I want my work to speak for itself!

Hello P'netters,

 

I received this email in my inbox today and it is a scam:

 

"Hello,

I am Rev. Edwin Donko, District pastor of International Central Gospel, Greater

Accra Region. I got your details from the USA tourism directory, I will be

coming over to Renton, WASHINGTON - USA for our silver jubilee wedding

anniversary with family coming up on the 1st of March, but we will be arriving

on the 29th of February 2008. I will need the services of a professional

photographer that will cover our entire vacation from the 1st through to 3rd of

March.

 

Could you please send me more details about your work and what the cost of your

services for the 3days, 5hrs daily photography will be? ICGC GHANA will be

paying you in advance of our visit as they will be covering the total expenses

for our wedding anniversary so that we will be assured of a photographer during

our stay. An early reply will be appreciated.

 

Please acknowledge if you can offer us your services and give me a call on my

direct line (+233-274-767-779 ) as soon as you receive this email, so we can

conclude on all other arrangements ASAP, as time is not really on our side.

 

God bless you,

 

REV. PASTOR EDWIN DONKO.

INTERNATIONAL CENTRAL GOSPEL CHURCH.

PO BOX C276 ACCRA,GHANA.

00233276799401."

 

-->It is a scam because Ghana's city code is 21 not 27, I know because I looked

it up online and tried to call. Also, the church mentioned has a different

number, so if it's a reverend he'd give you his office extension/number.

Lastly, the all caps in the text of the email suggests to me a database usage of

place names, some sort of script written. I only put 2 and 2 together when I

looked up his name online and called the number a few times.

 

There are other posts on pnet about scams, usually from overseas people who

insist on paying by check. Only accept wire transfers or electronic payment

(perhaps by PayPal or Google checkout) from overseas persons, and don't waste

your entire afternoon like I did trying to get ahold of someone who does not

exist! (rrr, wiping the egg off my face, but could've been worse!)

 

See AMSP link:

http://www.asmpnorcal.org/drupal/?q=node/437

David Schilling & Conrad: Thank you, also for your helpful posts! Your advice will really help me out on site.

Christopher: Though I appreciate your efforts to assist me in that I asked for help w/post I found your comments rude and unhelpful. I do not understand why you come across so harshly . I consider post _part of_ the finished product and not a band aid to cover up on location deficiencies as you inferred. I do not use actions, but color correct by hand with each image. Posting a paragraph of tech-talk shows your knowledge, but does not communicate to me specifically what I need to do to improve my work - _which is why I posted in the first place_. I care about the quality of my work and do not wish to make my subjects "ghouls" LOL. No need to lam bast me! Good grief! If I'm reading you wrong, then I will be glad because that will mean you didn't mean to be rude and we can be friends. ;)

 

[Ok I'm calming down now, no hard feelings]

 

David: I appreciate your kind words and efforts to define my style. I think you track with my vision for my work, and I appreciate that.

 

Nadine, Alan, and Hooman: Thank you for your tips and for speaking peer-to-peer.

Hello p'netters!

 

I'm happy to share a wedding I covered recently:

-Go to http://www.denaphoto.com/wedding_album.html

-Click on Gail and Mike

 

Special thanks to Anne and other p'netters who critiqued my open house and other

wedding images this year. I followed your advise Anne and purchased a wide

angle - Nikon's 28mm f2.8 - and I shot this entire wedding with this lens. I

think my other lenses may get lonely. Now I can more readily fill the frame

without shaving off people's shoulders and foreheads as sometimes happened with

my 50mm, cute and pert a lens that it is.

 

I also took your advise Anne to not get locked into the "zoom doom" with my zoom

lens. I didn't use it, and was so involved with the proceedings I felt as

though I were part of the wedding party. Oh well, the images turned out better

than when I had used my zoom only, and the bride and groom told me they thought

I did a great job with working with them. That made me happy.

 

So my reasons for posting a critique request:

 

1) I had challenge in post with reds/oranges, which I suspect is b/c I shoot in

JPEG and b/c the walls of the location were red and orange. I think I managed

it well enough, but I've heard that shooting in RAW solves this problem.

 

-->Any suggestions on improving my skin tones? Any thoughts on RAW?

 

2)I had another challenge with those happy guests who love to take snapshots.

Once during the ceremony I was hunkered down trying to be below the radar so as

not to disrupt, and a guest saw me move, jumped up from her seat, and stood in

the middle of the floor in front of everyone to take a shot... And when I was

doing the formals, the group did not know whether to look at her or me, so some

of the formals people are looking in different directions... And lastly the

kicker was when she loudly exclaimed, "Uh! You ruined my picture!" after I had

dismissed the group when I was done posing them and capturing the image.

 

-->Any suggestions on how to positively influence the proceedings by kindly

redirecting shutter happy guests (remembering that I probably was one in my

amateur days! ha!)?

 

Thank you!

Agree with all here save suggestion to offer a package without post services (though I think the post intent was at humor) because that is part of my imaging style _and_ I worked with a photographer who delivered unfinished images to me as their "final product." The problem here was that this wasn't stated in the original agreement, and it left me a bad impression of the photographer as unwilling or unable to do the work needed to finish a job. Anyway this comment is more like a side comment.

 

Mainly when potential clients contact me they usually start with "what are your prices?" and I tell them, "I advise clients to choose a photographer based on 2 things: imaging style and personality." Then I tell them about me, my style, and if possible I only discuss pricing on the phone at the end. I explain my reasons for this. And if they ask, "why are you so expensive?" I itemize for them the hourly rates and projected totals of the time it takes to turn the images around.

 

It's hard to turn away clients when you want work! But I think it's better to stick to your price so you assign value, and then find a way to market to those in that price range who value photography as you do. Only time I have created "custom packages" in the past is for a matter of the heart or if I did not have any booking yet scheduled for that month.

Hello,

 

I offer a 7x7 softcover proof book from Blurb and online proofing at Smugmug. The reason for the book is so that clients have a tangible and portable product to enjoy and to share with family/friends. This is what I hope to be a marketing tool and an easy way for them to share images rather than giving them a stack of hundreds of prints as I used to.

 

The online gallery works great for clients to share with family/friends and to order prints/products. I find I sell mainly 4x6, 5x7, 8x10, and individual image downloads (in that order of frequency) to clients. I enjoy having an online proofing and fulfillment service; it allows convenience for both clients and me (I'm not running back and forth to labs/post offices/etc.).

 

I have often wondered about profit margin with books though I'm getting a good response so far from clients who seem to really like them. I have not yet made additional sales with proof books, though I offer those online for clients should they wish to give them away as gifts. They are a cute "keepsake" as one client said.

 

Anyway they take time to design that's for sure. I do not give away digital image files anymore as I want to assign value to the work/time/creative talent I do for the client, and I feel that giving away too many products with a package will reduce profit margin in post sales, and not help photographers (myself included) earn a livable wage.

The reason I shoot at lower f values is because I want to use available light and/or the room is simply too dark to go 4 or higher. Also I shoot lower f values to layer an image (foreground and background blurred while subject is in focus - creates depth).

 

You raise a valid point about the challenge of shooting at low f values. The challenge is that you have a "thin band of focus" that becomes really pronounced if you are shooting a portrait of more than one person.

 

I have learned from other p-netters, reading, and experience a couple pointers that I will share with you: shoot more images when using low f values (because you will have more throw aways), and when shooting a posed portrait with more than one person, be sure that the people's faces are on the "same plain." That is, if one person is behind another, ask the person behind to lean forward. Otherwise one person's face will be out of focus while another person's face is in focus. Does this make sense?

 

Nadine is right about use of flash; bounce it and/or use a bounce card when you do use it. Yesterday I covered a party where the lighting was so low I needed a low f value and flash; it was challenging. David raises a good point too: for those 'must have' portraits, use a setting that allows you more freedom with your focus. Sometimes environmental solutions help, such as moving the group outside if possible.

Thank you Matt for your critique! From you I learned the concept of space around faces; I had not thought of that. I tend to like to fill the frame by way of style, but it's good to have establishing portraits with space. Thank you for the compliments on the blue tunnel image - that is one of my favorites, along with the other you mentioned (face framed by the planks). Thanks again for your suggestions.

Good tips! Thank you much Emily and Brian. One challenge was how quick he moved - don't let his size fool you! ;)

Thanks Jack!! He is a cute baby for sure!

Hello!

 

I took my first baby portraits of a 1.5 year old recently at a local park. It

was one of those bookings that was last minute, grab my gear and go. The

session was after 7pm, and I had some tough times with the sun and shadows cast

by the nearby tree - constantly adjusting on light extremes.

 

Anyhow, we all had a good time and Mom and Dad love the photos. I'd like a

critique on how I can adjust for lighting easily, and how can you photograph a

baby (and other people for that matter) in a portrait session photojournalism style?

 

1) go to

http://www.denaphoto.com/family_album.html

 

2) click "Babies"

 

Thanks!

The principle I use in establishing pricing is to

 

-charge for my time

-charge for products (cost+markup)

 

I see a shift in digital photography in particular. A few years back I researched wedding photographers for my own wedding. Digital wedding photographers tended to throw in everything - full service and all inclusive flat price. Now I notice that some photographers are charging higher rates for those all inclusive packages or are doing away with them.

 

Also, thankfully so, I'm noticing that "buy in bulk" for image counts is decreasing. At least this is with a few of the higher level studios in my area. I've not done market research for a generalized sample, but let me tell you I think it's better to charge for time and products because the services and products we offer have value.

 

As a member of EP (Editorial Photographers), I am glad to see a push towards value pricing, etc. in photography.

All of you raise such helpful pointers - thank you!

 

William: Thank you for your post. Camera view - got it! I like environmental portraits, but as Anne pointed out, overhead or straight on shots are better than looking up. Now on to 'doing'...

 

Anne: thank you for your compliments on my use of natural light and for sharing the specific shots you liked. I appreciate your tips on working with shallow depth of field. And of course I appreciate you friend! ;) btw, the favorite you mentioned is also mine - I tried to step back, but I was nearly up against the fireplace, and you're right - it's such a quick moment and I didn't want to miss! That dog ran by at just the right time (for the first time all afternoon he cooperated!).

 

Greg: Hi! Thank you for complimenting my photojournalism style. I'm finding that special events are my strong suit (portraiture - how do you do photojournalism with portraiture? ;). I appreciate your tips on perspectives and use of framing and patience to isolate a shot and not just using shallow depth of field. I took your advice to heart at my next special event and am discovering that patience has its benefits - less frames to sort through in post-production! ;)

Curtis - thank you for your post as I found your insights to be wise. I'm sorry to hear you have to retire. I'd love to have you as a photography prof! Let us know if you find any MFA courses worthwhile - though you raise valid points - don't be discouraged.

Happy Monday P'netters!

 

I had the privilege recently of covering a Open House for a couple whose wedding

I had covered back in December. The bride hired me to cover their housewarming

party because she wants to include these images in the coffee table book that

she wants me to design.

 

Here are the images:

 

1) Go to

http://www.denaphoto.com/family_album.html

 

2) Click "Parties" under the Special Events section

 

I focused on improvements in these areas:

 

-depth of field (i.e. blurred backgrounds)

 

-available light instead of flash (I used my Nikon 50mm f1.8)

 

-photojournalism style (i.e. creatively composing a scene and capturing a moment

vs. posed portraits)

 

I found that I struggled with focus issues as a result of shooting at such an

open aperture. Any suggestions on how to improve that issue in the future?

It's a trade off, I suppose!

 

My favorite image is of the 2 ladies laughing on the couch.

 

Also I welcome feedback on what you like about an image or want to see done

differently next time.

 

Thanks!

I have not bought their product. However, I can offer my first impression of the site and content, which can tell you something. First it's great that there are people out there marketing to the business side of photography. So many courses focus on photographic skills and don't give much attention to running a business, which a career photographer does unless they are a second shooter or work for a publication.

 

Still I am leery about programs that offer "get rich quick" language and formulas. Besides, the subscribe pop up window on load bugged me, especially when it moved around so I couldn't close it. That only caused me to feel the site was fishy. This is not to say the content isn't, but I'm not sure about this program.

 

It's tough to seek out education in photography because it seems the field boasts such extremes -- either the $$$$ for degrees from colleges and universities, or the online programs that aren't accredited and send you audio cassette tapes... I wonder that a certification program at a local university or community college would be the best route. Some in my area offer programs in small business, and some have a program in photography. You could do both, and get the skills _and_ credentials you're looking for.

I am several months past and I realize this post is no longer "active," although I'm reading it right now so I imagine others may, too.

 

Whenever pursuing a goal it's best to decide what your own passion and purpose--that will pay off more in the long run than picking what major/minor you think will better guarantee a decent job situation years down the road when you graduate.

 

Education is a way to refine skills in your chosen field; degrees are the credentials that tell everyone, hey, I put time and effort and passion into this, so hire me. There is no guarantee a degree or a combination of majors/minors will produce that perfect job, journalism or otherwise.

 

As far as which is better, writing or photography? Both are sensory arts (mainly visual, though writing can be converted to audio or braille) and communications' forms. Our culture seems to be inclined towards the image, but I don't believe the saying, "an image is worth a thousand words" because there really is no way to simplify the two art forms. They are both powerful storytelling tools, but yours is the job to decide what you want to do with either of them. Quantifying won't help.

Clarification: the monthly charges are broken up by $45 payments (not $398 per month; $45 per month) with $25 final payment; in other words, it's affordable when compared to other programs out there.

I just received the catalog info in the mail for NYI, and the cost for the short course in digital photography is $348 up front or $398 monthly. There are 2 other courses that are longer with more content, and are $948 up front and $998 monthly.

 

The courses seem great, and the best part is they offer critiques from instructors. My only concern is the delivery. I expect correspondence courses these days to use the internet or at least DVDs and CD-ROMs. This course uses cassette tapes for audio instruction. I think they better bump up the delivery to current standards, such as streamlined audio, keep up.

 

Of course, content is always premium, and it would seem the NYI has a good reputation. Let us know what you decide and how it turns out.

Zach: I'm posting a late reply to your comment: the ads I create are for magazines and thus the color works for me in this environment. Also a newspaper I design my ad for also prints in color. It's good to know one can design an ad both in B&W and color. Thanks for the tip.

Thank you David for your clarification, I really appreciate it. I did not understand that you relate photojournalism style to 2nd shooter style. Not knowing this, I think initially I took your comment the wrong way at first, reading "2nd shooter" as sort of a jab, and I think I took it that way because I've read other threads where the tone of some P-netters seemed to imply frustration with new or intermediate photographers shooting primary but with the skill of a "2nd shooter." Thank you for clarifying and for your encouragement.

 

I also appreciate your critique on elbows and your compliment of the cake shots. I had the most fun at this wedding than I've had to date as I mentioned I felt more relaxed, and did a better job shooting less frames (timing) and delivering more from that batch (better percentage). The Bride is a friend of mine, and incidentally her brother introduced me to my (now) husband. So that history made doing their photography meaningful for me.

 

Anne: The environment was in their Mom's beautiful backyard, so with all the guests it was standing room only. This is where I had trouble positioning myself. I appreciate your suggestions on wide angle lens and lower f-stop to blur the background; I avoided doing this then because I was worried the edges of the image would blur. If I take it to 1.8-2.8 or so, will that blur the edges of the image? For my next wedding my goal is to have more blurred backgrounds so that the people pop! ;) I appreciate you following up with me Anne and for all your encouragement since I signed up to P-net! btw, how is your new studio?

 

Brooke: I had not considered that extreme close-ups are not well-received by clients, and to get more full-lengths of the women's attire, and you know, my tendency is to get as close as I can! So I appreciate your feedback because I will try to leave more room in the frame next time. I am okay with being brutal with myself! My first trained skill is writing, and I'm familiar with the need to delete even those things I myself like to make the end-work better! Thanks for encouraging me to keep shooting; I think sometimes I wonder, should I even be doing this because I "have not arrived" -- but I know as you do that you only improve with practice and experience!

 

My goal is to improve my work each time so that I serve my clients well - and I enjoy creating beautiful images. Thanks for your help!

 

Anyone have any other suggestions on improving my photojournalism style?