The Definitive Photography Resource

The Definitive
Photography Resource
REMARKABLE IMAGES FROM MEMBERS POD BOOK PROJECTS
CAMERA SCANS
FROM ARCHIVE TO HARD DRIVE
IN 1/60 OF A SECOND
TO GOOGLE OR
NOT TO GOOGLE?
SPRING 2009
THAT IS THE QUESTION
A S M P BULLETIN
FROM PHOTOGRAPHERS TO PUBLISHERS
© Clark James Mishler
PLUS:
Advice in a Meltdown
The Legislative Legwork of ASMP Phoenix
New Business Ideas for a Tough Photo Economy
ESSENTIAL FOR PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHERS
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Covers
INDEPENDENT PHOTOGRAPHY NETW0RK INDEPENDENT PHOTOGRAPHY NETW0RK INDEPENDENT PHOTOGRAPHY NETW0RK
ASMPCONTENTS
[SPRING 2009]
2
PRESIDENT’S LETTER
Todd Joyce talks about client support in tough
times
3
DIRECTOR’S COMMENTARY
Eugene Mopsik discusses the enemy within
8
© RUBBERBALL / IPNSTOCK
NEWSLINE
2009 Arnold Newman Portrait Prize winner,
ASMP election results, Ominicom Group
Revision of Terms Raises Red Flag, ASMP to
Participate in the PDN Photographers’ Virtual
Trade Show, New Member Benefit with Blurb
books, plus more news and events
12
ASMP TRAVELING CONFERENCES
Bradshaw Leadership Conference a Resounding
Success in Detroit
14
AN EXCLUSIVE NETWORK OF PHOTOGRAPHERS, REP GROUPS AND AGENCIES POWERED BY CUSTOMIZED, NEXT GENERATION TOOLS AND TECHNOLOGY.
WE’RE WORKING TOGETHER TO REVOLUTIONIZE THE EVER-CHANGING NEEDS AND TRENDS OF THE STOCK INDUSTRY. GO INDIE.
BOOK LOOK
The Nanticoke by David Harp, Serenissima by
Frank Van Riper, Titans by Al Satterwhite, An
Unlikely Weapon—The Eddie Adams Story
0-1
16
LEGAL REVIEW
To Google or Not to Google? That is the Question
By Victor S. Perlman
17
CHAPTER SPOTLIGHT/OUTSTANDING
VOLUNTEERS
The Legislative Legwork of ASMP Phoenix
18
CONSULTANT’S CORNER
Money: Scaling the Walls of a Lousy Economy
By Leslie Burns-Dell’Acqua
20
INSIDE OPINION
Advice in a Meltdown
By Sean Kernan
22
TOOLBOX
Camera Scans: From Archive to Hard Drive in
1/60 of a Second
By Matthew Yake
24
BETTER BUSINESS
New Business Ideas for a Tough Photo Economy
By Thom O’Connor
28
THE POD PEOPLE
Are Sprouting Up All Over, Thanks to
Print-on-Demand Publishing
By Jill Waterman
30
PORTFOLIO
From Photographers to Publishers: Remarkable
Images from Member’s POD Book Projects
33
PARTING SHOT
Al Fisher’s Intricate Dance with the Light Fantastic
ON OUR COVER: © Clark James Mishler
<www.mishlerphotos.com>. In January 2009, Clark Mishler
pledged to design and produce fifty books in fifty weeks,
using print-on-demand (POD) publishing. This image graces
the cover of his fifth book French Impressions, available in its
entirety on his Web site. Our coverage about Mishler and
other member’s POD book projects starts on page 28.
THIS PAGE: © McCory James
<www.mccoryjamesphotography.com>. To take the edge
off the slumping market for photographs, Denver,
Colorado–based architectural shooter McCory James
offers a rebate to loyal clients who refer third parties for
reuse of his work. To learn more about how fellow ASMP
members are generating work in today’s tough economy,
turn to our Better Business article on page 24.
PRESIDENT’SLETTER
© Wilbur Montgomery
[DIRECTOR’S
THE
ENEMY
WITHIN
Wilbur Montgomery is a longtime member and past Ohio Valley
chapter president. His passion for life, art and the ASMP has inspired
many over the years. Wilbur is a friend I can always count on and
one of the most creative people I know. Please visit the Wonderful
World of Wilbur at <www.indyartprints.com>.
CALL IT KARMA OR
CALL IT MARKETING
A Little Client Support in Tough
Times Can Be a Good Thing to Do
R
ecessions hit the creative industry harder than most
others. When times are tight, we’re expendable to businesses. Companies cut promotional budgets first and
then when they see things start to recover, they jump back in.
I know it’s easy to lose sight of the light at the end of the tunnel, but it’s there. I’m not sure how long the tunnel is, but I tell
you, there is a light at the end.
The important part of handling a recession is knowing
what to do while waiting for the recovery. Promoting yourself
is always a good idea, both in good times and bad. Staying in
front of buyers is important, especially when every job counts.
But how do you do that when you’re holding on to every dime
you have? Marketing on a budget can be hard enough, but
marketing with nothing means you have to be creative.
Social networks are the easy answer. LinkedIn, Facebook,
MySpace, blogs and even Second Life are all available tools. They’re
free and easy, but be aware of the terms of use. Facebook (as an
example) has been overreaching to say the least, so be careful what
you post. I prefer to use these venues as communication tools
rather than for image display. Be viral as much as possible, but be
careful, because the nature of this medium suggests that what you
post, you lose. At a minimum, use these tools to stay in touch so
that you’re on clients’ minds when they get that next project. You
need to target what sites you use based on where your clients are.
It may take some time figuring that out.
I’ve recently received calls from a few of my best clients, telling
me they lost their jobs. That’s what’s so different about this recession. It’s deeper. It’s reaching our clients harder than ever, which
in turn is reaching us in more dramatic ways than ever before. If
you’ve received one of those calls, it’s hard to take. If you’re like
me, your clients are your friends. It’s hard to work in a collaborative situation for days at a time and not get to know and like
people. When you hear that a friend has lost his job, it’s hard not
to feel sorry for him. And since the work he was giving you has
been sacked too, it’s hard to not feel sorry for yourself.
ASMPBULLETIN
C O M M E N TA R Y ]
T
he recent change of policy by the Omnicom Group regarding
“disclosed agency” and “sequential liability” has served to
reveal once again what is perhaps the crucial issue facing
commercial photographers—our inability to act in our own best
self-interest. In an effort to limit its agency liability, Omnicom has
changed its terms and conditions and in so doing it transfers that liability to independent photographers and producers. Basically, by
disclosing its agency status and for whom it is acting, the advertising
agency is only liable to the extent that its client has specifically paid
it for any amounts payable to you. We all know that this is wrong,
and yet there will be no shortage of photographers willing to accept
these terms.
A casual review of our newletters from the 1940s quickly reveals
that little has changed since the ASMP’s earliest days. The only difference is that the Society was so small in those days that individual
members who chose to accept questionable terms and payments
were singled out by name, to be scorned by the membership at large.
While I am not in favor of reinstituting this practice, I am in favor of
continuing our educational outreach to create wider understanding
and acceptance of good business practices as well as the ultimate
value of photography.
As marketing expert Seth Godin explains, “Your customers
and employees and investors will remember how you treated
them when times were tough, when they needed a break,
when a little support meant everything. No one in particular
will remember how you acted during the boom times.”
National board member Ben Colman tells of a brother-inlaw who offers free dry-cleaning to those who have lost their
jobs and are in need of a clean interview suit. Chances are that
the people who take him up on the offer will remember that act
of kindness and return with business when they get a future
job. Call it karma or call it marketing, it’s a good thing to do.
While few of you have a dry-cleaning business, what can
you offer your clients in their time of need? If they’ve lost their
job, how about offering to photograph their work for a portfolio? Or maybe some help with portfolio printing? They may
strike out on their own and need advice on running a business,
or a new headshot for their Web site. We all have something we
can offer. Look for what it is you can contribute and reach out
to help. This recession will pass and those clients will find
work. When they do, whom do you think they’ll consider for
their first photo project? Chances are it will be you.
There are many other options to consider for working with
clients facing serious business challenges. Retainers, allowing
monthly payments or helping clients with business pitches to
win a project are only a few. Collaborate on solutions to get you
both through the lean times. Working with (rather than for)
your client, builds trust and solidifies a long-term relationship
that can bear fruit for many years to come. It also gets you over
the hump. Use your abilities to stay in touch and help those
who need it. You may be surprised at what may come of your
efforts. Call it karma or call it marketing—your clients will
remember how you treated them when times were tough.
Todd Joyce
President, ASMP
<joyce@asmp.org>
AS LONG AS PHOTOGRAPHERS LINE
UP BEHIND EACH OTHER, READY
AND EAGER TO ACCEPT BAD TERMS,
BAD TERMS WILL PREVAIL. WE
ARE NOT A UNION, NOR CAN WE
ENGAGE IN COLLECTIVE ACTION;
HOWEVER, INDIVIDUALS ARE FREE
TO CONSIDER THE OPTIONS
AVAILABLE AND DETERMINE WHAT
IS IN THEIR BEST INTERESTS.
2
Far be it for me, with my seat firmly planted in an office chair, to
tell any photographer facing his or her monthly nut not to take a job
because it is bad for the industry. It is very difficult for many to see
beyond the 30-day horizon of recurring bills. However, for those who
fail to act in a manner consistent with the greater good, be aware that
there are some long-term implications, and these implications will
ultimately have an effect on our day-to-day lives as photographers.
A few years ago, a number of extraordinary photographers—photographers who routinely risked their lives to bring back images from
centers of war and conflict and photographers whose images revealed
the extraordinary nature of the human condition—protested a change
in the terms of service for freelancers with the New York Times. All they
wanted to do was to work and be fairly compensated. The Times dayrate was inadequate, yet it sought to vastly expand its rights position
while offering very little additional compensation. Enough photographers were willing to sign the new contract regardless of the terms, so
there was no incentive for the Times to modify its policy.
Unless the Times, back then, or Omnicom, today, are unable to
conduct business as usual, there is no reason to change. As long as
photographers line up behind each other, ready and eager to accept
bad terms, bad terms will prevail. We are not a union, nor can we
engage in collective action; however, individuals are free to consider
the options available and determine what is in their best interests.
Photographers need to understand the value of their work and what
they bring to the table as creative business partners. Analyze bad terms
and conditions and seek ways to improve them. If an agreement looks
wrong and feels wrong, then you are probably on to something.Add value
to the photographer/client relationship so that you and your images will
not become a commodity. Companies like Omnicom succeed because
they know that photographers are the weak link in the chain of suppliers.
The photographers can always be squeezed a little tighter. I would suggest
that we have been squeezed tight enough! The time has come to look in
the mirror, stare the enemy in the face, and do the right thing.
Eugene Mopsik
Executive Director, ASMP & Photographer
<mopsik@asmp.org>
ASMPBULLETIN
2-3
3
Volume 27,
Number 4/Spring 2009
BEST OF ASMP
2009
www.asmp.org
The American Society of Media Photographers, Inc.
President Todd Joyce
First Vice President Richard Kelly
Second Vice President Richard Anderson
Treasurer Bruce Katz
Secretary Shawn G. Henry
THE FIFTH ANNUAL BEST OF ISSUE OF THE
ASMP BULLETIN IS COMING IN SEPTEMBER 2009.
Board of Directors George C. Anderson, Richard Anderson,
James Cavanaugh, Blake Discher, Ben Colman, Lynne Damianos,
Jim Flynn, Shawn G. Henry, Todd Joyce, Bruce Katz, Greg Kiger,
Richard Kelly, Peter Krogh, Ed McDonald, Thomas Werner
Board Elect Kate Baldwin, Chris Hollo, Gail Mooney
Produced by PDN Custom Media & Events
Publisher Lauren Wendle
Associate Publisher Andrew Hartnett
Senior Editor Jill Waterman
Art Director Robert Vizzini
Production Director Daniel Ryan
Contributors Leslie Burns-Dell’Acqua, Julie Gallagher,
Todd Joyce, Sean Kernan, Eugene Mopsik,
Thom O’Connor, Victor S. Perlman, Matthew Yake
55 West Monroe Street Tel: (312) 977-0121
Chicago, IL 60603
Fax: (312) 977-0733
<www.asmp.org/publications/mediakit.php>
For current advertising rate information:
In the Northeast, East and South contact
Jules Wartell by e-mail at:
<jules.wartell@writeme.com>
or by phone at: (212) 873-5682.
In the West, Midwest and Canada contact
Richard Wartell by e-mail at:
<rwartell@writeme.com>
or by phone at: (707) 456-9200.
For details on advertising go to
<www.asmp.org/publications/mediakit.php>
ASMP was founded in 1944 to promote high professional and artistic standards in photography and to
further the professional interests of its membership by disseminating information on a range of subjects
and concerns. ASMP has a membership of more than 6,000 of the world’s finest photographers.
For current advertising rate information:
The ASMP Bulletin is published five times a year by ASMP, The American Society of Media
Photographers, Inc., 150 North Second Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Ph: (215) 451-2767, Fax: (215)
451-0880, e-mail: info@ASMP.org, Web site <www.asmp.org>. Member subscription is $12 per year.
In the Northeast, East and South contact
Jules Wartell by e-mail at:
<jules.wartell@writeme.com>
or by phone at: (212) 873-5682.
In the West, Midwest and Canada contact
Richard Wartell by e-mail at:
<rwartell@writeme.com>
or by phone at: (707) 456-9200.
© 2009 ASMP, All rights reserved, ISSN 07445784
One-time reprint rights are granted to ASMP chapter newsletters. No article may be reprinted (above
exception noted) without written permission from the ASMP. Postmaster: please send address changes to
ASMP Bulletin, 150 North Second Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106.
Editorial contributions should be sent to: Jill Waterman, PDN, 770 Broadway, 7th Fl, New York, NY
10003-9595. Phone: (646) 654-5834, Fax: (646) 654-5813, e-mail: <waterman@asmp.org>. Unsolicited
material will not be acknowledged or returned. All submissions are printed at the discretion of the Society
and are subject to editing. Signed letters and editorial contributions must include a phone number.
Articles appearing in the ASMP Bulletin reflect the opinions of the writer. They do not necessarily reflect
those of the editors, any officers of the Society, the Board of Directors, or the National Office. The Society
does not assume responsibility for the individual writer’s opinions as expressed in the article.
ASMPBULLETIN
he 20 photographers selected for the yearly Best of ASMP
issue are featured both in print and online, where they discuss
their technical accomplishments, their valued equipment, the
clients they work with and more—in detailed interviews, illustrated
by their best work.
In summer 2008, nearly 400 photographers responded to our
third annual call for their best work of the year. It was a challenging
selection process and the projects that made our shortlist were both
inspiring in execution and far-reaching in impact.
“Recognition by your peers is the most satisfying recognition
there is,” says Mikkel Aaland, whose Tasmania Photoshop Lightroom
2 Adventure book project was featured in the Best of ASMP 2008.
“It’s often just the incentive you need to keep moving, and god
knows, positive news nowadays is a rare commodity,” he adds. “Having the project featured in both the magazine and the ASMP Web
site Q&A was prestigious affirmation to all the sponsors of our project who are key players in the photo community.”
For the 2009 issue of the Best of ASMP, we will accept member
entries between March 1 and May 15, 2009. Any memorable project
completed within the past year—from client assignments to
personal work—is eligible for consideration. Memorable aspects
could include the following: an opportunity for creative freedom, a
rewarding collaboration with a client, an achievement in technical
prowess, a logistical challenge overcome, an impossible deadline
achieved, a budgetary milestone, a stranger than fiction encounter, a
promotional best and so on. Creative solutions will be highly valued
and a sense of humor readily enjoyed.
In preparing your submission please follow the following guidelines:
© Mikkel Aaland <www.cyberbohemia.com>
LAW OFFICES
COPYRIGHT AND RELATED MATTERS
For details on advertising go to
T
Executive Director Eugene Mopsik
Managing Director and General Counsel
Victor S. Perlman, Esq.
General Manager Elena Goertz
Web Master Christine Chandler
Communications Director Peter Dyson
Education Director Susan Carr
Bookkeeper Christine Chandler
Receptionist Khaisha Allford
Copyright Counsel Charles D. Ossola
Advertising Representatives
East Coast Jules Wartell
juleswartell@writeme.com
West Coast Richard Wartell
rwartell@writeme.com
MARK H. BARINHOLTZ, P.C.
Contact ASMP today
to advertise.
Everyone is snap happy with anticipation for the Best of ASMP 2009.
WRITE a brief (250 words or less) description of the project and
what made it memorable for you.
PREPARE one low-res jpg (500 kb or less), title it with your name,
and make sure to insert your name and caption info in the IPTC settings (file info field of Photoshop).
E-MAIL both items to: <bestof2009@asmp.org> between March 1
through May 15, 2009.
Please note that due to the amount of submissions received, only
the finalists, as selected by our editors, will be contacted during the
month of June for more details about the submitted projects.
Sort through your database, size up your recent projects, and start
thinking about your submission now to ensure the submitted image
and text will make the final cut.
ASMPBULLETIN
4
4-5
5
Boost Your Biz,
Blog With ASMP
AMERICAN SOCIETY OF MEDIA PHOTOGRAPHERS
ASMP
SEMINARS
BLOG
STRICTLY BUSINESS
Our relevant business seminars are designed
to empower you. We are photographers
Welcome!
RSS Entries
Welcome to the ASMP Strictly Business Blog. We
plan to bring you business tips, thought provoking
ideas, useful resources, videos and podcasts all
focused on professional photography. Our team
of contributors are ASMP educators who will share
posts you can enjoy with your morning coffee,
on a break or a commute. Add the ASMP Strictly
Business Blog to your daily routine and start
focusing on your business now.
Pages
Bookmark this
Blog Home Page
Blog Posts
Video
Contributors
Resources on ASMP.org
Copyright Tutorial
Licensing Guide
Releases Module
Business Forms
Ask a Pro
Monthly Archives
March 2009
helping photographers.
By ASMP Contributor | Posted: March 2009 | 19 comments
Right now, by visiting ASMP.org/strictlybusiness,
you can read the blog written by ASMP’s team
of member contributors, post comments, and
catch up on videos from the Strictly Business
2 interview and lecture series. The interviews
feature preeminent members Barbara Bordnick,
Paul Elledge, Steve Grubman, Chase Jarvis,
Lou Jones and Paula Lerner. The lecture videos
feature our educators on topics like negotiating,
marketing and digital business essentials.
Bad Contracts
ASMPproAdvice
http://www.ASMP.org/strictlybusiness/
The much-anticipated
ASMP Strictly Business
Blog is here, and you are
invited to be part of it!
And, there is more to come with daily posts and
instructional podcasts. These resources continue
ASMP’s mission to connect you with thousands
of fellow photographers, and to support your
needs for timely and trusted industry information.
19 Responses to “Welcome”
1. This is a fabulous idea! I look forward to reading it.
By gothamtomato | Mar 23, 2009
2. I am looking forward to the future of the Strictly Business Blog and the community
it may build. You have a great start!
By Allen | Mar 23, 2009
3. Bravo! Fab start to a great tool for the membership!
By Anne Hamersky | Mar 23, 2009
So get on board with
ASMP’s Strictly Business
Blog and let us know
what you think!
4. Glad that you started this. I’ve got your feed!!!
By Renee@Rosensteel.com | Mar 23, 2009
www.asmp.org/register
http://www.ASMP.org/strictlybusiness/
Photograph © 2007 Susan Carr
6-7
[SPRING
2009]
NEWSLINE
Check out the NEW!
Strictly Business Blog on
the ASMP Web site.
Visit <www.ASMP.org/
strictlybusiness>
and let us know what you think!
2008 NEWMAN PRIZE PORTRAITS
RECOGNIZED WITH MULTIPLE EXHIBITIONS AND BOOK
Jonathan Torgovnik’s powerful portraits documenting female
survivors of sexual violence during the 1994 Rwandan genocide
are being recognized this spring in a new book, an exhibition, a
panel discussion and a commemoration at the United Nations.
Torgovnik won the 2008 Arnold Newman Prize for his environmental portraits of women and the children they bore as a result of
rape by members of Rwanda’s Hutu militia. An estimated 20,000
children were born of these circumstances, many of whom have
been shunned by their communities. Beginning in 2006, Torgovnik
made repeated trips to Rwanda to photograph these genocide
survivors and record accounts of their harrowing ordeals.
To commemorate the15th anniversary of the genocide, Aperture has published Intended Consequences: Rwandan Children
Born of Rape, a 136-page book that includes 60 color images
and a DVD featuring Torgovnik’s interviews with these subjects.
A companion exhibit of Torgovnik's photographs is being pre-
2009 ARNOLD NEWMAN
PORTRAIT PRIZEWINNER
JEFF RIEDEL
understanding that “there
could be a very different
approach to making photojournalistic pictures that
departed from the past.”
To create his Newman
Prize–winning images Riedel
used a 4”x5” camera on a
tripod and a number of
battery-powered strobes.
During one long, cold night
in February 2008, he located and engaged six homeless subjects, explaining
why he was there and seeking permission to shoot.
“I consider this work
akin to photojournalism,
with the full cooperation
of the subject,” Riedel
explains. “I wasn’t making
anything up, just asking
them to stay put long
enough for me to add some
light and capture the scene.
It’s an almost hyperreal
combination of style and substance.”
In a bookend project to these homeless
portraits, Riedel also photographed the 2008
presidential campaign for a 32-page essay in
GQ Magazine.
“There’s a glaring contradiction in photographing the nation’s weakest and poorest, and
then the nation’s most powerful and wealthy,”
ASMPBULLETIN
OMINICOM GROUP REVISION OF PAYMENT TERMS
RAISES RED FLAG ON ADVANCES AND PAYMENTS
Riedel admits. “I feel that in the last several
decades, we’ve had the looting of wealth by
people from the top. I’m impassioned to show
these contradictions in my photography.”
To read our complete Q&A with Jeff Riedel,
conducted shortly after the prize announcement,
please visit <www.asmp.org/go/Riedel>.
—Thom O’Connor
The Omnicom Group, the world’s largest advertising agency holding, with agencies including BBDO, DDB, and TBWA, has restated its terms and conditions policy in an effort to
limit agency liability on payments.
In enforcing its terms and conditions language, Omnicom emphasizes that its agencies will
be responsible for paying a photographer or producers only after they have been paid by the
client. In practical terms, this “sequential liability” policy is being used to eliminate assignment
advances, and to stretch out the time before a photographer will be paid for a completed job.
In response, ASMP executive director Eugene Mopsik criticized Omnicom’s shift in policy.
“These terms and conditions are simply not in the best interest of photographers, producers
or clients,” said Mopsik.
The change to Omnicom’s policy is seen as a response to the weakening financial conditions
of major advertising clients such as General Motors. In an attempt to ward off bankruptcy, GM
and other corporations are prioritizing their financial obligations, with some suppliers, including advertising agencies, being concerned about reimbursement for client expenses.
The ASMP is critical of this effort to shift the financial burden to photographers. “We don’t
think an independent photographer of moderate means should become the banker for a Fortune 100 company,” says Mopsik.
The ASMP recommends that photographers include in their paperwork a clear statement
that no copyright license will be granted until all related assignment invoices are paid in full.
Additionally, images should be registered with the Copyright Office as soon as the shoot is
completed, and prior to first publication, so that if legal action for nonpayment is needed,
statutory damages and court costs may be recovered. An additional course of action might be
for photographers to ask clients directly for advances prior to the start of the assignment.
Mopsik urges photographers to share their experiences in dealing with these new terms as a way
of generating support for alternate contract language, which would be more friendly to photographers. “In order to gain traction and effect changes to these policies, we’ll need significant support
from key photographers. If it’s business as usual for agencies, then nothing will be accomplished.”
“Ultimately,” warns Mopsik, “this is a case of supplier beware.”
—TOC
© Jeff Riedel <www.jeffriedel.com>
J
eff Riedel’s environmental portrait
series depicting homeless men and
women in makeshift lodgings was
recently selected for the 2009 Arnold Newman
Portrait Prize.
Riedel’s winning images were created for a
February 2008 New York magazine story highlighting what the magazine characterized as
New York City’s unsuccessful efforts to control
an exploding homeless population.
Now in its third year and underwritten by
the ASMP, Photo District News, and Canon
U.S.A, the prize is given annually in recognition of renown portraitist Arnold Newman’s
efforts to use photography to, in his words,
“inform now and record for history.” Judges
Eugene Mopsik, the ASMP’s executive director, past ASMP national president and board
member Barbara Bordnick, and PDN publisher Lauren Wendle selected Riedel’s work from
1,224 portrait entries in PDN’s Photo Annual
Competition. For his winning work, Riedel
will receive a $2,500 cash award, and a Canon
digital camera.
Riedel credits Newman’s influence for his
early artistic development. “Newman’s work
stimulated a different part of my brain, and
caused me to pick up a camera,” he recalls.
His other influences include Richard Avedon and Irving Penn, whom he describes as,
“the twin pillars of portrait photography,”
Jacob Riis and Robert Frank. He also credits
the images of Jeff Wall and Philip Lorca
DiCorcia for informing his work and his
sented at Aperture’s New York gallery space through May 7. In
addition, a panel discussion with the photographer will be held
at the Aperture Gallery on Wednesday, April 29. In tandem with
the Aperture exhibit and book, on April 7 the United Nations
presented a commemorative event with Torgovnik, including
readings from the testimonies of genocide survivors and a satellite exhibition of the photographer’s portraits.
A portion of the proceeds from book sales will be contributed
to Foundation Rwanda, a nonprofit organization cofounded by
Torgovnik, with his partner Jules Shell.
ASMP’s executive director, and a juror for the 2008 Arnold
Newman Prize, Eugene Mopsik, remarked on Torgovnik's commitment to this project. “When you talk about what one wellmotivated person with a camera can do,” says Mopsik, “it’s both
spectacular and humbling to see this work.”
—TOC
8
ASMPBULLETIN
8-9
9
PDN
WINS BIG IN
ANNUAL
NEAL AWARDS
The ASMP congratulates Photo
District News in their selection as a
two-time winner at the 2009 Jesse
H. Neal National Business Journalism Awards, the top honors for
business-to-business media. PDN’s
September
2008
Book
Issue
received the best single issue
award and PDNPulse won for best
blog. PDNPulse was also one of
four nominees for the Grand Neal
award, the competition’s top prize.
Organized by revenue class and
number of unique browsers, a wide
range of business titles are judged
alongside publications of similar
size. PDN has received five past
Neal Awards, for best single issue
in 2008 and 2007, and best single
article in 2003, 2000 and 1995.
—JW
[SPRING
2009]
ASMP ELECTIONS
RESULTS: NATIONAL
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
On Monday, March 16, ballots for the
election of new directors were counted
at the ASMP’s national offices. There
were 6 candidates running for 5 seats.
The results of the election are below,
with candidates listed in the same order
in which their names appeared on the
ballot. The number following each
name indicates the number of votes
received by that candidate, and the
5 winners are indicated by asterisks:
Gail Mooney . . . . . . . 865 *
Scott Highton . . . . . 421
Todd Joyce . . . . . . . . 829 *
ASMP 2009–2010
EXECUTIVE BOARD
Each year, after the election, the sitting
board selects directors to fill the five
executive board posts. All positions
were uncontested, and the future executive board members are announced
below:
President
Richard Kelly
1st Vice President
Todd Joyce
2 nd Vice President
Richard Anderson
Secretary
Jim Cavanaugh
Jim Cavanaugh. . . . . 893 *
Kate Baldwin . . . . . . 898 *
Chris Hollo . . . . . . . . 788 *
NEW MEMBER BENEFIT
WITH BLURB BOOKS
BY-LAW
AMENDMENT
REFERENDUM
One of the ASMP’s newest member benefits
offers a cash discount and upgraded service
for those wishing to self publish books with
Blurb. This print-on-demand publisher is
offering ASMP members $10 off on a first
Blurb book costing $29.95 or more. For
members who have already published a
Blurb book, this $10 discount can be applied
toward other Blurb services. For those who
plan to enter Blurb’s PhotographyBookNow
(PBN) competition, the discount can be
applied to the $35 PBN entry fee.
An additional member benefit offers free
access to Blurb’s B3 business-to-business
program, which includes access to color
profiles, special workflows, phone support
and online videos. To register for this service visit <www.blurb.com/b3info>, fill out
the application and include the promo
code ASMP. Within a few days, you’ll
receive an e-mail giving you free access to
B3 services. Happy bookmaking!
—JW
The ballots for the referendum
on the proposed amendment
to By-law No. 1, Sec. 8 have
been counted and results are
as follows:
Number of ballots received:
1,062
Number of ballots counted:
1,059
Number of ballots voided:
2
Number of ballots illegal:
1
Treasurer
Shawn Henry
There were 1062 ballots received. Of
those, 1,060 were counted; 2 were voided because they contained no votes.
The new board members and officers will begin their terms at the time of the next
board meeting, to be held in early May.
We congratulate the winning candidates, and we thank all of the candidates for
their efforts and spirit of volunteerism that helps to keep the ASMP the leading
association of its kind. It is this spirit that has made the ASMP an effective
advocate for the interests of its members for over 65 years.
ASMPBULLETIN
YES: 325
NO: 734
The voting members have
voted not to amend By-law
No. 1, Sec. 8. Full details about
this referendum are available
at the following link:
ASMP TO PARTICIPATE IN THE
PDN PHOTOGRAPHERS’ VIRTUAL TRADE SHOW
M
ark your calendar, cozy up to your computer and make sure not to miss
the ASMP’s presence as part of the PDN Photographers’ Virtual Trade
Show on Thursday, May 21 and Thursday, June 11. This live, online expo,
conference and e-commerce site will deliver a wealth of photography and technology expertise to all in attendance.
Listen to and interact with industry experts as they discuss the latest and greatest
digital cameras, printers, imaging software and much more. Attend free photography Webinars and pop into the virtual lounge to take part in the group chat feature,
which allows attendees to network and talk shop.
On May 21, programming is geared to the Photo Pro and on June 11, the emphasis is on the Photographer in Us All. Each event, its related booths, programs and
resources will be available for a 90-day period, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Co-sponsored by B&H, the PDN Photographers’ Virtual Trade Show is free to
attend. Simply register at <www.pdnonline.com/virtualtradeshow>, and then stay
tuned for more information in the weeks to come. Sign up today and get a head start
on the latest photographic technologies, techniques, market forces and trends—all
from the comfort of your home or office!
JW
DISCOUNTED EQUIPMENT RENTALS FROM BORROWLENSES.COM
Photographers seeking to test new equipment before purchase,
get backup or rental gear for a special event or assignment have a
new discounted resource to tap. The San Francisco, CA–based
online rental company BorrowLenses.com is offering ASMP members a 5 percent discount off the total order amount, no matter how
large or small.
Simply place an order online, enter the coupon code ASMP5 during
the checkout process and mention your membership ID in the order
notes. Equipment is shipped via FedEx 1- or 2-day service and
<www.asmp.org/membersarea/
referendum09.php>
10
includes a prepaid return label (local photographers also have the
option of direct pickup). A rental deposit is not required and rental
options include optional damage insurance and reservations for multiday rentals. The company has a reputation for excellent customer
service and will work with individuals on any special request. Certain
photographers may also qualify for other discounts, and the ASMP
discount is applied on top! For further details and to view prices and
an inventory list, visit the Web site <www.borrowlenses.com>.
—JW
ASMPBULLETIN
10-11
11
[ASMP
TRAVELING
CONFERENCES]
© Todd Joyce
BRADSHAW LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE
A RESOUNDING SUCCESS IN DETROIT
ASMPBULLETIN
© Todd Joyce
© Todd Joyce <www.joycephotography.com>
Would you consider this year’s Bradshaw Leadership
Conference to be a success?
• Yes—communication is KING. Best way to understand
how national works for us. Enthusiasm is infectious!
• Yes! I learned new techniques to help inspire my board
and membership.
• It was a great motivator and provided much-needed
fellowship and camaraderie-building in the middle of
uncertain economic times.
• I learned so much more than I have in the three years
I’ve been on the board. The feeling of being more than
a board member, but part of a bigger organization and
welcomed by the whole.
12
© Todd Joyce
What is the one thing you are excited
about taking home to your chapter?
• I have many new ideas to return with.
Our board will be thrilled and our
chapter will truly gain from the
knowledge learned this weekend.
• A sense of unity and vision and
better knowledge of how to create
a healthy organization/chapter.
• The validation, through interactions
with so many other chapter leaders,
that our chapter is on the right track.
• How hard national works for us and
the sense of commitment that exists
throughout the leadership.
• A new realization that we are not
alone, we can connect and share
with other chapters.
• The energy and new sense of
similarity and community among
chapters. We’re now going to be
sharing events with a nearby
chapter.
ASMPBULLETIN
12-13
13
© Clark James Mishler
media extravaganza projected during the conference banquet.
Hearty thanks go out to conference chair and national board member o
Ln Atkinson, conference co-chair and Seattle chapter copresident
aKte Baldwin, as well as the ASMP
’s national board and staff for all their
hard work in producing both a significant and a successful event.
The images and attendee evaluation excerpts featured here offer a
taste of the weekend for the entire membership.
—Jill Waterman
© Clark James Mishler
ASMP leaders from each of the society’s 39 chapters had nothing but praise for the 2009 Bradshaw Leadership Conference,
held in Detroit from February 20–22.
Highlights from conference programming included:a A
&
Q with the
national board; an inspirational presentation by photographer Dick
Durrance; short sessions called 5Minutes to Wow!detailing noteworthy
chapter events; multiple breakout discussions on valuable topics; spectacular networking opportunities, and attendee images featured in a
What was the very best part of this conference?
• Gathering with like-minded individuals for a
common goal.
• Putting faces and personalities with the names
we read every day.
• Meeting other chapter leaders and knowing
we are all experiencing the same issues and
seeking the same solutions.
• Everyone was accessible. National chairs were
available to help and answer questions.
• Building relationships with the other
photographers/leaders. I really appreciate the
national network and the national board.
• The socializing and the breakout discussion
groups. I came away with great ideas for my
chapter and for my personal work.
© Amanda Stevenson Photography
<www.amandastevensonphoto.com>
© Clark James Mishler <www.mishlerphotos.com>
What was the most helpful session(s) you attended?
• Sponsorship—Thinking outside of the box.
• Todd Joyce. This session helped me understand the proper ebb and flow of
healthy chapters and unhealthy chapters. Now I know how I can proceed.
• Leadership program. Gene’s talk about liabilities was helpful.
• All four sessions gave me something. The group I was with in each session
really gave a diverse perspective on all of the content.
Correction: The url for Kate Baldwin’s Web
site was incorrectly noted in her image
illustrating the Newsline section of the
ASMP Bulletin’s Winter issue. The correct url
is <www.katebaldwinphotography.com>.
We apologize for this error.
[BOOK
LOOK]
The Nanticoke
Portrait of a Chesapeake River
Photographs by David W. Harp,
essay by Tom Horton
John Hopkins University Press, 2008
144 pages, 101 photographs
Hardcover, $29.95
IBSN 13: 9780801890574
IBSN 10: 0801890578
THE NANTICOKE: PORTRAIT OF A CHESAPEAKE RIVER
PHOTOGRAPHS BY DAVID W. HARP, ESSAY BY TOM HORTON
TITANS: MUHAMMAD ALI AND ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER
PHOTOGRAPHS BY AL SATTERWHITE
F
I
our hundred years after Captain John
Smith sailed the Nanticoke while
exploring the Chesapeake, photographer Dave Harp and nature writer Tom
Horton provide a rare glimpse into one of
the bay’s most pristine waterways. The
award-winning collaborators aren’t just
casual observers of this ecological wonder—
as longtime area residents, they are part of its
storied history.
Accompanied by Horton’s poetic prose,
Harp’s color photographs, captured from a
canoe, offer a keen sense of the river’s ebb and
flow, often during morning’s first light. The
spontaneous flight of a bald eagle from its
perch in a loblolly pine; the massive roots of an
old bald cypress; and the intricacies of Indian
sea oat, a staple of the region’s aboriginal
inhabitants, are among the awe-inspiring
views. A chromatic calendar of seasonal
blooms also unfolds in bursts of color that
mark what the author affectionately refers to
as “river time.” The brilliant reds of winterberry holly give way to the pop of the wild iris and
the delicate white blooms of water parsnips.
But not all of the Nanticoke’s story can be
told from its untouched shores.
Aerial shots of the waterway snap the reader back to consciousness farther upstream, for
a more sobering view of forests and wetlands
cleared in favor of farmland, roads, industrial
complexes and housing. Stories told from the
bow of commercial fishing vessels frame a picture of the most commercial river on the eastern shore. But all is not lost.
A replica of John Smith’s shallop evokes
more hopeful feelings as it sails the Captain
John Smith National Historic Water Trail on
the quadricentennial of Smith’s initial journey. This nearly 3,000-mile national park is
the first of its kind, promoting conservation of
the bay’s rivers and providing opportunities to
witness the splendor of this area firsthand.
—Julie Gallagher
sands and in the gyms of southern California,
while launching what would become a wildly
successful Hollywood career.
The images in Titans range from Ali’s
explosive aggression as he spars in the ring
and Schwarzenegger’s fierce focus as he
pumps iron, to quieter moments: Ali, contemplating the future—or perhaps the
past—from the deeply shadowed interior of
a limousine, and Schwarzenegger, mesmerized by his mirrored reflection as he rests in a
deserted weight room.
Satterwhite’s images are intelligently complimented by quotes from his subjects and by
running commentary by sports interviewer
o
Ry Firestone.
The generous 13x11–
inch format, full-page,
full-spread layouts; high-quality paper and
printing, all help make this volume a good
pick for lovers of the classics—black and
white photography, or the titans, or both.
—Thom O’Connor
n Greek mythology, titans were immortal
gods, held in high regard by humans. In his
new book Titans, photographer Al
Satterwhite confers that weighty title on sporting icons Muhammad Ali and Arnold
Schwarzenegger. And while they aren’t immortal, both athletes are still held in high regard
more than forty years after ascending to the
heights of celebrity and accomplishment.
Satterwhite, a titan of his own in news, sports
and advertising photography, goes back to his
roots in this book. In 197
0, he was a young photographer working for Time and Life magazines,
assigned to cover Ali training for a comeback
after three years of forced idleness.
He spent long days with Ali, achieving
what he describes as a photojournalist’s
dream. “After a while he would get used to
me and I would become invisible,”
Satterwhite recalls in the book’s notes.
Six years later, Schwarzenegger entered the
scene, a six-time Mr. Universe, training on the
Titans: Muhammad Ali and
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Photographs by Al Satterwhite
Foreword by Roy Firestone
Dalton Watson, 2008
262 pages, 185 photographs
Hardcover, $89.00
ISBN 10: 1854432311
ISBN 13: 9781854432315
SERENISSIMA: VENICE IN WINTER
PHOTOGRAPHS BY FRANK VAN RIPER AND
JUDITH GOODMAN, TEXT BY FRANK VAN RIPER
AN UNLIKELY WEAPON:
THE EDDIE ADAMS STORY
DIRECTED AND PRODUCED BY SUSAN MORGAN COOPER
I
“
n Serenissima: Venice in Winter husband
and wife team Frank Van Riper and Judith
Goodman masterfully blend location portraiture and documentary photography in a
dreamy, black and white depiction of the
authentic Venice—in wintertime—during its
respite from hordes of tourists.
This take on the floating city, which was
six years in the making, stars a cast of characters that range from groups of elegant couples so engaged in their partners’ gaze they’re
unaware of the voyeuristic lens, to a gathering of mature men whose laughter appears
so hearty that you can almost hear the punch
line. This storied city, whose romanticized
melancholy is often enhanced with mist and
fog, is also typified in a scene that captures a
native’s final gondola ride, in a coffin, as part
of a funeral procession.
The rain-swept architecture of vacant
streets is also a character unto itself. Images
shot with Holgas, Hasselblads and Mamiyas
at seemingly impossible vantage points give
the reader insightful perspectives on scenes
such as a glowing streetlamp, which serves as
a beacon in the otherwise empty, fog-filled
night. Another image, taken from the top
floor of the Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana’s
massive reading room, serves as a history lesson about the city that has remained
untouched by modernization.
Van Riper and Goodman’s images present the city in its most stripped-down form.
The reader is treated to an indulgent taste of
Venetian life, which leaves them lusting for
a romantic relationship of their own with
what Van Riper describes as, “the only city
in the world that was built for beauty, not
defense.”
—JG
ASMPBULLETIN
W
Serenissima: Venice in Winter
Photographs by Frank Van Riper and
Judith Goodman, text by Frank Van Riper
Hudson Hills Press, 2008
131 pages, 91 photos
Hardcover, $50.00
IBSN 13: 9781555952938
IBSN 10: 1555952933
An Unlikely Weapon:
The Eddie Adams Story
Directed and produced by
Susan Morgan Cooper
Narrated by Kiefer Sutherland
USA: 85 min, 35mm format
English language, color documentary
<www.anunlikelyweapon.com>
14
e all want to be the best,” says d
Edie
Adams at the beginning of An
Unlikely Weapon, a newly released
film about his life, his work and especially about
the effect of his legendary Pulitzer Prize–
winning
photograph showing the 1968 execution of a
iVetcong prisoner by the Saigon government’s
national chief of police, General Ngoc o
Lan.
An unrelenting perfectionist, Adams criticized
this photograph for its bad lighting and haphazard
composition, yet he remained haunted by the image
and the responsibility of creating it for decades after
the instant it took to capture the scene.
Completed shortly before Adams’s passing in 2004,
An Unlikely Weapon features insightful commentary by Adams and many of the photographers and
reporters who knew and worked with him iniV
etnam.
In one interview segment, photojournalist iBll
p
Epridge talks about the weight borne by images
such as Adams’s. “You didn’t want to have to make
those pictures,” he says.“You aren’t a photographer,
ASMPBULLETIN
14-15
15
you aren’t a journalist, you become a historian.”
While the import of Adams’s photographs earned
him a seminal position in the history of photojournalism, it is a remarkable irony that he never published a book of his photographs. In actuality, his
iVetnam work and associated documents lingered in
his former garage until shortly before he died.
aLst year, Adams’s widow, Alyssa, published
Eddie Adams: Vietnam, a gripping assemblage of
iVetnam documentation that combines Adams’s
photographs (many never before seen) and rare
memorabilia with recollections of events.
An exhibition of Adams’s iVetnam photographs is currently featured at the publisher’s
rBooklyn, New York gallery through April 30,
2009 <www.umbragebooks.com>.
An Unlikely Weapon is also scheduled for a
New York release on Friday, April 10. It will subsequently open in select U.S. cities, so visit the
Web site for further details and dates.
—JW
[LEGAL
BY VICTOR S. PERLMAN
CHAPTERSPOTLIGHT/OUTSTANDINGVOLUNTEERS
REVIEW]
THE LEGISLATIVE LEGWORK OF ASMP PHOENIX
TO GOOGLE OR
NOT TO GOOGLE?
DAN DELANEY HAD NO IDEA of the
work in store for the ASMP’s Phoenix chapter
when he first fielded a phone call from another local photographer on the subject of sales
tax. Then chapter president, Delaney and his
fellow chapter members dove headfirst into a
long, arduous quest first to understand and
then to question Arizona state sales tax laws
concerning photographers.
“Each state’s interpretation of their tax laws
is different,” explains Phoenix chapter secretary
Scott Farence. “Our state believes that even digital files sent via the Internet are tangible and
therefore taxable goods if the company receiving them has any kind of in-state presence.”
According to many chapter members,
more than half of all commercial photographers did not know the law or were misinformed by their accountants. “One photographer would talk to another and the information would become gospel, but more often
than not it would be erroneous,” says current
chapter president Steve Dreiseszun.
This kind of misinformation can result in a
major tax liability, especially when compounded over time.
“Arizona doesn’t have a sales tax, it has a
transaction privilege tax (TPT),” says Delaney.
“The business owner is responsible for the tax.
According to the Arizona Department of
Revenue (AZDOR), commercial photographers
have a retail classification. You need to charge
TPT on your bottom line, even though some of
the services billed on that invoice have already
been taxed whether in-state or out-of-state.”
THAT IS THE QUESTION
A
ASMPBULLETIN
© Mark Peterman <www.markpeterman.com>
STATE SALES TAX LAWS
© Sean Kernan <www.seankernan.com>
There are some additional
s most of you know by now,
requirements in order to be considGoogle has been systematiered as covered within the class: the
cally scanning massive colbook must have been published on
lections of books from institutional
or before January 5, 2009, and it
libraries since 2004. In response, the
must have been registered at the U.S.
Authors Guild and a group of pubCopyright Office on or before
lishers filed class action infringement
January 5, 2009 (the registration
suits against Google for copying
requirement does not apply to books
these texts (but not any visual matethat are not considered U.S. works
rials illustrating the textual materiunder the Copyright Act).
al). In October 2008, a proposed setIf you are within the class, you
tlement was reached, but before it
must decide whether you want to
becomes final and operational, it
must be approved by the U.S.
be included in the settlement by May
The Google Book Settlement may have important implications for anyone
District Court for the Southern who has published a book of their photographs and did not assign the
5, 2009. If you want to remain withcopyright to the publisher or anyone else. Pictured above, an image from
District of New York.
in the class, you do not have to do
The proposed settlement agree- Sean Kernan’s 1999 volume The Secret Books.
anything right now, although you
ment is a phenomenally complicated document running close to 150
should register at <www.googlebooksettlement.com>. You must regispages, plus hundreds more pages of attachments. It took a team of
ter at this Web site and file a claim form for each affected work by
lawyers to write it, and it takes a similar team to understand it. It
January 5, 2010. If you wish to opt out of the class, you must do so by
involves payment for past scanning, the establishment of a book rights
May 5, 2009. For more detailed information and forms, visit <www.
registry, plans for possible future uses, revenue-sharing formulas and so
googlebooksettlement.com> or call 888-356-0248 or 612-359-8600.
on. For months now, the ASMP has been exploring the details and
This brings us to the immediate question of what to do: opt in or opt out?
potential industry impact of the settlement, as well as the options availUnfortunately, that is a very difficult question for each person to answer, and
able to best protect our members. We will report to you further about
one that is impossible for any organization to answer for its individual memthis issue as soon as we can.
bers. It is also an impossible question to analyze in an article of this length.
In the meantime, there is one aspect of the proposed settlement that
Opting in to the class action will allow affected individuals to receive what
directly and immediately affects some of our members, and those indiultimately will be a fairly nominal sum for past scanning, in the low hunviduals must make some decisions, and possibly take some action,
dreds of dollars per book, or even less. A related consideration is the option
before May 5, 2009. For the most part, visual materials, including phoof staying in the class but having your works excluded from future display by
Google. There are also provisions for possible future uses and revenuetographs, were specifically excluded from the lawsuit and, therefore,
sharing arrangements that should be examined before making any decisions.
from the proposed settlement. Yet there is one notable exception
Finally, it should be noted that those wishing to file an objection
involving photographs: where the copyright to any photographs and
with the court to any aspect of the settlement agreement must remain
the copyright to the book in which they appear belong to the same perin the class. If you opt out, you may not object.
son. That is, for those who published a book of photographs, and did
Most of you will not be directly affected by the proposed settlement
not assign the copyright to the book or the contents to anyone else,
and will not have to make these decisions right now. However, the proincluding the publisher, that book would be included in the proposed
posed settlement appears likely to have a major ripple effect on our
settlement, and that individual would be presumed to be within the
industry—and beyond—and we will keep you posted on that broader
“class,” i.e., represented in the class action. Those individuals must at
impact and our decisions relating to it.
least consider the steps that have to be taken by May 5, 2009.
16
Because sales tax is regulated on a stateby-state basis and individual states have
different requirements, an overview of each
state’s sales tax laws as related to publication photographers would be an extremely
valuable asset. In planning for such an
initiative the ASMP’s legal counsel Victor
Perlman approached Columbia University’s
Kernochan Center for Law, Media and the
Arts. They thought it was a good project,
and have assigned a law student to
research this topic under the supervision of
the center’s assistant director.
“When this study is completed in the
near future, it should summarize the laws of
each state regarding sales tax as applied to
publication photographers,” explains
Perlman.
Once the information is final, the ASMP
will update members about specific laws for
each state, so stay tuned for further details
about this study in the months ahead.
“While it’s been very frustrating, the sales tax issue was one of my main motivations for getting involved in the chapter,”
notes Mark Peterman, chapter board member and committee chair. “It’s kind of bonded a lot of the chapter members.”
At the same time the chapter became aware
of the sales tax issue, the state did a review of
the TPT rules on photography, which included a period of open comment. That review
ended with the determination that all photography is “retail” and therefore all components
of an invoice are taxable, including fees, travel, outside services and more. Labor or services are not exempt from retail transactions.
After first hiring a tax attorney to speak on its
behalf, the chapter determined that addressing
the issue legislatively was necessary and began
working with a team of both lawyers and lobbyists to make a case for commercial photography
as a service industry, rather than a retail business.
Through the monumental efforts of successive chapter presidents Delaney and
Dreiseszun, plus a dedicated group of members and other concerned photographers, legislation was drafted to exempt commercial
photographers from sales tax and then ushered through passage by the Arizona legislature with surprisingly little opposition.
“Dan spearheaded the tax issue and then
Steve took the ball and ran with it,” says chapter board member Art Holeman. “We owe
them a great amount in just their time alone.”
“A good part of the progress that we made
was thanks to Steve,” adds Delaney. “To get
the legislation through the House and Senate
as quickly as we did and get it to the governor’s desk was pretty extraordinary.”
ASMPBULLETIN
16-17
17
Ultimately,Arizona governor Janet Napolitano
(now United States secretary of Homeland
Security) vetoed the legislation in May 2007, but
the chapter is still in discussions with the AZDOR
to pursue a taxpayer-class ruling that would abate
back sales tax, penalties and interest.
Essentially, tax law in Arizona provides for
the possibility of abatement under a concept
called “Extensive Misunderstanding”—which
means that when a 60 percent majority of a
taxpayer class has been doing it in error for
the same reason, abatement may be granted.
The abatement process is arduous and qualifying will be difficult. The commercial photographers must prove their case during a formal
hearing. Preparation will require participation
of essentially all the photographers in Arizona.
“This is no slam dunk,” says Dreiseszun,
“but it’s possible and it’s the last, best chance
we have to protect the commercial photographers in the state.”
“The sales tax effort showed what can happen
when an organization can work toward a goal,”
Dreiseszun adds, who was awarded an ASMP
Leadership Award in Chapter Advocacy at the
February 2009 Bradshaw Leadership Conference.
“I was floored by the honor, especially since we
were not successful in getting our legislation
passed. However, the recognition of our effort was
truly appreciated. I only accept it on behalf of all in
the chapter who have worked so hard on this.”
—JW
[ C O N S U LTA N T ’ S
CORNER
]
BY LESLIE BURNS-DELL’ACQUA
for business loans. This most definitely includes home equity lines of
credit (HELOC). Too many people have used HELOCs to finance
something for their businesses and now they are losing both their businesses and their homes. If you have already used the HELOC this way,
open the business line of credit and use it to pay off the HELOC (the
business part of it, that is). Your business stuff and your personal stuff
must be kept separate, especially when times are risky, like now.
Remember, if you keep it separate and your business goes under, you
can work elsewhere to pay your household bills; but if you tie up your
home finances with your business finances, you (can) make your family homeless a hell of a lot sooner if things don’t work out. It’s a gamble
that is just not worth the risk.
Fourth, make sure you have the usage licenses issued to clients for
your images in order. When clients have smaller purses, relicensing
becomes very helpful to them. They know that your image worked
before, so they might want to reuse it in a new piece. If you know, for
example, that client X’s license is about to expire, contact them to ask if
they wish to relicense the image. One big warning though: do not use
this opportunity to hold them over a barrel—be fair in your pricing.
Finally, use the slow times to improve your target lists and fine-tune
your marketing. Think about segmenting and targeting even more precisely, by sending medical portraits to pharmaceutical targets and guys in
ties to business magazines, and so on. You should also work on your vision
MONEY
SCALING THE WALLS OF A
LOUSY ECONOMY
ASMPBULLETIN
© Michael Limbert <www.mvlimbert.com/AmTourCover.html>
A
would caution wedding photographers to make sure to get paid up
ll of you who have read my past articles and books know
front, and that the checks clear before the event. I would not be surthat I really try to be honest, but positive, in what I write.
prised to hear about photographers (and other wedding vendors) getThis article will be no exception, but it’s going to be hard to
ting stiffed more often in the near future.
be positive because I want to talk about money issues, and these days,
So, overall it’s going to be a bumpy few months—or maybe years.
there’s not a lot to be happy about.
Time to gird ’em up.
In case you’ve been ignoring the news, we are in a recession. The
What can you do to get through these difficult times? Lots of things.
current economic climate, in layman’s terms, sucks. Consumers are
First, cut back on unnecessary expenditures, even if you are way
struggling and when they don’t have money to spend, businesses
busy. Note the word “unnecessary”—that does not mean you should
begin to economize by cutting budgets. Rather stupidly, one of the
stop marketing (eek!), but maybe you’ll need to take a pass on
first places they cut is often their marketing budgets, which results in
expanding to print sourcebooks. If you have a studio, reduce costs by
fewer new creative projects requiring new photography. That means
dropping the temperature (during the cold weather) when you don’t
both corporate and advertising photographers are going to see their
have clients in the space (wear a sweater), bringing your lunch to
businesses slow.
work (again, not when clients are there), and reducing the use of elecEditorial photographers aren’t getting the “free pass” they may
tricity (unplug unused printers, etc.). Sure, these office/studio things
have in past recessions. Magazines (and newspapers) are having their
are small considerations, but they will help.
own difficulties as they transition revenue streams to reflect the
Second, put money in the bank, don’t take it out. In other words,
changing desires of readers (i.e., digital advertising to replace the
don’t buy stuff you don’t need. Want is not enough. Instead, just sock
print). They have been, to put it kindly, sluggish in this change and are
that money away into an
now caught with their pants
easily accessible cash-based
down fiscally. So titles are
account—rather than anyfolding right and left, and
thing that would tie up your
those remaining are really
money or levy penalties to
tight with their money.
get at it. You want to build
Retail
photographers
up as much cash as you can,
(weddings, portraits) will
just in case you need it for
also feel the pinch, especially
the rough months ahead. In
portraits. Weddings might
fact, you should always do
weather things best of all the
this, but now even more
specialties because brides
than ever.
have always had crazy mothThird, set up a business
ers, and even when they
line of credit with your
don’t the brides are often
bank, now, when you don’t
stuck in the “I must have my
need it. Please, please, please
dream wedding at all costs”
pay attention to this: do not
mode, and that means hiring Comfort Motel from American Tour, a collection of incidental images of the U. S. in
a great photographer. But I passing that Michael Limbert self-published as a 56-page book using mypublisher.com. use your home as collateral
by shooting as much as you can. Overall, keep in contact with past clients,
keep contacting the ones you want to work with, and don’t get complacent
waiting for things to get better. You can get through these rough times
ahead, even if it means getting an extra job to get through the worst bits.
Judy Herrmann says during her ASMP SB2 presentations that if you
really want to be a photographer and hit a brick wall, you will find a way
over, under, around, or through it. Sometimes that means backing up for a
better run at it (like by getting another job temporarily), but you will get to
the other side. I think she’s completely right. I have faith that if you really
want it, you won’t let anything stop you from pursuing your business
dreams. The lousy economy is just a wall—you will get to the other side.
Leslie Burns-Dell’Acqua is the owner of Burns Auto Parts Consultants,
which she started after a career on both sides of the photo-buying
equation. She has written, lectured and taught widely to both students
and professional organizations. She is now studying intellectual property law to add to her skills.
This article and many others like it, plus her latest book Tell the World
You Don’t Suck: Modern Marketing for Commercial Photographers can
be accessed from her Web site at <www.burnsautoparts.com>.
While you are there, be sure to download her free Creative Lube
podcast for more hints and help with your work. Burns-Dell’Acqua can
be reached at (619) 961-5882 or <tune-up@burnsautoparts.com>.
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18
ASMPBULLETIN
18-19
19
Lic. No. 0731414
[INSIDE
OPINION]
BY SEAN KERNAN
ADVICE
MELTDOWN
IN
INA
A
be a photographer. u
Fll-time magic!
That’s the point at which we began to look for photographs. And soon we started looking for our photographs, ones that looked like our other photographs.
And then someone hired us to look for photographs. But the catch was that they wanted what
they wanted. So we switched to looking for their
photographs.
ou
Y can’t blame them, or us, but after a while
we were no longer looking for surprises, we were
looking for things that we already knew were
there. We caught some surprises along the way,
A fighter takes a dive,
but we stopped looking for pictures that weren’t
waiting for the bullets
already in our heads or in the heads of our clients.
to stop outside the
And that is a huge difference.
Kampala Boxing Club
Surprise was what lay at the heart of our first
efforts, the ones that transformed us. And the surprise stays intact, even we if neglect it for years.
If you don’t believe me, go see for yourself if it’s there. Start over!
As a photographer.
oFrget trying to massage your existing photography/business model
into some depression-busting format. oDit while you’re waiting for the
economy to do whatever it is going to do. I think it’s not going back where
it was, anyway, so perhaps you can find where it is going and get there first.
Wander around in a state of emptiness, looking for nothing, ready
for anything. Take a camera with you, but don’t try to take pictures.
Let pictures take you.
tucked under Nakivubo Stadium, I just wanted to be there, show myself
and get the boxers used to me. Then I waited, hoped and prayed that
something wonderful would happen, something I’d never seen before.
Within a few minutes, it did.
Things were quiet. There was a single figure shadow boxing lazily in
the ring. The head coach sat in a corner chanting from the Koran.
Then sounds. Pop-pop-pop! Someone tossing firecrackers outside.
The coach stopped chanting and said something calmly, but I couldn’t
understand him.
I moved toward the door to look out. The man spoke again. “I can’t
understand what you’re saying,” I said. It sounded to me like bubet.
What’s a bubet?
I turned to see that the boxer was now lying down in the ring, head
raised, looking around. It seemed odd, so I walked over and took his picture, then turned back to the coach sitting calmly on his mat in a corner.
“Sound is BULLETS!” he said, patiently.
Oh, bullets! Of course.
The sound stopped.
I kept coming back to the club. I’d hang out, shoot some, get bored and
get ready to leave. Then I’d stay a few more minutes, doing nothing, and
suddenly something wonderful would happen. Even the setting, so far from
my life in every way, kept me alert. So did the occasional gunfire just out-
PUTTING THE METHOD INTO PRACTICE
o
Des this work? o
Des it revive
that pure impulse, does it bring back
the excitement of knowing you are doing something wonderful without any idea of how you’re doing it? I can tell you it does. I found out
when, out of the blue, my friend Thatcher o
Cok said, “C
ome to
Uganda.” A door opened, and I had no choice but to step through it.
I arrived in Kampala with some ideas about what I wanted to try
there, but before I got going on them Thatcher suggested that I drop by
the Kampala Boxing lCub, a gritty boxing gym (is there any other
kind?) down in the bottomlands between the hills of Kampala. So I did.
And that was it for me. I was like Alice down the rabbit hole.
The first day I arrived at the Kampala Boxing lCub training room,
ASMPBULLETIN
© Sean Kernan <www.seankernan.com>
T
he economic world seems to have become the world, and
everyone in the world seems to have cut back on actual productive work in order to free up time for full-time angst. And
so the prophecies of doom are self-fulfilled.
Are there things photographers can do until the meltdown congeals? I think there are—
real things that will change our work, our
minds, change us.
Here’s one, a radically simple idea:take pictures! Like you used to
before you were a photographer with a capital P. Back when you
weren’t thinking about any particular kind of pictures, when you
certainly didn’t expect them to pay for what you were doing. If this
sounds far-fetched, remember this:it’s how we all started!
Normally, when work slows down we photographers try to
change our fortunes by coming up with some kind of “look” so market-compelling that clients will unfreeze their budgets.
When that doesn’t work we revamp our Web site. And when that
doesn’t work we try to cook up some new promos. And refine our
mailing lists and start making calls to people who don’t really want
to come to the phone. All this keeps us busy and gives the illusion of
doing something, but it’s not much fun.
And if the slowdown is long and deep—
as this one promises to
be—
it starts to feel as though we are using our energy to chase work
that simply isn’t there. It’s the old blood-from-a-stone problem.
When this realization hits, most of us start channeling energy into
spinning out pure worry. I know because I do it myself.
But I have a better idea, a concrete thing you can actually do. Start taking pictures. eRal photographs, which surprise you and transport you and
expand you. Pictures that bring back all the early delights of photography.
Think back to when we began. We had no clients, no assignments,
and we weren’t even thinking about them. We just took a camera and
stepped out into the world with a kind of spaciousness in our heads
and no preconceived ideas about how to fill it. We wandered around
until something stopped us, called to us, and then we started taking
pictures of whatever it was. It was the doing that led us.
And then one day we got a picture that was so totally beyond us that
it was hard to imagine that we had actually taken it. But we had. And at
that point there was only one thing to do—
see if we could take another.
So we did. And again.
We had discovered magic, and we thought that it all had something to do with photography. So we got this brilliant idea that we’d
20
side. So did the man who grinned as he said, “I want to kill a white man!”
(He was joking, right? In fact, everyone was friendly and welcoming.)
As the work emerged I got excited. It looked not at all like my other
work. I loved the hot equatorial colors, the eccentric compositions, the
new fluidity. These were not like my pictures at all. Just what I needed.
In the final analysis I took what I think are some of the most alive pictures I’ve done in years, done without thought or intention, just presence.
When I got home, I showed the pictures to some people. “Great
stuff,” they said, “What are you planning on doing with them?” I didn’t
know. “Well, why did you decide to go there?”
The only answer was, to take these pictures. That was enough. Taking them
worked on me just like the first good pictures I had ever made. It was as though
someone had borrowed my camera, and of course I was that someone.
So that’s what I’ve been doing in the face of the meltdown. I rather
doubt that the photo business is going to go back to what it was, and
the best way I can think of to prepare for whatever will happen next is
to wake up, and making pictures is the way I’ve always done that.
Maybe it’ll work and maybe it won’t, but it is better to be a free-range
photographer than a battery photographer in a confined mental space
that squirts out the same old pictures all day long, forever.
Or as the Spanish poet Antonio Machado said, “Travelers, there is no
path. The path is made by walking.”
ASMPBULLETIN
20-21
21
[THE
TOOLBOX]
B Y M AT T H E W YA K E
Peter Krogh will present on this topic at the Society
for Imaging Science and Technology Archiving
Conference in Arlington, Virginia, on Wednesday,
May 6. Additional information about the camera scan
technique is also available in the camera scan forum
at <www.thedambook.com>.
Camera
Scans
light with a soft box attached. The modeling light provides enough light to
focus and the variable strobe allows us to adjust the light levels according to
the media being shot. Due to the limited focal range and diffraction that can
occur above f11, we have found that working with variable strobe illumination allows for greater exposure latitude than adjusting the camera settings.
From Archive to Hard Drive
in 1/60 of a Second
this. For our rig, we have used a Nikon PB-4 slide and film stage modified
for our purposes. This particular stage is a good choice because it allows
you to reproduce both 35mm negatives and solution for this. For our rig,
Camera scanning setup: A Canon 1Ds Mark II, 50mm macro lens and a 20 mm
extension tube is attached to a tripod-mounted rail system from Really Right
Stuff, which includes a mini-clamp package to hold the camera in place.
To do this we use the following process:
G Shoot one image and open it in ACR.
G In the curves panel, select the point curve, reverse it, and save
the image with these settings.
G Open that image in Lightroom and create a new preset that
contains the reversed tone curve.
G You can now use this new preset and apply it to your scanned
images as they are imported.
we have used a Nikon PB-4 slide and film stage modified for our purposes. This particular stage is a good choice because it allows you to reproduce
both 35mm negatives and transparencies. Before attaching it to the RRS
rail system, the stage is filed out to give image captures a nice black border,
and then it is mounted on to a RRS MPR-113 multipurpose rail.
Once the camera and film are in place, all that is needed is light. This
is another aspect for which there are multiple options. As long as the illumination is ample and even, any light source will be sufficient, yet some
kind of diffuser is recommended to ensure even light. We use a mono-
The red circle on the right side of this Lightroom screen grab highlights the reversed tone curve,
which is saved as a preset. Applying this preset to your camera scanned images after importing
them is an efficient way to convert the negatives into positive image files.
ASMPBULLETIN
Shooting tethered directly into Lightroom has some advantages and
drawbacks. One primary advantage is the ability to view each image as
© Jennifer Bishop <www.jenniferbishop.com>
HARDWARE
Our camera setup is supported by a rail system
from the manufacturer Really Right Stuff (RRS),
which consists of several pieces. The base is a CB-18
rail mounted to a tripod (for photographers using
a 50mm lens, a shorter rail—the CB-10—is adequate). Attached to the rail is a mini-clamp package
to hold the camera in place. Opposite the camera
lens, a CB-EC camera end bar connector with a B2MAS mini clamp holds the film stage in place.
The film stage is an extremely important part of
the setup. In order to have an efficient work flow, it
needs to be stable and hold the media securely, yet
also allow the user to easily change frames.
Unfortunately there is no off-the-shelf solution for
When scanning film with this equipment, you can either shoot tethered
or to a card. Tethered shooting makes the process much simpler, but for
anyone without a computer nearby, a card will suffice.
As with everything else in this process, there are multiple options for
tethered shooting. We shoot directly into Lightroom, however before
scanning in earnest, we create a preset using Adobe Camera Raw (ACR)
to convert the negatives to positive image files.
© Richard Anderson (bottom) <www.richardanderson.com>
One of the greatest conveniences of digital photography
is the ability to create an easily accessible, searchable image catalog.
With a digital work flow, one can utilize any individual file quickly
and easily, regardless of whether it comes from a few hundred or
hundreds of thousands of images. Yet for many photographers with
careers that date back long before the advent of digital photography,
much of their catalog is not as easy to access. One of the options
available to bridge this gap is a process called camera scanning. This
allows one to quickly and inexpensively convert all those filing cabinets full of negatives into a compact and searchable hard drive.
Camera scanning is a fairly simple process. All that is required is a camera, a light source, and a way to secure the film to be captured. At the core
of the setup are a digital camera and a macro lens. While there are many
different ways to construct a camera scanning system, for the purposes of
this article we will discuss a solution involving Canon equipment. Our
studio uses a Canon 1Ds Mark II with a 50mm macro lens and a 20mm
extension tube, although any combination of camera and lens will be sufficient. Of course, more
megapixels and a full frame sensor are preferred,
but the camera does not need to be top of the line.
SOFTWARE
22
a positive at the moment when the digital capture is made. This allows
you to easily adjust the develop settings or light source on an image-byimage basis if necessary. One of the drawbacks is that all of the controls
in the develop module work inversely. This takes some time to get used
to, but it is not particularly difficult.
WHY NOT USE A SCANNER?
For those who think this process sounds cumbersome and that using a
scanner will be simpler, there are several things to consider. Camera
scanning is an extremely efficient way to digitize large film catalogs.
Once you become comfortable with the process, it is not difficult to
scan more than a hundred images an hour. That image-per-hour quote
includes the time to add metadata and rename scanned images. When
shooting tethered into Lightroom, you can add metadata and rename
the images automatically as they are imported, something you cannot
do with a scanner.
When doing any kind of scanning, dust is always an issue. Camera
scanning has advantages in this area as well. With many scanners, dust
and scratches can become very prominent due to the nature of the capture mechanism. When scanning with a camera, the built-in low-pass
filter softens the image enough so that fine particles, which would show
up with a scanner, are less visible. This saves time in that the film does
not have to be meticulously cleaned and the scanned images require
limited retouching. The file quality that can be obtained with a camera
scan rivals that of a high-end scanner. In this side-by-side comparison
below, at left, the grain of the film is clearly visible in both the camera
scan made with a Canon 1Ds Mark II and in the scan made with the
high-end Imacon 648.
The camera scan technique was recently used with great success by
ASMP national board member Richard Anderson. Having shot 30 years
of plays for Baltimore’s Center Stage, Anderson had a large catalog of
roughly 58,000 negatives sitting idle. Both he and his
client were interested in digitizing this archive, but
they needed a solution that would be both cost effective and efficient. By using camera scanning, Richard
was able to scan, rename, catalog and annotate all of
the negatives with the appropriate metadata in less
than 600 hours of labor. If he had used a traditional
film scanner for the project, it could have easily
required ten times the amount of work.
In current economic times, it is an advantage to be
able to generate revenue from as many income sources
as possible. Photographers with thousands of images in
file cabinets and not in a digital archive are missing out
on a possible revenue stream. Camera scanning is a
quick and inexpensive solution to allow a photographer
to digitize decades of film with minimal investment.
Scanner v.s. camera scan comparison: Working from the same 35 mm film negative, the image at
left resulted from a scan made on a high-end Imacon 648, while the image at right is a camera scan
made with a Canon 1Ds Mark II. Note the film grain, which is clearly visible in both files.
ASMPBULLETIN
22-23
23
Baltimore, Maryland–based Matthew Yake is a freelance photographer who also works in association
with Richard Anderson Photography.
[BETTER
BUSINESS]
BY THOM O’CONNOR
NEW BUSINESS IDEAS
FOR A TOUGH
PHOTO ECONOMY
“Most of the media coverage of this horrible problem centers around
images of young children with guns in their hands, ready to kill,” says Korvola.
“Our aim is to move the public past these images and help provide NYPAW
with a voice, to help them connect with affected children everywhere.”
Korvola never considered Project Help as a marketing tool. “I got
this idea last year, when business was fantastic and everything was rosy,”
he recalls. “I’d been reading a book called Rules of Thumb by Tom
Parker. One of his rules says that you are wealthy enough to give money
to worthy causes when you can buy all the groceries you need. I was in
that boat. I just felt that we could make a contribution to a good cause.
For a long time, I had the desire to work on more than a purely commercial level. So I didn’t think of the project as another way to generate
business. And, as the economy turned bad, we saw that this effort could
really increase our level of professional visibility, while also making a
difference to a struggling organization that needs a boost.”
Korvola announced the project on his blog and through his business
and social networks. He received ten responses from organizations
large and small, some just start-ups, some well established. Included
among the worthy causes are grassroots social and economic issues,
special needs clients and inner-city struggles.
“We have already benefited from this project,” Korvola explains. “We’ve
raised our profile among agency people and reps who have heard about
the project and would like to support us. And in dealing with the organizations applying for our help, our team is developing a better sense of how
to collaborate, how to turn clients into partners. The lessons and skills we
pick up from this project will help us in our future business efforts.”
A MARKETING MIX OF DISCOUNTS,
REBATES, BARTER AND HEIGHTENED
ATTENTION TO CLIENT NEEDS
O
ur current toxic economy presents tough challenges to independent photographers.
With print publications downsized or closed, advertising budgets cut or eliminated,
and art buyers, art directors and editors being furloughed or laid off, the business
relationships that appeared solid six months ago may now be teetering.
These highly unusual economic times require something more than the usual marketing
tools. The following stories illustrate creative solutions adopted by many ASMP members to
rethink and alter their approach to clients. By mixing personal outreach with unorthodox
methods such as discounts, rebates, fee reductions and barter, these photographers are
converting bitter economic lemons into palatable, salable lemonade.
GOING THE EXTRA MILE TO REASSURE CLIENTS
ASMPBULLETIN
© Brad Feinknopf <www.feinknopf.com>
Heath Korvola launched 2009 Project Help seeking to give back to a worthy cause. The resulting positive
impact on his professional visibility has been an unexpected benefit, especially in a bad economy.
Heath Korvola < www.heathkorvola.com>
has been shooting active lifestyle images from
his home base in Montana for the past ten
years. With the desire to help a worthy cause
foremost in his mind, this past January,
Korvola unveiled his “2009Project Help,” to
donate a full week of staff production and
photography to a nonprofit organization in
need of an image face-lift.
The application deadline was February 15,
and Korvola and his team have chosen the
Network of Young People Affected by War
N
( YPAW)as their first project. The group was
founded by six young people whose lives have
been severely impacted by war. Many of the
founders are former child soldiers, including
Ishmael Beah of Sierra eLone, the author of a
bestselling book on his life as a child soldier.
© Heath Korvola <www.heathkorvola.com>
INCREASED VISIBILITY FROM A
VOLUNTEER PROJECT
24
For Brad Feinknopf <www.feinknopf.com>, an Ohio-based architectural photographer, the tough economy demands more personal attention to clients. “It’s never been a more important time for face-to-face
client meetings,” he says. “I’ve been building relationships for 15 years.
While I haven’t cut my fees, I wanted my clients to know I’m
empathetic to their economic concerns. When times get scary, people
make rash changes. I wanted to reassure my clients that they don’t need
to go elsewhere, we just need to work things out together. They may have
fewer dollars this year, so how do we make those dollars go further?”
Feinknopf had two Kansas City clients that he knew would benefit
from personal meetings. He called them to express his interest and
explain that he would cover the travel costs, as long as he could schedule time with them at least two weeks beforehand. Once they agreed, he
booked a bargain flight for $150. Then he contacted a list of potential
clients in the area to inquire about meeting with them as well. This
resulted in two additional meetings during his trip.
He took a minimalist approach to travel costs, using frequent-guest points
for his one-night hotel stay. Feinknopf’s other arrangements were equally
economical.“I got the most basic rental car I could find, had one lunch provided by a client, and a free breakfast buffet at the hotel. So for about $300,
which included air fare, rental car, and a couple of meals, I was able to meet
two clients and two potential clients in a nearby city, show them my recent
work, and talk about their photography needs and budget concerns.”
Feinknopf believes that he made a good impression with these contacts and that the trip was well worth the investment. “From my clients’
For Brad Feinknopf, communication and personal attention are key. Besides
visiting out-of-town clients, he regularly updates his blog and his Twitter feed.
perspective, the fact that I was willing to make a commitment of time
and money to meet face-to-face had a big impact. I also emphasized my
desire to shoot a bigger share of their work. With one client, my meeting made a big difference, and I think I’ll do more work as a result.”
With potential clients, Feinknopf feels that these meetings speak volumes about his commitment and desire to maintain current relationships and make new ones, saying, “They now know who I am, as
opposed to just images on a Web site or a voice on the phone.” He goes
on to explain that while phone calls generally don’t last more than five
or ten minutes, his face-to-face meetings rarely last less than an hour.
“I’m able to spend anywhere from six to twelve times more with a client
in person than I would in a phone call,” he says. “Talk to me in a year,
and I’ll know if this approach has reaped benefits.”
OFFERING REFERRAL BONUSES TO
LOYAL CUSTOMERS
Architectural photographer McCory James <www.mccoryjames
photography.com> is using referral rewards to stimulate business in his
slumping Denver market. While building projects are not being cut,
many have been put on hold. “Architectural jobs in the pipeline will
continue,” says James, “and larger clients will continue to need photography. The big firms keep marketing, regardless of the economy. They
can’t afford to look dated, and when they present to new clients, they
want to show their latest work. But many smaller clients are postponing jobs, and there’s a general softness in the business.”
To boost his revenues, James has begun a referral rewards program.
Primary clients will receive a discount on future photography work by
ASMPBULLETIN
24-25
25
BUSINESS]
PROMOTING TEMPORARY DISCOUNTS TO STEM
THE SLIDE
David Perry Lawrence <www.hiredavid.com>, a Dallas, Texas–based
environmental portraitist, sees budget constraints as a major issue. “In
the past few months, the bottom-line cost of photography has become a
deal breaker,” he says.“I’ve had a few jobs recently that came down to the
wire. Then the budgets got cut and the jobs got cancelled. And other jobs
don’t even get to that point, because of economic concerns.”
Lawrence’s response to the budget squeeze is to offer what he
describes as a recession discount. “When I’ve got a client who I sense
is not really flush right now, and is hesitating about making the commitment for photography, I’ll offer them a price break by adding a line
item below the subtotal at the bottom of my bid, which reflects the 15
percent recession discount.” Lawrence believes that the effect of this
discount is not the same as reducing his rate. “I feel I’m not working
for cheap,” he explains.“My discount allows me to lower my bid somewhat, without lowering my normal rate, which is clearly stated in the
bid. When times get better, I’ll remove the recession discount.”
“The discount tells clients I realize times are tough, I understand
their economic problems, and that I’m willing to work with them.
And if I’m dealing with somebody who I know is flush, or the agency
makes it clear that budget is not a deal breaker, I won’t include a discount in the bid. Agencies I work with find the discount a useful tool
to help sell the job—and me—to the client,” Lawrence adds. “It’s definitely helped me land a few jobs in the last couple of months.”
TIGHTENING ESTIMATES TO MATCH
SMALLER BUDGETS
Minneapolis, Minnesota–based food and architecture shooter John
Abernathy <www.abernathyphoto.com> is responding to smaller
budgets by selectively trimming his estimates. “I haven’t seen anything
like this in my 15 years in business,” he reports. “In October, everything was going along normally, I was still getting the usual number of
calls and winning estimates. Then, one day in November, it just
stopped, like someone had cut my phone line.” In talking with potential clients, Abernathy found that the winning estimate was often half
or less of the estimate he had submitted. On one recent large job for a
restaurant chain, the estimates ranged from $3,500 to
$43,000, with the winner
priced at about $5,000. He
believes that was way too
low. “Given the amount of
work they wanted done, to
pay an assistant, rent some
equipment, and maybe hire
a second photographer, I
don’t see how anyone could
make a profit at $5,000, he
says. “Some jobs just can’t be
professionally done below a
certain level.” Yet Abernathy
has responded to such
budget constraints by selectively trimming his estimates with clients he feels
will continue with him to
better times.
A floral still life from one of three series that
“One of my good maga- John Abernathy has recently shot to promote his
zine clients was doing a business and keep his work in front of people.
food issue, and their budget was cut by 30 percent,” he recalls. “I believed it was a legitimate
problem, and not just an excuse to reduce costs.”
Abernathy and his client discussed the issue by phone and agreed
to work together to address the tighter budget.
“I received so much work after that phone call I honestly thought
I couldn't get it all done by the deadline, Abernathy explains. “The
client liked what I was delivering and called me for another assignment. Then two days before press they called me to shoot the cover.
It was highly beneficial to both of us,” he adds. “They give me more
work, I give them better images.”
But you need to be careful with this strategy, and make the trim only
if you are convinced the client is honestly strapped for budget funds,”
Abernathy warns. “You don’t want to be taken advantage of,” he adds.
While the number of his assignments is down from last year,
Abernathy still is keeping busy, making new images to promote his
business. “I’m currently shooting my third promo series since
December,” he says. “My second shot from the first series is about to
go out. My aim is to be in front of people through it all. When we
come out the other side I will be in their minds.”
REWARDING ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVISM AND
SUPPORTING FELLOW ARTISTS
Some photographers are weaving their social concern with their marketing efforts. St. Paul, Minnesota–based Valerie Jardin
<www.valeriejardinphotography.com> photographs products, food,
interiors and events, and markets her fine art photography as well.
“I’m environmentally conscious,” says Jardin. “So, in January, I
did a marketing campaign offering a 25 percent discount on my
photography to “green” businesses. That included anyone selling
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green materials and supplies, recycling materials, or designing or building green structures.
I’ve picked up a few new clients from that promotion and I’ve got some landscape people
inquiring about photography for spring.”
Jardin also donates her fine art and her talent. “I rarely turn down a silent auction for a
good cause. I’ll donate a framed photograph
or an occasional portrait session. You get your
work on display with a business card, happy
fine art buyers, plus a tax deduction. And
occasionally, auction buyers call to purchase more of my art.”
Additionally, Jardin offers her support to fellow artists by agreeing to
barters for up to 25 percent of her fee. “Artists need to watch out for
each other, so I’ll barter when I can,” she explains. “If I don’t have space,
a piece from a local artist always makes a great gift. It also makes my
services more affordable, and artists appreciate having professional
photography of their work. I think when we come out of this dark
economy, people who I’m working with will increase their photography
needs, and my business will increase as a result.”
BARTERING FOR GOODS AND LIKE-MINDED
TALENT
Paul Berg <www.paulbergphotography.com>, a Chicago-based photographer specializing in portraits, events and annual reports, is also
exploring the barter concept. “I’ve been doing a barter with a local
chain of health clubs,” Berg notes. “Essentially I shoot portraits of their
trainers and instructors. The images are hung in their facilities and used
on their Web site. We have a written agreement, and I get to use any of
their facilities for my workouts.”
Using the health club agreement as a launching point, Berg is considering other barters as well. He belongs to a Chicago-based freelance association, where he sees similar opportunities. “The group, the Idea Exchange
<www.idea-xchange.com>, includes graphic artists, Web designers, and
marketing pros,” he explains.“Our members offer a wide range of skills and
services, and it’s worth exploring the idea of bartering services between us.”
BUILDING A RELATIONSHIP OF TRUST ONE STEP
AT A TIME
© Christopher Barr <www.christopherbarr.com>
referring third parties to James for image reuse. “After a shoot, suppliers and subcontractors often request images from the architect for
use in marketing, as award entries and on Web sites,” explains James.
“So, when my primary client refers someone to me for reuse licensing, I deduct 20 percent of the referral license fee from my client’s
future work. If, for example, a referral results in something like a
$10,000 reuse on a national catalog cover, the referring client’s next
fee will be reduced by $2,000.”
To lessen the impact on his bottom line, James charges a higher
rate for the first image used by third-party clients. He updates clients
about how much referral credit they have accrued, but no money
changes hands, which keeps his bookkeeping to a minimum. His
clients have responded enthusiastically. “With one client, referrals
have skyrocketed,” reports James, “and the number of phone calls
from vendors in the past few months has been impressive.”
© John Abernathy <www.abernathyphoto.com>
[BETTER
Christopher Barr’s extensive series of dental office
interiors began as a cash/barter arrangement, which
included photography services in exchange for his
daughter’s dental work. Detailed paperwork,
sound accounting advice and attention to tax
considerations are all critical aspects of this process.
26
Photographer Christopher Barr <www.christopherbarr.com>
believes the key to working with clients during a difficult economy is reeducation and a trusting relationship.
Phoenix–based Barr shoots personality and lifestyle portraits for
editorial and advertising clients. In January, he was contacted by a
health-care start-up looking to improve its marketing image.
“This was a group of dental clinics, with plans to open 10 to 20
offices in the Southwest,” Barr says. “They had made a heavy investment
in creative office interiors, including highly imaginative play rooms for
kids, complete with video game stations and flat screen monitors, and
unique adult waiting areas designed like the interior of 747 jets.
“This client had spent a small amount of money for photography
and the results were disappointing. They increased the initial photography budget, but even that was not close to the fee that a quality job
would require. Once we came into the picture and they saw the level of
our work, we were the guys they wanted but couldn’t afford.”
Rather than pass on the job, Barr and his wife/production coordinator,
Jane Janssen, decided to work with the company to land the project. “The
first thing to address was their limited experience with the challenges of
stepping up their game,” Barr says. They told the client that to achieve their
desired results, they either needed a bigger budget or a smaller shot list.
“This kind of education requires some diplomacy,” Barr explains.
“Our goal is to give them honest guidance on how to achieve higher
production values, without speaking down to them. You don’t want to
insult anybody.”
Barr was moving the client to more than just a significantly higher
budget.“Introducing new concepts like pre- and post-production expenses, image licensing and usage fees is far from a stress-free experience for
any potential client,” says Barr. “It’s critical that they feel you are supporting them fairly, not in a self-serving way. Establishing trust is the key.”
But even after gaining the company’s trust, the financing was still not
there for the project. “They just didn’t have the money,” recalls Barr.
“The barter concept was my wife’s idea. We’ve got a ten-year-old, and
we’d just spent months getting quotes from dentists about the braces
she would need. So after we did our own due diligence, assuring ourselves that the new dental offices were doing quality work, we suggested barter for the portion of our bid that exceeded their budget. It was a
simple solution that they hadn’t considered, and it sealed the deal.”
The barter came to about $7,000. Barr’s invoice/delivery memo
clearly states the terms of the barter, with a confirming memo requested from the dental company. “Tax considerations always need to be
addressed in a deal like this,” warns Barr, so good paperwork and
accounting advice are important.
“My daughter has had three treatment visits so far, and everyone is
happy with her work and our contract,” says Barr. “On our end of the
agreement, we’ve shot the first four locations and have delivered more
than half the final shots. The response has been enthusiastic from every
level of the company,” he adds, “with people very pleased that we helped
them move to the next level. In fact, we just got offered another juicy
assignment from them, and that validation is what it’s all about.”
Thom O’Connor is a New York–based editorial photographer and photography writer. Formerly a contributing editor to Photo District News,
Popular Photography and Lens, O’Connor is currently the proprietor of
the Tabletop Studio. He is also a coauthor of The Photographer’s Guide
to Using Light. He can be reached at <www.thetabletopstudio.com>.
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27
THE POD PEOPLE
ARE SPROUTING UP ALL OVER, THANKS TO
BY JILL WATERMAN
PRINT-ON-DEMAND PUBLISHING
E
very photographer longs to publish his or her images
in book form. While traditional publishing generally
dictates a costly and time-consuming process over
which the author has little to no control, the rise of self-publishing through print-on-demand services offers the advantages of affordability, wide selection, rapid timelines and
results in a professional looking product that can be ordered
on an as-needed basis.
“I think self-publishing is a great vehicle for photography
and self promotion,” says photography bookseller Tim Whelan.
“I encourage people to do it, even just to organize their ideas
and thoughts. With all the different options out there now, you
don’t have to commit to spending 15,000 – 30,000 dollars,” he
adds. “You can do a book for under a hundred dollars and get
it out into the world to see what kind of response you get.”
The following stories provide insights from a few of the
many ASMP members who have created self-published
books for both personal and commercial projects.
X
50 BOOKS ON DEMAND
Clark Mishler loves picture books. A former graphic designer
who spent two years as a National Geographic photo layout
editor, Mishler is well versed in the subject of book design. So,
as a personal challenge to begin 2009, Mishler pledged to selfpublish fifty picture books in fifty weeks’ time. After consultRichard Herzog uses the custom publishing services of White House Custom Color to provide
ing his image collection for suitable content, he came up with his clients with premium-quality presentation books. Their color managed workflow, toll-free
an extensive list of subjects to be rolled out one at a time.
customer support and free two-day shipping are a few of the perks that offset their higher cost.
A dedicated Aperture user, Mishler began his self-publishback to his original plan to self-publish through Apple.
ing adventure using the Apple platform. Although he appreciated the
“I like the fact that the Aperture software allows me to do pretty
sophistication of its software and found the Apple books to be wellmuch everything I want without having to jump through flaming
made, beautiful products, he decided to reprint his first five books with
hoops with my hands tied behind my back,” he says.
Blurb, because of its wider range of formats, plus the marketing potenAccording to Mishler, the company to emerge as the champion in the
tial of Blurb’s online store.
digital book business has not yet stepped forward. “The service that
Except for details such as the end paper and dust cover, the overall
allows me to design the book with InDesign—or other such profesquality of Mishler’s first Blurb book was comparable with Apple’s prodsional software—and then print the book on their printer will be miles
ucts. A lower price point (roughly 25 percent less than Apple) gives
ahead of anyone currently producing digital books,” he says.
Blurb an additional edge, but Mishler was less than impressed by the
capability of its software.
“Anyone with any kind of design background is going to be very
POD PUBLISHING TO PROMOTE CLIENT PROJECTS
frustrated,” he explains. “For me, the most important design features
In addition to transforming personal projects into one-of-a-kind pubinclude image sizing, scaling, positioning and cropping. If a program
lished pieces, print-on-demand publishing can add value, enhance perdoes not allow these actions to be easily completed, then the program
ception and add extra income to assignment work. After scoring a
needs to be overhauled.”
major project to document a large new development, the four photogAnother issue that arose after he ordered his first book is Blurb’s
raphers from Aerial Innovations of Tennessee (AI) selected Blurb to
‘economy’ shipping option. He points out that “the U.S. Post Office
self-publish Building an Icon: A Photographic Retrospective.
does not offer an ‘economy’ shipping service within the United States,
Wendy Whittemore, AI owner and the photographer primarily responso these books are sent via Media Mail.” Depending on where you live,
sible for the book’s editing and layout, describes the evolution of their
using this shipping option could take much longer than the 10 to 15
idea. “We wanted to fully document a construction project showing varidays stated on Blurb’s Web site.
ous trades and key moments. Since we had a good relationship with the
After weighing these concerns against the formatting, marketing and
general contractor and because it was a landmark project, we started
cost disadvantages of Apple’s service, Mishler recently decided to go
shooting early and had great access throughout,” she explains.
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CUSTOM POD PRINTING FOR COMMERCIAL
PRESENTATION BOOKS
For the past three years, Arizona-based Richard Herzog has used print-ondemand services to deliver premium quality, custom books for his commercial real-estate and event clients. He uses Blurb for wedding proof books
with short-term use, but the books he makes for commercial developers
and architects are produced by White House Custom Color (WHCC), the
same company that supplies his photographic enlargements.
“As you know, in production it’s quality, service, price. Pick any two,
you never get all three,” Herzog says. “WHCC gives us first class quality
and service. Clients are willing to pay more for their commercial properties to look dynamic and beautiful, rather than saving a few bucks.”
Although WHCC is almost twice the cost of Blurb, the perks to its
services include color management, ICC profiles, toll-free customer
service reps, online tracking of books in production, two-day UPS
shipping, as well as excellent packaging and protection of ordered
books that arrive damage free.
“If there’s a problem with the order, one phone call and the book is
being reprinted,” Herzog says. This contrasts with other POD services,
where badly-printed or damaged books must be returned before reprinting. That can further delay client delivery, which delays billing as well.
Herzog’s basic presentation books are produced at WHCC’s largest
size, 14˝x11˝ landscape format, and are up to 90 pages (sides) in length.
While Blurb has the capability to produce books with more than 400
pages (and prices their books based on length), White House Custom
Color has a limit of 90 pages. “We tell our clients if they need more
©Richard Herzog <www.herzogimages.com>
50
“I had a definite vision of the role I wanted the book to play, not only
for our company but for the other companies involved±
contractors, architects, developers and ultimately home owners.”
Besides being the vehicle for images by AI’s four primary shooters, the book also allowed several interns to have an on-site shooting experience. Because Whittemore controlled the book’s editing
and production, AI received 100 percent of the profits. A $165
price point balanced the company’s time and production costs
against a retail price within the means of their audience. The 40
books sold to date have exceeded their expectations.
“We’ve sold books to most of the contractors, architects and
engineers involved, plus to home owners and the project developers,” says Whittemore. “Homeowners have had a great response
and are excited to see all the work that went into the building of
their new home,” she adds. “And the developers and sales team
have used them as marketing tools and gifts.”
Looking ahead, Whittemore sees continued benefits for their
business. “The book is bringing more recognition to our company’s depth and our creative photography. We plan to incorporate the images into a yearlong display at the Nashville International Airport and use the book as a portfolio piece to show local
ad agencies,” she says. “In addition, we have sent the book as an
award submission to various trade organizations for both photography and construction.”
28
pages, they will get additional volumes,” Herzog explains. He prices the
books based on his production time to process images, format pages,
design the cover and upload the files. The file size for completed books
generally ranges from 150 mb to 350 mb depending on the number of
pages.
The print run for Herzog’s books are based specifically on client
need, which sometimes adds up as a result of referrals. “We recently
produced books for a developer. He showed them to the architect who
then purchased books for his business,” Herzog remarks. “Many of our
commercial clients also purchase photographic wall images in addition
to books so, at the end of the day, we need everything to match.”
DISTRIBUTION CHANNELS FOR POD BOOKS
In 2008, Hal Gage was looking to self-publish a book of his Alaskan
landscapes. He selected Lulu.com to publish Ice: A Passage Through
Time in order to work with his existing InDesign layouts. “As a designer
I wanted nothing to do with templates or using an inferior piece of
software,” he explains.
Gage was also attracted to Lulu’s ISBN service and marketing reach
through Amazon.com. He selected the 8.5˝x11˝ format offered on
Lulu’s Web site, but once the book was printed, he discovered that the
maximum size for distribution on Amazon was 8˝x10˝. “Lulu actually
had the correct requirements on its Web site,” Gage points out, “but it’s
worded vaguely and its setup and review process allows for purchasing
an ISBN even if your book is the wrong dimension.”
Disappointed that he could not sell his book online, Gage searched
further for POD services and discovered CreateSpace, an on-demand
publisher acquired by Amazon in 2005. He is publishing the book’s second edition through this company for a more direct path to Amazon.
“Everything about CreateSpace is very good except the paper
choices,” Gage notes. Especially with fine art, black-and-white photo
books such as his, print quality is very important. “Offset, duo-, tri-, or
even quad-tone printing, top choice papers and binding are a big part
of making a book and do influence its visibility among reviewers and
critics,” he explains. “The proof I received from CreateSpace was certainly as good as Lulu, but its uncoated paper lacked the pop that a
coated paper gives. Cost-wise the books are substantially cheaper, but
they do not offer many options for shipping,” he adds.
After weighing all the variables, Gage finds that on-demand printing
allows him to get his work out in a medium that people can afford and
is easy to distribute. For added reach, Gage recently discovered an efficient option for online book display using the company Issuu. This free
service allows authors to post a book in its entirety onto any Web site
for viewers to browse in a manner similar to the flip-book previews featured on Amazon or Blurb.
“Using the service is pretty simple,” Gage remarks. “Starting with a
PDF of your book, you upload the file to the Issuu Web site where it is
rendered into the flip-book format. You can then copy some code, paste
it into your Web site, and there’s your book.”
For more on the self-publishing activities and insights from those who
responded to our call for experiences, visit <www.asmp.org/go/POD>.
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29
[PORTFOLIO]
FROM PHOTOGRAPHERS
TO PUBLISHERS
T
promotional, commemorative or fundraising use; limited-run art
books to entice collectors or accompany an exhibit—these
options are merely the tip of the iceberg. Once the concept, the
publishing platform and the distribution network converge, an
individual photographer finally has a path to publication firmly
within their grasp. For more on ASMP member experiences with
POD book projects, turn to a related article on page 28.
—JW
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30
Far left: Dennie Cody & D.K. Khattiya
<www.codyphoto.com>. A young woman
at the Xiri Tala Resort from Cody &
Khattiya’s Inner Monglia book project.
Originally printed in 2008 by
Winkflash.com, a revised version was later
printed at Blurb.com with 100 photographs, 40 pages, 10”*8”. Softcover: $30,
hardcover: $42.
Left: Salem Krieger
<www.salemkrieger.com>. “Newstand,
NYC” from the book Continuing Interest.
Printed in 2009 and sponsored by the
Xerox Corporation to represent the printing and binding quality of their iGen4 digital press. 22 pages, 27 photographs,
8”*8”. Softcover, 250 copies, price and distribution method to be determined.
© Salem Krieger
© Roger Snider
Above: Maria Lankina <www.marialankina.com>. “Victoria Mikhanova” from
I SEE Y. Printer still to be determined, expected publication date December 2009,
272 pages, approximately 211 photographs, semi soft cover with plastic jacket.
Estimated price $45.
Top right: Aerial Innovations of Tennessee, Inc. <www.flytenn.com>. “Icon Night
Pour” from Building an Icon: A Photographic Retrospective, Aerial Innovations’
comprehensive coverage of a major construction project. Printed by Blurb in 2008,
200 pages, approximately 500 photographs, 11"*13", printed-to-order with
approxi-mately 40 sold to date. Hardcover, $165.
Middle right: Michael Sarnacki <www.sarnacki.com>. “Kandy, Sri Lanka, 2005” from
Sarnacki's 14-year project Sri Lanka and the Kandy Esala Perahera: Discovering the
Spirit of Buddha in the Land of Elephants. Printed by Blurb 2008, 280 pages, approx.
300 photographs. 11”*13”, five copies printed to date. Hardcover, not for sale.
Bottom right: Roger Snider <www.ultrarigsoftheworld.com>. “Japanese Art trucks
at Night” from Snider’s project Ultra Rigs of the World (a five-book series). Printed
by Blurb in 2008, 72 images, 76 pages, 8”*10”. Available in softcover, hardcover
and dust jacket, average cost $40 per book.
Above: Djordje Zlatanovic <www.dzlatanovic.com>. Zlatanovic’s father and
brother in a two-image spread from
Portraits, his graduation portfolio book.
Printed by Blurb in 2008 (and a staff pick),
20 photographs, 28 pages, 13"*11", hardcover, $71 ($74 with B3 workflow and premium paper).
© Dennie Cody & D.K. Khattiya
© Maria Lankina
© Michael Sarnacki
© Djordje Zlatanovic
© Aerial Innovations of Tennessee, Inc.
he growing prevalence of print on demand (POD) book services expands the possibilities of desktop publishing, ultimately
making it realistic and affordable for prolific image makers to
self-publish handsome tomes for practically any photographic project.
The photographs gathered here are all sourced from ASMP
members who are exploring self-publishing tools for a wide range
of audiences and varied end uses—single copies of personal projects to present as a book dummy; print-to-order initiatives for
REMARKABLE IMAGES FROM MEMBERS’
POD BOOK PROJECTS
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31
[PORTFOLIO]
© Al Fisher
© Sandy Hooper
© Xxxxx Xxxxxxxxxxx
PARTINGSHOT
© Rainier Hosch
AL FISHER’S
INTRICATE DANCE WITH THE LIGHT FANTASTIC
F
ASMPBULLETIN
© Hal Gage
Top: Sandy Hooper <www.sandyhooper.com>. Chad Heston with a photo
of his daughter from Home Away from Home Hooper’s documentary project on 18-wheel truck drivers. Printed by Blurb, 36 pages, 29 photographs,
10”* 8”, 10 copies sold to date. Softcover: $29.95, hardcover: $39.95.
Above: Rainer Hosch, <www.rainerhosch.com>. View of a Mexico City art
intervention by Tania Candiani from Hosch's project Portraits of Artists. Printed
by Blurb, 110 pages, 60 photographs, 8”*10”, both in hardcover ($50) and
soft ($35), 50 copies so far, available for sale directly from the photographer.
Right: Hal Gage <www.halgage.com>. “Icy Shores, Turnagain Arm,
Alaska” from Ice: A Passage Through Time. 100 copies printed by
Lulu.com, 2008 and re-issued with CreateSpace, 2009. 76 pages, 45 photographs, 8”*10”. Softcover, quantity of second edition pending, $38.95.
rom his start in advertising, during the heyday of 1950s New York to
his mature years as an ASMP chapter copresident and one of
Boston’s photo elite, Al Fisher led a charmed life. Early success as an
art director inspired him to cozy up to a camera and embark on globetrotting adventures, some highlights of which included a lengthy assignment in
Africa and the refined studio he established in London’s Covent Garden.
On return to the States in the mid seventies, Fisher chose Boston for
its youthful energy and European feel. In addition to award-winning
work for an extensive list of blue chip clients, he produced several
32
bodies of personal work, including a large series on street performers,
such as this featured portrait. Fisher aspired to a dual challenge with
these portraits±to reveal the truth of the scene, while also piercing
the facade of each performer’s mask to capture their essence.
Fisher retired from photography at the turn of this century to pursue a life long interest in painting. His passing in January 2009 has
stripped the Boston photography and arts communities of a venerable
beacon whose stately presence will be sorely missed.
—JW
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