I Love My Clients ...

You sort of have to have been around from the beginning to understand this post. Pictage is a weird company. Like no company I’ve ever been involved with, if we do well our clients do well. When we suck we hurt out clients. They let us know. I like that. This isn’t about that.

I started at Pictage in March of 2009. It’s been a wild ride since then. I’ve learned a lot along the way. Luckily for me, the founders got a lot more right than wrong. The market changed (and continues to change) and we’ve had to move quickly to change with the market. Moving a company of this size quickly isn’t as easy as I would like. It should have been easier but it’s no one’s fault that it wasn’t. Sometimes that’s the way things are.

For me, it’s always been about our clients. I was pretty infatuated with y’all at first. For a life long photo hobbyist, getting to know so many professionals has been energizing. I take better pictures now than I used to but I would say here as I’ve said on my cooking blog, I’m much better than average and nowhere near as good as great. That’s not being apologetic or self deprecating. Great is about where you spend your time. I spend mine running a business. You spend yours behind a viewfinder (if you’re great). And that’s not to say that I’m a great businessman. That’s a big world.

I’ve been among you long enough now to know you’re not perfect. You have your foibles and your rough spots. You’ve gotten to know me well enough that you know I do too... and I can be mighty prickly if you poke the wrong place. Here’s the thing. After all of that your success is still the thing that gets me out of bed in the morning. Here’s why.

Over the last three years I’ve had the privilege of working with many of you in special circumstances. You’ve called to say you needed help. A client, a family member or a friend had a special need. There’d been a death or the prediction that one was eminent. There was someone who needed the warmth of shared memory in images to buoy them through tough times. There were the things we did together, ‘Katrina Families’ in New Orleans and ‘Lens and Learns’ with special kids all over the country. Those days were emotionally and physically draining for me and I know many of you were just as tired as I was and yet you ran off to shoot a wedding or portrait session the next day. (I could hardly get out of bed). In most of these cases we’ve made sure that Pictage received no publicity for what we may have done. That’s not the point. When it is our purpose gets cloudy. I’d rather see a child smile when they discover that something they thought was impossible is attainable or get a quiet thank you from someone who got something just in time. It’s easier that way.

Every single one of those opportunities, whether large or small has been an honor. I’m glad that those moments will go on.

There are big changes coming from Pictage. We’ve been hard at work rebuilding our technology from the bottom up and over the next couple of months we will be launching new systems. These systems enable us to approach your business, and the privilege of helping you, in new and pretty remarkable ways. Ultimately this is what I came to do. I’m glad I’ll finally be able to do it. I’m not going to divulge much more than that. Suffice it to say that when we’re done any professional photographer anywhere will be able to find products and services here that meet their needs their way. No piece of the old business model will have been left unchanged. Pictage photographers will be provided with more information, more options, more customizability, more brand-ability (in all aspects of their businesses), more great products (at lower and lower prices), and more responsiveness than they’ve ever experienced.

I strongly believe that giving you the information to make the right decisions about your business, and then giving you the options necessary to tailor our services to meet your needs is the key to your success.

If what’s next is what’s important then we’re headed for some pretty interesting times... I, for one, can’t wait...

Onward,

jc

An Interesting Move for Pinterest

It is so fascinating to watch a business evolve. Just a few days ago I posted some thoughts on Pinterest and why photographers should espouse this new social media environment, not as a curiosity, but as a highly focused search engine. There has been much controversy in the world of professional photography about whether or not the posting of an image on Pinterest constitutes a copyright violation for the photographer. Many were concerned that Pinterest's own user policies seemed to put the blame squarely on the "Pinner." Well, evidently, at Pinterest things are evolving.

Early this morning one of our photographer clients received this email, ostensibly from Ben Silbermann, the co-founder of Pinterest. (I removed her name and the links to protect her privacy).

"Hi Photographer,

I'm Ben, the co-founder of Pinterest. I removed one (or more) of your pins today at the request of a copyright owner who preferred that their images do not appear on Pinterest. The photo is here for your own records: (Link removed)

This is a rare - we usually find that people are excited to have their photos shared with a larger audience because it can drive traffic back to their site. However, when we do get requests to remove these materials, we try to respect the wishes of the content owner efficiently. If you have any questions, please email our Community Manager, (removed personal email address for practicality).

I just wanted to give you a heads up. Thanks so much for using Pinterest. I hope you're enjoying the site! If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to get in touch.

Pinterest DMCA #ID 1571839017

- Ben and the Pinterest Team

For what it's worth, I think the photographer who demanded that their images be removed is incredibly short-sighted. You may as well grab a lance and charge a windmill or try to get a clock to run backwards. This medium has enormous potential - but I've written about that elsewhere.

I think this message is fascinating for many reasons. First, I think for Pinterest it's the right thing to do. The turmoil being kicked up by a few disgruntled folks can often become a distraction and there is no question that the legal community would have been circling. Shifting their stance, taking responsibility to be responsive (there is an elegant legal wrinkle here that I admire but it is too detailed for a blog post), will free Pinterest to continue to pursue their core vision, which I again believe to be a re-invention of search.

I admire this move for two reasons. One, it shows a level of business maturity that we don't often see. Too many young entrepreneurs get so tied up in their 'ideals' and lose the forest for the trees. Peter Drucker (who essentially founded the modern school of management) always challenged business leaders to make sure they were maintaining focus on what is important in a business. Making this change means that Pinterest will be doing just that.

I also admire it because it takes courage for a leader to listen and respond, especially on a position one may hold dear. Congratulations Mr. Silbermann! Lead on...

What Pinterest is... What Pinterest is not and Why You Should "Pin Away!"

I’ve read the blog posts. I understand the law. I’m well aware of the issues. And with all of that, I say pin away and celebrate when you are pinned. Here’s why.

Pinterest isn't a picture promotional site like Flickr. It isn’t a substitute for Facebook. Frankly, Pinterest is a new form of search engine. And one that ties the most powerful aspects of 21st century marketing together in a fun and easy to use format. When someone pins your picture to their board they are endorsing you. They’re saying, I love this work and in doing so, they’re saying they think you’re a good photographer. This is better than any of the photo specific rating sites. The only people who go to those sites are people who love photography in the first place. (Why advertise to other photographers except to stroke one’s own ego?) Being pinned is a much more effective advertisement than being liked on Facebook. (Frankly ‘likes’ have become so common and heavily promoted that they are losing their impact for everyone but Facebook - who uses them as a way to figure out what ads to serve to YOU ...).

I think there is an interesting opportunity for photographers here. Why not develop some sort of 'free to pin' policy that makes it clear to your fans that you love it when your images are pinned? Frankly any commercial photographer who doesn't see the benefit of Pinterest is effectively tilting at the proverbial windmill. It is the most sincere form of flattery and the BEST possible endorsement. I read a thing from a photographer the other day that said that if people wanted to see her work they could find it on her fan page. She didn’t want people stealing her images to pin them on pinboards. I thought - 'you're a fool' - though I didn't say that out loud (I don't think anyway). Why wouldn’t you want people to advertise for you?

Now, there are some forms of photography in which these things may not be true. Artists for instance may want more control over where their images appear. But even in these cases, when pinned properly any image carries the links back to where it came from, much like clicking on a link on a search engine. Do you want to sue Google because they list your business name under “great pictures of Cambodia?” Of course not. You’re thrilled when they do this. (provided you actually have great images of Cambodia because, let’s face it, if you don’t and they do then it’s kind of a pain, right? But I digress). Pinterest is the same thing except that it has the horse power of not just being a bunch of words in a search response. It is both the search response and the review altogether and it has the best aspects of GooglePlus built into it too since the ‘friends’ of people who Pin create defacto circles through the boards they follow.

There’s also a lot of noise about whether or not you should pin your own work. I know ... Pinterest poopoos this. Who cares? Do you think Pinterest is going to kick you off if you do? They have to be very careful of that. They can’t both say that they can’t protect a copyright and say that they watch your content. There is a legal standard that creates a clear demarcation between a conduit and an editor. They’re copyright stance makes them a conduit. So go ahead an pin your own stuff. But! Pin it in a board called “My Favorite Personal Work” so you’re making it clear to people that these are your images and that you’re pinning them because you’re proud of them.

If you’re super worried about whether someone will sue you because you pin their image send them an email and ask if it’s ok. If they say no then know they’ll eventually regret this decision. Effectively they’re blocking a very effective marketing channel. As for advertising images etc., PIN away! There is nothing an advertiser wants more than for a consumer audience to take up the standard for them.

New technologies come and go. No one knows for sure what will happen with Pinterest (though I can promise you that somewhere in their business plan you will find the phrase, ‘acquired by Google,’ either mentioned in the positive or the negative). For now though it is a rising star and an effective medium. As with all things, what’s next is what’s important. I’ll be waiting to see what that is, but in the meantime when I think about it I will be pinning stuff. It’s the best compliment I can think of for the people who’s work I think highly enough to pin.

Onward!

Going from Doing to Teaching, A Slippery Slope

Not long after I got to Pictage I had an interesting conversation with someone I thought of as a photographer. He set me straight. "Jim, I'm not a photographer any more, now I'm an entrepreneur and I teach photographers how to succeed." It was an interesting conversation made even more so because in the same few minutes he also told me that he wasn't making enough money and wanted Pictage to sponsor him with more.

I didn't know much back then so I went to a bunch of our clients and asked what people thought. The predominant reaction that I received was that this person was out of touch, a has been. "We'd listen to him if he was still a photographer but he's really not. He just wants our money." I went back and told him no. Not surprisingly, within a few weeks he had moved on, endorsed a "competitor's" products and was on a speaking tour for the competitor. I never regretted the decision. He still speaks, though I note that he no longer gets an endorsement from the "competitor."

This isn't about who this person is. Who he is doesn't matter. He could be anyone. (Frankly, He could be She and may be because I am the master of concealing identities). It is about what he represents. His story applies to a great many people I know and what is most interesting to me is that a lot of the people who told me they didn't think he was relevant then are now on the same path. I often wonder, what makes them different? How will they stay relevant. In my short time in this industry I've seen the complete cycle. Do and find success. Teach because you can. Die because you stopped doing.

Of course, it's not quite that easy, right? Do and find success, but realize that even success is marginal. It's hard too. In a generation that likes its "things," its travel and its flexibility it is surprising how money is so often an afterthought. How do we think we're going to pay for all of that stuff? So when we are finding success on a path but we are also finding that path to restrict our time and not necessarily let us buy the things we want it is natural to look to supplement our income. The slippery slope comes when we start to believe our own press.

People tell us we're smart and we should speak more. Companies offer semi lucrative arrangements for endorsing their products. Conventions offer platforms. And a year later our business is dead and no one wants to hear what we have to say anymore.

Obviously it's not quite that fast and a few have bucked the trend, figuring out how to have a vibrant business even while they derive a supplementary income on the teaching circuit. I've found that one common trait is true among all of these people. They each understand that they have much to learn. They each understand that their relevance relates directly to their business success. They each understand that what they do is their core business and what they teach is the supplement and they each pursue the success of the core first, teaching from what they're continuing to learn along the way.

After all ... These people seem to understand that what's next is what's important.

Pictage and WPPI ... Changing Times

A lot of folks have asked why Pictage is not at WPPI this year. It's a fair question and it wasn't a decision that we made without a lot of thought. We've loved being a part of WPPI for many years. The team and the people we meet there are all great folks. Since taking over the reigns, George Varanakis has done an terrific job of connecting with the community and building anticipation for the show. I will especially miss seeing George do what he does so well - problem-solve!

In truth, we don't go to any of the national shows anymore. The reason is, bluntly, cost. This isn't WPPI's fault. It is the industry that has grown up around these events. The various costs for drayage (moving stuff in and out of the convention center) and electricity and booth construction, moving, setup and tear down. Costs for staffing; hotels, restaurants, getting to and from the convention, etc. And entertainment costs while we are at the event, the party, dinners, etc. all add up. Last year total costs for WPPI came close to $200,000. We tried hard last year to maximize every dollar spent. We tracked every lead and kept track of all purchases related to WPPI. We looked at these figures with the most aggressively positive eye we could and even then we found that there was simply no way we could justify the expense.

A lot of people have said we could be there anyway. We could have a hospitality suite, etc. It's a personal thing but frankly I think that's kind of sleazy. WPPI has spent an enormous amount of money promoting the conference. They've created the event and built the excitement, so to 'piggyback' on the event in a way that doesn't benefit them feels disingenuous. It's just not something I wanted to do personally - or associate my company with. This is not to judge those who've done this (and many have done it for many years), although one would hope it might at least give them pause ... (Ha! I thought 'Paws' for sec and then had to shake that thought out of my head!)

If we could have we would have done the party. Studio54 at WPPI is a tradition we would like to repeat in the future. Since it's an official WPPI event, the organizers get credit from the hotel which defrays some of their expenses. This year the club was closed. There's always next year. We'll see, maybe we'll be back.

We're refocusing Pictage's regional marketing efforts on smaller shows and gatherings. Home grown efforts that attract groups of professional photographers from specific regions are very interesting to us. We find that the content value is high (people bring in what they want to hear) and the lower operating costs mean we can reach more people for dramatically less money.

I'm hoping that at some point in the future we'll be back at WPPI. I miss being there and I think Pictage should be there. I just haven't been smart enough yet to figure out how to make it happen. George and I keep talking about it. If we can figure it out, we will. In the meantime I'm hoping the folks who are there have a great time. Know we miss you and we look forward to seeing you around the country as the year moves along.

Onward

If you read this post you could win a ...

I feel like if the only reason you come to my blog is because you want to win a camera or a free month of service, then why would I want you to read my blog? Fame is not an avenue to financial reward - at least not the kind of financial reward that I would consider interesting. So why would I want to effectively pay you with giveaways, etc. to read my blog?

I ask the question in all sincerity as we do these things on our company blogs. "Read this, post this, etc., and you can win such and such." They definitely increase the list of blog watchers. But is that increased list worth anything?

I'm sort of tired of listening to experts on the matter. I'd rather hear from you. What say you?

FInding Success in Photography. It's Up to You.

Photographers get no shortage of advice. Some of it is good. Some of it is great. Some of it is - well - not so good at all. There is no question that these are challenging times. It's funny that we all seem to think that's new. It's not. The decision to enter small business is the decision to accept the challenge of going it alone. Like that add on TV where the guy says he's the Chief Everything Officer. If you decide you want to be in the business of photography then that's what you are, a Chief Everything Officer. (now go and have new cards printed up that say that!).

Much of the discussion today centers around the challenges of the photography industry. To be sure, too much supply and not enough demand is a big challenge. A photographer who wishes to succeed - and for purposes of my posts we're going to define success as making enough money to earn a living as a photographer - needs to make a lot of scary decisions about their business. However, from what I've gleaned during my short time here at Pictage I think there are really a few solid rules that serve as checkpoints. Think about these things when considering all of those scary decisions and you're likely to be just fine ...

1. A significant portion of the struggles this industry faces have nothing to do with this industry. You sell a luxury product. The economy has been really troubled for the last three years and this will continue this year. During these times your focus needs to be on preserving you business, husbanding cash, saving costs where possible - (now - really - do we ALL need to run out and get the Iphone 4s?), etc.

2. Partly due to the above and partly due to the proliferation of solid consumer grade cameras, consumers are making choices about where they want to spend their money. If they value photography they will spend their money on photography. If they don't they won't. You can't change what a consumer values. You can merely position your business to meet the needs of the consumers you wish to serve.

3. You don't want to be in the deadly middle. Sell your business in one of two ways. Either target the high end consumer who cares about photography and has money to spend or target the low end consumer with a low priced product (that is inexpensive for you to fulfill). Either strategy is valid. What is not valid is trying to do both.

4. Diversify. A consumer (whether high or low end for these purposes) who hires a professional photographer is telling that photographer two VERY important things. One - they value professional photography services enough to hire a photographer and Two, they like that professional photographer enough to have hired them out of a field of competitors. Just because the first shoot is over doesn't change any of this. They will have other needs. It is YOUR business and YOUR job to make sure they know that you are a place to fill those needs. Keep in touch with them. Send them little reminders of who you are. If they want portrait work don't turn them away. The next week a friend of theirs will be getting married. Take every opportunity you can to turn your sunk cost investment into dollars in the bank.

5. Keep moving. The hardest thing about business over time is keeping moving. Trust me. There are days when I want to pull the sheets over MY head and go back to sleep. Business is frustrating, frightening, disappointing, and tiring. There is nothing easy about being in a small business. You have to make a choice to keep moving. Sure, sit around and reminisce from time to time but then get up off your butt and get going. (You ARE you say? What new things are you doing this month that you weren't doing last month? What is on your calendar for next week, next month, next year that will change your business. Don't tell me about a conference you're going to go to where you will figure it all out. Tell me about some ACTUAL things you are doing right now. Not all of them will work but some will...)

There are no magic bullets in your business. There is no one who's going to do the thinking for you and there is certainly no one who is going to do the doing for you. Baby steps. Start with one thing. You can do it. After all, what's next is what's important.

Onward!