Guest Post by Skip Cohen

I recently saw an email blast from my buddy George Varanakis at Rangefinder/WPPI. He listed the top ten reasons not to miss WPPI. Personally, I’d drop a few and add a few, one of them being your ability to interact with vendor after vendor to help strengthen your business. I’d also add, one trip to Vegas gets you exposed to hundreds of new products and concepts, one of them being GoingPro Bootcamp.

A trip to Las Vegas in February isn’t just about WPPI anymore. It’s about adding new building blocks to your business and some of them are outside WPPI programming. For two years I’ve started every marketing presentation with the same statement.

Just because the media says it’s going to be a bad year, doesn’t mean it has to be!

That’s a big part of the GoingPro theme and the GoingPro Bootcamp. We started the project because there are so many aspiring photographers interested in going pro and missing the boat on the right way to get started. Frustrated, they jump into the market with lousy quality and low-ball pricing. Instead of building a business on a solid foundation, they try and build it on the word “professional”, having no understanding of the importance of how to sustain a business.

Well, it’s been two years since we started GoingPro, which originally was just a book with Random House. Now it’s a blog with an estimated 50,000 followers and sixty-four podcasts, resulting in 120-150,000 downloads a month. Last but not least, it’s our second Bootcamp, an all day event helping you with everything, but photography.

George missed  the last GoingPro Bootcamp, but we didn’t and neither did about 100 aspiring professional photographers. He’s got another chance and so do you. With the combination of Michele Celentano, Scott Bourne and me we’ll help you with ideas on marketing, pricing, building your business, insurance, social media, community involvement and local networking, just to name a few. Most important of all, we’ll help you figure out how to promote yourself and your work so you can get your second customer.

Anybody can get their first customer. The trick of building a solid business is getting your second customer and even better, getting the first customer to come back a second time. You know how to focus your camera. Well, we’re going to help you focus on concepts like quality, value, integrity and the ability to exceed customer expectations. Those are the key attributes of any business that brings customers back!

And speaking of exceeding expectations – that’s just what we intend to do on February 18. It’s only $99 for the day. So, whether you’re just getting ready to take the plunge into the pro side of the business or you’ve been out there for a few years and need some help – we intend to exceed your expectations.

See you in Vegas! Signing up for GoingPro Bootcamp is just a click away.

Here you go ladies and gents. This is the first Lytro Light Field Camera. I got my hands on one yesterday and all I can say is that if you can open your mind, and think in new ways, you’ll see that there is amazing potential in this device. We’re a few years away from the technology reaching a point where most heavy duty enthusiasts will think of this as a “pro” camera but to ignore it until then might be a mistake. And for those who worry about the photographer being replaced by the light field’s ability to focus in post – forget it. The photographer will need to be more skilled than ever to get the best images.

Seriously – unless you’ve touched one of these cameras or at least seen a live demo of the results, forget everything that you think you know about it. I had to. I was off base until I actually touched it. And if your questions are: “How is the low-light performance?” or “What is the file size/resolution?” then you are missing the point. The first generation Lytro is more about introducing the technology than it is delivering professional-quality images. So the first thing to know is that generation one is a consumer camera. It’s not aimed at the serious enthusiast or professional market. That doesn’t mean that those markets won’t want one. But it’s not the target.

The company is smart about the way it’s launching the camera. It’s almost a proof of concept launch in many ways. There are capabilities that won’t initially be unlocked. This will give people time to get used to the basics. As the tech matures, the images will be able to do more and more things without you as the photographer having to do much of anything.

The camera is a low-resolution device. It will make nice 5×7″ prints. The real showplace for the camera’s images is online. Lytro wants you to have an interactive experience. They essentially want to throw out all the rules and start over. I am excited by that decision.

I’ve said for years that there’s no reason for digital cameras to look like film cameras. Lytro agrees. And the traditional print is possible from this camera, but what’s mind blowing is when you upload the pictures to let’s say Facebook, they become interactive. You may see the shot default at a focus point where you want emphasis, but the users who see the image on Facebook can change that in real time. You actually reveal parts of the image one at a time. It changes everything and like I said, it hurts my brain – but in a good way.

The camera requires you to think very differently about images. Making sure that something is OUT OF FOCUS is the goal of using a light field camera. It’s as counterintuitive as can be. If there’s nothing out of focus, the post-processing software can’t do it’s job. To that end, the camera ships with a fixed aperture of f/2. Something will usually be out of focus. It has a digital zoom that you simply roll your fingers across the top of the camera to operate. There are only two buttons. It’s all very intuitive. It makes much less sense to read about than to use.

What’s NOT intuitive is thinking about images in a whole new way. Those of you who have experimented with or experienced 3D video or photography will have an easier time of adopting this technology. You have to think more about near and far than you would think about plane of focus.

I don’t have enough experience with the camera to do a review or even show you samples, but I should have that next month – before the camera ships, which is sometime in March if all goes well. What’s exciting about this is that it will just be the beginning. For people who are just looking for a short-term answer to their photographic needs, they will probably keep looking. For those who understand that the future of imagery is limitless, this camera will excite those people beyond belief.

Whether or not the market will adapt and adopt the new ways of thinking this camera will require, remains to be seen. The market will decide whether or not it makes sense. But either way, it’s inspiring.

I’ll leave you with this. I saw with my own eyes an example of a time-lapse shot with this camera where not only did time elapse, but so did focus. Let that swirl around in your brain for a while and tell me it doesn’t hurt.

More coming soon.

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Adobe released the beta version of Lightroom 4. Here are just some of the killer new features:

1. MUCH better video integration
2. Soft proofing
3. Better geotagging
4. New shadow/highlight controls
5. Photo books via Blurb – (Will this be the end of Aperture for Scott Kelby who primarily liked Aperture’s photo books feature:))
6. Improvements to the clarity tool
7. Improved DNG format
8. Burn to disk archiving
9. New toolbars in all menus
10. Better search filters
11. Better white balance tool

There are a few things you should know. This is a real Beta. It’s pretty solid but there are still issues and I don’t recommend using this version for any professional or serious work just yet. You also can’t import LR3 catalogs into LR4 as a precautionary measure. You will need to convert your LR3 catalogs at some point if you want to use the retail version of LR4 when it ships. This is similar to the change Aperture went through not too long ago. People who upgraded to the latest version had to upgrade their libraries as well. It’s not a big deal but you need to know about it.

I am and probably will be, an Aperture man until I die. But I recognize the community seems to prefer LR so I try to stay current on it. I am far from an expert, when it comes to Lightroom, but my pals at Kelby Media Group ARE experts and I suggest you visit their new dedicated LR4 website if you are interested in this latest version of Lightroom.

Oh and P.S. – Welcome Lightroom – at roughly three times the money you’ve now got features Aperture has had for five years :) (Sorry I couldn’t help myself – really – I’m getting counseling :))

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I’m no Joe McNally – and accordingly, I don’t get paid to shoot with Nikons and don’t yet have a D4. As close as I can come is reading the same spec sheet you do. If you look at ALL my posts about new cameras, you’ll see that I always say the same thing – I’ll reserve final judgment until I use it for a while. But, there’s no denying that lots of buzz about Nikon’s long-awaited D4 has infiltrated the interwebs. On paper – the camera looks really good. It doesn’t appear to me to be any sort of revolutionary step up – just an evolutionary step. But that’s just based on the specs. Here are some of my initial observations based on looking at sample video and stills, reading comments sent to me by Nikon’s ad agency and then looking at the public news releases and other early reviews by the few chosen who have actually seen the camera.

1. It has a 16.2 MP CMOS sensor, with new EXPEED 3 image processor. Canon typically uses two processors in such a camera. The Nikon’s EXPEED 3 configured with this new sensor is untested by 99.999999% of us. It’s PROBABLY amazing. But we need to shoot the camera over a week or two to find out. The sample pics look good.

2. The camera has a new bright LCD – should be amazing. We need to see how it works in sunlight.

3. The new Nikon has an updated and untested autofocus system. It autofocuses with lenses as slow as f/8 which gives it an on paper advantage over the new Canon 1DX. But the 1DX has more cross-hair sensors spread further across the frame. Advantage nullified.

4. The D4 will likely be the new high priest of those who practice the “Religion of the low-light.” Nikon has held about a stop advantage in low light performance for years over Canon and there’s no reason to expect that won’t continue here – but at some point – just like megapixel madness (Which USED to be the religion that most photographers practiced) we will have had enough with great low-light performance and be hoping the camera companies come up with other or additional enhancements.

5. The video on this camera looks to be substantively improved. Again – I want to test for myself, but the samples I’ve seen are impressive. I think it’s safe to say that Nikon and Canon are now neck and neck in this department. Canon had the lead for a long time, but it seems that Nikon is FINALLY taking video seriously. The addition of H.264/MPEG4 format is important as are  longer clip durations, the HDMI port and faster XQD memory card standard. These make the D4 potentially very attractive for video shooters. We also see Nikon at least TRYING to get the audio right – External mic input with manual levels and a headphone jack for audio monitoring.

6. Interface refinements including backlit buttons – it took a camera manufacturer THIS LONG to copy Apple’s idea??? Should have happened long ago.

7. 10BaseT Ethernet wired networking. Okay – not sure how I feel about this. I guess some folks will think this cool but my reaction was “Hey Nikon 1998 called and wants its wired network back.” How about WIFI? Anyone? Anyone? Yes you can add the WT-5 but why not build it in? I asked the same of Canon back in October when they announced 10BaseT on the 1DX.

8. The new battery isn’t rated as high as the old D3 battery and is not backwards compatible. I don’t get this one.

9. The price is $1000 higher than I paid for my D3s bodies. Why? Because they can. The ship date promised is February. I’m skeptical of the ship date and also wonder if both Nikon and Canon haven’t potentially priced themselves out of at least a portion of the market with the steep price on such cameras.

I have no doubt, that barring some bizarre problem we can’t know about until there are lots of these babies shipping, this will be an amazing camera. I would have preferred more actual innovation, but with the problems caused by recent natural disasters in Japan that may be unrealistic. Regarding the shipping date – you can bet that photographers credentialed for the Olympics in February will have these cameras in hand to test before the Olympics. I seriously doubt they’ll be widely available anywhere else for at least another month or even MANY months after that. In other words, don’t hold your breath.

We can’t know if ANY new camera will perform up to the specs, but I think it’s safe to say the Nikon faithful will be excited about the D4. I don’t see anything in the D4 that is likely to cause Canon shooters to want to jump ship and likewise, I don’t see anything in the 1DX that will seduce Nikon shooters. Only time will tell.

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As 2011 winds down I am getting ready to make my year-end picks for best-of in the photo industry. I already gave this season’s pick for camera of the year and now I continue with Photographic Educator of the Year.

Every year I make a list of the best photo educators I know. I am lucky because most of them are friends or at least associates. Every year one name rises to the very top of the list very quickly. This year again the obvious pick is Mr. Scott Kelby.

I just can’t find anyone who does more to educate photographers than Scott Kelby. His list of accomplishments is a mile long. He’s written too many books to count. If you count the electronic versions, hard cover versions, soft cover versions and online versions of his books they number in the hundreds. He’s the best-selling technical author in the world.

His books are universally helpful, enjoyable and accessible. But he doesn’t stop there. He’s behind the National Association of Photoshop Professionals, Kelbytraining.com, several photo podcasts, electronic and traditional print magazines, international photo walks, the amazing Photoshop World conferences, a helpful, free blog and dozens of public weekend workshops and seminars held around the world.

There’s no doubt that he’s the most prolific person I know. Now Scott is a very humble guy and he’d be the first to tell you he has a bunch of help. His entire crew is comprised of some of the most talented photographers, writers, teachers and thought-leaders in the industry. But there’s also no doubt that Scott Kelby is the glue that holds it all together.

Just when I think Scott has accomplished just about anything and everything he could, he launches another iPad app or another book or another project that helps photographers. I submit that no one person could actually find enough hours in a week to consume all the material that Scott creates. I should know. I tried – and failed. If you can’t consume it all can you imagine finding the time to create it all?

Scott Kelby has made the world a better place for photographers. Period. He happens to be one of the nicest, most humble guys around and won’t like all this attention but that’s tough – he deserves it.

I appreciate the work that Kelby Media Group does for photographers, and am extremely happy to announce Scott Kelby as my choice for Photographic Educator of the Year. Congratulations Scott and thanks for all you do.

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I rarely use this space for this sort of thing but it’s such a good deal I can’t resist. If you sign up for one paid month of AnimotoPro – the online service that turns your photos and videos into animated slide shows – then you will get another month free AND a copy of my new book, written with Skip Cohen, called Going Pro: How to Make the Leap from Aspiring to Professional Photographer.

Here’s a link to the Animoto offer: http://animoto.com/blog/photofocus-exclusive-offer/

Animoto Pro is $39 a month so if you take advantage of this offer, you’ll get a second month free AND a copy of my new book GoingPro.

This deal ends today and won’t be repeated. I am sorry for those of you who can’t take advantage now, but for those who can. Don’t delay. I love Animoto and really appreciate their support of Photofocus and my new book.

Thanks!

FINALLY! My new book with Skip Cohen – Going Pro: How to Make the Leap from Aspiring to Professional Photographer has started shipping.

Between us, Skip and I have had more than 10 books published. This book was easily the most important of any of those. Both Skip and I have been thinking about, planning, and working on this project for almost two years. We’ve interviewed dozens of photographers for input, gathered hundreds of salable images, built and maintained a blog featuring more than 400 free posts, recorded and published more than 50 podcasts, done a few webinars, responded to more than 1,500 audience questions and comments, held a national bootcamp workshop in New Jersey, maintained a dedicated Twitter account, vetted and recruited the best sponsors we can find and now – it all culminates in this book.

For all this hard work, Skip and I make about $1 each per book. Yep it’s true. Unless you’re famous like Stephen King, you don’t make much money writing books. We didn’t pour our hearts and souls into this project for the money. We did it for the most old-fashioned of reasons – we want to help.

For those of you who are thinking of becoming a professional photographer, or those who have recently (within the last two years) become a professional photographer, we’ve aimed this project directly at you. Additionally, professional photographers who are already out there and working, but who are just surviving rather than thriving, we also targeted this book at you.

We believe that we can help any professional or emerging professional photographer improve their business. We have both gone through a lot of hard work, pain, difficulties and challenges in life and we think we’ve learned a thing or two that will help you. We hold nothing back and share all of our secrets in the book. It’s written to help you succeed at the business of photography.

But we didn’t stop with our own experience. We went to our friends – some of the most accomplished and well-known professional photographers in the business, and we asked them for their help too. There are quotes, tips and photographs in this book from people like Vincent Laforet, Gregory Heisler, Stacy Pearsall, Kevin Kubota, Tamara Lackey, Nick Vedros, Chase Jarvis and many, many more. Even if you aren’t interested in what Skip and I have to say about this subject, you should be interested to hear what these amazing and successful photographers we’ve recruited to help us have to say. This book is as much about and by them as it is us. Our names are on the cover, but they contributed too. We are very grateful for their help on this project and through this journey.

This entire experience has already paid off for Skip and I and it goes beyond money. Our payment is in the satisfaction we get knowing we’ve helped hundreds of photographers already. We hope to help more photographers with the launch of this book. We feel like we’re rich already in the friendships and lifelong relationships we’ve both called upon and built during the authoring of this book, and we hope you’ll enjoy, respect, benefit and prosper by reading the result of all this work – by so many people.

If you are interested, you can order the book here at Going Pro: How to Make the Leap from Aspiring to Professional Photographer. It is in bookstores now and available from numerous online resellers. We’ll be making a few books available as prizes in some up-coming giveaways and trying to do everything we can to use this book to help more of you.

Thanks for supporting us and believing in us as we put this together. It’s been a long, sometimes hard road, but we’re excited to see where it leads. We hope you’ll come along for the rest of the ride.

Thanks

Scott Bourne for
Skip Cohen