Giving Back Photographs Needed!

Good morning everyone!

I hope you all had a great start to the week. This post is going to be short so you can get back to your favorite activities soon.

As you know we have been doing the giving back photograph challenge. Well now is the time to get all those photographs in. I have created a location where you can all upload your photographs too.

 https://www.dropbox.com/request/k5RzDFo7FBn7x8QbadLS 

I am going to create a web site location once we get all your photographs in so that we can start the peer appreciation.

If you have any questions or suggestions then please do not hesitate to contact me at denzilern@stu.aii.edu 

Thanks everyone.

Denzil

Getting Ready for Giving Back

Hello everyone,

As we start this month of August I just celebrated my 15th wedding anniversary, I got two weddings booked for this weekend and I am setting up an estimate to shoot some head shots for a law firm.

Now, please forgive me if you think I am bragging. This was not the case because just over 11 months ago I was in a completely different situation altogether. Back then I had just started my business. I was not sure how I was going to pay for my final year college and I had little to no money to keep my business moving forward. However, I had a plan. I had done my analysis (yes, you will doing a course like that as well, business plan included if you have not already completed it)  and I knew what was required of me. Roll up the sleeves and get to work.

I got started doing all the free Facebook postings and any free advertising that I could. I got my name out there, but nothing happened.... immediately. Yes, it takes time. I was in a place that was as far from my comfort zone as I could possibly get. I am sure that many of you have been or are in similar positions. Don't be stressful about that (if you can help it). I did my first giving back session a few years ago so I know what it feels like and that was the give start that I needed to get the momentum going.

As we all get ready for giving back this month of August, I know that there are quite a few of you out there that might be very hesitant or even unsure about approaching such an intimidating task.

We all want to be great leaders in our community by been able to give back. However, as I found out there was so much that I needed for myself and my business that I never thought about giving back. I was the person in need. Why should I be giving back when I am struggling so much?  I needed to pay my bills, I needed to get my business up and running, find money for marketing and where to find customers? These are daunting tasks as you try and get your business moving forward.

We all have life's challenges to overcome and I can honestly say that I was very intimidated whenever I had to do something that took me outside my comfort zone. This was the event that added the momentum to my business that I needed.

Last week I spoke about been prepared for your shoot. You made contact and now you are ready to get going. If you are just starting out and this is the first time that you have ever done something like this, then do not panic. We are here to help. Here are a few helpful pointers I think will keep you moving forward.

1. Don't be scared to get a NO. It only means you are moving closer to getting that YES!! 
2. Make a list. Make sure you have a time table of events and things that are needed to accomplish. As you move through your day keep checking that you got each point done. It is not so much about getting the points done, but rather, if it is your first time, it gives you a structure around which you can work. At the end of the day you can break it down and see what worked and what did not work.
3. Make sure you speak to someone about what you are doing. They can be a your best friend, father, mother or anybody that you trust. They will give you some sound advice and maybe even some personal experience stories. That is what it is all about. We are all going to be doing the same thing this month so don't be afraid to reach out to any of your peers. That is what we are here for. We would love to help if it is at all possible. I am in the Boston area. If you need my assistance then please reach out. 
4. Look at this session as an opportunity to grow your photographic EMPIRE!! I always think big. It makes me feel better and I know I can still dream. I know it will do the same for you. There are so many small things that go into running a great session. This is just a great platform for you to get the exposure in the marketplace as a photographer. 
5. Finally, have some fun. Make sure you use some of the tips I mentioned last week. to ensure that you have a great day. If you come away from the day making just one person happy then I can say with confidence that you have made an impact and accomplished what we intended from this August photo experience.

Now, don't forget to send us your photographs. We would love to see where you have gone and the photographs that you have taken. I know we will be creating a great compilation from all the best photographs and you will have the opportunity, in the coming months,  to get your hands on a copy of all the winning photographs. 

Stay tuned here to see what we have in store for you.

In closing I wanted to leave you with an article I found while reading the Success web site. It is all about starting your own photography business. Written by Kelsey Humphreys it is all about how Jeremy Cowart, some of his lessons that he doles out and insights into his photography empire. 

More on Jeremy Cowart

Have a great week and I am really looking forward to seeing all your photographs. #aipodvolunteer 

Denzil

Giving Back Update

Good Morning everyone.

I am sure so many of you have already reached out to your community, thinking about something that you could do in giving back to the community.

Yes it is a great way to help a company that might not have the skills or even the budget to raise funds for their cause. They might just be starting out or the work they do might not be as glamorous or exciting as everyone would like them to be.

The reason we give back is first and foremost to help a cause that we believe in. Don't ask a company with the sole intention of you been the only beneficiary. How can you use your craft to better help the company that you are photographing increase their presence in the market place? How can you make their lives better? Are you able to raise additional funds for the business?

If you can help them answer just one of those questions then I am sure you are making a difference.

Now, if you have not found something to contribute to then may I suggest you send a message or post through Facebook. I sent such a post through Facebook just over a month ago and a client I just photographed forwarded the post to someone that they knew and that is how I found my first charity organization.

A director from the Schwartz Organization  sent me an email and wanted to know if I was available to photograph one of their gala evening presentations.

Well, if this is the first time that you are giving back to the community it might be the ideal way to see how everything works with regards to giving back. I asked them what they required? They wanted a few photographs of all the people attending and that is all that they required. It was a simple yet easy way to get myself some exposure.

Now the important question you need to ask when you are doing something for the community. The question is not "How can I benefit from something like this?" The question you need to ask is ,

"Is their a way I can leverage your event to let people know about me as a photographer?" You can always phrase the words a little better. (I know I am not the best with words.) But by asking this question you are ensuring that you get something from doing some photographs for the event.

The response that I got was, "There are going to be about 350 gift basket for all those that donated to the organization and you can add your promotional cards to that basket." That is just what I wanted. I got to add one of my professionally made postcards with some of my best photographs on it, into a gift basket of some of the more generous donors in the community.

I was getting access to a marketing list that is not often available to a local photographer. Don't you think that that is worth 2 hours of your time?

So, I recommend you try Facebook or any other form of social networking to find some contacts. You will never know what will come from it. It is a great place to start and the important part of this exercise is making contacts. You are building your database of contacts for the future.

So have fun out there and don't worry too much about find the perfect charity or organization, but rather find an organization where you know you can make the most impact no matter what it is.

Happy shooting and we will speak again soon.

Denzil

Choosing the right charity for Art Giving Back August

I am sure the first time you picked up your camera the people begging you to shoot them started pouring in.  However, not all charity work is the right kind of charity work.  Now don't get me wrong I'm the first to tell you if I actually had the time I would take on every single charity I could find but the reality is we all only have so many hours in a day.  So that means that we have to be selective on what charity work you choose to shoot.  There is nothing wrong with choosing the charity that in some way pays you back. In fact, that is what I'm going to advise you too do.

When looking for a charity here are a few things to consider.

             1. Do I have time to take on the specific job this charity needs?

             2. Is this a charity that I am personally passionate about?

             3. What will I earn by shooting this charity.

I know that number 3 is going to be the one that will be hard to think about at first but you should be earning something from your decision to shoot that specific charity.  It doesn't have to be money.  I'll give you an example of a charity that I have shot for that has paid me back in different ways.

          Future Pro-Skater - Sikes Houlahan exhibits at the AE Art Complex in Canton, OH

If you look at the photograph above it is a bit noisy which I wanted it to be because I was testing out a new camera.   I was pushing it to it's limits to see how much noise it had at over 12,000 ISO. Testing this new equipment to its limits using a F/4.5 lens was part of my payment. Let me explain.

I always look for great charities. As  mentioned, Art giving back is very important to me as is helping our my local artist community.  One of the local band members invited me to a charity event at the AE Industrial Art Complex in Canton. The show was an charity art show where 70 artists had decorated skateboards.  They were featuring skateboarding in the building as well as bands.  This is actually a long event but with 3 special dates during that event with charity auctions, bands, and skaters.

I love extreme sports so they had me at art and skaters. When I talked to the owner of the AE Art Complex to confirm he was OK with me coming down to shoot I realized it was a very dark location. Since I frequently shoot in low light I decided it was the perfect time to test out a new camera I wanted to try.  So I was already getting something besides the chance to get some cool shots I could share back with the charity.

When I got there I fell in love with the interior of the building.  It is an old warehouse but one that has some great bits to it. This great wall behind the skater was painted that day by owner who is also an artist.  They have this funky wooden house they have built inside the building that you can actually go inside but that they hang art work on.  They have a great vintage wooden bar with bar stools and the mirrors behind it.  Plus they also just have some empty spaces.

I immediately thought to myself I want to shoot in here. I want to bring in models and shoot. Not only does it have great spaces but it also has areas where I could build my own sets and it's heated in the wintertime.  Before I left I told the owner Matt that  I   love his building.  I told him I'd love to bring in models and shoot in here. He said well you are welcome to come shoot here anytime you want. He told me they used to have a photographer who came in but she decided she thought it was dirty. I said are you kidding me. I love the grungy feel. I said I want to shoot like ball gowns in here! He laughed and told me it was my space anytime I needed it.

So my second reward from this charity shoot was making a great contact and getting a great space to shoot in.  I can see using his space alone or as a joint venture often. There is always artist there working which I love to shoot too.

The 3rd benefit for both him and I happened last week. This photograph is the only photograph I have shown him so far as I've been very busy shooting football.  He asked me if he could use the photograph in the flyer for their next event.  Now on one hand at this point I could have asked for pay yes, but remember this is a charity event and I've already earned a few things from this.  I said sure if you can toss me a copy of your flyer and give me credit in it, it is all yours.  He said awesome we are putting it in Pulp Culture Magazine which is a Cleveland Magazine.  I of course told him that would be great.

It doesn't hurt the charity I was helping with any of the 3 ways I got paid for helping them with photography.  Other charities I have shot for have included free meals and other magazine credits. I shoot our local Santa Breakfast which is great for exposure in our community even if it doesn't pay as much as I could earn shooting somewhere else.

Art giving back doesn't have to cost you anything but your time and it can pay you back in many rewarding ways!  So I challenge you to each find something amazing that pays you back in some way for our Art giving back August Photo Challenge!

I can't wait to see what you shot when you post your charity photos in September!

Jessi