Congratulations October Monthly Photo Contest Winner: Matt Lewis

Image by M. Lewis

Congratulations Matt for winning October's monthly photo assignment contest! The theme was HIGH NOON. Matt gets to choose November's topic, and I will post his choice on Sunday.

This Weekend: Editing Family Portraits; Shooting Engagement Party

This will be another busy weekend for me with two heavy hitting projects that must be completed. All day Saturday, I will be editing photos from the family portrait session I held last weekend with the Newell family.



It was a very tricky session trying to make sure the little boys were always looking and smiling at the camera at the same time for more formally posed shots. I think I had more success capturing candid moments like this one where the boys truly came alive while playing with natural elements in the park including the river and fallen autumn leaves.



Then Saturday night, I will shooting Kim and Michael's engagement party at a Denver-area event center. Besides capturing the highlights of the night, including dancing and toasting and speeches, I will need to complete a shot list of specific guests and Colorado residents who will not be able to make the trip to the actual wedding that will be held next year in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

Get the Job Done: The Value of the Impulse Buy During Presentation

Kim and Mike's Favorite of the Set

During the presentation of my first set of engagement portraits on Sunday, I discovered the value of the "impulse buy," and how it can be used to generate more print sales.

An "impulse buy" is a spontaneous purchase of an item that a shopper hadn't planned on buying. According to a survey conducted by The Yankee Group, shoppers are driven to make an impulse purchase by a "special sale price," free shipping and holiday or seasonal promotions. Other studies have long assumed that impulse buying happens at the cash register, which is why many small items such as batteries, candy, magazines and mints can be found on display racks or on the counters around cash registers in retail stores. I think I unwittingly tapped into that unconscious buying pattern by having prints available for purchase during the presentation.


My favorite of the set

When Kim and Michael arrived to my home to see the photos I had taken of them for their upcoming engagement party, several of my favorite photos had been printed out in 8x10s and displayed to tell the story of their romance fueled by outdoor activities including bicycling and skiing. The prints included with a laptop photo slide show set to a play list of love songs made quiet the impression.

It was the first time I had printed images from the KODAK ESP 3 All-in-One Printer I had received to review for my job at the Denver Post. To be honest, I didn't have high expectations of the prints thinking they wouldn't look nearly as good as anything I'm used to getting from the professional printers at Wolf Camera. To that end, I didn't feel comfortable selling them at full price, and I told the couple that if they purchased any prints that same evening, I would sell them for a discounted prices -- 8x10s for $10 and 4x6 for $2.50. After that, the price would go back up to $15 for 8x10s and so forth if Wolf or my online printing service did the work later.



As you can guess, the couple brought nearly all the prints and I made an extra $85 that night. That may not seem like a lot of money, but imagine how much more I might have made if I had other products on hand during the presentation, including more prints or even announcements for their party. I'm learning that accessibility and convenience are important to clients and make it easier for me to earn extra money too. I've already found out the hard way that the chances of securing additional print packages decrease unless you include them in upfront costs. So this could be another business strategy to spur more sales.

Get Out There: Election Day in America!

OK, so maybe this little girl is a little too young to vote, but I'm totally digging the idea of her father teaching her at such an impressionable age why this civic duty is so important.

If you haven't done so already (I voted early last week) please vote today. At this point I don't even care who you vote for (well, actually I do, but I'll keep that to myself) just as long as your voice is heard when your ballot is counted. Leave it to Aaron Johnson, the creator of the photocentric online comic strip 'What the Duck," to throw some humor on the topic.

VOTE NOW: October Photo Assignment

Please vote now for your favorite interpretation of October's photo assignment topic: HIGH NOON!

You have until Friday to cast your vote. The winner will choose November's topic. Good luck to everyone who submitted a photo.

Saturday Morning Cartoons

Enjoy today's installment of Aaron Johnson's photocentric comic strip "What the Duck." The popular comic is celebrating it's 2nd year anniversary. Congratulations Aaron! And thank you for encouraging me and others to seek comfort in our sense of humor when the ebbs and flows of the photography business threaten to overwhelm us. The comic is available now for syndication as "W.T. Duck," appearing in a local newspaper near you!

Get Caught Doing It!

Here is a picture of me my buddy Paul, of AM/PM Photography, took of me the night of the Denver Zombie Crawl 2008. I desperately wanted to participate in the event as well as take pictures of it. I debated whether I should dress up as a zombie or put a duct-tape "X" on my chest so I could be "attacked" and "turned." But worry about having something bad happen to my camera ate away at my insides (pun intended). So instead, I asked someone along the parade route if they could make me look like a zombie. A woman whipped out some red lipstick and went to work on me. I think I look great. What do you think? I am sticking my tongue out because I am a new zombie, and I have yet to acquire the taste for brains. Brains nasty! ;)

Happy Halloween Shutterbugs!