This document is the April 2008 issue of Professional Photographer magazine. It features articles on portrait photographers Allison and Jeff Rodgers, Kerry Brett, Tim Kelly, and Michael and Leslie Artis-Gan. It also includes reviews of products from Canon, Manfrotto, and Collages.net. The issue highlights award-winning photographs from the PPA Loan Collection and provides information on PPA events and members.
3. Manfrotto. 100% Carbon Fiber.
Enough said.
Up to
$50 Rebate
on Manfrotto!
For details, go to
www.bogenimaging.us/promotions
To locate a Manfrotto dealer with products on display
and in stock Go2 www.bogenimaging.us 100% carbon fiber tubes
Manfrotto US subsidiary: Bogen Imaging Inc. 201 818 9500 Magnesium die castings
www.bogenimaging.us info@bogenimaging.com Quick central column system
4.
5. CONTENTS PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER | APRIL 2008
Features
86 DESIGNING DUO
Allison & Jeff Rodgers bring
ad agency service to studio clients
by Jeff Kent
94 BRILLIANT
A glittering gallery by the
Diamond Photographers
of the Year
by Jeff Kent
66 PORTRAITS: JOY RIDE
Michael Gan & Leslie Artis-Gan:
It’s a pleasure to be creative for a living
by Stephanie Boozer
72 PORTRAITS: BOLD BLACK AND WHITE
Portraitist Kerry Brett brands
her distinctive style
by Lorna Gentry
82 PORTRAITS: CLASSIC BEAUTY
Portraitist Tim Kelly shares the
secrets of his success
by Lorna Gentry
IMAGE BY ALLISON RODGERS PHOTOGRAPHY
10. P ROF E S S I ONA L
EDITORIAL
director of publications
CAMERON BISHOPP
cbishopp@ppa.com
senior editor art director/production manager
JOAN SHERWOOD DEBBIE TODD
jsherwood@ppa.com dtodd@ppa.com
Investigative reporting features editor
LESLIE HUNT
manager, publications and
sales/strategic alliances
KARISA GILMER
THE VALUE OF A GOOD Q&A SESSION lhunt@ppa.com kgilmer@ppa.com
editor-at-large sales and marketing assistant
What a client wants and what a client says she wants can be two JEFF KENT CHERYL PEARSON
different things. jkent@ppa.com cpearson@ppa.com
technical editors
In journalism, there are fundamental questions every story is
ANDREW RODNEY, ELLIS VENER
supposed to answer: who, what, when, where, why and how. If the
director of sales and strategic alliances
reporter can elicit the answers to these six questions, he’s armed SCOTT HERSH, 610-966-2466, shersh@ppa.com
with the facts he needs to write the full story. western region ad manager
BART ENGELS, 847-854-8182, bengels@ppa.com
The idea of a thorough question-and-answer session applies to eastern region ad manager
portrait photographers as well, at least those interested in SHELLIE JOHNSON, 404-522-8600, x279, sjohnson@ppa.com
circulation consultant
maximizing every sale. MOLLIE O’SHEA, moshea@ppa.com
Most clients aren’t familiar with the dramatic strides in por- editorial offices
Professional Photographer
trait-making in the last few years, and the plethora of new media 229 Peachtree Street NE, Suite 2200, Atlanta, GA 30303-1608 U.S.A.
and photo products now available. They need the photographer’s 404-522-8600; FAX: 404-614-6406
Professional Photographer (ISSN 1528-5286) is published monthly
expertise to walk them through the selections. To provide true subscriptions
counsel, you have to know not only what the client wants, Professional Photographer
P.O. Box 2035, Skokie, IL 60076; 800-742-7468;
but what he really needs. You have to put on your reporter’s cap FAX 404-614-6406; email: ppmag@halldata.com; Web site: www.ppmag.com
and find out. member services
PPA - Professional Photographer
“When clients come in, I ask a thousand questions about who 800-786-6277; FAX 301-953-2838; e-mail: csc@ppa.com; www.ppa.com
they are and what they’re looking for,” says Allison Rodgers, who, Send all advertising materials to: Debbie Todd, Professional Photographer,
5431 E. Garnet, Mesa, AZ 85206; 480-807-4391; FAX: 480-807-4509
along with her husband, Jeff, runs a successful studio in Olive, Miss.
Subscription rates/information: U.S.: $27, one year; $45, two years;
“I want to see the color palette of their house, the layout, the style. $66, three years. Canada: $43, one year; $73, two years; $108, three years.
International: $39.95, one year digital subscription.
We look into all of these elements so that we can provide a solution
Back issues/Single copies $7 U.S.; $10 Canada; $15 International.
that fits them.” PPA membership includes $13.50 annual subscription.
Subscription orders/changes: Send to Professional Photographer, Attn: Circulation
The Rodgers, profiled on p. 86, are both former art directors,
Dept., P.O. Box 2035, Skokie, IL 60076; 800-742-7468;
and accustomed to demanding corporate clients. Their experience FAX 404-614-6406; email: ppmag@halldata.com; Web site: www.ppmag.com.
Periodicals postage paid in Atlanta, Ga., and additional mailing offices.
in the rough-and-tumble advertising world taught them how to
Postmaster: Send address changes to Professional Photographer magazine,
anticipate their clients’ requirements. P.O. Box 2035, Skokie, IL 60076
Copyright 2008, PPA Publications & Events, Inc. Printed in U.S.A.
In the end, says Allison, “It’s about helping people understand
Article reprints: Contact Professional Photographer reprint coordinator at
what they need.” And isn’t that the most effective sales strategy Wrights’s Reprints; 1-877-652-5295.
Microfilm copies: University Microfilms International,
there is? �
300 North Zeeb Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48106
Professional Photographer (ISSN 1528-5286) is published monthly for $27 per year by PPA
Publications and Events, Inc., 229 Peachtree Street, NE, Suite 2200, International Tower, Atlanta,
Cameron Bishopp
GA 30303-1608. Periodicals postage paid at Atlanta, Ga., and additional mailing offices.
cbishopp@ppa.com Acceptance of advertising does not carry with it endorsement by the publisher. Opinions expressed
by Professional Photographer or any of its authors do not necessarily reflect positions of
Director of Publications
Professional Photographers of America, Inc. Professional Photographer, official journal of the
Professional Photographers of America, Inc., is the oldest exclusively professional photographic
publication in the Western Hemisphere (founded 1907 by Charles Abel, Hon.M.Photog.), incorporating
Abel’s Photographic Weekly, St. Louis & Canadian Photographer, The Commercial Photographer,
The National Photographer, Professional Photographer, and
Professional Photographer Storytellers. Circulation audited and
verified by BPA Worldwide
10 • www.ppmag.com
12. chairman of the board DOUG BOX DANA GROVES
*JACK REZNICKI M.Photog.Cr., API Director of Marketing &
Cr.Photog., Hon.M.Photog., API dbox@ppa.com Communications
jreznicki@ppa.com dgroves@ppa.com
DON MACGREGOR
Professional Photographers directors M.Photog.Cr., API SCOTT HERSH
of America DON DICKSON dmacgregor@ppa.com Director of Sales &
229 Peachtree St., NE, Suite 2200 M.Photog.Cr., CPP Strategic Alliances
Atlanta, GA 30303-1608 ddickson@ppa.com industry advisor shersh@ppa.com
404-522-8600; 800-786-6277 KEVIN CASEY
FAX: 404-614-6400 SANDY (SAM) PUC’ kcasey@ppa.com J. ALEXANDER HOPPER
www.ppa.com Director of Membership,
M.Photog.Cr., CPP, ABI
spuc@ppa.com Copyright and Government
legal counsel Affairs
2008-2009 PPA board
Howe and Hutton, ahopper@ppa.com
president RALPH ROMAGUERA, SR. Chicago
*DENNIS CRAFT M.Photog.Cr., CPP, API, F-ASP
WILDA OKEN
M.Photog.Cr., CPP, rromaguera@ppa.com
Director of Administration
API, F-ASP PPA staff
woken@ppa.com
dcraft@ppa.com CAROL ANDREWS DAVID TRUST
M.Photog.Cr., ABI Chief Executive Officer LENORE TAFFEL
vice president candrews@ppa.com trustd@ppa.com Director of Events/Education
*RON NICHOLS ltaffel@ppa.com
M.Photog.Cr., API SUSAN MICHAL SCOTT KURKIAN
rnichols@ppa.com M.Photog.Cr., CPP, ABI Chief Financial Officer SANDRA LANG
smichal@ppa.com skurkian@ppa.com Executive Assistant
treasurer slang@ppa.com
*LOUIS TONSMEIRE TIMOTHY WALDEN CAMERON BISHOPP
Cr.Photog., API M.Photog.Cr., F-ASP Director of Publications *Executive Committee
ltonsmeire@ppa.com twalden@ppa.com cbishopp@ppa.com of the Board
“Melancoly” by Joseph and Louise Simone
12 • www.ppmag.com
15. Introducing New Square Albums and Books
to the Miller’s Line
With Innovative LayFlat Functionality and 18 Different Colorful Cover Options
www.millerslab.com 800.835.0603
19. See more of Sandro’s awe-inspiring D3™ images at stunningnikon.com/challenge.
The revolutionary new Nikon D3 will change the way you shoot sports or action of any kind. With a 12.1
megapixel FX-format CMOS sensor, 9 fps speed at full FX resolution, and incredibly low noise even at ISO
6400, the Nikon D3 means you’ll never again have to choose between blazing speed or brilliant image
quality, particularly in low light situations. In the words of Nikon Pro Sandro, “There’s nothing more I
could possibly have asked of this camera. I’m absolutely blown away.” The Nikon D3. Do the undoable.
Brainerd Int’l Raceway. Dusk. Turn 8. 1/5000 of a sec. f/4 ISO 6400. NIKKOR® 14-24mm f/2.8 Lens.
21. For the better part of two decades, Jim Reed orologically it’s a battleground for atmos-
has lived on the edge of a tempest. That’s pheric conflict.”
not a metaphor. Reed is a world-renowned From a photographic perspective, Reed
storm chaser and award-winning weather relishes the opportunity to interact with
photographer who has witnessed the fury of nature and produce jaw-dropping
countless floods, blizzards, tornadoes, and “atmospheric portraits.” From a social and
hurricanes. His work has appeared in environmental perspective, he enjoys
National Geographic, Nikon World, The knowing his work can affect our perception
New York Times, Reader’s Digest, and Time, of nature. “I am convinced that we’re
and the Web sites of the National Oceanic moving into a period of increased frequency
and Atmospheric Administration and the of harsh weather challenges. I’ve learned
World Meteorological Organization. Reed that if you are not prepared, not engaged
is also the author of “Storm Chaser: A Pho- with nature, there will be traumatic results.
tographer’s Journey,” winner of widespread Photography plays a critical role in helping
critical acclaim. people realize what’s going on around them,
Reed’s career began in Los Angeles as a and motivating them to learn to adapt.”
filmmaker and writer, working on a variety
of commercial projects. But his childhood To see more of Jim Reed’s weather
fascination with weather began to reassert photography, and for information on
his book, “Storm Chaser,” visit
its pull, as televised coverage of severe www.jimreedphoto.com.
weather became more immediate, and he
began shadowing weather researchers.
Well before the movie Twister thrilled
audiences with the tumultuous life of
storm chasing, Reed had secured a niche
documenting extreme weather. In the early
’90s, with a spate of severe weather lashing
across the country, Reed turned his focus to
the skies full time. While everyone else
was running for shelter, he stepped into
the maelstrom.
Reed moved from Los Angeles to
Wichita, Kan., in 1992 and set up a weather
photography operation. He chases storms,
journeys to major weather events, and sells
his images to the media and stock and fine
art houses. “Kansas is amazing because of
how energized people are in terms of talking
about these life-changing storms,” says
Reed. “And Kansas is at the geographic
center of the United States, and as the
crossroads of weather patterns, mete-
23. PHOTO BOOKS
Tell your story with a Photo Book from Mpix. Our new Custom Hard Covers give
you complete freedom to add vibrant, colorful images to the front and back of
your book. Now your story starts before you even reach page 1.
TX.
Image courtesy of Sallee Photogaphy, Dallas,
Visit www.mpix.com to see our full line of photographic and press products.
27. Smart
Transceiver
NEW PocketWizard PLUS II
Triggers your flash, camera
or both wirelessly from up to 1,600 feet away.
Auto-Sensing Transceiver Technology
Automatically Transmits or Receives for
faster, easier, carefree wireless triggering.
Auto-Relay mode
Wirelessly triggers a remote camera
and a remote flash at the same time.
Fast Triggering Speed
Triggers cameras and/or flash units
up to 12 frames per second.
Digital Wireless Radio Technology
Four 16-bit digitally coded channels
provide the world’s best
triggering performance.
The Plus II joins Profoto, Dyna-Lite, Profoto, Norman, PocketWizard Sekonic
Norman Packs and and Photogenic Plus II L-758DR
the growing system
Battery Packs Monoblocs MultiMax L-358
of photographic A built-in radio A built-in radio Trigger your flash, Choose which
products with built-in receiver provides receiver provides cameras or both flash unit to trigger
wireless triggering wireless triggering without wires from the and measure
PocketWizard simultaneously and
from a PocketWizard from a PocketWizard palm of your hand.
Wireless Freedom. Transmitter and Transmitter and even fire your camera.
Ask for these brands. wireless metering. wireless metering.
Wireless Radio Triggering
9 1 4 - 3 4 7 - 3 3 0 0
PocketWizard.com
31. Why Choose Collages.net’s Print and Bind Album Solution?
Quality: Each album is carefully handcrafted and
meticulously reviewed. You can be confident that
Collages.net will deliver you nothing less than a
perfect product – every time.
Innovation: Collages.net developed an innovative
album solution, perfect for filling a variety of studio
needs – from wedding albums to guest books to
maternity albums.
Savings: With Collages.net, you will save time and
money letting one vendor take care of your print
and bind needs, and with our online ordering system, Collages.net albums feature the smallest page break in
the industry (1mm) and incredible lay-flat properties.
you will experience workflow ease.
Customer Service: You will receive the same live,
knowledgeable, and dedicated customer service
you have come to expect at Collages.net.
For more information, visit
www.collages.net/albums or contact
Customer Service at (877) 638-7468
30% OFF
STUDIO or customerservice@collages.net.
SAMPLES
Albums | High-End Cards | Gallery Wraps | Press Printed Books | Professional Printing
Check out Collages.net’s comprehensive product line at www.collages.net/products.
32. Have you always dreamed of seeing your work on the cover of a national magazine?
Here’s your chance! Beginning March 1, 2008, submit your photographs for an
opportunity to be featured on the cover of Professional Photographer.
Contest Rules & Judging: Images will be submitted must be original and previously un- How to enter: Go to www.ppmag.com to
judged on technical and artistic merit. Helping published, and you must have written releases enter. Only digital files will be accepted. Print
Professional Photographer magazine editors on file from any subjects pictured in the image. images and e-mailed images will NOT be
choose the best entries will be guest judge accepted. Upload your electronic images to
Helen K. Yancy, M.Photog.M.Artist.MEI.Cr.Hon. Prizes: In addition to landing the cover of a www.ppmag.com.
M.Photog., CPP, F-ASP, Hon. F-ASP, the chair- 2008 edition of Professional Photographer, the
man of PPA’s Print Exhibition Committee. winner will be awarded a selection of prizes Format/Specifications: Submit low-resolution
from among our cover photo contest sponsors, images only, in standard digital formats (.jpg,
You may submit as many images as you wish, Bogen, Canon, Kodak, Microsoft and Miller’s .pdf, etc.). Images should be 525x700 pixels;
provided they are representative of the work Professional Imaging. Prizes will also be file size can’t be more than 250k. A high-reso-
you sell to your clients. What we’re seeking awarded to 2nd-, 3rd-, 4th- and 5th-place win- lution, print-quality version (300ppi at 9x12
are real-world examples of portrait, wedding, ners, and as many as 25 entrants will receive inches) must be available for each image.
commercial and event photography. All work prizes for honorable mention.
GO TO PPMAG.COM TO ENTER
Submission deadline: Saturday, May 31, 2008
33. Professional Photographer P R E S E N T S Business, Marketing and Sales Strategies
What I think
Allison Rodgers raises a
family of loyal clients
What do you wish you knew when you were first start-
ing out? I wish I had invested in studio management
software to manage the mass of information I gathered.
Once you develop a client base, one of the most
important things you can do is nurture that list.
You can’t do it with sticky notes.
What’s the biggest business risk you’ve ever taken?
In November 2005 we moved into a 3,000-square-
foot building with triple the rent of our previous
two-location setup. I wanted to get all of us into
one place so we could work as a unit with room to
grow. And guess what—we grew! We added
framing and three more employees. It was a big
risk, but it’s been so worth it.
What’s your deal breaker? When parents try to run
my child portrait sessions.
What’s the secret to running a successful photog-
raphy business? We always say that things change
every six months. We are constantly re-evaluating
and putting new things in place to make the
experience of Allison Rodgers Photography better.
You have to figure out what your clients’ needs are
and meet them. Go above and beyond. Create an
environment for your clients where they feel like
they’re the most important client you have. And,
most important, be generous with your time and
your talent. Being generous will help you create a
family of clients that will be forever loyal.
IMAGE BY ALLISON RODGERS
PHOTOGRAPHY
WWW.ALLISONRODGERS.COM
April 2008 • Professional Photographer • 33
40. PROFIT CENTER
Having a Web site is no longer an option in
E-MAIL MARKETING
business. Besides showing off your beautiful BEST PRACTICES
images, you can make your site pay off big time. E-mail marketing these days isn’t as
BY KAMMY THURMAN simple as putting together a list and
sending e-mails. Internet service providers
Tap the power
and spam filters use sophisticated
techniques to protect users from spam. If
you don’t follow the rules or know what
to include in your text—like an opt-out
option and your contact information—
YOUR WEB SITE CAN BE AN AUTOMATED MARKETING MACHINE your mail might never find the inbox, or
worse, you could be blacklisted as a
spammer. Asking your readers to add
With some 77 percent of American adults on beautiful images; now it’s time to fully tap the your e-mail address or domain to their
the Internet, it’s more than important to have power of the Web as a marketing machine. address book or allowed-sender list will
an effective Web site. It’s necessary. “If you’re Statistics show that fewer than 1 percent also help you avoid their spam filter. You
not on the ’Net, it’s as if you don’t exist,” of Web surfers ever return to a site unless want e-mail recipients to see you as a
says marketing expert Ilise Benun. “It’s not they have a special reason. How can you give welcome visitor to their inbox, not a
just the tech-savvy who expect you to have them a reason to return? nuisance. Reputable automatic responder
a Web site, these days it’s almost everyone.” Here are five pointers on boosting the services can guide you in adhering to
Professional photographers have risen marketing power of your site by as much Internet requirements for responsible e-
to the challenge with sophisticated sites and as 72 percent: mail practices. If you prefer to try it on
your own, enter “e-mail marketing best
practices” in your preferred search engine
and do your homework first.
—Joan Sherwood, Senior Editor
• Use your site to begin a relationship.
On average, a mere 2 percent of the prospects
who visit a studio’s site will decide to book a
session right then and there. Most visitors
are researching, trying to get a feel for the
photographer behind the site and looking
for a good reason to call you—or not.
Once they leave, you have no way to
continue the relationship with 98 percent of
your visitors, who could be perfectly wonderful
clients. Since most people need to hear from
a marketer seven to 10 times before buying,
you need to find a way to keep in touch.
On every page of your site, put an e-mail capture form “above the fold” where people are sure to see it. • Give potential clients a good reason to
40 • www.ppmag.com
41. Serious Photography Demands a Serious Lab
Red hot photograph by Michelle Reed.
Michelle is the owner of Michelle Reed Photography.
She is also a long-time CPQ customer and our most
recently featured photographer here at cpq.com.
Please visit our web site today to see more of Michelle’s
exciting work and to see why such incredible
photography finds a comfortable home with CPQ.
CPQ Professional Imaging Lab TRY CPQ - ABSOLUTELY FREE!
800.537.8399 Call us or visit our website to sign up for
www.cpq.com a free account and a complimentary $50
credit, good toward your first order with CPQ.
ppa0408
42. PROFIT CENTER
sign up for your newsletter, invite her to seven to 10 messages over a 30-day period
request a specific article, report, photography after the first visit, followed by regular
and posing tips or a free premium, and say contact at least once a month.
you’ll give her your monthly newsletter, too. You can use these messages—also called
That’s two valuable items in exchange for auto-responders—to talk about how the cus-
her name and address. tomer will benefit from your services, to deliver
You’ll want to have an e-mail management a short e-course or your e-newsletter, and
program on your Web site, where visitors can seasonal promotions. Just don’t make them
leave their contact info and ask questions. Don’t all sales messages—remember the content
have her just send you an e-mail to request needs to be high-value (80 percent high-
the premium, or you’ll waste gargantuan value to 20 percent selling is a healthy mix).
amounts of time sending out premiums to • Put your message-writing self on
one person at a time. I suggest subscribing to autopilot. Schedule the time to sit down and
an e-mail capture system like Constant write your messages once a month, or even
Offer something of value to the prospect in Contact (www.constantcontact.com) or AWeber once a year, choose how often you want
exchange for their contact information. It’s a
good idea to do this for each product line, as (www.aweber.com). I find AWeber easy to use, them sent, then forget about them and
you’ll have a different target market for each. and it has effective safeguards against spam. concentrate on your photography.
You can create a form for your site to cap-
return to your site. I’ve seen many top-notch ture prospects’ contact info, which is then
sites with absolutely gorgeous images that show housed on the capture provider’s server.
the photographer’s best work. But what about (AWeber has tutorials that show you how to
the potential client? create the forms.) A few minutes after your visi-
Put yourself in her shoes. She’s been tor fills out the e-mail form, she receives your
checking out the sites of studios in her area premium and a thank-you note automatically.
to see which best fits her needs. After looking • Stay in touch with prospects and cus-
at a dozen or two other sites, what will tomers. It’s one of the most important aspects When someone gives their e-mail address, you
receive a notice with all the info you ask for in the
motivate her to call you instead of another of marketing, and also one of the hardest. A e-mail capture form. This is the info we capture on
studio with a beautiful site? You have to program like AWeber can simplify the task. our contact page. You now also have their snail
mail info so you can send direct mail promos, too.
offer something that will elevate your value You can write multiple messages and store
over the others. As non-artistic as it sounds, them in the program until you want them
the something needs to be information, sent. A good timeline seems to be sending Statistics show that continued contact
enough useful information to make the viewer with site visitors brings them back again
comfortable with deciding to call you. and again, increasing sales by as much as 72
Our studio Web site routinely lands new percent. At that rate, isn’t it worth taking
clients who tell us they chose us because of all another look at the marketing opportunities
the information we provided. They feel they lurking within your Web site? �
know us by the time they call, and that gives
us the opportunity to differentiate ourselves Kammy Thurman is a direct-marketing
copywriter and consultant, and co-owner of
from our competitors in a number of ways.
Anchor Photography in Laurel, Mont. For
• Give high-value information in exchange We send premiums (free gifts) of interest to the more marketing strategies, read her free
for the potential client’s contact information; specific target market for each of our product “Photography Marketing Report: 15 Ways to
lines. These should all be created before offering Boost Your Marketing Return—Without
this is a marketing technique called reciprocity. them online, or you’ll spend a lot of time trying Increasing Your Marketing Budget,” at
Instead of asking your potential client to merely to catch up when people start requesting them. www.anchorcreative.com
42 • www.ppmag.com
48. NEW WEBINARS (online seminars)
PPA and SMS are bringing education to you, and Plus, you can watch the archived
all you need is a computer and the Internet. Keep versions at your convenience. Just visit
watching your inboxes for information on live the Events section of PPA.com and click
business webinars about: on Webinars to reach:
ß Marketing ß Income Tax Strategies
ß Financial Planning ß Pricing for Profit
ß Managerial Accounting ß The Art of Pricelists
ß Top Performing Studios ß QuickBooks: Getting Started
ß Starting a Photography Business ß And more…
ß Business Basics
ß Sales
ß And more…
3�DAY BUSINESS PLAN WORKSHOP NEW BOOKKEEPING SERVICES
With Carol Andrews, Ann Monteith and Sarah Petty Behind on your bookkeeping? Our
Now’s your chance to increase profitability and Bookkeeping Program can help! With
receive instruction on essential elements for competitive pricing and programs tailored to
business success (in both group settings and meet your studio’s individual needs, SMS can
one-on-one consultations). help ease your headaches and get your studio
ß June 9-11 off to a great start.
ß Call Eric Hathaway
800.339.5451, ext. 240
for more information.
Classes fill up fast…Register today.
Professional Photographers of America www.ppa.com | 800.786.6277
49. Professional Photographer P R E S E N T S Products, Technology and Services
What I like
Julia Gerace connects with
digital technology
What makes your workflow flow? Adobe Light-
room. I wasn’t sure shooting raw was worth the
hassle until I tried Lightroom. Now I love it.
What’s the best equipment investment you’ve
ever made? Photoshop. Until I went digital, I
outsourced tasks as simple as retouching a few
pimples. Now I feel like I can create, explore new
concepts, and learn to my heart’s content.
Little thing, big difference … My ExpoDisc. It’s
been great for getting accurate white balance in
some very odd lighting.
Has a piece of equipment ever changed the way
you approach photography? My Canon EOS
5D camera. The files are huge, and I’m not as
concerned about cropping into an image and
losing information.
Is there a non-photographic item that you’ve
adapted to your work? Makeup. I knew becoming
a certified makeup artist would be a great service
for my clients. A useful item for your studio is a
basic skin mattifier—a clear gel you apply if a
client’s face is too shiny.
What’s the one piece of gear they’d have to pry
from your cold, dead fingers? A reflector.
There is not one lighting situation where I
don’t use a reflector.
IMAGE BY JULIA GERACE
WWW.JULIAGERACE.COM
April 2008 • Professional Photographer • 49
50. ALBUM EPOCA. GORGEOUS QUALITY,
AND EQUALLY GORGEOUS STYLE.
It’s incredibly easy to get Italian style with the Album
EPOCA concept. And, you won’t believe the value:
ALBUM EPOCA Bride & Groom*:
10˝x 10˝, 25 page, 50 sides, with Ecoleather photo cover,
using our patented continuous binding system.......... $366
*The Album EPOCA layout is duplicated in the albums below.
ALBUM EPOCA FAMILY ALBUM:
8˝x 8˝ layout is duplicated on typographic
paper using our patented continuous
binding system..........$125
8˝x 8˝ layout is duplicated on photographic
paper using our patented continuous
binding system.......... $175
BEST FRIENDS ALBUM: FRIENDS ALBUM: ACCESSORIES:
10˝x 10˝..........$75 5˝x 5˝..........$15 per, $75 for 5 Calendar..........$20
8˝x 8˝..........$25 per, $50 for 2 Photo Agenda..........$20
10˝x 10˝..........$45 per, $90 for 2 CD Viewer..........$20
Plus free EPOCA software, along with free software updates and technical support, make album design fast,
easy and efficient!
Everything after the photography
1.800.662.1000 • www.albumsinc.com
53. photo magenta, magenta, black, matte papers. And the iPF6100 uses ink sparingly. But calibration is not the same as having
black, photo gray, gray, red, green and blue. Print speed remains fast: a 16x24-inch, a built-in profiling system, such as the
With the exception of the blacks and two high-resolution, 16-pass, 12-bit per channel X-Rite i1 Color Spectrophotometer system
grays, the eight-color formulation remains print takes less than 10 minutes. in HP Z3100 printers. If you decide to use
unchanged. The gray, photo gray, black and One of the biggest headaches of printing papers other than Canon-brands, you’ll
matte black inks were reformulated to in-house is color management. The iPF 100 need to make your own profiles.
reduce bronzing type metamerism, lessen series incorporates a color calibration system The Kyuanos color management system
the appearance of “grain” in the deep designed to keep them working to factory spec- introduced in the 100 series is compatible solely
shadows and blacks (I never saw it in ifications. Normally, the calibration needs to with the Microsoft Vista operating system. I
iPF5000 prints), and make the prints more be done only once, at setup, but if you move don’t use Vista, so I can’t comment on it.
resistant to scuffing and scratching. the printer or change heads, it’s a good idea Ease-of-use is a critical factor in color man-
As in the first iPFs, there’s an active system to recalibrate the printer back to factory agement. As it now stands, the best way in
that automatically detects clogged and non- specs. There’s an added benefit for studios Photoshop to print is to make a dupe of the
firing nozzles. If it detects a problem mid- with multiple printers, even in different master image, convert the dupe to the destina-
print, it remaps the ink flow to another sizes: with all of the printers working at tion profile, sharpen for output size and media,
nozzle and clears the offender when the factory tolerance, they can share profiles for then go through the Photoshop print dialog,
print is complete, minimizing waste in time the same media and the prints will match. where you have to instruct both the Photoshop
and materials. With both matte and photo Canon rebuilt its generic profiles for Canon- printer dialog and the print driver not to apply
grays and blacks onboard, there’s no brand papers, which now include some fine additional color management steps. The process
downtime or expensive ink waste when you Hahnemuhle papers. Compared to my own is a distracting, time consuming, and somewhat
switch between matte and gloss/semi-gloss custom profiles, these new profiles are first rate. arcane art until you’ve mastered it.