A few weeks ago, we mentioned SMUGs (SmugMug User Group) and how valuable their meet-ups are for photographers on every level of expertise. This week we are lucky enough to get our hands on a video from an actual meeting that we’d like to share.  If you have ever wondered who attends SMUG meetings, what topics are covered at SMUG meetings, or why you should attend a SMUG meeting in your city, then this video is for you. It’s super brief and pretty awesome, so click play. You know you want to learn more:

 

Just like we mentioned before, Fisheye Connect handles registrations for SMUGs across the country. So search here to find a meeting near you. To find out more about SMUGs or to read about what you have been missing out on visit the SMUGs blog.  If you don't see a meeting in your city maybe consider starting up a SMUG group. We all know as photographers that we can learn so much from others in our industry, so why not get out and meet other passionate photogs just like you and in your city. Topics from SMUG meetings range from Camera 101 to Concert/Freelance Photography to Getting Published.

Smugmug has given us another year subscription of Smugmug Pro to give away to a lucky winner.  

Interested? Enter now by signing up for our newsletter(if you haven't already); then come back to leave us a comment here on the blog saying you've signed up.  

*You must be signed up for our newsletter in order to be in the running for a one YEAR membership to Smugmug Pro.
DEADLINE: ENDS, May 17, 2012 8pm Eastern Standard Time! Winner will be announced on our FaceBook Fan Page.

 

Here is a way to use Fisheye Connect to Manage your contacts. Create email templates to save, compose emails and select what event to email, use Fisheye to annouce a new workshop. All of the emails can be customized to your brand. Here is a short video that will walk you through an overview. 

 

Have you ever heard of the SMUG (SmugMug User Group)? A SMUG is a place where you can learn, teach and meet up with other photographers who share your passion. It's also how we can tell you what's happening in our world and discover what's happening in yours. SMUGs are a great way to connect with other photographers and add a few weapons to your creative arsenal. They get photographers and what makes them tick. Things to expect at a SMUG event/workshop: You Learn: Guest speakers will light up the room with their wisdom for shooting great images and making money with photography. You Talk: Make contacts and connect with other pros in the know. Monthly meetings set the stage for infinite opportunities. And They Listen: SMUG leaders stay in close contact with SmugMug and share your requests with our team.

Fisheye Connect handles registrations for SMUGs across the country. So search here to find a meeting near you! To find out more about SMUGs or to read about what you have been missing out on click here to visit the SMUGs blog.

We are giving away a year’s subscription to Smugmug Pro and it's easy to enter! Deets here on Facebook! *You must be signed up for our newsletter (if you are not already) in order to be in the running for a year membership to Smugmug Pro.. yes a whole year!

DEADLINE: ENDS April 26, 2012 8pm Eastern Standard Time! Here are some pictures of some recent SMUG events.

Image from the Jacksonville SMUG.

 

Image from the Philedephia SMUG. 

 

This is from the Seattle SMUG. More info on them here and more images to see here.

This brief video walks you through the attendee experience when coming to Fisheye searching for an event, signing up, and the post event follow up. 

Just another email subscription? I think not!

The heart of why Fisheye was created is for photography enthusiast like myself, to be able to have one location to search for photography workshops and events. Searching for photography events in your area use to be a nightmare; scouring through websites and Google to look for local education or trying to keep in touch with people of interest by what events that they had going on or they were participating in.

Our time is precious and that method is SO inefficient. Fisheye Connect is a FREE service. If you are interested in photography you can come to Fisheye Connect search by location, categories, or certain instructors/groups. BUT here is the part that is really awesome. If you don’t see something that interests you OR if you want us to keep you connected without you having to dedicate time to continuing to search, we can do it!

Our Subscription service is FREE. And it’s not the normal “here is my email, ping me with all this information.” Our system sends out an email every Monday of the events that are coming up in the next two weeks along with the events that have just released. So when you subscribe you get a sort of concierge service, which is pretty darn valuable huh?

BUT let’s take that a step further. If you only wanted to be notified by events in your area…. or you only want to be notified when a certain instructor or group is launching something…. or you are only interested in events that involved lighting, wedding, and portraits, your weekly email can be customized to YOUR preferences. Take that awesome sauce.

We are your personal photography event concierge. So get back to work taking pictures, playing with your kiddos, or dedicate your time elsewhere because we have you covered and we will keep you connected! :)

Here is a screen shot of how easy it is to customize! If you haven't already subscribe HERE. 

 

 

Welcome to this month's Instructor Spotlight. This month we are featuring Sal Cincotta, whom along with his wife Taylor, own and operate Salvatore Cincotta Photography and Studio C. In four short years, they have built a million dollar business focused on weddings and high school seniors. After spending ten years in corporate America, Sal left to pursue a career in photography and has never looked back. Success is directly tied to the education he received while in business school. Sal graduated from Binghamton University, a top 20 business school, and has worked for Fortune 50 companies like Proctor & Gamble and Microsoft. Sal has worked with everyone from the St. Louis Cardinals to the White House, having had the opportunity to photograph President Obama. Sal is an international award-winning photographer, author, speaker, and trainer. In addition to shooting he is also a writer for Rangefinder Magazine, an in dustry magazine focused on photography.

Photo Credit: Salvatore Cincotta Photography

 

Sal and Taylor are currently touring cities with a seminar and all day workshop titled The Senior Project. Here are a few questions we asked Sal about this tour:

 

What is one of the biggest challenges you have found with shooting seniors and how do you recommend over coming them?

Shooting seniors can be a challenge for anyone. First and foremost, I love working with seniors. They are fun, energetic, and adventurous. That being said, the challenge is in ensuring you can connect with them on a personal level; if they don't connect with you, they will quickly lose interest in anything you are saying making the session a challenge. I find that it's all about trust between me and the client. I work fast and hard to get their trust and ensure they understand that their session will be fun and that I'll make them look beautiful. 

 

Photo Credit: Salvatore Cincotta Photography

You've been traveling a LOT this year, why did you want to take this particular subject on the road?

Senior photography is not generally practiced across the country. It's definitely something that seems to be more popular in the midwest vs. the west or east coast. Being from the north east, I see the huge opportunity being missed. Sure, the conce pt of a model shoot for high school seniors might be a foreign concept to some people, but to high school seniors, they see this in the magazines they are reading and the television shows they are watching. So from my perspective, these kids have what I call "latent" demand for this service; they don't even realize this is something that they would be interested in, mostly because they don't know it exists. It's all about educating our clients right now, and for those who are first on the scene, success will be theirs. 

What makes your seminars and workshops different from other seminars and workshops that are current out there ?

Our seminars are 100% information. Attendees walk out re-energized and excited about their business. There are enough seminars out there that are "inspirational" in nature. While there is nothing wrong with those seminars, it doesn't really help photographers become more successful. Our industry needs leaders and to me, a leader is someone willing to go out there, put themselves on the front line of the industry and leave everything they touch better than when they first started off. Our seminars are all about business. Participants will leave with a roadmap of actionable steps in order to be successful. 

 

Our workshops are very different as well. One thing that drives me nuts in how most workshops slam 20-40 people together making it difficult for participants to shoot and get one-on-one attention they need. Our workshops are geared towards a small class size and we let the students actually shoot working side by side with me. My goal is for my students to leave inspired and with amazing images for their portfolio. 

 

 

Photo Credit: Salvatore Cincotta Photography, All Day Workshop New York City 2012

 

If you are interested in signing up for The Senior Project seminar and all day shooting workshop, or to learn more about Sal Cincotta, you can do so through Fisheye Connect or Sal Cincotta's website.

 

 

 

 

 

This video will walk you through the steps of setting up your profile, adding a workshop/event, adding a date, and creating promo codes. 

If you have any additional questions feel free to contact us. 

 

 

Welcome to our Instructor Spotlight. This month we are featuring Anne Ruthmann, who founded Photo Lovecat. Anne is a lifestyle and wedding photographer from Boston, MA. She spent ten years practicing marketing and management in corporate and non-profit businesses before pursuing her passion for photography as an independent small business.  She loves helping others find creative and low-cost solutions to business problems. Anne has been published in magazines such as The Knot and Better Homes & Gardens, all without any advertising. She’s received many awards from Wedding Wire and The Knot, along with being the first pro wedding vendor featured on Wedding Bee Pro.

Anne’s dedication and commitment to helping other photographers can be seen through the thought provoking business series she writes on her blog. Here are a few questions we asked Anne:

 

We noticed that you are giving free photographer pricing critiques webinars for best pricing practices which is beyond incredible. Why are you giving this sort of service away? The feedback has been amazing. 

Photographers and artists are notorious for underpricing themselves as well as the services and products they provide to clients.  This is only sustainable if you don't depend on your art for a living.  However, since many photographers aspire to be full time professionals, they eventually run into the situation where they can no longer sustain their lifestyle on whatever they think other people will pay (or what someone told them they should charge).  So, I offer free pricing critiques on photolovecat.com to help photographers structure their pricing in a way that allows them to make a sustainable living doing what they love.  I believe that if more people are making their living doing what they love, then those people will care more about their clients, do better work, have more time for their families, and they'll be more involved in their communities.  When people are doing what they love in a way that sustains them, they become happier, healthier, and more at peace with the world around them.  While it sounds a bit idealistic, I guess it's my way of adding a little more happiness and peace to the world.  The entire PhotoLovecat.com blog was created with this in mind in order to offer years of business knowledge and experience for free to help others see that they can make their dreams a reality.

 

 

How would you recommend to our readers on how to get published without any sort of advertising funds?

Most magazines list their submission guidelines somewhere in their publication or on their website. In magazines, check near the table of contents or in the rear index. It's often in very small print with little more than an email address. If an email address is all you get- make sure that your first impression has plenty of positive impact and concisely requests any release forms neccessary. When you're looking on a website, look near the bottom of the page for a "contact us" link or an "advertise with us" link. Then look for submission guidelines.

 

• Choose the publication wisely and do not submit the same images to multiple publications

• See what the editors are most interested in publishing based on current trends before submitting for publication

• Show editors something unique and extraordinary, but keeping in the style of their publication (this might mean keeping your post-production simple and clean in order to allow accurate colors and detail to shine through)

• Submit current work and avoid anything older than 1 year

• Include contact information for the bride & groom as well as any other relevant details about venue or vendors

• Include your business card and make sure your name and phone number are on the actual CD (or PDF if emailed)

• Make sure photos are 300 dpi, at least 5x7 resolution

• It may take up to a year before your images are published

• You usually only hear back from editors if they plan to use your images in publication

• Local magazines will have less competition for publication versus national magazines

• Photographers who advertise with the magazine are more likely to be published with that magazine

• Make it a habit to submit your work regularly, or hire a publicists who will do it for you

• Getting your work published doesn't directly lead to more clients that you wouldn't have already attracted by providing a great service and product, however, it does give you and your clients extra warm fuzzies

 

In this difficult economy where people are cutting back, what suggestions go you have for wedding photographers who might not book as many clients this year vs. past years?

Be open to change. It's easy to blame the economy when things are going tough.  However, there are still people who survive and thrive no matter what the economic circumstance.  How do they do it?  They revisit, rework, and retool their strategy to fit the changes happening around them. If we resist change, than we have already identified what change is needed, but we need to have an honest conversation with ourself (or a business mentor) about why we aren't motivated to make the changes we know will help our business.  Sometimes it means working differently or taking on different work and sometimes it means giving up work that weighs us down.

However, if it’s simply being at a loss for ideas to make changes, here are several ways to change and rework your business. Take a look at your service offerings, product offerings, overhead costs, workflow systems, marketing plan and budgeting.  The key is to pick just ONE thing you want to focus on changing at a time.  Make that change before moving on to another one.  By making one change at a time, we can give each change our full attention.  Once a change is completed that has benefits to clients, spread the news to reinvigorate your brand and demonstrate growth.  Growth and positive change attracts attention and forward momentum, both of which are great for attracting new business!

 

What is one piece of advice you wish someone had give you when you first started out?

Focus on what YOU love by listening to when your heart gets excited and when your body feels stressed out.  When we feel uneasy or stressed about something, it's because we really should get someone else's help instead of trying to do it all on our own.  Just because we CAN do it all, doesn't mean we SHOULD.  A small business is much stronger when it gets support from multiple people instead of one.  Also, being a millionaire is not as important as simply filling our life with things we love everyday- if what you love is money, be a banker or stockbroker; if what you love is art and seeing people fall in love with their personal reality, than being a photographer is a pretty awesome way to get more of that in your life. ;-) If you are interested in signing up for a free photographer pricing critique webinar, advice on running a success business, or even learning more about Anne Ruthmann, you can do so through Fisheye Connect or Anne's Smarter Buisness Workshop. 

Well hello Spring! We have been working like crazy on a new software feature that will blow your socks off! You can now accept registration from Fisheye Connect on YOUR own website or blog. Yes YOUR brand and YOUR website! We will handle all the backend details, number crunching, and marketing... you know the fun stuff. ;) Check out this video to show you the new feature and how you can implement into your business.

Images Copyright Salvatore Cincotta Photography

Have you thought about taking your photography business to the next level but unsure how to do so? Is pricing getting in the way of booking your client? Are you wondering how to generate a buzz around your business? Do you want to know how to break into the high-school senior marketing? Sal Cincotta, an award winning photographer, author, wppi platform speaker, and columnist for Rangefinder magazine is sharing his secrets on his road trip tour. Sal is one of the most sought after business consultants in our industry. And the best news of all, we are giving away five, count them, FIVE tickets for the evening portion to the second half of his tour taking place all over the country right now. These tickets are worth $99 a piece and seats are limited! Each attendee will receive a workbook with how-to guides, notes, and vendor specials. AND, each city will have over $3,000 in give-aways!  Want a win a ticket?

HOW TO ENTER:

First: Check out  Sal's Workshops on Fisheye Connect to see if there is a date/location for Sal Cincotta’s workshop in your area. Cities left are Dallas, TX: Auroa CO, Waltham, MA: New York City, NY: Philadelphia, PA : Washington, DC: Charolotte, NC: and Atlanta, GA.

 Then, make sure you are a fan of Fisheye Connect on Facebook HERE, and share the news about the giveaway by tagging our business page.

Second: Then follow us on Twitter @fisheyeconnect and post this giveaway in your feed. Example tweet: “I want to win a ticket for @salcincotta high-school senior market strategy class from @fisheyeconnect - - Pls RT or visit www.fisheyeconnect.com/blog for more info”

Third: One last thing and the most important. Sign up for our Notifications Email: https://www.fisheyeconnect.com/notifications.aspx This email goes out every Monday with the new and upcoming workshops. We will be selecting the winner from this list and will be verifying that Step 1 and 2 were done. If you are already part of our notification email you are one step ahead! We will notify the winners via email and also announce them on Facebook and Twitter. 

You must complete all three tasks in order to be in the running for the tickets.

You will not be notified publicly via Facebook if you are a winner. You MUST be 18 to participate. You MAY NOT reside in Belgium, Norway, Sweden, or India according to Facebook rules. You are responsible for all travel to this event. This promotion is in NO WAY sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook.

DEADLINE TO ENTER: ENDS MARCH 18^th at MIDNIGHT Eastern Standard Time!  It will be announced via the blog by Tuesday March 20^th. We will select the winners on the 19^th. If you won and are in Dallas we will notify you ASAP because the event in Dallas is on the 19^th!

Facebook rules:

For Additonal information on the Workshop GO HERE