Archive for November, 2011
Hanging Out at the Brickhouse #1
Interviews 
1
Mon 11.14.2011
Join some of the g+ photography all-stars : Mihailo Radičević, Dave Cox, Elia Locardi, and Colby Brown for my very first hangout in the TWiT Brickhouse.
I moderated a round-table discussion, touching on the importance of storytelling and the intricacies of lighting, where Colby, while reiterating his distaste for artificial lighting, shared some fantastic tips for shooting in natural moonlight. On the other end of the spectrum (there’s a pun in there, isn’t there?), we had Dave and Wil of Elevendy, known for their highly produced style, sharing their perspective of their artificially-lit world.
The variety in our panel played out nicely when we switched gears to critique some of the work you all contributed. From cropping to composition to lighting, and even wardrobe selection, these guys offered expert advice on the work of a few lucky viewers. Colby even opened up his work humbly for critique by the others.
See what they had to say! Thanks to Keith Barrett, who streamed the hangout live and made it available to view at the Vidcast network.
Thanks for contributing your questions, topic suggestions and images for critique, and thank you Colby, Dave, Wil, Elia, and Mihailo for joining us. And of course, Leo Laporte ROCKS, for opening the office to us. I look forward to the next session in the Brickhouse – get your questions ready :)!
TWiT Photo Ep. 32: Zhang Jingna
TWiT Photo 0
Fri 11.11.2011
Don’t miss a chance to watch or listen to your favorite photographers – download the TWiT Photo podcast on iTunes for free :)
I had been following the astoundingly beautiful work of fashion photographer Zhang Jingna for years before I knew the artist — imagine my surprise when I found out that she is just 23 years old! Her images are uniquely poetic and ethereal, undeniably sensual and sophisticated far beyond her years. This young woman is truly a prodigy; she began shooting at 18 and started to get steady professional work after just a year. Should I feel complete awe or envy?
Guest host Sarah Lane, from TWiT’s TNT, and I savored the opportunity to glean some insight into the inspiring talent behind these captivating images. Motivated by the images she saw as a child in anime to explore independence and follow passion, this daughter of a traditional Chinese family decided to take control of her fate at a young age and began to pursue her artistic dreams in Singapore. A gaming fanatic with admittedly more interest in StarCraft than fashion, Jingna finds inspiration everywhere she looks. Driven by her simple credo, “I just want to make beautiful photos,” it is clear that this young talent has many years of success ahead of her.
Here are Jingna’s top tips:
“Pay attention to the shadows.”
“Look around and learn.”
“Keep things simple.”
Find out more by watching the video here or on iTunes. Next week: Lighting guru David Hobby!
Have questions, suggestions or praises? Please email photo@twit.tv.
I had the honor of documenting the whimsical wedding of Jennifer and Bryan against the luscious landscape of the Northern Californian wine country last summer. Thanks to the artful coordination of Mary Ellen Murphy, the couple’s preceding welcome party at this private estate in Yountville resounded with the same casual elegance as the ceremony. Guests traveled from near and far to celebrate with the happy couple, and Jennifer wanted to ensure that they were happy and comfortable throughout the festivities. Delightful hors d’oeuvres and guests’ gleeful attire helped this event exude the comforting ambience while maintaining a touch of glamour. See my photography of Jennifer and Bryan’s wedding here.
The Marketing Consultant’s Laws
Guest Posts 0
Wed 11.09.2011
Paul Roetzer and his PR 20/20 public relations and marketing team offer great online marketing strategies to help strengthen your brand and bring more traffic your way. As a business owner in the 21st century, this kind of insight is vital to my success. Many other photographers are charged with the task of running a business, as well, and it’s hard to know where to start when it comes to marketing. PR 20/20 has created a set of “laws” to guide their marketing consultants that have made the firm the premier in the industry. In this post, Paul shares these basic guidelines with the rest of us, giving us the opportunity to, as he says “differentiate [ourselves], and become leaders” in this ever-expanding, ever-evolving industry.
Follow PR 20/20 on Twitter.
Post By Paul Roetzer
When PR 20/20 launched in November 2005, we set out on a journey to, “lead and create leaders,” as our mission states. My theory to grow a wildly successful and influential PR firm was to hire talented, intelligent and motivated professionals, provide them with the systems and infrastructure necessary to succeed, and then get out of their way. We wanted to develop and retain the industry’s premier public relations and marketing consultants. Professionals whose services and expertise bring immeasurable value to our clients, and directly contribute to their growth and success.
The Marketing Consultant Laws were originally created in August 2008 and distributed as an internal document to give us (the Consultants) direction and focus, and challenge us to become stronger and more valuable, individually, and as a team. I’ve decided to share them here (unedited) because most of the Laws have wider application to professionals in any industry, not just PR and marketing consultants. Hopefully the Laws provide some sort of motivation or guidance to professionals who are looking to differentiate themselves, and become leaders.
The Marketing Consultant Laws
Deliver Results: Tasks, milestones and activity reports are a means to an end. Our job is to deliver results.
Pay Attention to Details:
Maintain a vigilant focus on details in all communications and projects. Never make mistakes due to lack of focus or effort. Always ask yourself, “Is this the best I can do?”
Be a Proactive Communicator:
Don’t ever leave your clients or peers wondering. Anticipate their information needs and maintain a high level of communication at all times.
Challenge Yourself to be Great:
Always challenge yourself and those around you to improve. There is no limit to what you can achieve in business and in life.
Bring Solutions:
“I don’t know” is not an acceptable answer. Your clients and your peers rely on you for solutions. Use your experience and the endless resources available to you to find answers.
Maintain a Career/Life Balance:
Your career affords you the opportunity to live a full and rewarding life, but don’t let it consume you. Maintain balance among work, wellness, relationships, community involvement, professional associations, friendships, hobbies and interests.
Grow Your Accounts:
The life-blood of every consultant is their client base. It is your job to retain and grow your accounts by maintaining an in-depth knowledge of your clients and their industries, building relationships, delivering results and keeping a pulse on opportunities.
Be Creative:
Show imagination in your strategic thinking, and bring creativity to every project.
Be an Independent Thinker and Risk Taker:
Don’t get stuck in the rut of conformity. Look beyond traditional wisdom and conventional solutions. Be willing to take calculated risks and make mistakes.
Strive for Excellence:
Set high performance standards, and always strive towards personal and professional goals.
Think Strategically:
Challenge yourself to see the big picture. Always be analyzing —perceptions, audiences, objectives, strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Find connections in seemingly unrelated news and trends.
Hunger for Knowledge:
Don’t ever stop learning. Consume the wealth of information that is all around you, and share your knowledge for the betterment of your clients and peers.
Stay in the Moment:
You will see and do things in your career others can only dream of. There will be highs and lows, victories and defeats. Cherish those moments, but don’t dwell on them. Your job is to stay in the moment, and appreciate it for what it is.
Have Fun:
Positive energy is contagious. Bring enthusiasm and passion every day.
My good friend and TWiT Photo co-host, Leo Laporte, has graciously offered his pad (he never lets anyone in there!) for a special Google+ hangout after TWiT Photo this afternoon. Joining me via G+ in the TWiT Brickhouse will be notable google favorites: Mihailo Radičević, Dave Cox, Elia Locardi, and Colby Brown.
The topic of the hangout is open; we’re asking you to contribute your questions and the topics of interest. Share your questions and ideas in the comments below, or hop over to the original G+ post to join the discussion.
After the panel discussion we’ll be selecting a handful of images from your submissions for the critique. Share a link to your image below for consideration.
A big thank you to the fabulous Keith Barrett, who will stream the hangout LIVEat the Vidcast network so that everyone can be a part of it. The video will also be recorded and available to download for later viewing.
See you today at 1:30 PST for TWiT Photo with prodigy photographer, gamer, and Manga enthusiast Zhang Jinga and at 3:30 PST (11:30 GMT) for the hangout!
