Archive for February, 2012
You all are in for a big treat. Today’s TWiT Photo episode features a panel of eight industry experts and insiders engaged in pointed, and often heated, discussion addressing: Is Technology a Menace to Photography? Convened at a private WPPI studio in MGM’s Grand Arena; the luminary-studded group included Pulitzer Prize winner Greg Gibson, celebrity photographer and Help-Portrait creator Jeremy Cowart, reDefine host Tamara Lackey, Fast Track Photographer educator Dane Sanders, legendary wedding photographers Cliff Mautner and Jerry Ghionis, hot emerging fashion photographer Lindsay Adler, and glamour queen Sue Bryce.
We discussed topics, such as the too-easy lure of technological gimmickry to smooth over lack of artistic know-how; self-education and cultivation of a unique creative vision with responsible and mindful use of technology; the future of point-and-shoots and DSLRs in an age of camera phones; and the relevance of professional photographers over the coming decade. If your ears aren’t already burning, they will be. TWiT Photo is streamed live on Tuesdays at 1:30pm PT/4:30pm ET on http://live.twit.tv, part of the TWiT Netcast Network. Viewers can also find episodes of TWiT Photo on http://twit.tv/photo or on iTunes.
Don’t miss a chance to watch or listen to your favorite photographers – download the TWiT Photo podcast on iTunes for free :)
Jerry Ghionis is recognized as one of top wedding and portrait photographers worldwide. He spills the light on how he creates and captures emotional scenes at a wedding. Not only has Jerry won the WPPI wedding album of the year seven times, he was also named the 2011 Australian Wedding Photographer of the Year by the Australian Institute of Professional Photography (AIPP). Jerry then shows us how to use available light in a photo shoot with Catherine!
Here are Jerry’s top tips and a few images from his inspiring portfolio:
1 Shoot for the wedding album.
2 Photography is more about communication than it is about technique.
3 Never forgo the fine art of lighting and posing.
Find out more by watching the video here or on iTunes. Next week: Travel photographer and Google+ superstar Trey Ratcliff. Have questions, suggestions or praises? Please email photo@twit.tv.
10 Questions To Help You Write a Media Pitch
Guest Posts 
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Wed 02.15.2012
Publicist and brand builder Elena Verlee is one of Forbes Magazine’s “20 Women for Entrepreneurs to Follow on Twitter,” holds the distinction of an All Facebook “10 Facebook Pages Every PR Professional Should Be Reading” and is a Visa Business Network Syndicate. Whew! When she’s not racking up limelight honors, she manages the high-growth and technology PR agency Cross Border Communications, which services the UK, Canada and the US, and maintains the irresistible PR in Your Pajamas, a blog that focuses on equipping smaller-budget entrepreneurs and businesses with do-it-yourself marketing savvy and know-how. In this guest post, Elena talks about how entrepreneurs (who, like most of us in the photography industry, probably never studied writing) can craft on-target media pitches to maximize exposure for their business. Here are her top 10 most vital tips for DIY marketing magic!
Follow Elena Verlee on Twitter.
Post by Elena Verlee.
I have friends whose big dream is to sequester themselves and write a book. Although I like to write, it’s not something I dream of doing day in and day out. I don’t like sitting in front of a blank page, but I do know that once I get an idea and get started, things usually flow.
Most entrepreneurs I know are not writers. You started your business because your passion and natural gifts are in a particular space.
Most entrepreneurs I know didn’t realize how much marketing they would need to do in order to succeed. And that effective writing- from websites to sales materials, direct mail to blog posts – will be a crucial part of you getting heard above the noise.
If you’re doing your own PR, writing a media pitch can be downright intimidating. I know it’s hard to sit down to a blank piece of paper. So I’m sharing with you some questions I ask our clients, in order to help your creative juices flow and create a compelling media story.
In a fast-paced, every-second-counts environment – such as a wedding – I often prefer using a continuous light source. No light meters, excessive gear, etc. to slow me down when I don’t have the luxury of time.
In the image of this gorgeous groom, which Grace Ormonde ran on its title page, my continuous light source allowed me to capture my subject before he hurried off to his wedding reception at the stunning Viansa Winery.
With that said, portable hot lights, though more mobile then my studio strobes, have not always impressed me – short battery life, external heavy battery packs, and harsh quality of light have often caused major frustration. But the game is changing…
Jerry Ghionis is coming out with his new Ice Light which will definitely become a go-to item in my arsenal. It’s slim profile, lightweight portability, and diffused quality of light are something to be very excited for. Plus, Jerry designed it so – it has to be good. Another bonus? It comes with five gel packs to enhance the cool or warm effect of its illumination.
Don’t miss a chance to watch or listen to your favorite photographers – download the TWiT Photo podcast on iTunes for free :)
It’s hard not to want to hate Robby Cavanaugh – fresh out of school, the SoCal boy has already been published in Vogue Italia, won a bunch of awards, and now has another notch in his belt as our first TWiT Photo Guest Quest winner. Yet, Robby’s incredibly down-to-earth and just has a natural artistic talent. Joining us live in the studio, the fine art photographer comes clean about Photoshop in his “phantasmagorical” images and achieving artistic excellence with very, very little gear, and lots and lots of perseverance and perspiration. Judges Zack Arias and Tamara Lackey crack the whip on the portfolios of Guest Quest winners, and give invaluable advice to contest aspirants.
Here are Robby’s top tips and a few images from his inspiring portfolio:
1 If you can think it, it can be done.
