2/5/08
3:02 PM
Page 1
MAKE NEW FRIENDS AND KEEP THE OLD
LONGTIME ASMP MEMBERS ON THE VALUE OF MEMBERSHIP
Every season brings new colors,
new fabrics, new styles.
One film delivers them sharp and true, Provia 100F.
PROFILE WITH JOYCE TENNESON
FROM MICHAL HERON’S
CREATIVE CAREERS IN PHOTOGRAPHY
Christian Behr
NOT JUST CASH FLOW
WINTER 2008
IT’S STRATEGIC CASH MANAGEMENT
A S M P BULLETIN
W08_Cover_FNL.qxd
©2007 Christian Behr
Fujichrome Provia 100F 4 x 5
© Markel Redondo
PLUS:
©2008 Christian Behr
ASMP Merit Members
From the 2007 Eddie Adams Workshop
Fujichrome Provia 100F 120 Format
Marketing for Photojournalism and Editorial Work
©2008 FUJIFILM U.S.A., Inc.
In a digital age, is it possible to have a renaissance in film? Noted fashion
photographer, Christian Behr, emphatically says, yes. “In fashion, every client
has an eye for color, contrast and sharpness,” says Behr. “That’s why I use
Provia 100F. It provides absolutely faithful color, perfect skin tones, accurate
fabric rendering, and sensitive reproduction of an almost endless variety of
subjects.” Equally important in an industry that moves as fast as the fashions
themselves, Behr notes that Provia 100F’s effortless workflow gives
photographers “the perfect digital platform.”
PRSRT STD
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
EASTON, PA
PERMIT NO.321
63248 C_4125.20.indd 1
2/6/08 3:15:00 PM
Covers
0C2001ASMP0208
2/5/08
4:41 PM
Page 1
0C2001ASMP0208
2/5/08
4:42 PM
Page 2
No digital SLR on the planet could take this shot. So we built one.
See more of Sandro’s awe-inspiring D3™ images at stunningnikon.com/challenge
Brainerd Int’l Raceway. Dusk. Turn 8. 1/5000 of a sec. f/4 at 6400 ISO. NIKKOR® 14-24mm f/2.8 Lens. For more on the Nikon® D3, turn the page.
©2007 Nikon Inc.
0-1
002ASMP0208
2/6/08
11:16 AM
Page 1
W08_TOC_FNL.qxd
2/5/08
4:01 PM
Page 1
Stunningly advanced 12.1 megapixel FX-format CMOS sensor. Stunningly fast 9 fps
at full FX resolution. Stunningly low noise even at ISO 6400. Stunningly sharp edgeto-edge image performance. The revolutionary new Nikon® D3™ will change the way you
shoot sports or action of any kind. Never again will you have to choose between blazing speed
or brilliant image quality, particularly in low light situations. To learn more about how the
Nikon D3 captures what other pro-digital SLRs cannot, go to stunningnikon.com/challenge.
ASMPCONTENTS
[WINTER 2008]
5 PRESIDENT’S LETTER
Judy Herrmann looks to the future
6 DIRECTOR’S COMMENTARY
Eugene Mopsik urges members to vote
8 NEWSLINE
The Nikon D3 is here. Do the undoable.
ASMP New Mexico Reaps Rewards
from Quarterly E-Newsletter and
Public Outreach
18 PROFESSIONAL PROFILE
Strictly Business 2 packs the house in
Los Angeles, UPDIG and the ASMP
hot on the metadata lecture circuit,
ASMP election and referenda links
Fine Art Photography, an interview
with Joyce Tenneson, excerpted from
Creative Careers in Photography:
Making a Living With or Without a
Camera By Michal Heron
10 ASMP TRAVELING
20 MAKE NEW FRIENDS
CONFERENCES
Strictly Business 2 photos and facts
12 BOOKLOOK
Rock and Roll by Lynn Goldsmith,
Anchorage: Life at the Edge of the
Frontier by Clark James Mishler,
American Waters by Alex Kirkbride,
Sports Photography: How to Capture
Action and Emotion by Peter Skinner
2-3
16 CHAPTER SPOTLIGHT
AND KEEP THE OLD
Longtime members on the value of
their membership By Kay Kenny
22 CONSULTANT’S CORNER
Marketing for photojournalism
and other editorial work
By Leslie Burns-Dell’Acqua
24 PORTFOLIO
ASMP Merit Members from the 2007
Eddie Adams Barnstorm Workshop
28 BETTER BUSINESS
Not just cash flow, it’s strategic cash
management By Thom O’Connor
33 PARTING SHOT
The dramatic visual narratives
of Jack Fields
ON OUR COVER: © Markel Redondo
<www.markelredondo.com>. One of Redondo’s
recent projects examines the growing Chinese tourist
trade. Here, Chinese tourists read newspapers minutes before a plane takes off at Xian International
Airport. This issue’s portfolio featuring the ASMP’s
new Merit members from the 2007 Eddie Adams
Barnstorm Workshop starts on page 24.
THIS PAGE: © Nadia Borowski Scott
<www.nadiabscott.com>. Borowski Scott drew on
the past to emulate Philippe Halsman’s famous jump
series in this editorial portrait of the San Diego band
Switchfoot. Flip to page 22 to read more about her
career in photojournalism and about marketing for
editorial work.
W08_PresLetter_FNL.qxd
2/5/08
4:06 PM
Page 1
W08_Masthead_FNL.qxd
2/6/08
3:06 PM
Page 9
Volume 26,
Number 3 / Winter 2008
RENTAL DISCOUNTS
FOR ASMP MEMBERS
© Blake Discher
While maintaining a busy shooting schedule, Blake Discher has traveled the United States since 2003, teaching photographers about pricing, marketing, negotiating and Web marketing through the ASMP’s It’s Your Business seminar series. He cur-
www.asmp.org
rently serves on the Michigan chapter board and is a past chapter president. Blake’s dedication truly exemplifies the ASMP’s
PRESIDENT’SLETTER
WE APPRECIATE YOUR BUSINESS.
The American Society of Media Photographers, Inc.
President Judy Herrmann
credo of photographers helping photographers. You can see more of his work by visiting <www.fireflystudios.com>.
Serving the Photo Industry Since 1966
First Vice President Todd Joyce
LOOKING TO THE FUTURE, THE ASMP IS HERE TO HELP!
P
UNDITS EVERYWHERE are talking about “disruptive change” these days. We’re already experiencing a consolidation of the stock and publishing
industries, shifts in spending from print to electronic
media, and a significant cultural change in attitude
toward copyright. Whether you have years of experience
or are just starting your career, you’ll most likely have to
adopt new technologies, new business models or new
income streams within the next few years. Luckily, the
ASMP is here to help.
Today, our new licensing guide, <www.ASMP.org/licensing>, offers a comprehensive overview of image licensing,
including how to explain the licensing model to your clients.
The Paperwork Share section features invoices contributed
by our members that show real numbers, licenses and
terms. Help us spread the word by forwarding this link to
others or posting it on appropriate forums and listservs.
Our work on the Universal Photographic Digital Imaging
Guidelines <www.UPDIG.org> has led to widespread support from a broad range of manufacturers, software developers, publishers and educators. The feedback loops we’re
building will allow us to improve the tools and products you
use every day. The Guidelines themselves provide invaluable, step-by-step recommendations on every aspect of
digital image management, from getting perfect color to
embedding metadata, delivering files and archiving.
In January, the ASMP launched Strictly Business 2, a
weekend conference dedicated to helping photographers
at all levels gain the skills they need to adapt to our changing world. There are just three conferences remaining. Join
us in Atlanta (February 22–24), Philadelphia (March 7–9), or
Chicago (April 11–13). Visit <www.ASMP.org/SB2> for
details and online registration.
Looking forward, we’re focused on expanding the
reach of our message. Bruce Katz, member of the New
York chapter and the ASMP’s Strategic Research
Committee, has been exploring methods for establishing
a stronger ASMP presence in photography-related internet communities, sharing sites and social networks. The
intent here is to expose photographers to the value of
copyright, the power of licensing and the importance of
sound business practices; and to expose buyers to intellectual property rights, the importance of hiring a professional and the value of our images.
This fall, the board honored Eddie Adams’s memory
by granting merit memberships to the 100 emerging
ASMPBULLETIN
Second Vice President Jim Flynn
Treasurer Richard Anderson
Secretary Richard Kelly
photographers who passed the stringent entry requirements for his Barnstorm Workshop. In the words of
ASMP member and Barnstorm alumni Jason Grow, “The
manic, three-day creative immersion had a profound
effect on me as I began the transition from student to
emerging professional, but in hindsight two decades
later, I wish that I had had the opportunity ASMP afforded this 20th anniversary crop of students. In my view,
having had an exposure to the ASMP earlier in the development of my career would have made a significant difference to me today…”
The roster of past Barnstorm graduates shows many
current leaders in the field. The images featured in this
issue’s portfolio section illustrate the talent these young
photographers possess. Help us to welcome these future
influencers to the ASMP and encourage them to expose
their peers to the benefits of ASMP membership.
Central Florida member Ed McDonald’s recent proposal to develop a national assistant’s database will provide a strong incentive for younger members to join. An
annual report photographer who frequently juggles lastminute travel assignments, McDonald has a technologybased solution that takes into account the needs of photographers, the transitional nature of assisting and the
ASMP’s limited staff resources, allowing us to improve
member benefits with minimal cost.
Our presentation at the 2008 national conference of
the Society for Photographic Education (SPE) will spread
our message to photography schools and their students.
Moderated by Colorado member Jay Kinghorn, this
panel will help photo educators incorporate best practices for digital photography into their curricula.
We must also look to the future by building the
strongest national board possible. Over the past year, the
ASMP Governance Committee has searched diligently for
candidates to replace the National board members who
will leave us this spring. The Governance Committee has
recommended Richard Anderson, Bruce Katz, George
Anderson, Ed McDonald and Blake Discher to fill the five
open seats. I have worked or spoken at length with these
candidates and can vouch for their steadfast commitment
to our cause. If you’re happy with today’s ASMP, I urge
you to join me in supporting these candidates.
DIGITAL & FILM CAMERAS
LIGHTING - GRIP - PROPS
Board of Directors Richard Anderson,
Lon Atkinson, Gerald Bybee, James Cavanaugh,
Ben Colman, Lynne Damianos, Jim Flynn,
John Giammatteo, Shawn Henry, Judy Herrmann,
Todd Joyce, Greg Kiger, Richard Kelly,
Peter Krogh, Thomas Werner
Executive Director Eugene Mopsik
Managing Director and General Counsel
Victor S. Perlman, Esq.
General Manager Elena Goertz
Web Master Christine Chandler
Communications Director Peter Dyson
Bookkeeper Christine Chandler
Receptionist Khaisha Allford
Copyright Counsel Charles D. Ossola
Advertising Representatives
East Coast Jules Wartell
[email protected]
West Coast Richard Wartell
[email protected]
LENS & REPRO
33 WEST 17TH ST
NY NY 10011
212 675 1900
MARK H. BARINHOLTZ, P.C.
Produced by PDN Custom Media & Events
Publisher Lauren Wendle
Associate Publisher Michael Hatherill
Senior Editor Jill Waterman
Art Director Michael Amaditz
Production Director Daniel Ryan
Contributors Leslie Burns-Dell’Acqua,
Michal Heron, Judy Herrmann, Kay Kenny,
Eugene Mopsik, Thom O’Connor,
Copy Editor Lavina Lee
LAW OFFICES
COPYRIGHT AND RELATED MATTERS
55 West Monroe Street Tel: (312) 977-0121
Chicago, IL 60603
Fax: (312) 977-0733
ASMP was founded in 1944 to promote high professional and artistic standards in photography and to further
the professional interests of its membership by disseminating information on a range of subjects and concerns.
ASMP has a membership of more than 6,000 of the world’s finest photographers.
The ASMP Bulletin is published five times a year by ASMP, The American Society of Media
Photographers, Inc., 150 North Second Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Ph: (215) 451-2767,
Fax: (215) 451-0880, e-mail: [email protected] Web site <www.asmp.org>. Member subscription is $12 per year.
© 2008 ASMP, All rights reserved, ISSN 07445784
ALAN KORN
ATTORNEY AT LAW
Contact
COPYRIGHT, TRADEMARK, INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
1840 WOOLSEY STREET
BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA 94703
One-time reprint rights are granted to ASMP chapter newsletters. No article may be reprinted (above exception
noted) without written permission from the ASMP. Postmaster: please send address changes to ASMP Bulletin,
150 North Second Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106.
Editorial contributions should be sent to: Jill Waterman, PDN, 770 Broadway, 7th Fl, New York, NY 10003-9595.
Phone: (646) 654-5834, Fax: (646) 654-5813, e-mail: [email protected]. Unsolicited material will not be
acknowledged or returned. All submissions are printed at the discretion of the Society and are subject to editing.
Signed letters and editorial contributions must include a phone number.
Judy Herrmann
President, ASMP
Articles appearing in the ASMP Bulletin reflect the opinions of the writer. They do not necessarily reflect those of
the editors, any officers of the Society, the Board of Directors, or the National Office. The Society does not
assume responsibility for the individual writer’s opinions as expressed in the article.
4
Tel: 510-548-7300
Email: [email protected]
Fax: 510-540-4821 Web: WWW.ALANKORN.COM
ASMPBULLETIN
4-5
5
ASMP today
to advertise.
W08_Director_FNL.qxd
2/5/08
4:18 PM
[DIRECTOR’S
Page 7
0C4ASMP1007
C O M M E N TA R Y ]
IT ONLY WORKS
IF YOU VOTE
F
or as long as I can remember, going back to at least
1975—as a member, chapter president, board member, national officer, national president, and now as
executive director— with few exceptions, ASMP elections and referenda have been rather lackluster events.
Only 25 to 30 percent of the members ever participate by returning their ballots in the provided self-addressed postage paid
envelopes. This year, I want that to change.
The General Members of the Society have it within their power
to influence the direction of the Society through control of the
purse strings and election of the board of directors. ASMP is the
only trade association we know of where the voting members set
their level of dues. None of our sister associations—PPA, APA, EP,
NPPA—work under this system. By controlling the purse strings,
the members control the size and composition of the staff, the
major expense component of our budget. We are primarily a service organization and our staff delivers the service to you.
Staff works at the direction of the board of directors, which is
charged with the creation of policy and programs for the benefit
of the members. Board members do not represent particular
constituencies, but rather are elected to exercise their good judgment on behalf of the membership at-large. In those rare times
when the board enacts policies and programs that the members
en masse disagree with—and it happens—the ballot box represents the best opportunity for change. As is more often the case,
when things are functioning well and the direction of the Society
is good, the very same ballot works to support that direction.
However, it only works if you vote!
I view the opportunity to cast a ballot as an almost sacred
privilege. I vote in all of my local governmental elections and I
always voted as an ASMP member. With ASMP elections, it literally takes only seconds and the postage is already paid. If you are
unsure for whom or how to vote on the board elections and referenda, check out the resources ASMP has created to help make
you a more informed voter.
There are separate Web pages for the election and the referenda questions. Read the candidate’s ballot statements on the election page. See how the candidates stand on issues of concern to
the membership in the Election Q&A, where each candidate
responds to questions posed by the voting members. On the referendum page you can read the current proposals, compare them
ASMPBULLETIN
to the existing? language and read the Pro/Con statements prepared by the declarants. See whom amongst the leadership is
supporting or opposing the various questions. These resources
are linked from the ASMP Home page or you can simply go to
<www.asmp.org/elections> and <www.asmp.org/referendum> .
Be an informed voter. If you still have questions, don’t hesitate to
reach out to members of the national board or your local board
of directors and ask for their opinions.
So, when you receive your ballots for the referendum and the
board election in late February, don’t put that envelope aside and
don’t throw it out! Open it up without delay and take a moment
to fill it out and promptly return it before the receipt deadline of
These resources are linked
from the ASMP Home page
or you can simply go to:
<www.asmp.org/elections>
and
<www.asmp.org/referendum>
March 15. Historically, we have approximately 30 percent return
on our ballots—a percentage that I am told is quite good for a
trade association. As compulsive as it sounds, I have to admit to
having a dream where 50 percent of the ASMP’s General
Members cast their votes. I know that this may indicate a need for
a life beyond the ASMP, but such is the burden of your executive
director. Help me reduce my level of stress, exercise your historic
right and let your voice be heard. Cast your vote!
Eugene Mopsik
Executive Director, ASMP
6
6-7
2/6/08
2:34 PM
Page 1
W08_Newsline_REV1.qxd
2/6/08
[WINTER
10:36 AM
Page 10
W08_Newsline_REV1.qxd
10:36 AM
Page 11
2008]
NEWSLINE
Check out the NEW! Licensing Module
on the ASMP Web site.
Visit <www.asmp.org/licensing>
for full details.
The ASMP and UPDIG
Hot on the Metadata
Lecture/Workshop Circuit
T
he ASMP’s educational efforts in support of digital standards and imaging
workflow are going full steam ahead in
2008 under the auspices of the Library of Congress Award. Numerous lectures and workshops related to the Universal Photographic
Digital Imaging Guidelines (UPDIG) are
already in place and many more are in planning and discussion stages.
Besides offering local presentations to
ASMP chapters, sister associations and college
photography classes, ASMP members Jay
Kinghorn, Richard Anderson and Dan Stack
will be featured speakers at the following
upcoming events:
On Saturday March 15, at the national conference of the Society for Photographic Education (SPE) in Denver, Colorado, Jay Kinghorn
will lead a five member panel in a discussion
about real world digital workflow and ways
photo educators can keep up with the rapid
pace of technology. For further details, visit the
SPE Web site at <www.spenational.org>.
On Friday, April 25, at the national conference of the American Society of Picture Professionals (ASPP) in Phoenix, Arizona, Richard
Anderson will present a lecture about UPDIG
Digital Image Submission Guidelines to raise the
level of discussion about digital image delivery
standards among photography professionals.
Details about this conference are available on the
ASPP Web site at <www.aspp.com>. ASMP
members receive a $60 registration discount.
And from October 5–11, Anderson and
Dan Stack will present a weeklong UPDIG
workshop in Rockport, Maine, at the Maine
Photographic Workshops (MPW). In addition to a tour of the guidelines and how to
use them effectively, they will provide guidance in color management, image quality,
metadata, file preparation, printing, backing
up, cataloging and archiving. For this ultimate workshop on digital workflow, ASMP
members will receive a $150 tuition discount.
Visit <www.theworkshops.com> to register
or for further details.
—JW
STRICTLY BUSINESS 2
PACKS THE HOUSE
IN LOS ANGELES
© Maria Negrette <www.marianegrette.com>
T
he ASMP’s Strictly Business 2 weekend
conference series got off to a rollicking
start in Los Angeles on January 25–27.
Nearly 200 attendees packed the house and
sold out the room block at the Doubletree
Torrance at South Bay. Sixty percent of attendees were from the Los Angeles area, while the
remaining 40 percent traveled from 17 different states and Canada to attend. While two
thirds of attendees were existing ASMP members, nearly half of the 54 non-members
attending the conference joined the society
during the weekend.
“LA was fantastic,” says conference organizer, Susan Carr. “I have never witnessed an
event with 180 attendees so attentive for three
solid days of activities. There was lots of great
energy,” she continues. “It was a very dynamic and engaged crowd.”
“For those that think this is just for emerging photographers, I assure you it’s not,” said
San Diego general member Larny Mack. “I
have been a full-time professional for over 20
years and after two days of SB2, I thought my
head would explode with the sheer volume of
new information. If you haven’t signed up, do
it now,” Mack urges. “There are three more
chances in as many months.”
“There wasn’t one part of this conference
that I didn’t find of value,” San
Francisco–based ASMP emerging associate
Jim Goldstein reports on his blog. “The sub-
During the Los Angeles Strictly Business 2 conference, attendees were kept on the edge of their seats with
eyes peeled and ears cocked. The event mixed consultations, lectures, video presentations, workshops, a
keynote address, social gatherings and the hands-on, group negotiating training sessions pictured here.
ject material was both informative and entertaining. On top of that the networking sessions were incredibly valuable,” he adds.
“This gave attendees the ability to meet photographers of varying levels of skill; all of
whom were friendly and eager to share their
knowledge and experiences.”
Goldstein summed it up thus: “I thought
this was the best money I’ve spent on a photorelated conference or event and would recommend it to anyone interested in the business
of photography. For those new to the ASMP,
the best thing is that you don’t have to be an
ASMP member to attend.”
Upcoming conference cities and dates
include Atlanta (February 22–24), Philadelphia (March 7–9) and Chicago (April 11–13).
Space is limited, so sign up today at
<www.asmp.org/sb2>.
For further feedback about the SB2 conference, including videotaped interviews from
LA, check out John Harrington’s blog at
<http://photobusinessforum.blogspot.com>.
And for more facts and photos from the LA
conference, flip to page 12 of this issue.
—Jill Waterman
ASMP Members and Citizens: Do Your Civic Duty and Vote
T
2/6/08
his year’s presidential primaries offer an added reminder to the
voting members of the ASMP. The ASMP’s annual elections are
a time-honored tradition that offers General Members a privileged opportunity to take part in determining the future direction of
the Society.
In addition to selecting five out of the seven candidates running for
national office, there are two important referenda questions described
on the ballot. Position statements and Q&A’s from each candidate and
Pro/Con statements for the referenda questions can be viewed on
the ASMP Web site at these links: <www.asmp.org/elections> and
<www.asmp.org/referendum>.
So, when your ballot arrives by mail in late February, open it up,
review the choices and do your civic duty and vote! Then drop the
ballot in the self-addressed, stamped envelope and make sure to
mail it in time to be counted when the ballots are opened in the
national office on March 15.
ASMPBULLETIN
8
ASMP to Participate at WPPI
T
his year, the ASMP is a sponsor of the annual WPPI conference and trade show, to be held
March 16–20 in Las Vegas. ASMP members Peter Krogh, John Harrington, Judy Herrmann and
Mike Starke will be among the many speakers. Because of our sponsorship, all ASMP members
are eligible for a free first-year WPPI membership, which entitles you to two conference tickets at the
members-only price of $249 (a $140 discount), plus free trade show (exhibits only) passes. For further
details and to download a membership form for registration by fax, visit <www.asmp.org/go/wppi>.
Which Canon to choose?
FotoCare has the
EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM
Superb autofocus performance
Ultra fast aperture
Canon’s 3-stop Image Stabilization
EOS 1Ds Mark III
Engineering tour de force
EOS (DSLR) Camera Systems
with entirely new 21.1-megapixel
full-frame Canon CMOS sensor
Call now: 212 741 2990
At Foto Care you always get truly
personal service and professional
support by the team of photo experts.
PowerShot G9
12.1 megapixels of resolution
6x optical zoom with Optical
Image Stabilizer
RAW mode for the ultimate in
creative control
136 West 21 Street, New York, NY 10011 . Ph (212) 741 2990 . Fx (212) 741 3217
www.fotocare.com
ASMPBULLETIN
8-9
answer!
9
W08_SB2_REV3.qxd
2/6/08
10:55 AM
Page 12
W08_SB2_REV3.qxd
2/6/08
10:56 AM
Page 13
[ASMP TRAVELING CONFERENCES]
STRICTLYBUSINESS2
“Overload! The ASMP SB2 notes are a great bonus.”
—Michael Darter
"Best photo event I've ever attended."
—Bob Ware
180 attendees packed the house for the LA
stop of the Strictly Business 2 conference.
• Evaluations give ASMP an overwhelmingly
“excellent” rating!
• The Friday consultations were sold out.
• Todd Joyce’s Leadership Meeting was so
successful the group got together again the
next evening.
• Saturday presentations kept folks on the
edge of their seats for eight solid hours, and
then Sean Kernan ended the day by getting
everyone up to dance!
• Sunday’s negotiating training was a combination of laughs and valuable skill development.
• The afternoon workshops were all full, with
the only problem being that there wasn’t
time to attend all four.
• Packed social gatherings produced fabulous
networking.
Space is limited—sign up today for Atlanta,
Philadelphia or Chicago. Do not miss this
opportunity. <www.asmp.org/sb2>
“The weekend was so inspiring and informative. I had a great time with all the intelligent,
funny, supportive presenters and photographers.”
—Stephanie Howard
“I expect to be
at a subsequent
Strictly Business
echoing the photographers I heard
describing SB1 as
a turning point in
their career.”
—Kirk Brooks
“I came home to Miami feeling
inspired and positive about my
photography career. “
—Tim Calver
“Incredible source of information and inspiration.”
—James Farrally
“SB2 rocks!”
—Oscar Williams
“Absolutely wonderful!”
—Josh Bobb
e]did\gVe]9Vk^Y6g`n'%%,
SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS:
Over $25,000 in prizes!
Enter online: www.asmpny.org/image08
IMAGE 08
CALL FOR ENTRIES
C:LNDG@EgZhZcih###
JUDGES
Michael Foley - owner Foley Galler y
Michael Ash, Photo Director - Radical Media
Rockwell Har wood, Creative Director - Details Magazine
Katie Dunn, Photo Editor - Travel and Leisure Magazine
Sean Mosher-Smith - Echo Designlab
Helaina Buzzeo, former Senior Art Buyer - McCann WorldGroup
ASMPBULLETIN
SUBMISSION INFORMATION
Open to professional, serious amateurs and student
photographers residing within the United States.
Submit one or more of your favorite images created
after Januar y 1st, 2007.
Entr y deadline is May 5th, 2008.
Email ASMP at: [email protected]
10
ASMPBULLETIN
10-11
11
W08_BookLook3_REV1.qxd
[BOOK
2/6/08
11:33 AM
Page 16
W08_BookLook3_REV1.qxd
2/6/08
11:34 AM
Page 17
LOOK]
ROCK AND ROLL BY LYNN GOLDSMITH
In this most recent, larger than life, in your
face, and bleeding off the page vision of Rock
& Roll, Lynn Goldsmith—a devotee since it
all began—gives us a page-popping history
of legendary figures and their milieu. This is
possibly her grandest book and those of us
ANCHORAGE: LIFE AT THE EDGE OF THE FRONTIER BY CLARK JAMES MISHLER
who have enjoyed her earlier books on this
subject, notably “PhotoDiary” Rizzoli, 1995,
will recognize this as a larger, fleshed out version of her earlier publications.
Her style is dazzling: camera angles and
decisive moments echo the same sonic-boom
It comes as no surprise that a confused moose
can occasionally be seen on the streets of
downtown Anchorage, Alaska. Photographer
Clark James Mishler captures that surprising
mix of man and nature in his new book of
photographs from the 49th state.
But what may be a surprise, at least to those
who have never visited Alaska’s largest city, is
that there’s more to see than just antlered
pedestrians. Mishler’s Anchorage photos show
us shimmering glass skyscrapers, majorleague sports venues, felt-smooth golf greens,
inviting bike and rollerblading trails, and
vibrant public parks and gardens. Mishler,
who moved from Los Angeles to Alaska 36
years ago, says he wanted his book to appeal to
his neighbors. And he succeeds, fondly recording the beauty of his city and its people.
Mishler, a member of ASMP’s Alaska
chapter since 1981, is, in the best sense of the
term, a photographic generalist, shooting for
news, editorial, advertising, and corporate
clients. During the course of his work, he
captures the faces of merchants, artists, business professionals, teachers, students, performers, athletes, the young and the old,
natives and newcomers. Most everyone looks
to be having a good time, indoors or out,
night or day, summer or winter.
Let us help you
capture it.
(1C
Rock and Roll
By Lynn Goldsmith, foreword by Iggy Pop
Abrams Books, 2007
304 pages, how many photographs?
Hardcover, $50
ISBN-10: 0810994054
ISBN-13: 978-0810994058
When you need the very best, the
EOS-1Ds Mark III delivers with a
21.1 megapixel full-frame CMOS
image sensor, 14-bit per-channel
color, fast operation, durability,
live view and much more.
“Penn is not the only
professional camera
shop in the D.C. area,
but they’re the best!”
– Charlie Archambault
U.S. News & World Report
We have decades of experience serving professionals in a variety of industries. Contact Elbert Morris
at 1-800-347-5770 or [email protected]. See our full product line at penncamera.com.
ASMPBULLETIN
intensity as her subjects. She clearly knows
her concert warfare techniques.
Iggy Pop, writing the foreword, wraps it
up: “It’s rock and roll baby, and there’s
money, sex, privilege, mystique, and taboos
all involved for real, and people sense this
and get excited, and there’s this chick right
in your face with a camera and SHE’S sure
as hell excited…”
Beginning with a 1964 shot of the Beatles
feet (she felt she would betray her idols, the
Stones, by including their faces) color photos
flip back and forth with black and white, and
time stands still somewhere between the 70s
and the 90s.
Within that time frame, and looking past
the flash of guitars and over-the-top posturing, an intimate portrait emerges of people
Goldsmith has come to love beyond the
music that quenches her soul.
“These are the bodies that carry the songs
to us,” she explains in the text. “These are the
messengers, chosen by us to play out our passions. These are people like the rest of us.”
Goldsmith plays them with her camera as
skillfully as the music they’ve popularized
with their instruments of choice.
—Kay Kenny
Sharing the pages with the people of
Anchorage are Mishler’s luscious images of
the raw natural landscape. The northern latitudes offer spectacular sunrises and sunsets,
and Mishler makes the most of them, offering us golden views of the Alaskan moun-
tains, marshes, inlets, lakes, and glaciers.
In his forward to the book, Mishler proudly proclaims that he loves living in Anchorage.
With this book, he offers up a four-color
love letter we can all share.
—Thom O’Connor
!RTIX3CAN -
š
4HE!LLIN/NE3CANNERFOR
0ROFESSIONAL0HOTOGRAPHERS
0ROFESSIONALSCANSWITHDPIOPTICALRESOLUTIONANDBITCOLOR
'LASSLESSlLMSCANNINGWITH-ICROTEKSPATENTED%$)4 DESIGN
4-
/PTIMUMSHARPNESSWITHAUTOFOCUSTECHNOLOGYWHENSCANNINGlLM
%XTENSIVElLMSUPPORTWITH3NAP4RANS lLMTEMPLATESFORMMSLIDESMMlLM
4-
CMlLMANDXINCHlLM
2EmECTIVESCANNINGWITHANXSCANBED
&ASTSCANNINGWITH(I3PEED53"CONNECTIVITY
0ATENTED%$)44-$ESIGNFOR'LASSLESS&ILM3CANNING
-ICROTEKS %MULSION $IRECT )MAGING 4ECHNOLOGY %$)4 IS A PATENTED hGLASSLESSv SCANNING SYSTEM
BUILT INTO THE LOWER BAY OF THE !RTIX3CAN - 4HE %$)4 DESIGN ENABLES lLM SCANNING WITHOUT SUPPORTING
THE lLM ON GLASS 4HIS EMULSION DIRECT APPROACH IS SIMILAR TO DEDICATED lLM SCANNERS AND AVOIDS ALL THE
ISSUES THAT ARE RELATED TO SCANNING lLM THROUGH A GLASS SUPPORT
)NCLUDED WITH THE !RTIX3CAN - ARE -ICROTEKS EXCLUSIVE 3NAP4RANS4- lLM HOLDERS WHICH ACCOMMODATE
MM SLIDES MM lLMSTRIPS X INCH lLM AND MEDIUM FORMAT lLM UP TO X CM PANORAMIC 4HE
X INCH AND MEDIUM FORMAT CM lLM HOLDERS ARE SPECIALLY DESIGNED WITH SPRINGACTUATED TENSION GRIPS
THAT HOLD THE lLM PERFECTLY mAT ENSURING CONSISTENT SCAN RESULTS AND YIELDING SHARPER IMAGE QUALITY
Anchorage: Life at the Edge of the Frontier
By Clark James Mishler
Book design by David Freeman
Yes Alaska Press, 2007
128 pages, 140 photographs
Hardcover, $34.95
ISBN-13: 978-0965228275
12
3CAN-AKER8,0RO
3CAN-AKERI
DPIOPTICALRESOLUTION
XINCHSCANAREA
DPIOPTICALRESOLUTION
XINCHSCANAREA
¥ -ICROTEK -ICROTEK !RTIX3CAN 3CAN-AKER %$)4 AND 3NAP4RANS ARE TRADEMARKS OR REGISTERED
TRADEMARKSOF-ICROTEK)NTERNATIONAL)NC!LLOTHERTRADEMARKSORREGISTEREDTRADEMARKSARETHEPROPERTYOFTHEIR
RESPECTIVEHOLDERS3PECIlCATIONSANDSOFTWAREANDHARDWAREBUNDLESARESUBJECTTOCHANGEWITHOUTNOTICE
ASMPBULLETIN
12-13
13
WWWMICROTEKUSACOM
WWW!RTIX3CAN-COM
W08_BookLook3_REV1.qxd
[BOOK
2/6/08
11:34 AM
Page 18
GO INDIE_ASMP 5.07
LOOK]
4/18/07
3:04 PM
Page 1
INDEPENDENT PHOTOGRAPHY NETW0RK INDEPENDENT PHOTOGRAPHY NETW0RK INDEPENDENT PHOTOGRAPHY NETW0RK
AMERICAN WATERS BY ALEX KIRKBRIDE
In this year of “global warning” nature
books, Alex Kirkbride’s extraordinary
American Waters steers clear of dire predictions and concentrates on the task at
hand—a three-year photographic odyssey
through the waters of all 50 states.
Although Jean-Michel Cousteau’s foreword begins with the cautionary note that
human beings are geographically challenged
about their planet’s water system, the rant
stops there. Cousteau explains that Earth is
75 percent covered in water, but there is
much more to consider than just the ocean
when it comes to thinking about this vast
expanse. Kirkbride’s images speak volumes
in showing us the diversity of these aquatic
environments.
His marvelous underwater exposés range
from the eerie cover image of workmen’s
tools on the bottom of Glacier National
Park’s Lake MacDonald (left behind on the
winter ice in the 1930s) to the emerging hulk
of a stolen car from the receding waters of an
Illinois quarry—the result of a diminished
supply of groundwater. Irony, humor and a
great number of wonderful fish stories
accompany striking images of a world most
of us can imagine only through the occasional snorkeling experience.
Kirkbride’s vision of extraordinary underwater beauty doesn’t limit itself to the seductive quality of those mysterious reefs and
creatures—his eye for the unusual in composition and subject matter (along with his
descriptions of life on the road in an
Airstream trailer), are what make this book
stand apart from the plethora of underwater
books on the market.
—KK
American Waters
By Alex Kirkbride, foreword by Jean-Michel
Cousteau
David & Charles, 2007
192 pages, 164 color photographs
Hardcover, $30
ISBN10: 0715327518
ISBN13: 978-0715327517
SPORTS PHOTOGRAPHY: HOW TO CAPTURE
ACTION AND EMOTION BY PETER SKINNER
ASMPBULLETIN
and celebration to tension, disappointment
and dejection.
Extensive advice is offered on photographing specific sports, including the best and
worst shooting angles, lens selection and timing for peak action. For snowboarding, shoot
low, in front of the crowd, and wear insulated
kneepads. And for motor sports, never turn
your back on an active track.
The book is generously illustrated with
more than 200 photographs, captioned with
useful information on camera and lens, shutter and aperture settings.
On the business side, Skinner describes a
variety of possible sports photography niches. Also included is a legal Q & A with the
ASMP’s legal counsel Victor Perlman.
For creative inspiration, there’s a chapter
on master sports shooter Walter Iooss.
Good advice, all of it. And Peter Skinner’s
best advice: “Go out and shoot.”
—TO
© KARIN DREYER / BLEND / IPNSTOCK
Sports Photography:
How to Capture Action and Emotion
By Peter Skinner
Allworth Press, 2007
150 pages, 210 photographs
Paperback, $24.95
ISBN13: 9781581154801
Peter Skinner’s primer on shooting sports
offers clear, sensible advice. It’s as if Skinner
had stopped in for dinner and you’ve talked
about shooting sports through the wee hours.
Skinner, a photographer, writer, and former editor of the ASMP Bulletin, shares tips,
tricks and images from a cadre of successful
sports shooters. Starting with a number of
common-sense maxims—know your sport,
plan ahead, scout the venue—Skinner weaves
a satisfying mix of advice.
On the practical side, he cautions about the
physical toll from lugging heavy photo gear.
And on the philosophical side, Skinner offers
sage encouragement about being patient
while shooting, noting that good action shots
will eventually come along.
Skinner devotes a chapter to a solid discussion of cameras, lenses, tripods and
other gear. He also explores the gamut of
emotion that can be conveyed by sports
photography, from excitement, jubilation
AN EXCLUSIVE NETWORK OF PHOTOGRAPHERS, REP GROUPS AND AGENCIES POWERED BY CUSTOMIZED, NEXT GENERATION TOOLS AND TECHNOLOGY.
WE’RE WORKING TOGETHER TO REVOLUTIONIZE THE EVER-CHANGING NEEDS AND TRENDS OF THE STOCK INDUSTRY. GO INDIE.
14
14-15
W08_Spotlight_FNL.qxd
2/6/08
12:13 PM
Page 2
W08_Spotlight_FNL.qxd
2/6/08
12:14 PM
Page 3
CHAPTERSPOTLIGHT
New Mexico chapter member David Caldwell’s
image makes a striking cover for this issue,
designed by board member Miriam Hill.
THE SUMMER OF 2006 was a time of
reinvention for ASMP New Mexico, as the
first issue of the chapter’s quarterly enewsletter arrived on the scene. The chapter
had been publishing a printed newsletter for
years, but the board wanted to make the most
of the cost savings that electronic capabilities
could provide. This economy combined with
the example of an e-newsletter published by
chapter member Michael Clark soon became
a recipe for success.
Clark was tapped for the chapter board and
he offered to put his publishing skills to work.
Graphic designer and board member Miriam
Hill volunteered to share the design work, alternating with Clark to handle layouts for every
other issue. Board member Peter Ogilvie signed
on as editor with the responsibilities of gathering and editing content. Each issue begins with
a brainstorming meeting between the three collaborators, after which the newsletter is pro-
NEW MEXICO BENEFITS FROM a lot of
photographic energy. For the past several years
the members of the ASMP’s New Mexico
chapter have been hard at work to harness that
energy and share the wealth. Their current
mission is to look at the big picture, reach out
to the wider photographic community and
connect with the public at large.
One successful example of this is the chapter’s participation at the PhotoArts Santa Fe
Biennial fair in July 2007. About 15 chapter
members (a fifth of the membership) volunteered their time and expertise to give the
ASMP a powerful presence during the weekend PhotoArts market.
To create a branded look that would stand
out among many exhibitors, board member
Peter Ogilvie came up with a multi-image banner concept, which was brought to life by
graphic designer and board member Miriam
Hill. She worked with 17 chapter members to
duced within three or four weeks.
“It’s been a lot of work but it’s paid off,” says
Clark. “The best part is that it involves a lot of
people presented in portfolios or interviews
who might not otherwise get involved.”
“[People have contacted us saying,] ‘We
want to join the ASMP because we think your
newsletter is fabulous,’” exclaims chapter president Robert Reck. The ASMP’s national board
has responded with an equal enthusiasm and
is now included on the regular mailing list.
Besides e-mail distribution to about 300
people within the state of New Mexico, all
issues of the ASMP New Mexico newsletter are
archived as PDFs on the chapter Web site at
<www.asmp-nm.org/newsletter.html>.
Chapter vice president Tony Bonanno sums
things up nicely, “Our outreach efforts have
helped give all our members increased visibility with clients.”
—JW
design individual 4 by 6-foot banners for display in a large open space. Board member Steve
Zeifman’s company, Rush Creek Editions, handled the printing and Ogilvie headed a crew to
assemble and hang the banners at the venue.
“A lot of people came through and looked
at the banners,” says chapter board member
Richard Khanlian. “Their most frequent
comment was, ‘What a great way to display
your work!’”
“The banner idea worked beautifully,” adds
chapter vice president Tony Bonanno. “It’s a
wonderful solution for any chapter seeking an
efficient way to display many images.”
After the fair, the banners found a new
audience at the Santa Fe Camera Center, where
they have graced the walls since September.
Because they are durable and highly portable,
the chapter is now looking at options to move
them to additional sites.
—JW
From studio insurance to automobile and homeowner’s coverage, Taylor & Taylor and
Fireman's Fund Insurance Companies have been taking care of the insurance needs
and problems of artists for more than 35 years.
Taylor & Taylor Associates, Inc.
Insuring your future.
90 Park Avenue, New York, New York 10016 Tel:(212) 490-8511 Telefax:(212) 490-7236
12100 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90025 Tel:(310) 826-7200 Telefax:(310) 826-9300 Lic. No. 0731414
ASMPBULLETIN
16
ASMPBULLETIN
16-17
17
© Tony Bonanno
ASMP NEW MEXICO REAPS REWARDS FROM
QUARTERLY E-NEWSLETTERS AND PUBLIC OUTREACH
Tony Bonanno, Miriam Hill and Peter Ogilvie pose
with the multi-image banners that were the talk of the
town during the reception for PhotoArts Santa Fe.
W08_Profile_FNL_REV1.qxd
2/6/08
10:03 AM
[PROFESSIONAL
Page 20
W08_Profile_FNL_REV1.qxd
10:03 AM
Page 21
PROFILE]
BY MICHAL HERON
ments for advertising and editorial. Many photographers, such as
Bruce Davidson and Duane Michals, have done annual reports and
portrait commissions. During those assignments, Davidson took time
for books such as his early work, East 100th Street, chronicling New
York City’s Spanish Harlem. The work is stunning fine art, yet he continued to earn a living on assignment. Annie Leibovitz has made her
assignments for Rolling Stone and Vanity Fair into art that galleries are
eager to carry. The great thing about it is the assignments can pay for
the personal work, which often is undertaken with the photographer’s
own finances.
FINE ARTPHOTOGRAPHY
This profile is excerpted from chapter 7, “Fine Art Photography,”
of Michal Heron’s book Creative Careers in Photography: Making
a Living With or Without a Camera, published by Allworth Press,
<www.allworth.com>.
Tenneson
PROFESSION: photographer, writer, author, educator
WEB SITE: www.tenneson.com
HOME BASE: New York City
In school they have to minor in something like graphic design or
business or something where they can find a job. They need to have
other skills, beyond fine art photography to earn money while they
pursue their art. Not enough schools give them this advice. Forewarned is forearmed.
Is there a clear distinction between fine art and
assignment work?
NAME: Joyce
What would you say to students interested in
pursuing a life in fine art photography?
Students must be realistic and understand that probably for the first
ten years after they get out of school, they aren’t going to be able to
sell—or sell enough of their work to earn a living. So they really have
to think about how they’re going to support themselves—if they
don’t have a trust fund! I find many fine art students don’t really
understand that a few group gallery shows is not going to provide the
income to pay for their apartment rent, food and all of those living
expenses. They need to have a realistic survival plan.
In addition to having realistic expectations,
what other qualities are needed?
There is a blending of fields and disciplines, which is the reality today.
Go to galleries like the Staley-Wise gallery <www.staleywise.com> to see
successful work by all the top assignment shooters such as Herb Ritts,
Sarah Moon, Steven Meisel and lots of others. At the same time their
work is being sold as art to major collections, so there’s a blending.
Some art schools are behind the times. They keep the students in a kind
of ivory tower, telling them that somehow to do assignment work is not
as “pure.” But in reality, nowadays pretty much every photographer who
really succeeds does both. Not long ago, there was more of a division
between assignment and fine art. Even if a photographer shot both, they
called it personal work, not fine art. They represent two equal parts of
the person’s ability. Both can be fine photography. Witness the huge stable of assignment photographers at Staley-Wise.
Every fine art photographer that I’ve seen who has made it, has made
it not just due to talent. That’s just the beginning! They also have
enormous dedication, vision and perseverance. It’s a long journey.
They need time to develop their own unique voice. The photo artists
that have really done well are the ones who have a recognizable style,
such as Sally Mann, Duane Michals, Irving Penn, Richard Avedon or
Diane Arbus. That doesn’t happen overnight.
Developing a style: how do they go about it?
That’s part of their journey as an artist. Real artists do work that’s true
to themselves. They mine their inner territory, and the work that comes
out has a real sense of authenticity. If you had met Richard Avedon, you
would know that his images looked and felt a lot like him: very psychologically intense. The same is true of Irving Penn—his work has an
incredible European formalism and real elegance. That’s the way Penn
presents himself to the world. So the work, when it has a signature style,
somehow comes from deep within that person. Finding that style
comes through working in the field for some time, continuing to hone
your art until it is burnished like a fine jewel and is shining with your
own authenticity and your own way of seeing the world.
You are known as having shot only on film and
without any manipulation.
I still do that. However, for the past two years, I have been shooting
digital. I love being able to see my results right away. I love the digital
capture because I don’t have to scan. It eliminates that step. It has
nothing to do with manipulation. Recently I had to archive my entire
40 year career for a retrospective book coming out in 2008. We are
sending out DVDs and CDs every day, so digital is the norm.
Do some fine art photography students seem to
try to be different for the sake of being different?
© Joyce Tenneson <www.tenneson.com>
2/6/08
Are students getting the digital background
they need?
The really fine artist with a signature style does not force or push it. It
requires perseverance to explore and find it, but the style comes from
within—the art that rings true. Years ago I was with Helmut Newton
on a panel about this subject. Students were asking him about his signature style. Newton said: “Everyone who has a signature has an
obsession.” I think that’s true. Your obsessions give you that distinct
point of view. Another example is Joel Peter Witkin. He certainly has
a signature style and those are his obsessions. Just look at his work.
In the next few years most schools will have made the transfer to digital. But right now some schools still haven’t been converted because
they haven’t had the money for digital
studios. So some students aren’t getting the training they need. That’s
really a shame because those kids are
coming out unprepared. In terms of digital: if you’re not there, you’re
not really working these days.
What approach should students take toward
getting gallery representation?
They should participate in group shows as early as they can. Representation comes later. Major galleries have to represent photographers
who command thousands of dollars a print, but until you get to that
stage, take any exposure you can find.
What is the most important thought you can leave
with students?
Have the courage to believe in yourself and persevere. Everyone has
some special uniqueness within. The artist’s job is to make work that
they are passionate about and that is authentic to who they are. It’s
important to study the history of photography, and to understand
where your work fits in this history. There is no quick route to becoming a success. If you have the drive and are willing to put in the hard
work, it can be a wonderful journey!
Michal Heron has been a freelance photographer for more than 30
years. She has appeared on an NBC morning show to talk about
children’s portraiture, and currently works on assignment for a variety of publishing and corporate clients as well as stock photo agencies. Heron is active in photography organizations and served on
the Board of ASMP. She is also a frequent lecturer at seminars and
workshops throughout the country. She lives in New York City.
I
N CELEBRATION of four decades of photographic work, Bulfinch Press announces the publication
of a retrospective book by Joyce Tenneson. One
of the most respected photographers of our time,
she has been described by critics as “one of America’s most interesting portrayers of the human character.” The book will be available in April 2008.
Joyce Tenneson: A Life in Photography includes
work from Tenneson’s entire career, including work
from the books, Transformations, Light Warriors and
Wise Women, as well as many images that have
never been published. Ms. Tenneson is available for
How realistic is it to try to convert from fine art
into assignment work?
Lots of major shooters have always done some kind of assignment
work as well as personal work. Think about Mary Ellen Mark. She
does an enormous amount of assignment work, and a lot of those
assignments have turned into book projects after the fact. Stephen
Wilkes has done fine art photography and continues to do assign-
ASMPBULLETIN
Creative Careers in Photography: Making
a Living With or Without a Camera
By Michal Heron
ISBN13: 978-1-58115-469-6
Copyright © 2007 Michal Heron.
All rights reserved. Used with permission
from the publisher. Available from
booksellers or direct from Allworth Press
<www.allworth.com>
18
ASMPBULLETIN
18-19
19
lectures at art schools and universities free of charge,
supported by Epson America and Canon USA. Her
lectures are a rare walk through the life of an extraordinary talent who has inspired a whole generation of
photographers. For scheduling please contact Claire
Rosen at: <[email protected]>.
Joyce Tenneson will also be making appearances as a keynote speaker for the ASMP’s Strictly
Business 2 Conference presentations in Atlanta
(February 22–24) and Chicago (April 11–13). For
full details and to register for this conference visit
<www.asmp.org/sb2/index.php>.
W08_Members_FNL_REV1.qxd
2/6/08
12:19 PM
Page 2
W08_Members_FNL_REV1.qxd
2/6/08
12:21 PM
Page 3
B Y K AY K E N N Y
MAKE NEW FRIENDS
was not so easily available when she started out.
“Today, with so many successful photographers having come out of
photo schools, the first community a photographer builds is with their
fellow students and instructors,” Bordnick explains.
Lou Jacobs recalls that he was out of school perhaps six months
when he became an ASMP member in 1950. Jacobs didn’t just simply
attend meetings, he got involved and worked with both the Los Angeles and San Francisco chapters to produce the first Photojournalism
Conference in the West in September 1960. In 1984 he served as
national president. Jacobs offers a studied perspective of the value of
ASMP membership.
“If there were no ASMP, the average freelance photographer—99 percent, I think, of our members are freelancers and not salaried—would be
working as an individual without the feeling of cohesion that one can
have as part of an organization. The dissemination of information about
rates and rights, copyright, how to license photographs, and forms that
are suitable for photographs—all the things in the ASMP Business Practices book and in our White Papers—are all very important to the development of media photographers as we know them today.”
Jacobs’s own career has been a checkerboard of projects from years
of magazine pictures to writing articles and children’s books to stock
photography to authoring over 30 how-to photography books (the
most recent being How to Start and Operate a Digital Portrait Photography Studio by Amherst Media).
As Jacobs describes it: “When my younger son could not find a simple library book on light aircraft I wrote one and illustrated it with photographs. More books for young readers followed, on the Watts Towers,
jumbo jets, Pioneer 2 and more. A New York City editor saw a story I
wrote for Camera 35 magazine and asked me to write a basic darkroom
book. It evolved into many more about other intriguing subjects. I was
teaching in books and that segued into teaching photojournalism. My
whole professional career has been one long and happy segue.”
AND KEEP THE OLD
Longtime ASMP Members on the Value of their Membership
L
ou Jacobs keeps a paperweight on his desk from when he was
president of the ASMP’s Los Angeles chapter in 1957. Pete
Turner joined the ASMP in 1959, the year he drove from
Cape Town, South Africa to Cairo, Egypt. Turner has won
many awards since then, but the 1981 Outstanding Achievement award he received from his ASMP peers stands out as one of his
proudest moments. Barbara Bordnick once described herself as the
“very controversial first woman president” of the ASMP. In 2003, she
was awarded Lifetime membership status for a quarter century of continuous service. Matt Herron, ASMP president from 1993 to 1995,
joined the society in 1964, the same year he organized the Southern
Documentary Project to record the civil rights battles in the South.
This year at the ASMP Strictly Business conference Sean Kernan will
deliver a keynote address. Kernan, a successful commercial photographer who also leads creativity workshops, joined the ASMP in 1972.
SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST
All of these longtime ASMP members can recall the milestones and pitfalls of the organization’s growth. They used the tools that the ASMP
developed, both legal and business, to protect their rights as photographers and promote the growth of their businesses. But how does a photographer stay on top of his or her profession for 30 years or more? In
the past decade, few businesses have changed as rapidly as photography. Technology, competition, global theft of images—all of these
things and more challenge the photographer, young or old. We asked
these ASMP legends about their survival skills.
THE IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNITY ACCESS
Barbara Bordnick, successful fashion photographer and teacher at Parsons School of Design, immediately pointed out the need to be part of
a community, an advantage that she sees for young photographers that
LEARN TO PUSH THE BOUNDARIES OF SUCCESS
© Sean Kernan <www.seankernan.com>
Networking and the ability to segue, to remain open to new experiences
and possibilities, are skills that Sean Kernan often addresses in his workshops. When asked how to motivate commercial photographers who are
often trapped in a style that sells well, his response is to the point.
“It is really, really hard. Success is like legal heroin. It is hard to give
it up, even when you want to. You need to set aside what works and
seek out uncertainty and difficulty,” he explains. “Sound like fun? It
helps to think of yourself as newly born. The way you learned and
grew from day one is exactly the way that an artist works,” Kernan
explains. “So I urge commercial photographers to leave the room and
walk back in as someone else.”
For Pete Turner, whose work has always pushed the field of color
photography to the edge, ignoring the basic color dictates of precomputer days to create startlingly new saturated images resulted in early
commercial success. Turner quickly realized that simply branding
himself as a colorist would not last long in the photo world. He built
up his long-term relationships with clients by providing them with
innovative ways of previewing multi-tiered images long before Photoshop. As Turner describes it, “I had as many as 17 projectors in my studio projecting different images. I made a composite of the chromes with
a grid and this guide was used to load the images into a souped-up ver-
Sean Kernan knows a lot about making pictures with meaning and he passes on these skills in his workshops. “Reviving your photography is a matter of reviving
your liveliness,” he says. “And you do that for the same reason that most of us go to the dentist, which is that the pain of not going gets pressing enough.”
ASMPBULLETIN
20
sion of the optical printer that I had invented earlier for slide duplication.
I then created a new Kodachrome image with all these enhanced and
multiplied images. This method of working gave me a lot of creative latitude and it gave the client an opportunity to visualize the possibilities.
One of my clients, for instance, Steven Spielberg came to my studio and
gave me carte blanche to create the still images [for Close Encounters of
the Third Kind] after viewing my work methods.”
THE POWER OF ORGANIZING
FOR THE COMMON GOOD
Matt Herron’s years of political organizing as both a civil rights and animal rights activist brought him into close contact with like-minded documentary photographers. These relationships developed into powerful
organizing tools, beginning in 1964 Mississippi with the Southern Documentary Project. This group eventually led Herron to found the Take
Stock photo agency, to represent several of the documentary photographers he had come to know and admire. Herron explains that Take
Stock continues to evolve today. “I am currently adding photographers
when their work fits the narrow focus of my agency,” he says. “I have no
desire to become a more generalized stock agency, but I have plans to
expand the files in closely related fields. I am working with pictures I
love and photographers I respect, and because my files are unique I do
not have to compete with the likes of Corbis and Getty.”
PROFESSIONAL PRACTICES AND PROTECTIONS
IN A COMPETITIVE MARKETPLACE
Barbara Bordnick, a fashion photographer at a time when there were few
women in that genre, fought her own battle with segregation in commercial photography, and became the ASMP’s first woman president.
“I understood both the editorial and the commercial photographers’
concerns because I functioned in both worlds,” she says. “As we are seeing
in the U.S. presidential race, it’s difficult for people to get used to a woman
doing what they’ve only seen (and heard) men do,” Bordnick notes.
Today, she recognizes that for young photographers the road to success is in some ways even rockier, with so many new art schooled photographers hitting the streets every day. As Bordnick sums it up, “The
problems that exist today are the same ones that have always existed.
The competition is fierce and, while the marketplace isn’t getting any
larger, the talent pool is. Commercial photographers are now also competing with fine art photographers for commercial work in the neverending quest by art buyers and art directors for something new,” she
adds. “I think that because the young photographers have the communities they’ve built in school, they might feel they don’t need a professional organization as much. But so many of the protections and practices that they will benefit from came from the hard work of the professional organizations. Joining a professional organization will definitely
strengthen a young photographer’s network.”
To read more from these longtime members, check out our Q&As at
<www.asmp.org/go/sr>.
Kay Kenny is a painter, photographer, educator and a regular contributor of artist profiles and art criticism for a number of visual arts
magazines. A New Jersey resident, she is a three-time recipient of a
New Jersey State Council of the Arts fellowship.
ASMPBULLETIN
20-21
21
W08_Consult_FNL.qxd
2/6/08
12:25 PM
Page 2
[ C O N S U LTA N T ’ S
W08_Consult_FNL.qxd
2/6/08
12:26 PM
Page 3
CORNER]
BY LESLIE BURNS-DELL’ACQUA
CALLING ALL CITIZENS
MARKETING FOR
PHOTOJOURNALISM
One overriding concern in the industry today is the rise of the socalled citizen photojournalist. Today, everyone has some form of digital camera, especially cell phone cameras, and so when news happens,
there is often plenty of amateur material available for the media outlets. McKiernan believes this threat is overrated. He claims that citizen photojournalism (PJ) has existed since the beginning of the industry, with pickup images from stories often getting published.
At the same time, McKiernan notes that most citizen PJ material
isn’t very good, and Borowski Scott agrees with this, identifying some
key distinctions between citizen photojournalism and vetted journalistic storytelling.
“The best [photojournalists] just can’t be everywhere all the time,
especially during spot news events, where ‘being there’ trumps almost
everything else,” she explains. “If our job has been to be eye-witnesses
of life and the world, then there are definitely more eyes than ever
before.”
But great photojournalists don’t just stand still and click the shutter at spot news events, as Borowski Scott points out; they think a story
through and go beyond it. “Very little newspaper work is spot news,”
she says. “Most is daily storytelling. Citizen journalists aren’t usually
digging deeper into stories, building trust, exploring the more complex layers of humanity by really listening to peoples’ stories and
translating this into meaningful imagery.”
She also raises an important issue that is starting to get more recognition from the general public and the media: the integrity of the images.
“Regarding credibility, citizen journalists don’t realize that if you’re
covering a documentary situation, you can’t touch it, can’t set it up,
can’t alter it in any way, but witness it with your mind and eyes,”
Borowski Scott notes. “It’s a slippery slope,” she adds, “and I guarantee
the public wouldn’t hesitate to create images and call these journalistic when they’re not.”
These are all important issues that anyone seriously considering
photojournalism should keep in mind. There is still a need for good
photojournalists and editorial photographers. This type of work is
especially beneficial to honing a photographer’s instincts and sharpening their shooting abilities, necessary skills for all photographers no
matter what the future may hold. And this brings us back to the point
of this column, which is, after all, supposed to be about marketing. So,
just how does one get work in photojournalism today?
AND OTHER EDITORIAL WORK
O
utside of the professional photo industry, the word
“photographer” usually brings to mind a guy wearing a
khaki equipment vest, shooting the action in a war
zone. In other words, the stereotypical photojournalist.
This long-revered specialty has held a special place in the minds of
the general public, as well as for many in the photo world, even when
the photography isn’t being made in a war environment. Local news
photographers have brought us images of everything from birth to
death in our own towns and cities—fires, police actions, natural disasters, as well as mundane events like high school football games.
Many photographers get their start shooting for their high
school paper or yearbook. While many subsequently move on to
other areas of photography (still life, lifestyle and so on), most at
least got their feet wet (okay, damp) in photojournalism at some
level. Others, however, were entranced by photojournalism and
have made their careers following that passion.
CASE STUDY
Award-winning Nadia Borowski Scott is one such photographer. She
studied journalism at Indiana University (in a dual major with Slavic
studies) and did internships at the Richmond, Indiana, PalladiumItem and the San Jose Mercury News. From there she studied Soviet
filmmaking in the now-former Soviet Union, temped at the San
Francisco Examiner (covering for someone on maternity leave), then
got a contract with the Orange County Register, which turned into a
twelve-year staff job and included her coverage from Jerusalem of the
first Gulf War. From there she moved to the San Diego UnionTribune, where she has worked for over six years. She will leave this
position in January 2008 to pursue her freelance career, a departure
hastened by so-called voluntary staff reductions (something happening with greater frequency all across the United States).
Borowski Scott’s experiences serve to show how things often
worked for those pursuing photojournalism as a career. She
remembers her first portfolio, and subsequent ones that had to follow strict rules of content and composition, and keeping her printed resume up-to-date.
Now things are very different. “Today, it’s imperative to have a
Web site. No doubt about it,” Borowski Scott says. “Editors, if they’re
hiring at all (and most aren’t) don’t have the luxury of time to have
you visit, look at prints, really enjoy the process, unless they’re down
to their final candidates. I haven’t applied for newspaper work in
years, and actually don’t know what schools are advising their graduating student photojournalists,” she adds, “but I hope they’re telling
them the world they’re entering is undergoing a seismic shift.”
© Nadia Borowski Scott
SHIFT IN FOCUS
For an editorial series on high school players and coaches, Borowski Scott
combined portraits with strategy drawings to get the point across.
Scott McKiernan has definitely experienced this shift in the business. McKiernan has been a photojournalist for over 30 years. He
founded ZUMA Press in 1993, creating a business that has helped
many photographers generate additional income from their work.
It is clearly his passion, and he knows his business. While he believes
there are still staff jobs to be had, they aren’t the same as in the past.
“These days, most papers need multimedia people to add to their
staff as some existing photojournalist staffers are being converted,”
McKiernan explains. “If this is your love, then there are plenty of
opportunities as things are sorted out.”
McKiernan also notes that, “Web sites, telecoms and alternative
papers have all exploded visually and need people. Lots of them. Pay
is traditionally lower than you might expect, to start with,” he adds,
“but this depends on your goals and expectations.”
ASMPBULLETIN
GETTING PUBLISHED
As Borowski Scott noted earlier, traditional still photography staff
positions are getting rarer. Mc Kiernan’s suggestions to broaden one’s
skillset to other media such as video is definitely something to consider in order to compete today. He also suggests volunteering for nonprofits, working on personal projects, and emphasizes networking as a
means of getting known by the people who can hire you.
For independent editorial photographers, like most specialties today,
vision is the key to getting work. Clients today have many more choices,
so they are exercising their abilities to pick the best photographer for
their needs. That means photographers must show their individual
vision in both their images and their marketing. If your work does not
22
stand out as an expression of your own creative vision, you’re not going
to get noticed and you’re not going to get hired.
Marketing for editorial assignments definitely relies heavily on a
Web presence. Photo editors will search the Web for new and exciting
visions and, as opposed to advertising clients, rarely call in portfolios
(the exception being very large/important projects). There are still
portfolio drop-off days for some publications, but, short of an in-person meeting, driving an editor to look at your Web site is more likely
to produce positive results overall.
Depending on the publication’s audience, Web portals like workbook.com and lebook.com or the ASMP’s FindaPhotographer portal are
popular with photo editors, especially when a photographer is needed in
a specific location (to shoot a nearby CEO for example). Photo editors
will usually go from the portal to the photographer’s own Web site to
make sure he or she has the vision needed before making an inquiry.
However, to drive targets to your site you still need to use more traditional media such as regular print and e-mail promos. And getting
into one of the photo annuals (PDN, Communication Arts and so on)
can be very helpful in cutting through the marketing clutter to reach
targets as well.
A common issue with this new way of business is that you may get
noticed but not know it for months (or even years). A photo editor
may see your promo, go to your site and love the work, but if the right
project doesn’t appear, you may never learn of their interest. They may
bookmark your site, but if your phone doesn’t ring, how do you connect the dots? This is where relationship building, consistency and
perseverance become vital to success. You must give your targets time
to hire you without giving up on them, and also keep your name in
front of them so that you are in their heads when that right project
comes along. This means consistent marketing.
McKiernan makes a great point when he says, “The only competition any photographer has is him or herself.” Growing your own
vision is vital to this and makes your business unique. But it also
requires a high level of dedication and business savvy. It is still possible to make a living as an editorial photographer. Long-term and consistent marketing is one crucial part of the equation. If you want it,
you can still make it happen.
Leslie Burns-Dell’Acqua is the owner of Burns Auto Parts
Consultants, which she started after a career on both sides of the
photo-buying equation. She has written numerous articles and
book chapters on creative business issues and has lectured and
taught widely for both students and professional organizations.
In winter 2008 she will be one of the four core speakers for the
ASMP Strictly Business 2 seminar series traveling to Los Angeles,
CA; Atlanta, GA; Philadelphia, PA; and Chicago, IL. She will be
available for portfolio consultations in these locations and in several other cities along this route. Full details of her upcoming
schedule are available on the Burns Auto Parts Consultants Web
site at <www.burnsautoparts.com>. While you are there, be sure
to download her free Creative Lube podcast for more hints
and help with your work. Burns-Dell’Acqua can also be reached
directly at (619) 961-5882 or [email protected].
ASMPBULLETIN
22-23
23
W08_Portfolio_FNL_REV1.qxd
2/6/08
2:19 PM
[PORTFOLIO]
Page 28
W08_Portfolio_FNL_REV1.qxd
2/6/08
12:45 PM
Page 29
ASMP ME
R MEMBERS
E RIT
© Allison Kwesell/University of Montana <www.allisonkwesell.com>
© Liam Maloney < www.lightstalkers.org/liam-maloney>
© Beth Rooney <www.bethrooney.com>
© Meghan Petersen <www.meghanpetersen.com>
© Corey Perrine/Nashua Telegraph <www.coreyperrine.blogspot.com>
FROM THE 2007 EDDIE ADAMS BARNSTORM WORKSHOP
Top left: Meghan Petersen. The CEO of Magla, a rubber glove
manufacturer. Shot for BusinessWeek.
Top right: Corey Perrine. Town aldermen show signs of fatigue
during a budget meeting at Nashua, New Hampshire’s City Hall.
n fall 2007, the ASMP board developed a new, nonvoting, merit
membership category as an initiative to recognize emerging talent,
cultivate new members and identify potential future industry and
Society leaders. The first recipients selected to receive merit memberships were the 100 attendees of Eddie Adams' renowned Barnstorm
photography workshop.
Adams, a Pultizer Prize winning photojournalist and dedicated ASMP
member since 1982, created the workshop in 1988 as a tuition-free
opportunity for emerging photographers to share ideas, techniques and
I
Right: Adam Brimer. Twenty-eight
men about to be ordained as deacons prostrate themselves on the
floor during the sung Litany of the
Saints at the All Saints Church in
Knoxville, Tennessee.
philosophies with 150 top photojournalism and editorial professionals.
Attendees are carefully chosen based on the depth and quality of their
portfolios, selections from which are featured here.
To see more images from workshop attendees, go to <www.eddie
adamsworkshop.com/alumni/2007> for the full attendee list and further details about the program. For additional information on Merit
memberships and extended Q&As with these photographers visit
<www.asmp.org/go/merit>.
—JW
ASMPBULLETIN
Far right: Noah Rabinowitz. Snow
falls on a frozen clearing in Wayne
National Forest in Nelsonville,
Ohio. This area, where an endangered species of bat nests every
fall, has been recently logged in
order to build a highway bypass.
24
© Adam Brimer <www.adambrimer.com>.
Left: Liam Maloney. In Bint Jbail, Lebanon, life goes on as usual
through a bullet hole in a mural depicting a Hezbollah leader.
© Noah Rabinowitz <www.nrabvisualjournal.blogspot.com>
Above: Allison Kwesell. Refugee
children in Solo Khumbu, Nepal,
know how guns work. This area is
temporary home to many refugees
after their dangerous cross over
the pass joining Tibet and Nepal.
Above: Beth Rooney. Asiya and her daughter Aline rest after a
long day of packing their Chicago apartment for a move to Fort
Wayne, Indiana, where the cost of living is lower.
ASMPBULLETIN
24-25
25
W08_Portfolio_FNL_REV1.qxd
2/6/08
12:46 PM
Page 30
W08_Portfolio_FNL_REV1.qxd
2/6/08
12:59 PM
Page 31
Top left: Myriam Abdelaziz. Godiose Mukakahisa is one of the
survivors of the 1994 extermination in Rwanda, documented in
Portraits of a Genocide.
Top right: Chad Batka. John Casey, chairman and founding partner of
the management consulting firm Casey, Quirk & Associates. In 2000
he received a MacArthur award for leadership and innovation in the
investment consulting profession.
© Peter Grigsby/Catapultstock.com <www.petergrigsby.com>
Above: Maisie Crow. After returning home to Mexico and without
a job, Sofia shares the responsibility of watching her own children
and others from around the neighborhood.
Center right: Peter Grigsby. Ruby Vander Zee poses for a portrait
in Carpinteria, California.
Bottom right: Jason McKibben. Although diagnosed with leukemia
seven months ago, Livvie Evans-Theiler remains very much an
active six-year-old who loves school, art and swimming in her
backyard pool with toy fish.
© Brian Valentin <www.sportsshooter.com/bvalentin>
© Garrett Hubbard/Naples Daily News <www.garretthubbard.com>
© Maisie Crow <www.maisiecrow.com>
© Candace Feit <www.feitphoto.com>
© Chad Batka <http://chadbatka.com>
© Myriam Abdelaziz <www.myriamabdelaziz.com>
[PORTFOLIO]
Top: Candace Feit. Despite the crisis in Darfur, much of life continues as normal. Here, fans
perch on a wall for a better view of a football match in El Fasher, North Darfur, Sudan.
Left: Garrett Hubbard. An American flag tattoo memorializes the deep losses of
September 11, 2001. Firefighter Tim McGeary got this tattoo after working at Ground
Zero with fellow Floridians as a member of a Disaster Medical Assistance Team.
Above: Brian Valentin. Jesus Talks. Following a live re-enactment of the Last Supper at the
Cary-Grove Evangelical Free Church in Cary, Illinois, a young girl visits with her uncle, who
portrays Jesus.
© Jason McKibben <www.sportsshooter.com/jmckibben>
ASMPBULLETIN
26
ASMPBULLETIN
26-27
27
W08_Business_FNL_REV1.qxd
[BETTER
2/6/08
1:11 PM
Page 2
W08_Business_FNL_REV1.qxd
2/6/08
1:12 PM
Page 3
BUSINESS]
BY THOM O’CONNOR
NOT JUST CASH FLOW,
IT’S STRATEGIC CASH MANAGEMENT
LINE UP RESOURCES
BEFORE LINING UP CLIENTS
What’s strategic about cash management? John Harrington, photographer and author of the book Best Business Practices for Photographers, offers an example. “Take the photo portrait studio at a resort
or at a beachfront boardwalk,” says Harrington. “On a good summer
day, it looks like the studio is bringing in a fortune, with clients lined
up out the door.
“But the reality is that the photographer is making all his money
for that year during a three-month period. He needs to be a wise steward of his money to see him through the winter. He’ll want more than
basic cash flow; he’ll need to closely study his income, expenses, business climate, marketing and opportunities for expansion, over the
next year, two years, and five years. That’s strategic cash management.”
Having enough money to pay bills is essential, but strategic cash
management demands much more. “You need to be setting money
aside for emergencies, of course” says Harrington. “But you also need
money for equipment purchase and studio upgrades, for diversification opportunities, for marketing, for expansion, and for retirement.
If you’re not thinking strategically about your cash, you are not in a
safe position, and you’ll get caught with your pants down.”
PREDICT THE EBB AND
FLOW OF YOUR BUSINESS
Strategic cash management begins with an understanding of the ebb
and flow of business, clients running hot or cold, or the seasonal ups
and downs that disrupt income. “There are predictable rhythms to
my business,” says Shawn G. Henry, an editorial shooter and contributor to the ASMP Paperwork Share resource that is part of the
new Licensing Guide on the ASMP Web site <www.asmp.org/licensing>. “Having done this for a long time now, I know there will be
slow periods. The year-end holidays, for example, and late July and
August. So as the June and October checks come in, I know I need
to build an extra cushion for those slow months.” That’s the beginning of strategic thinking.
Strategic cash management also factors in a photographer’s plans
for expansion. At the beginning of 2008, Henry hired his first fulltime staff person, but only after looking at the long-term implications. “In the past, cash flow wasn’t much of a problem,” recalls
Henry. “I was only responsible for myself, so if work slowed down,
and I needed to not pay myself for a few weeks, it was okay.
“But expansion required some careful analysis. When thinking
about hiring a person, I wanted an assistant plus an office manager. Someone who would work with me on location, handle the
office paperwork, and also be in charge of promoting the business. I looked at what I’d been spending for freelance people,
assistants and office help, and then tried to gauge what I thought
the new person would generate in additional income. Then I
decided to take the gamble.”
© Shawn G. Henry <www.shawnhenry.com>
C
ash flow has always been simple to understand. You get paid
by your clients, and then you pay your creditors. And do it
all in a timely manner.
While that basic concept is still important, today’s challenging
business climate has pushed photographers to look beyond the simple concept of prompt payment. What’s needed now is strategic cash
management.
EXPANSION MEANS MORE MARKETING
Staff and studio expansion need to be supported by an increase in
billings, and that usually means more marketing. “Good cash management requires constant marketing,” points out Dwight
Cendrowski, another contributor to the ASMP Paperwork Share.
“When things are going reasonably well, photographers have a natural tendency to do less marketing. We all do it. We’re shooting and
don’t have time to devote to marketing. There’s not that economic
pressure. But that’s just the time you should be marketing, because
even if you connect with somebody, it might be a year before a job
comes your way. If you wait to do marketing until you only have ten
dollars in your checking account, it’s probably too late.”
In tandem with consistent marketing efforts, photographers need
to use time-tested techniques to keep cash management on track.
“Be timely with your invoices,” says Cendrowski. “Finish the job, do
the invoice, don’t let it sit. Don’t just send an invoice and forget
about it. Call and make sure your person actually received the
paperwork,” he adds. “The squeaky wheel gets the grease.”
Cendrowski also advises photographers to get advances whenever
possible, especially with new clients. “Some jobs extend out over time,
or involve upfront, out-of-pocket expenses. Photographers are sheepish about asking for an advance, but in many professional service
businesses, an advance is expected,” he explains. “You’re not going to
get a building contractor to start a job without an advance.”
Another useful technique to better control cash management is to
rethink your relationship with your income. “The money left over
after paying immediate expenses should not be burning a hole in
your pocket,” warns Harrington. “Don’t look at the checks arriving
ASMPBULLETIN
Doctors and students practice strategic emergency medical procedures in Brigham & Women's Hospital's
STRATUS Center in Boston, Massachusetts. Photographers are well advised to practice strategic cash
management to insure their own businesses remain healthy.
from clients and think you can go spend it all. If my bills are $3,500 and
I have $5,200 in checks, I’m not thinking I’ve got $1,700 to spend. I’m
going to set aside $1,000 of that as part of my cash reserve.
“Many checking accounts come with sidecar savings accounts,”
Harrington explains. “Transfer that money from checking, and let it
sit. You don’t see the total in savings when reviewing your checking
balance, so that savings account becomes part of your cash management strategy.”
MANAGING CASH AND MANAGING CHANGE
Strategic planning and aggressive marketing, plus meticulous paperwork management, can all help shape current cash management. For
the future, the biggest challenge could well be the seismic shifts in the
business of photography. “Relying only on publication photography
may not be a solid business model in ten years,” cautions ASMP president Judy Herrmann. “Photographers need to be paying attention to
28
the changes in the world, and in our business. All the good cash management practices in the world won’t help if your traditional source of
business has gone away.
“We need to adapt, to explore different ways of earning. And we need
to do it now while there are still options available,” says Herrmann.
“Photographers are creative problem solvers and visual communicators. The skill set needed to succeed as a photographer will be applied
to new technologies coming down the pike.”
Herrmann points out that in order to adapt to new trends and technologies, photographers need to have a portal into the future. “The
ASMP is helping to create that portal,” she explains. “We now have a
Strategic Research Committee. This group is looking outside our
industry, at developments in business, technology, communications
and government. What they find, the trends and developments, get
passed along to our membership. That information gets amplified and
shared within our Specialty Group listservs.” Herrmann adds.
ASMPBULLETIN
28-29
29
W08_Business_FNL_REV1.qxd
[BETTER
2/6/08
1:13 PM
Page 4
W08_Advantage_REV1.qxd
BUSINESS]
TIPS FROM DWIGHT CENDROWSKI:
To minimize misunderstandings and speed
the payment process, make sure the terms
of cash advances and invoice payment are
clearly stated on every estimate.
Remember that the creative people you
deal with on a job are not accountants, and
know little about the business side of their
operations. It’s up to you to make sure the
paperwork is correct, accurate and submitted in a timely fashion.
Don’t be a wimp about money. The
idea that you will be better liked if you
don’t make a big deal out of the money is
a recurring theme among photographers.
You can be firm and businesslike, and
nobody is going to hate you if you ask to
be paid on time.
With an overseas client, don’t accept
paper checks for payment, as they take
forever to process and clear. A better solution is to route payments through direct
deposit to your bank account. For security
10:20 AM
Page 13
THE ASMPADVANTAGE
CASH MANAGEMENT TIPS AND TECHNIQUES
While good cash management requires a
hard look at the big picture of your financial life, don’t ignore the practical details.
Herein are some tips on the nuts and bolts
of keeping control of your cash.
2/6/08
purposes, set up a zero-balance, second
bank account that is only used for client
payments. The payment gets deposited,
always in U.S. funds, and then immediately moved to your regular account.
Don’t buy all the newest, shiniest cameras, lenses, computers and gadgets in
the hope that new business will arrive to
justify the purchase. You can still upgrade
your tools, but on an incremental basis, as
the jobs come along.
TIPS FROM JOHN HARRINGTON:
The only time you might want to delay
billing is right at the end of the year,
where you want the tax liability to jump to
the year ahead.
Pay for everything with a credit card,
which confirms the purchase. But pay off
the full balance at the end of the month,
so there are no interest fees.
Amortize upcoming major expenses. If
you project the need for a camera upgrade
in 18 months, figure the total cost, divide by
18, then make those payments monthly to
your cash reserve fund.
When jobs aren’t coming your way, don’t
let fear engulf you to the point where you
start accepting low-paying assignments. If
you fill your days with jobs that only help
pay the current bills, you’ll never be able to
build up a strategic cash reserve. In those
times, you should be working hard at marketing, shooting new self-assigned projects, and promoting new directions in your
work to your existing clients.
he American Society of Media Photographers was formed in
1944 to promote and protect the interests of publication
photographers. Today, the ASMP has a thriving membership in
the United States and abroad, including some of the most prominent
image makers in the world. To be a member of the ASMP today is to
stand among the best in the business. Here are some of the valuable
benefits that ASMP Membership has to offer:
T
Support for online photo sales: ASMP photographers have multiple
options for online marketing to best meet individual business goals.
Digital Railroad stock distribution:
<www.digitalrailroad.net/corpsite/special_offers/asmp>
Printroom online storefronts:
<www.asmp.org/membersarea/benefits.php#printroom>
ASMP’s inexpensive Find a Photo portal: <http://findaphoto.org>
Chapters & Specialty Groups: 39 chapters and four specialty groups
nationawide offer local networking and peer support to grow your
business: <www.asmp.org/community/chapters>
<www.asmp.org/community/specialty.php>
OTHER VALUABLE MEMBER DISCOUNTS:
<www.asmp.org/go/benefits>
Online communities: Listservs for architectural, fine art, video,
culinary, corporate, underwater and emerging photographers:
<www.asmp.org/listservs>
TIPS FROM SHAWN G. HENRY:
Investigate setting up a line of credit with
your bank. Not for current expenses, but
as a safety precaution, or as a possible
funding source for an emerging expansion
opportunity.
Don’t wait on invoicing. It’s easy to
convince yourself that having those
unbilled jobs is like having money in the
bank. But it just makes strategic cash
management harder, and means you risk
not getting paid if the client goes under.
Invest in promotion over hardware.
When you’ve got a nice extra surplus in
your cash reserve, it’s better to apply that
to a new round of promotion. If you don’t
have the clients, you won’t need the
equipment.
Share what you know about business.
Look at your fellow photographers more
as colleagues, and less as competitors.
Resources on ASMP.org: Online resources include:
Copyright Tutorial: <www.asmp.org/copyright>
Terms & Conditions Module: <www.asmp.org/t&c>
Model and Property Releases Tutorial:
<www.asmp.org/releases>
New! Licensing Guide & Paperwork Share:
<www.asmp.org/licensing>
Insurance: <www.asmp.org/membersarea/benefits.php#t&t>
The Prosurance commercial insurance plan, administered through
Taylor & Taylor, is designed specifically for professional photographers. The ASMP Association Health Programs offer enhanced insurance coverage and exclusive premium rates for individuals, families or
company benefits that extend to part-time and full-time employees.
Programs vary by state.
Advocacy: ASMP lobbying and public education supports photographers’ rights. Nationally, we work through the courts, testifying before
legislative and regulatory bodies and engaging in precedent-setting
cases. We also assist members with referrals, technical support and
alerts to changes in the legal environment:
<www.ASMP.org/about/hot_issues.php>
Find a Photographer: ASMP General members are listed in an online
portal to bring clients directly to your doorstep. Business received
from Find a Photographer can repay annual dues many times over:
<www.asmp.org/findaphotographer>
Good Offices: ASMP members benefit from consultation and advice
on business concerns from the expert staff at the ASMP’s centralized
national office: <www.asmp.org/membersarea/assistance.php>
THE FOURTH ANNUAL BEST OF ISSUE OF THE
ASMP BULLETIN IS COMING IN SEPTEMBER 2008
Look for the best work of the past year by members of the ASMP
It’s not a secret! The photographers selected for the ASMP’s Best Of issue
PREPARE one low-res JPEG (500 kb or less)
are featured both in print and online, where they discuss their valued equipment, their technical accomplishments, the clients they work with and
and make sure to insert your name and caption info in the IPTC settings (File Info field
of Photoshop).
E-MAIL both items to: [email protected]
between March 1 through May 15, 2008.
Please note that due to the amount of submissions received, only the finalists, as selected
by our editors, will be contacted during the
month of June for more details about the
submitted projects.
Flip back through your calendar, review your
portfolio and prepare your submission today.
more—in detailed interviews, illustrated by their best work.
GETTING DOWN TO BUSINESS…
AND EDUCATION
Excelling at strategic cash management requires education. “You
really need to learn about business,” says Dwight Cendrowski.
“There are a lot of mediocre photographers who make money, and
many very talented photographers who are always broke. Those
moneymakers get themselves educated in how to run a business.
“We need to tap the resources we have. I joined the ASMP about
20 years ago, and it was the single best thing I did for my business.
Now we’ve got a great Paperwork Share resource, and licensing and
copyright guides, chapter seminars, and the Strictly Business tour.
You’ve got to make use of everything you’ve got.”
As a business resource for photographers, the ASMP Stictly Business 2 weekend conferences are much more than just bookkeeping
classes. Strategic business planning is part of the core content. “Our
SB2 conference revolves around making strategic decisions to take
control of your career,” explains Judy Herrmann. “We look at marketing, planning, business practices and development. No matter
what you may be doing as a self-employed creative person, you will
benefit from this kind of conference.”
It’s tough out there. “You need to pay close attention to your marketing, your cash management and your future,” says John Harrington. “Photography is not a good business for the faint of heart.”
I
N SEPTEMBER 2007, the third annual
ASMP Best Of issue featured memorable
work from 20 photographers selected from
our call to members. For the 2008 issue, we
will accept member entries between March 1
and May 15, 2008. Any memorable project
completed within the past year—from client
assignments to personal work—is eligible for
consideration. Memorable aspects could
include the following: an opportunity for creative freedom, a rewarding collaboration with a
client, an achievement in technical prowess, a
logistical challenge overcome, an impossible
deadline achieved, a budgetary milestone, a
stranger-than-fiction encounter, a promotion-
Thom O’Connor is a New York–based editorial photographer and
photography writer. Formerly a contributing editor to Photo District
News, Popular Photography, and Lens. O’Connor is currently the
proprietor of The Tabletop Studio. He is also a co-author of The
Photographers Guide to Using Light.
ASMPBULLETIN
al best and so on. Creative solutions will be
highly valued and a sense of humor readily
enjoyed.
In preparing your submission please follow
the following guidelines:
WRITE a brief (250 words or less) description
of the project and what made it memorable.
For current advertising rate information:
In the Northeast, East and South contact Jules Wartell by e-mail at
<[email protected]> or by phone at: (212) 213-1155, x204.
In the West, Midwest and Canada contact Richard Wartell by e-mail at
<[email protected]> or by phone at: (707) 456-9200.
ASMPBULLETIN
30
30-31
31
FA07_Membership_FNL.qxd
2/6/08
2:37 PM
Page 2
W08_PartingShot_FNL.qxd
MEMBERSHIP
APPLICATION
2/6/08
2:43 PM
Page 33
PARTINGSHOT
I wish to join the American Society of Media Photographers
Name (please print clearly) __________________________________________________ Date of birth ________________
Company ______________________________________________________________________________________________
Address ________________________________City ______________________ State __________ Zip _________________
Phone ___________________ Fax ___________________ E-mail ______________________ URL ______________________
I General member – a photographer actively and professionally engaged in publication photography with at
least three consecutive years of substantial publication
experience. Over 50 percent of earned income must
come from the publication of your own images.
Applicants must be sponsored by two General members
of the ASMP and must show proof of publication experience. Only General members have voting privileges and
are listed in Find a Photographer on <www.asmp.org>.
The membership chairperson of your nearby ASMP
chapter can provide assistance in understanding and
meeting these requirements. Visit <asmp.org/chapters>
for contact info.
Annual dues: $300; one-time FAP fee $50
I Associate member – a photographer who does not
qualify to be a General member. Associates do not vote
or participate in Find a Photographer, but get all other
benefits of membership.
Annual dues: $200.
I Emerging Associate member – a photographer who
is just starting a business, or a photographic assistant
who is about to become an independent photographer.
This is a transitional, one-year-only category. Benefits are
the same as for Associate members.
Dues: $125. Members in this class renew as Associates.
I Student Associate member – a post-secondary or college student. Written proof of enrollment, such as class
schedule or statement on official school letterhead, is
required with application. (Copy of student ID is not
acceptable.) In addition to the benefits that Associate
members get, students receive a bound copy of the ASMP
Professional Business Practices in Photography book.
Annual dues: $55. First year’s dues must accompany
application.
I Affiliate member – a person who provides goods,
services, information or education for photographers,
or who commissions photography. Affiliates are eligible for most ASMP benefits, including insurance and
discount programs.
Annual dues: $200.
© Jack Fields
Please select the membership category that is right for you:
THE DRAMATIC VISUAL NARRATIVES OF JACK FIELDS
Sign your application:
I hereby apply for membership in the ASMP, and I affirm
that I have met all qualifications for the category of membership I have chosen.
A globe-trotting photographer whose reporting from far-flung locations helped to transform photojournalism from an era of static
pictures made with clunky cameras to dramatic, multi-image narratives, Jack Fields
took up photography while stationed in New
Guinea with the Army Air Force during
World War II.
After the war, Fields collaboration with
his writer wife, Dorothy, resulted in a long
Signature _________________________ Date ___________
Mail the completed application to:
American Society of Media Photographers
150 North 2nd Street
Philadelphia, PA 19106
Or fax to (215) 451-0880
For fastest service, you may use the online application form at
<www.asmp.org/join>
ASMPBULLETIN
32
career spent documenting foreign cultures
for leading U.S. magazines and books,
including their 1973 title South Pacific.
A founding chairman of the ASMP’s San
Francisco Bay Area chapter, Fields was a
mentor to many Northern California photographers. He pioneered a “no-nonsense”
approach to photography education as a visiting professor at San Jose State University
in the late Seventies. Rather than teaching
ASMPBULLETIN
32-33
33
the pure art approach common to many
other programs, Fields expanded from the
craft of photography to address critical
issues such as running a good business and
maintaining ownership of one’s work.
Fields passed away in December 2007,
but is fondly remembered for his groundbreaking photojournalism and his dedication to the ASMP.
—JW