- In Focus -
SONOPP's December Newsletter, 2006

This Month's Featured Link

This month's technique is called "Adding Drama," when you want give an image some extra punch.  It takes only a few keystrokes, and is very flexible.  Start with an endearing image of a grandfather walking with his granddaughter.  It might be entitled "Autumn and Spring," and here's what happens when the drama is added:

Remember that SONOPP members have the privilege of viewing all techniques (including previous ones) in The Photoshop Corner, reserved for Members Only.

Member News

Commentary

BTW, there's a new book out:
 

GET THE KNOW-HOW YOU NEED TO TURN YOUR HOBBY INTO A SUCCESSFUL CAREER Providing detailed discussions on a wide range of photo topics, author Patrick Rice (president of SONOPP) starts with a look at the array of camera formats and lenses available, then moves to critical discussions on camera settings, composition and posing, image editing, filters, black & white photography, handcoloring, infrared photography, and more. Packed with images and techniques from top pros, this book will provide solid footing for a successful photography career. FEATURES: ☺Using standard equipment and photo accessories, with overviews of both digital and traditional processes ☺Achieving the technical standard that produce a professional quality image ☺Lighting, posing, and composition strategies for more successful images of any subject Click here to buy it!

Speaking of Patrick Rice, remember the article he wrote about "The Devaluing of Professional Photography" -- well, it's still getting kudos.  Click here to read the (very well written) latest.

More newsletters from PPA:

November 30, 2006

Dear PPA Member,

Did you hear the one about the reporter who advocated copyright infringement?  And did you hear how PPA responded?

The saga started a few weeks ago when a story from SmartMoney.com advocated scanning photographs and sending them to relatives instead of buying additional prints.  Worse yet, the story was featured on AOL's news page.

But PPA members banded together.   And who did the photographers contact to address this wrong and lead the fight?  PPA.

PPA sprang into action by contacting the author and the SmartMoney.com editorial staff.  When that did not produce the desired results, PPA then took their concerns straight to SmartMoney's corporate attorneys.  At the same time, the PPA-operated forum, www.OurPPA.com, became the information hub for photographers who were pushing AOL and SmartMoney to remove the story.  Photographers of all types shared information, sample letters, and updates on the situation.

As a result, AOL quickly removed the entire article from its website.  And while SmartMoney.com's editorial staff defiantly vowed to "stand by their story, " the online magazine made it impossible to find on their website or in their archives.

Removing the suggestion that consumers violate copyright is an important victory in the battle for photographer rights.  It also spotlights one of the things that makes PPA unique: No other photography organization can claim the combination of professional staff and dedicated members that PPA possesses.  Because everyone involved lends a hand and bands together, PPA accomplishes things that others simply cannot do.  As a result, our actions speak even louder than our words.  And that is part of the value of PPA membership.

Many thanks to all the Members who helped spot and address this problem.

Sincerely,
Al Hopper
Director of Membership, Copyright and Government Affairs Professional Photographers of America
 

Studio Photographs in the Digital Age
By Ron Lieber, The Wall Street Journal

(Nov. 30) - December has traditionally been a gift to portrait studios and photographers, as families crowd in to make personalized holiday cards or shoot pictures for the grandparents.  Nowadays, however, they face stiff competition, from the families themselves to characters on "Sesame Street."

After all, a mere $200 now buys you a camera with half a dozen megapixels.  Its pictures land seamlessly on your computer courtesy of Apple's iPhoto.  Then Shutterfly, a photo-sharing and printing Web site, grabs the shots of your kids and drops them into a book with Elmo and Big Bird and sends it to your house for about $40.

Cranky Consumer went on five different holiday photo shoots and found the experiences and prices varied widely.  The big portrait-studio chains are feeling the heat.  Many of them were slow to go fully digital, but they are now frantically retooling.  CPI Corp., which runs over 1,000 Sears Portrait Studios under a license with the company, finished converting all of its operations to a digital setup last year.  It promptly put itself up for sale, and its stock has rocketed roughly 140 percent in the past year.  Hallmark Cards Inc. sold mall-based chain The Picture People, with 300-plus stores, to a hedge fund, and Picture People too is now updating its gear.  "We're going to have to take this thing out of the stone age and invest the money in equipment," says President and Chief Executive Charles M. Masson.

Most higher-end photographers have invested in new gear already, but they still have to sell themselves to overconfident amateurs, who think they can handle basic portraits with their own point-and-shoot and a home computer.  The pros all sing variations of the same song to the do-it-yourselfers: Our cameras cost more (at least $1,500), our lighting is better (Picture People's is patented) and we can get it right the first time and do it more quickly than you can (prints within an hour at the chains).  And if you like the posed-portrait look, it is much harder to achieve that at home than in a studio.

We took them at their word and put their patience and skill to the test with a squirming baby girl.  She posed at Sears, Picture People and Kiddie Kandids, a chain that has stand-alone shops plus a number of outlets in Babies "R" Us stores.  Then, we hired two independent photographers to see whether the pictures would be appreciably better and our wallet would be demonstrably lighter.

The chains have work to do.  Sears had an array of prices and fees so confusing that its employees quoted some of them incorrectly.  Kiddie Kandids poses kids on a stage of sorts, even though some have toppled off over the years.  None of the chains managed to start on time or keep us from waiting, which is tough on kids with a strict nap schedule.

The individual pros, while extremely talented, posed their own challenges.  One charges separately for his time and the prints unless you fork over a four-figure amount for unlimited private use of the images.  But we found a way around that with another pro -- and saved hundreds of dollars in the process.
One theme common to all five sittings: Parents often work just as hard as the photographers.  Keeping a kid in one place, not to mention getting her to smile, takes a fair bit of effort.

It hadn't occurred to us, however, that saving her from serious injury would be part of the deal until we got to Kiddie Kandids.  There, the photographers have kids pose on a ledge a couple of feet off the floor to make it easier for the photographer to keep the camera at the baby's level.  While the ledge is deep enough for some degree of comfort, the hazard is obvious.

"We've tested a whole bunch of different ways to do it, and this particular system works for best for us," says Scott Adams, the company's co-founder.  He adds that while the company has had a few kids fall off over the years, none have been seriously injured and the chain has photographed several million children since the 1970s.  "We require parents to sit right next to them," he adds.

The baby posed on the floor at Sears, so safety wasn't an issue.  We also loved the old-school autumn-leaves background here and at Kiddie Kandids.
Trying to figure out what things cost was maddening though.  First, there was a "sitting fee" to walk in the door ($14.99, which wasn't mentioned when we made the appointment or when we walked in).  Then, an employee told us we had to buy at least one thing while we were there to get our pictures up on the company's Web site (not true, says a company executive).  During our sessions, we were also told that shipping would cost $25 for Web photos (wrong again; it would have cost $4.95).

Just getting a basic price list for Sears prints was complicated, too.  "I really hate to put a price on anything," says Ed Schuman, CPI's vice president of training and development.  "It depends on what offer the customer comes in with and what offer they take advantage of in the studio.  We have so many of them."
Sears isn't the only chain like this.  They all offer an array of deals, coupons and membership clubs that can bring down prices, so consumers should always check the Web sites for offers and inquire about others upon arrival for a session.

At Picture People, after two unsuccessful attempts, a sales representative finally convinced us that we would actually be making money if we signed up for the $40 "Portrait Club" membership.  After all, we got a $10 discount off our charges that day, plus a free print, plus more money off our online order.  Thus, we came out $8 ahead.  At least we think so.

The hard sell is prevalent at all of the chains, and though it goes unspoken, we felt like both the employees there and the individual photographers might think we were uncaring parents if we ordered only a few prints.  Morris Weintraub, owner of Imagewell Photography in Jackson, Wyo., wanted $30 and up for his prints, on top of a $250 fee for his time.  Still, he did spend several hours with us in a number of settings and invited us to his home later to view the best pictures on his computer.  Choosing just a handful was excruciating, because the quality was spectacular, but we simply couldn't afford any more.  Nor could we pay the $1,250 he had quoted us upfront to spend much more time with him and then share or print the pictures as we wished.

Many other professional photographers charge similarly, and Mr. Weintraub notes that he couldn't make a living and spend more than $10,000 each year on new gear if he charged less.  As for the print prices, he says this: "I'm placing a value on what I've created like any artist.   Then I leave it to the consumer to decide whether it's worth purchasing."

Fair enough, but we went in search of a better deal anyhow.  We found it by posting a (free) job listing on the virtual bulletin boards at the School of Visual Arts and Pratt Institute, two local art colleges.  We said that we were seeking someone to shoot pictures of our child and that we wished to have free reign with the pictures once the session was over.

We heard from lots of current students and older alumni, too, and chose Yun Cee Ng, a talented SVA grad.  For $400, she spent two hours with us in the park and more time editing the images on her own.  Not long after, she sent us a CD with 96 pictures on it, all of which we -- or the grandparents -- can print at will.