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© Joanne Tan, 2014 November 2014 B U L L E T I N T he PPGBA

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The PPGBA Bulletin is the monthly newsletter for the professional photographers association of the greater San Francisco bay area. PPGBA is a PPA affiliate.

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Page 1: November PPGBA Bulletin

© Joanne Tan, 2014

November 2014

B U L L E T I N

The PPGBA

Page 2: November PPGBA Bulletin

2November 2014 The Bulletin

Page 3: November PPGBA Bulletin

The Bulletin 3November 2014

This month’s cover named ‘Yellow Mountain in China’ was created by Joanne Tan. She earned a Blue Ribbon in the September Illustative category this year.

Joanne tells us, “The Yellow Mountain, a/k/a Huang Shan, is one of China’s most scenic mountains, in Anhui. I went there in early summer 2012 with my two teenage sons and my nephew. Huang Shan is famous for the knifing granite peaks and strange shapes of rocks, mist, pines twisting out of rocks, an ocean of clouds and unique sunrise and sunset. There is a famous Chinese saying: ‘No need to see other mountains if you have been to Huang Shan.’

After climbing 5 hours of what seemed like perpetual stairs carved out of the granite cliffs, some were 90° sharp over dropping valleys, I took this shot before the Sun burned off the mist. Among 1,500 shots I took there, this is my favorite, for the majesty, mystery, drama, and symphonic quality. The light condition was just right as the sunlight was penetrating the mist to reveal the mountains in the mist. Just a couple of hours before this moment, all was concealed by the mist and there was nothing to see but mist. Some viewers of this photo said they could feel the coolness of the mist, others felt that “The cliffs seemed to be roaring together.” It is a humbling experience to encounter powerful views like this in nature. There is nothing like it anywhere else. For those with good knees, it is worth going but avoid tourist peak seasons and days, and climb with hiking poles! This photo was hardly retouched. See nature and other photos by Joanne Tan at www.PoemAndArt.com.”

The Bulletin is published by the Professional Photographers of the Greater Bay Area, Inc., (PPGBA), a 501(c)(6) non-profit trade association. PPGBA is an affiliate of the Professional Photographers of America.

The Bulletin StaffEditor/Art Director: Lise SmithAdvertising: Julie Olson [email protected] and comments are invited; publication is subject to editorial approval. Editor reserves the right to edit all manuscripts for brevity and/or clarity of content. Articles are the opinion of the author and do not represent the position of PPGBA. No responsibility is assumed for unsolicited contributions. Submissions will not be acknowledged or returned unless they are accompanied by SASE. Deadline is the 25th of the month. Submissions may be emailed to [email protected]

2014 PPGBA Officers and BoardPresident: Joe ValenzuelaVice President: Paul SalcidoTreasurer: Alex TsangSecretary: Nano VisserDirectors: Serena Hartoog (‘14); Wayne Miller, CPP (‘15); Mischa Purcell (’14); Denny Weigand (‘15)

CommitteesCompetition: Serena HartoogFour Nights: Wayne Miller, CPPMembership: Denny Weigand & Alex Tsang Programs: Paul Salcido, Joe Valenzuela,Webmaster: Wayne Miller, Cr.Photog., CPP, Certification Liaison 2014

PPGBABusiness Manager: Fred English, M.Photog.Cr.PO Box 5583San Mateo, CA 94402T: 650/[email protected]: Julie Olson M.Photog.MEI,[email protected]

Golden Gate [email protected]

Cover Story

In This Issue...Program This Month . . . . . . . 6 - 7November Vote/People’s Choice . . . . . . . . 8PPGBA Preview 2015 . . . . . . . . 9Year-End Competition . . . . . . . . 10Meeting Last Month . . . . . . . . 12 - 13 Brooke Shaden Seminar . . . . . . . 14 - 17November Elections/New Members/ Directory Update 18 Board Report . . . . . . . . . . . 19 PPA News . . . . . . . . . . . 23Increased Profitability . . . . . . . . 24Buyer’s Guide . . . . . . . . . . . 25Calendar/Unclassifieds . . . . . . . . 26

In This Issue...Program This Month . . . . . . . 6 - 7November Vote/People’s Choice . . . . . . . . 8PPGBA Preview 2015 . . . . . . . . 9Year-End Competition . . . . . . . . 10Meeting Last Month . . . . . . . . 12 - 13 Brooke Shaden Seminar . . . . . . . 14 - 17November Elections/New Members/ Directory Update 18 Board Report . . . . . . . . . . . 19 PPA News . . . . . . . . . . . 23Increased Profitability . . . . . . . . 24Buyer’s Guide . . . . . . . . . . . 25Calendar/Unclassifieds . . . . . . . . 26

Page 4: November PPGBA Bulletin

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Page 5: November PPGBA Bulletin

The Bulletin 5November 2014

Let’s keep the momentum going. October’s guest speaker Brooke Shaden was a big hit with the attendees at the Academy of Art University located at 79 New Montgomery in San Francisco. Brooke presented her fine art work with explanations of how each piece was created and what

inspired her. The presentation was followed by a brief Q&A period. This program was also streamed live to the AAU online audience. The online audience was also able to ask questions. Brooke has major fans worldwide. I even spoke with a fan who was visiting from the Ukraine and happened to find the event through our PPGBA Meetup website. The audience participation was genuine and comments were heartfelt towards Brooke and much inspired by her work. The next day hands-on seminar with Brooke was held at the Canon Learning Center located on 201 California street in downtown San Francisco. The event was a sell out. Brooke used 35 lbs of flour, containers of baby powder and tree twigs (found on the way to the event), to create her stunning composites. Needless to say we made a mess of the set but everyone had fun and all were able to create their own images. Hope Canon

will invite us back to use their facilities again. Thanks Canon!

This month our Annual Corporate Member Trade Show will

be held at the Impact Hub at 2323 Broadway in downtown

Oakland near the Paramount Theatre. I’m excited to say

that this Trade Show will be hosted by three organizations,

PPGBA, American Society of Media Photographers and

Northern California Professional Photographers. This event

will include our guest speaker, Judy Hermann, people’s

choice image competition (prints only), album competition,

raffle prizes and lots of our local vendors. Be sure to mark

your calendar on Nov 20 to join us and have fun and make

new contacts and reconnect with friends for our last meeting

of the year!

As we glide into the last months of 2014, our officers

and board are already making plans to keep the momentum

going into 2015. We are lining up exciting events for the first

quarter and know that you, our members will be involved and

participate in theses events. I will be there supporting our

organization and looking forward to seeing you there too!

Your President

President’s Message

Page 6: November PPGBA Bulletin

6November 2014 The Bulletin

PPGBA’s November 20th Meeting

Program highlights:

Cooperative meeting with ASMP Northern California and NCPP

Corporate Member Trade Show begins at 7 pm.

Guest speaker and 90 minute program: Judy Hermann on Earning a Living - In a World Where Everyone Has a Camera begins at 8 pm

THIS IS A FREE MEETING so bring a guest and encourage your colleagues to attend!

SPECIAL LOCATION – Impact Hub at 2323 Broadway, in Downtown Oakland, Just 4 blocks from the 19th St. Oakland BART Station.

PPGBA member “People’s Choice” Print Competition – see more info on page 9. Entry deadline 7:30 p.m.

There will be so much information and networking on this evening, you are going to want to be there!

About the ProgramEVERYTHING HAS CHANGED

“Approximately 1.2 billion photographs are made per day. That’s 500 Billion photographs per year.”

Source: Wired Magazine: Photography is the New Universal Language and It’s

Changing Everything

8/20/2013

“The swift pace at which we create images is only matched by the paceat which we discard them...” – Stephen Mayes

Source: Wired Magazine: Photographs are No Longer Things, They’re Experiences,

11/15/2012

Judy’s program will point out how your career of photography is no longer selling photography and How - PHOTOGRAPHY’S FUNCTION HAS CHANGED. You are not selling photography.

Judy will cover how ads and markets have evolved. 1. 99% of Millenials are more likely to engage with a friend than a brand.2. Next? – come and find out!Her information will show you THE VALUE PROPOSITION HAS CHANGED “Quality is not an absolute measure.”

She’ll make you think hard - WHAT’S YOUR STORY? “For most of my career, the story I told potential clients was related to the quality of my work and my efficiency and resourcefulness on location. Wrrrong! Judy has something new for you to look into!! She’ll ask you the hard questions- WHO IS YOUR AUDIENCE? What kind of business are we really in now? Well, think again!!She’ll ask you to do your homework, Arrrgh!In the digital age, She will point out where we may be going in the wrong direction in our marketing and business model. Find out why “The days of the stable, long-lasting business model are a thing of the past”. Source: Avi Dan, Forbes

And Judy will help you rethink your marketing, self-promotion, who you are, what’s your best work, giving a clearer message, the trend-watch, the value of photography and how photography may have jumped from hobby/career to universal multiple languages.

If you’re wondering where photography will be in 20-30 years like other industries of past and future such as Apple, then you shouldn’t pass up this opportunity to come and hear Judy share her insights of what she has learned from sitting among the leaders, movers and shakers in our photographic industry.

Judy Herrmann

Page 7: November PPGBA Bulletin

The Bulletin 7November 2014

About the Speaker PPGBA’s Annual Sustaining Member Trade Show

Thursday, November 20, 7-10 p.m., Grosvenor Hotel

Please bring a Guest! FREE Admission to everyone this

month!

PLUS! special program: Judy Herrmann

Exhibitors as of press time:

Bay Photo Lab

Philip Mauer Photo Mount

Canon USA

A former president of the American Society of Media

Photographers (ASMP), Herrmann is also a partner and

founder of the Herrmann + Starke studio, specializing in

digital still life and lifestyle photography for advertising and

editorial clients.

An Olympus Visionary since 2000, Herrmann lectures

extensively about digital photography and sound business

practices. She is an expert consultant on how to turn a

passion for photography into a profession. Herrmann

also developed an introduction to photography business

practices program for the Olympus Meet the Pros lecture

series and she often travels to ASMP chapters to present

“I Need to Jumpstart My Business,” a seminar that helps

photographers strategize on how to take their careers where

they want to go.

Herrmann recently won the International Photographic

Council’s 2008 Leadership Award from the United Nations.

PPGBA Monthly M e e t i n g

Third Thursday, November 20th Tradeshow Networking begins at 7:00pmSpeaker at 8:00 pmPeople’s Choice image competition follows the speaker’s presentationAlbum competition November 20

The annual election for PPGBA’s board of directors will be held on November 20 at the Impact Hub in Oakland. (The date was moved from October to November as previously announced.)

Please attend the meeting, enjoy the speaker and our annual trade show, and vote!

SPECIAL LOCATION – Impact Hub at 2323 Broadway, in Downtown Oakland, Just 4 blocks from the 19th St. Oakland BART Station

October Digital Competition Deferred - ENTRY DEADLINE 11/14

Page 8: November PPGBA Bulletin

8November 2014 The Bulletin

The PPGBA Board of Directors

is recommending a change to

membership dues rates. This requires

a vote by the membership.

The vote will be held at the

November 20th monthly meeting.

The proposal is as follows:

Active, Corporate, Aspiring members:

$125/year.

Existing Active, Corporate, Aspiring

members who renew within 30 days

of their due date: $99/year.

Life membership: $50/year.

These rates would be effective as of

January 1, 2015.

(No change to the other dues

category rates.)

It doesn’t have to be the

regular 16x20 print size, but can

be smaller or larger if desired, and

it can be of any tangible material

(i.e. NOT digital) -- canvas, metal,

paper, wood etc. . .

You can enter one print, and

it must be able to be displayed

leaning against a wall on a

tabletop, or leaning against a

chair, or on an easel . . .

Entries that cannot be

displayed in a vertical fashion

cannot be entered as there will be

no way for people to see them . . .

“People’s Choice” Print CompetitionNovember

Page 9: November PPGBA Bulletin

The Bulletin 9November 2014

PPGBA 2015 Previewby Julie Olson, PPGBA C.O.O.

The PPGBA Board of Directors held a strategic planning meeting

on September 18 in South San Francisco. Our association (as

well as other pro photo organizations around the U.S.) faces

a series of challenges, including reduced membership and

revenue, rising costs, reduced sponsorship funding, free and

inexpensive programs offered by for-profit corporations, and

other factors.

Our cash on hand and reserves have been depleted over the

past six years, from $114,310 on January 1, 2009 to $48,492 as of

September 30, 2014 with overall revenues (dues, sponsorship,

advertising, workshops, door fees, etc.) falling short of our

expenses. In the early years, some of this loss was intentionally

planned by the board to spend down an extremely healthy

reserve that was in excess of two year’s operating expense. Our

current situation is such that if our financial losses continue,

PPGBA will cease to exist.

Two important initiatives have come from the planning

meeting. First, a proposal (requires a vote by the membership)

to lower most dues rates. The intent is to boost membership

by encouraging more photographers to become members

of PPGBA, and to offer an incentive for existing members to

renew on time. This issue will be voted on at the November 2 0

monthly meeting, please attend to make your voice heard.

Secondly, to reduce operating costs and to offer enhanced

programming, some monthly meetings will change. Your board

has designed a new concept and calendar for 2015. Our free

to member meetings will be bi-monthly, featuring a speaker

and image competition. Occasional “next day” seminars will

continue, similar to the one with Brooke Shaden on October 17.

Our traditional monthly meetings with speaker expense

(honorarium, travel, and lodging) and Grosvenor facility rental

costs PPGBA an average of more than $1,000 each month.

(Note: the Grosvenor is one of the most inexpensive meeting

hotels available for its room size, date flexibility, with free

parking and convenient to a major freeway. Meeting venues in

the Bay Area are extremely expensive.)

In the “opposite” months a special workshop will be offered at

low cost to members and higher cost to non-members. The

emphasis will be on hands-on and demonstrations. These

workshops will be structured (similar to Four Nights) to be

inexpensive to produce and to generate a net positive income

to help stabilize our finances. Plus, approximately $5,000 (5

months x $1,000) in expenses can be reduced. The workshops

will be held at varied locations, which may be more convenient

to some members who are not as near to our South San

Francisco location. The board feels that this diversity of events

will demonstrate to both members and prospects that we have

a superior lineup of educational products to offer.

Some of the special workshop topics in development include:

“Modelpalooza,” “Death Valley Trip March 8-13,” “Business/

Marketing 101, “Lighting 101,” “Second shooter/Assistant

Training,” and “Lightroom.” PPGBA member volunteers are

sought to help produce future workshops, please contact us if

you have a workshop idea that you would like to help with or to

request a topic of interest. We also need more involvement from

members to help move the association forward, if everyone can

pitch in a little bit, the many volunteer tasks of maintaining and

growing PPGBA will be easier for all.

Your PPGBA Board, Business Manager Fred English and C.O.O.

Julie Olson always welcome your feedback. If you have any

questions, comments, etc. you can email to president (at)

ppgba.org, fredenglish (at) ppgba.org, julie (at) ppgba.org or

phone the office at 650/367-1265.

Page 10: November PPGBA Bulletin

10November 2014 The Bulletin

Year-End CompetitionIt’s that time of year again to start preparing for the year

end competition! How do you participate? First, enter monthly

competitions. REMINDER: There will be no digital print competition

in November due to our annual trade show. Bring a physical 16X20

or larger print for the people’s choice event.

The more entries you have, the more opportunity you have

to win! (Plus, you receive extra chances in our annual drawing for

a seminar scholarship for each entry you submit throughout the

year).

If you did not enter at all or much this year, please start

planning ahead for a successful 2015 and get involved in this great

process to refine your technique.

At our annual awards celebration early next year, several

talented members will receive year-end plaques for their

photography. You could be a winner, too! You may submit up to

five entries for the year-end competition. YOU MUST FORMALLY

SUBMIT YOUR 5 IMAGES TO THE PRINT COMPETITION DIRECTOR

FOR THEM TO BE INCLUDED in the year-end judging. These

submissions can be any image you entered since the beginning

of the year that scored at least a 74. You must be a current PPGBA

member as of December 15, 2014.

To enter, all you need to do is email ([email protected]) by

December 15 and list which five (titles, please and month entered

if you can recall that) that you’d like to enter. There will be no

re-edits of any submissions; we already have each file for all of

the digital entries. If the images you’d like to submit for the year-

end were physical prints then you’ll need to resubmit those same

prints (showing the PPGBA entry sticker on the back) either at the

November meeting or December social on or before December 15.

Here are the other rules for the year-end competition:

First, second and third place awards may be awarded in the

categories: Portraits, Weddings, Illustrative, and Commercial. The

top portrait image as selected by the judges will be awarded the

Ted Gurney trophy.

If you enter any individual category five or more times during

the year, your top scores will be totaled and the highest average

score wins the Top Photographer Award for that category. You do

NOT need to submit anything for the Top Photographer awards, the

scores will be tabulated from the monthly competition results. The

Album Maker of the Year is also calculated from top scores from the

monthly competitions.

The Photographer of the Year Award is open to any member

who submitted five or more entries during the year, and will go to

the highest average score. You do NOT need to submit anything for

the Photographer of the Year award, the scores will be tabulated

from the monthly competitions.

Contact PPGBA Competition Director Serena Hartoog

([email protected]) if you have other questions.

October Competition Deferred - ENTRY DEADLINE 11/14Please go to: www.ppgba.org/wp-content/uploads\nov-comp.pdf for details

Page 11: November PPGBA Bulletin

The Bulletin 11November 2014

To PPGBA members: The October Bulletin stated

that the last image and album competitions for the

year would be held at the Academy of Art University

after guest speaker Brooke Shaden’s presentation.

Unfortunately the program and Q&A length did

not allow us to hold the image competition as

planned. I know some of our members had images

to submit and could not and were not informed of

the situation.

Therefore, to be fair to all, we are holding a special

image competition in November, prior to the

monthly meeting (we also have time constraints at

the November meeting venue). All entries must be

submitted by email to our Competition Director no

later than 2 pm on FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 14. Any

feedback from the judges will be made available in

writing or recorded audio.

The album portion of the competition will be done

during our 11/20 evening meeting at the Impact Hub

in Oakland. Please submit your album on November

20 to Competition Director Serena Hartoog at the

Impact Hub in Oakland by 8 pm.

Use the link on page 10 for the instructions to submit

your digital image/s. All the other regular rules of

competition apply.

Email your entry/s to [email protected] no later than

2 pm on FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 14. IMPORTANT: In

your email please list each image by title and what

category you wish them entered in. There will be NO

entry fee this month.

If you have any questions, please contact me at

[email protected]

Your President,

Joe Valenzuela

Last Competition of the Year Moved to November

Page 12: November PPGBA Bulletin

12November 2014 The Bulletin

Meeting Last Month

Page 13: November PPGBA Bulletin

The Bulletin 13November 2014

Page 14: November PPGBA Bulletin

14November 2014 The Bulletin

Brooke Shaden Seminar

Page 15: November PPGBA Bulletin

The Bulletin 15November 2014

Page 16: November PPGBA Bulletin

16November 2014 The Bulletin

Brooke Shaden Seminar

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Page 17: November PPGBA Bulletin

The Bulletin 17November 2014

Page 18: November PPGBA Bulletin

18November 2014 The Bulletin

Lawrence Luk

*APWC

Luk Photography

San Francisco

415)349-1863

[email protected]

http://www.lukphotography.com

Jerome Pattee

*APWC

J Frederick Pattee Photography

San Jose

408/693-9776

[email protected]

www.jfpphotos.com

PPGBA’s Nominating Committee of Chairman Zee Bezabeh, Past Presidents Mike Collings and Steve DeVaughn, have announced the candidates for our upcoming election on November 20.

PresidentPaul Salcido

1st VPTBA

2nd VPSerena Hartog

SecretaryNano Visser

TreasurerAlex Tsang

Director Candidates, 2 year termsLuis EspinosaMischa Purcell\Denny Weigand and Wayne Miller continue the second year of their director terms as elected last year. Joe Valuenzela will be Past President. A ...... Active

AS ...... AspiringC ...... Commercial

P ...... PortraitSTU ...... StudentSUS ...... SustainingW ...... Wedding

*New Members Key

New MembersNovember Elections

Don’t Be Left Out!Don’t Be Left Out!PPGBA’s annual

membership directory will be coming out soon, after our annual election.

If you have ANY changes to your contact information: new website, new business address, new phone number, new e-mail address, etc.,

please forward this information to:

[email protected] [email protected]

by November 30th

Don’t Be Left Out!

and

Page 19: November PPGBA Bulletin

The Bulletin 19November 2014

Board Report The PPGBA September Board of Directors meeting

was held on 9/18 in South San Francisco. The meeting was preceded by a Strategic Planning session.

A motion was made and passed to approve the annual

2013 financial report and send it out to all the members. A motion was made and passed to book Judy Hermann

for our November meeting, with costs to be shared by ASMP Northern California chapter.

It was the consensus of the Board to reaffirm that

membership badges are the property of PPGBA. PPC president Jim Doyle visited to explain the benefits

he believes PPGBA would have if we re-join as affiliate members. They include: increased visibility and access to photographers statewide, joint activities, shared resources, partnership with West Coast School, and access to their social media program. Requirements: both the President and First Vice President of PPGBA must be PPC members, and at least one of them must attend the four state Board meetings per year. No action was taken.

A motion was made and passed to recommend to

the membership for a vote in November that will revise PPGBA dues effective January 1, 2015. New Active,

Corporate, Aspiring members $125, current member renewals (within 30 days of expiration) $99, Life $50. (No change to the categories Additional Active $70, Retired $50, Student $50, Out of State $50)

A motion was made and passed that PPGBA continue

our affiliation with PPA and approve the PPA Principles of Affiliation document.

A motion was made and passed to appoint three

Ambassadors for 2015, one from each geographic area, who will be under the First Vice President.

Page 20: November PPGBA Bulletin

20November 2014 The Bulletin

Page 21: November PPGBA Bulletin

The Bulletin 21November 2014

Copyright Protection Preparednessby PPGBA Corporate Member Kiffanie Stahle One morning you are going to wake up and find out that someone has stolen content from your website. (If you haven’t discovered this already.) While for both legal and ethical reasons this shouldn’t be happening, we need to live in the real world and accept that this is the reality. I also bet that your to-do list looks like mine and is a never-ending list sprawled across Evernote, Moleskine notebook, email inbox, and several 3×5 index cards. I don’t want to make that list longer, so today I’m going to share with you the four tools I use to track down where else my website content appears online. Track Down Text Stealers Even with the biggest network, it would be impossible to find each instance of stolen website content. Luckily, there are two amazing tools that will let you quickly determine where else your text is appearing online. Copyscape Plagiarism Checker This free tool searches the Internet for similar content. All you have to do is provide the URL. I like this tool because it finds both similar and exact matches. So even if your text stealer changes a couple things here or there, the tool will find it. (http://www.copyscape.com) The downside of this tool is that unless you pay for their premium service you cannot search several URLs at the same time or save your searches to repeat at a later date. Thus, if you want to search for hundreds of blog posts, you have to copy and paste them into the search bar one by one. Google Alerts What many people don’t know is that when you set up a Google Alert you are telling Google to perform an automatic search on the schedule you determine and send you an email if any new results appear. https://www.google.com/alerts

This means you can pick key sentences out of each blog post (and each static webpage), create a Google Alert by putting that sentence in quotation marks and Google will automatically search and notify you when that sentence appears anywhere on the Internet. Pretty freakin’ amazing, right?! (And yes, I might have a slight love affair with Google Alerts and all of the ways it saves me time running my business.)

Track Down Image Stealers Just between the social media sites, you could make it your full-time job to try to track down each place that your images appear. I wish I had a tool as amazing as Google Alerts for images, but the best free tools available require elbow grease.

Google Image Search Google’s tool can be used in one of four ways: drag and drop the image onto their search page enter the URL of the image onto their search page upload an image to their search page install an extension in your browser allowing you to right-click the image you would like to search from any webpagehttp://www.google.com/imghp Like Copyscape, there isn’t a way to save your searches or run multiple searches at once, you have to search image by image. However, there is one trick that you should know about: you can limit your search-by date. Tineye Tineye utilizes the same four search methods as Google Image Search. Tineye also allows you the ability to not only limit your searches by date, but save your searches. The one clear disadvantage, however, is the size of its database: only about 6 billion images, a small fraction of the images on the Internet. https://www.tineye.com I hope these tools help you track down where else your work is appearing online. If you’d like to learn about other tools and tricks to help you with the legal aspects of your creative business, I share resources like this each week on my blog, the artist’s JD (http://www.theartistsjd.com)

Page 22: November PPGBA Bulletin

22November 2014 The Bulletin

http://imagingusa.org/programs/sort-by-day/?utm_source=click_thru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=iusa15

Page 23: November PPGBA Bulletin

The Bulletin 23November 2014

PPA NewsApply Today: PPA Kickstart

Scholarship!

As a professional photographer, you understand that continuing your education is imperative to stay competitive in today’s changing landscape. Unfortunately, sometimes that education comes at a pretty high price--workshops can add up!

Fortunately PPA is offering scholarships for four lucky members to take in all of the ideas of Imaging USA pre-con workshops! These are the classes that happen Thursday, Friday and Saturday leading up to the show in Nashville. No matter where you are in your career, there’s a class for you. Dive into some business basics, or get new ideas with posing, lighting, and business gurus from across the industry!

Many of these classes are hands-on, so instead of just watching from the audience, you’ll be able to capture images of your own and learn firsthand what to do while shooting newborns, boudoir, and everything in between. In these smaller, more personal classes, your instructors are there to help you bridge the gap between passion and profession while having tons of fun. And, with the PPA Kickstart Scholarship, it’s on the house!

Check out the wide range of pre-con classes here and see which one will help you kickstart your Imaging USA experience here!

To apply for the scholarship, you must be a PPA member and you can’t have received a previous Kickstart Scholarship. Applications are due by November 21, 2014. We’ll select the winners by December 5, 2014 and will announce them publicly on December 10. So hop to it!

To apply for the 2015 Kickstart Scholarship, visit http://www.ppa.com/scholarship2015

Page 24: November PPGBA Bulletin

24November 2014 The Bulletin

· •Advertising Edge· •Pricing Justification· •Peer-Validation

Certification helps to show potential clients the value in

hiring a true professional. Consumers might not know

much about professional photography, but they understand

that certification means professional-quality goods and

services. Anyone can buy a camera and take some

pictures, but a Certified Professional Photographer (CPP)

designation shows clients that you are a true professional

in your field.

Learn more about How to become a CPP by clicking here

Steps to become certified the first time:

1. Declare your candidacy. To do this, simply fill out

the candidacy form. In this step, you will also need to

pay the application $200 fee. Please note that your

candidacy won’t be officially declared until your payment

is processed. Once confirmed, your candidacy will be

valid for two years.

2. Prepare for the exam. PPA has many resources

provided to help you prepare for your CPP exam.

Take advantage of all these by visiting the CPP Exam

Resources section of the PPA website. We suggest

first downloading the CPP Test Specifications so

you know what the exam covers. Then you can test

your knowledge with the CPP Keywords, browse the

suggested reading material, review the CPP Flashcards

and take a Sample CPP Exam. You can also sign up

for a CPP Prep Class that will definitely boost your

confidence on the big day!

3. Take the exam. Once you feel confident you are ready

to take the exam simply go online and register for an

exam in your area. Remember you must register for the

exam at least five business days prior to the exam date.

Picture Identification will be required upon arrival at the

testing site.

4. The Image Submission follows the exam. You will

receive a set of instructions to follow in order to submit

your images. You can submit your images for review

up to three times without incurring any extra charges.

Should you not pass the image submission within the

first three tryout rounds, you’ll simply have to reapply

for candidacy, with a reduced cost of $100 to reapply,

earning you three more rounds of image submissions

and an additional year to do so.

5. Celebrate. Once you get your certification, give yourself

a break and celebrate! You’ll deserve it.

CPP Exams are scheduled throughout the year at local CPP Liaison

studios.

The next Bay Area CPP Exam will be held on on Jul 26, 2014 at 2:00 pm in Clayton, CA.

Exam proctored by Wayne Miller, Cr. Photog., CPP, CPP Liaison 2014.

Any questions on becoming a CPP please contact Wayne at 925/330-

8737 or [email protected]

by Professional Photographers of America (PPA) with Bridget Jackson, CPA and PPA Business manager

In April, Bridget brought you some pretty great last-minute tax tips. Hopefully that gave you a chance to give your finances a good, stern look. Did you like what you saw? Even in the most successful businesses, you can find ways to boost profitability. 

That’s where Bridget’s column comes in handy! Here are 8 helpful tips to increase your profit margins:

1. Mix it up. Increasing sales and cutting costs is on everyone’s mind. Most people think that in order to grow sales you have to increase prices. That’s certainly one way, but you can also offer add-on services and products that complement your current offerings, in turn increasing your sales average. Also, to cut costs see what processes you can automate or outsource.

2. Separate yourself from your competition. Find ways to differentiate yourself. Whether it’s entering print competitions to refine your craft or finding ways to increase your social media presence or maybe it’s becoming known for working with a specific charity. Be mindful that YOU are the differentiator in your business.

3. Streamline overhead costs. Workflow tracking and assessment needs to be done regularly to assure maximum productivity and to identify inefficiencies. Unfortunately tracking productivity is often overlooked but it’s a great way to identify opportunities to reduce costs.

4. Rent killing your business? Explore options for co-leasing a space with a like-minded business, whether that business is photography related or they attract a similar clientele. There has been also an increase in the number of owners that have brought their business in-home. Bottom line, if paying rent is sucking up your profits, find an alternative. 

5. Keep them coming back. It is easier and less expensive to keep current clients coming back than it is to gain a new client. Consider a referral program to incentivize referrals. Also evaluate your client touch points and create new ways to take your customer service to a whole new level of hospitality.

6. Selling every step of the way. Selling begins with your first point of contact. Your sales strategy should be clearly defined. Anyone in the studio who comes in contact with a client is a sales person and needs to understand the businesses’ unique sales strategy as well as be well-versed on all of the session and product offerings.

7. Make it easy to buy. Keep it simple, simple, simple from the client experience to the product offerings to collecting payments. Remember the ordering appointment is not a viewing appointment. Consider incentivizing your clients to make their purchase at the ordering appointment. You can also set up a session fee structure that includes a print credit or allow for payment plans to make it easier for your client to make larger purchases.

8. Understand your cash flow challenges. Due to the cyclical nature of most photography businesses, consider promotional offerings during off-peak times, perhaps ones with charitable connections. Not only can they generate some cash flow when it’s much needed but these promotions can also increase your presence in your market. Build reserves during peak season to help smooth those months when cash flow is challenged. This way you can avoid using credit cards and incurring high interest expense charges.

Bridget Jackson is the manager of PPA Business and also a CPA. She’s helped hundreds of photography studios be more profitable and will address some common questions each month. Heed her advice folks--this lady knows her stuff!

8 helpful tips for increased profitability

Page 25: November PPGBA Bulletin

The Bulletin 25November 2014

8 helpful tips for increased profitability Buyer’s Guide

Action ZoneLooking for photography events and educational opportunities in the Bay Area and beyond? Here are some links to our fellow organizations with pro-grams and seminars all over the area.

San Francisco ASMP www.asmpnorcal.org

San Francisco APA www.apasf.com

Santa Clara PPSCV www.ppscv.com

Sacramento PPSV http://ppsvonline.homestead.com/

East Bay NCPP www.ncpponline.com

Please favor our corporate members and major advertisers with your business. They have shown their support for PPGBA! PPGBA does not recommend or warranty the products/services of any vendor, supplier, or manufacturer.

Albums, Frames & Mats

Philip Mauer PhotoMount

800/321-3686

www.philipmauer.com

Business Services

Stahle Law

415/617-9278

www.stahlelaw.com

Equipment & SuppliesAlan Epstein Sales

415/420-5278

[email protected]

Keeble & Shuchat

650/327-8515

www.kspphoto.com

Photo LabsBay Photo Lab

800/435-6686

www.bayphoto.com

Image Capsule

408/625-7903

www.imagecapsule.com

Workshops

Golden Gate School of

Professional Photography

650/367-1265

www.goldengateschool.org

Page 26: November PPGBA Bulletin

26November 2014 The Bulletin

Calendar of Events

To Place an UnClassified Ad in the Bulletin

Unclassified ads are $20 for up to 40 words for members, $30 for up to 40 words for non-members.

Each additional 40 words for $10.

Payment by Mastercard/Visa is due before publication. All ads MUST contain your name.

Help wanted or position wanted classified ads are FREE.

Editor may re-write these ads for space considerations.

Deadline is the 20th of the month.

To place an ad, send an email to:

PPGBA’s Business Manager Fred English at [email protected]

OZY Media in Mountain

View is looking for a

temporary photo editor/

researcher parttime to

halftime with potential to

lead to permanent and/

or full time for news and

culture online magazine.

Must have experience in

serious photo research.

Assigning, producing and

shooting a plus. Will be

collaborating with editors,

creative director. Team

Player a MUST with great

positive attitude. Please

email to [email protected]

UnClassifieds

November Deferred Friday, 11/14 by 2:00 p.m. deadline Digital www.ppgba.org/wp-content/uploads\nov-comp.pdf Print Comp for details

PPGBA Thursday, 11/20 at 7:00pm - “Trade Show Night” and Judy Herrmann Meeting People’s Choice Physical Print Competion No digital entries.

SPECIAL LOCATION – Impact Hub at 2323 Broadway, Oakland, Just 4 blocks from the 19th St. Oakland BART Station http://ppgba.org/

December NO PPGBA ¿¿¿¿¿¿¿Possible Holiday Party?????? Meeting Any Volunteers?