Photo Success

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Photography Success Tip #47: Become a slave to the technique

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“Do the thing you fear, and the death of fear is certain.”
~Ralph Waldo Emerson~

Photography Success Tip #47: Become a slave to the technique.

I was paralyzed with fear when it came to public speaking.

Throughout most of my 20’s I was incapacitated by this fear.

And I didn’t really break out of it until I stopped any negative
and/or destructive behaviors that only fed that fear….( I quit drinking and running from myself.)

I really took action to try and develop new skills.

I learned how to speak in front of groups. I took every single opportunity I could in my life to speak in front of groups. Go figure.

And for a couple of years, it was hard, it was very, very hard. But I persisted.

I am very glad I did, because now I have the skill that I would have never been able to develop, unless I faced my fears dead-on and wrestled them to the ground and almost removed them.

Now when I speak in front of a group, it’s a real sense of mastery for me.
That took a total of 13 years to develop.

The first 2 years were very difficult. But I got there.

Was it worth it? The better question to ask is:

What price are you really paying when you don’t tap into the talents and skills locked inside you by your fears?

When you manage to get a handle on your fears, look for the opportunity to become a better person, you will be become a better photographer.

That is a total given. You cannot avoid it. The two are linked.

Jeff Foxworthy talks about when he was struggling and growing.

Seinfeld gave some advice to Foxworthy’s big question back then:
“How can I create a “style?”

Seinfeld told him to keep giving his show, keep making people laugh, keep doing it, day after day, month after month, and your style will develop.

And it did. Jeff is now a household name.

This applies equally to photography techniques and creativity.

Or, any skill we are trying to master. Become a slave to the technique first, before you can forgot the technical and let the creative shine through.

Confidence is a skill. Selling, and marketing are too. Shooting is.

No matter what the creative endeavor, they are all subject to the same steps.

Join me, Thursday, May 10th, 8:00PM EST for a marketing mastermind meeting.

Where we’ll talk about, dig into and get honest about limits.

REGISTER HERE

EXTRA challenge: Email me your biggest struggle, challenge or problem.

rob@wizardoflight.com

Robert N. Provencher – Your Master Coach Marketer

“If you want to be a profitable and successful photographer, then study profitable and successful photographers.”

Join us…Content, Coaching & Community

All we need to do is discover what our real limits are…

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Everyone has limits. But there are two types of limits.

Fake ones and real ones. But what most of us don’t realize is that many of them are “imagined” limits. You know, fake.

The goal is to push beyond the “imaginary” limits and kick those we made up off the cliff and realize that the real honest limits are further beyond.

In a grey area.

And all we need to do is discover what our real limits are.

This my friend, is where YOUR potential lives.

And this is not pump-you-up, get motivated feel good sugary sweet puff speak.

All you gotta do is look inwards, get honest and use your imagination.

Join me, Thursday, May 10th,2018 8:00PM EST for a marketing mastermind meeting.

Where we’ll talk about, dig into and get honest about limits.

REPLAY HERE

EXTRA challenge: Email me your biggest struggle, challenge or problem.

rob@wizardoflight.com

I’ll bring it up during the presentation ( unless you prefer keeping it private- just say the word). Limited to the first five emails.

Robert N. Provencher – Your Master Coach Marketer

“If you want to be a profitable and successful photographer, then study profitable and successful photographers.”

Join us…Content, Coaching & Community

Thomas Dodd is back….Thursday, May 3rd 3:00PM EST

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***JOIN US***

Thu, May 3, 2018 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM EDT REGISTER HERE

 

 

Thomas Dodd is BACK to discuss:

  • Marketing – what to do and NOT to do on social media to build a fan/collector base.
  • How to approach galleries ,how to get shows – how to approach the media –
  • How to get your images seen in Google image search
  • How to market in every day life, etc. etc….
  • Creativity – How intentions and influences shape our artistic style, how to be “original” as opposed to a copy – ways to “jump-start” creativity, how to overcome creative blocks
  • How to coax creativity out of models.. different forms of creativity, etc etc..

Thomas Dodd is a visual artist and photographer based out of Atlanta, Georgia who has developed a style that he calls “painterly photo montage” – a method he employs in editing software in which he crafts elaborately textured pieces that have a very organic and decidedly non-digital look to them.

His work often has mythic and quasi-religious themes that pay homage to Old Master art traditions while at the same time drawing from psychological archetypes that evoke a strong emotional response from the viewer.

Although his artwork resembles paintings, his pieces are entirely photographic in nature, fusing many images into a cohesive whole. His larger works are often presented in a mixed media form that adds a depth and texture that complements the photography beautifully. http://www.thomasdodd.com/

https://www.facebook.com/ThomasDodd

“Who shot this???…”

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What makes a legend in photography? Is it a magic ingredient that few are born with?

Not really….legends are MADE, not born.

They are created much like your camera was put together and your computer too.

Legendary photographers are embedded into our minds and last a lifetime to our clients without needing to make room or make way for some new celeb marquee star to take their place.

Celeb and marquee names in photography matter zilch to my, and your clients. Zilch.

Nada….

When it comes to creating legendary status in the minds, hearts and souls of our clients, what matters is how they see you as a living legend.

The secret is how you use marketing and publicity. Multiplied over time and effort.

Yes, like anything else, becoming a legend in photography in your community is not about how many of your peers you won approval from (and how many of them actually envy you) , but from how much work and time you put into winning the hearts and minds of your clients.

The first example to comes to mind is Disney. They are so top of mind, so well known, well respected, they attract clients from all around the world.

Thankfully we don’t need to be that big. It’s easy for us to niche in our communities and become a big fish in a small pond.

I like being a big fish in a small pond.

When you don’t create a good name for your photography business, people won’t have enough reason to come to you.

So, building a name, becoming a legend is of paramount importance and value.

Everyone gives their business a real name. Imagine a bank simply being called BANK. No name.

Every business has a name attached to it.

And you do too. A business is powerless unless you have a name behind it. Your photography business is powerless without a name to back it up.

You might get by without a personal studio brand.

You might get some bookings, win some respect from your friends and family. Even create some killer images.

But your ceiling will be very low and your growth limited without a well known and respected name.

And your business is going to lag without you even knowing why.

Imagine how much better things are when you have a well known name with your photography business. Imagine how much more in profits, business and influence you will be able to work with in your community.

Unless you systematically build your personal studio brand (and this is more than logos and “looks” by the way….much more….) people only find you through referrals or by accident.

They don’t know to seek you out because they have no idea who you are.

Having the right name in response to the question ‘Who shot this?’ in a photography business today, is crucial.

When you create this, the tables are turned….in your favor, of course.

People know to seek you out, without you even selling to them. They know who you are.

The best part is, you get to do business on your terms, not theirs…..

AAAaaaahh….what a feeling.

If you want to learn more about how you too can build a name that pulls in business, profits, respect in your community, without risking looking and sounding like everyone else in your area, without being the same in a sea of sameness, than you need to get around the right people.

The rest is history as they say,

Yours in success and in photography,

Robert N. Provencher – Your Master Coach Marketer

“If you want to be a profitable and successful photographer, then study profitable and successful photographers.”

Join us…Content, Coaching & Community

 

“Do it for the money…”

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I’ve said it a million times before:  “Having  a talent is worthlessunless you know what to do with it.”

That’s a quote from Charlie Chaplin. Search  out his quotes (google him) and you will find some nuggets.

Here’s another quote from Charlie Chaplin:
“I went into the business for the money, and the art grew out of it. If people are disillusioned by that remark, I can’t help it. It’s the truth.”

Interesting isn’t it?

The conclusion  might me that talent isn’t what DRIVES the goals and ambitions.

Sometimes it’s the desire for financial success, sometimes it’s the love of the game, or fame, or whatever. As long as we are moving towards OUR goal, OUR vision, without excuses, then we will get there, and the ART will GROW……I know.

It happened to me. Do it for the money, and the art will grow out of it.

P.S. Of course you need a  good product, and on-going training.

Robert N. Provencher – Your Master Coach Marketer

“If you want to be a profitable and successful photographer, then study profitable and successful photographers.”

Join us…Content, Coaching & Community

The size of the camera gear used is inversely proportional to the talent of the photographer…

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I teach a photography 101 class through the local library in our city. I actually enjoy it. So do the attendees. Go figure.

I tell them I am not going to teach them everything they need to know about their cameras and all about the tech talk owners manuals stuff.

That, I remind them, will leave them way more confused then when they started.

What I do teach them is the basics of exposure, and we dig hard and deep into seeing light.

And composition.

See, the way I see it, learning basics of ISO, aperture and shutter speeds, in other words, exposure, and learning how to see LIGHT, and understanding how composition works, are the most valuable and important foundations of what I remind them is, over and over, what photography is all about: Painting With Light.
Nothing more.

And I drive the point home that it’s NOT the camera.

Case in point….Brian DeMint….that’s him in the image on the left. His story he’s told a million times, is that he bought a basic DSLR at the local Best Buy years ago and started his photography journey.

Hell, he didn’t even know the lens came off. And he’s never been too proud to admit that.

If you look closely at the image to the left you can see Brian’s light. A 12$ garage light from WalMart.

That, and his basic DSLR from Best Buy and he’s mastered some very creative images. See the two below.

Brian knows how to see. And he understands this at a deeper artistic level than most.
I want to be like Brian.

I always love telling my class the Brian Demint story. When I show the images (below) they literally roll back and go whoa! Point made.
That’s why I’ve host numerous webinars and live events where Brian taught us his deepest secrets to seeing.

That, and a seriously twisted offbeat sense of humor.

You can watch my first ever webinar with Brian HERE This is free to all. And it’s very good. Swear words and all.

If you’re a member of noBs photosuccess you can access many more presentations with Brian in the Creative Cross training series HERE

Here’s Brian live at the Nashville Inferno with Brian HERE with his 12 dollar light.

And here’s Brian live at the Toronto Inferno HERE again, with his Walmart lighting.

As I said…..it’s not the camera.

Robert N. Provencher – Your Master Coach Marketer

“If you want to be a profitable and successful photographer, then study profitable and successful photographers.”

Join us…Content, Coaching & Community

Become a slave to the technique…

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“There is no such thing as ready. Do it scared, and build the muscle of confidence.”

I was paralyzed with fear when it came to public speaking. Throughout most of my 20’s I was incapacitated by this fear.

And I didn’t really break out of it until I stopped any negative and destructive behaviors that only fed that fear.

I took painful, slow grinding action to develop new skills.

I learned how to speak in front of groups. I took every single opportunity I could in my life to speak in front of groups. I still do to this day.

And for a couple of years, it was hard, it was very, very hard. But I persisted.

I am glad I did, because now I have the skill that I would have never been able to develop, unless I faced my fears dead-on and wrestled them to the ground and almost removed them or at least now they are able to be managed.

Now when I speak in front of a group, it’s a real sense of mastery for me.
That took a total of 13 years to develop.

The first 2 years were painful. But I got there.

Was it worth it? The better question to ask is:

What price are you really paying when you don’t tap into the talents and skills locked inside you by your fears?

When you manage to get a handle on your fears, look for the opportunity to become a better person, you will be become a better photographer.

That is a total given. You cannot avoid it. The two are linked.

Jeff Foxworthy talks about when he was struggling and growing. Seinfeld gave some advice to Foxworthy’s big question back then: “How can I create a “style?”

Seinfeld told him to keep giving his show,keep making people laugh, keep doing it, day after day, month after month, and your style will develop.

And it did. Jeff is now a household name.

This applies equally to photography techniques and creativity.

Or, any skill we are trying to master. Become a slave to the technique first, before you can forgot the technical and let the creative shine through.

Confidence is a skill. Selling, and marketing are too. Shooting is.

No matter what the creative endeavor, they are all subject to the same grind.
Robert N. Provencher – Your Master Coach Marketer

“If you want to be a profitable and successful photographer, then study profitable and successful photographers.”

Join us…Content, Coaching & Community