Photo Success

A Place to Grow

Have you ever snored so loud you woke yourself up?

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Have you ever snored so loud you woke yourself up?

Admit it, it happened to you. Happened to me once. Happens to my wife all the time.
I know, because I sleep with her.

Funniest thing, she’s demure, barely 100 pounds soaking wet, five foot nothing and snores like a grizzly bear. Go figure.

She’s like that in business too. Unassuming and classy. Maybe some think she’s a pushover, soft, easy going.

Wrong.

They find out she’s tough, focused and all business. Soft and sweet on the outside. Grizzly bear vicious on the inside, when she needs it.

Making assumptions can cost you big.

For instance, you might have what you think is the greatest product or invention.
It solves some huge problem and you figure it’s so brain dead obvious people cannot wait to line up and buy it.

Except you find out the hard way they don’t really want that problem solved. They’d rather live with the pain that problem brings VS the pain of parting with their cash for a solution.

Never make assumptions about the buying public. It ain’t a bidness until someone steps up and gives you cash.

Here’s Tina in action from a previous Inferno, speaking on all thing studio management.

And there’s my favorite, the Selling and Upselling webinar with Tina….priceless info for anyone wanting to book tons of fairy sessions…and make some moolah…..

Don’t let her soft spoken ways fool you. There’s a dragon under there.
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

Fast and easy light painting a la John Hartman

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A while back I hosted a webinar with John Hartman on his light painting style. Admittedly, one can’t cram too much into a 1.5 hour online webinar.

John puts on a three day workshop to teach this stuff. You can see more info on John’s light painting workshops HERE

That didn’t stop me from giving it a go. I thought about it long and hard, and came up with my own fast and easy light painting hack.

Here it is…..first thing I did was create a custom white balance based on the LED lights I was using. I don’t shoot raw, so, in theory, this should solve the problem.

Here’s the grey card set up I used to create a custom white balance.

I scoped out locations weeks prior to the shoot.  I had the car ready to go, a 2006 limited edition Ford Shelby.

I decided on an area that looked industrial. I wanted something “Mad Max” like.

In our city their are mines everywhere. Problem is trespassing. More on that in a minute.

I set up the car before the sun dropped:

Shooting with my Sony A7Rii, 55MM Zeiss lens. Exposures to 30 seconds, ISO 100 F8

The camera is locked down and not to be touched during the shoot. Each exposure is fired by my assistant using the Play Mobile app made for the Sony system.

It works off my Android and does the job just fine, showing us a preview of each exposure should we need to inspect as we go along.

Here’s the area we decided on. Still light in the sky.

I started painting the ground under the car. You can see the sky show up when in fact is was quite dark to the human eye. This didn’t matter for these exposures since I was planning on only using the area under the car.

You can see blurred out parts of my body as I was moving around, “painting” the ground.

After two hours, over 40 exposures, a few mosquitoes and an encounter with the security guard-who told us to get out- this is what I created. Most of the magic happens in photoshop, as I brought in each image and erased only what I needed. I also added color to the light under the car.

It’s not perfect, and I had to sneak in one last 30 second exposure to paint the tires, with the security guard glaring over me (I whispered to my assistant..” quick, fire the camera one last time”..and I gave each tire about 10-15 seconds of light so I had something to work with in that area.) but it worked out nevertheless.

What I discovered was:

  • planning is key. Dedicate time to scoping out  a great location with very little to no ambient light. I suppose a calm day is a good idea, since wind may moves things around. If you’re off by one pixel you’ll have problems
  • mosquito repellent is a good idea
  • shoot raw. I don’t, but I think you should
  • attend one of John’s workshops. I’d like to one day. John seems to be making great sales with his light painting creations.
  • I actually enjoyed this experience. I didn’t think I would, but I’d do it again in a flash
  • I actually enjoyed the photoshop portion too! I really didn’t think I would. But it went smooth and it felt like I was creating a work of art

Yours in photography,

Robert Provencher

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

The industry that ate itself alive…

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I don’t know too many industries that have as many mentors and instructors as this industry (photography).

It seems, for many that is, it goes like this….Get good, start teaching. Maybe, get good, make little to no money, start teaching to make up for it.

I don’t want to sound cynical. It’s not my style. I’m very much a zen like dude. Que sera sera.

Roll with it. Adjust.

The biggest changes in this industry are being fueled by the fact that there is an abundance of “how to”, either from industry gurus or from the proliferation of youtube videos. Not to mention that cameras are everywhere.

Don’t take my word. Go to youtube and search any topic on photography of your choosing.

The fact is, we’re eating ourselves alive. Photography is being ground down to an organic, democratic, “everybody is a photographer” state. For better, or, for worse. Who knows.

The bigger question, for me anywho, is: “How do I market my studio so I stand out and make money?”

It really boils down to marketing. The old days of running a photography studio because of our tech knowledge are quickly coming to an end.

It’s one of the reasons I do my best to answer the question above. And why I believe in constant, non-stop personal growth and searching for excellence. Not just in tech. Iphones got that covered.

If you want to grow, no matter your level, join me tonight and tomorrow. I have three presentations lined up for you:

  1. Bull Pen Print Show….send us your images, let us give you a beat down. With love, of course.
  2. Kristi Elias– Platinum, Silver and California Photographer of the Year
  3. Joel Grimes– shattering the myths in Photography

The industry is like a unicycle. Stop peddling, and you fall off. Don’t risk being eaten alive.
Get serious about your personal growth as an artist and a business person.

Yours in success,
Robert Provencher

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

My first wedding and first near nervous breakdown….(how I got through it)

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“Self-belief is the catalyst for spectacular achievement.”
~Robin Sharma~

My heart was pounding.

My legs were like rubber. My brain was exploding in a flurry of stress and fear…all cascading down onto my young fragile and vulnerable soul.

I was freaking out in a big way.

I tried as best I could to keep up the illusion of control while inside me I was like a duck paddling furiously under the water, trying to stay afloat, looking sorta calm on the surface.

All an illusion.

This by the way wasn’t my first wedding. This was my first year. My first 5 years to be honest.

When I started shooting schools, families and especially weddings, and, well, people…. I was so close to having an all out nervous breakdown I have no idea how I got through it all.

But get though it I did. It’s hard to say where the drive, the inner fortitude comes from that keeps one going. I can’t say.

Maybe, just maybe it has something to do with having goals and a vision for something bigger and better for oneself. Yea, let’s go with that one.

In the best self-help business book ever written, Think and Grow Rich, there are 13 key fundamentals.

The first one is “Desire”.

From the book:
“The starting point of all achievement is DESIRE. Keep this constantly in mind. Weak desire brings weak results, just as a small fire makes a small amount of heat.”

I suppose I had two choices. Let the fear dominate and let the chips fall where they may. Or, make a decision as to what I wanted for myself. Desire.

You can get far in any and most endeavors, including a photography business, or photography marketing, or in trying to enhance your photographic skills, by simply asking yourself this one easy question: “What do I want?”

If you have that knowledge, you now have a map, so to speak. And having a map may give you the edge you need to keep going on your journey.

I created some goal setting forms to help others create self-awareness and a strong personal vision. These forms have helped me immensely in my lifetime.

You’re welcome to them. Download HERE

If you’re a member of noBs photosuccess you can also watch/download the video replay HERE.

Either way, download and print out the PDF forms and sit down for 20 minutes.

This is some of THE MOST IMPORTANT work you can ever do in your life.
I guarantee it!

The choice is yours.

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

“There’s always money for spinach….”

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“There’s always money for smokes” I told my daughter Danielle the other day.
She was like, uh? I explained that way back, when I was 30, and a smoker, as was my girlfriend at the time, and her dad. He’d say this if cash ran out, and we needed smokes: “There’s always money for smokes.”

It means we’ll find the cash. Cuz’ we need to get our nicotine on. No option.

I told this to Danielle as metaphor that whenever you want something, or need something, whether you actually need it or not, you’ll FIND a way.

It’s that simple.

Nowadays I am much healthier, smoke free, near vegan and making huge ass spinach smoothies every morning. The budget for good food is limitless because health, and smoothies, are what I want.

There’s always money for spinach.

When you know what you want, you get what you want. It’s really that simple.

When Danielle was young, I had a rule: “There’s always money for books.”

Same idea, you get it. I wanted a smart kid.

If there’s one activity that will guarantee you success in life and in your own photography business it’s the effort you put into digging deep into your heart and soul and pulling out a list of meaningful challenges worth pursuing.

In other words, have meaningful goals. Have purpose to your life. Dig deep, kick butt and no excuses.

In this presentation below I reveal to you what I feel in my heart is the most effective ways to break free from the limitations that hold you back. Grab a pen and note pad, turn off your phone and facebook and focus in on this for an hour.

GO HERE and watch, download, get the goal setting PDF form.
It may change your life.
Yours in success in photography,
Robert Provencher

How FakeBook is ruining my small city…

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One of the coolest things about living in a small city is that we’re big enough to have an almost big city cosmo vibe, sorta, and things like StarBucks, a multi-screen movie mega-plex, big box stores and a few festivals.

With fireworks.

But we’re small enough to remain, well, small town intimate. Not too hickish. just enough. I like that. I like people.

But FlakeBook is ruining it for me. For instance, last week I bumped into a friend’s wife.
Someone I sorta kinda know, having met her briefly a few times, through her husband.

In the first minute of meeting her, here are the thoughts that invaded my brain:

“Her husband cheated on her ten years ago (who knew!??), she’s still pissed. She struggles with depression. Is mad at the doctors for not getting the pharmaceuticals right. Hates lasagna, vegans, doesn’t know how to ride a bike and thinks Trump is a piece of shit.”

What is it they say? Too much information? TMI

How? Well, FakeBook of course.

It baffles me why so many say so much on social media. Baffles me.
What baffles me even more is why I read the dam stuff.

Even more ‘baffling-my-marketing-brain’ conundrum is why so many business owners don’t use social media as a marketing tool for their businesses.

It’s like everyone, or most everyone, uses flakebook as their shrink.

Why not use it for better purposes? Like spreading goodwill, good messages,
and growing your business.

Shameless marketing. Why not?
“If you want to be a profitable and successful photographer, then study profitable and successful photographers.”

Robert N. Provencher – Your Master Coach Marketer

Founder, noBs photosuccess.com

Selling secrets from real, genuine studio owners…with Maggie Habieda

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The “Secret Sauce”. The magic pill. The cure all, end all solution to all.

Selling is something we do everyday, for good, for bad, done well or done with mediocrity.

Either way, we’re selling. Always. You can’t run, you can’t hide.

We sell ourselves on our hopes and dreams (one excuse can wipe out an entire inner sales pitch and render our hopes powerless).

We sell our community on our marketing messages.

You cannot run or hide from the power of selling. So we may as well harness
it and use it to our advantage.

Selling is never something we find outside ourselves.

It’s not a talent we’re born with. It’s a skill, no different than learning to ride a bike or tying your shoes. Some pick it up faster and easier than others, others are late bloomers and late comers, but we all get there, for better or worse.

Selling is not a mysterious force. (The one that, when mastered, delivers us from all evil and resistant clients.)

Selling is a specific process. Not a specific tool.

It’s a series of steps, done right, create a desired result.

…so on that note….

Part TWO of the Secrets to Sales Success for Photographers is in the books.

Last week Maria Sampaio launched this series with a stunning presentation jam packed with her strategies used for maximum profits.

This week we have another one of my favorites Maggie Habieda.

OVER..replay here

May as well learn from the best in the industry. REAL, WORKING photographers.

Not academic fluff. This is the real deal folks.
Not a member? See the P.S. below….

Yours in photography and success,
Robert Provencher

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

Is money evil?

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Is money Evil?

How do you feel about money?

Money isn’t everything, but all too often is viewed upon with scorn, negativity and skewed perceptions.

I personally struggled with this all my life, but am working on it everyday.
It’s an uphill battle.

We run businesses, and therefore we must have goals and plans, right? Of course.
NO plans, no directions. No ‘map’.

When you know what you want, you get what you want. This is the first step in marketing your photography business.

You also need to know how much you want to make.

I heard someone say: “I want enough to pay the bills an cover expenses.”
Uh? Can you be a little more vague please?

The fact is, you need to embrace money as an essential tool. Money isn’t evil.

Evil people do evil things with money. But not you, or I.

We expand our lives because of it and have a balanced, centered inner game.

I talk about what changed and what worked for me in a webinar from a few years ago.

How I got OK with making money.

If you don’t reconcile this struggle it won’t go away. Hate, resentment, anger or life’s unjust struggles won’t justify, fix or balance out the inequities of life.

Embrace the struggle. Be good with money. And make some. Lots of it. It’s ok.

Still relevant, timeless and valid.

Yours in photography and success,
Robert Provencher

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