Hasselblad University Student's Course Notes

Hasselblad University 1998 - A Student's Notes

Related Links:
Nikon School Notes
Photography Classes

Since the Dallas event was the first venue of this season, and some folks have asked about what can you learn at various seminars, I thought I would post these personal notes to answer that Q.

Humor Incident: Before the start, I was reading out in front of the large second story lobby in the Anatole Hotel. A woman came up to me, breathing heavily, and asked me if I knew where the Hasselblad program was being held. I pointed to an 18 foot long by 12 foot high blown up cubic balloon shaped like a Hasselblad 500cm camera with WLF up (and pushing against the roofing tiles) and said "I think it must be over there by that big camera" about fifty feet away. This Hassy was the size of an elephant and so out of place that she blocked out seeing it.

Introduction - Skip Cohen - President of Hasselblad USA

    Welcomes approx. 70+ photographers, assistants, and about a dozen staff, including presenters and representatives from Kodak, Polaroid, Arts/Letters, and local Hasselblad dealers to program participants. Knows lots of customers by name in group, and jokes with several. Very smooth speaker, low-key approach, high enthusiasm, good use of humor, throws out teasers and builds up some of the upcoming speakers and presentations to be seen today.
    Intros Tim Morgan (sp?) of Hasselblad consumer relations, says hi - Tony Deglau (sp?) of Kodak is to do Portraiture for the 90's; jokes about how he and Tony were at Yellowstone in January, took photos within seconds of each other, Tony got high score (90), he didn't; my immediate impression is that this guy must be a pretty secure and probably a hot photographer himself and not just an ace marketer to get up in front of this group (many obviously familiar customers/friends?) and use this approach (later amply confirmed by his photos and session). Polaroid's Terry and Rich Hertzog (sp?) will share scanning insights.
    Skip Cohen emphasizes this program is a cooperative approach, expensive to put on, and he wants to thank other photo mfgers and reps who have helped support it directly and indirectly. Takes pains to promo Marathon Press several times, will show us some marketing tricks later. Also encourages us to join PPA, saying dramatic positive changes in last five years, cites benefits including insurance programs and marketing. Photo District News - even if you aren't a commercial photographer, you owe it to yourself to read it - Hasselblad University special signup rates and sample issues will be put out later in program at break - get one. Intros Greg Miller from Dallas Camera Exchange as a just arrived local dealer. [hint: Arrive promptly, these guys started precisely at 9:00 AM as scheduled, ended almost exactly on time too, watching time carefully].

First Major Speaker: Larry Peters

Larry Peters has spent 20+ years marketing and working with high school seniors.

If you don't like the way things are done, do it differently, use a different viewpoint, don't just copy others, create your own style. If you take this approach, you will excel in business and as a photographer.

His business has grown to three locations, 6 photographers, 21 employees, and did 1,900 seniors last year - only 250 under local contract, the other 1700+ picked him because of their marketing approaches and outreach.

At one store, they did 650+ seniors at an average of $730 - their London studio.

Good marketing plus sales campaigns plus best photography ==> you win!

I'm know for sales and marketing but my photography is also very important, doing things differently is important.

Mostly, does studio shots,. has 3 locations, has 15 Hasselblad cameras, very reliable workhorses etc., does black and white and has a growing digital section.etc.

Three product lines in the new digital line for High School seniors may help us see potentials:

1) multiple image products

2) Photo sessions - One Face - Many Personalities Program

3) CDI - creative digital imaging line

Video program - done in Macromind Director, run on Mac PPC with Infocus LCD rear screen
duration 12.5 minutes; about 300 images, many killer photos, lots of digitally enhanced, kids on clouds, flames on basketball being caught etc. - quite impressive promotion.

Exciting time to be a photographer, transition to add digital to regular capabilities

Digital opportunity is to be first in an area, and to do something different

If it has never been done before in your area, and you are first, you have the chance to be creative and be a great success too.

Uses Kodak 3570 film scanner, very helpful, second year doing program digitally.

PPA Award program - his first year CDROM won.

Describes and promotes Marathon Press as able to do a lot to make your marketing ideas happen, uses example of his book with them $59 which includes their first CDROM (see above) with 266 images to study in it and get ideas.

Finding more and more demand for digital images now. Got into developing and marketing props to support these creative ideas not only his own, but ours and other photographers.

Presentation: The Shape of Digital - by Larry Peters

Why go digital? It hurts, it costs $$, but...
1) new products
2) renewed creativity most important
3) faster delivery
4) best tool to draw attention to my business

While digital offers higher speed, his biggest benefit is new products and looks for seniors...

Level I - you might need a Mac 8600 PPC 250mhz 17'' monitor 64mb Vram 2-4mb
Umax 30-36bit flat bed scanner $1,400, CD Recorder $300-$600 and surge protector $30
Explains bit depth 30 to 36, determines number of colors depth - total costs over $6,000
photo of similar setup at his work sites

Level II - CD Recorder for permanent files; Kodak 8650 dye sublimation printer and film scanner $8k - but Epson Stylus $400 and related printers to $2,000 provide decent, 6 ink great color quality up to 1440 x 720 dpi - good solution if don't want to spend larger $$ on faster printers

Level III Film scanner, model 3570 by Kodak, uses Hasselblad 6x6 negative to create great 18mb file size digital captures - great product, costs $8,500 or so.

Level IV Digital Camera, high end Dicomed costs $55k, creates 55mb file (not a typo), commercial photography quality camera; cites Kodak 460 camera, great quality for medium format at only $20k, creates 18mb files also

Likes films to proofs directness, easy to look at photo, print it out, evaluate it
digital - open files - not the same, harder to look at every photo once digitized, in his view
Prefers just photo proofs first, then select, then manipulate those selected photos.

Photoshop
How did he get started - get up learning curve? Hired local college students to come and train for the day, show us how, only cost circa $60/day. You can also use videotapes, such as Winona (sp?) programs, also recommended highly.

Expect a three month learning curve with photoshop. But it is the standard of the industry, just takes time to learn all its tricks, even he is constantly learning and getting better etc. Don't get discouraged..

How to make Images Digitally
1) film plus camera to lab, to PRO-CD scan for $2 to $4 per image - good start
2) use flat bed scanner
3) use film scanner
4) use a digital camera
5) use a drum scanner

Pro-CD scan about 60mb - highest quality, largest enlargement possibilities.
Flat bed scanner, by analog is like medium priced 35mm camera, good for 8x10, 5x7, wallet photos.
Dicomed camera ($55k) like large format - 4x5 camera, highest quality too

Scanning quality is critical to output quality
Don't want to get too easy
If you enter new markets first, you will do the best financially
collect ideas
Burrell - source for useful resources

Scan quality determines output quality
Flatbed - copy and restoration work, black and white, scanning proofs for small prints
film scanner - up to 24x30
kodak 460 - up to 24x30
high end cameras - great for larger prints

goal: avoid manipulating in program (photoshop); color correct light with camera easier.

Canvas layout - important
His printer uses 6x7 film recorder, and he is 6x6 Hasselblad format user
Kodak suggests 3,000 x 2,400 pixels at 300 dpi images
constrain proportions to fit in 20mb file
5x7 reduce 15 per cent, size for wallet aspect ratios, setup as digital mask and canvas layout
likes digital mask 2 layout (see above 15% reduction) - allows for rounded wallet corners etc.
compares to 8x10 ratio layout - different masks for different tasks

Video layout
much less info than film/prints
640x480 pixels at 72 ppi (pixels per inch)
640 pixels is 8.889 inches by 480 pixels is 6.667 inches at 72 dpi

Output determines starting size of canvas and dpi of layout - start with the end, work back
video is less info than film, film has much higher dpi etc.
therefore check with output medium desired before design a project

How do I get prints?
Kodak 8650 proof printer fast
(dye sub? note: dye sub takes under 90 seconds for Kodak model to make a print, while Epson costs much less, under $400, it takes 4-6 minutes for print, costs $1 or so per page of paper too, so lost time is lost money idea.)

zip drive to lab - conventional paper prints from lab
quick ink jet print - likes ability to do 36 inch poster size prints too
send file to lab for negative generation or direct printing to file

Did huge photo of girls soccer team, black backgrnd and dresses, blond girls, holding balls every other pair, done four sections, digitally mated together. Very popular, opened up high school to him for business. Brought in basketball team. Spent 80 hours generating a photo in which each boy photo is shown in a sequential layup shot merging 11 images together, shadow control etc.

Key is to think differently.
Others are set in their ways, taking traditional photos.

panoramic photos - high quality image - good skin tones, used Hasselblad negatives and Kodak 3570 scanner. Used Burrell for prints to paper directly, high praise to Burrell for help with success.

Ex. photo - shot of girl, a senior in high school, two poses, then scanned in photos of her as a child, put together, she is leaning over talking to herself as a child on one side, quite inventive.
Obviously, what mother could resist a huge wall photo of her girl's entire life in one photo? ;-)

Uses girl's own ideas in creating their photos - removes some burden from photographer and involves customers in process, more responsive approach.

Girl asked, "Can I pass myself a note in my poster?" - Don't know, but let's try it - It worked.

Ambassador program - gives free sessions to 120 kids, who act as ambassadors in their schools, promoting and getting the word about his unique services out, gives 8x10 photos

Where will kids go? To traditional photographer, or to him? No contest. Yes, they buy traditional photos, but they pick Larry Peters because he can deliver something more - digitally etc.

One Face, Many Personalities Marketing Program
from 3 to 20 images - shows example of 5 images on one poster
Charges a setting fee, for five clothes changes, $130 typical
Uses blue screen shot (for easier digital capture of just photo image, background dropped out)
With five photos, you have to work and plan harder for a pleasing composition - creativity plus

First year, doing digital imaging, only 12% bought any image
Second year, over 32% bought digital products.
We learned how to market it, to make it faster and easier, and what customer wanted...

Q/A blue screen? A/ Any color not on person, so can dropout digitally.
Uses Rosco Paint on canvas 12x15feet long, out onto floor, background light on it to keep from going dark.
Gives us a warning, early on, didn't see blue light bouncing off blue screen onto legs of girl until blown up. Now, just filters it out using Adobe Photoshop's filters to remove blue, but can see it on older prints. You learn tricks and improve etc.
Choice of video blue or green - some odd color, not on person, is easily dropped out and cut out in photoshop

Q/A time with customer?
A/ Tacks on $30 to price of photos, then offers $30 discount to get them in for pre-appointment consultation, to talk about photos, their ideas, how to help make best photographs etc.

Has an expert's guide to senior portrait session he gives out:
example, if girlfriend, don't bring in boyfriend etc. - let him arrive 30 minutes after girl does,
lets photographer get intimate shots without angering boyfriend, arguments etc.
example: want photo with your horse? bring a shovel
example: jewelry - put with clothes and shoes in baggie and put on coathanger with outfit,
makes it easy to find, put on faster
example: want photo of you in Lava Lamp - okay, bring the lava lamp and we'll do it

Uses Kodak 8650 for proofs, $60 to $125 to composite image them, computer time costs
and staff time, proofs lead to sale of finished prints...

Q/A deposits? Wants at least half

Q/A 18mb per photo? scanner use?
Important: avoid using brightness and contrast controls in photoshop - as this drops some information bits, can't get them back later
Instead, scan for highest quality.
You have got to be a technician again.
Digital camera is like shooting slides, no longer a lab to save your bad ones; you can't get the details back, you are forced to meter by hand every shot carefully

**break**
Announcement: Lunch in Peacock room

Polaroid Presentation - Digital Solutions for Photographers
Victor Harmon and Richard (sore throat) (sp?)

While digital backs for hasselblad start at $15k to $35k, Polaroid has another option for digital work that ranges from $100 to $8k in cost.

Scanning vs. Digital Cameras
low cost and affordable
new input and output technologies
high quality, high performance

Scanning costs less than $5k vs. $20k for digital cameras for similar quality

Is film dead? No.
a) creative possibilities (leeway with film much greater than digital photography)
b) unmatched image quality today lies with film

Image chain:
shows traditional camera to film to process film to film analysis to print process
shows digital process, more complex, more options to enter and output types

With digital you can
retouch
compensate
enhancement
manipulate image..

Programs - photoshop, quark express etc.
Create digital file, use camera back, CD photos (PRO-CD/photoCD), Internet images

Do you need a digital camera versus a digital file
[note: this was a great point, covered too fast, they gave example of folks going digital by starting with a digital camera purchase,didn't even have a computer, while they should have focused on getting digital files, learning technology, using their current cameras and scanner to make images, a very compelling argument in today's pricey digital camera environment for buying a scanner and waiting for cheaper camera prices]

film scanning
flexibility
high resolution
low cost

Low cost vs. risk of obsolescence (in six months - many nods in audience and Un Huhs)
storage
learning time - scanning vs. capture software
supplement equipment needs (i.e, use current cameras,supplement with scanner)

Resolution input:
sprintscan 45 36bit 2000x4000 pixels per inch, up to 4x5 transparencies, 240 mb file!
even a 6x6 scan yields 60mb file

Flexibility:
use all camera you have
understand film and lighting already
resize digital file? no - rescan it
digitize film files/archives
ability to output to a new file
portability - ease of field work

Scanners
PPI pixels per inch
600ppi is 4 times size of 300ppi resolution file
RGB scan default - convert to CYMK if needed

Film -has highest resolution
highest bit depth recording medium
can use film in future too, with better equipment, levels of augmentation in technology
scanners cost less than digital backs, yielding more quality for less dollars

Output
size is everything
resolution determined by output size of the image
(small size chip camera okat for 2x3 inch image, but blowup, and it pixelates)
dynamic range determines number of colors produced

Digital production
digital image manipulation
patch proof etc

Inkjet printers
high quality
6 color printer for proofs only $400 Epson stylus example, but warns slow - 4-6 minutes/print
dye stability, dye sub equiv quality to 6 ink color printer but faster
costs of dye-sub printer $7-8K but faster 90 seconds
suggest use inkjet to get client's approval

at 300 dpi going to 600 dpi is 4x increase,
shows slide, colorful square inch, 90,000 pixesl in 300x300, 360,000 in 600x600dpi area

comparison chart - see their handout - image on screen way too small on scanners
comparison chart -see their handout - image on screen to small - on film scanner comparisons

Film scanners
sprintscan 45 - does 35mm, 6x6, 4x5
2,000 x 4,000 ppi at 36bit
dmax 3.4 optical density (standard)
36 bit is 68.7 million colors
single pass CCD $8k scanner
240mb scanner file - closest is $20k digital camera

35mm - takes under 1 minute for slides or negatives

Sprintscan 35 plus - 2700 ppi again dMax of 3.4

reflective scanners
film, line art, etc.

PDC 3000 digital camera
2/3rds inch megapixel CCD
1600x1200 or 800x600 formats
yield 5.5mb or 1.3mb files respectively
three models - tethered (cord to PC), 40mb or 60mb hard drive capacity
24bit color
removable media

inkjet paper - photo quality in dealers hands now
now at dealers ex. Arlington Camera locally
not in major stores, but Target in June

Polaroid Video - the worst part of the program, most of video screen is out of focus and fuzzy on the original, until jump to closeup mode, when it gets instantly clear, then fuzzy when back off again. In other words, the original video was bad, not Infocus projector's fault here.

Video presentation was of 4x5 scan of dark object, unrecognizable and never identified, cause of much later speculation, with extended review of software features. After reviewing a long set of image manipulation and color control software available on the scanner, sharpening and blur filters built into scanner software, the never seen instructor says don't use these, use the ones in photoshop instead. Good honest advice, but why spend time on them then?

Scanner generates a 50mb file from a 6x6 image at 2000 dpi; suggest use integral powers of two divides on 2000 dpi to get "native" meaning pixel based scan densities (divide by 1, 2, 4, etc). then use scaling control to resize. Scanner appeared to have a number of useful software features if you didn't have photoshop (e.g., three color histogram controls). Overall, a remarkably poor video presentation.

Fortunately, we ran out of time, came to an early break. We were told we'd see the rest later, but we never saw this video again. Good damage control, smoothly done, by Skip Cohen - I would bet you my A16 back you never see this video at a Hasselblad University show again ;-)

Tony Corbell
Introduction: Texas Wedding photographer, worked with Dean Collins (much praise)
Brooks Institute, lured away to be Hasselblad industry liason, great photographer, story of how Skip Cohen lured from Calif. coast office at Brooks to New Jersey, worst storms in decades

What do people look for in photographs and photographers?

He has learned the number one thing is to be in control of my pictures

control is:
"Skill is the use of an instrument or artistic medium.
Power or authority to guide or manage".

To test yourself, shoot slides - shows errors usually hid by labs when print color prints

3d contrast - study old painters, masters, Dean Collins)
lacking depth in photos?
shadows and light, highlights

quotes Leonardo Da Vinci that to get a shape, you must have:

true brightness
brighter than true
darker than true

shoot flat in glamour, that's okay, so determined by effect you seek, okay if in control

lighting control - using a mottled gray foam head
shows various lighting elements, using main light
Q: when main light is small...
A: harsh shadows and specular highlights - greater brightness and intensity of highlights

Larger light source yields softer shadows
intensity drops as 1 over square root

Problems with glasses in portraits; specular highlights
mirrored image of what created highlights, meaning light source
change light source to control highlights

accent light use
various modes, double main and highlight approach he likes
experiment, the worst you can do is mess up an exposure

need accent light - somewhere in photo - adds dimension
ex. edge light on face and pants of girl light

likes to use small plexiglass mirrors from dept store - flexible, don't break, cheap

Ratios discussion
do what looks good
8:1 ratio - that's 3 stops
describes effects on the photo

you end up questioning a lot of stuff about photography, when you think it through, until it makes sense

mentions he will be at a Texas summer seminar

background - want some separation
uses two - one pink and blue, the other gray
likes Visatec Broncolor lights - at rear of seminar room, now from Hasselblad, liked before too
uses color gels - grid spots, spot grids, honeycombs, different marketing names, same idea

Q gel color - if washed out, milky, what did you do wrong?
A contamination from another light source, main light, fill light, etc. is the cause

background must be black - 3 stops below whatever shooting at - why?
2 1/3rd stop below exposure is black without details - dead black - safety margin if 3x etc.

Q how turn white background black?
A don't light it

walt disney - shows photos throughout this discussion, which you are missing here obviously,
has 65 photographers, 3 shoot over 2,000 weddings a year each, about half are Asian weddings,
someone getting married every 1.5 hours, big profit center etc

Outside shots
use wink lights, again seek to control your environment
same when in studio or if outdoors

Lie to your Hasselblad TTL flash - set ISO to 200 from 100 film to get flash fill etc.

Quantum Q flash used, ambient 1/30th at f5.6 100ASA example - no absolutes

close eyes down, look at photo - how many highlights (answer: 4) how many lights? 4

for dark objects, you have to use highlights to light
for white objects, you have to use shadows to light - to create texture/depth

shows some of his slides, he obviously shoots the promotional photos of Hasselblad cameras
for ads and catalogs too, plus various model shots and so on

example soft highlights - light quality, not quantity is important
can't compensate for bad lighting

lots of glare? use large light box - yields less glare

experiment with your camera, you paid for it

you be in charge of what you like
who is in charge of the photo - you? mom? girl? - are they happy?
three people: person who thought of photo, who took it, and who sees it - are involved

likes Kodak E100SW film, T grain, new generation film, consistent at ISO 100 - rates at that

shows more slides, setup of lighting to get various shots, shows light position and studio setup

meter shows f/8, shoot at f/8
everything else set wrt f/8

Farlay's Law - photographer in LA - noticed that beyond 90 degrees, you get bounce off subject e.g., hair, into camera, so while math says it should be okay at f/8, and it meters at f/8, the light is really f/11 on the film/print, and surprises you. Be wary of this if side light is beyond 90 degrees to front/camera

true tonality is "the true brightness which represents the subject or object as it should be..."

PME 90 meter prism - shows product shot lighting, ambient spot meter button, center weighted meter, and intriguing spot meter design - has ambient light dome port for light sensor on top of prism

highlights - the lightest part in a photo

shows his photo of Steve Martin in dark suit; light box seen clearly reflected in glasses, neat effect
example of small light source, brings out dark suit texture with highlights as specular lighting

Shadow is "a brightness level which is below true tonality"

standard daylight exposure examples (f/16 1/ASA shutter speed) when sun is 20 degrees above the horizon

use camera with lens set at 7 feet for portrait, now look thru camera while looking around for a good background, so see what the camera sees, not just look around with own eyes, but use camera's eye to see what the photo will look like idea

flash outdoors - exposure on subject, let shutter determine ambient exposure effects

Hasselblad flexbody camera - swings and tilts examples

light creates:
depth
dimension
shape
texture

Don't get caught up in photography business to the extent that you lose your creative way

(break)

Tony Deglau (sp?) - Kodak Rep. [these guys need to have title slides with their names on it]
The Essence of Portraiture for the Future

lots of killer sample photos, very impressive mastery of square composition, this guy is great!

Opportunities abound to reinvigorate your photography, portraiture work, maximize your creativity, and your profitability potential, and at Kodak, we're here to support you in every way we can, we believe in you and in our products and what they can do for you and your business

customer expectations - personal interactions, support with process of making photos
cites Larry Peters early talk idea on using discount to get clients to consultations sessions)

marketing and ad campaign

responsibility to satisfy customer, customer happy, pleased, excited

You cannot claim to have really understond something until you have photographed it
quote of Emile Zola

Thirteen element in portraiture presentation slide/video show - professionally done (Macromind?)

1) environment - makes a photo unique,
take photos of them at home, or on boat, etc.in their environment, not yours
where it is special to them
portrait and landscape photos of bison etc.
timing is a big piece of it, yellowstone photos Jan. 21 examples

2) clothing makes photo unique
clothing is unique to the person, personal, exciting to them
how they felt about it
brings back pleasant memories
create contrast
becomes a catalyst
creative spark for you the photographer

3) backgrounds
background light thru the background, unique idea, from behind subject
use of red gel and fog
creative palette
specular backlights in photo is out of focus, yields camera highlights
layerless - larger shape, open up f/stop, layers background for this shot out of focus examples

tip: use thin black tape over lens, produces out of focus highlights with a black band thru them, different than usually seen, creative touch, uniquely your effects - simple, cheap, effective trick

4) posing
body language important
spontaneity
oblivious to camera
compliment subject
rule - same direction facing of legs, arms, body, head is supposedly static
then he shows us photos that follow this rule and are anything but static, dynamic, break rules

use spontaneous moments to break the rules

5) lighting
painting with light
make it believable
an asset to the image
adds highlight to head within highlight area, rather than on opposite side as usually done
shows lighting setups with slides, studio shots showing model with lights setup, very handy

goes over different reflectors, and effects
gold reflector - gold color, useful at sunset times to pump up golden color on models
pink and white squares - touch of warmth (pink)
white reflector
silver reflector - more direct, brighter

look and be aware of color reflected by lighting into subject shadows and elsewhere

lighting should be believable, skylight shot - obviously complexly lighted, but looks like skylight

look at paintings by the master painters
narrow light look into light with models,
shadow on broad face looks narrower face, thinner, good for some subjects (fatter women..)

Rembrandt lighting examples
broad lighting - broader face
split light
profile light
light on nose etc.

Lights
6 inch parabolic yields smaller reflector - crisp, highlight and shadow line distinct
6 inch parabolic with diffuser - softer photos
shows 18 and 24 inch softbox examples, softer as gets bigger
pan reflector - hot in center, rapid dropoff edges, feathers light nicely, light wraps around
shows 42 inch white and 42inch silver umbrella - more specular lighting shot examples

goes thru lighting ratio examples, resulting photos, textbook examples

use light sources as tools

6) camera angles
how camera angle can be used to make a bride look elegant, shoot low upwards, adds dignity
and elegance to scene

7) focal length tools
short - subject more prominent
models small, but sharp, Don Blair in front of wedding dressed gals, very prominent
says this is the the Hasselblad 40mm lens effect

longer lens - 180mm Hasselblad lens effect - foreground, 3 indians, horses, adds depth but only foreground cowboy is in focus sharply

Photo of Skip Cohen at Yellowstone, with Ansel Adam's cadillac with Zone V plates .etc.

8) expression

beauty,
emotion,
pricelessness

not always smile, beauty, dignity, in image, person
ESP expressions sell photographs

9) unexpected elements make photo unique
chance favors the prepared mind - Louis Pasteur

ex. girl in wedding dress, subject is in climbing boots, replacement model when regular girls on location couldn't wear sizes of wedding dresses sent up; Georgia Girl wearing boots, put on dress, but shadow of backlighted sunlight projected her climbing boots image on back of wedding dress. Funny photo, don't see it at first, then you do. Kodak lab thought it was an error and shadowed it out; almost lost prize, got desired photo and won recognition for photo. Point was that the unexpected shadow of climbing boots on wedding dressed woman made the image unique...

10) motion
decisive moment
several photos, same model, place
at 1/30th sec, motion pretty frozen
but at 1/15th sec. flowing veil flapping in wind unique smooth motion, better photo
cites example of Arnold Schwartzennegger's wedding to Maria Schriver - long veil blew up and covered wedding party - that was the photo published worldwide of their wedding, unique

11) digital
removed poles from fishing son and father photo, much improved, done digitally
digital manipulation

12) experience
know tools why doing what with them
how to use them
so can spend time working with subject

13) passion
most important
its the responsibility of the photographer
ex. of Don Blair - hands waving in air, communicates passion for photo
ex. of Judy Holmes, determinedly photographing at 60 degrees below in the snow photo
great photographer, now that's passion

Kodak Films discussion
we have the right films, right opportunity
lots of examples, photos, esp. great portraits
PPF400 outdoors soft environments
PRO 1000 - low light, yes, but also for kids constantly in motion, to freeze 'em at 1/1000th

film test image - 18% grey, - changed over time
one of his test shots became the "shirley" (sp?) image for setting prints worldwide
uses many colors, also black, asian, and caucasian women models for balancing

copy detection station with special papers so buyers can't violate your copyright and make copies of your prints on kodak printstations - these will be at wall-mart in first quarter

grow business - biennial telemarketing surveys results:
of 30,000 folks roughly, only 37% were portrait active (in last year?)
if they didn't have kids, that fell to 21%
so huge potential market here folks

wedding photography - 57% used professionals, 43% somebody else (uncle Harry)

Kodak Promise of Excellence program, photo guaranteed for life
take photos of the people working around you too
various ideas that work volumes I, II, III shown
http://www.theKnot.com wedding site

to help you, we have points to help pay for Winona workshops in digital photography, or Hasselblad equipment, or even Kodak umbrellas ;-)

[general applause]

The Whacko Factor by Skip Cohen, President, Hasselblad USA

Live on the edge, do creative things
we all need to gamble more on ourselves, and marketing ourselves

good vs. bad whackos
question from bad whacko to him when he was at Polaroid years ago:
Can I take this Polaroid Land camera on an ocean cruise?
Can you shoot round things with the Polaroid Square shooter camera?

late 1980s recession effects:
greater cross-over between specialties
black and white is back

*self-promotion - wedding side subdued, need storyteller PPA coampaign approach

[Mr. Cohen is showing slides of different ways and images used by photographers to promote themselves, from student items to professional christmas cards etc., lots of great ideas here]

*Keep it simple - oversize postcard to self-promote (under $.25 to $.75 with sizes used)

creativity is the ability to see the sunrise before the dawn - favorite self-promotion card
shown

press release, name of studio and you, saying attended a Hasselblad University workshop
put release and press clipping in folio case etc.

Continuity
PPA award marketing ideas
hit consumer 3.5 times in early 1980s, now hit them 5 to 6 times for same impact
more noise today, harder to reach them

lots of clever promotional item photos - worth the seminar fee right here for most photogr.
box folded up to cube, name on bottom, contact 6x6 prints around it

Ken Hansen (sp?) slinky, four color photos around sides showing his work, humor directions on how to use slinky on underside and call him at his photography business if you have problems ;-)

CD Jewel case, not a CD but photogr. work minibook - worked

different techniques to get your work out there

examples of whacky photos that get attention

calendar - more costly, but kept year-round, shows work, 8x10s

Skip Cohen suggests you look for partners to promote your work
ex. photographer with florist and tuxedo shop for promo piece for proms etc.
seek out non-competing companies

see JP Morgan's promo piece, using 8 1/2 x 11 photos, cooperated with printer etc. ads in back

holiday cards - use one of your photos, obviously right idea, but many photographers don't

example of black photo square on cover with holiday hint for photographers #2 title
- inside, it says, remember to take of the lens cap off etc. - clever, funny, remembered

places to look for markets:
PTA/PTO groups
holiday parties
career day - present at high schools
luxury car/food/boat dealerships
employee of the month
cross-promotion with pet supplies and foods
doctor's office, often boring waiting for kids, put your portraiture on walls, brochures on desks

throw in the sitting fee for some groups
rotary clubs etc. offer portraiture, your logo on folio, followup work

Larry Peters - give work to student ambassadors example, then had 120 kids promoting his sales in high schools to their friends, creating a market for his unique photos.

Doctor's office lobby -images can sell

PPA - forget dad, focus on mon and kids for portraiture

freebies: examples

David Ziser - First Anniversary of wedding, freebie update photo, then bride tells all her to be married friends, pulls in business

Dean Colllins - corporate clients, free black and white portrait, at Christmas, reminder for future corp. business and classy thank you etc.

New directions, yellow pages ads - how effective?
Wedding Photographers Network - online
3 million hits/year, 250k users/month, 250 new per day, 20% males (vs. 1-2% in brides mags)
search for you by area code;
WPN charges $40/yr listing, $350 or so, and $700 or so for full featured portraits online

go to bridal fair shows and showcases

wedding $500 RSVP, gift registry, parents can order from photographer directly
advantage here is often shoot guests, they can't reach you to get photos, but now they can
bride doesn't want to pay for guest photos, guests wonder what happened to their photos etc

going proofless - hot marketing tool
48 hours after honeymoon
wedding premiere in room with champaign and munchies and music

Why wait 13 weeks? 6 months? do it digitally, album proofs, use pads, assemble digital album
wedding images, best of all, videotape to send to relatives - they can contact you too etc.

Donald Libey of Ad Age quote:
As advertising costs go up, non-competing companies will join forces to hit the same target

partnership with other photographers
if doing weddings and portraits, can't do more than 365 days a year, often booked
refer work to others, they to you
direct mailing
workshops
community events

Bambi Contrell - Alternative Wedding Photography
[note: her first session and time teaching here, obviously worked hard at it, she made a major point to work the crowd and come out and introduce herself during the morning and earlier sessions, ask folks to help during her presentation (very minor), all in a very engaging way]

Alternative wedding photography
designer labels by design
concets for creating the "WOW" print
proofless and profitable - elegance and design flair goals

goal to becom extraordinary - pay more for that - designer label effect
good product
packaging
pricing

first identify client to attract
bride and mother (dad writes the checks)

go shopping, how best stores treat customers, ex. Neiman Marcus,
look at fashion magazines - what do brides expect? get subscriptions to these
what do clients look for

Calvin Klein ads - black and white - its back -
Guess Jeans $60 a pair

Style of the 90's - SIMPLICITY
incorporate it in your style, your lighting (one strobe, not many etc)
elegance, not flowery bouquets

pure simplicity - photo examples - not PPA contest winner, but customer liked it a lot
use of single light effectively
WOW prints - use existing light
Kodak TMAX 400 speed her favorite, fine grain, loves it, esp. B&W location shots etc.

Photojournalism approach in wedding photography
more than candid photography - catch the emotion of wedding days
ex. look at photos of dress and those dang shoes - women spend time looking for right shoes
wedding favors, spend hours making them on big days, isn't it worth photographs too?
part of the story we have to tell?

favorite time - when bride is dressing (guys, get a girl assistant if embarrassed)
woman feels like a bride, wonderful, fairy tale

photo of bride's waistline - smallest it will ever be in her life - important
rear view of headless bride, highlighting dress, but also shows how thin she is etc.

scene setting - aspects of wedding
stand where people will look, move them into place, not off to side but so they naturally will line up and look where you want them too, subtle but expert make it easy approach

fashion magazine posing - study it, move folks to match

examples of moving volunteers from audience into poses, lean into person with tummy makes them push back their shoulders, yielding an S-shaped classic curve in photograph, dynamic etc.

if bride is happy, she will make groom happy, grooms less engaged in photos usually

create compositions as the fashion photographers do

location challenges - example of orange stucco house stairway and chocolate railing - yeech
but looked great in color - just did it, talked them into it, they love the photo now etc.

WOW prints, look for interesting lines, shapes, black and white opportunities?

pretty light under church eaves? created photo - unique touch, used light blue Kodak dry dyes - showed example in hand, with Qtip or cotton ball to push color into black and white print
"took forever, but it was a labor of love for you" - centerpiece of wedding album, high impact

Ms. Contrell likes 50mm and 180mm lenses the most on Hasselblads

idea sources include greeting card examples, create ideas file, incredible ideas abound, concepts
and observe trends in photography first on greeting cards.

Led to her own line of cards - Marathon Press -
she talks to client, also wedding coordinators, at shows and meetings, gives these out too

short story pieces - likes these booklets at card shops - The Embrace, The Kiss etc. great photos and poems, small books, romantic, what her clients give each other as lovers, art-like

Brides of the 90s - simple elegance is their theme

trade show booth - photos of how this is setup
example of Tiffany's not light up every diamond, but highlight a few diamonds, more impact
spread out albums at shows on stands, less crowding around, folks can see, breaks it up

her display - doors from home depot, crown molding, and track lighting to accent photos

She also likes to network with other photographers, wedding consultants, coordinators etc
not just brides but others as well

referrals network - good will, no big table, move out, be friendly with folks, work the crowd
be warm and receptive, looking out for their best interest

lighting of prints - how to do it - most bridal show types don't do this - looks awful

go incognito to bridal fairs, no one asked her about her wedding date or anybody else, so ask them date of wedding, take a personal interest in them, connect with their emotions idea

photo box - not album - very art print style matted prints in box, easily pull out a stack and hand them out to folks, say look at these, not like bulky heavy album, flip thru them, see what they like
uses 5x7 on 8x10 paper into box -

Use latest product from Arts/Letters Corp. supply black box with center photo or white one

idea here is bride can take these photos out and display different ones in her house every day,
Uncle George up before his visit etc., unlike wedding album ends up on shelf getting dusty

mount your photos like art - sends message, and can treat them like art

another idea, get wedding party types to sign photos and put in box - rememberance of brides maids and all that, personal as hand-signed etc.,[note: I think they sign the matte that the photo will go into, at the time of the wedding or session, and photo is added later after printed; she showed an example of photo with plastic overlay to show us the idea and photo in her talk]

look at weddings as stories, families heritage; sure, 1 of 2 marriages fail, but the other one will last and your photos will be part of their family history

educate clients, photos - not just pretty pictures - family history - shots of 1900s bridal photos, I suspect from her office walls? subtle marketing ideas here - ;-)

Folks don't want the least expensive photographer, but the best story-teller

Denis Reggie - Don't price your services according to what you can personally afford

Tried cheapest approach, not big results as expected; told story, people suspect too low pricing isn't the quality they need etc. ideas

bride on wedding date will spend more money - her dream about herself since childhood, won't scrimp on that dream

She raises rates every Jan. 1, expects fallout, never happens, gets busier instead.

We all believe we get what we pay for

She does four collections; uses level pricing, sets amount first to make substantial profits, collects three payments, retainer 1/3rd or they're not serious; it is non-refundable, she gets paid before the wedding just like everybody else - and why not?

We are often in driver's seat, so why shouldn't we ask to be paid upfront like the rest?

Wants to elevate the position of the wedding photographer

Ours is the one thing that is permanent about their wedding day, that they can treasure

The "Proof" is in the Performance:

Has a residential studio, fire blazing on cold days, champaign, munchies, music etc.

Major secret is she doesn't care if they order more 5x7 or not, her profits are built-in up front, so she can be more objective as already well paid

Two reason people buy:
greed - 75% off, doing deals until tomorrow, buy now or else
emotion - attached to those photos

Have the client design their album, she uses a digital setup, runs computer, photos pre-scanned, the client selects on pads which photos they want and how they want album laid out, while she is off-stage, very low pressure setup, she prefers this approach, result is they get attached to the images. Don't give them numbers, if they have numbers, they will count and try to cut-off, so she typically gives them pages, and they usually add lots of pages to get these images that they are attached to into their albums during this phase, selling themselves basically. She takes lots of photos - 500 to 1200 for a wedding (latter for celebrity sessions), goal being to tell a beautiful story, and if I don't take it, they surely won't and can't buy it.

[Note: She arranged to have her own promo materials brought up by the end, and handed out, giving us examples of her work, and promoting herself too, including her upcoming classes at Winona program in the process - nice, low key approach, also stayed and answered many questions well from a crowd at back of room - very good speaker, probably a great teacher too?

Lisa Murphey - Enchanted Childhood

In nice Introduction, Skip Cohen noted her new line of American Greeting Cards - Lisa Jane Cards (sp?) are now coming out, as well as a coffee-table book to compliment her own books..

Most important point is to not compromise

she does both indoors and outdoors setups, has lots of props
lots of photos of kids in different rooms and props.

church pews, but kiddie sized, chairs kiddie sized, other similar attention to details
old chairs, clothes, bathtub, clean light six window room, hardwood floors for ballet shots with hardwood handrails, ballerina setups,

She likes doing babies, get them before age 1, and you get the next 7 years of photos too

shows desks, tapestries, easily hung up/down as needed

posing naked babies naturally, be ready for "accidents", lysol etc.

live rabbit for Christopher Robin shots and dead fish in freezer for fishing photos

clouds for newborn babies of cotton

simple shots also good - example of wet headed child closeup, simplicity sells too

shows setups in camera rooms

she gets ideas from old photos, collects these, often black and whites, shows to set designers

lots of unusual props - big swans etc. to make kids look smaller and more childlike

older kids, poses as angels near railing, hides height, gangly legs, more childlike

If get babies, they come back every six months for more photos - great marketing

She books in advance, if mom wants little mermaid shots, she schedules them all in, then does a studio setup, then blasts them thru there doing the whole batch, needed when you have 300 pounds of sand to deal with...

various photos of closeups, half and three-quarter length photos,

PMZ1000 film - available light, likes it

Had house moved in and setup for photo shoots - moved house to optimize the light ;-)
porch freqeuntly used, items sized to kiddie perspective, hand-rail on wrong side of house because best way to photo there etc. also small pond setup for photos, often used

charges a fee for each roll and first roll sitting fee, likes to do both grouping shots and separate portrait shots, get to sell both that way

be very sentimental, emotion sells

photos of 2 kids doing what they like, at pond, fishing, girl watching boy fish as more fun;
girl on swing, wants to move, let them be active, instantly put smile on her face

frozen fish in photos, wrong fish, sea fish in freshwater pond, fisherman father caught it, joke

about not compromising, as photographers we have responsibilities we may not know, example of good friend's husband and young son killed in car crash, she had last photo from test shoots, made 24 inch photo - pilot helped smuggle onto plane to fly to funeral - best link to loved ones
so we can't compromise on our photos, put time and energy in our setups and make the best photos we can, going the extra mile - because of the above cases [emotional ending]

Skip Cohen - President - Hasselblad University - got up and closed the session...

Unfortunately, having core dumped these notes, I have to say you only get an overview of what went on at this 8 hour session. The photos tell a major part of the story, and since they are copyrighted, you can't see them here obviously, but you can see them at the Hasselblad University sessions near you.

We had a complimentary lunch at the Anatole, very good (chicken breast/rice with salad and desert), with one photographer commenting to the group on the way back that Hasselblad was obviously losing a lot of money charging only $60 (pre-registration) for this program, given the apparent costs of bringing in all these folks, multiple PCP80 6x6 Hasselblad projectors, Infocus and other multiple screens, props, lighting setups, and all the current cameras and lenses, not to mention the Macy's parade sized blown-up Hasselblad 500cm balloon out front. Good chance to see the latest lenses and cameras from folks who really know them. You can also build up your catalog files too, not just from Hasselblad but also Polaroid, Arts/Letters, Kodak, Photo District News, and samples of some of the speaker's promotional brochures and works (Ms. Contrell).

I am not a wedding photographer or portrait photographer. But these sessions were nonetheless very interesting learning sessions, as I guess my extensive notes (15 pages double sided in 7 hrs) make clear. When you attend Hasselblad University, you will probably see some different speakers too. But clearly Mr. Cohen and his cohorts have pulled the best of the best out here to
present these programs. Their main speakers did a very good job of sharing ideas and their work with us. If they hadn't said a word the entire day, and just showed their slides, it would still have been an exceptionally worthwhile session, especially if you love square format slides as I do.