Picture Yourself

If you’re a business person, especially in a smaller company, then you should be aware of the value of a business portrait. Larger companies, for better or worse (and it’s mostly worse), tend to photograph only their C-level people.

Here’s a link to a UK marketing expert’s blog, with a post about the importance of a business portrait to your branding:

A few years ago, I hired a professional photographer to take my picture. It didn’t cost much (£200, I think) but I think it was the best marketing investment I have made.

‘Nuff said?

Six months ago, I got a call from a medium-sized, business management consulting company in Toronto. They wanted portraits of their top executives, mostly for use on their web site. I quoted about $2,000 for business portraits and they never called back. To this day, the “About Us” page on that company’s six-year-old web site is still empty except for a list of executive names. I guess they couldn’t find a cheap-enough photographer.

Point is, it’s penny-wise but pound-foolish to treat a rather important marketing tool as a cheap commodity. A good, and even unique, portrait is an important marketing investment. This is one of those things that are worth more than what they cost.

A business portrait can be a simple and quick head-and-shoulders headshot. It can also be two hours of photography resulting in a variety of images with various poses, locations and lighting styles. It all depends on you and your business. Talk to your photographer about the possibilities.

 

Canada Dry Rights Grab

Canada Dry Motts is currently running a photo contest (“Art of Refreshment Photo Contest”) which seems to be only about getting free pictures for their advertising and marketing. You’d think that after all these years, with all the negative publicity other similar contests have garnered, companies would have learned by now.

This contest trades on the names of some famous artists who did ads for the beverage product over the past 50 years. Funny it doesn’t mention if any of these artists worked for free.

Canada Dry Motts is claiming all rights, exclusively, for all eternity, for every single photo entered in this contest. Even if a photo doesn’t win, the photographer has lost all rights to their submitted photo forever. Does that say “rights grab” and “we need free pictures to build up our library”?
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Film Festival thoughts

The 34th annual Toronto Film Festival has come to an end.

A few things got better, some things got worse and most stayed the same (i.e. bad). One might think that after 34 years, the event could get it right.

What got better

• The main red carpet area was greatly enhanced:

No more TV crews in the background.

The arrival area was lit with just enough light to shoot late-night arrivals without having a jet-black background. Plus, the light was even daylight balanced. In previous years, night events were very dark, lit only by the existing one or two orange street lights. I suspect the new lighting was meant for the event’s own TV needs and not for photographers.

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Square Peg For A Round Hole

You may have noticed, if you live in Toronto, that the city, or at least its politicians, suffer from extreme New York City envy. Toronto copies New York’s tourism campaigns and slogans, follows all NYC trends, and constantly compares itself to the Big Apple.

Toronto, in 2002, unveiled its newest slab of concrete called “The Yonge-Dundas Square”, which was modelled after New York’s Time Square.

The “ydsquare” web site states: “A unique aspect of the Square is that it is not operated like other Civic Squares … City Council decided to … operate Yonge-Dundas Square as a business venture.”

The Yonge-Dundas Square has become a magnet for public relations events.
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Many Returns

Over the past two months, I’ve had the experience of trying to sell some used photo equipment online.

Most professional photographers try to keep up with technology by upgrading whenever a new tool comes out. Many photo businesses have to stay current to remain competitive.
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Beginner’s Guide To Pricing Photography

This very long and meandering post is intended for new photographers. It outlines some general concepts behind setting a price on photography services.

 

Money is better than poverty, if only for financial reasons.

– Woody Allen

 

First rule: Never give a price over the phone or off the top of your head.

Second rule: You’re running a business. You’re supposed to make money by charging more than your costs.

Third rule: Like all businesses, you tell your customers what your services cost, not the other way around.

Fourth rule: Never base your prices on Cost + Profit Margin. Always base your prices on value to the customer. Charge for what you know, not for what you do.
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Ready for your close-up

I photographed a week-long tennis tournament last week for the event organizers. The media relations folks were, as always, fantastic. They were friendly, helpful and always available. They answered every question, sorted out every problem, had all necessary tournament information available and arranged every interview. Free pizza and beer were handed out at the end of each day and ice cream was given out on very hot days!

The media work space was perfect: a large, air-conditioned room with tables, chairs, power, Internet access and refreshments. There was even some large comfy chairs for people to have a quick afternoon snooze. Did I mention that some days ran 14 hours?
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