WOW tour and Beyond....

Greetings, friends! I’m just back from the city by the Bay (San Francisco) after the WOW Tour, and I have to say, it’s one of my favorite places to visit! With us on this leg of the tour were Curt Littlecott, Kavan Lee, and Hanson Fong. As always, Curt brought his brand of high voltage fashion/wedding fusion photography to a pumped up group. We were honored to have a true master join us for the first time in Hanson Fong, who was accompanied by rising star, Kavan Lee. Kavan and Hanson share a wonderful student/mentor relationship, and brought a daylong program to a group of both veteran and novice photographers. Though it was his debut speaking engagement, Kavan was a true professional. He talked a lot about the business side of running a successful studio. His advice? By making the most of your time with clients, utilizing package pricing, and focusing on your communication skills, you can positively impact your bottom line. He also illustrated how age-old principles in lighting and posing techniques can make all the difference in the world in today’s digital marketplace.

Speaking of just that, the master, Hanson Fong, really drove that message home. Hanson spent considerable time sharing what he has learned over his stellar, 30-plus years in photography. Aside from his astounding talent, what struck me the most was how much he relies on his technical ability and real world knowledge of classic portraiture. According to Hanson, lighting and posing are key to capturing beautiful, saleable images. ‘Capturing an image that’s going to blow away the client is not something that happens in Photoshop. Setting up the shot and getting it right in camera is what separates the great images from the merely good ones. Having that ability is essential in today’s competitive climate. During the seminar Hanson broke it down to the basics, demonstrating with hands on posing and lighting instruction for the attendees. According to Hanson, these simple, yet critical skills are more important than ever, and the foundation for being a true professional photographer. Hanson and Kavan both realize that today’s photographers are competing in a market against “Suzy Soccer-mom” and “Uncle Harry.” Holding fast to the fundamentals is crucial to surviving their impact.

Now that tradeshow season is over, we’re beginning to think ahead to next year already at Albums Inc. My focus will be preparing the 2008 catalog, and stocking it full of the products that our clients are looking for to run their businesses. It’s always a challenging task, but one that I take very seriously. So, if there’s something out there that you’re looking for, drop me a line and let me know. Or send me an email at mcardello@albumsinc.com.

We’re always here to help you find what you need to stay on top!

Ciao, Miche