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Get Ready For Your 2012 Senior Campaign NOW!

ann@annmonteith.com — 2011-12-04T11:48:58-05:00

The biggest challenge facing senior photographers determined to get their share of the Class of 2013 seniors is creating a marketing message that positively will be noticed. That’s why you should know about a fantastic senior marketing campaign I helped with at Marathon; it’s a fantastic campaign, and I know that it will get the attention of seniors who appreciate great photography. This vibrant three-part marketing campaign is designed to capture the attention of seniors — and keep it — by featuring interactive materials that they can’t put down! Please be aware that very special senior campaign is ZIP Code protected, which means that it is available to only one ...won’t be mailing them until 2012, you need to protect ...Shown below are the mailings and what they ...Most seniors don’t commit to a studio after receiving their first mailing, so this one is designed to accomplish the first step in the promotional process . . . to create AWARENESS that it’s time to think about senior portraits. It attracts attention because it focuses on a status that seniors recognize — membership in the Class of 2013 — an element they will see again when they receive the heavy guns of this three- part marketing campaign. ...A vital link between marketing and sales is COMPREHENSION; if seniors fail to comprehend that your photography style is worthy of their consideration, they won’t give your studio a second look. It takes more than social media to draw ideal clients to your website to view your images in depth. So the marketing style presented by this intriguing fold-out poster — contained in a neat holder featuring die-cut dots that reveal its vibrant design — assures that your message will be read! ...Conviction is the final step in the promotional process, and this mailing is designed to convince seniors that your studio stands out from the rest. The design itself, following on the heels of the memorable second mailing fold-out poster, serves as a powerful reminder that your studio has the creativity they expect for their senior portrait experience. The cost per senior for this compelling campaign is $4.95 for all 3 pieces . . . an incredible price because it includes, inserting your portraits, back copy personalization, postage, list source, ZIP Code protection and Marathon handling production and mailing of your pieces. Also available is an optional extra mailing: For only $.60 per name, you can add another mailing to your campaign! So consider adding a “last chance” customized post card that features the same compelling graphics of the three mailers, which will help to clarify that seniors must call NOW, or they’ll miss out. ...Remember that this comprehensive promotion is limited to only one studio per marketing area, so call 800/228.0629 NOW to make sure your preferred ZIP Codes are available! ZIP Codes are protected on a first-come, first-served basis.

A Birthday Program You Should Know About NOW!

ann@annmonteith.com — 2011-10-18T09:43:30-04:00

I want to let you know about a brand-new Birthday Marketing Campaign for children ages 1-5 that I've been involved with developing at Marathon Press. It’s important that you pay attention to it now, as it is a ZIP Code-protected program, and Marathon is about to start marketing it nationwide. Zip Code protection means that only one studio in a given market area can use it, so if you are interested you must act NOW, and I mean NOW . . . not next week. ...This compelling, affordable campaign features 2 unique mailing pieces, which assure that your message definitely will be read. ... ▪ The first mailing consists of a distinctive 2-part marketing piece — a fold-out card and a carrier. The card must be removed from its carrier and opened in order to be viewed and read, and parents can't resist opening something that reminds them about their child's upcoming birthday. ▪ Once opened, the eye-catching graphics will hold parents' attention as they see your images and read your specific marketing message and special offer. ▪ Two weeks later, parents will receive a follow-up post card featuring the same graphics — just the type of repetition you need to get your message noticed! ...As an action-oriented campaign, not an overall branding strategy, each mailing nonetheless strongly reflects your business identity by displaying your portraits, studio identity elements, and marketing message. ...What's more, you can add a FREE blogsite web presence that reflects the same graphic style that parents responded to in your mailings! ...You decide how many mailings you wish to do each month, based on ZIP Code selection and household income, then Marathon takes it from there by sending the mailings on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of each month. Think of the time you will save and the impression you will make as your prospects receive highly professional mailings from your business! Imagine how much parents will appreciate being reminded that it's time to update their child's portrait! You can even add parents of children in your own database if you wish. ...You pay only $2.29 per prospect for printing, processing and posting both mailings (with customized inserts), including list selection, postage, and Birthday Blogsite. To register, you must pay a one-time fee of $199 . . . however, if you act NOW, while most ZIP Codes are available, you'll pay only $59! ...Marathon knows that the success of birthday marketing campaigns depends on creating a marketing message and offer that is appropriate for where you are presently positioned in the market as well as understanding how to make the most of each client who responds to your marketing campaign. Marathon's marketing professionals will provide you with important feedback to assure that you are on the right track with your Birthday Program marketing campaign. ...To learn whether your ZIP Code is available, call a Marathon Account Representative today at 800/228.0629!

First of Two 2012 Guerrilla Management Workshops Scheduled

ann@annmonteith.com — 2011-11-30T09:26:42-05:00

Only 10 spaces are left for my March Workshop which will take place on March 2-5, in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Unique in the industry, the 4-day Guerrilla Management Workshops are designed to achieve three objectives: ▪ To help photographers make more money. ▪ To allow photographers to achieve more leisure time for themselves and their families. ▪ To help photographers take control of the present and future direction of their businesses. Workshops are limited to 15 studios to assure plenty of personal attention by instructors Judy Grann and myself. Workshop content and processes are strictly real-world and results-oriented to pay big dividends for attendees: Our surveys have shown that within a year of attending a Guerrilla Management Workshop, participants earn at least 55% more net take-home income. As a result, their businesses -- and their lives -- improved significantly. And they continue to improve year after year. Sign up by FEBRUARY 15 and receive these bonuses: ▪ My new book: The Professional Photographer's Guide to Marketing Success ▪ A $50 Marathon Gift Card ▪ A complete set of my marketing materials for my Persnickety Pet Portraits business To learn more about this profit-producing class, click here to go to the workshop website. You'll learn what we do, why we get such good results, what graduates have to say about their experience, and so much more. To register, call 1-800-842-2349. Outside of the US, call 1-717-867-2135.

Take Part in PPA's Benchmark Survey; Receive a Free Financial Analysis!

ann@annmonteith.com — 2011-07-30T11:52:01-04:00

Professional Photographers of America (PPA) is in the process of compiling its third Financial Benchmark Survey, which will be released in 2012. If you are eligible to participate, I urge you to do so, as you will receive a free, personalized financial analysis from the accountants at PPA’s Studio Management Services when the survey is published. The information will be invaluable to your understanding of what's working in your business and exactly where there is room for improvement. PPA’s first two ground-breaking Financial Benchmark Surveys, which were published in 2006 and 2009, have become the standard by which photographers in the U.S., and even abroad, can measure their financial outcomes. The surveys allow you to compare your studio's performance to important financial standards, set goals and answer such key questions as: ▪ Are you spending enough money on marketing? ▪ How much does education affect your bottom line? ▪ Do you have too many employees? ... ▪ What can you do to make your business more profitable? To participate, you must meet the following qualifications: ▪ Your 2010 business tax return is already filed, or you have a draft from your accountant. ▪ Your gross sales during 2010 were $20,000 or more. ▪ At least 50% of your business is from portraits (including seniors) or weddings. ▪ You use financial software (studios not using financial software may call Melissa Kriest at 800-339-5451 Ext.227 for pre-approval). ▪ You submit your information by October 30, 2011. ...When you submit everything by August 31, you have a chance to win: ▪ Drawing for TWO all-inclusive trips for two to Imaging USA 2012 in New Orleans ...The prizes are nice, but the biggest value of participating in the 2012 Financial Benchmark Survey is getting that free financial analysis! If such a guide had existed when my business was struggling to survive in its early days, I could have solved my financial problems at least two years sooner.

Helen Yancy: She's Baaack!

ann@annmonteith.com — 2011-06-29T10:58:00-04:00

I’m thrilled that my good friend and Photoshop/Painter Goddess Helen Yancy is returning for another digital artwork class at my home and Studio in the mountains of Western Maryland (Garrett County). To learn everything you need to know about this inspiring class, click here.

PPA Charities Celebrates Another Successful Fund-Raising Year!

ann@annmonteith.com — 2011-02-09T13:03:00-05:00

In case you didn't attend the PPA Charities Celebration at ImagingUSA in San Antonio, I thought you might enjoy seeing this video I compiled from images made by Peter Horn and Jimmy Hayes. The high point of the evening was turning over a check for $100,000 to Operation Smile for the second year in a row. Thanks so very much to all those PPA members who made this donation possible! You can read more about the event by logging on to the PPA Charities Blog by clicking here.

Young Men With Cameras: Memorial Day 2011

ann@annmonteith.com — 2011-05-30T19:12:00-04:00

I concluded a wonderfully restful Memorial Day at Deep Creek Lake by seeing beautiful people Reese Witherspoon and Robert Pattison in Water for Elephants. Got home just in time to catch the end of Special Report, which ended with an excellent piece by my favorite Fox reporter, Jennifer Griffin, whose comeback from a brutal battle with cancer is so encouraging. In her report, Griffin referred to “the young man with the camera,” who has taken on the job of photographing the graves of all those who died in the line of duty since September 11, 2001 and who are buried in Arllington National Cemetery, just outside of Washington, D.C.. In doing so, 17-year-old Ricky Gilleland has accomplished the job that the historic cemetery has not been able to do itself. Through his website, preserveandhonor.com, Gilleland has cataloged the thousands who are laid to rest in Section 60 of Arlington. With a camera in hand, Gilleland shoots a photo of both the front and back of the headstone, "to provide a virtual place for loved ones and friends to both locate the graves of the fallen and reflect on the memory of their sacrifice." I went online to learn more about this young man’s efforts, and I found this interesting video:
Later in the evening, I saw a news report about 14-year-old Brook Peters, who was attending his second day of kindergarten in Manhattan when the World Trade Center towers were attacked on September 11, 2001. Although he was only 4-years old, the image of the buildings falling as his mother carried him away to safety has remained with him over the years. Because those memories were so vivid, Brook decided to interview others like himself and his teachers . . . ordinary people who share memories of that day, many of whom have never talked about the events. These interviews resulted in his remarkable film, The Second Day, which debuted at the recent Tribeca Film Festival, only a few blocks away from Ground Zero. Here’s a video in which Brook talks about his project. ... It was wonderful to see the media given credit to the work of these two fine young image makers who have contributed such outstanding legacies of remembrance.

Rise and Shine

ann@annmonteith.com — 2011-06-08T08:05:59-04:00

In spite of the fact that I’m not an early riser, I was really pleased when Peter suggested that the Burren would be a great place to photograph at sunrise. Jim and I have visited the Burren plateau in northwest County Clare before, having spent almost a week at nearby Doolin, a center for traditional Irish music. The Burren’s fascinating landscape is the finest example of a karstic terrain in Ireland; it comprises curious landforms and subterranean drainage systems that are characteristic of formations that occur where limestone passes beneath younger rocks composed of shale and sandstone. As the largest karst landscape in Europe, the Burren is famous internationally, not just because of its beautiful limestone characteristics, but also because of the remarkable flora of the region and its rich archaeological heritage. The term “Burren”(“Boireann” in Irish) is derived from the Gaelic for “stony place” or “great rock.” In order to reach the Burren in time for sunrise, we had to leave by 3:00 A.M. The only time I get up this early is when I have to catch an airplane. But this was different: I wanted to learn how to photograph a sunrise or what to do photographically if cloud cover obscured the sun, which often happens in Ireland. And to no one’s surprise, cloud cover is exactly what we got at sunrise. But not to worry: The Burren truly is magic, and in spite of an approaching storm, we still managed to compose a panorama that captured the mood of the lonely terrain. ...The mud made it impossible for us to follow through with their plans to hike up to another venue on the hill in the distance. ... However, one of the most important lessons I learned from Peter during our Burren excursion was that bad weather is no reason not to go out when you want to photograph landscapes! Just before the rain really let loose, I grabbed this shot of the purple early-morning sky with my point-and-shoot camera. On the drive back to Castleconnell, Peter stopped off at one of the most famous landmarks in the Burren. The Poulnabrone Dolmen (Poll na mBrón in Irish meaning “hole of sorrows”) is a portal tomb that dates back to the Neolithic period, probably between 4200 BC to 2900 BC. ...Back in the warm, dry studio, Peter walked me through the painstaking and precise process of finishing and printing the panorama from the Burren. I know I still have a great deal to learn, but I’m very much encouraged because of Peter's instruction. ...It was an incredibly wonderful surprise: Peter had created a hand-held panorama while I was engrossed in what I was doing. ... A bit later, I also received a video Peter made from our time together, which featured music from our pub outing.

Learning To See Through A Wider Eye

ann@annmonteith.com — 2011-06-08T08:05:00-04:00

My first day with Peter started at his studio, where he showed me how to determine and set the nodal point of the lens, which is vital when you are using a rotating panorama head. After the tripod, pano head, and camera were sorted out, we set out for the woodland we had visited the day before. There Peter helped me with the workings of the pano head and both the technical and artistic choices involved in creating a panorama composition We started with a simple composition using the trees and pathway as primary subject matter. Next, we walked to a shelter made of sticks and branches and used it as the central element of the second panorama, designed to be printed as a black-and-white image. When we finished shooting for the day, we went back to Peter’s studio where he walked me through the steps for merging the sections of each panorama. I haven’t had so much fun since my first days in the darkroom when when watching an image develop was like magic! Here are the images from the first part of the day’s shoot: For the second shooting location we drove to the nearby Clare Glens, where we would photograph the beautiful waterfall along the Clare River, which is sheltered by rocky wooded hills with paths that are approachable on either side. We walked the slightly steep trail to the falls that is well worth the climb. According to Peter, we were lucky not to find any swimmers in the river to have to work around. Here Peter is checking the adjustment of the camera, and in the image below it, he caught me while I was making exposures. Here’s the final color image captured at a slow shutter speed to show the movement of the water:

Ten Magic Days in Ireland

ann@annmonteith.com — 2011-06-08T07:20:00-04:00

Last month I traveled to Ireland for business and for pleasure—this time without Jim—and for the first time driving on the left side of the road all by myself. You can see the tiny blue car they gave me in this photo of Beechfield House, the lovely bed and breakfast where I stayed in the charming village of Castleconnell in County Limerick, which fortunately was an easy drive from the Shannon Airport. I had no time to blog in Ireland, and from the moment I got back I’ve been on the move. So I’m catching up now, as I don’t want to forget anything about this wonderfully memorable visit during what turned out to be fabulous fun for me and some historic days for Ireland. I came to Castleconnell to study panorama photography with Peter O’Donnell, who I had the pleasure of meeting and hearing lecture at the Irish Professional Photographers Association conference last fall. I was so taken by his stunning landscapes, that Jim and I stopped by Peter’s Castleconnell gallery before we left for home. Here are some photos of Peter and the gallery that I took during our brief visit. ...I wisely decided to spend one day getting acclimated to the five-hour time zone difference by visiting the village and the area around it. I stopped in at the gallery, and Peter was kind enough to take me on a tour of some of the beautiful settings that surround the village. We visited an incredible grove of trees where Peter said we would come the next day to photograph a simple panorama after reviewing the equipment we would be using at, all of which was new to me. Castleconnell is a wonderful place for a photographer to live, as it is surrounded by so much beautiful scenery, including the Shannon River that forms one of its boundaries. Not surprisingly, Castleconnell is known for its fishing and rowing activities as well as for its many 19th-century buildings. I’m hoping that Jim will want to do some fishing here when we come for our annual September-October visit. That way I can get out and photograph some more of the great scenery, which should be spectacular in the colors of autumn. During the afternoon I walked through the village and through another nearby town, where I saw firsthand the empty buildings that are the aftermath of the property bubble, which partially caused the meltdown of the Irish economy. After dinner, just as the storm clouds were gathering, I met Peter and his wife, Michelle, at a wonderful pub in the village, which is filled with fishing memorabilia. When Peter and Michelle asked if I was up to visiting another pub where traditional music was playing, I was thrilled. They didn’t know how much I love to listen to live music, and this was a particular treat, as the pub sponsored weekly music sessions for local music lovers to drop in with their instruments. ... I would have stayed until the pub closed, but Peter and I had work to do the next morning.

Elegy on a Budget Compromise

ann@annmonteith.com — 2011-04-08T23:47:08-04:00

I’ve tried holding my tongue on matters political for over a year, but after a month of witnessing Washington’s attempt to pass the 2011 budget, which a Democrat-controlled Congress was too “busy” to pass last year, and after watching a government shutdown be averted by legislation passed less than one hour before the midnight deadline, I simply have to say something about numbers, courage, and Defense Secretary Robert Gates. ... In my opinion, had it not been for Secretary Gates’ well-publicized explanation to troops in Iraq as to how their paychecks would be affected by a D.C. shutdown, I’m not so sure Congress would have recognized what a dangerous game of brinksmanship they were playing. After the Gates revelation, it was clear that both parties could win nothing but national disdain had the issue not been resolved. It’s simply too much to watch the self-congratulatory fist-pumping and rhetoric emanating from Washington once LAST YEAR’S budget was a done deal. ... Like much of the western world, the U.S. is still lost on a very dark financial path that will ultimately crush the private sector: the now-heralded $3.8 billion in budget cuts are merely crumbs from a not-so-tasty pie. At the start of this ridiculous “negotiation,” the Republicans wanted $39 billion in budget cuts and the Democrats wanted $0. So I guess you could say that the Republicans “won.” In my opinion, you have won nothing when a budget, which in the last two years has become so inflated with new government bureaucracy, leaves a $1.65 trillion deficit to add to the more than $14 trillion dollar debt that now threatens to collapse our currency and bankrupt our country. The folks in Washington are acting as if they are clueless that nearly half of the budget will be funded by borrowing from abroad or printed by the Federal Reserve . . . a sure prescription for hyper-inflation. Today our debt is larger than the combined economies of China, the United Kingdom, and Australia combined. ... What kind of out-of-control government is it that keeps coming up with new programs to fund when we’re BROKE! Why is the press more interested in writing about celebrities than the fact that Moody’s is about to downgrade our debtworthiness, which will itself add more debt? it certainly isn’t fun to read about, but if you want to learn more about the debt, click here. The state of our economy, the inability of our elected representatives in Congress to craft a reasonable budget, and the Obama administration’s outward hostility to the private sector, along with its zeal to grow the public sector until there is nothing left of private enterprise, occupies my mind much more than it should. It makes it hard for me to write about the good things going on in the photography industry. I know that this is an unpleasant and unpopular subject for many people, but I still believe it’s important to know and write about. So as of this posting, I’m transfering Polinomics postings to a new Polinomics Blog on this website. If you’re not interested in concerns about the intersection of politics and economics, just don’t go there. In my present state of mind, I might not go there either.

Final 2011 Guerrilla Managment Class Set for October 14-17

ann@annmonteith.com — 2011-03-18T08:50:13-04:00

I’ve just posted the dates for the last Guerrilla Management Workshop that is scheduled for 2011. It will take place on October 14-17 at my vacation home and studio in Deep Creek Lake, Three studios are already booked, so that means I have 12 studio spaces left. We had a great class in Fredericksburg, VA last month; I’m already hearing about some major accomplishments made by the group below. I’m looking forward to an equally productive class in Deep Creek next October.

Thank You St. Patrick!

ann@annmonteith.com — 2011-03-17T19:58:09-04:00

I love St. Patrick’s Day because it makes me think about the wonderful times I’ve spent in Ireland and the many Irish friends whose company I so enjoy. It would have been great to be in Ireland today, because in spite of their economic troubles and the woes being experienced around the globe, I bet things were pretty cheerful there. The next best thing was to receive St. Patrick’s Day wishes from two wonderful friends. The first was from Maria Dunphy, my fellow photographer and pet lover from Kilkenny, Ireland. She sent a great video of more than 100 school children and members of Riverdance who spread St. Patrick’s Day cheer by breaking out in Irish dancing in the middle of Sidney’s Central Station. It really lifted my spirits, and I bet it will lift yours! This evening, my friend and Digital Diva, Helen Yancy, sent me a lovely Irish Blessing created by actress Roma Downey and Irish musical impresario Phil Coulter. Helen will be making her first trip to Ireland in June, she she’ll get to see some of these spectacular settings in person. I’ve been fortunate to have photographed most of the venues shown in this beautiful video, so I urge you to take a moment to see why I love spending time roaming the spectacular Irish countryside. Just click here. The blessing begins: May the Blessing of Light be upon you. Light on the outside and light on the inside. A beautiful thought for a troubled world on St. Patrick’s Day.

A Newborn Campaign You Should Know About NOW!

ann@annmonteith.com — 2011-03-10T14:50:00-05:00

I want to let you know about a brand-new Newborn Marketing Campaign that I've been involved with developing at Marathon Press. Ordinarily, I would just send you to a link on their website, but I want readers of this blog to know about it now, as it is a ZIP Code-protected program, and Marathon has just started to market it nationwide. Zip Code protection means that only one studio in a given market area can use it, so if you are interested you must act NOW, and I mean NOW . . . not next week. This comprehensive, affordable campaign, features 3 unique mailing pieces plus a free blogsite that solve the problem associated with marketing to new parents: Your marketing will stand out from all others, and your message definitely will be read. How can I say this with such certainty? ▪ The first two mailing sets consist of two distinctive 2-part pieces that must be opened and unfolded to be viewed and read. ▪ Once opened, the eye-catching graphics will hold parents' attention as they see your newborn images and read your specific marketing message and special offer. ▪ Each prospect will receive three mailings, sent one week apart, along with a link to your matching newborn blogsite, just the type of repetition you need to get your message noticed! The charming graphics are designed to complement any style of newborn photography. As an action-oriented campaign, not an overall branding strategy, each mailing nonetheless strongly reflects your business identity by displaying your portraits, studio identity elements, and marketing message. ...You decide how many mailings you wish to do each month, based on ZIP Code selection, then Marathon takes it from there by processing each mailing at one-week intervals. Think of the time you will save as your prospects receive highly professional mailings from your business! ...You pay only $3.89 per prospect for printing, processing and posting all three mailings (with customized inserts), including list selection, postage, and Newborn Blogsite. To register, you must pay a one-time fee of $199 . . . however, if you act NOW, while most ZIP Codes are available, you'll pay only $59. Best of all, the mailing list features pre-natal and post-natal names because it's important for you to get those new babies in early! ...Marathon knows that the success of newborn marketing campaigns depends on creating a marketing message and offer that is appropriate for where you are presently positioned in the market as well as understanding how to make the most of each client who responds to your marketing campaign. Marathon's marketing professionals will provide you important feedback to assure that you are on the right track with your newborn marketing campaign. ...Act NOW, Or It Will Be Too late! ...To learn whether your ZIP Code is available, call a Marathon Account Representative Today!

American Ingenuity on Display!

ann@annmonteith.com — 2011-01-30T14:39:00-05:00

My husband flies model airplanes, and my son flies real ones. They passed along these photos from a piece on the Internet, which goes to show how important ingenuity is in getting the job done . . . a fact that applies not only to the business of photography, but also to getting yourself out of an even bigger fix. Here's the story: During a private "fly-in" fishing excursion in the Alaskan wilderness, the chartered pilot and fishermen left a cooler and bait in the plane. And a bear smelled it. This is what the bear did to the plane. The pilot used his radio and had another pilot bring him 2 new tires, 3 cases of duct tape, and a supply of sheet plastic. He patched the plane together, and FLEW IT HOME ! The moral of this story is exactly what photographers who know their stuff know to be true: Duct tape: Never Leave Home Without It!

Allen Theatre

ann@annmonteith.com — 2011-03-06T20:21:00-05:00

I was thrilled to learn that my favorite movie house anywhere, The Allen Theatre in my town of only 5,000 people, was named one of the 12 best movie theatres in America by Moviefone.com. Here’s what the Moviefone listing had to say: Theater: The Allen Theatre Location: Annville, PA Best Feature: Antique movie posters and local art complement this renovated theater Our Readers Say: Moviefone reader Bert says, "Adorned with movie posters from yesteryear, the theater has an old feel with modern sound and digital picture. A moviegoer really gets an experience, not just a movie, complete with announcements, pre-film music and a red curtain unveiling the show." The Allen was named after Allen Hicks, who was our insurance agent until his death. Mr. Hicks was married to the late Mary Jane Hicks, who after a lottery win became the benefactor of the old Astor Theater, which was destined for the wrecking ball until her good fortune became the good fortune of our little town. Today the Hicks’s son, Skip, a former teacher, owns and operates the movie house, which many, including myself, consider to be Annville’s crown jewel. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if every lottery winner would leave behind such a legacy? You can learn more about the Allen Theatre by clicking here.

Celebrate the New Year; Celebrate Getting Older!

ann@annmonteith.com — 2011-01-15T13:50:00-05:00

Her “life lessons” are appropriate to reflect upon as we start a new year. I hope Regina won’t mind that I added 5 more lessons concerning business to make the number round out at 50. ...To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. ... 4 Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. ... 11 Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present. ... 14 If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it. ... 17 Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful. ... 19 It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else. 20 When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer. ... 25 No one is in charge of your happiness but you. 26 Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will this matter?' ...But if you can't, put them away so they can no longer hurt you. ... 34 God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do. ...Show up and make the most of it now. ... 40 If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back. ... 43 No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up. ... 45 Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift. 46 An easy way to grow a bank account is to buy necessities at a second-hand store and put what you saved in the bank.

Ghosts of the Forest

ann@annmonteith.com — 2011-02-15T22:41:00-05:00

My friend and colleague Helen Yancy sent me a link to A VERY unusual herd of deer, photographed by nature photographer Jeff Richter. She knew I would enjoy the beauty of these rare creatures, and I’m sure you will as well. Here’s what the Wisconsin public television promo says a bout the video: An Iroquois legend proves to be true. A VERY unusual herd of deer . . . white-tails . . . yes, but more. Wait until you see these unusual deer! Location is near Boulder Junction, Wisconsin near border with Michigan's U. P. Turn up the sound and enjoy!

Next Stop Imaging USA!

ann@annmonteith.com — 2011-01-03T19:17:00-05:00

I shot this image of the Alamo last year during a fun visit to San Antonio, one of My favorite towns, with Carol Andrews Jensen and her husband, Greg. Carol and I will be back in San Antonio to teach the SMS Business Basics class at ImagingUSA on January 13 and 14. San Antonio will be a great backdrop for IUSA, and I look forward to seeing many friends there! if you plan to arrive on Saturday, January 15, the day before IUSA opens, don’t miss out on the PPA Charities Celebration event, which you can snag some great deals during the live and silent auction. For more information, log on to the PPA Charities website. I hope to see you there!

A Happy New Year in 2011?

ann@annmonteith.com — 2011-01-03T11:46:36-05:00

As chaotic and problematic as 2011 is likely to be for business, I know it will be a happy new year if our friends and fellow studio owners, Jed and Vicki Taufer, and the other American families stranded in Nepal with their adoptive children, manage to get back to the US — sooner rather than later. The Taufers are one of 56 American families struggling to bring their legally adopted children back to America. Vicki has been in Nepal with Nima since August awaiting a visa to allow them to enter the U.S. ; Jed joined them on Christmas Eve, but he must return to the U.S. soon. Read about their story here. The fact is, Jed and Vicki need our help to bring their precious adopted daughter, Nima Jade, home. There are two ways you can help Vicki, Jed, and Nima: 1. CLICK THIS LINK AND SIGN THE PETITION OR COPY AND PASTE THIS TO YOUR BROWSER: http://www.petition2congress.com/3867/bring-stranded-nepali-adoptees-home-now/ ... 2. CONTRIBUTE ALL YOU CAN TO THE TAUFER FAMILY ADOPTION FUND BY CLICKING HERE. So far Jed and Vicki and their supportive families have borne the tremendous financial burden of fighting for Nima by themselves, but you can just imagine how emotionally and financially crushing it is to run a business and advocate for your child in a country so far away at the same time. The Taufers' generosity is well known throughout the photography industry, so now it's time for us to reach out to help them. Whether or not you are in a position contribute, take a moment to view Vicki’s incredible images of Nepal and the beautiful children who are waiting to be embraced by loving families and communities here in America. Thousands of people now know their stories because of the talent and commitment of Vicki and Jed Taufer to share these images around the globe. Please hold them all in your hearts and help any way you can! www.nimajade.com

On Hiatus Until 2011

ann@annmonteith.com — 2010-05-25T12:57:00-04:00

Will be working on a book and several other major education projects through the rest of the year. The plan now is to be back in January, 2011. See you then! Ann

American Heart

ann@annmonteith.com — 2010-05-19T14:14:41-04:00

Even if I didn’t have a passion for business, I would still be an avid reader of The Wall Street Journal; I think it’s the best example of old-school journalism on the national scene. It is to business what my favorite magazine, Sports Illustrated, is to sports: It lays out the good, the bad, and the ugly, with a characteristic assumption that the reader is smart enough to tell the difference. Yesterday, WSJ published an article that sent me to the Internet to find and listen to a song I had not heard before. I love the song and the vibrant, often familiar, images shown in its video presentation on YouTube. Before you watch the video, take a moment to read the story behind the song and why its author, “John David” has gone incognito until now. You can read the article by clicking here.

Brad Paisley's Tribute to Photography

ann@annmonteith.com — 2010-05-12T08:53:16-04:00

My colleague and super-teacher Arthur Rainville played this wonderful Brad Paisley song during his inspirational presentation at the Texas School closing ceremony; it’s a wonderful reminder of the emotional heart that beats in the images we preserve for our families and our clients, as well as how lucky we are to do what we do. Enjoy!

Texas School 2010: Yee-Haw!

ann@annmonteith.com — 2010-05-09T08:52:24-04:00

With my teacher hat on, I’d say that you just can’t beat the students: they show up ready to learn, they challenge you, and I believe they go home better for the experience. With my management hat on, I’d say that when you have the right product at the right price at the right place and the right people working their hearts out . . . don’t be surprised when over 1,000 photographers show up, learn a lot, have a fabulous time! What’s more . . . they want to tell everyone about it . . . and even show you their pictures and home movies. ...School Director Don Dixon seems to be everywhere at once . . . taking care of business, putting out fires, and saying “howdy” to everyone with the kind of smile that tells you that he and his small volunteer board have everything under control. ... This year Texas School met at the fabulous Dallas Intercontinental Hotel, which had enough room to host the entire school. I arrived the day before classes started so that I could get together with my co-instructor Carol Andrews Jensen and make final plans for our first five-day class together. The class was billed as “Ann and Carol Mean Business!,” but before we set foot in the classroom, apparently our reputation had preceded us and we were told that the class had been lovingly nicked named “The Business Bitches,” and that no offense should be taken. ... However, as you can see below, we took a minute (after dinner in the Intercontinental’s nightclub), to meditate on our exalted new status and ask for strength to carry us through the week. Early Sunday morning registration was in full form, and students were accommodated easily and efficiently by the well-oiled-machine that is Texas School. ...They keep everything moving, pamper the instructors, make sure we have everything we need so that we only have to worry about teaching, and they do a great job of taking care of student needs and last-minute challenges. ...Meanwhile back in class . . . we were privileged to have Ron Nichols present a session on sales and workflow using ProSelect. ...When I needed some additional handouts, I stopped in at the Texas School nerve center — an amazing place that buzzes from morning till night. ...Helen was my Texas School roommate, and it was nice to see the progress that her students were making. ...In this case Helen’s and my room turned into a barbershop, where Quinn Hancock (master hair artist in addition to photographic artist) performed several makeovers. ...An amazing high point of this year’s Texas School was the “Great Texas Shootout,” which took place with all instructors and students photographing models and cool cars and motorcycles, etc. throughout the Addison area surrounding the hotel. ...Eventually Friday came, and the concluding ceremonies were a real kick, as that’s when the always-hilarious Texas School video was revealed. ... Mitch, along with Billy Welliver, are the instructors for the Video Production class, which has to be the most fun class of all! Speaking of video, I knew that still photos could never capture the excitement of the Texas School closing ceremonies when all the great door prizes were handed out. ... Obviously I have a lot to learn, but I thought you might enjoy seeing one student’s excitement when lightning struck twice.

Maxine Weighs in on Health Care Reform

ann@annmonteith.com — 2010-03-23T09:04:00-04:00

When Maxine weighs in on a subject . . . I pay attention, so here’s her take on the recently passed Health Care “Reform” Bill: Let me get this straight . . . We're going to be gifted with a health care plan, written by a committee whose chairman says he doesn't fully understand it, passed by a Congress that hasn't read it but exempts themselves from it, to be signed by a president who also hasn't read it and who smokes, with funding administered by a treasury chief who didn't pay his taxes, to be overseen by a surgeon general who is obese, and financed by a country that's broke.... What could possibly GO WRONG? Only in America!

A Cause for Celebration

ann@annmonteith.com — 2010-01-15T12:18:34-05:00

The January 2010 PPA Charities Celebration at PPA’s ImagingUSA in Nashville was an incredible success. An unprecedented crowd of over 500 members packed the even, which kicked off the convention and celebrated PPA Charities’ accomplishments for 2009. The evening’s high point was the presentation of a check for $100,000, which represents funds raised by photographers for PPACH’s charitable partner, Operation Smile, in 2009. In the photo below, members of the PPA Charities Board and other well-wishers surround PPACH president Mary Fisk-Taylor (center right) as she presents the check to Beth Marshall, director of Operation Smile’s Southeast Region and senior executive advisor for Latin America. Beth is the sister of Kathy Magee, cofounder of Operation Smile. The $100,000 donation represents a major milestone for PPA Charities, as it nearly doubled the $50,635 contribution presented at IUSA in 2009. What’s more, over 200 attendees registered for the auction that brought in nearly $20,000. “The Ronald” benefit raised an additional $4,000 during the evening, and activities at the IUSA trade show booth (Operation Smile Studio signups and merchandise sales) brought in nearly $5000 . . . altogether a great start to our 2010 fundraising! Because of the size of the crowd in Nashville, PPA has reserved a much larger room for the 2011 Celebration event at at IUSA in San Antonio. We’re going to need it, as Texas School has contacted us to help sponsor the Celebration as the unofficial welcome party to IUSA 2011. Wow! To relive the sights and fun of the 2010 PPACH Celebration click here. See and read more about the Celebration event by visiting PPA Charities’ website at ppacharities.com. Mark your calendar NOW for January 15, 2011. SEE YOU IN SAN ANTONIO!

Mikey and the TSA

ann@annmonteith.com — 2010-01-09T10:23:25-05:00

Fred R. Conrad/The New York Times Just when you think you’ve heard it all . . . The New York Times online introduces you to 8-year-old Mikey Hicks, a New Jersey Cub Scout who seldom passes through security without the kind of thorough pat down that surely would have nabbed the notorious Christmas Day Underpants Bomber. Mikey’s crime? He has a namesake on the TSA Watch List, and his hassles have been going on since he was a two-year old—more proof of the Death of Common Sense, and yet another reason why I don’t want to turn over the administration of the nation’s health care system to a bureaucracy that can’t tell a two-year-old from a terrorist. You can read about his family’s futile efforts to gain government intercession by clicking here. Mikey’s mother, Najlah Feanny Hicks, is a talented photojournalist, who once received clearance to travel on Air Force II with then-Vice President Al Gore. No such luck for Mikey, however. He has, however, gained thousands of fans on Facebook. You can become one of them by clicking here.

A Hot Time in Cold and Snowy Nashville

ann@annmonteith.com — 2010-01-15T08:48:00-05:00

If you were on hand at Imaging USA 2010, you know what an incredible event it was, breaking all previous convention records with well over 10,000 attendees! Nashville’s Opryland Hotel was still decked out for the Christmas holidays, which added to the festive atmosphere that was further enhanced by several inches of snow that caused city-wide school closings. ...The class was sponsored by PPA Charities, which was honored to have as one of the speakers my friend Margaret Moore, who together with her husband, Barry, operates Photogenic Photographers in the upmarket community of Dalkey, Dublin. Margaret generously donated her time to explain how the Irish Professional Photographers Association (IPPA) have turned their annual Happy Faces Day into a major fundraiser that drives business to participating studios and elevates the status of IPPA members in the eyes of the public. ...Next year I’m going to make this my first priority, as the inspiration these prints provide can fuel your creativity for a year and beyond! It was great to observe the brisk business being conducted on the floor of the huge trade show, which remain packed throughout the convention. ... Yes, there was talk about the effects of Recession, but there was a lot of determination to concentrate on moving business forward in the coming year. I’ve never seen so much interest in fundamental business issues: In fact, my program on PPA’s most recent Financial Benchmark Survey, presented with PPA CFO Scott Kurkian, had standing room only in a seminar room that seated 1,000, and I’m told the overflow room was crowded as well. ...One of the convention highlights was the evening Super Program presented by three White House photographers who have chronicled the administrations of three American presidents. ... Attendees were treated to intriguing behind-the-scenes stories and photographs, most of which have never been published, and the panelists state on for quite a while to answer questions from the appreciative audience. ...She and I managed to escape with some of my SuccessWare and Studio Management Service friends to the nearby Aquarium Restaurant for dinner one evening. ...Another convention event that I really looked forward to was the Judges’ Refresher Course, which this year concentrated on the changes being made to implement digital entries as an option for upcoming International Competitions. ...I was very impressed by the incredibly hard work that PEC, the Print Competition Action Team, and President Ron Nichols have done to assure a smooth transition to this exciting new phase of competition. The convention crowd included representatives from at least 20 other countries, and I was especially pleased to see that International Committee member Kan Suzuki was accompanied by his family, so they were able see him honored in the “Photographer of the Year” category as well as receive his Master of Photography degree at the Awards & Degrees Ceremony. ...An intriguing Awards Ceremony highlight was a display of “wearable images” modeled on stage as attendees began to arrive for the ceremony. Incoming PPA president Louis Tonsmeire got a good laugh when he made use of a stepladder so that he could, for once, tower over outgoing President Ron Nichols, when he presented Ron with the association’s Honorary Master of Photography degree. It was a great pleasure to be on hand to see Bill McIntosh receive PPA’s Lifetime Achievement Award and to view a retrospective of his extraordinary image-making career. I have long admired Bill’s work and consider him to be one of the world’s most accomplished portrait photographers. ...At the All-Convention party that followed the Awards Ceremony, Mary McCullough and I posed with one of the best-dressed men at the party . . .

More Snow in Atlanta

ann@annmonteith.com — 2010-03-05T17:55:57-05:00

nonono nonono nonono

Snow in Texas

ann@annmonteith.com — 2010-02-26T17:45:00-05:00

nonon nonon nonon nonon nonon nonon

Guerrilla Management Soldiers On

ann@annmonteith.com — 2010-02-19T17:44:23-05:00

Al Gore will have a hard time making folks in Virginia believe in global warming! It has been a long time since so much snow fell in the Washington DC area; the devil in me likes to think that all this snow is a manifestation of Mother Nature trying to send a message to the U.S. Congress to shut down, go home, and leave us alone :-). The good news is that most everyone made it to Fredericksburg, VA for the Guerrilla Management Workshop. The only folks who had any real trouble got stuck overnight in the Dallas airport—of all places. Yes, it snowed in Dallas! After all the weather chaos leading up to this workshop, I can’t say enough about how great these photographers were in keeping on task and making real progress with their businesses. We were so busy that Judy Grann and I completely forgot to take a class photo. So here are candids of the class hard at work—and even at play during an evening at the Grann household. They were a great group, and I expect big things from them!

A Lull in the Storm?

ann@annmonteith.com — 2010-02-17T17:33:11-05:00

Here we go again . . . another snowstorm hit Pennsylvania, just a few days before Guerrilla Management was about to start in Virginia. In the middle of a snowstorm, when I looked out the patio door, I was surprised to see that Billy, our Australian Shepherd, had gone out the dog door and was sitting on the deck, looking as though he was enjoying the scenery. Turns out he was watching Sophie, our corgi puppy, as she was tunneling through the snow below the steps to the yard. Ever the perfect watchdog. Here’s a view of the snow from our front porch. it looked pretty then, but I knew it would be a mess to shovel. After checking airline situations throughout the country, Jim and I figured that everyone would have a pretty good shot at getting in to the Washington DC area in time for the Guerrilla Management class, so I headed off for Fredericksburg the next morning, keeping my fingers crossed that attendees would not run into too many travel problems. The sky was blue, the snow had been shoveled, and this was the view as I pulled out of my driveway. It might be spring before all this snow melts!

A Prayer for Haiti . . . When They'll be Truly Alone

ann@annmonteith.com — 2010-01-23T09:42:00-05:00

Like most everyone, I’ve been glued to the TV watching the hideous drama of human destruction play out in Haiti. It is compellingly heartbreaking in spite of exhilarating moments such as the Pulitzer-worthy image captured by New York photographer Matthew McDermott at the instant a beaming 7-year-old boy named Kikki was pulled from the rubble by a New York City search and rescue team after being buried alive for eight days. Moments later the team freed Kikki’s 10-year-old sister Sabrina. You can see more of McDermott’s extraordinary images by clicking here. ...The reality of Haiti’s future was realistically addressed by newscaster Shephard Smith, who knows well the despair that sets in when disaster strikes as it did during 9-11 and Hurricane Katrina, which Smith covered so well. Smith was reporting on a woman who had all five of her children in the quake, and he was reflecting on seeing her being held down by her husband in an effort to comfort her. ... I have a pretty thick skin I have seen a lot of stuff. I can ignore a lot of stuff . . . that kind of loss is horrific in any culture, but in a culture where you’re alone . . . it just makes it all the more difficult . . .” Here’s what Smith had to say as Harrigan choked up of what he was seeing: With folks on top of a pile that includes human remains below and very, very difficult days ahead, I think alone might have been the word. It's hard from a couple thousand miles away to look at a woman who's lost four children in the earthquake and the fifth child in the aftermath who has nothing and no prospects for anything. It's hard enough to watch it from here, imagine watching it from there and smelling it. If you've ever been to a horrible disaster, if you've been unfortunate enough to do so, it's often that sense that people elsewhere cannot have that brings you back to that place. For instance, New York, 9/11- it had a smell; it was metallic, it was fuel, it had its own thing and you'll never forget it. ... Haiti is going to be, for everybody who covered it and everybody who lived through it, the smell of death and it will not go away for weeks or months or years because you see the process of excavating- it's very slow. ...And the uncovering of the dead becomes a show with a lack of anything else to do and a lack of water and food. This is a story where the pictures are going to look the same over the days ahead and we are all going to get bored with it because we always do, and then they'll all be truly alone, and then they'll really need us. Sadly, the pictures today do look the same, in spite of hard work and good intentions. Let us pray the world does not get bored with those pictures.

Airline Adventures

ann@annmonteith.com — 2010-01-08T22:35:00-05:00

Now that the new year is upon us, I’m traveling again. If airline travel were not already enough of a pain, the near miss by the now infamous “Underpants Bomber” who, except for the quick action and bravery of passengers aboard the Northwest plane that could have been blown to smithereens over Detroit on Christmas Day, will assure another layer of misery for travelers. I found this to be true when I set out for ImagingUSA in Nashville from Harrisburg and was subjected to a thorough pat-down by TSA personnel. Long before this Christmas Day 2009 debacle, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) had replaced the U.S. Postal Service as the number one target of political cartoonists. Here are two of the latest cartoon commentaries on TSA operations: My personal favorite is this post-Captain Underpants commentary, which effectively sums up the situation: However . . . I recently saw a youtube video, which proved that not all airline travel is gloomy: Take a look at how TAP Portugal wished their passengers a Merry Christmas at Lisbon Airport in a very unusual way.

See You at Imaging USA?

ann@annmonteith.com — 2010-01-03T15:23:00-05:00

I was pleased to learn today that IUSA has the highest preregistration in PPA’s history! I knew the Nashville venue would be a hit, and I’m thinking that everyone is wanting to break away from the economic doldrums. That is a very good thing! If you’re arriving on Saturday, don’t miss the PPA Charities Celebration at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel, starting at 8:00 P.M. This fantastic event is FREE, and I know you’ll enjoy bidding for some FABULOUS auction items, from software to week-long schools, and my favorite item of all: A one-of-a-kind bracelet from Kindred Charms, the innovative company formed by my teaching buddy and good friend Carol Andrews Jensen and her husband, Greg Jensen. Carol and Greg are donating a sterling silver charm bracelet, similar to the one shown above. What is so incredible about it is that it will feature four charms cast from the fingerprints of children who received the gift of life-changing surgery during a recent Operation Smile medical mission to Paraguay. PPA member Bert Behnke documented the mission and created the wax impressions from which the charms were cast. These fingerprints represent the healing gift given through the generosity of PPA Charities participants: These simple symbols artfully personify the touches of gratitude from the children and their families whose lives have been healed, and a tag charm bears the PPA Charities identity. Talk about a priceless gift! Learn more about Kindred Charms by clicking here. As usual, Jim and I are donating a week at our Deep Creek House. You can read about it and all the other awesome auction items by clicking here. See you in Nashville!

Holiday Sights and Scenes

ann@annmonteith.com — 2009-12-30T18:21:34-05:00

My Christmas came early this year when Jim surprised me with a new corgi puppy on December 9th. We had agreed to wait until spring to look for a new puppy to fill the void left when our much-loved Mitzi died in the fall, but Jim couldn’t resist this little character. Her name is Sophie, and she was nine weeks old when she arrived. After only a few weeks in our household, Sophie firmly established herself as the Alpha Dog. Clemmi, our Labradoodle, tries her best to pretend that Sophie doesn’t exist. ...Christmas is always memorable when there’s a new puppy in the house, and Christmas 2009 really proved that point! On December 20 we got the first big snow of the year, assuring that Pennsylvania would have a white Christmas. Sophie wasted no time in finding out what snow was all about. Every time Sophie would venture out in the snow, Billy was there to watch over her. As usual, we headed to Deep Creek to spend Christmas with our kids. ... The last two years Garrett County has missed out on a white Christmas, so we were thrilled to find several feet of snow on the ground, and even more snow fell on Christmas Day. ...And she definitely made a big hit with our grandson Lucas. When we learned that another snowstorm might hit Deep Creek on New Year’s Day, we decided to head back to Pennsylvania on New Year’s Eve. By the time we had the house shut down, Jim’s van and my car packed, a patchy fog was rolling in, so I decided to take a scenic detour to grab some winter scenes, starting with a few views of the fog-shrouded the lake. I decided to head north to scenic Route 40, and I came across this pretty farmstead on the road to the tiny town of Accident. By the time I hit Route 40, the fog was really thick. ...When it was built in 1813, this 80 foot span was the largest stone arch in America. ...Toward the end of my trip, I caught sight of an Amish buggy about to cross over the Interstate, so I grabbed the camera and made this shot through the windshield. The symbolism seemed perfect for New Year’s Eve: The crossing of old and new.

Memories of Reasons to Stay

ann@annmonteith.com — 2009-12-26T22:58:00-05:00

My family heritage is Scots-Irish and English, but it wasn’t family history that compelled me to nag Jim relentlessly to find time away from the business to spend a week in Ireland: It was the music. I grew up with folk music, and so much of it is rooted in the Celtic tradition. I wanted to go where I could hear live music with Celtic instrumentation (traditional and contemporary) and to visit some of the places I’ve heard about in simple, tuneful, unforgettable Irish songs. On our second visit we returned to the breathtaking Dingle Peninsula, which captivated us on our short, two-day stay in 2003. I stopped by the Dingle Record Shop to pick up some CDs and asked about any live pub sessions that evening, and I was delighted to learn that a well-respected Irish singer-songwriter, one Kieran Goss, would be playing an informal session in a church building undergoing renovation. Kieran was looking for audience feedback on songs he was considering for an upcoming CD that would be recorded in the U.S. ...I’m writing about this now because while surfing for some Celtic songs this evening, I came across a YouTube video posted in late September. It shows Kieran in a 2008 performance singing my favorite of his many compositions, “Reasons to Leave,” the song that made me an instant fan that memorable night in Dingle Town. I play “Reasons to Leave” again and again, and I still find it remarkable that the song’s opening four-line stanza so perfectly sums up why I feel the way I do about Ireland: ...And yet the context in which Kieran wrote this poetic gem is so different from mine: I am drawn to Ireland as a visitor; I come to this rejuvenating land and sea to slow down the pace of my world, to visit with wonderful Irish friends, and to bring myself back to the pure love of photography. But Kieran writes about the soul-wrenching dilemma that so many generations of Irish citizens have faced in deciding whether to eek out a living in their beguiling country during impossible economic times or to leave their home and family in search of a better future. ...When I’m searching online for videos of Irish musicians, I read the comments of Irish expatriates in Australia, the UK, Canada, America, and elsewhere, who plainly express their longing for home; many say they are not quite sure where they belong, and the music is a healing bridge to their past. In discussing the genesis of the song, Kieran explained that some of his 15 siblings made the hard decision to immigrate, and he writes about the emotional conflict of their urging him to do the same, in the face of his compulsion to remain in Ireland: ...At the heart of this soulful song, Kieran quantifies his dilemma in terms of reasons to leave and reasons to stay: ...Kieran’s decision to stay in Ireland has led to a solid career, with devoted fans like me around the world. I visit his website often in hopes that I can catch a concert, either in Ireland or at home. You can sample some of Kieran’s music at this website link or on iTunes. ... To me it is a treasured reminder of a magical evening that truly was heaven on earth.

A Not-So-Merry Christmas for Business

ann@annmonteith.com — 2009-12-23T21:58:00-05:00

It’s now obvious that Congress is giving us a most unwelcome Christmas gift in the form of their massive health-insurance reform bill—even though the bill itself will be largely unknown to the Congressmen themselves, and completely unknown to the public and press. And just in time for an “historic” Christmas Eve vote, that is likely to go down in political history as one of the most cynical political maneuvers of all time . . . one that could possibly foment a grass-roots citizen revolt. ... This is not what I had expected to be contemplating over the 2009 holiday season: Last Christmas, I truly believed that by now we would be seeing a resilient private sector leading the way to economic recovery; that’s before I figured out how irrelevant the U.S. ...The vote will be historic all right: The more than 3,000 pages of legislation promulgated by the House and Senate does make clear that the “reform” will represent the largest expansion of government since the New Deal; its more than 100 new regulatory agencies that will stand between you and your doctor are just the beginning. And this massive overhaul of one-sixth of the American economy (by the same folks who can’t balance a budget) will be done without the support of a citizen majority, which will either further poison the political well or hasten the revolt against the legislators who have made such a colossal hash of an issue that Americans want to be resolved in a common-sense manner. I don’t know any business person who doesn’t want to see reform in our health delivery system that will allow portability, cover pre-existing conditions, and reduce costs so that individuals and government units can pay for reasonable coverage. ... However, free-market solutions are impossible when government controls insurance commissions and won’t allow competition across state lines; when government actually discourages tort reform; when government says it wants to hold down fraud and abuse that even IT admits is rampant in the bureaucracies it created, but then sees only more bureaucracies as the medicine to prevent it; when the Federal government refuses to implement the good-delivery models that some states have achieved on their own. So I fear it will be a very blue Christmas for the business sector and for Americans who wish to retain their economic, social, and personal rights to health care centered squarely on an unfettered doctor-patient relationship. ...This country’s inexorable march to socialized medicine was a subject of their great concern for most of my growing-up years, because my family had first-hand experience with government-run health care: We all spent many hours sitting in military dispensaries waiting to see a corpsman or nurse. Because I was prone to pneumonia as a child, my parents would pay out-of-pocket for a civilian doctor when I got sick, rather than subject me to the rationed care of our free “single-payer system.” ...To cause this amount of national dismay in the name of cost savings, is what galls me the most: Press and politicians alike have conveniently overlooked the phony-baloney math that undergirds this sham: ObamaCare requires FOUR YEARS of tax collections before the first year of “restructured benefits” (costs) kick in. ...PPA’s language was a lot kinder than mine would have been, but I’m really proud that my association is taking a stand when so many other organizations with constituencies that will be hurt by this legislation have either been paid off or are too fearful of Federal power to speak their mind. The saddest thing of all for me this Christmas is seeing heartbreaking story-after-story of the hard times so many families are enduring because of joblessness, and knowing that their only hope for better times ahead can be provided to them not by bigger government, which serves to put the breaks on free enterprise, but rather by the private sector, which is the creative engine of job growth. ... As they always do, businesses that are weathering this economic downturn are doing so by making the hard decisions and creating the out-of-the-box actions that government, by its very nature, finds impossible to manage, largely because its ranks are dominated by unions that demand wage and benefit increases, even in the face of a fiscal crisis and at times when the business sector obligingly downsizes, reinvents itself, and pulls its own weight so that government can hitch a ride. ...But there is something very new at the heart of this story, and for me it’s pretty chilling: Historically, government has respected and encouraged the unique roll the business sector has played in restarting the U.S. economy during hard times. ... It points strongly to the unprecedented lack of private sector experience in the Obama cabinet and goes a long way to explain why the administration thought it could placate the business community with a one-day “Jobs Summit” attended by some big-business political allies, union bosses, academics, mayors, and non-profit representatives, while denying access to the three major advocates for business owners: The U.S. ...And as we near Christmas Eve, word is now leaking out about the sleazy backroom deals that Harry Reid cut to literally—LITERALLY—buy the votes of recalcitrant Senators: A veritable holiday tableau of what the public hates most about politicians, brought to you by the folks who promised change in business-as-usual Washington. ...I’m hoping that as fellow citizens see exactly how business is being conducted in Washington, some of the fine folks who sold out their constituents will find a way to put some coal (or other fossil fuel) in their stockings next November. ...In the meantime, I’m heading for a family holiday in Deep Creek, and as it should be in this glorious season, I’m taking a most welcome time out from the real world.

Sarah Petty Websummit to Benefit Operation Smile

ann@annmonteith.com — 2009-12-14T20:11:37-05:00

Have you heard about the FREE December 28 Websummit? It’s Sarah Petty’s latest educational extravaganza that will feature 14 hours of education from 28 super-successful photographers offering their best ideas for marketing and making money in 2010. What a great way to prepare for the new business year! Best of all, Sarah’s Joy of Marketing organization has partnered with PPA Charities to use the Websummit as an opportunity to raise funds for Operation Smile, the incredible Norfolk, Virginia-based charity that provides the gift of surgery to precious children suffering from facial deformities. As a PPA Charities Trustee, I am thrilled that so many photographers will have the opportunity to learn about and donate to PPA Charities’ outreach on behalf of Operation Smile during this high-profile educational event! Over 10,000 professional photographers registered for Sarah's Master Photographers Free Marketing Telesummit in September, and she expects an even bigger audience for this great marketing event, which will help you jump start your business for 2010. Sarah has set a goal to save the smiles of 100 children ($24,000) through the Websummit. It takes only $240 for Operation Smile's volunteer medical professionals to change the life of a child forever. ...What's more, The Joy of Marketing will match ...So if you haven’t taken the opportunity to stand with your fellow photographers to really make a difference in the lives of deserving children, now’s the time to do so — when you register (for free) for the Joy to the World Marketing Websummit by clicking here. ...Before you register consider this: For a donation of $240, you can become a 2010 Operation Smile Studio, which proclaims to your clients that you are part of an international commitment by PPA Charities to support the life-changing work of Operation Smile. ... Because it’s a privilege to be a photographer who makes a living by photographing the smiles of children and their proud families. I’m extremely grateful to Sarah, and to other PPA leaders and educators this year for recognizing the power we have as an industry when we work together toward a single goal. So take a moment to listen to Sarah as she explains what’s happening at her Joy to the World Websummit set for December 28. If you're not available on December 28, 2009, or want to get a head start on 2010 planning for your business, you can purchase the Adobe FLASH files of all 14 hours for $89 and receive access to the speaker presentations IMMEDIATELY. ... Just register before December 28, 2009, and you'll receive this special offer! To learn more about Sarah Petty's Joy of Marketing Websummit, click here. Huge thanks and BIG SMILES to Sarah for her generosity in partnering with

It's Good Business To Be An Operation Smile Studio!

ann@annmonteith.com — 2009-12-02T15:14:55-05:00

There is nothing in my photographic career that has given me more satisfaction and joy as watching my fellow photographers reach out and support the work of Operation Smile, the charitable partner of PPA Charities. Because so many of us make our livings by photographing the smiles of happy children and their proud families, it’s hard to imagine a more appropriate charity to support than Operation Smile, whose volunteer medical professionals and staff make it possible to transform the lives of children by repairing their smiles for as little as $240. Now Your Business Can Become an Operation Smile Studio! This month PPA Charities began an initiative that will allow Operation Smile to provide hundreds more needy children with the gift of surgery each year: For a donation of only $240, you can become a 2010 Operation Smile Studio, which proclaims to your clients that you are part of an international commitment to transform the lives of these precious children and their families. A $240 donation is well within the reach of every PPA studio: Simply donate $10 each for 24 sessions, and you will have the satisfaction of knowing that you, personally, have profoundly improved the life of a deserving child. ...It Really IS Good Business! We all know that most well-qualified consumers prefer to do business with people who support worthy causes. But today, when the market is full of unprofessional wannabe photographers, being part of a high-profile international effort to help others serves to elevate your professional standing: This is your chance to show the world what talented, committed PPA photographers can do when they stand together to support such a worthy cause. Please Donate by December 15! When you contribute $240 by December 15, you will be listed as a 2010 Operation Smile Leadership Studio. What’s more, you’ll qualify for a $500 cash drawing at Imaging USA, and have a chance to win a life-changing experience: the opportunity to document an Operation Smile Medical Mission. We still need 138 more Operation Smile Studios in order to meet our January 2010 donation goal of $70,000. I hope you will help to put us over the top! To donate now, please click here. You can watch our progress by becoming an Operation Smile Studio Facebook Fan. Just clickhere. To view videos of Operation Smile at work, click here. Learn more ways to help reach PPA Charities' $70,000 donation goal (and support Operation Smile and PPA Charities year-round) by visiting the PPACH website.

Do You Suffer from IOS?

ann@annmonteith.com — 2009-11-15T14:06:00-05:00

As much as I love my Macs, and as much as I need my iPhone when I travel, nothing irritates me more than what cell phones and digital devices are doing to fragment personal relationships and the ability to achieve business focus. I’ve been so concerned about this phenomenon that I read the book Crazy Busy, the subtitle of which is Overstretched, Overbooked, and About to Snap! Strategies for Coping in a World Gone ADD. I learned a lot about the real dangers of overdosing on technology, written by the guy who apparently is THE expert on Attention Deficit Disorder. He concludes that today just about everyone has the symptoms of ADD because of technology distraction. I’m not surprised. It’s really rather serious stuff, so it was fun when I discovered this lighthearted view of the subject by Xerox. Enjoy!

The Ireland Journal Derailed . . . Temporarily

ann@annmonteith.com — 2009-10-13T12:56:00-04:00

There are no posts that I enjoy making more than those in the “Ireland Journal” category. I love sharing our annual adventures in Ireland, the old friends we visit, and the new friends we make. Posting the images also forces me to do the not-so-easy job of editing. It’s one thin, when you are working on a client order; it’s another when they are your own images and you have over 8,000 to view. I had to put aside the editing because of work and politics in that order. Some important last-minute jobs started hitting me in October; and things haven’t let up since. Just when I could see the light at the end of the tunnel, I discovered it was a train moving toward me at 90 mph. I’m also finding the political climate that is so blatantly anti-business to be more than a distraction as well. I’ve spent a lot of late-night hours reading legislation and doing the kind of basic research I haven’t don’t since my journalism days. What I’m seeing is scary in the extreme for businesses . . . especially small ones like photography. I’m torn between getting back into politics like I did in the Eighties, or just keeping my head down and my eye on the photography industry in the hope that Washington will realize that they are dismantling the engine that drives our economy. I’d rather do the latter, but as my students know, my business philosophy is that “Management by Hope” is a fool’s errand. So we’ll see. In the meantime, my goal is to get back to editing and posting in the Ireland Journal during the holidays. I’ll post a direct link as I do so for anyone who is interested. Can’t think of a better way to enjoy my Christmas holiday!

Small Health Bill

ann@annmonteith.com — 2009-09-01T08:59:00-04:00

To make health insurance more accessible, affordable, and portable — without threatening the quality of care or the preexisting insurance of millions of Americans: ...End the unfair tax on the uninsured (and self-insured), giving them a tax-break similar to that which is already available to those with employer-provided insurance. Provide refundable and advanceable tax-credits of $2,000 per person, up to $5,000 per family. LEAVE EMPLOYER-PROVIDED INSURANCE, ITS TAX-EXEMPT STATUS, AND THE REST OF THE TAX CODE, INTACT. (Increase in government spending: none. Average reduction in taxes: $34.5 billion/year (see * below), offset by using unallocated economic stimulus funds.) ...Allow Americans to shop for coverage from coast to coast — whether from lower-mandate states at lower prices, or from higher-mandate (additional-coverage) states at higher prices. ...Expand Americans’ ability to keep their insurance when they leave their job. COBRA allows former employees to pay the costs of their insurance premiums (including the employer’s former share) and thereby keep their insurance in effect, but only for 18 months. Expand COBRA by 12 months, allowing people to keep their insurance for up to 30 months if they have not yet secured a new job with an employer-sponsored plan. ...Existing federal regulations ban private companies from offering more than a 20 percent discount to those who eat and drink in moderation, exercise, or don’t smoke. Such regulations handcuff private efforts to reward healthier lifestyles and to thereby cut health costs — and they should be eliminated. ...Relieve doctors from having to practice defensive medicine, by capping punitive damages at $250,000 per provider and $750,000 total, while continuing to allow unlimited economic damages to compensate for financial loss. (Increase in government spending: none.) ...Provide further help for those who are uninsured and have expensive preexisting conditions, by increasing federal support for state-run high-risk pools. Thirty-four states already have pools to help those who have been denied affordable coverage because of prohibitively expensive preexisting conditions, and we should incentivize their establishment in all 50 states. (Federal (DSH) funds currently covering emergency-room care would gradually fund the pools, as reliance on emergency-room care is reduced. Increase in government spending: $15 billion in the first year, gradually dropping to $0.) ...*All for the uninsured or self-insured

Remembering the Military on Armistice Day

ann@annmonteith.com — 2009-11-11T17:13:53-05:00

Today is Armistice Day, the national holiday that commemorates the 1918 armistice signed between Germany and the Allies of World War I. It marked the cessation of hostilities on the Western Front, which took effect at eleven o'clock in the morning—the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. Armistice Day also is known as Remembrance Day, a time when our thoughts turn to our servicemen and women around the world who miss and are missed by their families. Seems to me this is a good day to revisit one of the most touching commercial videos I’ve ever viewed. Created by the Ford Motor Company, it is a reminder that marketing messages are at their best when they carry with them a broader theme that sometimes has the capacity to touch the heart.

What a Difference a Year Makes

ann@annmonteith.com — 2009-10-05T13:55:00-04:00

Before we headed to Dublin, we made two stops to see friends we visited last year: Maria Dunphy in Kilkenny, and the Deasy family in Kildare. This time last year, Maria was just getting started on remaking the business from which her father, Oliver, had retired. At the time it seemed like an almost insurmountable task to restructure and restyle the business, which included renovating most of the building . . . liquidating the camera shop, and transforming it into a gallery-type boutique that is more appropriate for Maria’s brand of contemporary portraiture. Here’s how it looked last year . . . ...Although the renovations are not 100% completed, the former reception/camera shop is completely transformed, creating the perfect environment for viewing Maria’s work and for receiving clients. The back camera room is ready for business, so Maria now has a fully functioning high-key camera room on the second floor, and a low-key camera room for more traditional portraits behind the gallery/reception area. The pass-through that connects the two rooms will house a second gallery and comfortable seating. The second-floor sales room is still a work in progress, but you can already see that it will be a real “wow-factor” environment when images are hung and final touches applied. I’m hoping to visit Maria’s studio again next year to see the full effect. In the meantime, I’m astounded at how much progress Maria has made in a year, as I know just how hard it is to remake and rebrand a business. You can see more of Maria’s rebranding efforts by visiting her new blog. ...Our next stop was at the Newbridge home of Deasy Photography. It was great to see Padraic again and review the impressive refinements he has made in solidifying his brand and to hear the actions he’s taken to blunt any negative affects of the current recession. This time last year Sonia was pregnant, but today she was at home cooking another of her famous Indian dishes, so we wasted no time in heading for the Deasy’s home. This year we were greeted by four Deasy children, from left: Big sister Sofia; Lucy, who has become quite a single-minded character; new baby Ross (big for his age, and fortunately friendly); and Matthew, who loves having a little brother to even up the team. Aside from the arrival of Ross, not too much has changed in the Deasy household: Sofia is still gorgeous . . . Padraic is still a great hand’s-on dad . . . And Sonia is a genius in keeping four kids organized while she cooks the best dinner ever! Thanks again to the Deasys for a memorable evening, including their valiant effort to medicate Jim’s cold with good Irish whiskey.

Touring The Rock of Cashel & Holy Cross Abbey

ann@annmonteith.com — 2009-10-03T18:44:00-04:00

During our visit to Thurles, Sinéad took us on a fascinating tour of nearby attractions. At the village of Holy Cross, we visited a collection of thatched-roof cottages, some of which are available for rent as holiday homes. I took this photo from the thatched cottages, as it shows the picturesque environment, including Holy Cross Abbey, which we visited next. This historic site is a restored Cistercian monastery that takes its name from a relic of the True Cross, the fragment of which was brought to Ireland by Plantagenet Queen, Isabella of Angouleme around 1233. The widow of King John, she bestowed the relic on the Thurles Monestery, which she rebuilt and thereafter was renamed Holy Cross Abbey. Here’s a photo of Sinéad, which I took at an entrance to the Abbey, which happens to be her home parish. Usually a national monument is not used as a place of worship, but through special legislation by Ireland’s legislature in 1969 it was restored as a place of Catholic worship. Here’s a look in and around the impressive Abbey. Our next stop was the spectacular Rock of Cashel, also known as Cashel of the Kings and St. ... The Rock of Cashel served as the traditional seat of the kings of the province of Munster for several hundred years prior to the Norman invasion. It is reputed to be the site of the conversion of the King of Munster by St. ... Here’s the incredible view that you see as you approach the town of Cashel. It provides a good look at the earliest and tallest of the Cashel edifices: the well-preserved round tower (90 feet), which dates from c.1100. Sinéad caught this “American tourist” photo of Jim and me as we approached the castle entrance. The majority of the surviving buildings date from the 12th and 13th centuries, providing visitors with an outline of great complexity, and it is said to comprise one of the most remarkable collections of medieval architecture and Celtic art to be found anywhere in Europe. I hope you can tell from these photos that the Rock of Cashel should be on everyone’s “Don’t Miss When in Ireland” list. This magnificent edifice is set among some of the most beautiful farmland you can imagine. ...My favorite view overlooks Hore Abbey, a ruined Cistercian monastery that was built in 1270. I hope to return to Cashel on another visit to Ireland so that I can explore and photograph this exceptional area of natural beauty and historic significance.

A Visit with Sinéad in Thurles, Tipperary

ann@annmonteith.com — 2009-10-02T18:05:00-04:00

I met County Tipperary photographer Sinéad NíRiain last April when she attended my Guerrilla Management Workshop in Ireland. Besides being impressed by the quality of her award-winning photography and the energy she brings to business, I was intrigued by the fact that she lives in a thatched-roof cottage on the same property as her purpose-built studio. I was delighted when she invited Jim and me to visit during our fall trip. Builders are now in the process of adding an addition to the property, which will blend in nicely with its original style, while providing additional living space and the benefits of a modern-day kitchen. Sinéad’s studio is located at a discrete distance from the cottage, and it creates a positive impression on clients who travel to it’s rural location on the outskirts of Thurles. The spacious camera room is housed in the right-hand wing of the building. Sinéad’s business includes both portraits and weddings, so she has designed environments that appeal to these markets. The distinctly feminine environment of her reception area is ideal for making families with children feel at ease. Her wedding area, which displays both albums and decorative wall panels of her wedding work, is designed to make prospective brides and grooms comfortable while discussing their photography needs and placing their orders. The spacious camera room has both a high-key end . . . ...Here’s Sinéad in her office proudly displaying the marketing materials she has received as a member of Sarah Petty’s Joy of Marketing organization that she reports has been helpful in broadening her marketing efforts. You can learn more about Sinéad’s photography by clicking here. Sinéad made arrangements for us to stay at the nearby Inch House, a stately home owned by relatives John and Norah Egan. In 1985 the Egan family took over the 1720 property in a state of dereliction and began the major restoration work that has resulted in the handsome, comfortably furnished period house which I doubt can be topped for its relaxed atmosphere and outstanding hospitality. Sinéad took this shot of Jim and me posing as “lord and lady of the manor” on the esquisitely landscaped grounds of Inch House. ...Because the Egans also offer full restaurant services to non-residents by reservation, we also enjoyed two outstanding evening meals by candlelight in the spectacular dining room. Here’s a view of the pastures and farmland that surrounds Inch House . . . ...One final memory that we will take away from our time at Inch House is of “Tiny,” the miniature Jack Russell terrier, who just about everyone in the Egan family admits is “The Boss.” Thanks to Tiny and all of the Egans for an unforgettable stay!

The Intriguing World of Ballydoyle

ann@annmonteith.com — 2009-10-04T16:27:00-04:00

On our last day in County Tipperary, Sinéad NíRiain arranged a special treat for us to visit Ballydoyle, the racing arm of Coolmore Stud, the internationally famous breeding operation, which is located close by. ... But the thoroughbreds at Ballydoyle are far from normal; they are, in fact, racehorse royalty, and they are overseen by Aidan O’Brien, one of the most important figures in international horse-racing and arguably the world’s greatest living trainer on the basis of his record-breaking performance in producing race winners. O’Brien has shaped a procession of champions at the Ballydoyle operation, where he lives with his wife, Anne-Marie and their four children. ... Ann-Marie’s combination of talents — as a photographer, a former jockey and trainer, and as an integral part Ballydoyle’s opereations — make her perfectly suited to tell the story of Ballydoyle through her lens. We arrived bright and early to the sprawling pastoral complex that belies the security, precision, and purposeful activity required to safeguard the valuable blue bloods that are transformed from yearlings to champions through a disciplined process of development and care. We were especially thrilled to get an up-close look at Yeats, the remarkable 8-year-old Irish thoroughbred who is the only horse ever to win the Ascot Gold Cup four times in succession. The weekend after we met this legendary horse, Yeats ran in his final race in Paris, after which he was moved to Coolmore Stud, where he will become the sire of future champions. ...We were warned about a trick Yeats enjoys playing on anyone who falls for his act: he will stick his tongue out as if he wants to play or lick your hand — exactly as he did in the photo below — but which just happens to be the gesture he uses to lure you in. ...So Jim and I stayed out of his range when Sinéad grabbed this photo of us with the magnificent Yeats, who by the way, is the subject of several Facebook Fan pages. ...Shortly thereafter we were joined by Anne-Marie, who was kind enough to spend some time with us during a hectic day that included race preparations and important auctions. ...It was fascinating to watch the meticulous training session unfold when we arrived with Anne-Marie to watch the “gallops” in process, as the first group of horses, alone or in small groups, rounded the track, under Aidan’s watchful appraisal. ...When the horses returned to their stables, each extra-large stall had been scrubbed and filled with clean straw, just a small part of the extreme pampering that is provided by the hundreds of full-time staff who attend to these elite horses so that they can realize their full racing potential. This includes providing them with sessions at the farm’s on-site equine aqua center, a kind of therapeutic spa for horses, which Ann-Marie showed us . . . ...In reading about the 500-acre farm’s operation, I was struck by this quote: "Everything at Ballydoyle is about keeping the horses happy, doing their work without them knowing they're doing it." ... Meanwhile, as he waited for Aidan to return in the stable yard, Buddy appeared to be unimpressed by the pedigrees of the elite thoroughbreds upon which everything is centered at the legendary Ballydoyle. Before we left, Ann-Marie invited us to her home, where we prevailed upon her to show us some of the photographs that she has created for her book project. I was not surprised to see that her work is of professional caliber, wonderfully stylish, and opens a visual window on the world of Ballydoyle that could be and captured only by someone who lives its intricacies daily. ...As I posted this item, my thoughts returned to our wonderful visit with Sinéad, the O’Brien’s warm hospitality, and our memorable encounter with the incomparable Yeats, who of course was named for Ireland’s most famous poet. ... So I took a moment to look up a poem that I vaguely remembered from one of those papers: Just as I had thought, it is an appropriate coda to our unforgettable visit to Ballydoyle.

The Beguiling Aran Islands

ann@annmonteith.com — 2009-10-01T12:04:00-04:00

Our first three days in Ireland included a trip to Doolin the delightful town on the west coast of County Clare that we visited in 2000, and which is a popular staging area for day trips to the nearby Aran Islands. ... Mary is a member of the Irish PPA Council that governs the Association, a member of PPA’s International Committee, and one of the “Irish Six” who came to America in 2008 to study business with me and visit boutique studios. Mary met us in Doolin for an overnight stay at Cullinans, a B&B and Restaurant that is highly regarded for its food and hospitality, and which definitely lived up to its reputation. Before Mary arrived, I made friends with a local horse, which turned out to be the first of many horses I photographed during our stay in Ireland. ...Doolin is, in fact, known throughout Ireland as a center for traditional Irish music, and you can find a session in one or more pubs on any given night, unless there is a big rugby, hurling, or soccer game going on. The next morning we set out from Doolin harbor on a small ferry for Inisheer, the smallest of the three islands located at the mouth of Galway Bay. The lure of the Aran Islands to visitors is being able to observe Celtic culture through the traditional way of life practiced by a small Irish-speaking community and to observe ancient ruins dating back to the Bronze and Stone ages against a setting of wild, natural beauty. ...Irish is the main spoken language on all three islands and is the language used for naming the islands and their villages and townlands, as you can see from the map below. Because of the influence of television, Irish is spoken less by the younger generation, and English is spoken and understood by the majority of islanders, so communication is not a problem for visitors who wish to experience essential aspects of Irish culture that had been lost in the more urban regions of Ireland. ...As the ferry drew near the Inisheer harbor, we got an excellent view of the ancient castle ruins that can be seen from almost anywhere on the island, and the islanders’ dependency on fishing is evident by the location of homes built hard against the sea. These ancient islands were first populated in larger numbers around the time of Cromwell’s conquest of Ireland in the mid 17th century, when the Catholic population of Ireland were forced to flee from their lands. With few options, these hardy people adapted themselves to the raw climatic conditions and ultimately created a culture of self-sufficiency: They mixed layers of sand and seaweed on top of rocks to create fertile soil for growing vegetables and grazing grasswithin stone-wall enclosures they constructed for cattle and sheep, which in turn provided wool and yarn to make handwoven trousers, skirts and jackets, hide shoes, and what came to be known as the famous hand-knitted Aran sweaters, shawls and caps. Remarkably, many of these traditions have survived, and all of the islands are still crisscrossed by the labyrinth of stone walls that continue to be integral to the agricultural life of the Aran Islands. ...Any trip around Inishseer will include a stop at the rusting shipwreck that is seen in the opening credits of the television comedy series, Father Ted, which is set on the fictional Craggy Island. ...Because Mary had to return to the real world of work, while we vacationed, we took a walking trip together before seeing her off on the Doolin ferry in the afternoon. Jim and I continued to explore the island on foot, stopping off for pictures at the picturesque graveyard and ancient church ruins that sit on a hillside from which you can see the Cliffs of Mohr in the distance. ...His first account of life on the islands was published in the New Ireland Review in 1898 and his book-length journal, The Aran Islands, was completed in 1901 and published in 1907 with illustrations by Jack Butler Yeats. ...I also visited the lovely Church of Mary Immaculate, which was built in 1939 and showcases the beautiful stained-glass windows of Harry Clarke, the most famous of all Irish stained-glass artists. ...For me, the joy of the Aran Islands — and the reason I will return again and again — is to step outside of my life to see the ruins, hear the music, and to marvel at the landscapes and the exceptional people who have chosen to make it their home.

More Ireland Adventures

ann@annmonteith.com — 2009-10-01T11:52:09-04:00

As always, Jim and I looked forward with great anticipation to what has become our annual trip to Ireland. We expected to meet with old friends, make some new ones, attend the Irish PPA Conference, and have some adventures seeing parts of the country we’ve not visited, including several days in Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom. But we didn’t expect Jim to come down with a ferocious cold, or flu, or whatever it was, which did slow me down a bit, especially keeping up with image editing and blog entries. However, I’ll do my best to post what I can when I can, as I’ve been shooting more than ever, and so far we’ve had great weather. There’s no better place in the world than Ireland to break in a new camera, and it’s been a joy shooting with my new Canon 5D Mark II. Can’t believe what you can do at ISO 6400! And I’m really loving my new wide-angle lens. So over the coming days, I’ll try to get my editing done and post some images with the notes I took while in Ireland. I might have to wait until I get back home to a publish all the posts when I have a solid Internet connection. Please drop in from time to time to follow our three-week adventure.

Back to the Future: REAL Health Care Reform

ann@annmonteith.com — 2009-09-16T16:56:19-04:00

For most of those years he was one of only two doctors who cared for all the families in the area, including delivering babies and treating everything, referring only cardiology patients. When he retired, his office visit cost $15, up from the $10 he charged for years, because he had to hire a clerk to take care of the paperwork foisted on doctors during the 1960’s. Today, the two medical practices that cover part of the area my father-in-law served employs 15 physicians and who-knows-how-many others. ...One of the reasons why I am so passionate about the current national health care debate, beyond the impact it will have on all Americans and on small business, is because I know the value of a good family doctor. ...She was commenting on the Investor’s Business Daily TIPP poll showing that two out of every three practicing physicians oppose the medical overhaul plan under consideration in Washington, and hundreds of thousands would think about shutting down their practices or retiring early if it were adopted. ... Madrigal-Dersch has already opted out of the insurance-based medical system and conducts a cash-based practice in Marble Falls, TX. I immediately Googled her and found a YouTube video showing her appearance at an April 19, 2009 Health Care Reform Congressional Briefing in the Russell Senate Office Building. ... ...Madrigal-Dersch explains is a perfect description of how my father-in-law ran his practice, especially the part about the importance of getting to know what’s going on in the life of patients. I still am stopped on the street by his former patients who tell me that no one could treat their sinus problems as well as Dr. ... Madrigal-Dersch, my father-in-law received payment-in-kind from many patients, including baked goods, fresh produce, and a lot of freshly plucked chickens and ducks that we helped to eat. And once a week he paid pro-bono visits to hospital patients in the local charity hospital that was replaced years ago by the shiny new E.R. clinic that costs a fortune to visit. ... Juliette” understands the power of free enterprise and she practices the same business principles that photographers should embrace because it’s “good medicine.” So here’s what I hope: When I found the Madrigal-Dersch video on YouTube, the counter was set at just under 600 views. ... • Click here to read her spirited opinion of what’s wrong with the portion of the health-care system in which she practices. ... • Click here for a longer Google video presentation on how she runs her cash-based practice. ...Madrigal-Dersch concludes the second video by telling the doctors in her audience to “Love your patients and let your patients love you. Remember why you went to medical school in the first place and spend every day taking care of patients with the same love and zeal. ... When you go to medical school it’s because you want to take care of people, and that’s what I do every day.”

9-11, 2009: "America, Say a Prayer."

ann@annmonteith.com — 2009-09-11T09:01:08-04:00

I fell asleep around 2 A.M. this morning with the television on. I’ve been working late on a long project for several evenings, and I didn’t even realize that it was September 11 when I woke up to a rebroadcast of the terrible events, exactly 8 years ago. Once again I heard the soft, chilling words of newscaster Jon Scott when he said: “The loss of life will be terrible; America, say a prayer.” I watched the familiar coverage for a few moments, until collapse of the first World Trade Center building, then I turned it off. When I got to my office computer, I found a Wall Street Journal article I had been reading just before I went to bed. It was by Norman Podhoretz, conservative writer, foreign policy advisor to Mayor Rudolph Giuliani during his run for the presidency, and a holder of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. I had highlighted the paragraph below in which Podhoretz describes his view of what divides liberals and conservatives today. Somehow his words resonate particularly on this dreadful day of remembrance: Of course in speaking of the difference between left and right, or between liberals and conservatives, I have in mind a divide wider than the conflict between Democrats and Republicans and deeper than electoral politics. The great issue between the two political communities is how they feel about the nature of American society. With all exceptions duly noted, I think it fair to say that what liberals mainly see when they look at this country is injustice and oppression of every kind—economic, social and political. By sharp contrast, conservatives see a nation shaped by a complex of traditions, principles and institutions that has afforded more freedom and, even factoring in periodic economic downturns, more prosperity to more of its citizens than in any society in human history. It follows that what liberals believe needs to be changed or discarded—and apologized for to other nations—is precisely what conservatives are dedicated to preserving, reinvigorating and proudly defending against attack. America, say a prayer.

I Love Lucy

ann@annmonteith.com — 2009-09-08T08:38:32-04:00

nonono

Remembering a Giant

ann@annmonteith.com — 2009-09-02T22:08:00-04:00

Last month the professional photography industry lost a giant, with the passing of Ted Sirlin, who opened Sirlin Studios in Sacramento, California, in 1946 at the age of 23. Prior to that he attended the Signal Corp Photographic School and the Pennsylvania Military College where he received a two-year Engineering degree. He served in WWII in the Philippines as a photographer. When he opened his studio, his goal was “to capture and reflect the beauty, strength and sensitivity of the subjects he photographed.” He did that and so much more. A past-president of PPA, Ted was a brilliant businessman who was known worldwide for his marketing and teaching skills. By the time I was building up my studio business, practically everything I learned about marketing in this industry was something that Ted was doing or that he had taught someone else to do. When I began to teach business, whenever I found a gap in my knowledge I would call Ted, and he would patiently walk me through the problem to its solution, in his most patient and kindly way. And he had the most extraordinary way of deflecting praise directed at him to others. The most meaning complimentful I ever received in my life was when Ted wrote me a note after the publication of a marketing book, telling me that he was using it for on-going staff training. “Once a week we read a chapter as a group,” he said, “and when we get to the end, we start over.” I still have that note, and I still shed a grateful tear every time I read it. Especially now. Godspeed Ted Sirlin!

Persnickety in the Spotlight

ann@annmonteith.com — 2009-09-04T22:15:00-04:00

The September pet photography issue of Professional Photographer magazine is out, and I’m so pleased that Persnickety, our new pet photography business, is included. I want to thank Editor Cameron Bishopp for asking me to participate, Leslie Hunt for the splendid job she did in making me sound good, and Joan Sherwood for putting together a snappy slide show of my marketing materials. The slide show appears on the magazine’s website, and you can see it by clicking here. You can download the entire article by

PPA Charities

ann@annmonteith.com — 2009-08-31T22:15:25-04:00

Learn to "sell the experience" and help your own studio...as you help PPA Charities! On November 8 - 10, Jed & Vicki Taufer are hosting their workshop, "Selling the Experience," at Haven, their educational facility in Morton, Illinois. This comprehensive workshop is tailored to each attendee and covers shooting, lighting, posing, marketing, sales, workflow, Adobe Photoshop techniques and more. Normally $1,499, this class is being both discounted and donated! You can attend for only $1,000, with $500 of that being given to PPA Charities. That's no typo--you both save $499 on the class and donate half of your tuition to charity. This great deal came about thanks to Jed & Vicki, who led a great class in Texas that raised over $7,000 for PPA Charities. They wanted to continue to help, and you can join in, too. Register at www. VgalleryHaven.com. Class size is limited--don't miss this opportunity to grow your business while helping PPA Charities with the work we do.

Goodbye August . . . Glad to See You Go!

ann@annmonteith.com — 2009-08-30T19:06:00-04:00

The health care debate has consumed a great deal more of my spare time this month than I would have wished. I’ve written about it in this blog because I’m convinced that reform done the right way is of huge importance not only to every citizen, but also to the business sector; and if a faulty system is forced on us, the impact on people and businesses could be catastrophic. In spite of the inconvenience to anyone who has participated in the debate — on either side of the issue — I believe the furor it has caused ultimately will be helpful. Politicians and citizens now have no excuse not to know what’s going on. Yes, I’m still smarting over the fact that my Senator stated publicly that those of us who came to his Town Hall meetings “did not represent America.” ... And someone in the White House is paying attention as well, because that sophomoric and disgraceful item on the White House website that asked citizens to snitch on those who were opposed to the reform bills has disappeared. Turns out that my local TV station recorded the entire debate, so I decided to watch the whole thing again to see what I might have missed while I was making pictures, as so much was made of our particular Town Hall meeting in the national media for nearly two weeks after the event. (I’m astonished at the number of people who were in touch when they recognized me behind my camera on film clips). I continue to believe that what went on in Lebanon, PA — and at other Town Halls during August — was about as American as it gets: everyday people demanding information from their government that they have every right to receive and being determined to hold their representatives accountable for their actions. The very nice (and quite polite) lady in the teapot shirt, shown above, was the last person at the Town Hall meeting to ask a question of Senator Specter, and you can hear her “unAmerican” question (along with that of the gentleman shown above) for yourself in a video clip by clicking here. ...I think I would have gone nuts if it hadn’t been for two great classes, for Marathon in Nebraska and for Studio Management Services in Dallas. ...Another source of nourishment during all this debate were the writings of my favorite op-ed columnist, Charles Krauthammer. I watch the news on Special Report, during dinner every night, in hopes that Krauthammer will be providing commentary. Only a year ago I learned that this highly respected medical-doctor-turned-public-policy-wonk-turned-Pulitizer-prize-winning-editorial-writer has spent most of his life in a wheelchair because of a diving accident when he was in medical school. Because of his medical background and keen understanding of economics, I find his commentary on this issue to be especially instructive. Here’s what you’ll learn if you read Krauthammer on the subject of health care reform: ...It will be great to get back to business now that the legislators are back in D.C. I just hope that the Congress doesn’t do us in with its “business”: which calls to mind a recent photo that you might not have seen if you were not following the debate online. I know that it should be beneath my dignity to share this photo, but it SO sums up what I am feeling, and I just can’t help myself.

Democracy in Action - August 11, 2009

ann@annmonteith.com — 2009-08-12T14:31:51-04:00

In recent months I’ve written a few posts on my concerns about the rapid growth of big government and how I fear it will impact the private sector, especially small businesses . . . the segment of the economy that fuels the national growth engine but which, inexplicably, continues to wait on the sidelines, hoping to be called into the game. So I was thrilled when I learned that Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter was bringing his Town Hall meeting to Lebanon, PA — my home county — only seven miles from my home and business. ... He’s the chap who was a Democrat when he was coming up through the Philadelphia political system; became a Republican when he sought state-wide office in a state that leans right on many issues; then, when the Republicans lost the Senate in 2008, he switched over to the Dems, giving them a fillabuster-proof super majority. When pressed as to his reason for the switch, he admitted that he knew he couldn’t win the 2010 Republican primary, and I think it was pretty clear that he expected the Dems to accept him into their leadership, which hasn’t happened. ...Specter’s popularity, or lack of it, was of no concern: I wanted to learn what I could about the Senate health care bill, which is still in committee. I care about health care reform: It is vital for the well-being of small business and for the lives of photographers and of all citizens, including members of my family who have pre-existing conditions. ... Unfortunately some Senate Republicans (and most of the Dems) weren’t on board, because, as we learned, in many states, controlled by Republicans, the state insurance commissioner is second in power to the Governor. ...I’m not in Pennsylvania much these days because of teaching, but I know this community to be filled with sober, common-sense people who help their neighbors and do not suffer fools gladly. ...I was disappointed to see how small it was, and I very nearly decided not to bother, figuring it would be a scripted event, and that I would end up out on the street with the protesters. ... I believe there were somewhere between 200-250 who actually got into the room, but it was hard to tell how many were left to stand in the 90-degree day outside. ...Some prefaced their questions with statements of concern, and some, who had clearly read the House bill, just as I had, asked some of the most penetrating, pertinent questions, many of which the Senator deflected, saying that he didn’t know much about what the House was doing. ... I do take issue with two statements: One report said the crowd was “largely hostile,” and I can’t agree with that; most speakers thanked the senator for taking time out to come to Lebanon, and the only boos came when he said he side-stepped issues or made some not-so-clever quips, such as “You know I don’t get paid extra for coming here,” That definitely was not well received. ...A bus belonging to Americans for Prosperity did show up, but from what I could see they were there for a bus photo-op and to pass out “Hands Off My Health Care” fans, which were much appreciated by the folks standing in lines in the hot sun. ...The incident that made it big in both print and cable media involved an angry man who claimed that Specter’s staff had told him he would be allowed to address his concerns, and he demanded to be heard. ... I wish I could say the same about the news story: what a piece of journalistic garbage: You would think that we are a community full of savages living amongst the corn fields, who have been brainwashed by talk radio. ...In fact, after reading HR Bill 3200, and listening to Senator Specter, then coming home just in time to catch a live feed of the President’s Town Hall Meeting in New Hampshire (interesting that there was not a single nay-sayer in the the entire “Don’t Tread on Me” state), what I’m seeing is a complete disconnect between the two branches of government. ... Specter said repeatedly “I don’t know what’s in the House Bill, and the Senate doesn’t have a bill for me to read.” ... As one Philadelphia Town Hall participant groused: “The President wants to reform one-sixth of our economy in three weeks, when it took the Obama family six months to decide what kind of dog was right for the family!” ...They are just now getting the memo that now that polls show that the public actually likes it’s health care system, the only way they can keep the ball rolling is to attack insurance executives.

Health Reform or Massive Power Grab: You Decide

ann@annmonteith.com — 2009-08-01T14:06:40-04:00

I should start by admitting I have a bias against BIG: I don’t much care for big cities, big schools, big bureaucratic corporations, big hospitals, and — most of all — big government. ...When it comes to health care, I prefer to deal with routine issues at a small private practice in the tiny Maryland community where we have a lake house: The doc listens to you and the problem gets resolved. I even made the three-and-a-half-hour trip to that community to have an angry gall bladder removed because they could take me right away, rather than wait for at least two weeks to schedule the surgery at the huge Hershey Medical Center, which is only 7 miles from my Pennsylvania home. ...And now the Federal government, which has grown at a breathtaking pace since last fall, is poised to nationalize our health care system, according to a plan that in effect points to a leak in the national faucet and proposes to fix it by tearing up the entire American plumbing system. ...I’m a registered Independent because neither party represents enough of my core views to strongly identify with, but on this one, I’m grateful to the Republicans for standing firm and to the Blue Dog Dems who are risking the ire of the White House in repudiating this nightmare. ...Page 30, Section 123, line 11 mandates a private/public Health Benefits Advisory Committee government committee that decides what determines eligible treatments/benefits are provided by an acceptable plan. ...Page 50, Section 152: I’m pretty sure that the language of this section provides health care to non-US citizens, illegal or otherwise, even though another section of the bill says that it (not the section on page 50) doesn’t provide care to illegals. ...Unless the employee is covered by a family plan elsewhere, he or she will be subject to “Individual Responsibility” provisions, which the government dictates (see page 167, line 18 for “Tax on Individuals Without Acceptable Health Care Coverage.” ...If you do, you’ll wonder why ANYONE would want to become a doctor (especially since the government decides on his or her level of reimbursement on page 127). My personal favorite of all the dictates is on page 253, line 10, under “Validating Relative Value Units” for doctors’ fee schedules: “Work elements to be validated include: time, mental effort and professional judgement, technical skill and physical effort, and stress due to risk.” ...Page 265 covers government mandates on productivity for private health care; Page 489, Section 1308 allows the government to include Marriage and Family Therapy as a health care element; and on and on it goes. Believe me there are HUNDREDS of radical bureaucratic proposals in this bill, but I don’t have enough time to list all the catastrophes. Don’t take my word for it: Read it yourself, or to make it easier, divide it up among your friends and let them take notes, then exchange information. Over recent months, I’ve watched as Congress and the Administration have severely limit the economic freedom of Americans by quadrupling the deficit, printing money to purchase our own debt, and delivering a pork-laden, non-stimulative “stimulus” bill, all of which are likely to prolong the recession. But in spite of this and a now-stalled cap-and-trade bill that is enough to scare the pajamas off of manufacturers from bread bakers to bomb makers, in the back of my mind I’ve believed there was still room for the private sector to restart the country’s economic engines, something that government cannot do. ...A growing number of Americans are seeing it for what it is: a naked government power grab based on the assumption that somehow government can do better in “caring for” people than they can do for themselves and through the private sector. ...The costs of routine care are easier to reform; look for best-practice models for chronic care (including end-of-life care) and diagnostics; then let’s see where the cost differentials fall for catastrophic care, which might require a Federal option for uninsurable Americans, rather than unfunded mandates for the states. • Give the responsibility for routine care (and perhaps diagnostics) back to individuals, allowing individuals to purchase routine health plans or tax-exempt savings plans that include diagnostics and catastrophic care as necessary elements unless and until we find a better way. ...Please understand that I wouldn’t have taken the time to read a 1,000-+-page legislative proposal or to natter on in this post if I didn’t believe that the future of our way of life is at stake.

The Worst Best Man Ever

ann@annmonteith.com — 2009-07-11T10:32:56-04:00

If you haven’t seen this video, I think you’ll enjoy it . . . whether you are a wedding photographer or not. Just click here. Too funny!

It Won't be Long . . .

ann@annmonteith.com — 2009-07-10T20:59:06-04:00

Give her a few months, and this Mom-With-A-Camera will be calling herself a pro! Sorry . . . it’s been a long week.

Photographers: You Can Help a Colleague in Need . . .

ann@annmonteith.com — 2009-07-03T11:30:00-04:00

The PPA International Judging that I wrote about in my last post would have been perfect had it not been for a tragedy that happened to one of our fellow jurors, Gene Lista, a wonderful photographer and a super guy from Voorhees, NJ. After the conclusion of judging, just as he was about to leave for the airport to head home, Gene suddenly suffered a brain aneurism. He was immediately transported to a local hospital then transferred to Emory University Hospital, where he underwent surgery and was placed on a respirator and in a drug-induced coma to prevent additional swelling of the brain. The next day Gene’s wife, Barbara, flew to Atlanta, where she remains. ... Fortunately, a wonderful group of “Georgia Angels” have stepped up to help Barbara. Ginny, an employee from the hotel who was there when Gene fell ill, has given Barbara a place to stay to help keep her expenses in Atlanta to a minimum. And those wonderful photography students from Gwinnett Tech — especially Amanda, Alley, and Kim — have helped Barbara get to and from the hospital and run other errands. Friends and relatives from New Jersey also have come to Georgia to support the couple, and Gene is making progress, including periods of consciousness and communication in which doctors have determined that his brain is functioning well, but it will be a long time before Gene can return home. Many of the Lista’s friends have stepped up to help offset the terrible financial burden they are incurring. Photographers and strangers who had never met Gene before the judging are pitching in, which says a lot about our industry. As Helen Yancy said in an email to judges: “Photographers have a wonderful history of supporting each other, and our brother needs everyone’s support. Therefore, I am suggesting we each make a donation in support of Gene and Barbara. We can do it through PPA Charities, which will make it a deductible donation, and while any amount will be helpful and appreciated, $25 from each of us will help offset the monstrous expenses that are being incurred.” If you are a reader of this blog who wants to help, you can send a check made out to PPA Charities to Director Bert Behnke: ...If you prefer, you can use a credit card by going online - go to www.ppacharities.com, then on the homepage click on DONATE NOW, then click on the link for "secured, online form" and fill it out. ... If you wish, you can add a "respond by" date so we get it to his family ASAP. ...To learn more about Gene’s business, here’s a link to his website: And you can read about Gene’s progress through a carepages account that has been set up through the hospital. ... Together we can make a difference by helping a really wonderful guy!

The Joy of Judging in Georgia

ann@annmonteith.com — 2009-06-26T12:40:46-04:00

Last week I was honored to serve as a juror at the PPA International Print Competition in Atlanta. I don’t know a single juror who wouldn’t agree that this opportunity to view so many spectacular images in one place is an incredible thrill. As usual, I learned not only from viewing the images, but also from the commentary of my fellow jurors, who are shown here with an incredible group of photography students from the Gwinnett Technical College, where the competition was held for the first time. Everyone was extremely impressed with both the campus and the Gwinnett Tech students, who not only kept us on track with their outstanding assistance, they also were eager to learn from the judging process and the judges themselves. Thanks to Kim Harkins, Program Director of Commercial Photography, and her fine staff for the great job they do and for the help they gave PPA in making the judging such a success. If you want to learn more about the Gwinnett Tech photography program, you can visit their website at http://gtcphoto.wordpress.com. And if you want to learn what the world of a photography student is like these days, you might enjoy clicking on some of student blogs that are linked to the blog home page. If you’ve never attended a judging, you have no idea how much hard work goes on behind these scenes: Getting judging booths set up . . . .... . . and getting our marching orders from Overall Jury Chairman and PEC Chairman Helen Yancy (standing at right). When judging was completed, Helen announced to the group that this would be her final year as PEC Chair, much to the sadness of us all. Both PEC and PPA owe Helen a huge debt of gratitude for stepping in when our dear friend and then PEC Chair Buddy Stewart was taken ill and passed away. Only those who have done the heavy lifting involved with serving as PEC Chair and as Overall Jury Chair will ever know how much work it takes to do these jobs . . . more than being President of PPA. ...Here are some of the hardworking Gwinnett Tech students getting information on PPA’s Student Photographic Society from Anne Mahaffey, at left, who works in PPA’s Membership Department. Lest you think that judging is all work and no play, let me show you these shots of PPA Past Presidents, Bert Behnke and Dennis Craft. Who knew you could have so much fun on a trip to the grocery store? Our most fun event was joining an evening steak cookout courtesy of students at the Judge’s Workshop. Here’s Jury Chairman-in-Training Tim Walden being served his steak by J.B. Sallee, who it turns out is not only a brilliant photographer, he also is an incredible chef. Never had a better steak, and I passed on some of his grilling hints to Jim, so I’m expecting a great 4th of July weekend steak!

Final 2009 Management Workshop Set for September

ann@annmonteith.com — 2009-06-13T09:51:33-04:00

SEPTEMBER 11-14, 2009 - Deep Creek Lake, MD Just before I left for Atlanta I posted the final 2009 Guerrilla Management Workshop, which is scheduled for September 11-14 at my lake house and studio in Deep Creek Lake, Maryland. If you are interested, then you'd better register NOW: This is the most popular of our workshops because September is so gorgeous at the lake, and it’s the perfect time to deal with the financial reality of your business in order to move it to the next level of profitability for the upcoming year. When economic times are uncertain, planning marketing and management strategies are more important than ever! For complete information, click here.

Catching Up With Josh and Elizabeth

ann@annmonteith.com — 2009-06-11T19:46:00-04:00

Last month I reported that while I was in Minneapolis I had a wonderful evening with Josh and Elizabeth Hackney at their nearby home in Deephaven, right along the shores of Lake Minnetonka, a lovely scenic community with a truly laid-back atmosphere. Here are Josh and Elizabeth in front of their charming home, where they invite clients to visit their “cottage studio,” because it houses both their family and their business. Recently I asked Josh if he would send me some photos of the living room, which serves double duty as a family living space and as a client meeting room. I wanted to publish these photos to show how attractively they are designed. The pale color palette of the walls, draperies, and seating blends beautifully with the warm wood tones of the room’s antique furnishings to create a casually eclectic space, and to form a relaxing environment for clients and a lovely background for displaying portraiture. It’s an excellent example of how a business and a family living space can coexist without sacrificing function or style. Thanks to Josh and Elizabeth for sharing these photos! If you want to view some of Josh’s outstanding photography, you can visit his website by clicking here.

Making Success Look Easy

ann@annmonteith.com — 2009-06-13T15:39:00-04:00

It’s about Ed and Linda Pedi, whom I met at the New England Institute of Professional Photography (NEIPP), where I taught in April. ... What Ed had to say was good, solid nuts-and-bolts strategies, and they are the kind of activities that have kept Ed’s studio from faltering during these doom-and-gloom economic times. I believe you’ll find it well worth reading for the business information alone, but you’ll also get a look at one of the most attractive and functional indoor and outdoor studios I’ve seen. So here’s a sample of the feature and a link to the blog: It’s not likely that anything as mundane as an uncertain economy will get Ed Pedi down. In fact the recession has yet to make a dent in the successful studio portrait business that he and his wife Linda operate in North Andover, Massachusetts. Ed’s practical outlook on business has a lot to do with his success: “Yes, some people are having a hard time,” he acknowledges, “but not everyone is. So do a little more marketing, and you’ll reach more of the people who are doing O.K.” Another of Ed’s key business principles is: “I do whatever it takes to keep my clients happy.” This is an attitude that he comes by quite naturally because his infectious personality and good humor make it obvious to clients that he genuinely loves what he does. Ed’s enthusiasm and love of photography began at age twelve, when he received a camera as a gift from his parents. He continued making pictures throughout his 25-year career as a government employee, hardly dreaming that it would be possible to enjoy photography as a career. “Everyone thought I would be crazy to give up a government job,” he recalls, but when he began attending photography classes, photographing some weddings on weekends, and finally tearing down a wall between two rooms in his home to create a camera room, his confidence began to build. In 1992, Ed and Linda took a leap of faith by opening a full-time business in their home. It didn’t take him long to discover that his passion was photographing children and families, and that yes . . . he definitely could make a GOOD living from photography. Then in 2005, Linda left her insurance career to join the studio full time. ...Today the studio is housed in a spacious addition to the home that doubled its size. Linda and Ed have furnished it to showcase their decorative portraiture and to convey a family-type atmosphere, which helps to give children a sense of security and to impress adults with their professionalism. The versatile camera room allows Ed to photograph expectant mothers, newborns, toddlers, first communions, and high school seniors, in addition to children and families.

Hanging in Atlanta

ann@annmonteith.com — 2009-06-12T12:56:00-04:00

Just finished up a three-day Studio Management Services Workshop at PPA headquarters in Atlanta. Since the PPA International Judging starts in Atlanta on Sunday, I’ve decided to stay over rather than heading back to PA and having to turn around in a day to come back. We had another sold-out SMS class of great photographers who stayed focused on what it takes to be successful in today’s market, and it was a pleasure to share teaching duties with Lori Nordstrom, who did her usual great job of imparting business success strategies. Speaking of Lori, she’s just started a new on-line group, called “photo talk forum,” an excellent business resource where she and other members of the forum can share strategies and images, get image critiques, and where members can receive free monthly template downloads. As you probably know, Lori’s templates are WONDERFUL! The forum is off to a great start, so you can subscribe or learn more by clicking here. Best of all, if you are a reader of this blog, Lori is offering a year’s membership at only $99, instead of the regular $129/year fee if you use the following coupon code: NORD99.

From Atlanta to Minneapolis

ann@annmonteith.com — 2009-05-26T21:15:00-04:00

I was glad for a little rest over Memorial Day after a really good week of teaching and several studio visits. My first stop was Atlanta for a Studio Management Services “Basics of Business” class at PPA Headquarters with a sharp group of students on board. Here’s senior accountant Bridget Jackson covering the hard stuff relating to government compliance. ...As usual, we covered the bases on management . . . . . . and marketing, and I believe everyone left with a sharpened perception of the fundamentals of operating a successful pro business. Prior to class, I had a lovely time with Molly Purvines, who I first met at a Guerrilla Management workshop in 2007 and who I’ve mentioned in this blog before. Molly invited me for a delicious home-cooked meal with her husband, Van, and daughter, Kaitlyn, at her new home and studio in nearby McDonough. I’ll be adding a post that features Molly’s terrific studio shortly. Then it was on to Minneapolis to meet up with Mark Weber and Bill Camacho for an on-the-road Strategic Marketing Workshop for Marathon. In Minneapolis I had a lovely evening at nearby Deephaven with Josh and Elizabeth Hackney. Josh has been an SMS client since 2007, so I’ve known about his business since then; but it was a great pleasure to get to see the Hackney’s charming home studio and to spend an evening with them. Deephaven is located along the shores of scenic Lake Minnetonka, which is aptly described on the city website as “two square miles of tranquility.” I really can’t imagine a more idyllic setting for a home or a business, which they refer to as their “cottage studio.” It is neat, tidy, and a perfect backdrop for Josh’s style of portraiture that he describes on his website as “Candid Moments. Classic Style.” I think this is a perfect description of Josh’s relaxed style, which is very well suited for the clientele he serves. I was also impressed with the results of the marketing plan he created at the workshop, and I’ll be eager to see the marketing that flows from it. We enjoyed a nice walk around the Hackney’s charming neighborhood, then adjourned to the deck to enjoy a delicious dinner prepared by Elizabeth and completed by Josh, who proved to be an outstanding grill chef. The weather was perfect, the company was delightful, and it simply was a wonderful evening!

A Visit to Molly Purvines New Home Studio

ann@annmonteith.com — 2009-06-01T11:30:00-04:00

I’m an ardent advocate of residential studios because of their inherent profit potential. And if you live in a part of the world where it is practical to build a home with a daylight basement, I believe that such an arrangement represents an optimal home-based business structure. So I was most interested when I heard from Georgia photographer Molly Purvines that she and her husband had purchased a lake-side home with a daylight basement in the Atlanta suburb of McDonough. I had written about Molly’s tiny home studio in an earlier blog post; you can read it by clicking here. After seeing photos of the new property shortly after it was purchased in January, I asked Molly to send snapshots when the business renovations were completed. I’ve never had an example that illustrates the features of a daylight basement, and I wanted to be able to show them to students who might be looking for home studio options. Molly not only sent me the picture, she also invited me for dinner and a visit when I was in Atlanta last month. As I expected, the new studio is wonderful; it provides a clean separation between the home and the business, and it makes possible a dedicated entrance for studio clients. Here’s the exterior of the house before the family moved in. The next two illustrations are the snapshots Molly originally sent to map out her plans for the studio. The first is taken from a secondary driveway and parking area for the lower level, looking toward the door that is ideally located for a dedicated studio entrance. This is Molly’s sketch that shows where new entrance lobby walls would be built as well as the location of various studio rooms. The area to the left provides Molly with a spacious camera room that includes several windows for natural-light portraits. And here is the completed lobby area . . . .... . . and the bathroom/dressing room where Molly came up with a very clever way to deal with a bath tub: she covered it over and draped the area behind it to create a baby-changing station. ...Finally, here’s the spacious camera room, complete with a north-light window and room for backgrounds and studio lights at the end to the left of the fireplace. Both Molly and her clients are thrilled with the new space: “The best part is that I don’t have to break down the shooting area every time I finish a session,” she says. Molly’s not the only one who loves it. Charlie, the family dog, who is a cross between a border collie and a saluki, is crazy about the new floor, which was clearly evident when he showed off his keen ball-catching ability during my visit.

Learn So You Can Earn At Walden/Petty Marketing U

ann@annmonteith.com — 2009-05-31T09:11:00-04:00

I want to alert you to an outstanding learning opportunity involving three of my teaching buddies: Tim and Beverly Walden and Sarah Petty. Their “Marketing U” will be held in Dallas on July 12-14. Marketing U will give you a chance to see how two entirely different studios, at the top of the marketing game, have created memorable, meaningful brands through a hand’s on, jam-packed workshop. To learn more about this exciting opportunity, click here.

Texas School Breaks Records!

ann@annmonteith.com — 2009-05-14T10:52:15-04:00

Texas School was really something this year! Because of renovations taking place on the Texas Tech campus, Don Dickson and his intrepid band of school trustees had their hands full with the school’s temporary relocation to the University of Texas campus in Arlington. In spite of the move and fears of swine flu, a record crowd of more than 1,100 students attended the school, where I was once again delighted to share a class with Tim and Beverly Walden. As always, the students were an outstanding group of photographers, and there was plenty of fun . . . including a private event at Six Flags, held just for school participants. I’m pretty sure the entire group of 1,100 plus turned up for the fun. As a trustee of PPA Charities, I was thrilled when Texas School Trustee and fellow PPA Charities Trustee Cindy Romaguera announced at the school’s final night party that Texas School students, instructors and vendors contributed over $17,000 to Operation Smile, the charitable partner of PPACH! This unprecedented donation was made possible by class instructors who showed an Operation Smile video to their classes and encouraged their students to buy as many smiles as they could, challenging other classes to exceed their totals. The clear and convincing winner was the class taught by Sarah Petty and Jed and Vicki Taufer, whose members donated an incredible $7,300 through individual contributions and from an auction of merchandize and a donation of private classes offered by the instructors. At the urging of Texas School Director Don Dickson, shown below at right, along with Cindy and PPACH Executive Director Bert Behnke , an impromptu auction of donated vendor items on vendor night netted $1,900. Best of all, many of the instructors and students vowed to come up with ways to increase donations next year. Sounds like a great new Texas School tradition has been born, and with a little luck it will spread to other affiliate schools. Thanks to Texas School students, instructors and vendors, at least 70 children will receive new smiles from Operation Smile! Learn more about Texas School by clicking here. ...I caught Lori Nordstrom with her sweetie Dan, as they were heading to class. I’ll have the pleasure of teaching with Lori next month at an SMS Workshop in Atlanta. . . . and here I am with my wonderful hard-working class wranglers, Derryl Barnes and Glenn Cole. Glenn was kind enough to drive me to the airport, and on the way I got to stop to visit the beautiful studio that Glenn shares with his wife, Gina, shown below. Yes it’s true . . . They actually did meet at the Texas School, a fact that they celebrate on their studio sign: Just another example of the good things that happen at Texas School!

Celebrating in New Orleans

ann@annmonteith.com — 2009-04-25T14:11:45-04:00

Carol Andrews didn’t have to twist my arm to jump on a plane for an overnight visit to New Orleans to link up with her and new husband, Greg Jensen, on their honeymoon. They timed their Houston wedding so that they could travel to New Orleans for the annual French Quarter Festival, bringing along daughter, Molly, and Molly’s friend, Alisa. ... I would finally get to meet Greg and Alisa (who’s been like a sister to Molly), and get to visit with the captivating Molly, who I’ve known since she was five and who is now a college freshman. I’ve known about Greg’s talent for a while now: He’s an artist, sculptor, silversmith and engraver, who has a fascinating upscale niche business (men’s belt buckles and accessories), which you can read about by clicking here. Turns out he’s a darn fine photographer as well. How wonderful that Carol has found her artistic soulmate! We had a ball photographing festival activities throughout the French Quarter . . . . . . as did pals Gail Nogle (left) and Gayletta Tompkins, who also dropped in to celebrate the honeymoon . . . . . . and to take a look at Greg’s handwork: his and Carol’s gorgeous wedding rings! Carol grabbed this shot of me on St. Ann’s street, which made me feel right at home. I caught Molly and Alisa waiting patiently for a table at a WONDERFUL restaurant that was aptly named “Eat.” Great food at great prices and a lovely laid-back atmosphere. You never know what kind of characters you will run into in NOLA, and the next two shots prove it: Just outside our hotel we met up with Santa Claus, who was wearing his summer uniform and carrying government I.D. to prove he was who he said he was. Later we spotted this trio, who Gail decided should be photographed with me. Just love the hair! (Theirs, not mine.) It was hard to head home on such a beautiful New Orleans spring day, but it was just wonderful to enjoy a spur-of-the-moment getaway . . . especially when there was such a great reason to celebrate: Cheers to Carol and Greg! May you have many happy years together!

A Hot Time At Guerrilla Management

ann@annmonteith.com — 2009-04-29T20:57:16-04:00

Here’s the class photo for the most recent Guerrilla Management Workshop, which took place at my vacation home in Deep Creek Lake. As usual, we had a class full of dedicated professionals from all areas of the country and at various levels of experience in the industry, but all with one thing in common: they are determined to make the most of their businesses. What wasn’t normal, however, was the July-like temperatures in April! We hit record temperatures for three of the four class days, but the hot weather didn’t slow this group a bit. I’m expecting some great success stories from them! Judy Grann and I were delighted to have Jen Roggi (below at left) as class assistant for this workshop session. Jen is one of my favorite studio owners, and it’s always a delight to teach with her. I like to tease Jen that her background as an elementary school teacher is great preparation for teaching adult photographers (just kidding), but the fact is, she’s a fine teacher and an excellent studio consultant for Studio Management Services. Because the business that she operates with husband, Dan, is primarily a wedding business, it was great to have Jen aboard, as she is well aware of the challenges facing wedding photographers in a market that is crammed full of unqualified prosumers charging unrealistic prices. You can visit Jen’s studio website by clicking here. Thanks to Jen and to a great class! The last Guerrilla Management Workshop of the year is scheduled for September 11-14 at Deep Creek. I’ll be posting it and advertising it soon, but anyone who is interested can register now by calling (800) 842-2349.

Good Advice for Challenging Times

ann@annmonteith.com — 2009-04-20T09:28:33-04:00

Before I left for Ireland, I wrote an item about one of my favorite people, Ronnie Ownings. He is also one of my favorite photographers, and he happens to own a studio that I come fairly close to coveting . . . which I know is not a flattering personality trait: but it is SO wonderful! The article appeared in Marathon’s April eNewsletter under the title “Coping With Change In Tough Economic Times.” The piece now appears on Marathon’s Blog, and I urge you to read it, as I believe what Ronnie has to say is what EVERY photographer needs to hear. I’m happy to say that it has received many positive comments on Marathon’s blog to the effect that Ronnie has really hit the nail right on the head. Here’s a snippet of the feature, along with a link to the blog: For the past 22 years Atlanta-area Master Photographer Ronnie Owings has worked to build what photographers and clients alike consider to be a dream studio. His Pro Studio at the Garden Cottage, located in the suburban community of McDonough, is a one-of-a-kind collection of lovingly restored antique buildings, charming sets and idyllic gardens that form the perfect backdrop for this accomplished photographer, whose impressive resume, you can read by clicking here. In spite of that great resume, (or some might say because of it) for the past three months Ronnie Owings has taken drastic action to assure that his iconic bed-and-breakfast-style studio will not fall victim to a recession that presently is jeopardizing the future of many small businesses. In the process, he has gained valuable insight that could benefit photographers everywhere who are coping with harsh economic realities.  Confronting Economic Reality Ronnie began to evaluate his business options as early as last fall, when he feared that negative economic indicators would likely have an impact on his business. Earlier in the year he had experienced the first sales plateau in the history of his business. “I could see that my numbers weren’t what they should be,” he explained. Then, when last year’s holiday sales were less than he had hoped, and January 2009 sessions were a mere fraction of what he typically enjoys—in spite of aggressive promotion to his client base—Ronnie knew that he had to act. So he began to work the problem in earnest from every possible angle, until he decided on some transforming strategies: some large and some small. The changes that he has embraced have given him a sense of hopeful confidence and a fresh perspective that he believes will see him through these difficult times To read the rest of this feature, please click here and scroll down to April 6. 

Heading Home

ann@annmonteith.com — 2009-04-14T23:26:05-04:00

After the workshop concluded, Lorcan and Joan Brereton were kind enough to deliver Judy and me back to our hotel in Dublin for the first leg of our trip home, and were delighted for the opportunity to stop by their spacious studio that is specifically designed to handle large family group portraits. Lorcan’s mother set out a lovely tea for us, which was especially cheering because of the dreary weather through which we had traveled that day. When I say the weather was dreary, I mean it. Lorcan took this photo of Judy and me withstanding the blustery winds at a scenic overlook on the way to the hotel. Judy and I stayed at the charming and historic Fitzpatrick Castle Hotel in the leafy suburb of Killiney, only a stone’s throw from the South Dublin coast. By the next morning the weather had brightened considerably, and I grabbed this shot of Judy before she headed to the airport for an early flight. Before I left, I was able to link up with Barry and Margaret Moore to visit their Photogenic Studio, which is a landmark in the picturesque town of Dalkey, only a short drive from the hotel. Here are Barry and Margaret in the studio . . . . . . and taking in the sun at nearby Sorrento Park. Barry grabbed this shot showing Dalkey Island behind me. We then adjourned to a neighborhood pub where we enjoyed lunch . . . . . . conversation . . . . . . and a pleasant round or two. What a perfect way to end a memorable visit to Ireland!

Tea Anyone?

ann@annmonteith.com — 2009-04-16T22:16:07-04:00

While I was in Ireland, I missed all the news about the Tea Party protests that were being organized for Income Tax Day on April 15. But I got home in time to see the news coverage . . . what there was of it. I was pleased to see ordinary citizens who are concerned about the direction of U.S. financial policy take to the streets. Since I teach and write about small business issues, I’m just as upset about what I consider to be reckless financial policy as the protesters. ... She took this picture of her husband, Foster, during a protest near her home in Plymouth, Michigan. ... I am appalled that you disregarded the efforts of ordinary people like me and my husband and referred to the tea parties as "organized by the right extreme". ... I learned about it by accident, from a friend - and I am no activist, have never been to a demonstration before in my life, nor has my husband - but we decided to go, and stand up for what we believe in. ... Your off-hand statement diminishes us, and every American who has the right to differ with you. ... American history abounds with grassroots demonstrations when the people decided to stand up and be counted because we are troubled. ... Today, hundreds of citizens agreed with our stand, all around the state - people like us - ordinary people I share the concerns that Foster and Helen expressed because I believe that so much of our government’s reaction to the current financial crisis will make it harder for small business to recover and prosper for lots of reasons that you could hardly call the fears of an extremist. ... ▪ Without any debate among our elected leaders, our government has assumed authority to provide tax-payer subsidies that effectively decide which business will succeed and which will fail, rather than letting the free market dictate success or failure. ... ▪ Without any debate, our government used tax payer’s money to bail out and take over banks and mortgage lenders and insurers, thus rewarding failure and not punishing wrong-doing in the process. ▪ Congress has voted to confirm administration officials who can’t understand the tax code well enough to pay their tax indebtedness, and has given them a pass on what would be punishment for everyday taxpayers. ▪ Congress has completely ducked the issue that the mortgage crises was largely brought on by the government’s insistence that Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae issue sub-prime mortgages to people who clearly could not afford to pay for them. ... ▪ The Fed chairman Bernanke responded by printing a trillion dollars to capitalize the economy . . . doing so with no debate and with full understanding that this action could trigger hyper inflation. ▪ The Government put a tax-the-rich target on the back of anyone earning $200,000 or more, one of the most hurtful of all possible strategies for small business. ...So who are the extremists here: A government that has spent more money in a few short months than all administrations put together since George Washington, or every-day Americans: working people who love their country and who are alarmed about a government that is trampling on citizens’ economic liberties by creating taxpayer funded programs designed not to make the poor richer, but rather to render the rich poorer? I don’t believe we’ve seen the last of the tea parities: What do you think . . .

Catching Up

ann@annmonteith.com — 2009-04-13T14:36:00-04:00

Now that I’m back from a great trip to Ireland, I wanted to post two photos I made last month at the New England Institute of Professional Photography, where I was honored to share teaching duties with Beverly and Tim Walden. I had a wonderful group at NEIPP this year, and I’m sorry that I had to take an early flight back home in order to pack for Ireland. This year the school was held in Hyannis, on Cape Cod. As always, the school was a beehive of activity, and I particularly enjoyed an after-class opportunity to learn about some of the features of my new Canon 5D Mark II . . . my Christmas present that I’m still learning about. So getting to listen to a Canon tech rep was quite helpful. Another great after-class opportunity was an evening program presented by Andover, Massachusetts Master Photographer Ed Pedi, assisted by his wife and business partner, Linda, shown below. I met Ed for the first time at a day-long class I presented to the Professional Photographers of Cape Cod on the eve of the NEIPP school. The PPOCC photographers are a very lively, friendly, and hospitable group, and they recommended Ed’s class to me. No wonder: Ed received a standing ovation from a full house for his outstanding program! With great good humor, Ed presented one of the best nuts-and-bolts business programs on how to build a first-class family portrait business that I’ve seen in years. If your association is looking for a great speaker, I strongly recommend Ed Pedi. Visit his website by clicking here.

Hail The Irish Guerrillas!

ann@annmonteith.com — 2009-04-14T11:45:00-04:00

On the last full day of the Guerrilla Management Workshop in Athlone, we got together for the most unusual class photo I’ve ever appeared in . . . and the most fun! I love it because it is the perfect reminder that although everyone who attended was seriously committed to enhancing their business management skills, this was a wonderfully fun group of photographers! Though not as energetic an image, here’s a better view of the workshop participants. Thanks to Maria Dunphy for capturing both group photos and also to Lorcan Brereton for providing some of the photos below. Like most of our workshops, we had photographers with differing lengths of time and experience in the industry. Years ago this would have complicated a hand’s-on class, but not today, as every photographer is either starting or relearning how to reach today’s consumers in an ever-changing economy. The entire group stayed on task, and I’m expecting to hear some outstanding progress reports. After dinner one evening, we had a brainstorming session about reaching new markets, and I was especially pleased with the participation. The conversation continued when Mary O’Driscoll arrived, and the group decided to meet again with Mary as a facilitator to keep the ideas coming. It was great to see photographers being so willing to contribute ideas and to explore them as a group so that everyone can benefit. The group has promised to keep me informed about their progress, so I expect that I might have more to report in the future. On our last evening in Athlone, the class had a lovely meal together, and I was pleased that Maria Dunphy and her aunt, Sister Nina, were able to join us. I wrote about Maria, Nina, and Maria’s dad, Oliver, in an October 10, 2007 blog post when I visited their studio in Kilkenny. After dinner, Judy and I were surprised and touched to receive gifts from the class: “Thank-you Teacher” notepads and beautiful crystal candle holders. Mine is now proudly displayed in my living room along side the candle stick set that my son machined for me when he was in college; they look great together, and I treasure them both. Judy and I will never forget the wonderful teaching experience and the fine friends we made in Ireland!

The Oldest Pub in Ireland?

ann@annmonteith.com — 2009-04-14T09:15:00-04:00

By the time Judy and I got back to Athlone from Galway, it was getting dark and the weather was threatening. So we ducked into a mall to pick up a few necessities and discovered a crowd of fans biding their time by enjoying a televised football match. We asked some shop clerks to recommend a local pub, and they pointed us to Sean’s Pub, which claims to be the oldest pub in Ireland, according to the Guinness Book of World Records. Well, it was old and full of Guinness to be sure, but after checking online, I determined that the “oldest pub” claim is in considerable dispute. I found one entry that purports to be written by Sean himself, and his admission about the origins of the claim is pretty funny. Click here to read it. Here Judy and I are in Sean’s, posing with a local policeman (known in Ireland as a “garda”). Judy and I made a early night of it, as we wanted to be in good form for the first day of our first “international” Guerrilla Management Workshop.

Out and About in Ireland

ann@annmonteith.com — 2009-04-14T09:09:00-04:00

A week ago Friday, with only a few hours of sleep on an evening flight from Newark, I arrived in Dublin at 7:00 A.M. to get set for the first Guerrilla Management Workshop outside of the U.S. I met up with my teaching partner Judy Grann an hour later, and shortly thereafter Mary O’Driscoll arrived to whisk us off to Athlone, where the workshop would take place under the auspices of the Irish PPA and Skillsnet, a government-funded learning network for which Mary is a project manager. Since this was Judy’s first trip to Ireland, and she was determined to see a castle while in the country, Mary obligingly drove us to one: Here they are in front of Malahide Castle, which dates back to 1185. After Mary got us settled at the Hodson Bay Resort, located on the shore of Lough Ree, Judy and I headed to Athlone Town to see the sights. Athlone, County Westmeath, is located in the geographical center of Ireland, set on the banks of the Shannon River, which bisects the town. Situated next to the bridge that spans the River Shannon is Athlone Castle, an imposing military fortress, which resides on the ground where the original wooden castle was built in 1129 because of its strategic importance as the principal fording point of the middle Shannon. The castle touring season begins in May, so Judy and I had to be content with walking its perimeter and photographing it. Since the workshop didn’t begin until Sunday, Judy and I got a good night’s sleep then headed to the Athlone bus station on Saturday morning to take a quick sight-seeing trip to Galway. Arriving at the Galway bus terminal after a pleasant 90-minute bus ride, we took a leisurely shopping stroll from Eyre Square through the charming Shop Street and Saturday Market, and finally to Quay Street. Next, we visited the famous Spanish Arch, a remnant of the town’s walls that protected Spanish merchant ships from looting. The arch stands on the left bank of the Corrib River, where the river meets the sea. Then we explored The Long Walk along Galway Bay . . . . . . made friends with a handsome heron . . . . . . then stopped in for a late lunch at this charming restaurant just inside the Spanish Arch. Judy and I feasted on a to-die-for seafood chowder . . . . . . then made a few final purchases, and headed back to Athlone.

Polinomics 101: A Big Week for Federal Follies

ann@annmonteith.com — 2009-03-21T07:33:40-04:00

It was hard to keep your eye on business this week, what with the incredible fist-banging-hair-on-fire-garment-shredding-rhetoric of both Republicans and Democrats in D.C., which was occasioned by the revelation that the very folks who brought on the need to bail out AIG Corporation with at least $170 billion in taxpayer money (yet to be collected from us) would be receiving some $165 million in “retention” bonuses. • Never mind that this $165 million payment represents only one-half of one percent of the recent Congressional Spending Orgy. • Never mind that the Congressional Budget Office reported that the budget deficits will average almost $1 trillion a year over the next decade, which is $2.3 worse than the administration is predicting. • Never mind that the guy they are now blaming for knowing about the bonus debacle (Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner) is the same guy that couldn’t figure out his self-employment tax when his employer sent him a cheat sheet on how to do it; that was O.K., but knowledge of the unpopular bonuses . . . oh no! • Never mind that Mr. Geithner is home alone, with no assistants in the Treasury Department to help because of now-impossible ethics hurdles. • Never mind that the issue of the toxic assets that pollute the financial system continues to languish. • Never mind that while no one was looking, history was made on Thursday, when Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke printed $1TRILLION so that the Fed can begin buying debt from the Treasury; yes . . . that means moving money from one pocket to another; so Bernanke is either a world class genius or scarier than Alan Greenspan. • Never mind that it was New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo who uncovered the bonus mess by reading the documents that the media failed to read and report on . . . and it looks like he’s still diving for the iceberg itself: if you want to know who did what at AIG, log on to Cuomo’s Media Center section of the AG website. • Never mind that the media still refuses to investigate the tough and most relevant question: the relationship between government and our failing financial institutions. And the Biggest Never-Mind of All: An embarrassing number of this week’s Caterwauling Congressmen (Dems and Reps), who were determined to “punish” the greedy, voted for the recent omnibus spending bill that made this greed possible. So far none has stepped forward to say that he or she actually read the 1,000-page document, along with its 10,000 pages of reference material. God knows what will pop up next. The Congress-Members-as-Populists-Parade was really quite a sight to behold this week: almost as interesting as watching a wild-west sheriff try to clean out the whorehouse by shooting the piano player. Stay tuned . . .

It All Starts With a Plan . . .

ann@annmonteith.com — 2009-03-21T13:12:14-04:00

Timing is everything they say, and the timing was perfect last spring when Jim and I began to plan our new business venture: Persnickety Pet Portraits. ...I can’t say enough about how valuable this process was in helping us to achieve absolute focus on the task at hand; Jim and I have built two businesses together: The first one—Countryhouse Studios in Annville—could rightly be called a monument to planning failure; but we had learned our lesson when we created a strict financial and marketing plan for the Monteith Portrait Studio and Gallery in Lancaster. Using the worksheets to help us plan Persnickety, however, made our work so much more focused and in the long run a great deal easier, because it covered on all the elements necessary to build a meaningful brand, and I am far more confident that the marketing strategies and materials that we selected will be effective and will truly add meaning to that brand. The process itself assures that you stay focused on the brand you are building by asking you a series of questions contained in a self-extracting computer application that Marathon helped me to develop. Each worksheet tackles a different marketing issue, and when they are completed, the worksheets can be printed out (as you see from these illustrations) so that you have a reference document in front of you to keep you on task as you implement marketing strategies. By the time you have completed the process, any copy you will need for marketing pieces is virtually written for you in the form of “selling points.” These worksheets, of course, are what Mark Weber and I use during the work sessions at the Strategic Marketing Plan Workshops that we teach together. The next workshop is scheduled for May 18 and 19 in Minneapolis, and I strongly recommend that if you are struggling with any aspect of marketing your business, this workshop will put you on the right track. ...What I learned during the recession that was on when we started our Lancaster business is that my marketing was doubly effective, because competitors were lying low. ...An example of one of the work session exercises is the completion of three strategic directives about your business that will help you to stay on course when you are marketing. These three elements our briefly explained below, and I have included the actual statements I developed for Persnickety Pet Portraits after going through the process. ...Well-managed organizations look to the company’s Mission Statement when approaching strategic decisions by asking: Will this action be consistent with our Mission? A Mission Statement contains the following elements (in any order): the business purpose (the opportunities you address); the business itself (what you do to address these needs); and the values (principles or beliefs that guide your business). ...Our mission is to reflect the joy pets bring to the lives of our clients through personalized, decorative art and accessories that honor the compelling bond between pets and the people who love them. ...An organization’s Sustainable Competitive Advantage typically is expressed in bullet points that should be easy for anyone associated with the business to remember. ...Much of the content of your USP is likely to be derived from your Mission Statement and Sustainable Competitive Advantage; but this statement must contain persuasive marketing content as well. ...Through our unmistakable expertise in photography, our comprehensive knowledge of pet behavior, and our proven ability to earn the respect of our clients, it is our pleasure to honor the compelling bond between pets and the people who love them by creating personalized decorative artworks designed to touch the heart and warm the home. In future posts, I will be showing other marketing pieces that grew out of these strategic directives as well as the plan Jim and I created. I believe that they will help you to recognize just how valuable the process was in helping us to refine our marketing focus.

Creating a Marketing Foundation: Getting Started

ann@annmonteith.com — 2009-03-21T10:57:40-04:00

I’ve observed that most studio owners start to create marketing pieces before they have a well-formed business concept, a focused market target, and an appropriate business identity. Typically, when this happens, it becomes impossible for the studio to build a meaningful brand that gets the business recognized by the desired clientele. ... I’ll be explaining these steps and other planning aspects in future “About Persnickety” posts, but I wanted to show you the piece first, so that you can see the result of this important process. I got the inspiration for our piece from a nifty mailer that Sarah Petty designed for Marathon’s BellaGrafica line; she sends hers to new parents, and you can see the piece by clicking here. My mailer does not use the die-cut window, but what I love about the design is it’s interactive feature: the recipient has to unfold each of the four flaps in order to view the images and read the message on each, then inspect the inserts that rest in the center portion of the marketing piece. ...This mailer is more expensive than the cards or brochures that I have used as client acquisition pieces in the past; but I’m confident that it will be cost-effective for numerous reasons: • It will be mailed to a highly targeted list of names provided to us by several local pet professionals who have identified their most qualified clients. ... • I’m using an appealing offer (a $100 gift card), which should attract attention of people who have seen our work hanging in the stores and offices of places they frequent with their pets. • Some of the mailers will be used as handouts at an open house and for members of a local dog training club in which we participate. • The piece is quite versatile, so it can be used for purposes other than client-acquisition mailings, and I will explain each by way of the illustrations shown below. ...Because we have a well-established reputation in the community for our pet portraits, I believe this will be an effective motivator for the clientele we are seeking to attract. This insert will be included whenever the marketing piece is used, as it contains information about our business: the fact that our product focus is wall decor, as well as information about our accomplishments as pet portrait specialists. This handy insert will be used as a note card, and it will be helpful for fulfilling requests for information or for other occasions in which a hand-written note is appropriate. The final insert from this printing is one that will be used to fulfill requests for charitable marketing. We will provide each organization with 10 to 20 of the folders that include the insert that they can sell to attendees at their fund-raising event at a price they designate: we suggest that they consider a price between $20 - $50 to assure that all certificates are sold. The purchaser will receive a portrait session and a small “keepsake” portrait; and the charity must agree to provide the studio with a list of names of the purchasers so that we can get in touch with them to redeem the certificate. ...And here’s the back, which repeats the design of the inside of the gift certificate, but using different images. So I’m pretty excited about the look of the piece and how we’ll be able to use it for all these varied purposes: ...As I said at the beginning, it took a lot of planning to get to the point that we were ready to commit to this marketing piece.

It's Not Like I've Never Seen Promotions, But . . .

ann@annmonteith.com — 2009-03-20T21:33:00-04:00

During last week’s meeting at Marathon, I got a look at proofs of all the marketing materials now in production for Persnickety Pet Portraits, Jim’s and my new business venture, which will open in late spring, or as soon as we get some studio renovations finished. The contractors were here this week to take a look, and I’m eager to hear what they have to say, as we are going to stick to a very strict budget on this project. Then there’s the business of clearing out the place first: not fun to think about, but it will be a load off my mind and a real sign of progress when it’s finished. Getting to see the new marketing pieces was itself sign of progress, but this one was really fun . . . as usual. I’m shown here with designer Brian Headley, who did the initial designs for Persnickety. After all these years, it’s still a blast to see new pieces as they develop—especially when they are mine :-). As I said when I started this series of posts on Persnickety, I decided to keep a record of all the steps involved, because I’ve observed that most people underestimate the amount of time and preparation it takes to build a business and get the marketing off the ground . . . especially when you’re busy tending to current business issues. In the next few posts, I’m going to show off the “foundation” marketing piece for Persnickety and explain what had to be in place before we could get started designing it.

Getting Objectives in Order . . .

ann@annmonteith.com — 2009-03-19T22:10:00-04:00

Last week I attended a strategy-planning meeting at Marathon Press in Norfolk, Nebraska. I haven’t visited the plant in a while, and it was great getting together with everyone . . . especially in the context of planning. I have to admit that I’m a bit of a strategic planning junkie: the fact is, you come a whole lot closer to hitting your mark when you set up the bulls-eye first. This was a great meeting, with much of the focus on how to best help photographers succeed during uncertain economic times. I often hear people refer to “The Marathon Family,” and rightly so because of the warm atmosphere generated by the organization. In the photo below, you can see three real generations of that family: Marathon founder and chairman Rex Alewel with his daughter Leah Fineran, who works as an account rep in the firm’s commercial division, and Leah’s daughter Madelyn. Leah and Maddie joined Grandpa Rex for lunch during our meeting. On our agenda during the two-day meeting was planning the upcoming Strategic Marketing Plan Workshops, the first of which will take place in Minneapolis, MN on May 18-19. I’m shown below with my fellow workshop road warriors, from left, Bill Camacho and Mark Weber.

Guerrilla Management Goes Abroad!

ann@annmonteith.com — 2009-03-17T19:31:15-04:00

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Need Business Help Now?

ann@annmonteith.com — 2009-03-08T13:01:00-04:00

If you can’t afford to wait any longer to achieve business success, act now and you can grab one of the few spots remaining in the April 24-27 Guerrilla Management Workshop. There are no shortcuts to business success, but I’m very proud of the highly focused success path that my teaching partner Judy Grann and I have developed through our Guerrilla Management Workshops. It is wonderful to know that many of the industry's top performers credit Guerrilla Management with putting them on the path to financial success and helping them to achieve more leisure time. This intensive hands-on workshop can do the same for you if you are serious about your business: We will help you to see where to make the changes necessary to control the present and future direction of your business. Workshops are limited to 15 studios to assure plenty of interaction. To learn more about this profit-producing workshop, click here. You'll learn what we do in class, why we get such good results, what graduates have to say about their experience, and so much more. To register, call 1-800-842-2349. Outside of the US, call 1-717-867-2135.

What to do During Recession? Start a New Business!

ann@annmonteith.com — 2009-03-07T19:21:00-05:00

Some readers of this blog at a lot of my students know that since last spring, Jim and I have been working on a new business that we plan to open sometime this spring. Last April we made a commitment to narrow the focus of our business to the product line that we like best: pet photography. We agonized over a name for several months and finally settled on Persnickety Pet Portraits. It was a relief to come to all of these decisions; you’ll understand why I said this if you work with a spouse or partner :-). The current economic climate has not forestalled this decision; after all, we opened our first two businesses (the Annville studio and the Lancaster location) during recessions. After the struggle we experienced in opening Countryhouse in Annville, you might wonder why we forged ahead in Lancaster. Well . . . by the 1982 recession, we had learned what we needed to know about business: how to create sales, sessions and expenses forecasts for the new venture; how to minimize risk by purchasing a building with a good rental history and using only a small portion of it for our business; and how to get the attention of the market we were seeking to attract. We are following similar strategies as we scale down the Annville studio to actively market only for pet portraits, while continuing to service clients of long-standing in other product lines. Building a new business takes more time than you might expect, so I decided to start a series of blog posts to record the the step-by-step process of creating Persnickety in the hope that some readers will find this feature to be instructive. ...Among our overall goals in starting Persnickety was to minimize risk through careful planning and accurate budgeting. The planning began last April when Jim and I ran the numbers then put ourselves through the same process that Mark Weber and I teach at the two-day Marathon Strategic Plan Marketing Workshop. ...So creating a business plan that is both on paper and in our heads was step one, because nothing minimizes risk and keeps you focused better than a plan. Step two was to hire a contractor who was willing to do some exterior upgrades to the studio for a good price while he was between jobs. ...I chose one of their HTML Packages that cost only $495, and I didn’t have to do anything other than provide the photographs and copy. It did take me a long while to round up all of the images (I ordered three extra galleries to the site), but the good news was it took less than two weeks for Marathon to have the site up and running, and I was delighted with the results. In November, we took delivery of a new sign (see top image) that incorporated the Persnickety identity but doesn’t lose the brand equity that we had achieved through Countryhouse. ...Most all of our Persnickety marketing products have been designed, and they will be printed shortly. As each is finished I will present it and explain the strategy behind it, and I also will talk about the strategies that are part of our overall marketing plan to get Persnickety off the ground. I hope you will this series as much as I have enjoyed starting this new venture.

Cultivating Plans

ann@annmonteith.com — 2009-03-06T21:06:54-05:00

Last Wednesday to Kansas City enroute to the farm of Rex and Natalie Alewel near the town of Concordia, Missoui. I have worked with Rex, who is the owner of Marathon Press, since the early 1990s. The purpose of our meeting, which also included my teaching buddy Mark Weber, shown with me below, was to finalize plans for this year’s Strategic Marketing Plan Workshops, which Mark and I teach together. ...When not handling Marathon business, Rex is the hands-on owner of a tree farm that surrounds his Missouri home. It is a fascinating operation: Rex farms Paulownia trees, which I had never heard of until I visited the farm last July. This amazing species originally came from China, and because it is remarkably fast-growing and produces a lightweight yet dense wood, is said to be “the new timber tree of the 21 century.” ... These fields average 80 trees per acre; most of the remaining fields have 120 to 155 trees per acre with medium red clover planted between the rows, which allows him to bale clover two or three times a year. Paulownia lumber is really beautiful: it is light straw colored, much like ash, with a very straight grain. Besides being a renewable resource, the lumber is prized by wood workers because it does not crack, warp or split, is fire resistant, and it is an excellent insulator of heat or cold. ...In a year’s time a field-planted Paulownia tree can grow to between 12 and 15 feet. The field shown below, which I photographed last July had been growing for 14 months from 4-year-old stumps that had to be cut down after a heave late frost in April of 2007. Paulownia trees can start over from the stump every time you harvest for about 50 years. Rex says that when the trees are mature and their leaves reach out to touch one another, they look like giant umbrellas that completely shelter the ground below, which creates a magical room-like environment when you walk through the field. The image I took of Mark at work photographing the leafless trees shows that the branches actually have the appearance of an umbrella-like structure. If you wish to learn more about Paulownia trees, click here and here. The Paulownia trees seemed to me to be an apt metaphor for the work that Mark and Rex and I were doing: creating plans. ... You have to establish it with care, then cultivate it; you can’t just leave it out there and expect it to grow into a bountiful harvest all on its own. ...And I couldn’t conclude this post without giving you a look at Rex’s loyal dog Lucy. If he parks his four-wheel drive Mule anywhere near the house, Lucy will sit next to the driver’s seat and all day waiting for a ride.

Confessions of an Economic Conservative

ann@annmonteith.com — 2009-03-03T12:08:31-05:00

A born entrepreneur, I guess, I instinctively understood that if I wanted to achieve a higher standard of living than what was afforded to me by the meager $.50 a week allowance my parents provided, I would have to get off my butt and learn how to earn money by my wits. ...By then a streak of 60’s idealism convinced me that I wanted to become a senior high school English teacher, and my practicum experience teaching 11th and 12th grade English exceeded my hopes that I could make a difference in the lives of kids by exposing them to the power of language. ... A representative informed me that the union did not look kindly on how many hours I was spending after school helping students and meeting with parents, as it put undue pressure on regular teachers to do the same. I also received information on the union’s political positions, which included opposing English as the official language of the U.S., a position that in good conscience I could never support because I believe so strongly in the need for a common language as vital cultural glue. ...By the time Jim finished his MBA studies at Wharton and we got married and moved to Annville, it was obvious that if I didn’t agree to join the teacher’s union my life as a public school teacher would be made miserable, so I decided to apply for a position at a local college; I wasn’t looking for a fight in those days. ...Those plans changed dramatically when Jim came home one fine fall day several years later and announced that he had decided to quit his well-paying job as general manager of a plastics company to help me start up my photography business that he now intended to join. ...Most of my business students know the story of how I came to owe $187,000 at 23% interest because of the bad decisions we made investing borrowed money at a time when America’s banking system was out of control and inflation threatened every family’s way of life. ... Fund-raisers were held around the world for these American farmers, who, like anyone who borrowed money during this period, had been victimized by banks and savings-and-loan institutions that racked up commissions by convincing farmers and others like Jim and me to keep on borrowing because the value of our land was escalating, and it represented the vehicle by which we should fulfill our dreams. ...Early on I was fortunate enough to meet the late Bud Haynes, who became my business mentor; he made me understand that creating a business could be every bit as creative and rewarding as making photographs. ...If you’re still reading, I want you to know that I’ve recounted this personal history as an explanation as to why I have more than a passing interest in the state of our economy. ... The more I studied, the more convoluted the subject became, and I began to understand how a nerdy guy like Bernie Madoff (whom the media inexplicably calls “charming”) could cheat his clients out of so many billions of dollars: When so few people understand the complexities of international banking, you can get away with almost anything . . . until the Ponzi scheme finally plays out. One thing has become abundantly clear to me: The same kinds of greedy manipulators who orchestrated the Savings and Loan debacle were alive and well and flourishing in the 21st century, and if you peeked into their business plans, you could find government lending a helping hand. ...As an unabashed advocate of capitalism, it has been extremely discomforting to witness the parade of capitalists—especially those in the financial sector—behaving so badly; but I am mindful that layers upon layers of government bureaucracy make it so much easier for bad financial behavior to go unnoticed. ...I’ve been watching closely and hopefully, but the recent unveiling of a so-called stimulus package, followed up by the pork-laden omnibus spending bill that represents an all-out assault on the business sector, has set me to emailing and calling my elected representatives. ...At this writing our government seems hell-bent on repeating the mistakes of the past: thinking the government can supplant the private sector, and by sheer force of will and taxation reverse what it helped to cause, using the same tactics that precipitated the problem in the first place: spending money we don’t have to subsidize failing institutions; borrowing from nations who may not have our best interest at heart; and targeting the “rich,” so that government can orchestrate the next rocketing bubble that will do what all bubbles eventually do: burst when they have wreaked maximum havoc. ...What I’ve heard from my elected representatives is that we have no choice but to do so because of the Mother of All Cop-Outs: “We are in uncharted territory, so we need to act boldly and swiftly.” ...I don’t much like labels, but I am just fine with being called an economic conservative, because most of us who identify with this mindset believe that if it looks too good to be true . . . it simply IS too good to be true. ... The reasons no longer matter: what I learned is that if a company cannot explain to you what it does to earn money in less than three sentences, then you should not go to work for it or invest in it. ... What I’m afraid I will be studying in the years to come is what happened when the government couldn’t explain its economic recovery plan in less than 1,000 pages and the Congress voted it through the day they received it without reading it.

Back to Basics

ann@annmonteith.com — 2009-03-09T23:49:00-04:00

Over the last few months I’ve talked with a lot of people whose business skills I admire about where current economic challenges are pushing the photography industry. ... Instead of reporting my observations as The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, which I did last fall, I’m labeling them as the Challenging, the Uncertain and the Hopeful, leaving the Hopeful until last because there is quite a bit more of it than you might think. ...Until consumers get over their fear of the unknown—or learn to live with it—most businesses, including photographers, will be in for a struggle. It doesn’t help that the explosion of new photographers in the industry over the past five or so years has created chaos for both photographers themselves and for consumers who are bewildered by marketplace extremes in pricing and business practices. The addition of so many newbies in such a short time has destabilized the industry because it has escalated the number of fragile businesses in several categories: hobbyists who don’t care about being profitable as long as they are bringing in a few bucks; wannabes who don’t know what’s up; once-profitable businesses that have not responded properly to increased competition, old-time businesses that are in decline; newer businesses that are just holding on; and marginally profitable part-timers who would collapse if they went full time prematurely. ...In its place I believe we have entered into an era of heightened “polinomics,” in which we will witness an epic struggle between two long-standing ideological factions: the proponents of big government as the solution to economic pain and those who believe that private enterprise is the best engine for creating economic growth. ...In the brave new world of polinomics, few things are clear except for the fact that politics and economics always make uncertain bedfellows, especially for those who are sleeping on the floor and kept awake by their snoring. ... • This might sound strange, but I believe that the very best news there is for the professional photographic industry is the fact that most—and I do mean most—photographers are not very good at business simply because they never try to be. ... Every week I get encouraging emails and notes from students who have achieved impressive successes because they grasped the tools they were given in class and did nothing more than put them to work. So I am convinced that many photographers can move forward during this recession by reading a book or taking a class or implementing well-known success strategies that are not as much fun as trying new photographic techniques or buying more photographic stuff. ...This may mean cutting back regular studio operations several days a week to save on expenses and use other skills to get different kind of business, such as helping families to create decorative wall groupings from their family portraits and snapshots. ... So take a deep breath, push away the tendency to panic when your phone is not ringing as much as usual, and make use of the character-trait advantage that self-employed business people have over those who depend on others for their livelihood: self-reliance. ...I know this to be true because Jim and I opened two businesses during recessions, and we bought our vacation home on the tail-end of another, as we saw its potential as a rental property. ... • One of the often-overlooked benefits of a recession is that local business people who trade with a similar market are often more willing to engage in partnership marketing than they might be otherwise. So seize the initiative and invite several non-competing vendors to go to lunch with you to talk about cooperative marketing ventures, such as a charity event or a “night out” that will lift people’s spirits and call attention to your businesses. ...In my opinion the answer to that question is no different from what it should be in good times: It’s the value of thoughtful, artful photography in the lives of the families we serve. ... In bad times and good, we have to be better storytellers, because the benefits of what we sell are so much easier for the heart and the mind to recognize than all the “stuff” that so many retailers have a hard time defending during a recession. At last month’s Studio Management Services workshop in Atlanta, Carol Andrews brought along a full newspaper page ad for De Beers, the diamond company of “A Diamond Is Forever” fame The ad talked about “ living in different times,” and the importance of “fewer, better things.” ...Last Saturday I spoke to my blogging buddy Carrie Viohl, who called my attention to a wonderful Allstate TV commercial that delivers a similar message . . . about how families get “Back to Basics” during hard time.

Education in Atlanta

ann@annmonteith.com — 2009-03-01T12:34:58-05:00

It’s no secret that Carol Andrews and I absolutely love to teach the Studio Management Service Business Basics class. We finished one a weekend ago in Atlanta, and it was so great to spend time with a new group of photographers, many of them who were just starting their careers in photography. Here they are with their Merits in hand. The Business Basics class was followed by a 3-Day Business Workshop, which moved in on Monday of last week. As you can see, we really enjoyed ourselves. Carol and I are shown with the class giving the business equivalent of a secret handshake. To learn what it’s all about, you’ll have to attend the next SMS 3-Day Business Workshop, which will take place in Atlanta on March 23-25 and will be taught by Carol Andrews and Julia Woods. I believe there are one or two spaces left. In the image below, Carol is deep in conversation with class member Fima Gelman. I generally don’t single out a photographer for comment, but I doubt if the rest of the class would mind: we all got a tremendous kick out of Fima, whose sense of humor makes him a most compelling character. Fima has a great story, as he immigrated to the United States when he was 17 years old. The Gelman family came here, by way of Israel, from their homeland in the Ukraine. You can see Fima’s gift of finding and expressing humor at San Francisco-area weddings by logging onto his website. From the home page click on Weddings, then click on Humor. I enjoyed looking at the rest of the site, especially the section entitled Project Hope, which displays Fima’s photographic essay about Siberia’s orphaned children. Great work, Fima!

A New Group of Guerilla Grads Hit the Street

ann@annmonteith.com — 2009-02-28T10:32:00-05:00

Last month Judy Grann and I graduated the first group of Guerrilla Management Workshop students for 2009. This particular class worked so hard (as you can see from the photos below) that for the first time in years, we didn’t have time to take a class picture. I believe I was able to get most everyone in these photos; I hope so, because this was a wonderful group: I’ve already heard about the progress some of them are making, and I’m eager to hear from them all.

New April Guerrilla Management Workshop Posted

ann@annmonteith.com — 2009-01-03T11:00:00-05:00

Last week I posted a second 2009 Guerrilla Management Workshop for April 24-27 at my lake house and studio in Deep Creek Lake, Maryland. If you are interested, then you'd better register NOW. We already have 11 studio slots filled, and the limit is 15 studios. For complete information, click here.

Not a Great Start for the New Year :-(

ann@annmonteith.com — 2009-01-02T12:56:00-05:00

You know how they tell you not to drive or use equipment after you’ve taken certain medications? Well I never thought the equipment warning extended to an electric mixer. As I learned on New Year’s Day it most certainly does. After a year in which I’ve spent a lot of time uncomfortably seated on cramped commuter airplanes, and having recently finished a five-week stint at the computer where I was writing a book that Marathon will publish this month, my back was pretty miserable. I’d been putting off seeing the doc until the book was finished, so I was delighted to get the last appointment on New Year’s Eve afternoon. ... I’ll get that started after Imaging USA. Then he gave me prescriptions for a painkiller and a muscle relaxant. I took them as directed on New Year’s Day, and relax me they did . . . so much so that I wound up with my right hand stuck in the mixer beaters, along with the mashed potatoes. By the time Jim got the plug pulled and my hand extracted, it was pretty nasty, so we ended up in the ER on New Year’s Day, which if my mother were still living, she would gleefully point out that whatever happens on New Year’s Day is an omen for the rest of the year. I didn’t believe her then, and fortunately I don’t believe her now. In fact, I was pretty darn lucky: because the mixer was very powerful, it pulled my entire hand in, not just my fingers, so it did most of its damage on the top of my hand and my index finger. I have a splint on my hand, and it’s still pretty swollen, but it’s going to be fine. I’m also very lucky that I had installed voice recognition software on my Mac before I started on the book. I certainly couldn’t be writing this without it. For Mac folks, it’s MacSpeech Dictate, and it works beautifully. ...The rest of the good news is that I’ve been banned from the kitchen in the interest of my health and the sanity of my family, several of whom witnessed the debaucle. After years of skiing, riding motorcycles, riding horses, being thrown from horses, going over jumps on horses (in some cases without the horse), I’ve landed in the ER only twice: once when I ruptured a tendon in my little finger while making a bed, and this time due to an altercation with a kitchen appliance. So no more cooking for me, and I think I’ll stick to a glass of wine to provide any necessary relaxation. So watch out for those dangerous kitchen appliances, and Cheers to you all!

The Man Behind The Scenes

ann@annmonteith.com — 2008-12-28T08:01:00-05:00

Unless you spend a lot of time at PPA headquarters, you could never fully understand what goes on behind the scenes of making a convention happen; the logistics are mind-boggling. So much has to happen at once, and the detail work is endless. Frankly, I don’t know how the PPA staff makes it all happen. But when I visited headquarters just before Christmas, I was reminded of all this hard work when I looked into the PPA multipurpose room and saw Andre Johnson at work. Andre was kind enough to pose for me, but it’s rare to see him at rest. I’ve watched many times as Andre almost single-handedly, it seems, manages to pack up the most amazing assortment of equipment, sinage, office supplies, and the other bits and pieces that are necessary to make a convention run, and he does so in a steady, determined and graceful pace that I admire tremendously. So many times when I’ve needed something while teaching a class at PPA headquarters, all I’ve had to do is to ask Andre, and the problem is solved. So with Imaging USA just around the corner, I wanted to take a minute to say a word about Andre, one of the many behind-the-sceen heroes that make PPA events possible. So to Andre: Thanks for all you do!

Delta Airlines: A Failure of "Service Recovery"

ann@annmonteith.com — 2008-12-23T23:30:25-05:00

Last Thursday I was supposed to be safely back home from a quick trip to Atlanta, ready to finish the last two chapters of the marketing book I’m writing. The trip part went well . . . all except for the hour-and-a-half delay in getting to Atlanta on Wednesday. With the rotten luck I have in trying to fly ANYWHERE from a secondary airport (Harrisburg, PA), this was the next best thing to an on-time arrival. For this trip I flew from Philadelphia to save money . . . just in time to pay the newly imposed $15 per segment luggage-check charge. ... They’ve managed to assure that every time anyone flies with a non-carry-on bag, he or she is angry with the company. ...In spite of the grumpy crowd on the plane, I was in a great mood on Wednesday when we arrived in Atlanta. That is . . . until a little Delta man in a little Delta uniform came on board and announced to all the poor unfortunates who had missed their connecting flights that they must complete Delta’s brand-new “Service Recovery Form,” after which they could stand it the rebooking line that was the length of the concourse. Without one conscious thought, my mouth flew open and out came a snippy question to the little Delta man: “Who was the genius that came up with the ridiculous name Service Recover Form?” ... Still shocked at my impolitic outburst, I had my wits about me enough to say: “When service fails, it cannot be reocovered,” as I beat a quick exit down the aisle. ...It will be on the next flight out of Atlanta, and we’ll fly it over to you in Harrisburg. ... By Sunday morning, either Jim or I had begged, pleaded, cajoled and threatened everyone associated with Delta whom we could reach. ... Delta, it seemed, handed the bag off to US Airways, but all their planes bound for Harrisburg were overloaded, so the bag just sat on the tarmac. And once it was on the tarmac, there was nothing they could or would do about it but just wait until someone determined that my 30-lb. bag wouldn’t over-stress a plane bound for Harrisburg. ... Too much paperwork, and Delta didn’t have the authority to do it once they had handed it off to US Air. We could come to Philadelphia and fill out one of those fancy Service Recovery Forms, but there was no guarantee anyone would be available to hunt for the bag because it was “in the system.” ...We’ll it’s finished now, and I’m doing the best I can to adjust my not-so-holiday-like mood. The fact that our 25-year-old cat,Skinny, died while I was in Atlanta is really casting a pall over the house. ...In the meantime, I’d truly would like to hunt down the Delta dufus who came up with the concept of “Service Recovery.” When 2009 rolls around, I can tell you that I will be approaching my clients with a renewed sense of the urgency for honoring them with the respect and courtesy they deserve: even the ones who work for Delta Airlines.

Life Underground

ann@annmonteith.com — 2008-12-17T22:03:00-05:00

To everyone who has emailed their concern about my disappearance: I’m writing this from a secure location. I’ve been writing a book about marketing since Thanksgiving week, and this is what I have to do when I write a book: I have to disappear. I used to worry about the miserable process I go through when I’m writing something that is more than your average chapter in length. Then I read an article about how “real writers” (famous ones who make lots of money) worked their magic. Every one of them was different, but the process I remember most was that of one of my literary heroes: Maya Angelou. ... Angelou writes from her soul, and the process still scares and thrills her. She writes on yellow pads, and the whole business is so daunting that she sometimes feels the need to separate herself from others when she goes through it. So she’ll check herself into a hotel with her Bible and a bottle of booze to sustain her. Fortunately, when you write about business you don’t have to write from your soul, so my process is a good bit simpler: I sit at a computer and become invisible. My pets and my husband know that I’m not here, because if I were here, I would be too loathsome to be around. I become visible only to eat M&Ms and real food that thankfully Jim is kind enough to cook at leave in the kitchen for me. I am also visible several hours a day while watching true crime programs from my DVR stash. However, I am invisible to email, housework, Christmas preparations, and the rest. Writing a book usually takes around two months, but this time I’ve gone high tech, using voice recognition software, which I’m loving (MacSpeech Dictate). I think I’m actually saving time, and my neck and shoulders are definitely in better shape, because you can sit back and talk the book to death instead of hammering a keyboard. With only two more chapters to go, I’m emerging into the real world for a quick trip to Atlanta and back. Then I’ll disappear for several more days, and that will be that! Back to the real world.

Christmas 2008

ann@annmonteith.com — 2008-12-25T21:48:00-05:00

A Wish For You and Yours . . . A Happy Christmas. A Joyful Holiday. And A Howling-Good New Year! Jim and Ann Monteith (with assistance from Billy, Clemmi, and Mitizi)

A Happy New Year for Leslie and Family

ann@annmonteith.com — 2009-01-07T13:23:00-05:00

This is a story that I probably should have written about over Thanksgiving, because our family had more than our share of blessings to be thankful for last November. That is when we learned that Leslie Blauch Hedge, shown here with her 3-month-old baby Merceda, was in full remission from the leukemia that threatened both their lives. Being able to photograph Leslie and Merceda just before Christmas was one of those occasions that made me extremely grateful to be a photographer, and to see both of them looking so lovely and full of life made the season truly miraculous. ...During a rough patch that year, Leslie came to stay with us for a time, and she was with us so much after that we began referring to her as our “extra kid.” There was never a dull moment with Leslie around; she and Julie were an interesting counterpoint: Julie, more quiet and steady, and Leslie, always full of drama. ...Both girls met their future husbands at WVU, and finally, after graduation, they went their separate ways: Julie and her husband, Christopher Frum, live in Morgantown with their seven-year-old son Lucas, and Leslie and her husband, David Hedge, live in Sunland, California. ... After having their first child, Daxton, now four, Leslie decided to get a real estate license, and when she became pregnant with a baby girl, everything in her life seemed just about perfect. ...In her 24th week of pregnancy she was diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia called Hairy Cell Leukemia, making her the 6th pregnant woman on record to get the disease, which fortunately has an excellent cure rate. ...Just about a month before her due date, Leslie was feeling weaker, so the doctors decided to induce labor, hoping to avoid having to do a cesarean section, as they wanted her to be able to start chemo as soon as possible. The delivery went perfectly, then something went terribly wrong: Leslie’s stomach migrated through a tear in the diaphragm into her chest cavity, and once again she was saved by an alert physician who rushed her into surgery. ... In mid-December she was strong enough to fly with Merceda to Pennsylvania so that her whole family could meet the sweet baby girl who managed to survive all the drama leading up to her birth without a hitch. ...Much of that wisdom is contained in a journal she kept through the CaringBridge, a wonderful organization that provides free, personalized websites that support and connect loved ones during critical illness, treatment and recovery. If you know anyone who can benefit from the service, you can let them see how it works by visiting Leslie’s CaringBridge site at http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/lesliesjourney. ... She also mentions what a hero Dave has been through it all, and how grateful she is for the support of friends, family, and even strangers. ...People see me at the store with my children and tell me how quickly it goes by and that I need to enjoy every moment with them before it slips away, and I make sure they know that I am. My goal is to always hold this attitude toward my life- even as the events of the summer fade to become a distant memory I vow to remember all that I have learned. ... The bad times will always pass- nothing lasts forever- but there are always people there who love you, and always people there to be loved, so life is always worth living. Just take a moment and see that you are breathing, move your body around and look at the beauty of nature or look into someone's eyes and know that this too is so temporary. ... This summer taught me that I don't know how much time I have here on Earth in this life, but I do know that it isn't the length of my stay, it's the quality of my journey that is important.

PPA's Al Hopper: Hail and Farewell

ann@annmonteith.com — 2008-11-17T18:55:00-05:00

While I was at PPA Headquarters last week, I stopped in to visit with Al Hopper, PPA’s Director of Membership, and I caught him in this photo as he was talking to a member on the phone. This is exactly how I think of Al . . . serving members, which he has done since 1994 . . . always with an expansive smile that is his trademark. Al will be leaving PPA at the end of this year, and he will be sorely missed by the thousands of members he has assisted over the past 14 years. I was privileged to serve as a PPA volunteer during Al’s entire tenure. He reminded me last week that I was the first PPA member he met when he moved to our Association from his previous employment with the Boy Scouts of America. At the time I was serving as chairman of the Membership Committee, seeking ways to recruit and retain PPA members after the association’s move from the Chicago area to Atlanta. Al paid me a visit at my lake house in Maryland just prior to taking up his PPA post, and I was immediately drawn to his can-do attitude and energetic manner. This was a critical time in PPA’s history, as the Association was still recovering from a period financial instability. My how things have changed! Today PPA is recognized as one of the most stable membership organizations in the country, and our 1994 membership of 10,000 has grown to 24,000 today. Al, along with PPA’s exceptional professional staff, were the driving force behind this success. The many members whose lives he has touched will never forget his kindness and his larger-than-life personality. We will miss you, Al!

Getting Set for 2009

ann@annmonteith.com — 2008-11-14T10:33:00-05:00

I spent three delightful days this week teaching an SMS Workshop in Atlanta. I’m happy to say that we had a sold-out class with a longer than usual waiting list. What this tells me is that in spite of today’s economic challenges — or perhaps because of them — photographers are recognizing that a mastery of business fundamentals is always essential to business success. I had the great pleasure of teaching with the amazing Julia Woods, a former student of mine who has become a spectacular business manager and teacher . . . . . . and Carol Andrews, a marketing and sales goddess and one of the industry’s truly wise women. Carol taught with us in spite of the fact that she is still on the road to recovery from the fire and wind damage done to her Houston home studio during Hurricane Ike. Due to fortunate scheduling, the PPA Executive Board was in town during our workshop, so we were able to prevail upon PPA President-Elect Ron Nichols to give the class a demonstration of ProSelect, along with suggestions for improved workflow. If you have an established business and are interested in attending the next workshop, it will be held in Atlanta on February 23-25, 2009. For those who are new to the industry or want to get off to a great start in 2009, a Business Basics Workshop is scheduled for February 21-22, also in Atlanta. For information or to register, contact SMS at (800) 339-5451, ext. 244.

Presidential Poll Results and a Welcome Diversion

ann@annmonteith.com — 2008-11-07T09:25:37-05:00

When my thoroughly-non-scientific presidential poll closed on election day last Tuesday, I was a bit surprised to view such round numbers: 100 photographers voted, and the result was a dead heat: 50 for McCain and 50 for Obama. I didn’t expect that photographers would mirror what turned out to be the actual popular vote division of 53% for Obama and 47% for McCain because frankly I expected business owners to vote in larger numbers for McCain, purely on the basis of Obama’s stance on increasing business taxes. In the final days of the election, I was delighted to have my mind distracted by Helen Yancy’s annual Digital Art Class at my Deep Creek, Maryland home. It’s one of the highlights of my year to have Helen spend time at Deep Creek and to meet a new group of digital art students. This particular group was undoubtedly the most advanced group Helen has taught at my place, and the entire class was a pleasure to be get to know. Here we are outside on what most probably was this year’s last day of Indian summer weather. I think I finally began to make progress on using Corel Painter during Helen’s class. My digital progress has been decidedly slow, but I’m finally beginning to be comfortable with Photoshop, and I managed to complete my first “I-did-it-myself” painting (see below). Wow was this fun . . . kind of like finger painting for adults! Can’t wait for next year! If anyone wants to get on the list for Helen’s 2009 class, just drop me an email.

Who Will Get Your Vote for President?

ann@annmonteith.com — 2008-10-27T16:03:26-04:00

As a business owner, your vote for president is always important. This is especially true in 2008, given the current uncertainty about the economy brought on by the collapse of confidence in the worldwide banking system. So I thought it would be interesting to know how photographers plan to vote next Tuesday. I hope you will take a moment to respond to this anonymous one-vote-per-computer survey. I'd like to get as many votes from photographers as possible, so please feel free to pass this link on to photographers you know and ask them to vote as well. Unlike some members of the traditional media, I'll wait to report the final result of this humble survey until after the polls have closed :-).

Epilogue: About All Those Sheep

ann@annmonteith.com — 2008-10-23T10:57:00-04:00

Jim and I are now back home from Ireland, and we had to wait to get here to post the rest of the blog articles I wrote while we were in the western part of the country, as well as proof everything which is hard for me to do on a laptop. At some of our stops, I couldn't find an Internet Cafe, and even cell phone service was spotty. ...It was a spectacular trip, and I'm so thankful to all the photographers, B&B hosts, and pub friends who made us feel so welcome. ...Maybe it occurred when I was out there in the rain with all those perpetually wet sheep in Donegal. ...Perhaps it had something to do with seeing how loyal they are to their friends from other species. Maybe I was impressed with how giving sheep are because of all that wool I saw at the Leenane Sheep Museum . . . ...Or perhaps it was just a matter of learning that some sheep really like to pose for the camera. ...And some who are munching away on grass may not move, but they won't look into the camera even if you set off a firecracker to get their attention. ...And in case you are wondering about the different colors sprayed on the sheep . . . this is a branding technique. When it come times to round up the sheep, their ownership can be sorted out by their colors. Some sheep are sprayed with a single color, others with two, and some truly border on the psychedelic. ...But occasionally, one is so shy that he will do anything to avoid the camera. Posers usually have a way of making themselves known; just look for the one sheep in the group who pays attention to what you are doing. ...Some will be so happy to have human companionship that they'll come right to you . . . and bring their friends with them. So as you can see, I've become pretty invested in this sheep thing, and I'm really looking forward to hitting the road again next year in Ireland in search of posing sheep. Of course I couldn't have found so many without Jim's expert driving ability and willingness to sit by the side of the road while I was sheep hunting. From the photo below, I'm not certain whether he's laughing at me or at the sheep. ...I'm also grateful to everyone who has written to me about enjoying my blog posts on this year's adventures in Ireland. I'll be taking some time off from the blog to get caught up on the vacation backlog.

A Taste of the Connemara

ann@annmonteith.com — 2008-10-21T16:23:00-04:00

If you want to do some serious landscape photography, it can't get much better than the Connemara, which comprises the entire area northwest of Galway city, Lough Corrib and Lough Mask. Nothing could have prepared me for the dramatic beauty of the hypnotic environment that we traveled through as we drove from Westport along the Atlantic coast through Louisburgh to Leenane. I'm not much of a landscape photographer; I typically prefer to photograph outdoor environments that include people, animals or architecture, but I was thrilled with a chance to do even a little photography of the unspoiled Connemara. I had heard that it takes at least a week to visit all the most scenic areas of the region, and that is definitely true. But even in the small area where I was photographing, the terrain is so diverse—ranging from lush to austere—with the ever-changing light adding to the drama. I shot over 3,000 images, so it will take a while to sort them out, but here are just a few that show the range of scenery I found in the Delphi Valley area, starting in southwest County Mayo between the Mweelrea Mountains, the Sheffrey Hills and Ben Gorm Mountain, and our Leenane, County Galway, destination. Along the way we passed two lakes: Finlough (Bright Lake) and Doolough (Dark Lake), with Bundorragh River connecting the two before entering the sea at Killary. The village of Leenane lies nestled between the Mwelrea, Devil's Mother and Maamturk Mountains and overlooks Killary Harbor, Ireland's only fjord. May and June are the months that have the least amount of rain in the Connemara, but to be there in October, when there were virtually no tourists, was an unmatched experience. Stretches of time as long as ten minutes would go by when there were absolutely NO cars on the road except ours. All you could hear were sounds of nature—mainly the rush of streams, the whistle of wind, and the occasional bleating of sheep. As we drew closer to the village of Leenane, the landscape became more lush . . . ...We also passed some kayakers navigating the rapids on Bundorragha River. Adventure sports facilities are now bringing more tourism to the area, which has to be a help to the local economy. Jim figures that fishing the Bundorragha will be a day well spent, and he is already making plans. So if you love nature—participating in it or photographing it—then put Connemara on your list. Here are two websites that will help you start making plans: www.connemara.ie has an excellent video on its home page, and www.goconnemara.com provides directions for navigating "The Connemara Loop," with information about all of the villages along the way. We're already planning our return to the area next year, and I'm determined to visit each of these villages and the land in between. Connemara has truly cast its spell on me.

The Beauty of Achill Island

ann@annmonteith.com — 2008-10-18T16:20:00-04:00

I a so grateful to Eamonn McCarthy for suggesting the trip to Achill Island, and the route he sent us on was perfect. It took us through the lovely town of Newport, which we'll certainly want to explore more thoroughly on another visit. Along the way, we stopped to photograph some interesting "animal buddies" . . . . . . and we even encountered some sheep who were standing watch over their home. Then we came to the town of Mulranny, where a bridge connects the mainland with Achill, Ireland's largest island. Almost immediately the landscape became more rugged, starting with the windswept beaches. I was not surprised that all day we experienced typical coastal weather: rainy one minute and sunny the next. Unless it is blowing sideways, the rain isn't a problem when you are photographing in Ireland; you just need to be dressed appropriately. Luckily, by the time we reached land's end at Keem Beach, the sun was out, so we spent some time soaking in the magnificent environment, deciding that this would be the perfect place to come for a picnic. I really love Ireland in October, because you miss the usual crowds. We were almost alone at the beach . . . . . . except for a few surf fishermen . . . . . . and a young couple enjoying each other's company. Finally we were ready to tackle the narrow mountain road that brought us down to the beach. Fortunately the trip up the mountain is much more comfortable, since your car is against the mountain, not hanging out over the cliffs, as you are going down because of the left-hand driving arrangement in Ireland. As we headed back to Westport, the clouds began to gather, but they made a wonderful picture out over the Atlantic.

The Day the Rams Came to Town

ann@annmonteith.com — 2008-10-20T16:16:00-04:00

Given my attraction to photographing sheep in Ireland—Jim says I won't be satisfied until I've photographed EVERY sheep in Ireland—it was pretty amusing to learn that the annual Blackface Ram Fair would be hosted right in the road in front of our B&B, starting at 5:00 A.M. today. The purpose of the fair is to allow farmers to purchase rams from different blood lines to keep their herds from becoming inbred. In addition to the commerce that takes place, the event is a huge social occasion, and I had a ball photographing the action and learning about Blackface Rams. This gentleman asked me to photograph his rams and to put it on the Internet and tell everyone that these are fine examples of Blackface Rams. So I did. i hope he had a great day at the Fair. I certainly did!

Leenane, Sheep, and the Magnificent Kylemore Abby

ann@annmonteith.com — 2008-10-19T10:02:00-04:00

The last stop on our journey was the small fishing harbor of Leenane, which would be our base for three days of exploring the Connemara. I immediately fell in love with Leenane, in spite of a day-and-a half of the worst weather I've experienced in Ireland. But even that was interesting; I've never been awakened by a sea-blown gale with 80 mph gusts that rattled the windows. We were quite cosy at Portfinn Lodge (shown below), our B&B accommodation that overlooks the harbor and hosts one of the best restaurants in the Connemara. ... Leenane has an excellent website where you can learn more about this picturesque community. Once the wind finally died down, we ventured out to Leenane's fascinating Sheep & Wool Museum, Cafe and Gift Shop. No . . . the Gift Shop was not the main attraction, although it was great; we found a wealth of information about the rich history of sheep commerce in the Connemara . . . ...From there, we moved on to nearby Kylemore Abbey, which is one of those not-to-miss places in the Connemara. Kylemore Castle was built in 1867-1871 by Mitchell Henry, a wealthy surgeon, as the centerpiece of his 13,000 acre estate. ... Upon the untimely death of his wife in 1874, he built a neo-Gothic Church in her memory. In 1920 the castle and 10,000 acres were purchased by the Benedictine Nuns for 45,000 pounds. Today Kylemore Abbey is the monastic home of the nuns and includes their international school for girls, with about 70 boarders and 100 local students. The nuns run a small farm, but most of the lands have been deeded to the tenants of the estate. Photographers seem to be obsessed with photographing Kylemore, and I can see why. There are many vantages from which to view the castle, and the scene changes dramatically as the light moves in and out of the clouds. ...Photography is permitted inside the public rooms of the Abbey, so here's a look at some of the fabulous interiors of this magnificent building. Both of us just loved the dining room, and Jim has come to the conclusion that the Benedictine Nuns are excellent investors and business managers. I wouldn't be surprised, because their Craft & Retail Shop and Restaurant at the Visitor Centre is the best I've seen. ... It is truly worth a trip to Ireland just to visit Kylemore Abbey.

The Tidy Town of Westport

ann@annmonteith.com — 2008-10-18T08:13:00-04:00

This County Mayo town is located on the west coast at the south-east corner of beautiful Clew Bay, an inlet of the Atlantic Ocean. One of the few planned towns in the country, it was designed by James Wyatt in 1780. ...We could see why yesterday when we took a walking tour of the town, where we were attracted to its delightfully decorated squares, shops and cafes. Westport's visual charisma, breathtaking landscapes and continental flavor have made it one of the country's most popular holiday destinations, and it has a great selection of hotels, restaurants and pubs. Speaking of pubs . . . we got quite a surprise when we dropped in at one of the older pubs in town: The surprise was named Rebel, and he's a full-grown old English sheep dog, who is a frequent visitor with his owner, a transplanted American from Atlanta. ...During our visit to Cong, I had purchased a set of notecards featuring Eamonn's wonderful photography, so I wanted to look him up while we were in Westport. Turns out his gallery was only a few doors down from our hotel, so we stopped in to purchase an original. ... I was very impressed with how much Eamonn has accomplished with his business, which, like many of us, began as a hobby. ... Eamonn also teaches classes on digital photography, and I know I certainly could benefit from studying with him. ...One of the reasons we had come to Westport was that it is the perfect gateway for the beautiful Connemara region of Ireland. I wanted to spend some time photographing there, and Eamonn was kind enough to make some suggestions about where to visit. He told us not to miss Achill Island, so we decided to set out for Achill the next day. Today, before heading for Achill Island, we decided to stop at one of Westport's most beloved attractions, Croagh Patrich, known as Ireland's pilgrimage mountain, along the south shore of Clew Bay. ... Each year as many as one million pilgrims and visitors make the trek to the top of the 2,510 foot tall mountain to pray at the stations of the cross, participate in Mass, or just enjoy the spectacular view. ...I wanted to get one more photograph before we left for Achill: Just across the road is the national Famine Ship Memorial, a magnificently haunting sculpture along Clew Baby. The country's largest bronze sculpture, it recalls the horror of the Great Hunger that decimated Ireland in the 1840s. Metal skeletons are intertwined to form the ship, which overlooks the bay from which thousands sailed for America, Australia and Canada. We were about to leave when I spotted these fellows who were waiting for their master to return from the beach where he was harvesting mussels. ... It's a good thing that I got sidetracked with making the photo of the dogs, as we were about to experience another "Ireland is a Small World" moment.

Another "Ireland is a Small World" Moment

ann@annmonteith.com — 2008-10-18T09:33:00-04:00

One of my only disappointments about this trip was that our timing was off in visiting Westport, as we would be unable to meet Alan Hastings in his home town. We have known Alan for many years, having first met when he was working for a New York photographer who sent him to a class that we taught in our Annville studio. Alan and his wife Caroline eventually returned to Ireland to raise their family, settling in Westport where Alan opened his own studio. We renewed our acquaintance last year at the Athlone IPPA meeting, and Alan also attended my class in Galway last Monday. But we knew we were going to miss each other in Westport, because Alan was shooting an out-of-town job on Friday, and he and Caroline, whom we have never met, had a wedding on Saturday. Here I am with Alan at last year's IPPA meeting: ...I had slowed down our progress to Achill Island by spending more time that I expected at Croagh Patrich, and Jim just rolled his eyes when I said I wanted to photograph the Famine Memorial and the border collies. Well . . . just as I was getting in the car to leave for Achill, I heard horns honking and a line of cars pulling into the beach right next to us. I said to Jim: "I bet it's a wedding. Wouldn't it be a riot if it turned out to be Alan's wedding?" ... But I persuaded him to follow the wedding party, and—you guessed it—it was Alan and Caroline and the wedding party. We waited until the photography was underway, then we introduced ourselves to the limo driver to tell him what was up. For the next 15 minutes or so, we watched as Alan and Caroline, selected and tidied up locations . . . .... . . and did a highly professional job with the photography. We didn't want to interrupt Alan, but eventually he spotted us, the Caroline came over and introduced herself. ...Now that we were busted, I followed Alan, Caroline, and the happy couple for a few images. ...Finally, I got this quick photo of Alan, Caroline, and the bride and groom. We wished them a happy life together, and we were off to Achill Island. So our visit to Westport was now a complete success.

In Yeats Country

ann@annmonteith.com — 2008-10-15T15:31:00-04:00

This is Yeats Lodge, the B&B establishment that we booked for our stay in Sligo. We have found Irish B&Bs to be wonderful accommodations, and this one was no exception. ... Our host, Geraldine, is a fisherman, so she filled Jim in on the trout and salmon fishing options in the area, as he is seriously considering a fishing trip next year. ... Irish breakfasts start the day out right, and most of the time you don't need to eat again until supper time . . . perhaps just a scone at tea time to hold you over. Part of the fun of a trip to Ireland is searching the Internet for B&Bs to see what the area has to offer. ...In this case, however, I was delighted that Yeats Lodge was just off the main north-south motorway, because Yeats's grave was just a mile a way. In addition the sea coast, my attraction to this part of Sligo was its fame as "Yeats Country," as the poet is closely identified with the area around Drumcliff. As an English major in college, William Butler Yates became one of my three favorite poets, and I completed many papers on his poetry. ... So I knew that seeing at least some of the places from which he gained inspiration would be a special treat. We began our trip through Yates Country at the nearby church where he is buried: Drumcliff Church. ... Yates spent much of his childhood with his mother's family in Sligo, where he explored the land and learned folk tales. ...The country church and graveyard is lovely and tranquil, surrounded by the visually stunning mountains that Yeats so often reference in his work. It was a beautiful Indian summer day, so we lingered for a time just soaking up the beauty of this quiet setting. Back at the Yates Lodge we stayed in the "Ben Bulben Room," aptly named because it had a view of the massive "Table Mountain," one of Ireland's most beautiful mountains. ...Ben Bulben simply dominates the landscape from all directions, and it is fascinating to watch the mountain face change as the light comes and goes with the movement of cloud formations. You can even see Ben Bulben in the mist of this image that we took as we explored the coastal area around Drumcliff. Next, we turned inland to head east where we could explore the road that lies at the base of Ben Bulben. ...All along the way, we saw beautiful vistas that helped to explain how this rich visual environment informed the imagery of Yeats's poetry. ...I never felt so lucky to be a photographer after this unforgettably perfect day in Yates County.

An Evening by the Sea in Sligo

ann@annmonteith.com — 2008-10-14T20:20:00-04:00

From Galway, we headed to County Sligo, where we would stay at The Yates Lodge in the town of Drumcliff, where the famed poet William Butler Yates once lived and where he is buried. More about Yates Country later. But first, I must recall Mary McCollough's prediction that I would have more than one "Ireland is a Small World" experience during our trip. The second one came when I mentioned to Frances Muldoon, a member of the "Irish Six," that I hoped her home would be close enough so that we could have a visit when Jim and I got to Sligo. Turns out her town of Rosses Point is just a few minutes drive from Yates Lodge. A small world indeed! Frances took us an wonderful sunset tour of her unforgettably beautiful village, which lies hard against Sligo Bay. Every picture I made in Rosses Point speaks to the beauty of the sea and the town's connection with it, but nothing is more poignant than the exquisite sculpture of a woman with her arms outstretched to the sea. It commemorates the loved ones of seafarers who watched and waited for them to return safely to their home ports. From there, Frances took us to her favorite restaurant and pub, The Waterfront, and I can see why it is. The seafood was as good as it gets! The evening was especially enjoyable because we had the pleasure of dining with the darling Muldoon twins, Rosisin and Joyce. Dad Sean, whom we met at the Kilkenny IPPA meeting, was at soccer practice with older brother Jordan. After dinner we took a quick trip to the Muldoon's lovely home where Frances has her studio. I was delighted to get a firsthand look Sean's fine carpentry and Frances's beautifully designed wedding albums . . . . . . and to meet handsome Jordan—quite a footballer I hear—who was back from practice with Dad . . . . . . who took over bedtime duty with his girls. Jim and I hope to return to Rosses Point on a future trip . . . to catch up with the Muldoons and to spend some more time exploring Rosses Point and Sligo Bay. Before we left, I took one final photo of a beautiful harvest moon on the headland of Rosses Point.

A Lovely Day at Lissadell

ann@annmonteith.com — 2008-10-16T14:22:00-04:00

On our last day in Sligo, we toured one of the most compelling stately homes I have ever visited: Lissadell House and Gardens, which only recently was saved from ruin by two lawyers from Dublin who are restoring it from the ground up, including purchasing many of the fabulous furnishings that had been sold off when the house was in decline. It is now the family home of Edward Walsh and his wife Constance Cassidy and their seven children. ... Although you can tour the public rooms of the mansion, photographs are not permitted because it is a private home. ...Lissadell was built in 1833 by Sir Robert Gore Booth, and it served as the Gore-Booth family home until 2003. ... Lissadell is famous as the childhood home of Constance Markievicz, her sister Eva Gore Booth, and her brother Josslyn Gore Booth. Constance was one of the leaders of the 1916 Rising, and eventually became the first woman to be elected to the Dail Eirean, the Irish legislature, and to the House of Commons in Westminster, where she declined to take her seat in protest against British policies toward Ireland. ... Josslyn created at Lissadell one of the premiere horticultural estates in Europe, and that enterprise is now being recreated by the new owners. The home also served as an inspirational retreat for poet William Butler Yeats, who stayed at Lissadell in 1893 and 1894, and who immortalized Lissadell and the Gore Booth sisters in his poetry. After our tour of the home, we headed for the newly restored Coach House, which is now home to the Heritage and Garden Shop. ...The Gift Shop not only features very appealing merchandise, it also is a wonderful resource for fresh vegetables grown in the restored gardens of the estate. ...The adjacent Tea Rooms have seating for 80, including comfortable tables and banquettes that are cleverly fitted into Coach House box stalls. In the Heritage Center's Markievecz Exhibition Hall, you can view a celebration of the fascinating life of Constance Gore Booth (Countess Markievecz), who was once sentenced to death for her part in the 1916 Easter Rising, but who went on to become the first women member of a legislature in a European democracy. I'm in the midst of reading the biography of this fascinating woman, and I am convinced that the story of her life and times would make a great Hollywood production. Like her sister, Eva, Constance was an accomplished artist, and many of her paintings and drawings are on display at the Heritage Center. Other family artworks and those of local artists, including the outstanding work of Jack Yeats, brother of W.B. and that of their father, are lovingly preserved in the restored basement rooms of Lissadell House. ...As we were leaving the estate, we spied these two miniature horses, who came over to be petted. ...I expect to return to Lissadell House and Gardens again, as it was too rainy to visit the restored Alpine Garden and Kitchen Gardens. It will be a pleasure to see how much more the Walsh-Cassidy family have accomplished in their quest to restore this magnificent gem of history, architecture, horticulture and art. I enjoy every place I visit in Ireland, but there is something very special about Lissadell House and Yates Country.

Cong, County Mayo: Movie Magic and High Society

ann@annmonteith.com — 2008-10-14T14:42:31-04:00

You would probably say I was exaggerating if I said that Jim stopped going to movies after John Wayne died. Well, he did actually go to two, but he slept through one and fidgeted through the other, so that was the end of my asking him to go with me. To say the very least, Jim is still a John Wayne fan thanks to endless TV reruns. We both agree that The Quiet Man was one of his best, so we decided to stay at Cong, where much of the movie's location scenes were shot. It doesn't take long to see the village, just a short walk and you can take in some wonderful scenery, ranging from the trout-stocked river that flows next to the ruins of Cong Abbey, built in the 12th century by Augustinian monks . . . ...Everywhere there are reminders of The Quiet Man, which has helped to support town enterprises since its filming in 1951, but fortunately for visitors and townspeople alike, tourism hasn't spoiled the village's magical atmosphere. At the Quiet Man Heritage Center we viewed some of the props used in the film and recreations of several key set designs. Then we took an enjoyable walking tour with an extremely knowledgeable guide who had members of our tour group act out several key scenes from the movie to demonstrate how the action unfolded. She chose Jim to play the part of "the dying man," who rose from his deathbed and runs down the street when he heard that the fight was on between Sean (John Wayne) and antagonist Red Will Danaher. That's the fastest I've seen Jim move in many years :-). Next, she chose a couple from Califonia to reenact the famous "kiss scene" between Mary Kate (Maureen O'Hara) and Sean by the gate to Ashford Church. ...I'd recommend the tour to anyone who loves the film. Buy the DVD before you come, because you'll want to see it again to review the settings where you've walked in the steps of The Quiet Man cast. We'll come back to Cong again, to visit some of the other film locations in Counties Galway and Mayo, and we'll spend several nights at the simply astonishing Ashford Castle, the gates of which literally back up to the village and where some of The Quiet Man scenes were filmed. As you enter the gates, you are flanked on each side by forest lands that darken your passage . . . . . . until you emerge onto the rolling hills that now constitute the golf course that fronts the spectacular castle with a 700-year history that in 1985 was transformed by a group of Irish-American investors into one of the "Top 50 Resort Properties in Europe. You can see why, when you walk the grounds of this magnificent property, which is set on the northern shores of Lough Corrib. Back in 1951, many of the The Quiet Man stars stayed at Ashford Castle, which had become an hotel operation in 1935. So . . . today you can live even more luxuriously than the stars by staying at Ashford Castle.

Time Out for Teaching

ann@annmonteith.com — 2008-10-13T05:41:27-04:00

I was absolutely delighted when I was invited to teach a day-long program to members of the Irish PPA through an affiliation with a government-sponsored Skillsnet program, which is designed to advance professional training opportunities. I recognized quite a few photographers whom I met last year at the Athlone conference, but there were many few new faces in the group of 45, which I am told is a good turnout for the Skillsnet programs. What I know for sure is that I got great questions from the obviously serious group, which was especially interested in management issues because of the "new economy" that photographers everywhere are facing because of the worldwide banking crisis. The official photographer for the event was Dublin photographer Robert Allen, who did a wonderful job capturing Jim. And I was also amazed when he sent a series of of photos of me on the job. Talk about talking with your hands . . . Here I am with Robert after our official duties we done for the day. Thanks to him for sharing these great images, and thanks also to the members of the Irish PPA for their continued interest and friendship, and to Mary O'Driscoll and Padraic Deasy for helping me with arrangements.

A Glorious Galway Sunday

ann@annmonteith.com — 2008-10-12T21:18:22-04:00

On each of our visits to Ireland, we have run out of time to visit Galway, the capital of the West of Ireland. It is a thriving modern city that dates back to the 13th century, when the medieval city grew up inside a great encircling wall. Since we only had a day to see the city, we decided to take a leisurely walking tour, beginning on Kirwin's Lane, which is full of shops and pubs. ...The arch, built in 1519 at the south section of the town hall, was named for the frequent visits from Spanish ships that traded with Galway. We spent the rest of the afternoon exploring the Long Walk, from which we could see the famed Galway Bay, as well as photographing in other nearby streets and alleyways in the oldest section of the city. ...Finally, we stopped a while at the Fish Market, where women once peddled fish to the townspeople of Galway. Today it is a gathering place for those who want to enjoy the sights and sounds of a bustling city. Here's one of the most interesting encounters we spotted: dog vs. man on springing stilts. ...Late in the day we had a special treat courtesy of Galway photographer Neil Warner, whom I met last year at the Athlone Irish PPA Convention, where he presented an excellent program on marketing. Neil and his wife, Mary, had kindly offered to take Jim and me on a walking trip, then treat us to a pint at one of the city's oldest pubs. Recently Neil was elected president of the European Federation of Professional Photography, and he holds a boatload of titles and awards, including European Commercial Photographer of the year in 2006 and Fellowships in the British Institute of Professional Photography, the Irish PPA, and the British Master Photographers Association. So we enjoyed discussing association issues, but mostly we loved hearing fascinating stories about Galway and enjoying Neil's witty observations. Here are Mary, Neil and Jim walking along the Corrib River, where Neil explained how power was generated for the city's early linen mills through the ingenious use of a series of canals that were dug along side the river. Through a system of locks on the canals, the water could be raised and lowered and made to increase the current of the river to drive power to the plants. One of the most interesting stops on our walking trip (besides the pub), was at St. Nicholas's Church, which was completed around 1324 and is the oldest parish church still in use in the west of Ireland. Among many of the fascinating facts about the church that Neil revealed is that one of the most famous visitors to the church was Christopher Columbus, who prayed there before journeying on to the New World. According to Neil, the first individual to set foot on the Americas was actually a dog that belonged to the ship's carpenter. ...One thing for sure . . . a day in Galway is not long enough, so we'll be back again next year to learn more about this fascinating city.

On the Road Again

ann@annmonteith.com — 2008-10-11T21:17:18-04:00

We plan to take in the sights of rural County Mayo and to visit the picturesque village where the movie classic, "The Quiet Man," was filmed. Cong, we reckoned, was close enough to Galway, where we wanted to spend a full day touring before I presented a Monday program in that city to the members of the Irish PPA. ...Since we didn't have time to stop and photograph the scenery on our trip from Kilkenny to Donegal, we decided to make it a leisurely day of travel and picture-taking as we retraced our steps on the way to Galway. ...Our first stop was in the Donegal village of Bruckles, where I photographed this picturesque church, tower, and graveyard. ...On a whim, we decided to take a brief detour into the village of Ballyshannon, just because it had such a pretty name. We were rewarded when we found Ballyshannon to be set on a hill with a main street that wound through the town. And on the outskirts of town, I was able to capture this photo of the town taken from a bridge over the river the bisects it. When we reached County Roscommon on the main north-south motorway, we spotted the unusual sculpture of a man on a horse, which stood on a hill by the side of the road. We had wondered about it when we passed it on our way to Donegal, so we decided to pull into the lay by where the sculpture is located. Turns out that this exquisite life-size metal sculpture was called "The Gaelic Chieftain," and it was inspired by the Battle of Curlews, fought in 1599. Just as we were leaving the car park, I grabbed this shot of stone cottage with the mountains in the background. On our long drive to Donegal, we passed through the County Roscommon town of Boyle, but we didn't have time to stop for photos. So on this trip we took time to look around this very appealing town, which I was sure would be full of lots of interesting pictures. We decided to have lunch at the King House Shop and Tearoom, even though the house itself was not open to visitors after September. After viewing the grounds of the house and reading about this fully restored Georgian mansion and museum, I know we'll come again to tour the interior and visit the interpretive galleries. After lunch we spent an hour or so just walking the streets of this wonderfully colorful town, catching pictures along the way. Before we left, we took a walk around the Boyle Cistercian Abbey, which was founded by Maurice O'Dufy in 1161. These magnificent ruins are still undergoing restoration, and we got a good look at the process of literally relaying stone-by-numbered stone. ...As we neared our destination of Cong, we were losing sun, but not more opportunities to photograph ruins . . . right along side of the road.

Rain's OK in Donegal!

ann@annmonteith.com — 2008-10-10T19:53:00-04:00

We were thrilled that our B&B establishment, Shannonbrae, was located on a cliff that dropped off sharply to the sea, so we couldn't be much closer to the ocean than that. The wild ocean views from the front yard were simply spectacular! We could even see sheep grazing in their pens from the front door of our host Jillian's lovely home. The day started well with only a few fluffy clouds in the sky, but by the time we were ready to make our way west around around the peninsula, a soft rain had begun to fall. What I soon discovered is that while it does spoil those fluffy cloud formations that look so good in landscapes, the rain –- unless is it blowing sideways into your face -- merely serves to freshen the landscape and bring out all those many shades of Irish green that you hear about in song and story. So for several hours, we drove west from ShannonBrae House through the towns of Kilcar and Carrick, photographing sheep, catttle, cottages, flowers, graveyards, and a most extraordinary football pitch (scoccer field) set directly on the doorstep of the Atlantic Ocean. What I learned during my several hours of shooting is that rain in Donegal is a gift to photographers. It simply freshens the beauty of this extraordinary stretch of County Donegal. There's so much more of Donegal's fabulous sea coast to explore: I can't wait to come again to Killybegs!

Destination Donegal

ann@annmonteith.com — 2008-10-08T19:57:00-04:00

Kilkenny is located in the south east of Ireland, and when we told some of the photographers at the IPPA Conference in Kilkenny that we were leaving the next morning for County Donegal, the northernmost county on the west cost, several expressed concern about two issues: the fact that it rains a lot in Donegal, and a concern that we were undertaking such a lengthy trip. The later issue was somewhat amusing to us, as a five-hour journey is nothing much for U.S. travelers. We made good time on the road, and the only thing that was frustrating to me was having to miss out on photographing a lot of beautiful scenery along the way. But we wanted to get to our destination as early as possible so that we could have a good look around. By the time we got to Donegal, sure enough it was raining. ... Near the carpark (parking lot), only a block from the town square, we observed an immense anchor that honors the town's seafaring heritage. One of the nicest aspects of traveling in Ireland is the availability of tourist information posted in cities, towns, and villages. Like many seats of county government in Ireland, Donegal Town is a small town, and we could see from this sign board that it would be easy to see most of it on foot. ...Patrick's Church, which sits on a hill overlooking the upper main street. It was constructed from granite quarried from nearby mountains and is the main place of worship for the Catholic population of Donegal. ...The Donegal town square is especially picturesque, and it was quite busy in spite of the rain. We were pleased to learn that Donegal has a wonderful castle that is undergoing restoration. Visiting castles is a delightful rainy-day activity: You learn some history, and you get some great photo ops. ...After our castle tour, we did some shopping on the town square, where I captured my favorite picture of the day: I noticed three American ladies who were quite animated in setting up a photograph, and the lady in the blue jacket was posing in a rather unusual body attitude. It took me a second to figure out what was going on. If you look closely above her head, there is a sign that reads "Magee." ... Her left hand is pointing to another sign on the door that reads the same. Turns out she is an Irish-American named Magee, so she was literally pointing to her Irish heritage. Not a bad way to spend a rainy day in Donegal.

Kicking Back in Killybegs

ann@annmonteith.com — 2008-10-09T19:55:00-04:00

During our visit in Donegal, I wanted to stay as close to the water as we could get, and when I looked at the map the name "Killybegs" really caught my attention. Killybegs, I read, is a busy fishing port in an inlet of Donegal Bay, so this seemed perfect: A town with a great name, and an opportunity to see what life is like in an Irish seaport. Turns out that we couldn't have made a better choice. There was lots of activity at the Killybegs Harbor, and lots of boats to see from small ocean-going craft to huge commercial fishing vessels. From the pub/dining room of the Bay View Hotel, we could kick back and witness life in Killybegs unfold before us. We weren't the only people kicking back in Killeybegs: This group of old friends spent hours just watching the comings and goings of the harbor. I felt that I was watching a Norman Rockwell painting coming to life! Later in the day . . . just around tea time . . . we were happily ensconced in the Bay View Hotel pub, when everything started happening at once: A Humvee stretch limo pulled up in the street, and it was immediately surrounded by kids of all ages and their families. Obviously, we wondered what was going on. Pub patrons informed us that this was the annual "Debs Dance" night, which is similar to our high school junior and senior proms. The major difference was the air of expectation as the girls and their dates, or girls in groups and guys in groups arrived . . . often with family members. I fully expected to see someone roll out a red carpet, because the scene truly did have the atmosphere of a Hollywood happening. The crowd disbursed when it was time to head for the dance venue, but we still had enough daylight to photograph some more tranquil scenes along the harbor. I took this one last shot as we headed back to our B&B to call it an evening. No dobut that Debs Dance was just warming up!

Touring A Garden County

ann@annmonteith.com — 2008-10-07T19:54:31-04:00

Before we headed north to County Donegal, we took advantage of our last day in Kilkenny to visit the nearby County of Carlow, which is considered to be a garden center. Only a few miles out of Kilkenny, we stopped to photograph this picturesque Irish pub. We wondered if the onwer of Paddy's Pub was actually named Paddy. A bit further down the road we encounted this old castle wall . . . . . . and this lovely country church. At a crossroads, we decided to investigate Leighlinbridge. Leighlinbridge calls itself "The Garden Village," and throughout the town, flowers decorated landscapes and homes. An ancient castle that once protected the town sits along side the river that runs through it. The rest of the day we drove through scenic farmlands, and I stopped to capture this picturesque farmhouse. On the way back to Kilkenny, we decided to stop in at Paddy's to sample the Guiness. Turns out that Paddy IS the name of the pub owner, and it was as attractive on the inside as it was on the outside.

Enjoying A Medieval Tour

ann@annmonteith.com — 2008-10-07T19:29:25-04:00

Kilkenny aptly lays claim to being Ireland's most Medieval city. Throughout the city you see signs of antiquity. From the busy city center . . . . . . to narrow alleyways. On our last trip we spent half a day touring the spectacular Kilkenny Castle, but we didn't have time to visit Rothe House, so we headed there. This impressive property, still undergoing restoration, was the home of a wealthy Kilkenny merchant, John Rothe and his wife, Rose Archer, and their 12 children. The property comprises three houses; the first one faces the street and most likely housed Rothe's bususiness on the ground floor, whle the upper floor were living and entertaining quarters. Within the last year, the Rothe Family Garden was restored to represent an early 17th century Irish merchant's urban garden. We decided to have dinner at the lovely old Hibernian Hotel, whicn Maria Dunphy had introduced us to last year. We've discovered that this particularly street corner is a great place for people watching, as there is something going on there at all times. You see all means of transportation going by. It is also a busy dog-walking corner . . . . . . or in this case, a dog-resting corner. Just a moment later, we witnessed what easily could have turned into a close encounter of the canine kind. And just across the street, I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw this head pop out of a Land Rover. I crossed the street to get a better view . . . . . . and what I got was a big ruckus from a protective pal, so it was definitely time for me to move on!

A Conference In Kilkenny

ann@annmonteith.com — 2008-10-06T17:09:17-04:00

Last October I had the pleasure of presenting two programs at the Irish PPA annual meeting in Athlone. Jim and I enjoyed Ireland in October so much that we decided to return at the same time in 2008. This would also allow me to catch up with "The Irish Six," who had visited with me in Illinois last April. I was eager to hear about their progress, and Jim would finally get to meet the four he did not know. And when we learned that our good friends Beverly and Tim Walden would be the featured speakers, we were delighted with the notion of getting together with them in Kilkenny. On the evening before the convention, here are Jim and me with the Waldens, at left, along with Mary McCollough, Maria Dunphy, and Robert Allen. Maria, who lives in Kilkenny, and Bobby, who is from Dublin, helped to organize the conference this year, and their hard work paid off in doubling the number who attended last year's meeting. The Conference took place at the exquisite Lyrath Estate, which once belonged to an English nobleman. The estate, which sits on substantial acreage that includes manicured gardens, pasture land, and even a helicopter landing area, has been modernized to allow it to serve as an elegant hotel, convention center and spa. Here I am with "The Irish Six" in a quick take by Tim Walden. The group treated Jim and me to a wonderful Thai food dinner in the hotel, during which we got updates on everyone's progress, had quite a few laughs sharing pictures we made during last April's trip to Illinois, and took a look at new marketing materials. Beverly got a real kick out of seeing Suzanne's new fold-out business card that was created and printed at Marathon from a template that she designed for the Walden's Bellagrafica line. ...Jim felt right at home at the Lyrath Hotel, which offered a very comfortable area for smokers: The three-sided room was nicely furnished, and the open wall was a great ventilation system. During the conference, Maria and I met at her studio to review the progress she had made in updating her business since formally taking it over from her father. ... I was delighted to see the front window filled with pet portraits Maria had created during a very successful "Dog Days of Summer" promotion. ... You can read more about Maria and her dad in the blog entry I made on October 10, 2007, when I first visited the studio. Maria is in the midst of a huge redesign of the studio space on both floors of the building. The newly covered couch and chair in the viewing area are a good indicator of the boutique feel the space will have when it is finished. ...As we were leaving the studio, I noticed that the pet portrait exhibit in the studio window has been a hit with more than just human viewers!

A Day With the Deasys

ann@annmonteith.com — 2008-10-05T19:07:00-04:00

I was really looking forward to visiting Deasy Photographic, in Newbridge, only a short drive from Kildare. We were warmly greeted by Padraic and his wife, Sonia, about whom I had heard so much during Padraic's time in Illinois. Back in April the Deasy's youngest child was only three-months old, but Sonia, Padraic assured me, was busy at work at the studio while he was gone. The fact that Sonia will give birth to their fourth child in just six weeks from our visit wasn't slowing her down a bit. From observing Padraic's work ethic during his visit to Illinois last April, I knew he had a business that was under good control. But I was amazed at how many of the concepts he embraced during our studio visits that he had managed to implement in such a short time. As the studio website says, Deasy Photographic truly is one of Ireland's leading boutique portrait studios. ...I'm certain that you'll enjoy seeing the photography of Padraic and his associate, Richard, when you visit the studio website. Because Deasy Photographic is doing so many things right, I want to take you on a tour of the studio. The attractive storefront is located in downtown Newbridge, in an area that enjoys a lot of foot traffic. ...The stylish gallery, just to the left of the entrance, is made even more impressive by the clever use of a mirror wall that appears to double its length. ...As you walk into the camera room, a seating area to your right is the perfect place to relax and get acquainted before the session. The camera room itself, not surprisingly, is extremely well organized so that equipment is secondary to working with subjects. The viewing area, which is Sonia's domain, is located on the second floor and features comfortable furniture and all the tools needed to use ProSelect efficiently. Padraic is in the process of converting the glass on his Signature Style portraits to museum glass. I asked him to demonstrate the quality of this very pricey glass, and as you can see below, the difference is very much worth the expense. ...In case you hadn't noticed the finishing touch of the studio's decor, it's the black clothing worn by the staff! ...Sonia left early so that she could finish making an incredible Indian curry meal at the Deasy home, where we were met by the rest of the family: Sofia, Matthew, and Lucy, who are featured in a collection of family portraits in the foyer. ...It was well worth the trip over just to enjoy her fabulous meal and the great day we spent with the Deasys!

In the Heart of Irish Horse Country

ann@annmonteith.com — 2008-10-04T17:36:06-04:00

In making our plans to attend the Irish PPA meeting in Kilkenny, where we would have a reunion with "The Irish Six," who visited the U.S. last April, we realized that on the way from County Tipperary we could easily visit Padraic Deasy's studio in Newbridge, County Kildare. The county is a center for thoroughbred horse breeding, and at Padraic's suggestion, we stopped to visit The Irish National Stud and Japanese Gardens located on 1,000 acres just outside of Kildare Town. The Stud, as it is known, was established in 1900 by a wealthy Scotsman of a famous brewery family Colonel William Hall-Walker. It was signed over to the British Crown in 1915 and upon independence became the Irish National Stud, and it is where some of Ireland's best horses are conceived and cared for. You don't see many horses, however, as they are too valuable to risk being easily accessible to the public. In addition to an interesting museum . . . We toured the pristine box stalls, which are cleaner that some people's homes. And after a short walk, we came upon one of the famous residents in a secluded paddock. The adjoining Japanese Gardens we devised by Col. Hall-Walker and laid out by Japanese craftsman Tassa Eida and his son Minoru between the years 1906-1910. Planned to symbolize "The Life of Man," the gardens are now regarded as the finest Japanese Gardens in Europe. The gardens were, in fact, so beautiful that I made far too many pictures that will require a serious editing job. One of my favorites is this photograph of Jim in one of the garden's rock structures. Several ponds and tributaries are filled with ducks and swans. As colorful as these surroundings are, my favorite swan photo is the monochromatic image below.

Off To Ireland!

ann@annmonteith.com — 2008-10-01T11:02:46-04:00

If you have read this blog for more than a year, you'll know that Jim's and my favorite place to visit is Ireland, and this year I was able to convince him to spend three weeks there. I am amazed at how many people have told me that they enjoyed reading my entries from our visit to Ireland last year, so I'm going to try to keep the journal going. Of special interest this year is that we will be visiting with the great group of friends who came to be known as the "Irish 6." They are the six Irish photographers who met me in Chicago last April to do some marketing and management studies and to visit several boutique studios in Illinois. Most of my April 2008 blog entries tell the story of their visit. We'll be reuniting at the Irish PPA Conference in Kilkenny, where the headline speakers will be Beverly and Tim Walden. How fun it will be to meet up with my teaching buddies in Ireland! Here are the "Irish 6" together last April, along with Jed and Vicki Taufer (first row left) in a camera room at V Gallery, which the Taufers so kindly let us use for our classroom time. Seated next to me is Padraic Deasy, and from left to right standing are: Susan Toal, Maria Dunphy, Mary McCoullough, Donal O'Connell, and Frances Muldoon. Although we had way more than our share of laughs during their visit, each member of The Six was serious about accomplishing a lot, and they left with some very impressive plans. Happily, Jim's and my itinerary will take us to four of the group's home towns, so I'll be able to see for myself. I'm hopeful that I will have Internet connections along the way, so that I can keep up. And this year, since Jim and I will be covering more ground and visiting more photographers, I hope you'll come along for the ride!

A Visit With Mary In Clare And Tipparary

ann@annmonteith.com — 2008-10-03T06:31:55-04:00

Before leaving for Ireland, we arranged to meet Mary McCollough just after we landed in Shannon in the nearby town of Ennis, which has become our usual breakfast stop, since a 7:00 P.M. flight out of Newark arrives in Shannon at 7:00 A.M. ... With its narrow streets and quaint shops throughout, I was not surprised to learn that Ennis was named by the International Project for Public Spaces as one of the World's Top 60 Great Places to Visit. Although Mary lives in the County Tipperary town of Nenagh, where she operates Source Photography as an on-location business, she is considering the possibility of opening a storefront studio in Ennis, which is not a long drive from her home. After breakfast at the Old Ground Hotel, which is the site of Jim's favorite Ennis pub, we visited several possible locations for Mary's business, including the one shown below, where I photographed Mary and Jim. Later, when we arrived in County Tipperary, Mary showed us the lovely little country village, Ballycommon, where she was born. When I say Ballycommon is little, I mean it: Driving on the road to the village, we came upon this beautiful house, which happens to be where Mary's sister lives. ...Just before closing time, we stopped at the delightfully colorful John Hanly & Co., a woolen mill near Ballycommon that has been in operation since 1893. From the mill, we drove on to the darling town of Garrykennedy, which dates back to the Norman era, and where there were lots of picturesque scenes to photograph . . . . . . including the tiny harbor on the lovely Lough Derg, which was a stone's throw from the cozy pub where we had dinner. Larkins is owned by a friend of Mary's, and it was the perfect place to dine on our first night in Ireland. I love to eat at pubs or to just sit for a while and enjoy the congenial atmosphere . . . as well as the occasional pint. The next day we met Mary in her home town of Nenagh, which is one of two county seats in County Tipperary. Here she is in front of a display of her photography above the coffee bar in a large local bookstore owned by a friend. ...By sheer happenstance, Jim booked a room at Otway Lodge in the small country village of Dromineer, also on the shore of Lough Derg. When Mary found out where we we staying, she said this would be our first experience that proves what a small world Ireland is. ...At Mary's suggestion, we stoped in the small town of Roscrea, to visit the studio of Brian Redmond. Mary's first job in photography was with Brian, whom she was eager for us to meet. ...We learned that Brian has been in the business of photography as long as we have, and we really enjoyed seeing his outstanding blend of classic and contemporary photography. Take a minute to visit his website, because I'll bet that you'll particularly enjoy taking a peek at some charming Irish weddings through Brian's lens.

Lies, Damn Lies, And Accounting

ann@annmonteith.com — 2008-10-01T03:19:00-04:00

They call it the Doctrine of Unintended Consequences . . . an action taken to improve a perceived problem, but which, when implemented, creates a problem as bad or worse than the original difficulty. ...Enron, the Houston, Texas, energy giant collapsed like a house of cards when it was revealed that the company had used a questionable accounting scheme to grossly inflate the asset value of its holdings. ... The scandal also brought down the venerable Arthur Anderson accounting firm, which was deamed complicit in the scandal by failing to live up to its audit responsibility of protecting stockholders and the public from the devastating financial fiasco. In the wake of Enron, the Federal Securities and Exchange Commission sought to make the asset value of securities more transparent to stockholders by tightening “Mark-to-Market” accounting standards so that balance sheet assets reflect their current market rather than the price at which these assets were purchased. ...However, in the opinion of numerous economists, the adjustment of these rules is directly related to the current crisis that sent Secretary of the Treasury Henry Paulson with his hat in hand to the Congress in search of what the media and others have dubbed as a Wall Sreet “bailout," designed to remedy the financial chaos that began when real estate markets faltered, followed by failures and/or mergers of major lending institutions. Faced with “restating” the balance sheet value of their mortgage-backed securities at the close of the 3rd fiscal quarter on September 30, firms holding significant shares of these “toxic” securities, saw their ability to borrow money dry up overnight because their asset value was now considered unknown. With the Stock Market in free fall and sources of credit becoming non-existent, the entire economy was said by Paulson, as well as an impressive variety of economic personages, was on the verge of collapse. Is it possible that such a well-intentioned, yet little-understood, accounting rule alone could be responsible for as much as 70% of the grotesque financial crisis that had delivered the U.S. financial system to such a state of calamity? ...Suppose that you borrow money to purchase a sizable inventory of products at a set price, and you plan to sell these products at a profit over the next few years. But what if your ability to sell them is governed by an accounting rule that says that if you have one bad sale, you must then mark down the price of the rest of your inventory to match that bad sale . . . say two or three times below what you paid for it. ... Your products might still be sold at a profitable markup, but your are helpless to do so because of you must “mark” it to the “market” value of your most recent sale rather than keep it at it's purchased value because you plan to hold it until such time as the current downturn is over. If not the entire reason for the September 2008 meltdown, the arguments posed that the Mark-to-Market rule is at least the proximate cause are fairly persuasive. They suggest that the chairman of the SEC could act to ease the rule so that a $700 billion rescue bill would not be needed . . . or at least not at that high a level of bailout. ...To learn more about an opposing point of view that argues for keeping the Mark-to-Marketing rule in place, click here. My concern about the current "rescue" bill that is being cobbled together by Congress is that in its haste to solve this financial crisis, the Doctrine of Unintended Consequences will rear its ugly head at an undetermined future hour. ...If we learn anything from the current US fiscal crisis I hope it is this: Numbers have meaning that can illuminate or obscure what you need to know about your financial position. ...Most of financial reports that photographers receive from their accountants are Income/Expense statements generated for the purpose of tax filings, and they are virtually useless for formulating meaningful business strategies. However, the same numbers can be rearranged into a "Managerial" report (see SuccessWare I/E report computer screen below) that will allow you to understand your financial position on a daily basis, while providing additional information that will help you to manage your business with precision. ... So I'm hopeful that the current economic crisis will have the happy unintended consequence of making photographers more interested in not only what went wrong with the U.S. banking system, but also what's going on with their businesses.

Here's a Wonderful Website to Enjoy . . .

ann@annmonteith.com — 2008-09-26T11:46:00-04:00

I recently received an electronic message from Florida photographer Heather Donlan announcing her new website and blog launch, along with her move to a new studio space. I thought the communication was a well-designed and did an excellent job of attracting attention, so I took a look at her website. It is equally well done, so I thought you might like to visit heatherdonlan.com. What did I love? Great photography—beautifully displayed; exceptionally effective use of testimonials; a charming holiday card promotional section: and what a delightful, unstuffy, nicely illustrated bio! Don't forget to take a look at Heather's blog as well. Fantastic job, Heather!

Going The Extra Mile

ann@annmonteith.com — 2008-09-30T14:02:00-04:00

More than a few times I've had a prospective client tell me that he or she would prefer to go to the dentist than to have a portrait made. I love working with consumers like this, because it gives me the opportunity to perhaps erase the damage that one or more not-so-professional photographers have done to that prospect. ... But I'm truly happy to make the drive because Charlie is the absolute best: he rescued my rapidly collapsing bite brought on my many years of shoddy dentistry that used to the norm for Army brats who moved as many times as I did. ...And now, whenever I'm teaching about the importance of having a warm-and-welcoming studio environment, I describe Charlie's dental practice: From the minute you walk in, you are struck by the home-like atmosphere that is decorated for the season with attractive florals. ... You are always greeted by a friendly staff member who knows your name, and you don't experience the frenetic dashing around and shouting from one office to another that I find so irksome in other medical offices and facilities. One of the things that I appreciate most about the staff is that when you call in with an emergency, they don't treat you like you are a nuisance. With all the traveling I do, this so important, because Murphy's law being what it is, my dental emergencies always happen while I'm on the road on just when I'm about to leave (more about this in a moment). I have a high tolerance for pain, so I don't need the many options this dental practice provides to reduce patient anxiety and discomfort, but I know this is the reason why many of their patients speak so highly of the practice. And when you do have a procedure that will result in pain later in the day, you leave with an attractive fabric "goodie bag" containing analgesics, written instructions on how to take care of your mouth as well as other ways to make you feel better, along with samples you are happy to receive. ...Both he and his partner, Dusty, were raised by single mothers, and they actively contribute to organizations that support women's causes, and they have received community-wide honors for these efforts. ...If a dental practice can make you feel good about your twice-annual checkup and do so even when you are there for what might be a painful procdeure, then we photographers can surely do the same. Everyone knows there's more competition in our industry than ever before, but most of it doesn't come close to the level of professionalism and customer care I get when I drive out of my way to Pitt-Loeffler Dental Associates. Yes, there are less-expensive dentists in my home town, just as there are cheaper photographers where you have your studio. But at the end of the day, I believe that people who can pay their routine bills — and still have even some discretionary income available to them — will seek out businesses and professionals who provide quality products and services set within a context of an exceptional experience. ...Which brings me to the event that prompted this blog entry: On Friday evening, while Jim and I were eating dinner, I managed to dislodge a crown. ... Jim wanted me to call Charlie's office right away so that I could get it re-cemented before we leave for Ireland early next week. ... I'm used to seeing Charlie on a Saturday because he and Jim often go to the shooting range to fire away at clay birds. This time, Charlie had a dental kit, because he and Marla didn't want me to be uncomfortable on vacation.

Want To Live Debt Free? See Frank & Tony Donnino.

ann@annmonteith.com — 2008-09-27T20:32:00-04:00

Frank Donnino Tony Donnino Several years ago Florida photographer Frank Donnino began telling me about a talk show radio program featuring Dave Ramsey, whose teachings he has been following in an effort to become totally debt free, both personally and professionally. I visited the Ramsey website and was impressed by the common sense strategies he espouses. Soon Frank was informally helping family members, friends, and other photographers get rid of debt that was causing stress or hampering their lifestyles. Recently Frank informed me that he was officially debt free and that he and his son, Tony, had applied to become certified as official Ramsey debt councilors. Well, the Doninnos made the cut, and in November they will be Certified by the Ramsey organization so they can received referrals from Dave Ramsey directly. Presently they are helping people by word of mouth, and I am impressed with his goals and how he has structured the service: Frank explains: "We will assist people in taking control of their out of control debt by using Dave Ramsey's teachings about becoming debt free. Through consultations by phone and via email, we can help people who are not only worried . . . but scared to death. A thirty-minute free consult starts the process, and we will not charge anyone unless they wish to take our recommendations and then we will continue to help them." Most business experts agree that excessive debt, especially in times of economic slowdown, is the number-one business killer. So I'm glad that photographers will now have a place to turn for help, because I'm see far too many photographers whose businesses are crippled because of debt. If you want to learn more about the Donnino's service, log on to Don't Fret About Debt.com.

A Lesson In Business Strategy From What the Duck

ann@annmonteith.com — 2008-09-22T09:27:00-04:00

I know that lots of you follow the adventures of that camera-loving online cartoon character, "What the Duck," drawn by Wisconsin cartoonist and bass-playing band member Aaron Johnson. The strip tells about the trials and tribulations of a professional photographer who happens to be a duck. I believe that I qualify as a What Junkie. In fact I just ordered what is bound to become my second-favorite t-shirt: It features the duck and was designed by his creator. ...In case you are wondering about my most-favorite t-shirt, here's what it says: The more you complain, the longer God lets you live." I believe this sentiment might just appeal to my duck-buddy What. Well if you haven't heard, What the Duck is going big time! Aaron's strip is being syndicated by Universal Press Syndicate (UPS), so What might even be coming to a newspaper in YOUR town, and a book deal for 2009 also is in the works! As you can probably guess, the odds of a cartoonist getting his strip syndicated are about as good as a gun-toting, moose-stalking mother of 5 from a little town in Alaska running for vice-president of the United States. Fortunately for all of us What-lovers, UPS will allowWhattheDuck.net (and now .com as well) to flourish, and bloggers can continue to link to strips that strike their fancy to their sites, as I've done in the past. ... Apparently UPS understands how helpful unfettered Internet access and social media marketing can be to its bottom line. And that's exactly what caught my attention about Aaron and his curiously appealing duck in the first place: Arron's very interesting use of the Internet and social sites to propel his duck to cult status. It seemed to me that there is something for all of us to learn from Aaron about capturing the attention of the public by studying this audacious business strategy. Many students in my classes are quick to argue with my thinking about giving your work away to the right audience, under the right circumstances. Clearly that strategy has paid off for Aaron Johnson and his buddy What. So I continue to believe there's a lesson here for studio owners: If you want to get attention and set the right people talking about you . . . go where they are and be generous!! ...Inside this PopPhoto.com article, you'll find a link to an earlier article about the What the Duck's business strategy. In case you miss it there, just click here. And and every now and then, look to the sky: If you see a duck flying overhead with a camera around his neck, it's just What the Duck moving on to bigger and brighter horizons.

Test Driving The Awesome New Tools In ProSelect 4

ann@annmonteith.com — 2008-09-24T16:52:37-04:00

In fact the first thing that I did when I had a few days at home was to begin working with two of the features that make this upgrade worth its weight in gold . . . gold that will find its way directly into your pocket. The expanded Apply Custom Effect feature is one of the best sales-building time-savers out there; it allows you to apply your favorite Photoshop Actions to selected images with a simple mouse click; then, after the sale, those actions can be applied automatically to your RAW or jpg file when you do your Photoshop processing through ProSelect. ...As Ron explains, you can download a bunch of really helpful actions from his website, but you must own Imagenomic's Portriature plug-in to activate his four Pretouch PS Actions in ProSelect. ... The action and the plug-in are terrific because they do their softening only on skin, so the image does not become mushy or over-softened. In the example below, the image on the left is shown as it came out of the camera, and at right it is just slightly softened by Ron's lowest-level Pretouch Action. ...The Custom Effects feature has been part of ProSelect since I first began using it, but there were only 5 slots for Photoshop Actions, so I didn't pay much attention to it. Now that the capacity has expanded to 25 slots, and the Action-loading process is simplified to a drag-and-drop procedure, I'm having a ball with it, and I'm saving a lot of time in prepping images. ...I couldn't wait to try the new Room View feature, and what I found out is that when it is combined with the upgraded Layouts section and Frames feature, ProSelect now offers a world of possibilities for showing images in room settings with frames around them — including composites that you can design as a template, then process automatically in Photoshop through the time-saving ProSelect Production module. ...I began the learning process by working with a large number of images from a very complicated session involving numerous pose groupings that easily could become a confusing sales nightmare, both for me and for the client. ... As a business instructor, I am continually dismayed by how chronic over-shooters compound their felony by putting images online, expecting their clients to determine which images to choose and how to display them, without any help from the photographer who created them. ...From the time that Layouts were introduced in ProSelect, I have found this feature to be a wonderful way to present secondary images in composites that literally sell themselves. ...Rather than just stand around while my subject was preparing herself and her mount for a formal dressage portrait, I decided to record the lengthy step-by-step preparation process with an eye toward creating a photojournalistic product. ... It took me only a matter of minutes to build a 25-pose 30x30-inch composite, which I can process through ProSelect's Production module and send on to the lab. ...I learned how it worked by using a photo of my own living room fireplace, discovering how easy it is not only to show clients various sizes of the image over the mantle, but also the impact difference between the two images that I plan to suggest would be the best options for their primary wall portrait. ...Now that I've mastered this feature, I've decided to visit the client's home and photograph their available display areas so that they can make a truly informed choice about their purchase. Honestly, these tools can make the sales process an absolute pleasure when you take the time to organize the images intelligently and with the needs of the client in mind. ...Ron does not sell by recommendation the way I do, but you will learn a lot about both ProSelect and his sales process by clicking here. I know that some ProSelect users still don't know how easy it is to create a downloadable slideshow through ProSelect: It's simply a matter of preparing your slide show and hitting the Export/Quicktime Slideshow command. ...To ProSelect developer Peter Howlett and his photographer wife Fran over in Perth, Australia, a great big THANK YOU for continuing to help photographers worldwide to benefit from maximizing our sales and satisfying our clients.

More About Sam . . . She's At It Again!

ann@annmonteith.com — 2008-09-21T20:25:42-04:00

As I said in a recent post (August 22), it is not humanly possible to keep up with Sam Puc'. I no sooner blogged about her new book than I learned about her new business venture: a delightful-sounding gift shop located in the downtown district of Littleton, CO, the town where Sam made her mark with Expressions Photography. The boutique, which will open in October, is called "Chiaroscuro," an artsy term that refers to the skillful blending of light and shadow. The English teacher in me has always loved the sound of this beautiful word. According to Sam's blog, the shop was developed "with clients like you in mind. We know how much you value family and understand the importance of capturing memories. Our gifts and gift baskets are a reflection of the love and attention you pour into the treasures you select for your home and the gifts you give to loved ones." What a wonderful concept: giving people who love Sam's photography another place to spend some of their discretionary budget in a way that enhances their love of home and family! Wow! When I spoke to Sam a week ago, she and the clan had just come from church, and they were working on getting the place in order. Here's a peak at the store front: You can drop by Sam's blog to see what she's up to and learn more about her fascinating new "memory displays and home decor" business concept by clicking here. What a fabulous idea!

What A Nice Honor!

ann@annmonteith.com — 2008-09-15T09:53:00-04:00

I was so pleased to learn from Cameron Bishopp, editor of Professional Photographer magazine, that an article I wrote for the May 2007 issue was honored with a Gold Award from the Southeast Magazine Association. Entitled "What Women Want," the article explained how boutique studios appeal to upscale women clients. It was part of a package created on marketing and selling to women. If you wish to download a copy, just click here. Thanks to the following boutique studio owners who allowed me to pick their brains for the article: Lori Nordstrom, Sarah Petty, Sam Puc', Vicki and Jed Taufer, Beverly and Tim Walden, and Jeff and Julia Woods. It was great to learn that the magazine earned a bunch of awards (7 Golds and 1 Silver), and best of all . . . First Place for General Excellence, awarded to the magazine that presents the best overall packaging, showcasing excellence in content selection, writing and reporting, as well as design and illustration. Great job, Cameron!!

A Very Special 10th Anniversary

ann@annmonteith.com — 2008-09-09T23:54:19-04:00

It's hard to believe that it's been 10 years since Judy Grann and I hosted our first hand's-on workshop designed to help photographers improve the financial performance of their businesses. Back in 1997, only a year before the first workshop, I was fairly certain that I had taught my last Business of Photography class because it was so hard to attract business students to affiliate schools, where students were far more interested in studying posing and lighting. What's more, teaching the information using paper forms, pencils, erasers, and adding machines was painful for everyone involved. What emboldened Judy and me to attempt our first two Guerrilla Management Workshops in the fall of 1998 was the possibility of using as a teaching tool the Planning and Pricing modules of SuccessWare, the new fully integrated studio management software developed by Judy's company. Our expectation was that we could allow students to use the software to quickly analyze the financial position of their businesses, then we could help them with strategies that would zero in on where and how to earn more profit. Well it worked! And the clarity that the software brought to the financial side of studio management was beyond my wildest expectation. What it had taken me two weeks to teach could now be absorbed in four days. Since those first two 1998 classes, nearly 700 studio owners have attended our Guerrilla Management Workshops, and Judy and I continue to marvel at their accomplishments. Many have made huge improvements in their business, and some are now among the most successful studios in the country. We are so pleased that many graduates keep us up to date on their activities, and what is especially satisfying to me is how many have taken what they learned about financial management and are now teaching others. It's also nice to know that our workshops helped to inspire Scott Kurkian, PPA's CFO, to ask the PPA Board to launch the Association's Studio Management Services, which now is in its 6th year of educating and advising photography businesses. We couldn't have hand-picked a better group for our 10th anniversary workshop! They are shown below on the deck of my Deep Creek Lake, MD home, where we hold our spring and fall workshops. I am absolutely certain that this group will make the most of what they learned, and I fully expect to hear some extra-special success stories from them. I wouldn't be surprised if an instructor or two emerged from this group as well. So thanks to everyone who has supported our workshops over the past decade. As I celebrate this special anniversary, I am mindful of what a privilege it is to teach because of how much the teachers learn from their students, both in the classroom and in the years to come. Judy and I look forward to many more great workshops and to making many more long-lasting friendships.

Family Portrait Month . . . All Year Long!

ann@annmonteith.com — 2008-09-16T22:35:00-04:00

If you haven't signed up for Family Portrait Month, scheduled for October, it's not too late. In fact you can use this wonderful charity-driven marketing opportunity any time you want for either or both of these reasons: the altruistic reason of supporting one of the most appealing charities anywhere — Operation Smile — or for the practical purpose of building business for your studio while enhancing your community image. In my opinion you do both when you choose to raise funds for one of the most perfectly matched charities for portrait photographers who, after all, frequently make our livings by capturing the beautiful smiles of children. You can sign up for Family Portrait Month by contributing only $25 to PPA Charities, which supports this cause-related marketing effort. Once you've registered, you'll receive a password that allows you to download marketing resources and read about how others have used the promotion to benefit their businesses. And as I said . . . it's not too late to use the promotion in 2008. In fact I'll be doing just that, because Jim and I will be vacationing in Ireland for most of October. So we're sending a sales letter to all clients who have spent $1,000 or more with us, explaining that during November and December, they will pay no session fee (unless they want to donate it to Operation Smile), and we will send 10% of their portrait sale to Operation Smile. Some of these payments will, of course, carry over to the 2009 Family Portrait Month campaign, but no matter . . . we are happy to participate at any time of the year: it's good business. To learn about PPA Charities, Family Portrait Month, and Operation Smile, click here. If you don't want to waste any time getting started you can click here to make your $25 (or more) donation. And whatever you do, take just a few moments to view some beautiful photographs, made by Dallas photographer Angie Weedon, who, as the top 2006 Family Portrait Month contributor, was privileged to photograph an Operation Smile Mission in Honduras. Please click here, and you'll see just exactly why your participation in Family Portrait Month is so important.

Want to Learn How to Shoot, Price, and Sell Smarter? Meet Me In Pittsburgh!

ann@annmonteith.com — 2008-08-26T16:03:08-04:00

If you are in or around Pittsburgh on September 15, you might be interested in a new day-long seminar that I'm presenting at the Pittsburgh Airport Marriott Hotel. Sponsored by Buckeye Color Lab and ShootSmarter.com, the program is entitled "Shoot Smart, Price Smart, Sell Smart." I'm really excited about this new program because it covers what I view as the "missing link" between shooting, pricing, and selling. I would say at the vast majority of digital photographers today don't recognize that you need to get all three of these elements aligned if you are have any hope of making a good living and having a private life outside the studio. This is the last day-long seminar I'm presenting this year, and I promise that you'll get a good, solid day of education for only $79. To learn more or to register, click here. I hope to see you in Pittsburgh!

China On My Mind

ann@annmonteith.com — 2008-09-25T11:22:00-04:00

Because I was working on some important projects during the Olympics, I'm just now getting through all of the DVRs of the event. ... When I visited Beijing in 2006, it was hard to imagine what how the city . . . exploding with mind-boggling growth and clouded with gritty, grimy smog would step into the world spotlight on 08-08-08. ... For the week during which our PPA delegation visited with Chinese photographers, our accommodations directly overlooked the Bird's Nest construction area. To see the finished structure at the Opening Night ceremonies was magical, considering what the iconic structure shown in the images below looked like only two years earlier. ...I took this on a "sunny" day, and I actually had to do a few Photoshop tricks to make the image legible. ... I'm not sure that a democratic country would have been as successful as the Chinese were in convincing citizens to abandon their cars and shut down belching factories so that the city could be seen in a far better light. ... On a smog-free day, Beijing is an incredibly frenetic moving picture, juxtaposed with ageless treasures of art and architecture that can only be fully appreciated through the stillness of the studied human eye or through the aperture of a still camera. ...After replaying parts of the Opening Ceremonies several times and marveling at what I saw, I believe the true artistry of that extraordinary choreography was best revealed in some still news photographs that I found on Boston.com. ... I believe the still camera did a far better job of showing what director Zhang Yimou created: a magnificent melding of people and technology . . . an deliberate metaphor that one cannot fulfill its destiny without the other. ...Until Beijing, sadly, the most indelible games in my memory was the Munich Olympics, which was overshadowed by an unspeakable act of terrorism. ... That tragedy aside, I still can't wrap my head around what went on in and around the games, because I suspect that the most important story of this Olympiad will be years in the telling. ... How will this teeming population who, now that they have sampled the bounty that capitalism can produce, and now that they have felt the sense of pride in what they and their leaders have accomplished on the world stage . . . what will they do for an encore? ...I would love to visit Beijing again if for nothing more than to see how fast their world has turned and to learn how the photographers I met there are faring in their advance on capitalism. What I observed in 2006 is that most businesses still have at least some government strings that prevent them for achieving self-determination: some definitely more than others. ... The plaque on the grand building said: "Top Ten Enterprises of National Photograph Industry," but the government-like interior and the faded portraits in the window said otherwise. ...While they were only a few years behind with their digital technology, they face an uphill battle because of exceptionally low prices that dominate their market. I suspect this will continue until middle class citizens can afford to decorate their homes more lavishly and they learn about the decorative potential of photography. ...With all of this rolling around in my head, I began looking through some of the photos I took during my two visits to China to find a few that represented what I felt about China in 2006, so that I can use them as a baseline by which to measure the future I might see there on another visit. ... But what I enjoyed revisiting most were the simple pictures of people going about their business in a remarkable country on the brink . . . a country that provokes thoughts that run in every direction at once.

Conversation and Remembrance . . .

ann@annmonteith.com — 2008-09-28T23:51:22-04:00

Early this month I had a lovely phone conversation with one of the true Divas of our industry — none other than Joyce Wilson — the single individual who is widely regarded as THE woman who broke down the doors to what used to be a totally male-dominated industry. When I arrived on the scene in the late 1970s there were a few women Master Photographers — mostly working with their husbands — but there were less than a handful who had made their way to the top in photography absolutely on their own. Joyce had no choice but to go it alone: Her high-school sweetheart husband had died suddenly and left her with a mortgage and three small children to raise. One of the few early photography jobs open to her was taking Santa pictures dressed in a green elf suit! Joyce once told me that male photographers in those days wouldn't share information with each other . . . let alone with a woman. So much of her learning came from the art world, which goes a long way in explaining why, when Joyce mastered photographic technique, she emerged as a brilliant talent. I became aware of who she was at the first PPA National Convention Jim and I attended in Washington D.C. We had just finished viewing our first PPA print show, which made us recognize how far we would have to go to become serious professionals, when we happened upon Joyce's ASP Fellowship exhibition. ... Gathered around her was a group of admirers, and I only caught a glimpse of the vivacious blond lady whom everyone wanted to meet. ...Every woman (and eventually a lot of men) who had remotely considered doing photography wanted to study with Joyce. I can't remember how many of her seminars and workshops in her Indiana studio I attended, but I know they helped to shape the way I viewed the world, and they gave me a great deal of insight into the creative process. ... These ladies' contributions to the art and technology of our industry today — for both men and women — are incaculable. By the time Jim and I met Joyce, when we were all on the speaking circuit together, Joyce's kids were nearly grown, and she was a recent newlywed. ... Jim still makes me laugh when he tells the story of one of their fishing adventures in a Canadian wilderness with their pot-smoking French fishing guides. ...Joyce's recent call came from her home in California, because she was preparing to teach a class for photographers in her home state of Indiana. She wanted to know if what she thought about the current state of affairs in photographic businesses squared with what I was seeing. Joyce really didn't need my advice, because she had already done her research: She had assembed a group of her daughters' and grand-daughters' friends to determine their attitudes about professional photography. ... She did what every studio owner should do when they don't know what's going on the mind of consumers: Just ask them! ...If you've never met Joyce, read her bio: you'll be impressed; and spend some time studying her images: you'll learn a lot.

Hooray! Sam's An Author!

ann@annmonteith.com — 2008-08-22T23:41:54-04:00

One of the first things I did when I got home was to take a look at the wonderful new book on children's portraiture by one of the most qualified people in the world to author a book on the subject: the incomparable Sandy (Sam) Puc.' What a great job she did on this book! It is a literal gold mine of information that covers ALL the bases of operating a children's business. I scanned the book first, now I'm reading it carefully because it is such a fantastic resource. I can't believe she managed to get this published while she was in the midst of her fantastic Bellies and Babies Tour. Amazing! It's been an incredible pleasure to watch Sam and her business grow. When I talk about Sam, I always make this disclaimer: "Don't try this at home," as Sam packs more into a single day than any mere mortal should try to do. Once, when she and I roomed together over a PPA Board meeting weekend, I tried staying up all night to see if she is actually an alien who plugs herself into an electrical socket while everyone else goes to sleep. I finally dozed off, and when I woke up just after 5:00, she was already off on a early-morning run. Either that or she was rendezvousing with the Mother Ship :-). Whether human or alien, Sam is a rare individual who has accomplished so much . . . as an entrepreneur, a motivator, and as a an industry leader. And the most amazing thing of all to me is that she has the nicest children I've ever met. About the only thing she didn't do this year is win a gold medal in the Olympics. Don't tell her I said this, or she's likely to start training for London 2012 tomorrow. Anyway . . . don't miss any opportunity to learn from her: you'll be richer for the experience. Needless to say, I strongly recommend Sam's book. To purchase it, click here. And thank you Sam for all you do!

Pro Photography Now: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

ann@annmonteith.com — 2008-08-31T22:37:00-04:00

These reflections were prompted by the fact that I'm nearing the end of my teaching schedule this year . . . a year in which I've taught more classes to more students than in any other period of my career. ... ▪ More and more photographers are recognizing that unless you wish to do mass-production photography, today’s business climate requires a business concept that is designed to appeal to a specific target market instead of trying to be all things to all people. ... ▪ I'm enthralled by some of the newer breed of photographers who find so much creativity in marketing that they put as much energy into this aspect of the business as they do in creating exciting images; it's a great formula for success. ...Until the publication of PPA’s 2005 Benchmark Survey in 2006, we had only anecdotal evidence of an emerging prosperity in segments of the photography industry: The survey showed that the top 15% of participants were keeping more of every dollar spent with them than any other groups for which we have records. ...Those who possess solid business skills have the greatest likelihood of turning their businesses around, but sadly there are many who may never accept the fact that adaptation is vital to business longevity, even when you do business in an artistic medium. ...Once-careful film shooters are now awash in an avalanche of images that take hours to edit — hours they should be spending in profit-producing activities such as marketing and management, or in personal fulfillment by enjoying a life outside of the studio. ... I’ve heard every excuse in the book as to why it is necessary to photograph so excessively, but at the end of the day the only thing that counts in business is how much of your time is being compensated, and how little time you are losing to non-profit-producing pursuits. ...An example of this is deciding to create documentary-style candid portraits without determining how to sell them . . . without determining what kind of product to create that can use up the images in ways other than creating a book volume or a DVD. ... ▪ Perhaps as a consequence of so many photographers entering the industry in such a short time, I'm seeing a trend toward novice photographers — young or older — having extremely unrealistic expectations about what it takes to succeed in photography. For the first time in my experience, the majority of photographers I work with are failing to recognize that doing photography as a business requires a commitment to complicated systems development in the areas of sales, marketing, and workflow. Perfecting these systems takes time and money . . . so much of each, in fact, that it typically isn’t possible to draw a salary for several years, even with the benefit of low overhead and very little debt. The landscape is littered with inexperienced photographers who failed because they leased high-overhead spaces without enough money in the bank to finance the business and support their families until they could create a professionally mature product that could attract a sufficient number of clients to generate healthy referrals. ▪ When photographers get in over their heads with debt and lack business skills, way too many are trying to skip the “success steps” that truly profitable studios prove day-in and day-out are necessary to build and sustain a business. ...When markets are unstable, “The Bad” slips easily into “The Ugly,” resulting in an out-of-control business situation that is very stressful for the photographer as well as disheartening for instructor or consultant who wants to help. No matter how hard the photographer is willing to work, or how well-intentioned the helper is to pull the unstable business back from the brink of disaster, when business weaknesses are so pervasive, their consequences can be impossible to reverse. ...I can still remember hearing stories from my early teachers about the chaos created when photographers moved from black-and-white film to color: They had to cope with new lighting systems; they were no longer able to control their images in a black-and-white darkroom; and the first color films were unstable and did not portray color accurately; and finished prints faded very quickly. But when photographers learned to outsource their work to professional color labs, they found they could produce products that thrilled consumers, and once they were out of the darkrooms, they could spend more time with clients and do a better job of marketing and managing. ...While we are nowhere near a Golden Age for digital studios, signs of positive movement are abundant in the form of some of the best business models I’ve ever seen; in creativity that is being applied not only to image-making, but also to marketing and management; and in plenty of consumers who possess the money and the desire to spend it with photographers who are willing to do what’s necessary to connect with them. ...The bottom line I see is this: For those photographers with real vision, true creativity, and who are willing to develop the business skills that most often have to be learned through repetitive education and practice, there are no limitations.

I'm BACK . . .

ann@annmonteith.com — 2008-08-19T10:56:35-04:00

Fact is I was on the road for over a month: teaching, flying, teaching, planning, flying, teaching, flying, judging, flying, teaching, flying, teaching, flying. I think you get the idea: it's been impossible to keep up, especially since I've been trying to keep balls in the air on a new studio venture that Jim and I are planning for next spring. ...Mark Weber, Bill Camacho and I worked with a great group of mid-westerners at the July 14-15 Marathon Marketing Workshop in Kansas City. In nearby Concordia, MO, Bill, Mark and I joined with the Marathon executive team for two days of Marathon/Bellagrafica planning. ...Simple: Rex Alewel, the owner of Marathon, also has a working tree farm in Concordia, so since the Kansas City workshop was close by, everyone came in to attend that event, then we did the planning in Concordia. That way we got to visit "The Ponderosa," our nickname for the Alewel farm, where we took in some welcome evening R&R, including guided tours of the farm with Rex at the wheel and passengers Patsy Hodge, Linda Varn, and Mark Weber . . . ...Moving on to Atlanta, I was delighted to teach the July 19 and 20 Studio Management Services Business Basics class with my pal Mary Fisk-Taylor. I am so intrigued with Mary's new Real Life Studios, a boutique studio in downtown Richmond that is the perfect counterpoint to Hayes & Fisk, the quintessential classical studio she operates with the incomparable Jamie Hayes. Here's Mary, shown below in green, hanging out with class members in front of PPA Headquarters. Then on to Daytona for the 2008 International Print Judging, where PPA Print Exhibition Committee and Overall Jury Chair Helen Yancy delivered up marching orders to jurors, reminding us that "as the mother of 4 children and the grandmother of 12, I know how to keep you all under control." ...It was very entertaining watching PPA Board Member Susan Michal go the extra mile in creating the judges' official portrait. Later on, Helen and I had the pleasure of delivering to Susan a portrait of her darling Pomeranian that we jointly created. I took the photograph on a previous visit that Helen and I made to Susan's Florida home, then Helen finished the image using Corel Painter. If you would like to study Helen's artful painting style, you can do so at a workshop to be held at my Deep Creek home and studio on October 31 - November 3. ...Back on a plane to spend two days at home, change suitcases, then on to the next stop: Boston, and a wonderful group of New Englanders at the end-of-July Marathon Marketing Workshop. ...The last leg of the trip took me back to Atlanta, where I joined Lori Nordstrom in teaching a 3-day SMS Workshop. Because the PPA Board of Directors was finishing up its meeting in Atlanta, Lori and I were able to prevail upon Board Members and well-known instructors Carol Andrews and Ron Nichols to join our teaching team. In the image below, Ron provides a hands-on demo of the new ProSelect upgrade that puts even more sales tools in the hands of photographers. After class, Carol, below left, and Board member Susan Michal join Lori and me for a "diva" photo.

Don't Miss This Great ProSelect Tutorial

ann@annmonteith.com — 2008-07-02T11:28:06-04:00

I want to thank Ron Nichols for sending me a link to his website where you can review an excellent ProSelect sales tutorial in which he takes you through the entire sales process using ProSelect, the incredible application that so many photographers recognize to be an indispensible sales tool. Ron really knows what he's talking about when it comes to maximizing sales and how to use ProSelect efficiently for both sales and workflow. Even if you're already using ProSelect, you'll benefit from seeing Ron's approach to sales and the organization of his salesroom environment, and you'll probably learn some ProSelect shortcuts and features that you might not know exist. Just click on this link to view the tutorial. In it you'll see two of the great new features of ProSelect version 4.0, the ability to place frames around images, and the new "Room View" capability that allows you to show the client's framed image choice within a photograph of the room in which clients plan to display it. Or you can project it within your choice of a room setting such as above a fireplace or couch. These features add even more tools to help your clients make appropriate selections of their portrait images, as they can compare the impact of a properly sized image, such as the 30x40 portrait shown below at right, compared to the same image shown in 11x14 size at left. While you're on Ron's site, take a look at his outstanding palette tools that increase your workflow speed and artistic ability. They have been absolutely instrumental to the improvement of my digital skills.

A Noteable Passing

ann@annmonteith.com — 2008-07-05T00:59:00-04:00

Three years ago, during my tenure as president of PPA, I was privleged to meet with her on a visit to China. ... In reading her biography as preparation for the meeting, I was astonished to learn that she was, in fact, the daughter-in-law of the the late Chairman Mao Zedong. So I had no idea what to expect from our meeting, which turned out to be among of the most memorable moments of my life in photography. ...The Shoa Hua that I met in a formal hotel suite was far less imposing than her official photograph, in spite of the fact that the reaction of hotel staff clearly indicated that it was a very special honor to be in the presence a dignitary of the stature of "Chairman Shoa." ...Soon we began exchanging stories about our lives in photography and laughing about the similarities of our early experiences, such as learning to process film in a bathroom, not a darkroom; how we both encouraged women to become active in photographic associations; and I was especially pleased to learn about her desire to help Chinese photographers exploit the entrepreneurial opportunities now emerging in her country. She cheerfully recounted the story of how she got her first camera after coming to live in Mao's household upon the marriage of her elder sister to Mao's first son. When she was 14 she asked Chairman Mao if it would be possible to have a camera, because she was intrigued by all the photographers who accompanied those who visited with him. ... After her marriage to Chairman Mao's second son, she went on to become an accomplished scenic photographer and pursued a special interest in chronicling Chinese ballet performers and other dance events. Before we left, she gave each of her American visitors a copy of her elegantly bound, richly illustrated book entitled General Shao Hua's Photographic Art of Dancing. In the introduction she spoke passionately about the art of dance, which she described as embodying "the feeling of music, the passion of poetry, the thinking of philosophy, the depth of drama, the solid touch of sculpture, the inspiration of drawing and painting, the illusion and mystery of religion, and the true, the good, the beauty of the sympathy and love for the people . . . photographic art of dancing has really become an integral and inseparable part of my life.” ...During lunch I asked if she had published any of her photographs of Chairman Mao from the time she lived in his household. ...He was kind enough to pose with many of them, but my favorite was the portrait below, which shows Shoa Hua (second from the right) with Chairman Mao and the rest of the family. ...It would have been fascinating to see her reaction to the state of professional photography in America, as during our Beijing meeting she revealed herself to be a strong advocate of the power and importance of photography. Here's a direct quote that I recorded after the meeting: "As an adult, I observed that it was considered rude to take pictures at a public event. But I saw that people had no hesitancy about writing down details about an event in public; so I just decided to start bringing my camera to record the details.” ... She showed us a DVD made of a stream polluted with silt before it was cleaned up and made “harmonious;” then she showed her photographs of the beautiful flower gardens developed after the reclamation. “Before, people would write pages and pages about the problems of such a site and then more pages about what it became," she said. ...As I continue to observe the delicately evolving economic and political relationship between China and America, I often have reflected on the strong currents of change and the unusual happenstance that allowed me to meet with Shao Hua on the other side of the world, where we discovered the things we have in common. Before I left that meeting, she gave me a photograph that she had made of her then three-year-old great-grandson, knowing that I had a young grandson.

SMS Workshop

ann@annmonteith.com — 2008-06-15T22:06:42-04:00

Last week I was pleased to work with a great group of diligent photographers at PPA Headquarters for a three-day Studio Management Services Workshop. Besides having really sharp students . . . . . . it was a pleasure to get to teach again with the always-energetic and ever-insightful Sarah Petty. As always, the workshop went smoothly because of the great organization of Studio Mangement Services's Beth Moore and Bridget Jackson, shown below. Thanks to everyone for a very good three days!

Marathon Marketing Workshop: Chicago

ann@annmonteith.com — 2008-06-26T14:44:56-04:00

There was a lot of learning going on in Chicago earlier this week when Marathon hosted the largest every Strategic Marketing Workshop in Philadelphia. Over 100 photographers turned out for two days of marketing planning that flew by very quickly. Mark Weber, Bill Camacho and I were joined by Marathon reps John Miele and Barb Edwards, who were very helpful such a large crowd. Thanks to everyone who worked so hard! Next stop: Kansas City on July 14-15.

Need Couples Therapy? Two can become ONE!

ann@annmonteith.com — 2008-06-08T12:31:47-04:00

With so many portrait-wedding studios in the industry today being owned and managed by couples, it was only a matter of time before someone realized that couples need resources to help them find a balance between studio life and personal life. For several years one such couple, Jeff and Julia Woods of Washington, IL, have planned the creation of a workshop to provide this direction. Happily, it will become a reality on September 15-17. What an exciting opportunity! For details on the workshop, click here.

Adventures in Flying

ann@annmonteith.com — 2008-06-05T22:38:47-04:00

Anyone who flies a lot knows that the skies have not be friendly for a long time. I'm pretty accustomed to the grind, but the trip home from Dallas was something else again. ...The plane that would take us from Dallas to Cincinnati was late getting in, so I had to make a dash to the commuter terminal. Made it just it time, but discovered that my 3:00 P.M. flight had been cancelled. My travel agent tells me there will be lots more regional jet cancellations, as the cash-strapped airlines lose money every time they fly the 50-seaters. So I settled in to wait for my 7:30 flight home. Right in the middle of dinner, there was an announcement that a tornado was on the way, so we had to take shelter in the tunnels underneath the airport. The evacuation was orderly, and the airline workers did an excellent job of moving everyone underground. There was no question about the need for our taking shelter. You could hear the cracks of thunder, and the rain was pelting down so hard that water was beginning to build up in the tunnels. About 30 minutes later we were informed that a funnel cloud had touched down about four miles from the airport. There was hardly any light in the narrow tunnels, so I used the 3200 ISO program menu setting of my Canon G9 to catch a few shots. Around twenty minutes later we were allowed above ground, and I shot the image below on the way out. This t-shirt wisdom seemed like an appropriate sentiment for the occasion, and I was impressed with how well the camera did on 3200. ...The schedule was a shambles, crews had timed out, so it was a scramble to see how many flights could get off the ground. As the hours crept by, lots of folks gave up for the evening and left the airport on their own. I decided to stay as long as my flight remained on the board, and eventually I was rewarded, but not until after midnight. I never did hear how much damage the tornado did near the airport, but the morning news was full of reports of multiple funnel cloud sightings and touchdowns throughout the region. But I was very grateful to be out of that weather system an back in my own bed!

Angie's Place

ann@annmonteith.com — 2008-06-06T21:04:00-04:00

While I was in Dallas for the marketing workshop I was delighted to receive an invitation from Angie Weedon to visit the new studio that she and her husband, Matt, have opened adjacent to their beautiful home in the Dallas area. Angie is a member of the PPA Charities Board of Trustees, and I've had the pleasure of working with her on planing the annual Family Portrait Month promotion. Angie is an amazing lady, and her photography is fabulous; so I was very eager to see the new studio. Here is Angie in front of the studio, which from the street looks like a lovely carriage house that blends in beautifully with the home and the neighborhood. You can see the roof line of the Weedon home peeking through the trees. It's hard to say whether the studio is more attractive on the outside or the inside. The first thing you see when you enter the building is a stylish sitting area, located across from a drop-down projection screen that Matt uses during client consultations and sales sessions. When the projection screen is retracted, clients see a large canvas-wrap portrait located above a rolling shelving unit that holds key specialty products. What I like best about the studio is how well it conveys her distincting portrait style. ... From the beginning of her career, she has focused on black-and-white photography, and only recently has she begun to add a limited amount of color photography to her line as a means of expanding product offerings to repeat clients. ...All of the images that Angie shows are significantly sized wall portraits that clients easily recognize as exactly right for decorative focal points in their homes. Each image is smartly framed; the image shown above features a charming Wild Sorbet frame, which captures the mood of this portrait perfectly. To see more of Angie's images, log on to weedonphoto.com. After walking through the studio and viewing the well-chosen gallery of images, you come to the camera room, which features a north-light window opposite a brick-faced wall, a space that any photographer would consider to be a dream studio. In the photo above, Angie chats with Marathon's Bill Camacho, who accompanied me on the studio visit. We lingered in the studio long enough for Matt and daughter Ava to return from an errand. It was great seeing Matt again, and especially delightful to meet Ava, a most beautiful little girl, who is a wonderful big sister to brother Cal. While Matt is a photographer in his own right, and also assists Angie on shoots, most of Matt's energy is directed toward managing the studio and working with clients. Here is the entire Weedon family: Matt and Angie in the foreground and Ava and Cal hanging on the wall.

Marathon Marketing Workshop: Dallas

ann@annmonteith.com — 2008-06-04T20:28:07-04:00

It's always fun to come to Texas, and the Dallas workshop was full of energetic photographers who really worked hard on completing their plans. I was tremendously impressed with the quality of the work they did, and I expect great to see a lot of progress for their studios in the months to come! Next stop: Philadelphia . . . driving distance from my home. Yeah! In spite of gas prices, it will be great to skip the plane trip. Getting home from Dallas turned out to be quite an ordeal. More to come on that subject, as it was quite an adventure.

Guerrilla Management Means Spring is Here!

ann@annmonteith.com — 2008-05-30T17:24:22-04:00

I was so glad to get to Deep Creek for the May Guerrilla Management Class. I've had an unusually heavy travel schedule, so I hadn't been to the lake since last Christmas. That's a record for me, and one that I don't enjoy achieving. Spring was trying to make an appearance, but heavy rains were not helping. Fortunately we did have one really nice day before the class left. I'm so glad, because we had such a great great group there. Very hard workers, with great personalities, and an interesting mix of newer studios and veterans. Really enjoyed our time together, and I look forward to hearing about the great progress I know these photographers will make.

Marathon Marketing Workshop: Chicago

ann@annmonteith.com — 2008-05-22T16:33:00-04:00

The most recent Marathon Marketing Workshop in Chicago was an interesting mix of veteran photographers seeking to rebrand their studios and newer photographers wanting to get their businesses off to a good start. One person who didn't get off to a good start was Marathon's Bill Camacho, who shortly after arriving in Chicago was forced to take a cab to the hospital because of a fever and other sudden-onset symptoms. Having worked and traveled with Bill for many years, I knew it would take a lot to send him to a hospital, and the docs there quickly determined that he had somehow contracted an infection that could have been life-threatening if he hadn't acted so quickly. So Bill ended up spending 7 hours being treated with antibiotics through and and an IV's. Trooper that he is, Bill, shown below, was back on his feet in time for the workshop, much to Mark Weber's and my relief and delight! Bill says his ER visit was much like an episode of the television show of the same name. Due to overcrowding, Bill was treated in the hallway along side of several other very colorful (and vocal) patients who were handcuffed to their gurneys, with police in attendance. My favorite photo from this workshop is of Pam Bredenkamp, St. Louis, MO, who apparently was trying to earn some brownie points from instructor Mark Weber. Pam and Mark, who previously lived in St. Louis, are long-time friends. After the class, Pam, who also attended my Guerrilla Management Workshop last year, joined with Mark and me and two of her fellow GM Workshop classmates, John Burdick and Jeff Lee, of nearby Hoffman Estates, IL. Bill wisely stayed in bed, but he missed a fun time, and we missed him. Next stop on the Marketing Workshop schedule is Dallas, TX on June 2 and 3. There are a few seats left in this workshop, so click here for information.

Are You Having One of Those Stressful Days?

ann@annmonteith.com — 2008-05-21T10:15:16-04:00

If you are . . . I thought you might enjoy seeing the stress-reduction remedy that my Marketing Workshop buddy Mark Weber supplied to me. To make use of it, just follow the directions:

A Very Special Mother's Day for Renee

ann@annmonteith.com — 2008-05-11T23:26:14-04:00

I remember exactly what I was doing last Mother's Day: I was teaching a Guerrilla Management Workshop at my Maryland lake house. I had just started this blog about a month earlier, and I asked the most experienced blogger in the class, Carrie Viohl, of Moultrie, GA, to demonstrate to a skeptical class just how easy it is to post information and photos on a blog. She did so by quickly publishing a Mother's Day message to her devoted readers back in Georgia. From that moment on I became a regular reader of Carrie's fascinating blog, which continues to be her studio's primary marketing tool. Attending the class with Carrie and her husband, Phil, was friend and employee Renee Truett. So I was astounded by the Mother's Day email I just received from Carrie, letting me know that Renee had become a new mom (five weeks early) just in time for Mother's Day! Carrie was honored to document the 12-hour labor which she described as watching Renee "transform into a mother right in front of our eyes." She wove the narrative into a YouTube video, which you can see by clicking on Carrie's Mother's Day blog entry. Congratulations to mom and dad, and welcome to the world . . . little Bailey Alan Truett!

Mother's Day - Part 2: A Most Timely Arrival

ann@annmonteith.com — 2008-05-12T21:15:00-04:00

Late last night I learned that another beautiful baby arrived just in time for Mother's Day . . . doing so with especially impeccable timing. She is Akina Marie Wylie, whose mom is Dallas photographer and Studio Management Services client Kimberly Wylie. Here's the story: Last Tuesday night the hospital where Kim and husband, Mike, expected to deliver later this month was hosting an event to honor a large exhibition of Kim's work that she has donated to the hospital. Naturally, the evening's running joke was that it would be great if she would go into labor after the event, as she could merely walk downstairs to her doctor who happened to be on duty. During the event, Kim experienced a little discomfort, and -- you guessed it -- several hours after the event ended, Kim's water broke, so it was back to the hospital to welcome Akina Marie. The darling baby was named in honor of Kim's grandmothers. Akina means "spring flower" in Japanese, and Marie is her grandmother's name on her dad's side. Here are some wonderful images of the family, including adoring and protective big brother, Steel, taken by friend and fellow Dallas-area photographer Angie Weedon, who I have mentioned before in this blog. To learn more about Kimberly's "Walls and Halls of Hope" exhibition at the Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas visit her website, kimberlywylie.com, and go to the "What's New" link.

New York Adventure

ann@annmonteith.com — 2008-05-09T21:11:17-04:00

I've never been much for formal ceremonies, and I always feel a bit uncomfortable about receiving awards. But I was truly thrilled when I learned that the PPA Board of Directors had nominated me to receive a leadership award from the International Photographic Council, a non-governmental organization of the United Nations. Since Jim really hates cities, I asked my daughter, Julie, to accompany me to the awards luncheon at UN Headquarters last Thursday. Since getting from Annville to New York is quite a chore, we decided to take the train, which was a stress-free way to travel and gave us time to get caught up on family news. It's been years since I've ridden a train, so I got a kick out of the fact that the Lancaster, PA train station has remained decidedly low tech in its approach to collecting parking fees. ...The train was really a welcome change from the stress of airline travel, and it was a beautiful, sunny day for a trip. Our hotel was just off Times Square, and I was intrigued by the room's unusual headboards, so I asked Julie to pose in front of one. Julie, who is an interior designer, thought the bed profile was a bit low, but otherwise she approved. So if you have any large-scale moldings lying around you have just what you need to decorate that spare room at home! ...We passed by the gorgeous FDNY guys hanging out at Engine Company 54, and like a typical tourist, I couldn't resist taking a photo. Nearby was a sobering 9-11 tribute to the fallen members of Battalion 9, which included Engine Companies 23, 40 and 54, and Ladder Companies 35 and 4. ...The Awards Luncheon took place in the UN Delegate's Dining Room, which enjoys this spectacular view. I was delighted to catch up with one of my all-time favorite Fuji friends, Tom Curley, at the luncheon. ...The group includes, from left, front row: Keynote Speaker Hiro Sakai, President and CEO, Fujifilm U.S.A., Inc. ; Marty Lavor, WHNPA; James Chung, President, IPC; myself, PPA; George Fulton, APA; Judy Herrman, ASMP;Alice Miller, VP, IPC; and George Davis, PSPA. ...In their remarks, each of the award recipients mentioned how much the families of volunteers must sacrifice when a parent or a spouse is involved in organization leadership. ... That's why it was especially nice to have Julie attend this event with me. Having her take the time away from her job and family made the entire trip very special. Thanks to Fuji's Brandon Remler for forwarding his great images of the UN event.

The Eyes of Texas: Texas School 2008

ann@annmonteith.com — 2008-05-05T14:20:00-04:00

I don't know who has the most fun at the Texas School . . . the students or the instructors. ... If you haven't, then promise yourself that you'll attend in 2009. ...This was my 5th year as an instructor and my second consecutive year of having the privilege of sharing the class with master instructors Beverly and Tim Walden. Here are Bev and Tim, flanked by our class wranglers Becky Peterman and Steve Darilek. When I arrived on Wednesday to take over the class from the Waldens, they told me that this was one of the best classes they had taught, and they were right! Also they commented on how lucky we were to have Becky and Steve as wranglers. Again, they were right on: Becky and Steve were always one step ahead of me, which is such a great teaching situation. Steve, in fact, was honored as the hardest working Wangler at the final-night celebration. ...It's quite a feat to have nearly 1,000 photographers in one location. ...Marathon's Mark Weber dispensing marketing wisdom (I'm thrilled to have Mark as my teaching partner at Marathon's Strategic Marketing Workshops) . . . . . . the remarkable Janice Wendt demonstrating the remarkable NIK Filters (one of my favorite workflow tools) . . . .... . . former PPA President Bob Lloyd and wife Edna (instructing the workflow class I need to take) . . . . . . my favorite former saloon stylist (now photographer) Quinn Hancock, with PPA President Dennis Craft and Past PPA President Helen Yancy . . . ...Kurkian , Angela Talentino (see Angela's wonderful photography in her book with Delores Mize, I Know I Am Loved) . . . .... . . and speaking of instructors, here's the 2008 instructor class photo. As usual, the final night get-together was great fun . . . thousands of dollars worth of door prizes, freebies for those who could snag them, and the incomparable, hilarious Texas School video, produced by the video class. ...If you missed out on the fun, fellowship and great learning, then write this New Year's resolution on your January 2009 calendar: Log on to the Texas School website on January 3 at 11:00 P.M. to sign up for the class of your choice. ... Until then . . . congratulations and a thousand thank-yous to the great Texas School staff, headed by Don Dixon, for another FABULOUS school! Speaking of Don (the guy in charge, with the microphone above), check back in a few days when I have time to post some photos and a story about Don's "new look."

Snack Time With Charlie

ann@annmonteith.com — 2008-04-25T22:52:49-04:00

Just had to share this too funny photo that Helen Yancy sent me today. This is Charlie, Helen's goldendoodle. Apparently Charlie has the Yancy household under complete control. Looking forward to rooming with Helen next week at the Texas School . . . we have a lot to catch up on!

A Memorable Trip to California

ann@annmonteith.com — 2008-04-23T15:27:00-04:00

It's been a long time since I've traveled through John Wayne Airport, located in Orange County, California, the site of Marathon's April Strategic Marketing Plan Workshop. While waiting for my luggage, I snapped several pictures of kids posing on the giant statue of "The Duke," who still ranks as my husband's all-time favorite Hollywood star. I was eagerly anticipating my trip west, knowing that this workshop was sold out, but it wasn't until I arrived and met up with Bill Camacho, Marathon's vice president and fellow workshop staff member, who told me I was invited to the San Clemente home of his old friend Amy Lee and her fiancee Bob Modzelewski. Amy and Bill first met in New York City when both were employed by Madison Avenue advertising firms, and they have remained friends ever since. Amy and Bob recently moved into their new hilltop home with an absolutely breathtaking view of the valley below. The view was matched only by the exquisite art collection that graces the home's elegantly inviting interior. Here's a photo of Amy and Bob in their dining room, which features an exceptional carving of Buddhist deities, crafted entirely from various shades of jade. Not only did Bill and I enjoy an evening of delightful conversation with Bob and Amy, we were treated to a delectable steak dinner, which Bob artfully prepared and elegantly served. Along with a dessert that featured the biggest and most beautiful strawberries I've ever seen, Bob and Amy served ice wine, a dessert wine produced from grapes that have been frozen while still on the wine and pressed from the frozen grapes before fermentation to create a concentrated sweet wine. I've never tasted ice wine before, and I'm absolutely crazy about it! By the end of the evening, I felt as though I had known Bob and Amy for years. I can only hope that our paths will cross again. What a wonderful couple they are!

Marathon Marketing Workshop: Orange County, CA

ann@annmonteith.com — 2008-04-24T14:50:29-04:00

What a treat it was to travel to sunny California for the April Strategic Marketing Workshop. The April weather was divine, especially for workshop staff members Mark Weber, Bill Camacho and myself, as we were pretty fed up with the dismal spring weather at home. Having lunch on the patio was a wonderful change of pace for us. We had a full house of students whom we kept busy doing their marketing planning, and we particularly enjoyed seeing those "light-bulb moments" of marketing insight that occurred during the work sessions. The next workshop will take place in Chicago on May 13-14. For information on this and other future workshops, click here.

Melissa & René Tirado's Chic Urban Space

ann@annmonteith.com — 2008-05-03T14:06:00-04:00

I suppose the reason I love to see studio designs that are urban, contemporary or industrial in style is because each of my studios has been very traditional; it's great fun to see modern, innovative spaces. So I was eager to see the new Boston-area studio of Melissa and René Tirado. After operating out of their home for the past eight years (first from a living room then from a larger house with a separate client entrance), the Tirados moved into their Peabody, Massachusetts space last November. The timing was perfect to show off René and Melissa's great portrait and wedding photography, as their studio was named "Best of Boston 2007" by Boston magazine. Here's a fashionable image of the couple by Australian wedding ace Jerry Ghionis. ...The studio is located in an old mill complex in Peabody Square. ... According to Melissa, the building had been badly neglected over the years, but the current owner has completed restored the complex, which also houses several other local businesses, including a custom furniture-making company, a cable TV station and a gourmet kitchen. The stylish facility features gorgeous 20-foot wood ceilings and beams throughout, which really catch your eye when you walk in the door. Here's another view of the front of the studio looking toward the back. The reception area is in the foreground; and the meeting area is just behind it. ... All workstations are located behind the half wall to the left, and the shooting area is behind the floor-to-celiling drapes. From the back, here's a view looking toward the front of the space. From this view of the meeting table, you can view the customizable shooting area and "portrait wall." Here's another view of the camera space, which is so flexible that the Tirados can use it as a workout center with a personal trainer! Here's a look at the studio's new state-of-the art theater setup created especially for viewing sessions. Finally, here's the Tirado's "portrait wall," featuring examples from the studio's new "Inspire Guide," a book they have created especially for clients. It contains pages of ideas and inspirations on how to turn images into art for the home and office. So cheers to Melissa and René Tirado: May you enjoy many years of creativity and prosperity in your gorgeous new studio! To view the Tirado's photography, log on to their website at www.tiradophotography.com.

Seeing Yourself . . . Through Your Client's Eyes

ann@annmonteith.com — 2008-04-16T11:24:26-04:00

Want to assure that your business stays on course? There's no better way to know how your business is doing than to ask your clients. This concept has worked in my business, and it is something that I've taught in business management classes for years; but I don't know many photographers who have taken the time for follow this advice. That's why I was so pleased to hear from Stockbridge, Georgia photographer Molly Purvinesthat she had done just that. Molly took six of her clients to brunch to have some fun and to talk some business. The result: "They had some really great ideas to help grow my business, and they gave me really honest feedback," she said. "One of things that surprised me was how much they are genuinely interested in each other. They asked about each other's kids, talked about their sessions with me, and even want to bring their albums next year to share with one another." Yes, the group is already planning to get together again, including a possible family portrait safari in Florida. They're even talking about other future, more exotic locations. ...Molly also received great feedback about how the ladies reacted to having her business in her home. One client said she had some reservations about it, but that the quality of her work alleviated her fears. Furthermore, when she returned for the sales session, Molly served cheese and crackers and punch in stemware. The client remarked that when she purchased her $400,000 house, she didn’t even get water in a paper cup from her real estate agent, so that the quality of her experience was really impressive. So here's some good advice from Molly: "If you are ever feeling down take six of your best clients out for brunch. It’s pretty darn cool to have people say really nice things about you for two hours!" And I promise . . . you'll learn a lot! ...Below is waitress's photo of Molly (top row, left) and her clients: You can see more images from Molly's party on her blog at www.purvinesphotography.com/blog

Irish Friends - A Wrapup

ann@annmonteith.com — 2008-04-10T20:39:06-04:00

Today I heard from several of "The Irish Six," who are back at work in Ireland. Donal sent me these two photos of the group on a shopping outing and of them just generally enjoying Chicago on their last night in America: These pictures will always remind me of the magical time we shared together. I know we have forged lasting friendships, and I will follow their personal and professional exploits with the utmost interest. With a little bit of luck and planning, I'll get to see each of them again when Jim and I visit Ireland in the fall. I can't wait!

Irish Friends - Day 7

ann@annmonteith.com — 2008-04-09T17:30:00-04:00

On the last day of their "downstate" visit to Illinois, the crew from Ireland packed up and traveled to the Chicago suburb of Mokena, where we were graciously received by Bert and Cindy Behnke at their spectacular residential studio. I feel like I've know one Behnke or another for all of my photographic life. One of the very first professional programs I attended was presented by Bert's Mom, Connie, who is known throughout the industry for her business acumen. I learned so much from her that day, and I am enormously proud to be associated with her as a recipient of the Charles H. ... So it was a special treat when Connie arrived to visit with us, and it was great to see her husband, Dom, as well. It was my extreme pleasure to serve on the PPA Board of Directors with Bert, who distinguished himself as PPA president in so many ways, most especially as the force behind the creation of PPA Charities, which today Bert serves as Development Director. I first met Cindy shortly before her marriage to Bert, and it's been a delight to serve with her on print judging panels, including last year's International Competition in Florida. I've always wanted to visit the Behnke's studio, so this was a very special opportunity. Behnke Photographers was founded in 1956 in Cicero, Illinois by Bert's parent's Al and Connie, and Bert purchased the studio from them in 1985, when they moved to Clearwater, Florida, and opened another studio. Bert and Cindy relocated the business to a beautiful two-acre wooded site in Mokena six years ago, creating a home with a dedicated studio wing, making it one of the most accommodating residential studios I've ever seen, not to mention the most beautifully decorated. We all marveled at Bert's contracting skills and Cindy's taste in creating a such a stylish, yet welcoming, environment that highlights photography as decorative art. I was enchanted by the antique camera, which welcomes you at the studio entrance. ...As you walk into the studio you are treated to this beautiful focal point, which showcases the decorative power of family portraiture. Throughout the studio portraiture continues to take center stage among other beautiful home furnishings. Here Bert, who was on a break from jury duty, answers questions for the Irish visitors, after which we enjoyed a delightful luncheon prepared by Cindy and Connie. Bert and Cindy, at left, join the visitors, and Mom Connie, on the exquisite staircase of the home's elegant foyer. Eventually we found our way to the airport, where I bid a reluctant goodbye to my Irish friends, who headed into Chicago for a final night's fling. Here I am in a last-minute photo with Donal. The trip back to Pennsylvania was uneventful, but it was a bit of a letdown to leave such delightful friends behind.

Irish Friends - Day 6

ann@annmonteith.com — 2008-04-09T15:37:35-04:00

After a final morning of working on marketing plans, Jed treated all of us to a Photoshop class that, unlike most you attend, had to do with profitability. Jed's message is simple: Time is Money! if you save time on routine Photoshop matters, your business will be less confusing, less chaotic, and more profitable. AMEN. Here he is explaining how essential a Wacom tablet and stylus are to saving time and improving artistry. I learned this from my dear friend Helen Yancy, who routinely informs her Photoshop/Painter classes that "You can't retouch with a rock," and "You can't paint with a rock," referring of course to the mouse that way too many photographers want to use. I was awed by Jed's instructional style, as well as the incredible actions and templates he has created. I was quick to purchase the "V Gallery eVolution" package, which includes these items that will save me countless hours. You can learn about everything contained in this helpful resource by clicking here. At the end of the day we packed up our belongings and and captured a few fun images at Haven. Tomorrow my "Illinois Odyssey" will be over when I deliver "The Irish 6" back to Chicago and head for home. We'll have one more stop on the way: Behnke Photography in Mokena, a suburb of Chicago. I'm certain that we will never forget the wondeful days we spent learning together at Haven, and we can't thank Jed and Vicki Taufer enough for this opportunity!

Irish Friends - Day 5

ann@annmonteith.com — 2008-04-06T08:40:20-04:00

After a morning of marketing, we took a lunch break with Jed, who is holding down the fort and preparing for an in-studio class while Vicki is on a visit to Guatemala. Getting back to class, everyone checked out BellaGrafica marketing products. Ever the gracious host, Jed prepares prepares dinner at the Taufer homestead . . . . . . where we discovered a virtual Fun Zone of electronic toys! So after a delicious dinner, the gang settled down for a room-rocking viewing of the high-decibel movie Transformers. Here Jed spends some face time with Vicki who iChatted with him from Guatemala and waved to the rest of the group, which included Jed's brother, Kip, and other friends who came by for dinner and to watch the Final Four basketball semi-finals. So the Irish delegation got a great look at what goes on on a Saturday night in middle America . . . . . . including a truly unforgetable Irish/American romping, stomping high-tech rock-and-roll karaoke session. That's Kip Taufer on drums. By the end of the evening everyone was suffering from laughing pains. Trust me, you had to be there. :-)

Irish Friends - Day 4

ann@annmonteith.com — 2008-04-05T00:48:21-04:00

What's the best reward you can give to a group of Irish photographers who've spent two days in the classroom working on financial and marketing plans? That's easy: take them on a studio tour! So mid-afternoon yesterday we packed up and drove a short way to the uber-chic studio of Jeff and Julia Woods in the nearby town of Washington, Illinois. There we received a tour of the urban-style studio that is a perfect reflection of the Woods' personalities. As was the case with our previous studio visits, Jeff and Julia's hospitality, friendship, and willingness to share with the us was spectacular and very much appreciated. Julia presented her sales philosophy, which is central to the studio's business concept . . . . . . while Jeff provided insight into his approach to creating cutting-edge products. It's been a while since I've had some time to visit with Julia, so this was a special treat for me. There was plenty of time for Q&A with the Woods . . . . . . as well as just soaking in the studio's fabulous ambience. And there was time for laughs as well. With hardly any prompting, the fearless Donal O'Connell took the driver's seat for this group photo before we moved on to a wonderful dinner at a nearby Italian/Irish restaurant: Basta O'Neils. What a great adventure with Jeff and Julia! Tomorrow it will be back to work on marketing plans. Thanks to the Woods for their warmth, wit, and wisdom! By the way, the Woods have just posted a May 19-20 date for another session of their always-sold-out in-studio workshops . . . a fantastic educational opportunity. To learn more, click here.

Irish Friends - Day 3

ann@annmonteith.com — 2008-04-03T23:06:26-04:00

Today it was strictly down to work, as the Irish 6 used SuccessWare to analyze their businesses. Tomorrow, they'll take their findings and develop new profit-building strategies. Of special interest to me was the burdensome and confusing Irish VAT tax that thank heavens U.S. photographers don't have to contend with!

Irish Friends - Day 2

ann@annmonteith.com — 2008-04-03T00:16:00-04:00

Our first day of instruction started with a warm welcome to V Gallery and Haven from Vicki and Jed Taufer. Vicki delighted everyone with fast-paced insights as to how V Gallery approaches marketing and management, including a live sales demonstration of ProSelect. Those who have visited V Gallery and Haven marvel at how Jed and Vicki have created such unique and appealing spaces within a building that once was a bowling alley. After taking a late-afternoon tour of Jed's parents' home, we gained special insight into at least one source of their creative inspiration: Jed's wondrously talented father, Dana Taufer. We were thrilled to be invited to visit the mind-boggling house that Dana hand-built himself, over 8 years, with help from his sons. With no plans to guide him, other than the remarkable vision in his head, and using recycled materials, Dana created what Jed described as "kind of a 'hobbit house for adults,' " which, as you can see from the photo below, is a delightfully apt description. Here Suzanne and Padraic enjoy the wit of the architect himself, Dana Taufer. Photographs of this intriguing house simply cannot convey the brilliant creativity that is revealed when you see it in person. With a ceiling height of 37 feet and 70 different exterior wall angles, this one-of-a-kind home literally defies description. It's the type of dwelling you would expect to see on an HGTV program about spectacularly unique homes. What an totally unexpected and absolutely delightful experience . . . a rare reward after a busy classroom day!

Irish Friends - Day 1

ann@annmonteith.com — 2008-04-02T02:50:25-04:00

Anyone who knows me, knows how much I love Ireland, the Irish people, and especially Irish photographers. So this week is a much-anticipated opportunity for me to pay back some of the wonderful hospitality I've received in Ireland by hosting six Irish photographers on a learning and studio-visiting odyssey in Illinois. Several of my terrific photographer buddies are sharing their hospitality as well. Our ultimate destination is V Gallery, Vicki and Jed Taufer's extraordinary boutique studio and their education center, called "Haven," in Morton IL. Our first stop on the way was Springfield, IL, where Sarah Petty hosted the group at her fabulous home, which is beautifully decorated with her portraiture. Our group is shown below with Sarah, outside her home. They are, from left: Padraic Deasy, of Newbridge, County Kildare (deasyphotographic.com); Donal O'Connell, of Douglas, County Cork (imagesphotography.ie); Frances Muldoon, of Rosses Point, County Sligo; Mary McCoullough of Nenagh, County Tipperary, (sourcephotography.ie); Suzanne Toal, of Monaghan, County Monaghan (zanni.ie); Maria Dunphy, Kilkenny, County Kilkenny (oliverofkilkenny.com). ...Once inside, Sarah explained her philosophy of interior design using portraits . . . in the same manner that she provides this information to clients. Her home literally is the perfect showcase for portraiture as decorative home furnishings. Joining us was daughter Grace Petty, one of Sarah's favorite subjects. ...Grace was proud to show off her room . . . ...We enjoyed a great meal together in the retail plaza where Sarah Petty Photography is located. Joining us was Sarah's associate Andria Crawford, and graphic designer extraordinaire Beth Camplain of Hotdog Design. During our visit to Sarah's studio, I FINALLY got to meet Sarah's husband, who I've been referring to as "Virtual Joe." It was wonderful to finally meet the real Joe Petty! ...After an explanation of how she works in the camera room . . . ...Sarah moved on to a discussion of her favorite subject: marketing and branding. From the enthusiastic conversation in the van as we journeyed on to Morton, the feeling of our Irish friends was that it would have been worth the trip to America, just for this experience with Sarah. ... Stay tuned for more adventures of "The Irish Six."

An Anniversary: Happy April Fool's Day

ann@annmonteith.com — 2008-04-01T10:49:00-04:00

Good Morning! A year ago today I made a commitment to start a blog as a means of communicating more efficiently with photographers who are interested in marketing and management issues. I was a bit apprehensive about this commitment of time, but I thought I'd give it a try, and I'm so glad I did. I've made a lot of new friends through this medium, and I truly enjoy the process. In the coming weeks I'll have some interesting features to post, so I hope you'll continue to take a look. In the meantime, I'm about to embark on an exciting adventure: I'm in Chicago today where I will meet up with six Irish photographers who have traveled here to visit some American studios and to learn more about marketing and management. In a few hours, we'll set off in a rented van, with me driving, to visit with Sarah Petty in Springfield, IL. What a treat! I visited the studios of two of the photographers, Suzanne Toal and Maria Dunphy, when I conducted a seminar last fall for the Irish PPA in Athlone. I wrote about them in the Ireland Journal section of my blog. I'm so excited to see these great ladies again and really eager to meet the other four members of "The Irish Six." I'll introduce them when I have a chance to write again. So it looks like April Fool's Day is becoming an important day in my life. Hope you have a good one! Ann

The Sweet Way To Sales:<br>Keeping The Customer in Mind

ann@annmonteith.com — 2008-03-26T22:40:00-04:00

Last evening Marathon's Bill Camacho and Mark Weber and I had dinner with Steve Troup, whose Buckeye Color Lab was hosting a Marathon Strategic Marketing Workshop in Columbus, Ohio. ... Earlier that day, I had presented a workshop section on the branding tools that are part of "The Marketing Mix" . . . the time-honored 4 P's of Marketing: Product, Promotion, Place and Price. Just when we were about to tell the waiter that we didn't care to have dessert we knew he was about to offer, we observed the 4 P's at work in a very effective marketing twist. Instead of asking us if we cared to have dessert, the waiter presented us with a beautiful tray featuring 8 innocent-looking mini-desserts attractively presented in shot glasses. He skillfully informed us that these delicious-looking deserts were only $2 each. ...When you think about it, what's are the major objections to dessert? ...Even if you love dessert better than life, you're already stuffed, and now you are forced to prove to your friends that you have no will power. Heaven forbid you should be the first one to give in to your sweet tooth! ...The size of the average dessert today blows every rational eating plan out of the water. ...The cost: Dessert is now as expensive as a main course was not too many years ago. So in one clever offering, P.F. Chang's has solved all three problems, approaching the Marketing Mix in a brilliant fashion: ...One shot glass of dessert won't hurt anyone. ... Besides it's much more fun to have your cake and Tiramisu too! Promotion: All it took was a few words from the waiter . . . then we created further viral buzz by telling our class about our experience. ...Place: Our experience at P.F. Chang's was very positive, and this literally put the cherry on the top of the evening! ...When you put yourself in the consumer's shoes by providing something the consumer really values, then it's amazing what can happen. According to the waiter, this outside-the-box approach to dessert has tripled dessert sales . . . a sweet reward for everyone involved!

Marathon Marketing Workshop: Columbus, OH

ann@annmonteith.com — 2008-03-27T22:31:00-04:00

Another full house for Marathon's Strategic Marketing Plan Workshop in Columbus, Ohio this week! It is so awesome to see photographers taking the marketing of their businesses so seriously. Next stop . . . Orange County, California. Click here for dates and locations of future Workshops.

Making Marketing Joyful!

ann@annmonteith.com — 2008-03-19T22:49:27-04:00

It was a gloomy rainy day outside yesterday, and inside it was just a typical day at the office: stuff to do and deadlines to meet. Then the mail man delivered a bright ray of sunshine in the form of my monthly Cafe Joy package from marketing guru Sarah Petty. Cafe Joy is a monthly subscription service that, as Sarah says, allows you to improve your marketing skills "one bite at a time." Each month something really neat arrives in the mail: from great promotional ideas Sarah has tested, or copies of her award-winning marketing pieces, to tips and resources and other welcome doses of monthly inspiration. Among the items in this month's mailing was a step-by-step "recipe" for a clever Mother's Day promotion. It provides everything you need to get the promotion off the ground . . . including a CD with promotional graphics. And I loved the "Painting Party" challenge contest for creating an original painted background. Really fun stuff! Membership in Cafe Joy also includes members' only webinars and access to resources in Cafe Joy's "Pantry." If you want to learn from one of the best marketing minds in the industry . . . a lady who really walks the walk in her own studio, I'm confident that you will benefit from membership in Cafe Joy. And you'll love the darling recipe box that comes with your membership: A great place to store Sarah's tasty morsels of marketing genius! To learn more about Cafe Joy, visit Sarah's Joy of Marketing website and click on Cafe Joy. You also can download a PDF the spells out all the member benefits by clicking here.

Marathon Marketing Workshop: Atlanta

ann@annmonteith.com — 2008-03-14T13:18:40-04:00

Congratulations to the hard-working photographers who completed Marathon's Strategic Marketing Plan Workshop in Atlanta this week! Click here for dates and locations of future Workshops.

Eyes of the Storm

ann@annmonteith.com — 2008-03-13T21:32:00-04:00

I met a truly remarkable man at a recent SMS Class. His name is Chris Lommel, and his studio is located in Big Lake, MN. Chris very kindly sent me a copy of a photograph that is very meaningful to him. Rather than tell you Chris's extraordinary story, with his permission I'm reproducing the Artist Statement that came along with the image: ...Just after 9 p.m. a storm was passing over Monticello, Minnesota. ...Intrigued by the power of meteorological forces and cloud formations, I had my camera in hand and looked toward the sky. I was drawn to the sight of what appeared to be an eye. Soon a second eye and the likeness of a face in the clouds were clearly visible. ...The sighting that night was significant to me. It had been nearly three years since a stem cell transplant saved my life from the intense fatigue and pain of bone marrow cancer. It took three years to gain significant energy back to my system since the year-long treatment in 2002. ... I sensed both that night under the watchful "Eyes of the Storm." This exceptional image was one of four images selected for Merit print status at PPA's 2006 International Print Competition, which allowed him to be recognized as a "Photographer of the Year" at PPA's ImagingUSA convention in San Antonio in January, 2007. An achievement that any photographer would relish, Chris's honor was all the more remarkable for a man who had miraculously rebounded after more than a year of chemotherapy and radiation treatments that culminated with a stem cell transplant to cure his multiple myeloma. You can read more about Chris and see photos of his beautifully landscaped home-studio gardens in the upcoming April issue of Professional Photographer magazine. In the meantime, you can visit his website by clicking here. As I write this entry, to my left is Chris's "Eyes of the Storm" image, to which he has added the following text: When the storms of life are upon you, remember the Lord said: "I will never leave you nor forsake you." -Joshua 1:5. I truly treasure this comforting image and the unforgettable photographer who created it.

Creating an Urban-Chic Vibe in the Iowa Heartland

ann@annmonteith.com — 2008-03-09T22:51:00-04:00

I met a great couple at the Studio Management Services Workshop in Atlanta last month, and they were kind enough to let me give you a peek into their business world. They are Anne and Quinn Kirkpatrick of Small Wonders Photography in Davenport, IA, who are pictured below with their 6-year-old son, Ethan. Small Wonders is located an an industrial-style loft space in the Bucktown Center for the Arts, which is situated along the Mississippi river front in the heart of Davenport. ... Quinn uses an upstairs room for studio shoots, and they also have access to other areas in the building for indoor shoots, including a conference room space. The Kirkpatricks moved their studio to the center as soon as the renovations of the former furniture warehouse were completed in July 2005. Eighteen other studios and galleries are housed in the building including jewelry designers, painters, sculptors, etc., with over 100 artists represented. Anne explains that on the last Friday of each month, the entire building hosts an evening-hours "Final Friday" open house. "We usually serve light food and wine, and the entire building hosts live music in one of the main studios, along with a featured exhibit," she says. ...We chose a white couch and tempered it with a warm cherry-wood coffee table to complement the studio’s natural wood floors and beams. We try to hide our desk area so it's not the focus of the studio (only 400 sq. feet), and our projector is mounted on a ceiling beam, so it is out of sight." ...Another aspect of the Kirkpatrick's business that really interested me is their mall display kiosk and the banners they use to grab attention. ..."Quinn and I did a lot of research on mall displays, and everything we read said that they really work if they’re done right. We decided that if we were going to take the plunge ($333 per month), our display HAD to be eye-catching and consistent with the brand we are bulding. So along with our designer, we decided the main images of the display should be big and dramatic. ...Our designer — he and I worked together in my past life in an ad agency — had this cool 3-D design program we used to figure out what images we should place where. It allowed him to pop the images into the template he designed, move them around and determine how each image would look on each side of the display case." ...The kiosk is located in front of Bath and Body Works, which is great for attracting moms, brides, and high school seniors. ...Anne says that one of their objectives for the kiosk was to make it look different from any other photographer in the mall. I believe you will agree that they have hit a home run with both the kiosk and their handsome studio space!

Need a Good Laugh?

ann@annmonteith.com — 2008-03-04T11:02:19-05:00

Carol Andrews passed a great link on to me under the heading "Your Screen Looks Dirty: Use this!" Click here and enjoy!

SMS Workshop Students Shine in Atlanta

ann@annmonteith.com — 2008-03-03T11:31:56-05:00

Three days of marketing, management and sales education flew by at the February SMS 3-Day Workshop held at PPA Headquarters in Atlanta. As always, it was great to work with my teaching buddy Carol Andrews and the Studio Management Services staff, and a great group of students kept us on our toes. Lots of business problems solved, and many new friendships made. The next 3-day SMS Workshop is scheduled for June 9-11 in Atlanta, and Carol and I will be joined by Sarah Petty, therefore a fun time is guaranteed! For information, click here.

Lots of Firsts at PPA's "Basic Training" Class

ann@annmonteith.com — 2008-02-29T11:25:20-05:00

Many of the thirty students who turned out for the very first Studio Management Services "Basic Training" Class received their first PPA Merits at the conclusion of one of the most delightful classes I've taught. I was pleased to share the teaching duties with Carol Andrews (that's us in the front row), who answered a 911 call to head to Atlanta last Friday, when it looked as though I might be stranded in PA because of an east coast snowstorm. This was the first time I've had to call for reinforcements on a travel day. Well both of us made it to Atlanta, but not until midnight. So glad we did, as we met some really delightful folks who were either considering careers in photography or had already taken the plunge and wanted to learn the fundamentals of marketing and managing a photography business. Their wholehearted endorsement of this new two-day class means that Studio Management Services will mostly likely be offering the class again. If you know of someone who wants to learn what our industry is all about, or if you have a friend who is struggling with the business side of photography, I hope you will refer them to Studio Management Services at PPA. They should have a new class date posted soon.

Molly Purvines: Hooked on Management

ann@annmonteith.com — 2008-03-16T23:38:29-04:00

I have received several updates from Molly Purvines, of Stockbridge, GA, since she attended last May's Guerrilla Management Workshop. It's been a busy year for Molly, who more than doubled her 2006 sales as well as surpassing her 2007 sales goal with two-and-a-half months left in the year. ... Molly's financial progress was due in part to a price increase, better monitoring of her financial using SuccessWare, and also to the fact that she really "gets" the management side of photography. Molly operates her home studio out of only 350 square feet, but she truly makes the most of this space. After the Workshop, she reported making the following changes, which you can see in the photos below: "I redecorated with expensive-looking fabrics and chairs, installed hardwood floors, purchased a new coffee table, began serving cheese, crackers and fruit at every sales session (a huge hit!), and hung three 24x36 framed canvas portraits with my tag line featured overhead." ...Recently Molly told me about her a clever buzz-creating event she hosed for the most recent class of 5 grads from Bebe Nouveau, the studio's baby's-first-year program. As is typical with any group of 1-year-olds, everything was fine until the group photo! You can see other less chaotic images of the darling grads in their Bebe Diplome t-shirts by visiting Molly's Blog. While you're at it, take a look at Molly's website; it's a really lovely presentation of her terrific work. ...In another recent email, she wrote the following: "Next month I am taking 10 of my best clients out for brunch. ... What they like, what would they like to see changed, what keeps them coming back, etc. — I plan to use their responses for new marketing pieces. ... What a great way to keep the your business focused on the client . . . certainly one of the best management techniques there is. Finally, I want to share some words of wisdom that I just received from Molly: My best client was here this morning. ... In just two weeks, she has handed out about 10 of them and I have already received three phone calls. ... The existing client receives a $100 gift certificate to use on new sessions when a friend books with me. She said to me this morning, 'Wow this is such a great program, I hope you will be doing it more often.' I told her that this has always been my referral program. ... I have always verbalized this program to my clients, but never put it in writing. ... If you want your clients to do something . . . put it in writing!"

Anything for an Omelet!

ann@annmonteith.com — 2008-02-16T23:08:51-05:00

Ronnie Owings is the owner of one of the most charming studios I've ever visited, Pro Studio at the Garden Cottage in McDonough, GA. During his year in commercial photography, Ronnie photographed many bed-and-breafast establishments for magazines such as Better Homes and Gardens. So when he remodeled the vintage cottage to house his portraiture business, he deliberately chose to furnish it in bed-and-breakfast style. You feel instantly at home when you step through the door; many clients say it's like a visit to grandma's house. The cottage is just a starting point. Ronnie went on to build a thoroughly modern camera room designed to look like a carriage house, just behind the cottage, and he has designed a host of outdoor environments on his acreage that are perfect for photography. Over the years, Ronnie has hosted all manner of barnyard critters that are a real treat for kids and a hit in portraits. The latest, he says, is a hen that doesn't mind being held. He said it is especially popular with seniors. I questioned whether senior boys would actually want to be photographed holding a chicken. "Lots of them," he replied, and he followed up by sending me the photo of the young man below. Ronnie's particularly fond of he he, he says, because he gets to enjoy a fresh-egg omelet for lunch every day! Imagine that: the prop that keeps on giving! Here's a photo of the shed set where Ronnie made the portrait. If you want a real treat, take a moment and look at Ronnie's wonderful photography at his very impressive website: http://www.prostudionet.com, and be sure to visit the Garden Cottage section that includes photos of the charming studio environment that greets Ronnie's lucky clients.

The Silly Season is Upon Us!

ann@annmonteith.com — 2008-02-12T11:09:00-05:00

Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly and applying the wrong remedies. ...At the risk of sounding like a seasoned cynic, I agree with Groucho . . . at least part of the time. I know there are many very dedicated public servants who want to do the right thing for the people who elect them, but given the seemingly unlimited resources of ever-competing special-interest groups, it's quite a challenge for any politician to break party ranks in search of "the right thing." So the political sausage machine grinds on, and for the small business person, the sausage options are not very tasty during an election year, when party rancor drowns out the common sense voices of the hardworking business people looking for a fair shake. Even though we represent much of the engine that fuels the American economy, our voice is hard to hear above the rancor of mindless politics. But that's no excuse for not doing the best we can with what we are offered on election day. At the very least, make sure you know where the candidates stand . . . if you can make any sense out of what passes for political reporting during a presidential election year. ...But if you are concerned about the future of small business, then, in my opinion, you should look at the candidates' positions on the following: • Tax rates: Does the candidate pledge not to raise them for short-term gain? ...PPA estimates that 70% of those without health insurance will be able to buy policies if trade associations were allowed to form the same group plans that are available to unions and government workers. • The death tax: Urge candidates to do away with it, or we'll continue to lose family farms and other small businesses. ...Enacted by a cranky Congress in 1969, it was passed specifically to punish a mere 155 high-income households that were eligible for so many tax benefits that they owed little or no income tax under the Federal Tax Code. But because it was not indexed for inflation, this onerous tax could now include families that earn as little as $100,000. To keep Americans from hosting a modern-day Boston Tea Party, Congress has in recent years passed one-year patches aimed at minimizing the impact of the tax. For 2007, a patch was passed in December, but only after the IRS had already designed its forms for 2007. ... But worst of all, the government continues to gobble up the proceeds of this undeserved tax windfall. Give it a few more years, and Congress will be so addicted to the AMT that it will have little will or even fewer options for redirecting this taxation nightmare. ... • Social Security reform: In spite of the fact that it is the untouchable third rail of American politics, look for leaders who are determined to fix Social Security through unpopular measures such as raising the retirement age and/or reducing benefits. ...So keep your ears open and your fingers crossed for a Miracle November.

Preview: Marathon's NEW 2-Day Marketing Workshop

ann@annmonteith.com — 2008-02-17T11:15:00-05:00

Thanks to one of my favorite photographers, Dave Cruz of Meza, Arizona, I'm able show you some great shots from a test workshop that took place in Atlanta two weeks ago. I'll be writing more about Dave soon, but right now I'd like to tell you why I'm so excited about this workshop and why I believe it is exactly what photographers need — if they are really serious about building a truly effective comprehensive studio marketing plan. For the past six years I've been privileged to facilitate marketing workshops at Marathon's headquarters in Norfolk, NE. ... In creating the new workshop series, we have built on what we have learned through the on-site workshops; equally important, we have taken into consideration the profound changes that have occurred in our industry in recent years. What pleases me most is that the new workshop format will give us the opportunity to help photographers accomplish what I believe is often overlooked when they start to market: We'll have the time and resources to help them to clarify the direction of their marketing from the ground up, beginning with a reevaluation of their business concept, then moving through all the steps that are necessary to build or reinforce a recognizable and meaningful brand. ...Cr.,MEI, a former studio photographer and industry consultant who now works for Marathon, will be joining me as workshop leader, and we will assist attendees in completing a series of hands-on exercises. The purpose of the work sessions is to allow studios to emerge with a reliable marketing plan based on marketing strategies specific to their business model and goals. At the heart of the process is determining what changes studios must make — both in their business concept and their approach to the market — in order to remain viable in today’s crowded and rapidly evolving marketplace. Joining Mark and me at the Atlanta workshop was Bill Camacho, Marathon's executive vice president. We couldn't have asked for a better group than the 26 photographers who agreed to participate in a "dress rehearsal" for the new workshop. They worked through the process with diligence and enthusiasm, and they were enormously helpful with their feedback about the workshop content and process. ...The work sessions were designed to allow each studio to complete sections of their marketing plan independently, and attendees also benefitted from group sessions that spotlighted strategies for specific markets such as family and children, seniors, and weddings. ...If we were to give an award to the best "trouper" at the workshop, it would surely have to go to a very pregnant Kristin Smith, shown above at left, who gave birth to her third son one week after the workshop. Parker Smith, the proud father, is shown below, at left, with Marathon's Bill Camacho (standing) and Mark Weber. ...Starting in March Marathon's two-day Strategic Marketing Workshops will be offered at locations throughout the country. Workshop tuition is a bargain at $295 for up to two people from the same studio. ... I can guarantee you two days of hard work . . . but I believe you'll find it to be worth the investment in both time and money. ...And special thanks to Dave Cruz for providing the photos that allowed me to share this preview with you. I hope to see many of you at a workshop sometime this year!

Feb. Workshop: Wonderful Folks — Awsome Talent!

ann@annmonteith.com — 2008-02-14T12:00:00-05:00

I tell every Guerrilla Management Workshop I teach that each class is memorable for a distinct reason, and the February workshop was no exception: This was one of the most talented groups of photographers I've had the pleasure of working with. I usually have time to grab some candids of what's going on. But these 15 studios kept Judy and me so busy, that there was no time for anything but hard work. So I decided to ask each studio to send me a single image to showcase their talents. Some have already come in, and I'll keep adding to the collection. ...James & Jenny Tarpley, Visio Photography, Marion, NC ...Pauline Fredericks, Pauline Fredericks, Photography, Sierra Vista, AZ ...Margaret and Frank Kukuc, Margaret Kukuc Photography, Burr Ridge, IL ...Patty Fox, Patty Fox Photography, Woodland, TX ...Sally Merritt Swart, Cantin Photography, Tiverton, RI Marie Papp, Marie Papp Photography, Hoboken, NJ ...Mary Ann Halpin & Joe Croyle, Mary Ann Halpin Photography, Los Angeles, CA ...Frank & Fiorella Cunha, Here's My Baby! ...Kathleen Dylan, Dylan Studios, Los Altos, CA ...Kathleen wrote the following about the image above: "The older woman is in her final days, at the end of a long battle with throat cancer...she has a tracheotomy, missing teeth, and shows the effects of months of chemo...but her daughter wanted an image of her and her grandchildren where she looked like her spirit was alive, and showed her love for her family, as well as making her look healthy...anyway, something of a fun challenge for me, and the client was pleased as well." A wonderful job and a great reminder of the wonder privilege we have in documenting the lives of our subjects. ...Like me, Sally Swart is a Corgi parent: She has two Corgis — Maxwell and Ruby. I can't resist posting this darling image that Sally took of the kids dressed for Halloween in 2007. I'm not sure that my Mitzi would be quite so accommodating.

You Can't Keep A Good Woman Down!

ann@annmonteith.com — 2008-01-31T12:23:11-05:00

I closed out the month of January in Atlanta, teaching a three-day SMS Workshop with my great friend, Carol Andrews, who had been battling a stubborn cold for a while. Talk about coming prepared . . . I watched Carol rummage through her purse for something she was struggling to find. When she finally dumped the contents, she had a veritable pharmacy with her, so I grabbed this shot. In spite of her suffering, Carol was her usual brilliant self during her teaching and consulting segments. We had 12 really wonderful studio owners on hand for this workshop, and I expect big things in 2008 for this group! Carol and I will be back in Atlanta for another SMS workshop on February 25-27. A few seats remain, so if you want more information, click here.

What I Learned During the NFL Playoffs

ann@annmonteith.com — 2008-01-22T15:34:51-05:00

Once it became clear that the Pittsburgh Steelers would be out of the running for the Super Bowl, I stopped feeling guilty about rooting for New England to go all the way. Back in 1972, I had cheered on the Miami Dolphins when they broke they league record by racking up 16 consecutive wins in a single season; so it was just delicious to savor the excitement of a possible 17-win season. As was the case with the Dolphin's record-setting game, I got so nervous with the Patriot's twists and turns that I had to calm myself down by working on a slide show for Marathon's new Strategic Marketing Workshop series while I kept one eye on the game. ...It was a serendipitous move, as I got lots of good examples to illustrate a point I wanted to make in the upcoming workshop program: You need to clearly define the Core Values of your business before you start to market. ...It was hard not to, because I kept being drawn back to this rhythmical message: "Burgers made to order so they're always hot and juicy." ... What a great job of looking at a product from the consumer's point of view. The promise Wendy's was making was to give me EXACTLY what I want when I'm hungry for a hamburger. ... On several sections of the site, I found the company's Core Values clearly articulated. ...>At Wendy's, we're unrivaled in our passion for giving people what they want - and uncompromising in giving people what they deserve. ...And certainly not on being the defender of good taste for people everywhere. If you take the time to dissect Wendy's current ad campaign (you can see videos of them on the site), you'll see how these Core Values run through the entire campaign. ...When you go there, you'll find some great business advice from Wendy's Founder, the late Dave Thomas. You can read Dave's values by clicking on the graphic below, then find the "In His Values" link on mini-site tribute to Dave. Then, get some real words of business wisdom by clicking on the "In His Words" link found on the mini-site. My favorite Dave quote is this: "You can't have a clean floor with a dirty mop bucket. To be successful, you need to take care of the basics of your business - and that means making sure you don't overlook the little details." Well . . . the Patriots won the game, I finished my slide show, and I confirmed that photographers can learn a lot about marketing from "the big boys." The next day I stopped at Wendy's and had a really good burger. I'm pleased to report that it was indeed made to order and definitely qualified as hot and juicy.

Summing up Tampa: Fun, Fellowship and LEARNING!

ann@annmonteith.com — 2008-01-10T22:38:13-05:00

I hope you were one of the more than 8,500 photographers who attended PPA's ImagingUSA convention in Tampa this week. ... As you can see from my night-time photo of the convention center above, I hardly had a chance to enjoy the wonderful weather during the day, but that was O.K., because what was going on inside the convention was so awesome. Just to prove that I did get out in the sun a couple of times, here's a photo of me having a little timeout with friends Carrie and Phil Viohl, who attended last May's Guerrilla Management Class in Deep Creek. ...A real high point for me was the PPA Charities Celebration, where Charities President Mary Fisk-Taylor presented a check for $52,000 to Operation Smile, PPACH's charitable partner. I'm so proud of all the studios who raised this money for such a worthy cause, and I'm excited that photographers are really taking this magnificent charity to their hearts. Fellow Charities Trustee Angie Weedon and I will be heading up this year's Family Portrait Month promotion, so I'll keep you filled in on what's planned for 2008. Because I was involved in two platform presentations, I didn't have much time to see the incredible array of talent at the convention, but I did make it a point to stop in to see Frank Donnino's program on the baby plan for which he has become so well known. It was wonderful to witness a packed room learn the inspirational story of how Frank overcame adversity and went from a dead-end job to a profession where he brings such joy to families in his community. ...It's the sign outside his huge program room directing attendees to a nearby overflow venue that was set up with a live video feed. ...I'm happy to say that my program on "The Boutique Studio Revolution" and the the Roundtable panel, "The Art of Success," also filled up both the meeting room and the overflow room. It was so exciting to see how this new business model has caught fire with photographers who are seeking to establish their reputation for artful photography and exceptional customer service. I was so honored to moderate the panel, which I called the boutique studio "dream team": Beverly and Tim Walden; Sandy (Sam) Puc'; Jed and Vicki Taufer; Sarah Petty; Jeff and Julia Woods; and Lori Nordstrom. ...BellaGrafica, as you probably know, is the company formed this year by Marathon Press for the specific purpose of helping boutique studios market their photography to upscale clients . . . particularly women, who are the primary focus of this emerging business model. Marathon chose the IUSA trade show to be the debut of their BellaGrafica line, and it was the talk of the show among photographers interested in boutique studios. ...I got a real kick out of listening to studio owners tell how grateful they are to this incredible software for helping them make more money and simplify their business lives. ...The final night of IUSA was a real treat for me, as Sarah Petty did me the honor of asking me to sponsor her at the Awards Ceremony, where she received her Craftsman Degree. ...If you didn't make it to IUSA, you can get a little of the flavor of this incredible event by visiting IUSA TV. ...It will really be hard to top this year's IUSA, but what I'm hearing about next year's event in Phoenix sound like it just might do the trick. It's a brand-new convention facility, and with all the fun things to do in the area, I can't wait!

A Wish for the New Year

ann@annmonteith.com — 2007-12-31T09:24:34-05:00

The Shelter Each December someone places a Christmas wreath on this warming hut in the woods near my home.   I don't know who built this shelter or if it is the same person who chooses to celebrate the season by decorating this humble structure with a fresh holiday wreath. I just know that December wouldn't be the same without this gracious gesture. It's a welcome reminder of the power we possess to create a better world through simple acts of kindness. May your New Year be filled with good health, peace and prosperity, the love of family and friends, and the joy experienced through simple acts of kindness. Jim & Ann Monteith

Do You Have Your Crop Lines Yet?

ann@annmonteith.com — 2007-12-14T09:44:18-05:00

During the film era I was never very tidy with my cameras. But that changed since I went digital, because I've seen the repercussions of letting dust hit the sensor: ugly microbe-like specimens that you have to clone off your images. Last week I noticed that some particularly nasty stuff had taken up residence in my trusty Canon 5-D, so while I was gone last week, Jim sent it off to be cleaned by the folks at Crop Lines. When I got it back, it was clean as a pin, and there was a brochure about their focus-screen etching product enclosed. That's when it hit me that I've never written about this wonderful service that really speeds up your workflow. What Crop Lines does is take the guesswork out of cropping in your digital 35mm camera by etching crop lines right on your camera's focus screen. What you will see through the viewfinder is clean, crisp, lines that you can see even in low-light situations. I chose to have a both a square format and a perfect 8x10 format etched on my screen. These formats are especially helpful for those of us who were trained to "get it in the camera" so that we didn't have to mask our negatives. Digital drove me nuts for a long time, because I couldn't see the format, thus I had to spend time cropping, which to me is the workflow equivalent of ditch digging. When you crop in the camera, you can use ProSelect's instant cropping feature, and that alone will save you a huge amount of time. Learn more by logging on to www.croplines.com, or call 815-477-3366. And don't forget that they do sensor cleaning too!

Don't Miss the PPA Charities Celebration at IUSA!

ann@annmonteith.com — 2007-12-12T17:25:30-05:00

It's worth arriving at IUSA in time to attend the annual PPA Charities Celebration and Auction at ImagingUSA. This year the very special event will take place in Tampa on Saturday, January 5. The VIP Reception. For only $35, you can be a VIP and have the opportunity to enjoy an auction preview and delicious food with some really great people who support PPA Charities. I hope you won't miss the great "Legend's Program." Last year Hanson Fong brought down the house with his wonderful tribute to Rocky Gunn, a true legend in our industry. This year Tony Corbell will do the same with his tribute to the awsome and incredible Dean Collins. Be with us for the presentation of a big check from Family Portrait Month to Operation Smile, and find out who is the top fund-raiser and the winner of a $2000 shopping spree. Of course you won't want to miss the fabulous Charities Auction! For the 3rd year in a row, Jim and I are pleased to contribute a week at our Deep Creek, MD lake house to be sold at the live auction. The week we've chosen is May 5-11, 2008. The house has 5 bedrooms and 5 baths and 2 living rooms. So if you are looking for a great place for a spring vacation or a fun place to hang out with your photographer buddies, stop by and get into the bidding. The house is only a little over an hour from Frank Lloyd Wright's Falling Water, so it's worth the trip just to visit this architectural masterpiece. Here is a look at the house and the lake:

New 2008 Guerrilla Management Workshop Added

ann@annmonteith.com — 2007-12-05T22:54:12-05:00

I've just posted a second 2008 Guerrilla Management Workshop for May 16-19 at my lake house and studio in Deep Creek Maryland. If you are interested, then you'd better register NOW. We already have 4 studio slots filled from the waiting list of the February workshop, which closed in record time when it was announced. I'll be announcing the May workshop via an email newsletter that will go out late Sunday, December 16. For complete information, click here.

It's Hard to "Keep Grinnin’" Today

ann@annmonteith.com — 2007-12-01T08:57:12-05:00

The photographic community, particularly those who participate in print competition, have suffered a painful loss with the passing of of our beloved Buddy Stewart, chairman of PPA's Print Exhibition Committee. As word spread that Buddy had died from a massive heart attack, after having battled brain cancer since last April, expressions of love and loss have poured in from literally thousands of those whose lives he has touched. It's rare to read such eloquent, heart-felt statements that carry a common theme: None of us can imagine a world without Buddy. Last June, when a cancer-related blood clot kept Buddy from attending the International Print Competition, where he would have served as Overall Jury Chairman, we all felt Buddy's presence. As an expression of how much the jurors loved and missed Buddy, we posed for our official portrait wearing "Keep Grinnin'" ball caps as a tribute to Buddy's famous "sign-off" line and to that ubiquitous grin that was the hallmark of his personality. ...I got to spend some time with Buddy and Lola in Korea in 2005, when PEC ran the first PPA print competition in Asia. Buddy was Jury Chairman for the event, and he ran the competition with high professionalism and his usual good humor. ... In spite of the ever-present language barrier, they appreciated the patient manner in which Buddy and his judges conducted the competition . . . assuring that every print got a fair shake and that the Korean photographers gained a good grasp of of the PPA judging system. I attended the event in Korea in my capacity as PPA President, and after a while I told Buddy that I felt a bit like a fifth wheel, as I was no longer an active PPA-Approved juror; I confided that I hated sitting on the sidelines. I had found it impossible to stay active in print competition during my later years of service on the PPA Board, so I had bowed out Buddy was quick to encourage me to start entering again and to apply for reinstatement. He also was very complimentary about some images I had made on a recent trip to Ireland, especially one of a steam locomotive chugging its way across Killarney farmland. ... I was more than a little nervous about entering again . . . especially since I had never entered a digital print, let alone a scenic. ... When three of my scenics hung, I was as excited as the first time I received a print merit. I believe Buddy was genuinely thrilled for me as well, because after the judging was over, he called personally to congratulate me on the prints and later for being reinstated as a Approved Jurror. ... I could literally HEAR him ginning when he said, "I told you that train scene was good." ... I had entitled it "Sentimental Journey," but now in my mind it will always be "Buddy's Train." My heart goes out to Lola and the rest of Buddy's family . . . as well as thousands of photographers who will miss him profoundly. Buddy left us a wonderful legacy of living and loving, and he would want all of us to "Keep Grinnin'." When today's tears begin to dry, I have no doubt that we will . . . every time we think of Buddy Stewart.

Enter the "Software Police" -- Serious Business!

ann@annmonteith.com — 2007-12-08T17:00:50-05:00

Every small business owner--including photographers--should read the FoxNews.com story entitled "Software 'Police' Accused of Targeting Small Business." The item sheds light on the Business Software Alliance (BSA), the powerful copyright-enforcement agency that supports such software giants as Microsoft and Adobe . . . companies whose software photographers use daily. So it's vital for you to understand the power this organization wields: The article maintains that almost 90% of the $13 million in judgments BSA won against software violators last year came from small businesses. Yes, I know how irksome it is to deal with software licensing policies that are insanely confusing and inherently frustrating: Last week I found myself unable to use my laptop version of Microsoft Office while I was on the road doing a seminar because I had added another computer to my home network. I was tired of running up and downstairs all day, so I now have iMacs on both floors that ONLY I USE. But what really was troublesome about the episode was the fact that I had already bought and paid for another license for the MS Office products because I knew I needed one for the "third seat," and I had the info required to get the activation code for my laptop with me when I hit the road. But I found myself unable to gain access to the code because I have a new email address, I couldn't find a way to update my record, and the helpful folks on the MS Help Line were "unavailable at this time." So I had to borrow a computer in order to get by until I got home and had time to hunt down a Bill Gates employee. Grrrr . . . In spite of such aggravations, it would be much worse to have the Business Software Alliance file a legal complaint that could bankrupt your studio. So please . . . do the right thing and pay for the software you use. They are watching us, and this is serious business. The fellow in the Fox News article concluded that that best thing to do is find other companies to deal with that aren't members of the Alliance. That's pretty silly and shortsighted from my perspective. The best thing, I believe, is not to violate copyrights in the first place. Isn't that what we ask our clients to do?

Spice Up Your Workflow by Pretouching in ProSelect

ann@annmonteith.com — 2007-11-29T14:53:37-05:00

If you are a ProSelect user who is not taking advantage of the software's Apply Custom Effects feature (the C icon on the right-hand tool bar), then you need to stop what you're doing NOW and click on this video link that I just received from Ron Nichols at Ron Nichols Digital Solutions. It will take you to a really helpful, short video tutorial. I'm embarrassed to admit that I've haven't taken the time to learn how to use this fantastic feature . . . that is until I saw Ron's video and realized how EASY it is to activate and how much benefit you receive by installing Imagenomic's Portraiture plug-in for "pretouching" your images in ProSelect. I even own the Portraiture filter, but have been using it independent of ProSelect. If you haven't seen it, Portraiture is just fantastic for pretouching and as a diffusion tool in retouching. There's a sizable discount code available in Ron's video, so be on the lookout for it. So why pretouch through ProSelect? In a matter of seconds, you'll have faces and blemishes on any other areas of skin (such as "diaper designs" on babies) looking so much better in your projection sales presentation, and you won't have to do time-consuming retouching. Pretouching also is great if you are printing proof pages or even exporting images for an iPod slide show. What's more, you can enable the pretouching (and any other actions you run through Proselect) to carry through to finished prints by using ProSelect's integrated Production module. I don't do much production in-house, but when I have to do my own printing of client work, I use ProSelect from start to finish, and it is SO slick! When I learned from the video how easy it is to add actions to ProSelect, I immediately added some that Ron provides at no charge on his site. Download instructions are on the video. I particularly like the "Glamour" filter. It's great for seniors, and I also intend to use it for a new line of . . . believe it or not . . . ... I hope to create some samples on Saturday, so the video came just in time. Of course now that I know how to add actions, I want to add ALL my favorite actions; however at present ProSelect has only 5 Apply Custom Effects slots. But not to worry: Ron tells me that the new ProSelect upgrade, which is now in beta testing, has many more slots available. ...I'll be amazed if you are not impressed by this wonderful ProSelect feature, so give it a try, and let me know how it goes!

'Twas the Season . . .

ann@annmonteith.com — 2007-11-28T23:08:30-05:00

Although Halloween 2007 is now just a memory, for many clients of Carrie Viohl Photography, Carrie's no-fuss Halloween Portrait Party and Costume Contest resulted in some darling portrait memories for some lucky Moutrie, GA parents, as well as a whole lot of priceless exposure for the studio. Here how Carrie describes of the event preparation: "We put two posts on the blog in the weeks before Halloween, inviting anybody and everybody to come the studio for trick-or-treating and a free costume photoshoot. We also mentioned that we'd offer a free 10x20 standout composite to the kid who got the most comments (votes) on our blog. Then I bought $12 worth of spoooooooky fabric (Read: cheesecloth with holes in it) and hung it from my roller system, $20 worth of candy, and our CV packaging bags in the smallest size. ... Husband Phil also contributed two carved pumpkins. The results: From not a lot of prep work, 43 families came to the party, most of whom were not current clients. Best of all, they booked 5 additional portrait sessions for 2008. But that's not all: Carrie, who authors one of my all-time favorite blogs, then posted all the images and invited parents to "get out the vote" for their child's photo. ..."We've had well over 600 votes (comments) in less than a week! About 100 of those had to be deleted because there were a few moms cheating (Ha!!). But that's moms and dads bugging all of their friends and family: PLEASE go to carrieviohl.com and LOOK AT MY CUTE KID AND VOTE FOR HIM!! ...The little sleeping monkey, shown above, was the top vote getter. To see more of Carrie's darling Halloween images, click here, then scroll to the bottom of the window and work your way up. While you're there, take a while to page through the blog's features and archives, and you'll see why I visit CarrieViohl.com so frequently. I love to peak inside the world of Carrie, Phil, Renee, Haley, the ever-so-lively stick-figure characters -- not to mention so many of the studio's clients. I feel as though I'm getting to know the people and the community of Moultrie, GA through this adventurous blog. And if I enjoy it, can you imagine how much Carrie's clients and prospects love it! And that's just the point: Carrie's blog represent person-to-person marketing at its best!

Speaking of Boutique Studios . . .

ann@annmonteith.com — 2007-11-25T22:29:08-05:00

I've been around our industry long enough to see some enormous changes overtake us, but none has fascinated me more that the arrival of the Boutique Studio model. This fascinating business concept approaches branding in a way that finally recognizes the importance of marketing to women. After all, we've known for years that women comprise the most influential market for most aspects of professional studio portraiture and wedding photography. So I'm really excited about having the opportunity to present a platform program at Imaging USA in January. It's entitled "The Boutique Studio Revolution," and here's what you'll learn: ▪ What boutique studios are all about, and whether this would be an appropriate business model for you to consider. ▪ How to brand and promote a boutique studio. ▪ How to make a boutique studio profitable. My program is scheduled for Monday, January 7 from 9:00 - 1:30 A.M. I'll also have the honor of moderating a roundtable discussion on Tuesday, January 8 at 3:00 P.M. I won't have much to say during this program because of all the high-powered talent on the platform: Lori Nordstrom, Sandy Puc', Sarah Petty, Vicki and Jed Taufer, Beverly and Tim Walden, and Jeff and Julia Woods. Here's you're chance to get to know what really goes on behind the scenes of six of the most successful and innovative boutique studios in the country, so come to the program early to make sure you get a seat! Sure hope to see you in Tampa!

Box It In Style!

ann@annmonteith.com — 2007-11-23T11:52:35-05:00

I hear from the folks at Marathon that the gorgeous 8x10 boxes from their new BellaGrafica Packaging Collection are flying off the shelves, and no wonder: they are just what style-conscious photographers have been looking for! The design of each box has been coordinated to harmonize with other collection items designed by six of the biggest names in Boutique Studios. The packaging collection also includes the wonderfully versatile Portrait Delivery Bags shown below. These fantastic bags feature a 4x6 pocket that lets you personalize the bag for the person receiving it, which assures that she will be showing her treasured bag to friends all over town! To learn more about this extra-special packaging line, click here. Be among the first to see the more than 150 new boutique studio marketing products that Marathon will be releasing in the coming weeks by signing up for product-notification emails at BellaGrafica.com. These spectacular products, which have special appeal to women, were inspired and developed by some of the best marketers in the photographic industry: Lori Nordstrom, Sandy Puc', Sarah Petty, Vicki and Jed Taufer, Beverly and Tim Walden, and Jeff and Julia Woods. One important point to consider when purchasing elegant packaging . . . all packaging items are charged to Cost of Sales, which has a definite impact on pricing. Yes, you do have to charge more for your products when they are delivered in beautiful packaging, but that's the good news: You'll be making a strong statement to the market that your work is worthy of beautiful presentation, and the additional profit you make when you mark up these increased costs will allow you to spend the time necessary to pamper your boutique clients, who in turn are bound to create buzz with their friends about their great experience with you!

A Very Happy Ending

ann@annmonteith.com — 2007-11-18T15:13:05-05:00

In a media-driven culture that is seemingly obsessed with beautiful, self-absorbed people, it's good for the heart to know that small miracles really do happen because of the selflessness of people who show up when they are needed. Such was the case when Jacob Allen, a physically fit 18-year-old who is severely autistic, managed to outdistance his parents on a hike in the rugged Dolly Sods Wildness Area of the Monongahela National Forest in West Virginia. In a matter of minutes, Jacob, who loves the outdoors, but is non-verbal, seemingly disappeared off the face of the earth. Jacob's father is a staff member at Garrett College, which is located a few miles from my house at Deep Creek Lake, MD. ... Julie and Chris are West Virginia University grads, and Chris works at the University in Morgantown. As soon as the word got out, volunteers from WVU, Garrett College, churches, and other groups converged on the wilderness area to look for Jacob under the guidance of first responders and professional rescue organizations. Chris, who has extensive wilderness training and experience, served as a team leader on day 3 of the search. Miraculously, Jacob was found by just such a team on day 4, only hours before the a driving rainstorm snapped the spell of unseasonably warm weather that had kept hopes alive that Jacob could survive the elements if help came in time. According to Chris, so many qualified people came out to help -- not to mention folks who just wanted to do anything -- that the organizers had to make up tasks to keep them busy. Many, he said, took time away from their hourly jobs, so they lost a day's pay for every day they spent searching for Jacob. Though he was armed with a hand-held GPS, Chris said that the terrain was so rugged he was very concerned that one of his 15-member team could get lost in an instant, so the team relied on shout-outs to stay together. It took nearly a day to cover terrain that was roughly the size of a football field. The fact that a watchful rescue-team member finally spotted Jacob, as he slept beneath the canopy of rhododendron, was almost a miracle in itself. The story of the Allen family's plight and Jacob's rescue made national news for nearly a week. But what happened at Dolly Sods continues to touch those who participated directly in the rescue operation as well as those who held the family and the searchers in their hearts and prayers throughout the ordeal. ... If you're having a bad day, just visit the site and click on the slide show, as what unfolds will surely lift your spirits. It's hard to top the sight of Jacob and his rescuers emerging from that endless wilderness. Chris, Julie and Lucas came to visit in Deep Creek the day after Jacob was found. ... It now has special meaning because it will forever remind me a beautiful, unseasonable October when good people came together and became part of something much larger than themselves.

Frank Donnino

ann@annmonteith.com — 2007-12-18T15:19:46-05:00

If you're coming to ImagingUSA in January, don't miss Frank Donnino's program "Diapers To Dollars - Profits In Baby Photography" on Monday, January 7, at 5:00 - 6:30 p.m. Frank is one of my favorite people because he is a rare human being, and he has helped hundreds of photographers improve their businesses through the baby plan he created when times weren't so great for his business or his family. I first met Frank when he attended a Guerrilla Management Workshop that Judy Grann and I conducted at the Florida School in 1999. Frank and his family had recently moved to Florida, where the population was growing by leaps and bounds. They made the move fearing the stagnant economy in the New York area, where he had his studio, would not be improving any time soon. ... His business was barely breaking even, and his options were severely limited by the fact that all business operations had to happen in a 300 sq. ft. basement area that provided only the tiniest of space for making portraits. Instead of whining about what he couldn't do, Frank figured that he could photograph babies in that tiny space, so he set about to become the best baby photographer in the area. ... So he fashioned and refined what would become a killer sales letter, and he put together all the marketing and sales materials he needed to make the business work. All that was missing was a broader knowledge of financial management, and when he attended the Workshop in Florida, he took that information and ran with it like a man on fire. ...What his steady sales growth proves is that working a financial management plan that is based on a sound marketing and sales concept pays off. If you're wondering why the trend reversed in 2004, that was the year that the Boynton Beach area, as well as much of Florida, was hit by two hurricanes. But even that year, Frank made a nice profit, because he knows how to manage resources when times are hard. Today the biggest financial problem Frank has is making sure he takes advantage of all the lawful options available to minimize the tax burden that comes along with high profits. ... And it is now housed in a 1350 sq.ft. facility, part of a larger complex that includes other businesses and residential condos. ...As successful as Frank has become, what I admire most about him is his rock-solid character and his desire to help others. Those who are regular members of his Baby Plan Mastermind group are full of stories about his help and his kindness, and I've seen both in action when he has served as a class assistant at my Guerrilla Management Workshops. He has a standing invitation to any Workshop he can manage to attend, and for the past three years he's come to the fall class in Deep Creek. I hope he'll make it again this year, because both the students and the teachers learn from him every time! ...And please don't miss Frank's IUSA program, where you can hear for yourself how he has created such a wonderful business.

Meet Two Really Talented New Friends!

ann@annmonteith.com — 2007-11-19T14:07:58-05:00

At the Make More Money Conference in Memphis last August, I met a super-talented California couple: Mary Ann Halpin and her husband Joe Croyle. ...1985 Mary Ann has photographed portraits of celebrities and actors in the entertainment industry. Along the way she has become one of the most respected photographers in L.A., having received acclaim for revealing everything from the glamorous beauty of Hollywood to the heartbreaking despair of Skid Row. She has two wonderful books to her credit: Pregnant Goddesshood: A Celebration of Life, which was published in 1997, and Fearless Women: Midlife Portraits, which debuted in 2005. Both books are a treat to view and read: You'll see lots of famous faces (and bellies) and you'll be struck by the artistry and technique Mary Ann employs in crafting the imagery of her fascinating subjects. According to Mary Ann, Pregnant Goddesshood was a bit ahead of its time: While pregnancy portraits are a commonplace product line in many portrait studios today, in 1997 some bookstores were concerned that the images were too risque for the books to be displayed. ... It contains compelling black-and-white portraits and profiles the work of these women who have dared to approach aging with passion and fearlessness. Mary Ann has received numerous awards for her work, along with appearances on major television shows such as "The View," "Inside Edition," "! ...One of my favorite aspects of Mary Ann's photography is her actors' headshots. You don't find too many actors to photograph in Annville, PA, and the few headshots that I'm called upon to do don't exactly get my creative juices flowing. But after viewing the "Actors" category on her website, I'll never approach headshots and publicity photos the same way again. ...Since then he has performed and recorded around the world, and currently he is singing with the famous recording group "The Modernaires," who recently were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame. ... In fact Joe has paid homage to Torme through is CD: "Joe Croyle - A Tribute to Mel Torme." ... I was fortunate enough to hear Joe sing in person in the lobby of the Peabody Hotel in Memphis. He'd been improvising with the hotel's pianist the evening before, and I said to them that I was so sorry to have missed the session. ... He turned to the pianist, and they launched into a lovely rendition of "Danny Boy," which gave me goose bumps, especially when they got to "that high note" where so many vocalists crack. ...When Joe is not performing, he and Mary Ann work together in shaping her latest venture: a studio portrait business specializing in portraits of families, children, maternity and babies. ... As her website says, "Mary Ann is dedicated to creating images that express the beautiful poetry of human connection." I love that statement and I also love Joe's business card: He's listed as "Goddess Manager."

February Guerrilla Management Class Ready to Fill

ann@annmonteith.com — 2007-11-16T11:38:18-05:00

If you are a regular blog reader who wishes to attend the February 8-11, 2008 Guerrilla Management Workshop in Fredericksburg, VA, then you'd better to call register NOW. We'll be sending an email blast today . . . the first time we've advertised this workshop. We've already filled 7 of the 15 studio slots by word of mouth and the website listing, so we expect the workshop to be filled immediately. We have a wonderful group so far, so you'll be in good company if you decide to attend.

More Great Websites!

ann@annmonteith.com — 2007-11-12T23:17:48-05:00

One of the pleasures of serving as a Studio Management Services consultant is reviewing the promotional materials of client studios. I particularly enjoy looking at studio websites that never cease to amaze me because of how creative and sophisticated this marketing medium has become. I also love the opportunity to visit good websites because they are nothing less than a window on creativity. Last week, I got to look a three really well-done sites that feature fantastic photography. They belong to . . . Candace Ann Schwab, of Candace Ann Photography in Sioux Falls, SD . . . Lesha and Eric Moore, of Lesha Studios, Cherry Hill, NJ . . . and Farrah Braniff, of Farrah Braniff Photographs, Houston, TX. A special congratulations to Farrah, who just got word that her website was a finalist in the PPA AN-NE Awards competition. Good job, Farrah!

Learning from the Divine Helen Yancy

ann@annmonteith.com — 2007-11-06T13:51:00-05:00

For the past five years I've given myself the gift of hosting a Helen Yancy Painter class at my lake house. It's hard to express how much I look forward to this annual early fall retreat to the mountains to marvel at the artistry Helen creates through her virtual brushes and to benefit from her wisdom and friendship. It was obvious that this year's students felt the same way. They were an unusually talented group, and I fully expect to see great things from them. If you are not lucky enough to take a Helen Yancy digital art class in person, the next best thing is to purchase her incredible instructional palette, shown below. This extraordinary learning and production tool takes you step by step through the process of creating high-end retouching in Photoshop, then shows you how to paint the resulting image using Corel Painter. The Palette actually controls Photoshop as you move from one step to the next, and it allows you to play a demonstration movie for each action you undertake. When your image is completed in Photoshop, Helen's movies continue throughout the Painter process. You actually watch Helen create her brush strokes while you practice yours. It should be no surprise that Painter requires practice, and this incredible palette, produced by Ron Nichols Digital Solutions, allows Helen to tutor you as your practice. Now there's no excuse for not taking advantage of the opportunity to create exciting new products through the art of Painter. Next year's class is already scheduled for October 31 - November 3. The class is limited to 11 students. For more information, click here.

Laurie Draper's Artful Jewelry and Ornaments

ann@annmonteith.com — 2007-11-01T14:11:34-04:00

Helen Yancy is presently teaching a Painter Class at my Deep Creek location, and she called my attention to a wonderful resource for photo jewelry that makes use of precious metals, porcelains, and semi-precious stones. Master Artist and Photographic Craftsman Laurie Draper has created some exceptional high-end products that you can view on draperimaging.com. Since the holidays are coming, here are some of Laurie's ornaments. And just look at these gorgeous jewelry pieces! Ornaments wholesale for $12 - $24, and the jewelry starts at $20 and can go into the thousands for some custom designs. Laurie's price lists are posted on the site within the password protected “customer only” section so photographers can access the info when they open an account. For more information you can contact Laurie at laurie@draperimaging.com

A Weekend Visit

ann@annmonteith.com — 2007-10-29T11:12:27-04:00

This past weekend at Deep Creek, I had a wonderful visit with Jeff and Judy Grann of Successware, along with their 5-year-old twins and my daughter and her family. We reviewed some exciting additions to SuccessWare that presently are in the pipeline. More about that later. It was a wonderful Indian summer weekend, and just before the Granns headed home, I grabbed this photo of the family together.

The Problem of Husband Sticker-Shock

ann@annmonteith.com — 2007-10-24T09:58:22-04:00

In my children’s portrait business, my clients (upscale moms) will pay on average $800-$1500 with me. However, I often hear comments like “my husband’s gonna freak,” “My husband’s probably going to divorce me,” “I’d better pay out of 2 different checking accounts so my husband doesn’t find out I spent this much on pictures,” and “When I told him how much I spent, he thought it was outrageous.” The feedback afterward, however, when the husband finally sees the photos or canvases is very positive . . . he loves them. But I’m unhappy with the negativity attached to the experience for my female clients, both in anticipation of telling their husbands and in enduring their husbands comments until he sees the photos. I know that it’s much easier for a woman to make an emotional purchase than it is for a man, but . . . can you suggest any language I can use/pass along to my clients to help offset this husband sticker-shock? I can certainly understand this photographer's upset and the negativity being directed at her business by a "third party" — in this case the husband. My experience has been to get the husband involved from the beginning if at all possible. If he participates in the design session, he becomes as committed as the mom. And typically he's the one who ultimately will defend a larger purchase. But I also wanted to ask Houston photograph Carol Andrews, my good friend and fellow Studio Management Service consultant, for her viewpoint on this, as I consider Carol to be the "Female Finance Diva." ..."I educate my clients IN ADVANCE of the photo session to help identify a budget for "them." ... Generally, I will ask the female client is she is comfortable going out to buy a new couch or china cabinet without her husband. If she says yes, then I'll say great, so he'll be comfortable with your decisions without being present. If she says no, I'll suggest that its very important that he be involved in the decisions, and won't feel left out and resent HER decisions, so we'll find a time when he can be present also. I'll tell her that I want to respect their relationship, and do what works best for them. ...There is a problem only if Dad gets sandbagged with a huge surprise on the Visa bill. How would the wife feel if Dad goes out and buys the biggest screen Hi Def television, has the furniture moved and the monster media center installed? ..."The entire key is to handle the situation IN ADVANCE . . . get everyone on the same playing field, with the same rules. ...If this wisdom doesn't work with your client, then let her give you a "subterfuge payment."

Christmas Ornaments

ann@annmonteith.com — 2007-10-26T08:51:14-04:00

Kim Collins, a photographer from Rolla, MO, has let me know that she has a source for very attractive Christmas ornaments at a very attractive price. These are strictly a Christmas product, as they include scriptural references. Each frame holds a 1 1/2" x 2 1/2" portrait. The overall frame size is 3 11/16" x 2 13/16". Prices start at $7.00 per frame and are discounted as low as $6.00 for quantity purchases. Each frame is accompanied by a satin ribbon for hanging on the tree or packages. For quantity purchases the designs can be mixed but each design must be purchased in sets of 4: 14 or less $7.00 each / 32 or less $6.50 each / 72 or less $6.00 each You can order the ornaments through Kim, who can send you a larger image that will allow you read the ornament inscriptions. Contact Kim by clicking here. Thanks, Kim!

High Print Prices?

ann@annmonteith.com — 2007-10-22T12:21:37-04:00

Today I received the following question from a former student: How do you justify such high print prices now that photographers can do the printing themselves? ... In fact I've been told by numerous photographers that they are reducing their prices — to be more competitive — now that they can do the work the lab used to do. My response is always the same: This makes no sense, particularly when you consider that digital images typically are more expensive for you to produce than the film variety. Inevitably, I get this argument in reply: "But it costs me only a few dollars for the paper and ink. ...Well . . . in my studio, my husband shoots film, and I shoot digital, and I can prove that it costs more for a digital 8x10 than it does for an 8x10 produced using film — whether you use a lab or not — simply because it takes more TIME to produce it. Whenever a photographer takes on production work . . . or when you hire someone who does production for you . . . you must establish a time charge when pricing. ... This is a very reasonable figure, as if you have an employee doing the work, you want to make some profit on that employee's work; and $30 an hour is the rock-bottom figure any owner should be charging for doing his or her own production work. ... Production is merely a by-product of studio growth, so you need to put your efforts toward the things that actually propel growth. ...Note that only $8.50 of the costs for a first 8x10 are "hard costs" for the goods that go into the portrait. ... Everyone's workflow varies, so you need to work out these costs and charges for yourself. (For the record, I believe most studios are better served when they outsource their work to a lab. ...The premise used for this 8x10 costing example is as follows: All presentation and production accomplished in ProSelect, using Ron Nichol's Production Retouching Palette controlling Photoshop. ... No time charge for RAW conversion or color correction on the assumption that RAW+jpg mode allows images to be viewed in jpg version, converting only the RAW image that is selected for the 8x10 before it is retouched. ...Studio Management Service's 2006 Benchmark Survey recommends that home studios can be viable at a 35% Cost of Sales (requiring a mark-up factor of 2.9); however because studios in a retail location typically incur higher overhead, these business need to operate at a 25% Cost of Sales (requiring a mark-up factor of 4.0). At a $51.00 Cost of Sales, here is the math for the two scenarios: ...You can spread this price out between a session fee and a print fee, or you can spread it out over numerous prints in a package, since duplicates and additional poses do not incur all the initial costs. ... But what won't work is to charge only for the hard goods and not for you time. If you do so, you're likely to have more business, because your work will have a very appealing price; but the business you get will not be profitable. ... Charging for your time is the ONLY way you will be compensated for your time, talent, and business investment.

Write to your Congressman NOW!

ann@annmonteith.com — 2007-10-19T14:29:10-04:00

Just back home from a wonderful vacation in Ireland, I found this vitally important email alert from PPA: Professional Photographers of America (PPA) urges all members, photographers and small business owners to ask their Congressional Representatives to support The Equity for Our Nation’s Self-Employed Act (H.R. 3660), co-sponsored by Congressman Ron Kind (D-WI 3rd) and Congressman Wally Herger (R-CA 2nd). Self-employed individuals, including self-employed photographers, pay for health insurance costs with after-payroll tax dollars. This means that the money they use to buy health insurance for themselves and their families is subject to an additional 15.3 percent tax that no other employers or employees must pay. All business entities other than sole-proprietors receive a deduction for health insurance premiums as an ordinary and necessary business expense for all employees, including owners. Employees and the owner pay for their health insurance premiums pre-tax; therefore, they are not subject to FICA taxes. However, sole-proprietors (Schedule C filers) do not receive this benefit. Their premiums are not paid with pre-tax dollars and are exposed to self-employment tax. Again, sole proprietors are the only business entity that does not receive a full deduction of health care costs. Health insurance premiums average almost $12,000 per year for family coverage. It is estimated that HR 3660 will save every self-employed individual about $1700 annually. PPA's Copyright and Government Affairs Office has made it very easy for you (even if you are not a PPA member) to contact your Congressman. Simply click here, then enter your ZIP Code in the first field. A sample email is there for your use, or you can write your own. It takes only a minute or two to accomplish this important task. Please do so NOW! This so important! If you want to say thanks to PPA staff for the important work they are doing in our behalf, click here to drop a line to Al Hopper, Director of Membership.

Music On My Mind

ann@annmonteith.com — 2007-10-17T00:43:33-04:00

The last stop on each of our three trips to Ireland has been the western seacoast town of Dingle. ... I can't imagine a trip to Ireland without a stay in this magical town on the wildly beautiful Dingle Penninsula in County Kerry. The last time Jim and I were in Dingle, we stopped in at The Music House, shown below with proprietor David Moul in the doorway. I inquired about the CD that was being played, and David introduced me to the music of singer-songwriter Kieran Goss. By wonderful happenstance Kieran was playing an intimate concert in an old church under reconstruction that very night. ... The venue was wonderful and the music and conversation with Kieran even better, so I've been a Kieran Goss fan ever since. PPA board member Ronnie Norton, from Dublin, has kindly supplied me with Kieran's CDs since the first one I bought at The Music House. So we stopped by The Music House yesterday and picked up the latest Goss release, along with collections by several other artists David was kind enough to recommend. And once again, as luck would have it, one of those musicians, a local Dingle singer, was performing in nearby pub that evening. At the Marina Inn we were entranced by the vibrant, yet soulful voice of Pauline Scanlon, whose album "Red Colour Sun," I had purchased earlier that day. She is as beautiful as her voice, and I look forward enjoying more of her music. ...There's nothing I enjoy more than live music in the friendly atmosphere of an Irish pub. It was music, in fact, that focused my desire to travel to Ireland in the first place. ... I've noticed that there are so many beautiful Celtic songs written about Irish places — from specific towns to regions — that I decided to visit as many of those locations as I could. It's quite a long list, so I'll just have to keep coming back! I can't imagine a better place in the world to write music about or listen to music in than Dingle. ... He is a transplanted Englishman who says that moving to Dingle is the smartest thing he ever did. So if you are lucky enough to visit Dingle, stop in and meet David at The Music House, 6 Orchard Lane, Main Street. He'll be happy to tell you what's going on in the Dingle music scene.

How Cool to Spend the Night in a Castle!

ann@annmonteith.com — 2007-10-16T07:00:00-04:00

I swore I would stick to photographing today, as we are about to leave for our last stop, the Dingle Peninsula, County Kerry, before heading home. But I just had to post some pictures of the incredible placed we have stayed for the past two nights: The Castle, at Castletownshend, County Cork. Jim found it on the Internet, and I'm so glad he did. The Castle is the ancestral home of the proprietors, Anne and Malcolm Cochrane Townshend. The massive stone edifice has been the seat of the Townshend family in Ireland for many generations. ... The origintal castle towers were destroyed in the 17th and 18th centuries, but they have been restored, using stones from the ruins. The Castle contains much of the original furniture, portraits of Townshend family members, and gorgeous oak panelling. A place like this can make your imagination work overtime. At breakfast before we left, we compared notes with two English couples, who also swore they heard steps on the ancient staircases below our rooms, but none of us saw anyone arrive on the second or third floor landings. Speaking of breakfast, check out the dining room: It was big enough for eight tables, and it was full of family portraits. Wouldn't the Townshends be good clients to have! ...Its subjects are the current owner's great-grandfather and his two sisters. ... A great reminder that classics never go out of style. Here's The Castle exterior . . . well guarded by the Townshend family watchdog. And can you believe that I actually drafted and emailed a blog post while sitting in front of a 17th century building? ...I took the shot below, just after sunrise, from our bedroom window on the third floor . . . no doubt where household servants used to stay. The room was spacious, but homey, and quite comfortable. Jim also was right at home in The Castle. It was really fun to turn back the clock . . . way back!

Giles Norman: A Study in Black-and-White Success

ann@annmonteith.com — 2007-10-15T16:19:13-04:00

The plan for today was to visit the southern seacoast town of Kinsale, which in recent years has become known as a center for creative cuisine. I had also heard that it was the home to a first-rate landscape photographer who works strictly in black and white. So when I asked at a local craft shop where I might find the gallery of Giles Norman, the proprietor knew exactly where to send Jim and me. I expected we would find a small storefront that is typical of most retail photographic galleries I have visited. Was I in for a surprise! The light-and-airy gallery was at least twice the size I was expecting, and it it skillfully organized to exhibit Giles' work at its best and also to make it easy for shoppers (like us) to make their image selections. I quickly settled on a richly detailed study of a ram guarding the path to a county cottage with the air of a defiant watch dog. You can see the image on Norman's website, which will give you an idea of the breadth, depth and excellence of his portfolios. I loved the simplicity of the single-choice black framing, which is both artistic and practical, and I was particularly taken by the simple, yet powerful statements of Giles' floral close-ups. The artist wasn't in today, but his assistant told me that Giles has operated the gallery in this building for more than 10 years, and he also has a gallery in Dublin. I would suggest that any photographer who is considering the feasibility of opening a retail gallery for any type of fine art photography to look at the model Giles Norman has created by visiting his Kinsale gallery. With three brilliant reasons to come to Kinsale . . . the gallery, the cuisine, and the fabulous images around every corner (I made over 300 exposures there today) . . . Kinsale should indeed be on top of the itinerary for any photographer's visit to Ireland.

Getting it Right: A Visit to Gerry O'Carroll's Studio

ann@annmonteith.com — 2007-10-14T16:46:58-04:00

This morning I realized that if we did a little backtracking before our next stop along the eastern sea coast, we might be able to drop in on Jerry O’Carroll’s studio in Waterford, a city of 40,000 and the home of world-famous Waterford Crystal. We were in luck, as Jerry had a lunchtime break in his busy Saturday schedule, and we could travel there in time. Shortly after we found the studio, Jerry’s wife Ann and daughter Ellen arrived, and I was able to catch a snapshot of them in front of the business. I’ve heard so many good things about Jerry’s studio, and now I can certainly see why. He is doing so many things right, including excellent space planning . . . .... . . great use of floor space, and an intelligent choice of portraits on display in the reception area . . . ...Top all this off with beautifully designed marketing pieces and a handsome website, and everything works seamlessly to help clients recognize they are dealing with a professional organization and appreciate the fact they are about to purchase something of value. Jerry gives credit to several influences that have helped his business to prosper. “Families in Waterford, he explained, “have a long-standing tradition of using the services of professional photographers to record their family histories. Today there are two storefront studios in Waterford, and we greatly benefit from this tradition, which goes back to around 1870.” One photographer for whom he had special praise is the late Annie Brophy, whom he credits with elevating portrait photography to the status of valuable heirlooms. Interestingly, Patricia Cantlon, our hostess at Cullintra House (see October 12 entry), had mentioned being photographed by Annie Brophy, whom she pronounced was “a legend,” a description that Gerry confirmed was an appropriate one. You can read about this fascinating lady by clicking here. Jerry’s entire approach to business compares favorably to the most progressive U.S. studios, because he has kept his business concept simple and highly focused. He credits this approach to what he learned at PPA’s Specialty Conferences, the first one of which he attended in 2003, the same year that he bought his studio building. Speaker after speaker at that conference, he recalls, stressed the benefits of specialization. When Jerry and Ann returned home, they began implementing what they had learned: First they priced weddings to assure profitability, which meant they lost those that weren’t, providing the studio with more time to emphasize family and children’s portraiture. These were watershed events in the bringing stability to the business. As we went on our way, I couldn’t help but think that American photographers, who have such easy access to management information, would be well advised to put to work what Gerry had to travel across the ocean to learn!

Off the Beaten Path

ann@annmonteith.com — 2007-10-13T13:38:03-04:00

If you've seen the film adaptation of Maeve Bench’s wonderful novel, "A Circle of Friends," you might remember its captivating countryside and charming village settings. The film was shot in and around the tiny village of Inistioge, which is only a few miles from Cullintra House. We spent part of yesterday driving the narrow roads to photograph the magnificent countryside, ending the day at in the village so that Jim could enjoy his pint of Guinness. I know it will take me a while to prepare a slideshow of these images, but in the meantime, here’s one of my favorites, right out of the camera: It was shot in the late afternoon from a narrow bridge across the River Nore, a few miles from Inistioge. It’s my favorite image of the trip so far. There are lots of cropping possibilities, but I’ll worry about that later. Because the scenery in Ireland is so abundant, I decided to challenge myself to improve my digital skills, since I would have plenty of practice over the next few days. Moving from medium format to a 35mm body has not been easy for me, and like most digital shooters, I’ve been relying entirely too much on the “idiot box” and “P for professional.” I used to use a light meter for every photograph; but before I pointed it, I had to decide what I wanted to accomplish in the photograph. That meant using my brain. Well I've decided that its time to start thinking again, so I’ve issued three challeneges to myself: 1. Look for interesting lighting situations that involve dramatic highlights and shadows. ... Work more in aperture priority mode. ... Pay special attention to leading lines. Oh yes . . . nail those histograms, but make certain they make sense, given what I’m trying to create, which definitely means using the brain once again. Here’s a late-afternoon shot from the side of a narrow road. I loved the low sun angle that gave depth to what otherwise would be an ordinary shot. Thanks to Jim for shading my lens to prevent the inevitable flare. For most of the days that remain on our trip, we'll be off the beaten path, looking for the beautiful scenes and interesting adventures that so often in Ireland lie just around the bend.

The Lady of the Manor

ann@annmonteith.com — 2007-10-12T05:28:57-04:00

During our visit in and around Kilkenny, we stayed some distance out of town near the ever-so-tiny village of The Rower (which means "red clay"), at the family home of Patricia Cantlon, which she operates as a farm-holiday establishment. Cullintra House is an elegant 18th century farmhouse set amongst 230 acres of fields and woodlands that are as romantic and picturesque a setting as I've ever seen. Billed as a "cat-lovers paradise," it is all that and more. We got to know all five cats from Patricia's "boss," an elegant Tom cat named Oswald, to the rest of the clan: Penelope-Jane, Melanie, Libby-Muffin, and Mitsy. To say that Patricia has created a magical environment at Cullintra House is an understatement. Each room is furnished with creativity and flair. And Patricia's sumptuous candle-lit dinners, set in front of an open-log fire, are not to be missed. Her cuisine features fresh produce that is skillfully prepared and artfully presented. The property has been in Patricia's family since the turn of the last century, and it is full of lush vegetation, winding paths, and enchanting gardens. Around midnight, Patricia feeds the day's dinner scraps to as many as seven local foxes who wait to hear her call. Each of our two nights there, we stood quietly and watched a fascinating scene unfold as the foxes barked out calls to one another that "dinner is served," then quietly stole into the back garden to carry off their gourmet morsels. There is so much to tell about this magical kingdom, it's delightfully eccentric lady of the manor, and the cats who rule it. But what I'd prefer to do is to show you a selection of the images I made there. This will have to wait until I get home, where it's easier to work on such a project. Check back later to see some of the extraordinary views of Cullintra House. In the meantime I hope you'll enjoy this portrait of Patricia Cantlon, the lady of the manor.

Oliver and Daughter

ann@annmonteith.com — 2007-10-10T19:05:05-04:00

In far too many small family-run studios, generational differences can jeopardize the future of the business. That’s why it is so refreshing to meet a father like Oliver Dunphy, who eagerly redesigned his store-front marquee to proudly proclaim that what once was simply “Oliver of Kilkenny” is today the province of “Oliver (& daughter) of Kilkenny.” And it is daughter Maria’s sparkling fantasy portraits that adorned the building's window when Jim and I visited after the Irish PPA October Conference in Athlone. Oliver Dunphy founded what was to become a highly respected High Street studio in the heart of the medieval city of Kilkenny in 1966. Maria’s earliest memory of working with her father was at age four. By 1988 Maria was working there full time. Having learned classical posing and lighting from her father, Maria has developed her own distinctive style by attending classes and conferences through the IPPA and abroad through professional associations in the UK, Italy, and America. According to Maria, her father was not always been convinced about contemporary portrait styles, but he most certainly has been supportive of her plans for it since she became the studio’s primary photographer and he has largely retired. In fact Oliver was quite eager to tell me about plans to convert space previously allocated to cameras and photo accessories to a gallery of Maria’s award-winning contemporary portraits of families and children. “Tell her to get those portraits ready and up there,” he said to me with a twinkle in his eye. I had a wonderful time viewing some of those images with Maria, and a few of them are shown below. During our visit we had a lovely lunch with Maria and her Aunt, Sister Nina, a member of the Columban Sisters since 1964. Before recently moving in with Maria and Oliver, Sister Nina worked abroad practicing alternative medicine through her order. She now helps out at home (and even occasionally at the studio), while also providing social services for refugees and asylum-seekers in the Kilkenny area. Jim and I are convinced that Sister Nina could solve most of the world's problems if given a chance to take them on. She says, however, that the family's newest member, a rescued Cavalier King Charles spaniel, being held tightly by Maria below, is giving her fits. ...As far as the studio goes, Maria is preparing to make some significant changes that will build on the solid foundation her father has created. Of the new gallery she says: "Just watch this space." Sounds like another reason for me to come back to Ireland for a visit!

Old Friends and New: Irish PPA Fall Conference

ann@annmonteith.com — 2007-10-09T15:57:32-04:00

There are only a few volunteers I know who are as passionate about the benefits of trade association membership as Ireland's Gerry O'Leary, a highly acclaimed architectural photographer from Dublin. ... A year ago this month I once again met Gerry at the UK Master Photographers Association Awards weekend in Coventry, England, where I was invited to give a business program and assist at the awards presentation in my capacity as PPA's Chairman of the Board. ... This year Gerry assumed duties as president of the Irish PPA, so it was no surprise to find him hard at work on Association business, as you can see in the photo above. He continues to be just as relentless about urging Irish photographers to take advantage of the educational opportunities that associations provide as he is to get them involved as volunteers. ...Also present at the IPPA conference in Athlone was Jerry O'Carroll from Waterford, whom I have visited with in both the U.S. and in England, and Maria Dunphy, who has attended several PPA Women's Retreats, including this year's Chicks Who Click conference in the Bahamas. ... To Jim's and my great delight, also on hand was Alan Hastings, a photographer who attended our week-long Art and Business of Photography class at our Annville studio back in 1993. In 1986 Alan had immigrated from Ireland to New York, where he had taught high school chemistry at Fordham Prep and later began working part time at the nearby studio of Rick Rustiano. ...Not surprisingly, the Irish are experiencing all of the challenges of U.S. photographers — from technological changes to prosumers who produce digital images that are "good enough." Just like Americans, they are learning that clever marketing is no longer "good enough" . . . you must understand how to manage money, people and time in order to succeed in today's challenging marketplace, so they hung in there for every step of my "12-Step Program." ...One of the aspects of the conference that I enjoyed most was a session that featured two of IPPA's "Bright Young Things" . . . younger members who have demonstrated their photographic competence by passing their IPPA "Associate" qualification. Young and old alike learned from portrait photographer Emma Clarke, who works with her father Paddy, and who displays, among other skills, a mastery of lighting technique that is rarely achieved by young photographers in the U.S. Emma is shown below with architectural photographer Gareth Byrne, who demonstrated why veteran commercial photographers say he is giving them a run for their money. Veteran photographers were ably represented as well: Wedding photographer Tony Tang, provided insight into creating digital albums and treated everyone to a slideshow of a complete wedding and the resulting album; Suzanne Toal explained the recent changes she has made in her business (see previous post); and Neil Warner demonstrated that his business sense is as strong as his award-winning corporate photography. ...Ger McCarthy showed a variety of his favorite award-winning images, but none was as stunning as his photojournalistic series taken at Chernobyl, the site of the world's worst nuclear plant disaster, at an institution for children born with profound birth defects. His message about the power of photography to illuminate the need to act in the face of human suffering was clear . . . something that in fact his images have been used to do. The second program was by Vincent O'Byrne, one of Europe's most honored fine art photographers, who presented over 50 prints that had achieved the coveted IPPA Diamond Award. It was wonderful to hear this master of composition and creativity remind us of the simple precepts that govern fine artistic design — fundamental lessons that today often are eclipsed by interest in technology. Many of the Diamond award-winners were created by Vincent himself, so take a moment to view his exceptional work by logging on to vincentobyrne.com. As in America, women are flocking to the business of studio photography, so "we girls" had a lot to talk about between programs.

What's in a Name? A Visit to Zanni Photography

ann@annmonteith.com — 2007-10-08T04:40:29-04:00

Knowing that I would be speaking to Irish photographers on the subject of "Boutique Studios," I asked whether this new business model was gaining a foothold in Ireland as it is in America. Yes, I was told, some studios were moving in that direction, one of them being Zanni Photography, in Monaghan, a town of 8,000 northwest of Dublin, quite close to the border of Northern Ireland. The owner, Suzane Toal (she was called "Zanni" as a child), welcomed me for a visit the day before we were due to arrive in the midlands town of Athlone for the fall meeting of the Irish Professional Photographers Association. A portrait/wedding photographer for 11 years, Suzanne has a host of photography awards and a vivacious personality to match. Having always traded under the name Suzanne Toal Photography, she decided to change the name of her business to Zanni Photography some eighteen months ago after having taken the even bolder step of purchasing and remodeling a wonderful bungalow to house her growing business. Doing so as a single woman took a great deal of courage, but the move made sense for Suzanne, as she has never operated her business at a loss, and she felt the time was right to plan for her future security by gaining property equity. Suzanne's aesthetic goal was to create a contemporary environment that retained the warmth of the home's original architecture. She did just that by painting the walls and fireplaces a crisp white and replacing dated carpeting with warm random-plank hardwood floor boards. An eclectic mix of furnishings, including handsome metal stands for her wedding album display, complete the appealing interior, and a fresh coat of pink paint on the building's exterior assures that Zanni Photography is easily recognized from the street. Suzanne was one of the speakers at the Athlone conference. I took lots of notes, and one of the most interesting comments she made dealt with the decision to change her well-established business name. "When I was trading as Suzanne Toal Photography," she said, "I felt that I was selling myself because everyone wanted me for every aspect of the work. With the new name, I'm feeling a lot less emotional pressure, and the door is now open to take the studio in any direction I wish." To give meaning to the new Zanni Photography brand, Suzanne has launched several new projects, including featuring the studio name on framed samples, window display prints, and on large fabric hangings; offering a cute kids contest in which every child photographed leaves with a balloon that proclaims "I've Got a Zanni Photography Smile;" and involving the business in a highly successful charitable calendar project. Suzanne's next challenge is to construct a covered veranda at the rear of her building to use for outdoor shoots and to create a number of outdoor sets in her expansive back garden. I've promised that I'll come visit her when the projects are finished. You see . . . that's how this magic country and the wonderful people you meet here — people like Suzanne — affect me: Even though I'm only on the first week of my two-week stay in Ireland, I'm already planning to return!

A Day in Dublin

ann@annmonteith.com — 2007-10-07T03:17:59-04:00

Although Jim and I have visited Ireland twice, this was our first trip to Dublin, so we were delighted to visit the studio of PPA board member Ronnie Norton, who, happily, I had gotten to know during my board service. It would have been fun to see Ronnie under any circumstances, but from my perspective as a portrait photographer, getting to see Ronnie's bustling commercial studio at work was a special treat. I made the photograph of Ronnie, below, in the studio's cheerful lunch room. I chose a spot in front of his portrait of super-star musician and humanitarian, Bono, as that image has particular meaning to me: At PPA's 2006 Imaging USA convention, Ronnie donated a print of this image to the PPA Charities' auction. It was purchased by Shannon Barry, of Marathon Press, whose office I have used for consultations during Marathon's Marketing Workshops. It can be rather disconcerting when talking to photographers to have them stare right past me into Bono's hypnotic gaze. Because Ronnie's lovely wife, Pat, was in New York for a visit, we missed her at dinner at a wonderful old restaurant in a seaside community followed by a round of live music. Much of our dinner conversation centered around music, as Ronnie's has gained quite a following as a photographer of musicians, and he and I share an interest in folk music of many different kinds. In fact, Ronnie is quite an authority on blue grass music and even hosts a program that airs on CMRNASVILLE.net called Lonesome Highway. It plays on Friday afternoon from 4-6 and repeats on Sunday morning from 10-12. You can take a listen to Ronnie's show by clicking here. It's wonderful fun to hear an Irishman comment on a distinctly American music form. And it was wonderful fun to get to see a slice of Dublin through Ronnie's eyes!

"Giving Birth"

ann@annmonteith.com — 2007-10-03T19:55:22-04:00

If it didn't find its way to your mailbox, you can link to it by clicking here. It's not like I've never been published . . . but this was weird: You are the writer, the editor and the publisher. You have no idea how many people you will reach or if your prose will be hopelessly trapped in spam filters . . . the rough equivalent of having your news articles end up lining the bottom of a bird cage. ... I wasn't even sure there would be a second issue, but I am greatly encouraged by the many emails I have already received from readers who seem to like it. ..."When studios go through that huge price leap (I did it too), they have to be okay with losing business. In fact, they need to lose some of that price-sensitive business. This will free them up to be able to give the quality product they want AND to have time to focus on better marketing. I see a LOT of fear with studios about what to say to favorite past clients who can't afford the new rates. My biggest fear, however, is just letting them show up and get to the order appointment only to FREAK OUT! What I recommend is that after this huge jump in rates, for everyone who calls to be "re-educated" in a positive way. ... Let me send you our new rates and when you are ready to book, please call back." This takes that client off the spot and allows them to gracefully bow out if they need to. Nobody wants to admit that they can't afford something or that they don't place enough value in it to pay the new prices. Once people paid $12 for an 8x10 from you, many aren't going to see the value of now paying $98!" ...Thanks to Sarah and to everyone who took the time to read my newsletter and visit this Blog! ...I am thrilled about the opportunity to present two programs to the Irish PPA on Sunday and Monday. Just hope I don't bore them to death with the business stuff. ...There's no place on earth I would rather be than in Ireland. You can't beat the music, the fish-and-chips, the scenery, and most of all the wonderful people who will meet you for the first time in a pub, a restaurant, or on the square, then take you home to meet the family!

A "Once in a Blue Moon" Website

ann@annmonteith.com — 2007-09-28T10:49:37-04:00

But only occasionally do I come across a website that puts together a series of appealing elements so skillfully that the visitor is compelled to linger and learn, and ultimately to decide that "This is the studio for me." ...The website was created by photographer Butch Oglesby, whose journey to owning a studio in such a charming locale is worth reading about. You can do so by clicking on the About Us tab, where you'll meet Butch and his wife, Joy, and learn about their life, their approach to photographing weddings (a major product line), and read some FAQs that are designed to give prospective clients confidence in the studio's integrity. You'll learn that the Oblesbys' journey included many twists and turns, but all the while, Butch's life-long passion for photography never dimmed. It is a passion that illuminates the site and its accompanying blog, and it makes the business and the people behind it come alive. ...And they don't want to do business with just the run-of-the-mill studio. ...Doing so saves you time when you deal with prospects on the phone or in person, and it serves to filter out those who are not a good fit with your business. ...The design simplicity supports your ability to focus on one thing at a time, and consequently you stay moving through the site. ...It's easy to find your way from here to there, and you don't get stuck in a corner or lose you train of thought. On any page, you can get back to where you started or move forward to where you want to go. ...The home page gives you a reason for the name "Blue Moon" and sets the bar for prospective clients' expectations when it says: "If the old saying that something this good only comes along once in a blue moon is true, then it's a blue moon every day at BlueMoon Studio. ... The message I'm getting is that these people are both creative and caring about what they do. ...Education begins on the home page in the upper right corner, where the business mission is spelled out in an eye-catching and easy-to-understand way. ... You are taken gently by the hand and told what you need to know to make an intelligent decision about the photography. ...This impression begins on the home page, where visitors see a button (lower left) that says: "Click here to see other wedding professionals that we recommend." ... My favorite feature is the wonderfully designed section that begins when you click on the link that says: "Not convinced? ...Sometimes there's a reason for this, but most of the time it's a simple matter of overlooking the obvious. Next time you browse through a retail-sales catalog, notice that the toll-free ordering phone number is always listed on the bottom of each page. ...I love the Products page, Butch's blog, and the simple, yet elegant way each gallery is revealed . . . and the fact that you have multiple options for viewing the studio's images, including nicely expanded sizes.

The Power of the Internet . . . and the Good People Who Use It

ann@annmonteith.com — 2007-09-25T12:27:04-04:00

I thrive on stress . . . except for technology stress. For almost a week now I've been dealing with technology upgrades that, thank heavens, are almost finished. I've been complaining about the ensuing chaos to anyone who would listen. This morning I received a kind and supporting email from my dear friend Helen Yancy who posed this rhetorical question: "What was life like before computers?" I can't remember, but I know I got more sleep back then. A few minutes ago another dear friend, Steve Troup, president of my lab, Buckeye Color Lab in North Canton, Ohio, sent me a link to a great story that has at least partially adjusted my attitude about the worth of advanced technology . . . in this case the Internet, which has given me such fits during the last week. If you've had bad technology days, then I think you'll enjoy reading this short article. Perhaps it will improve your day in the same way it did mine. Thanks Steve!

Are You Using Payment Plans?

ann@annmonteith.com — 2007-09-20T09:16:56-04:00

No matter where I teach, I always learn something from the students, and my recent Guerrilla Management Class was no exception. The most interesting thing I learned this time is how important payment plans have become as a means of increasing sales, and how much clients appreciate the opportunity to spread their payments over a designated period. The studios with baby plans were the most experienced with payment plans, which they say are a great fit for parents who want quality portraits of their children, but who have so many current expenses associated with the arrival of the baby. Implementing a payment plan might seem like a daunting task, but it is not for SuccessWare users. The software now includes a tab associated with the Client Order function that allows you to automate payment plans through credit card processing. This is possible because SuccessWare is connected to EFS Net, a merchant service company. Your client's primary credit card is stored securely in SuccessWare, along with as many back-up cards as the client wishes. With the client's permission, SuccessWare automatically charges their credit card on the pre-arranged due date. This new feature allows you to create any number of payment schedules according to your needs or the client's wishes. The feature also allows you to update client records and view pending payments. To learn how the payment plan feature works, click here to go to SuccessWare's "What's New in SuccessWare 4.3" page. Click on the second movie on the list. According to class members, one of the most important benefits of a payment plans is it encourages repeat business. Traci Brennan, a workshop participant from Mundelein, IL, put it this way: "Once a parent sets up a payment schedule with you for a baby plan, when the plan is finished, it's easy for parents to decide to have you continue additional sessions, as your studio is already part of their family budget." The same is true for wedding clients. Since bridal couples typically book their photographer as much as a year or more before the wedding, why not set up a payment plan for the couple? A payment schedule greatly facilitates your ability to sell more expensive wedding services and to add substantially to after-sales totals. Remember the old adage: Money spent is money forgotten. The experience of these class members more than convinces me that payment plans are a wonderful tool for photographers!

Teaching and Learning at Deep Creek

ann@annmonteith.com — 2007-09-20T00:00:03-04:00

Beautiful Indian summer days set the stage for four days of intense study and sharing at my Deep Creek Lake home for the annual fall Guerrilla Management Workshop that I teach with SuccessWare's Judy Grann. Class assistants were Doug Mattice of McLean, VA, (shown below with Judy during a class session) and Frank Donnino of Boynton Beach, FL (shown riding a local bear). Frank is widely known as the originator of a baby plan that is used successfully by hundreds of photographers around the country. In fact, most of the students at this workshop were active users of Frank's plan, and they can attest to how effective it has been for their businesses. Approximately half of the class were repeat students, and it was great to see them again and to review their business progress. This group was as hard working as any workshop of photographers I have taught, and I'm certain they will make good use of the knowledge they gained in class. Each left with a financial plan for 2008 and lots of ideas on how to implement the marketing and sales necessary to support the plan. They also clearly enjoyed each other's company, both in class and out. For the record, our second coloring contest was won by Karen Bernard of E. Greenwich, RI. Thanks to everyone for making this class so enjoyable!

The Cat Came Back

ann@annmonteith.com — 2007-09-18T20:47:00-04:00

My family spent last Labor Day weekend at our Deep Creek Lake, MD, home. As usual, we brought the dogs; but our sole remaining cat, Skinny, stayed at home. At 21, she's getting a bit old to travel. She lost her teeth several years ago due to the malnutrition she suffered as a kitten. My son Wes -- the Patron Saint of Homeless Cats -- found the poor emaciated kitten when she was about to take her last breath. He insisted that we summon the vet on his day off, and Skinny's life was saved. She really was skinny until she lost her teeth, and we had to feed her moist cat food twice a day. ...Anyway . . . she's accustomed to amusing herself when we're gone. Our neighbor drops by every day to feed her, and she is able to come and go through the dog door. She was just outside the door when we left for Deep Creek. But for the first time, when we returned from our lakeside holiday, Skinny was not there to meet us. I figured that she had known it was her time, and she had wandered off to die, as cats are inclined to do. Jim, however, said she might show up, and he insisted on keeping all of the cat supplies in place. Nearly two weeks later, I set off for Deep Creek to prepare for class. ... But when I called Jim to tell him I had arrived in Maryland, he couldn't wait to say, "Guess who showed up?" You guessed it: Skinny was back . . . about a pound lighter, but otherwise in good shape. The whole rest of the day, the old Kingston Trio folk song "The Cat Came Back" kept running through my head. According to Guinness, the world's oldest cat is 34. So who knows how long she'll be around!

On An Ordinary Tuesday - 9/11/01

ann@annmonteith.com — 2007-09-11T17:42:16-04:00

Six years ago I was about to leave my house to run some errands . . . a doctor's appointment and preparations for an upcoming Guerrilla Management Workshop at my lake house in Deep Creek Lake, Maryland. I was on my way out the door when the phone rang: It was my fellow instructor, Judy Grann, who said, "Are you watching TV . . . something's happened in New York." I clicked on the TV just in time to see a plane smash into the second tower. I was horrified, but I was late for my appointment, so I jumped in the card and turned on the radio. ... People in this tiny mountain community were visibly shaken, as they thought the fall of the Berlin Wall had finally removed the specter of an attack on Washington. Because I didn't grow up in Deep Creek, I had never given a second thought to the fact the this peaceful region lies within the fall-out zone of a nuclear attack on Washington, D.C. ... After all, I had grown up in a military family and participated in countless evacuation drills when we lived abroad. ...I was fine, that is, until I heard that a plane had flown into the ground in Shanksville, PA, just 60 miles from Deep Creek. At that moment I was seized by a panic to get back to the house and reach my husband and kids on the phone. In the back of my mind, I thought "they" were coming for ALL of us. The next few days were a blur . . . making sure my grown kids knew what to do if the attacks kept coming . . . trying to decide what to do about the upcoming class when planes weren't flying . . . watching TV coverage non-stop . . . hearing the awful news that the pilot of American Airlines flight #77, which hit Pentagon, was the older brother of one of our clients. Somehow, six stalwart photographers who were within a reasonable driving distance of Deep Creek, made it to the Workshop. Judy and I were grateful for their perseverance, as the class helped to restore a bit of normalcy, although it was hard for all of us to concentrate, when you really wanted to turn on the news. It was as if seeing the towers fall down again and again would lead us to understand what had happened on that incredibly beautiful blue-sky Tuesday. For the past two weeks, the weather — from New York to Deep Creek — has made the news: Everyone marveled that not a drop of rain fell on the U.S. ... Driving back to PA from our Deep Creek holiday, I couldn't help but be reminded of the kind of day it was on 9-11-01, and I started to feel the same unease that I have felt on beautiful September days ever since. The streak of lovely weather ended today, and I was so glad to see the rain. The unease was still there, so I started visiting 9-11 memorial websites, where I learned they are still trying to raise money for a memorial to the souls who were lost in Shanksville. I stopped surfing after I came across a memorial site that I had visited before: http://www.voicesofsept11.org, on the 911 Reflections/songs & poems page.

Cost of Sales Question

ann@annmonteith.com — 2007-09-06T11:37:24-04:00

Yesterday I got a Cost of Sales accounting question about packaging materials. Some background on this subject: The guideline for determining whether an item is a Cost of Sales expense or a General Expense item is this: If you have no business, you have no Cost of Sales. Since packaging materials are required only if you have a sale, then ALL packaging material is accounted as a Cost of Sales expense. But wait . . . there's more to this question. The photographer was referring to a packaging item designed especially to create "buzz" by the recipient because of its unique design . . . referring specifically to the BellaGrafica bag shown below: The photographer wondered that since the primary purpose of the bag is to have an excited mom show it around to all of her friends because it is personalized with her child's portrait, perhaps the cost of the bags should be accounted to Advertising, which is a General Expense. Yes, that's a valid argument; but it's far more practical to account it to Cost of Sales, which will insure that this cost is included when you are pricing. In effect, Mom is paying for the bag, and as a COS item, it is marked up; thus there's more profit for you. If you account it to advertising, the cost becomes a drain on your business, and there is no pricing mark-up. See the difference? It is huge. In my opinion, there is nothing sweeter—or smarter—than having clients pay for your marketing! For pricing on this wonderful shopping bag, click here.

Weekend Snooze

ann@annmonteith.com — 2007-09-03T20:49:44-04:00

You can tell that the Labor Day Weekend holiday is almost over. The visitors have gone, and our dogs, Clementine the Labradoodle and Mitizi the Welch Corgi, are catching a late summer's nap. It was a wonderful weekend at our western Maryland lake house . . . FABULOUS weather and great family fun. But two weeks from now, the house will be full of Guerrilla Management Workshop students, and there will be no time for napping!

My iPhone Universe

ann@annmonteith.com — 2007-08-28T09:55:23-04:00

The night before I left for the California SMS Workshop, my husband, Jim, presented me with a lovely surprise: an iPhone! I had decided to wait to purchase one until I had time to sit down and learn its features. With only 18 hours before flight time, I had to scramble to load everything, including a movie to try out on the airplane. All I can say is WOW! It exceeded my already high expectations . . . not because of the incredibly cool interface and functions (the gee-whiz stuff), but because it is such a powerful workflow tool. To have the key items from my computer right in my hand allows me to keep up with email and a host of other detail issues during those interminable airport waits. And because I had a terrible seat on the plane, it was wonderful to be able to take my mind off of being "entrapped" by watching a movie. What I really didn't expect was to be so blown away by the new functionality of the i-Pod environment. It is so much easier to find and manage your music and videos. Like other iPods, the earbuds are the weak link, but I had my $35 Brookstone retractables with me, and they made my music-listening experience the best ever . . . as good as my Bose earphones, but so much lighter to carry. By the time I hit Detroit, where I changed planes, I was concerned about how I will keep from LOSING this wonderful device that had become an instant necessity. So I stopped in at the Brighton store, and discovered their new Soho bag that features a zipped organizer, and a secure front pouch that is perfect for the iPhone and earbuds. It is large enough to hold a point-and-shoot and minimal other necessities, but small enough to fit into a computer bag. What a way to travel!

What a Beautiful New Smile!

ann@annmonteith.com — 2007-08-26T22:53:27-04:00

In May I wrote about the Operation Smile medical mission to Honduras that was photographed by Dallas-area photographer Angela Weedon. Angie was the top fund-raiser for PPA Charity's Family Portrait Month in both 2005 and 2006. Operation Smile's Lisa Jones just visited Honduras and got to visit darling little Britany, whom Angie photographed as a 9-month-old before her surgery in February. Lisa was accompanied by photographer Marc Ascher, who took the "after" photograph of Britany that you see alongside her "before" photo below. What a beautiful little girl and what a real-life miracle for her loving family! It literally gives me goose bumps to think that last year's Family Portrait Month donation of $40,000 to Operation Smile made possible 166 miracles for precious children such as Britany. It's not too late to participate in 2007's Family Portrait Month. You can learn more and register by clicking here.

Oh My Word!

ann@annmonteith.com — 2007-08-31T09:49:45-04:00

I just heard a news report about a peeping Tom, who snuck into a woman's home and hid a video camera in her bedroom so that he could spy on and record her and her husband. What does this have to do with the business of photography? The news story went on to say that the intruder had been stalking the woman, stealing "unmentionables" from her bedroom, and he even went so far as to purchase photos of her from her wedding photographer. Yikes!! I wouldn't like to be in that photographer's shoes! Because you are in the business of selling photography, it would seem perfectly natural to take an order for a few 8x10s from a fellow who showed up stating that he is "the bride's brother," or "the bride's cousin." When it comes to taking orders from strangers, the best policy, in my opinion, is always to work with, or through, the primary client. Otherwise, you are likely to find yourself in the middle of a domestic dispute or worse . . . as is the case here. Early in my own business, a sweet grandmother visited the studio to order portraits of her high school senior grandson. Something didn't seem quite right, so we placed a call to the senior's mom, and I'm so glad we did. Turns out that Granny wanted the portraits for her son, from whom the mom and the senior were both estranged. Even if you feel sorry that a dad is being denied the opportunity of having a portrait of his son, don't get in the middle, where you'll surely become the next victim of an already bad situation. Make it a hard-and-fast policy to sell images only to the client directly, unless you have her approval to do otherwise.

Learning and Laughter by the Bay

ann@annmonteith.com — 2007-08-24T19:00:29-04:00

Just returned from a wonderful Studio Management Services Workshop in Oakland, California. Great class and a fabulous location, right on the bay, at Jack London Square. The fabulous location was suggested to us by portrait photographer Laura Cottrill, of nearby Walnut Creek. Here's Laura enjoying a good laugh and a great glass of wine with my fellow instructor Carol Andrews. Carol was a bit more serious when it was time for class. It was a wonderful group — very talented and highly motivated to get the most from their businesses. Carol and I and the staff of SMS look forward to our next workshop, which is scheduled for December 3-5 at PPA headquarters in Atlanta. Click here for more information.

Designers' Delight

ann@annmonteith.com — 2007-08-18T08:54:55-04:00

The headline on the previous article brought to mind one of my favorite resources: Before&After magazine, which sports a tag line that says: "How to design cool stuff." Back in the early 1990s, before I knew anything about an upstart company called Marathon Press, I was constantly searching for resources that could help me learn more about good design. I knew that effective design was a key to producing quality marketing materials, and even though I had a local designer to help me out and no desire to learn to do it myself, I wanted to learn more about it so that I would know what to ask for from a designer. Before & After was just what I was looking for. Every issue that arrives is full of such great ideas that I inevitably stop what I'm doing to dig through it. Early on I was so blown away by editor John McWade's vision and his WONDERFUL column on design, that I summoned the courage to write him a letter (remember them?) to ask how to approach the creation of promotional piece for PPA that I was working on as a volunteer. I really didn't expect a reply, but he answered my question, and in the process changed my life. These days B&A is available in two versions: printed or pdf. ... I urge you to visit their site at http://www.bamagazine.com. You'll find some free downloads to give you the flavor of the articles. Browse through the list of back issues, as I'm sure you'll find many that you'll want to download, and they are such a good value! ... I'm not the only one who is hooked on this wonderful resource. I'm really not trying to turn you into a designer, because most photographers should be spending their time shooting or building their businesses. But in today's world, design — just like technology — is part of everything we do, so you need to understand both. That's what B&A is all about. Here's how they describe themselves in the "Who we are" statement on their home page: Before & After magazine has been sharing its practical approach to graphic design since 1990. Because our modern world has made designers of us all (ready or not), Before & After is dedicated to making graphic design understandable, useful and even fun for everyone.

Homeward Bound: Before and After

ann@annmonteith.com — 2007-08-15T11:01:47-04:00

Thought I'd take a moment to show you two of my favorite products at work: NIK image-enhancement software and John Hartman QuickMats 3™ custom digital mats. The perfectly awful original, shown above, is from a bunch of typical stupid seagull pictures that everyone seems compelled to take when they are by the ocean — in this case the west coast of Ireland. Shot with my trusty Canon 5-D, I was about to delete it when I noticed the gull with his mouth open. Apparently he's screaming at the other guys to get out of his way. I decided to crop in on just him . . . then I saw what was in the distance. I played around with some NIK filters (Color Efex Pro) to add vibrancy and color to the image, used a touch of Nik Sharpener Pro on the bird, then I cropped it to straighten the horizon line. I then created a Hartman mat around it and hung it in my bedroom along with a group of favorite images I'd made in Ireland. I enjoyed it so much — because it really gives me that "land's end" feeling I get whenever I visit the the coast of Ireland — that I decided to enter it in competition. I was thrilled that it received a Merit last month at the national judging. I hung two others, both of which I used filters to enhance, but with those images I had something to work with in the first place — not just a throw-away (almost) snapshot that was hiding a treasure. My conversion to digital did not come quickly or easily: I've observed the implosion of way too many studios placed under the stress of trying to implement a brand new workflow overnight. Letting go of my beloved Mamiya RZ67 and my fixed-tripod world has been tough. But what really made me embrace the digital world is recognizing that in my film world, I nearly always felt somewhat letdown when I saw the proofs of an image that had thrilled me when I snapped the shutter. But with digital, I can take that same image and bring out the the actual emotion I was feeling because of what I was beholding. Now, every time I look at "Homeward Bound," I am transported to that magic place that Ireland has become to me, and I am filled with the emotions I have for the exquisite land, fascinating places, and marvelous people I've experienced there. Wow! What a gift digital has given to me.

It's A Woman Thing!

ann@annmonteith.com — 2007-08-13T13:24:11-04:00

When BellaGrafica was in it's early planning stages, I told my husband, Jim, that we had finally decided on the name "BellaGrafica" for the new company. "It means 'beautiful graphics in Italian," I explained. Jim's reply was: "Then why don't you just call it 'Beautiful Graphics?' ...The male vs. female view of marketing and sales obviously still ripples across our many years of being in business together. I've always called Jim the "King of Plastic Bags," as he believes they are the most practical device ever invented for packaging EVERYTHING. He has strenuously resisted my attempts to look for attractive packaging alternatives. In an effort to impress on Jim the reason that BellaGrafica is emphasizing packaging as an important product line, I went so far as to purchase the tin of Tea Forte' infusers that you see below. This delightful company sells tea products that are magnificently packaged. This tin contains two of what Jim would call "tea bags." Tea Forte', however, calls them "silken infusers." I pointed out that the product would be nothing without the packaging: a beautifully designed tin, holding two delightful tent-shaped coverings for the infusers. The tin itself is wrapped in a lovely belly-band. "You are paying a few cents for the tea product and the rest for the beautiful container, which sends a message that you appreciate fine things," I explained. Jim inspected the product for a few minutes, then he looked at me like I was crazy. So I've learned my lesson: The attraction of beautiful packaging is generally a woman thing, but a very important issue if you are marketing to women. Beautiful packaging sends a message to clients that reinforces their choice of having purchased a fine product. It's an inexpensive way to combat "buyer's remorse" and the perfect way to conclude each client's experience with your business. Take a minute to browse through the Tea Forte' website. It will teach you a lot about the value of exquisite design and artful packaging.

Meet Another Duck Buddy . . .

ann@annmonteith.com — 2007-08-10T20:06:17-04:00

I enjoyed the Peabody Hotel's ducks so much that they made me think about another duck friend of mine. You can find him on a wonderful web-based cartoon strip series called "What the Duck" at whattheduck.net. "What" is the creation of artist Aaron Johnson who writes about and draws a struggling professional photographer who happens to be a duck. I've become addicted to What's very familiar situations. There are lots of fun things to look at on the WTD site. When you click on the home page, check out the merchandise (cute), then go to the strip archives to see lots of great episodes, such as the one below. Before you sign off, make sure that you click on the home page link entitled "WTD TV" (upper right corner). PLEASE DON'T MISS THIS ANIMATED GEM. Every photographer who has ever photographed a holy terror child will love this one. There's even a free download for your iPod/iPhone. What's particularly amusing to me is that the child's voice sounds exactly like my grandson when he was around two and going through the mini-tantrum stage. Thanks to What, I'll never forget Lucas at that age.

Senior Expectations . . .

ann@annmonteith.com — 2007-08-08T22:51:48-04:00

Yesterday I answered a call from a mom inquiring about senior portraits for her son. Not an unusual ocurrance except that what this mom wanted to know was "does your studio have a senior website where I can get information about your senior photography?" For months I've been advocating that separate websites are appropriate when studios do a significant business in certain specialities such as seniors and weddings. Today's consumers, especially members of the younger "Entitlement Generation," want to deal with specialists — photographers who are perceived as being experts in their field. They like to feel as if they are the ONLY client you have. So I wouldn't have been surprised to hear a high school kid ask if we had a senior website. But his mom? I guess I shouldn't be surprised. After all . . . it's her generation of parents who are responsible for raising this current crop of high school "Entitlers." Both parents and their children are truly changing the way that all retailers — including photographers — do business. More about the Entitlement Generation on another day.

Attention Parents!

ann@annmonteith.com — 2007-08-04T14:01:45-04:00

This sign caught my eye while having lunch at a fun restaurant across from the Peabody Hotel in Memphis, during the Make More Money Conference. Wouldn't you just LOVE to post a sign like this in your studio for certain parents to read?

Gift Cards Make Great Marketing Sense

ann@annmonteith.com — 2007-04-09T13:34:22-04:00

Since they were introduced last fall, Gift Cards have become one of Marathon's hottest products. No wonder. Holiday sales of gift cards were off the chart. They just make a lot of sense for consumers who want to buy meaningful gifts for friends or family, but who simply don't have time to prowl malls to find them. Marathon's new Gift Cards are a wonderful value: only 25 cents each when you place a minimum order of $50 using your own design—or Marathon can do the design for you at an additional charge. Marathon also can create a complete direct mail package that includes the Gift Card with your choice of two different mailer styles. Click here for specifications and pricing. Think about the potential impact on seniors, when you send them a Gift Card to spend on their senior portraits. These cards are really hard to throw away because they feel like real money!

Make More Money Conference . . . It Was Just Ducky!

ann@annmonteith.com — 2007-08-02T09:55:53-04:00

The Peabody Hotel—was a perfect setting for the 2007 Make More Money Conference. It's iconic ducks—which appeared in or on everything, from the lobby fountain (real ducks) to towels and toilet issue, and even in pastries, which were as delicious as they were beautiful—were a very potent reminder of how important branding is to the long-term success of a business. This famous Memphis landmark has in fact been in business since 1869. The conference itself drew over 600 photographers who were eager to learn all they could about marketing, management and workflow. It's simply amazing to me how digital has shifted the demand away from classes on technique to classes on how to run a business. In my opinion, the industry is better because of this transformation: There certainly is no shortage of outstanding images being made, and there are lot more profitable businesses because of this shift. Just like last year, every program was a highlight for me, and the trade show was great as well. Plus it was such fun to see so many great friends. I heard nothing but wonderful comments and appreciation for such a meaningful event.

Speaking of Helen Yancy . . .

ann@annmonteith.com — 2007-07-26T17:21:12-04:00

Helen will be offering her incredible Digital Art class at my Deep Creek Lake vacation home and studio in the mountains of western Maryland (Garrett County) on November 2-5. This is the 5th year for Helen's class, and it always fills up. No wonder . . . There is no more recognized name in digital artwork education than Helen Yancy. The class is limited to 12 students, and tuition is $995. Register by August 15 and pay only $925! Register now, as classes sell out quickly. For more information, click on the image below.

Prints, Prints & More Prints . . .

ann@annmonteith.com — 2007-07-26T16:36:50-04:00

Ever wonder what it takes to select the incredible print show that comprises the International Print Exhibition at PPA's Imaging USA national convention? It starts with a committed group of judges that I was privileged to serve with at the national judging, which concluded yesterday at the Daytona Beach Community College Photography Department. Here we are getting set for our official photograph. It also takes the dedication of a huge number of dedicated volunteers who hour-after-hour sort, handle, and record print results . . . not to mention setting up and tearing down the various sets of judging apparatus. Of all the volunteers, no one rose to the occasion better than Helen Yancy, who as vice chairman of the Print Exhibition Committee, stepped in to fill the shoes of PEC chairman Buddy Stewart, whose bad luck it was to wind up in the hospital on the eve of the event. That meant double duty for Helen, who had to split her time between teaching the Judge's Workshop and serving as Overall Jury Chairman for the print competition. I was extremely proud of the judges and incredible volunteers who pitched in to help out, but especially of the always-amazing Helen, who was the perfect commander-in-chief . . . constantly in touch with Buddy, whose presence was sorely missed. This was my first opportunity to serve on a judging panel for many years. I had to temporarily retire from print competition until my PPA leadership responsibilities were finished. It was just wonderful to view the astonishing array of images in the 5,000-print competition, and SO exciting to have three of my images receive Merits. It was a potent reminder to me of how valuable print competition is for photographers at any level: if you're a new photographer it provides you with a direction to improve the quality of your photography; and if you've been around for a long time like I have . . . it helps you to challenge yourself to keep on achieving. A very successful photographer once told me that he strives to hang regular customer work in the competition every year because doing so assures him that his clients are receiving the best possible products he can create for them. For this reason and many more, I'll always consider the International Print Competition to be one of our industry's greatest opportunities for personal growth. I hope you'll take the time to view the entire print exhibition at ImagingUSA on Jaunary 6-8 in Tampa, FL. I'm getting my hotel reservations now, as PPA expects room blocks to go fast . . . just as they did last for last January's convention.

My Son's Wedding Movie

ann@annmonteith.com — 2007-06-22T12:33:22-04:00

This time last year my family and I were returning from a cruise to Alaska, where my son and his long-time fiancee were married by the captain aboard ship. Back in April I did a blog entry about how easy it was to create wedding album or book layouts using Proselect. Somehow I didn't even think about creating a movie of the album . . . too much going on at the time. Once I did think about it, I assumed that it would be a big deal to create the movie. Boy I wrong! I had already created a slide show by importing the single page files I had created through the ProSelect Production module back into ProSelect. As you can see from the image below, I added blank pages at the beginning and end and created a closing technique by taking the last image and making a black-and-white dissolve into a sepia version and finally into a color version. I did this to allow the music to begin and end where I wanted it. So all I had to do to create the movie was go the File menu and pull down to Export >Quicktime Slide Show. That brought up the dialog box that you see below with the selections I made. That's all there was to it! You can check out the QT movie below.

Using ProSelect for Album & Marathon Book Layouts

ann@annmonteith.com — 2007-04-28T12:21:23-04:00

Last July my son and his long-time fiancee finally got married. Although they had been together since college, the decision tie the knot on PPA's first-ever cruise event was very much a spur-of-the-moment decision. My son Wes heard his dad and me talking about our going on the cruise, and he figured this would be as good a time and place as any to make it official. Jess agreed, so on July 10, 2006, Wes and Jess were married aboard ship, with family members and a bunch of photographer friends in attendance. We were extremely fortunate that award-winning wedding photographers Jamie Hayes and Mary Fisk-Taylor offered to cover the wedding. Their photos were awesome, but at first it was a daunting task for me to put an album together, as I hadn't built a wedding album in many, many years. Then I remembered that one of my SMS Clients, Parker Smith of Atlanta, had told me he uses ProSelect to create layouts that he outputs for albums. So Parker gave me some tips and I read ProSelect's handy user guide and discovered how easy it is to quickly design your own layouts, add the images, then output them through the software's production module. What really amazed me was that I negotiated the learning curve and had 44 pages completed within less than a day. Since the bride and groom really didn't want a traditional album, I decided to try to upload the files to Marathon Press to create a hard-bound book from their new Premiere Editions series. Again, the process was incredibly easy, and less than two weeks later I received a 10x10 illustrated-cover hard-bound book for the bride and groom, 8x8 books for the parents, and several nice purse-size 5x5s. To learn more about Marathon Premiere Edition books, click here. The entire process was so much fun and the books so attractive and inexpensive that I intend to start rounding up all of my family portraits and vacation images that are stuck in drawers, bulky albums, and who-knows-where else, and create a library of books that will take up so much less space and be fun for my family to enjoy.

BellaGrafica To Debut at Women's Retreat

ann@annmonteith.com — 2007-06-04T12:12:28-04:00

You've probably heard some buzz about BellaGrafica, a new marketing company created specifically to serve the needs of boutique studios, and you'll get an opportunity to learn what this buzz is all about at the Chicks Who Click women's retreat in the Bahamas, June 25-27 (There's no prohibition against male attendees). At that retreat I'll be presenting my new program entitled "The Boutique Studio Revolution," which will focus on the key factors that make up this emerging business model as well as feature six of the top boutique studios in the country. ... • Nordstrom Photography, Winterset, IA (Lori Nordstrom) • Portrait Life, Washington, IL (Jeff and Julia Woods) • Sarah Petty Photography, Springfield, IL (Sarah Petty) • V Gallery, Morton, IL (Vicki and Jed Taufer) • Walden's Photography, Lexington, KY (Beverly and Tim Walden) It has been my privilege to work with these studios for nearly a year now in helping to develop BellaGrafica, which is being shaped by a small group associated with Marathon Press. I'm often asked why Marathon felt that it was necessary to form a new company in order to create boutique studio products. The answer is simple: Boutique studios truly are a different business model from traditional ones. They have a laser-like focus on marketing to women and are far more niche-oriented. What's more, the marketing philosophy that drives boutique studios requires a complete redeployment of marketing resources. ...Let's say you have $5,000 to spend on marketing a particular product line. The traditional studio is likely to send 5,000 direct mail cards to a purchased list at a cost of $1 a piece. The boutique studio, however, is more likely to spend $5 each getting 1,000 "wow-factor" marketing pieces into the hands of clients that the studio really wants to do business with—families who appreciate fine things, including artful photography, which they are willing to purchase at a premium price. The key, then, is how to get these great marketing pieces to the right prospects. Boutique studios often do this through networking with retailers, professionals or organizations that deal with these highly qualified clients, asking them to hand out the materials to their top clients or mailing the materials to leads they supply. I promise that you'll learn a lot about this exciting new business model and the wonderful products that BellaGrafica has just started producing if you attend the Bahamas event. If that's not possible, then don't miss another opportunity to visit with BellaGrafica at PPA's Make More Money conference, July 29-August 1, in Memphis, TN.

It's Official . . . BellaGrafia is Here!

ann@annmonteith.com — 2007-07-05T12:02:44-04:00

You've probably been hearing the buzz about BellaGrafica, a new company created by a small group associated with Marathon Press. BellaGrafica's mission is to support the needs of Boutique Studio owners. The website (above) is now live, and products are beginning to release. The company will be in a "soft launch" mode for the rest of the year, and the full launch will come at PPA's ImagingUSA national convention in Tampa on January 6-8, 2008. The very first product to be released is this wonderful shopping bag . . . the brainchild of BellaGrafica team member Sarah Petty. The Portrait Bag features a 3x5 pocket that allows you to personalize the bag for the person receiving it. You can insert an image, a thank-you note, or your business card—whatever is appropriate for the client. Your logo is imprinted on the front of the bag in one color. The illustrations below show how versatile the bag can be when it is personalized for different types of clients. ...Sarah tells me that this bag has worked wonders in her business, as they "go nuts" over the bags. Kids and parents get so excited when they see the personalized bag. It revives the excitement they felt when they viewed and ordered their portraits, which helps to negate any possible buyer's remorse. Best of all, they are inclined to carry the bag with them to show to friends, so it's a great referral device. ...It combines Marathon's powerful printing and technology resources with six of the industry's most talented and successful boutique studio owners, who are designing pieces for BellaGrafica. You can meet these outstanding photographers and learn a lot about their businesses and how they approach the market by going to the Bellagrafica.com menu bar and pulling down to THE COLLECTIONS (see below). You'll learn so much as these talented photographers and expert marketers explain how they target specific markets and how they managed to set their businesses apart from others. In the coming months you'll see the steady release of new product designs, but if you already have an idea for a really special marketing piece, BellaGrafica staff designers are ready to serve you now. Their goal in creating beautiful, unique marketing products is to make upscale clients recoginize they have received something of importance . . . something they'll want to hold on to and show to others because it is so special. As its tag line suggests: BellaGrafica is The Art of Marketing.

Learn To Sell The "Walden Way."

ann@annmonteith.com — 2007-06-22T11:08:25-04:00

I receive a lot of questions about what resources exist to help photographers improve their sales skills. One of the very best is "Solving the Puzzle of Successful Sales," a 2-CD set by Beverly Walden. It's a wonderful resource because it takes you through the sales process from beginning to end, and it is written and spoken by one of the best sales pros in the business. What I love about Bev's approach to sales is that 90% of the sale is made before the client ever steps into the salesroom to view the portraits. Therefore there is no hard-sell involved, and no buyer's remorse to worry about, because a good sale is simply a foregone conclusion. What a great way to do business . . . and to make friends with your clients in the process!

Need Help Learning SuccessWare?

ann@annmonteith.com — 2007-05-24T11:04:05-04:00

SuccessWare is an incredibly powerful management tool, but you can't be expected to learn to implement all of its features at once. The learning curve is far less when you familiarize yourself with the many resources SuccessWare has to help you along the way. The key to understanding which resources will be most helpful for your learning style can be found by clicking on the Support link of the SuccessWare website. You'll find descriptions and links to every type of support that SuccessWare provides, including training movies, web demos and live web training, what's new movies and tours, tips and tricks, schedules for multi-day live training classes, and the opportunity to view SuccessWare's powerful User Guide information right on the web. I find the User Guide to be a wonderful resource. It pays to take the time to browse through the wealth of information it contains. To do so, you can simply click on one or all of the links below: Another excellent resource for SuccessWare users is the SuccessWare Support Forum. You can register for this active online community by clicking on the icon below:

Learn ProSelect Inside and Out!

ann@annmonteith.com — 2007-05-28T10:34:24-04:00

Here's some great news for those who want to take advantage of the many benefits of ProSelect, the leading sales and production software for portrait wedding studios: Digital workflow guru Ron Nichols has teamed up with the makers of ProSelect to produce a Video Tutorial Palette that helps you instantly understand the software's power as a time-saving, profit-building workflow management tool. Ron Nichol's ProSelect Training Palette resides on your desktop as a quick reference, providing you with access to over 30 video chapters. Each presents click-by-click instruction by Ron, who not only shows you how to do it, he also explains how to apply it in real-life situations. Ron has gained industry-wide acclaim for his innovative palette concept that allows you to dive right into and take control of a software such as Photoshop or to make use of techniques developed by some of the industry's leading photographers. If you haven't already seen or purchased Ron's fantastic Production Retouching Palette, you can learn about it by clicking here to view a movie that explains how the palette takes the complexity out of Photoshop by controling brush dynamics, adjusting blending modes and opacities, managing layers, and providing step-by-step video instruction. All you do is follow Ron's instructions, and Photoshop retouching becomes a simple matter of double-clicking, then painting. I can't say enough good things about this superb product!

Inside ProSelect

ann@annmonteith.com — 2007-05-18T10:31:34-04:00

It was such a pleasure to have Fran Howlett attend my February Guerrilla Management Workshop in Fredericksburg, VA. Fran and her husband Peter, developers of ProSelect, had come from Australia to participate in the Imaging USA trade show in San Antonio and do some skiing out west. Fran decided to stay on for the workshop after Peter headed home. She was kind enough to present a demonstration of the software to the class, and she also provided us with handouts, which she has given permission for me to post here. I think you'll find them to be helpful. The first download will increase your understanding of the many functions of ProSelect. Fran tells me that most users really don't know how many different functions ProSelect accomplishes, so she has listed them—menu by menu—so that you can easily scan what they are. The second download is a description of the ProSelect workflow that Fran uses in her portrait studio in Perth. I found it really helpful to know how the originators of this enormously helpful program use it to its best advantage. Thanks, Fran!

Why SuccessWare?

ann@annmonteith.com — 2007-04-26T06:43:29-04:00

Back in the mid-1990's, I got a call from Jeff Grann, who asked me if I would be willing to consult with him on the development of a comprehensive studio management software application. I had met Jeff through his wife, Judy, who was one of my first (and best) business students. As a brand-new photographer in her early 20's, Judy was highly motivated to move her fledgling studio business from her townhouse basement to a retail location so that Jeff could use the space at home for a pool table. As cumbersome as business planning was back then—you had to do all your calculations by pencil, paper, and adding machine—Judy understood that a financial and marketing plan were the only option for achieving her goal. ...In those days Jeff was working in Washington as a TRW computer engineer, and I was struggling with how to automate my monthly accounting chores. I showed Jeff the home-made management system that I had cobbled together from three off-the-shelf applications, and he set up something similar for Judy's studio. Jeff was amazed that no one had developed a true financial management software for the photography industry. In those days there were some systems that handled income and client data, but nothing that integrated all the elements that photographers need to run a studio using a single data file. So when I got Jeff's call I was intrigued that he and Judy had decided that her business was sufficiently profitable that Jeff could quit his lucrative software development job to work full time developing what would become SuccessWare. I was particularly pleased that the software would include not only tracking features, but also business planning and pricing modules. We began a series of meetings so that Jeff could understand exactly what financial management features photographers needed to help them make more money, doing so according to industry standards for financial management. During those early meetings, I could never have envisioned that SuccessWare would become the incredible multi-faceted tool that it is today. In fact, SuccessWare has added so many mind-boggling features since those early days when I was in weekly contact with Jeff and Judy, that I have vowed to attended one of their SuccessWare "immersion" classes before the year is out. Knowing that I was involved in the early development of SuccessWare, I get lots of questions about SuccessWare and why I believe SuccessWare is essential for profitable studio management. ...SuccessWare is the industry's ONLY fully integrated financial and business management software that encompasses all of your studio business needs—business planning, product pricing, scheduling, client and prospect tracking, order tracking, bill paying and complete financial management and reporting. ... I've lived through the days when you had to do daily hand entries and then spend three days each month to hand-create your financial records. Things improved with computers, but you still had to work in 3 or 4 applications and create your own personalized reports. With SuccessWare, once you enter data and pay your bills, reports are automatic, and this is the way it has to be for busy, successful people. When you look around and see who's making money in this industry, it's not a coincidence that most of them are SuccessWare users.

How to KNOW if Your Marketing is Working

ann@annmonteith.com — 2007-07-20T14:25:51-04:00

It drives me nuts to know how many SuccessWare users are not taking advantage of the Inquiry Sales Report function of the software. What this great feature does is calculate how much income you are receiving from each of your major marketing sources. Thus you can say with certainty whether or not your marketing is paying off. The report itself is found under the Reports menu. Pull down to Inquiry Sales Report. . . . And here's what you get: Now you can see exactly which marketing resources are paying off for and which are not. This allows your decision making about how to spend your precious marketing dollars to be made based on reality, not on hunches. It's easy to add the data. Simply go to the Inquiries menu and pull down to Add Inquiries. It takes just a few seconds to add the information you need to receive reports that are vital to effective management.

Family Portrait Month Success Stories

ann@annmonteith.com — 2007-05-20T20:02:42-04:00

As a member of the PPA Charities Board of Trustees, I'm working with fellow trustee Angela Weedon and Marathon Press to develop a new membership kit for the 2007 Family Portrait Month promotion. The kit will contain a new 16-page publication, the Family Portrait Month Journal, featuring information about the promotion and a series of great marketing ideas from studio owners who were among the top fund raisers for the 2006 promotion. One of those photographers is Laura Novak, whose Wilmington, Delaware studio caters to upscale wedding and portrait clients. Laura used several different marketing strategies to attract clients during Family Portrait Month. This included her blog, which she used as a low-cost way to advertise a Halloween promotion that, at a lower price commitment, succeeded in introducing her studio to new clients, while also raising funds for Operation Smile. Later she posted some of the darling Halloween images she created on her blog, which you can visit by clicking here. You can discover more charitable marketing ideas in the Family Portrait Month Journal by registering for the promotion here, providing that you are a PPA member. Click here for PPA membership information.

Angela Weedon's Operation Smile Mission

ann@annmonteith.com — 2007-05-03T16:38:12-04:00

When Dallas photographer Angela Weedon earned the opportunity to photograph an Operation Smile mission to Honduras by becoming the top studio contributer to the PPA Charities Family Portrait Month fundraiser, the organization could not have asked for a more enthusiastic volunteer. The work that this inspiring organization does in healing the facial deformities of children around the word is especially meaningful to Angie and her husband Matt, as their nephew was born with a cleft palate that was repaired soon after birth. I hope you will take a moment to view the heart-touching images that Angie made during the week-long mission. Just click here to view the slideshow that she presented on the final night of the mission. Her photography presentation earned heartfelt praise from the medical staff and volunteers who had made possible some 100 surgeries that week. ©Angela Weedon Perhaps Angie's photos will inspire you to participate in Family Portrait Month 2007. I hope so. It's a great way to call attention to your business in a very favorable light, as highly qualified consumers typically like to do business with studios who help to support charitable organizations such as Operation Smile. Last year participating PPA studios raised $40,000 for Operation Smile, while increasing their profits in the process. Angie and I have been working with Marathon Press to create the new Family Portrait Month membership kit, which includes "how-to" information from several of the top-grossing promotion participants. Membership kits are expected to ship in July, but you can register for the 2007 Family Portrait Month promotion now by clicking here.

Family Portrait Month Kits Are Ready!

ann@annmonteith.com — 2007-07-19T16:12:02-04:00

Just got word from Marathon that the 2007 Family Portrait Month Membership Kits are now ready to ship. The kits include the new Family Portrait Month Journal shown above. This year's promotion provides even more opportunities for marketing your family portraiture. New for 2007 is a series of promotional card templates generously designed and donated by several studio owners who were the top 2006 Family Portrait Month fundraisers. Now you can choose your favorite template, then add your own photographs and back copy through Marathon's automated m-Print direct-to-print service, and your promotional cards will be ready to ship within five business days. Once you have paid the $39 registration fee, your business information will be added to FamilyPortraitMonth.com, the promotion's national website, which has a brand new look for 2007. You also will be mailed a 2007 Membership Kit, which includes your Family Portrait Month Journal and a CD full of promotional items to assist your marketing efforts. One of the new CD items is a template for "Smile Cards," which Dallas photographer Angela Weedon sold in 2006 to benefit Operation Smile throughout the year, and which helped her to repeat as the year's top Family Portrait Month fundraiser. Keep in mind that any studio collecting $500 or more for Operation Smile is eligible for a cash drawing of $500 to be held at the PPA Charities 2008 Celebration on Saturday evening, January 5, 2008 at ImagingUSA in Tampa, Florida. A highlight of this annual event, which is held on the eve of PPA's annual convention, will be the announcement of 2007's top studio fundraiser. Every $240 donation to Operation Smile makes it possible for another surgery to be performed by OpSmile's volunteer medical staff. Last year's PPA Charities' donation to Operation Smile of $40,000 translates into 166 operations made possible because photographers did what they do best: create images for families to treasure. Think of all the smiles these portraits made possible—in your hometown and throughout the world—and you'll know how important your efforts can be! Click here register for 2007's Family Portrait Month. Have your PPA membership number ready. If you are not a PPA member, click here for membership information. Join today to participate in this wonderful opportunity!

I Have My Own Stick Figure!

ann@annmonteith.com — 2007-06-19T15:09:21-04:00

Got an email from Carrie Viohl, whose blog I mentioned recently (I'm a avid reader), and she absolutely delighted me by sending me a link to the illustration below, and the following much-apprciated email: "Ann, thank you again for everything you've done to help us enrich our business!! Haley agonized over what you should be doing in your stick figure portrait, and she finally decided that you would most likely be found teaching... bears." The black bear reference comes from the fact that Garrett County, MD, where my lake house is located, has a sizable native black bear population (over 300). We've spotted bear several times during the day, but they come around mostly in the night to see if anyone has been dumb enough not to lock up their garbage. Two years ago, our community was written about in People magazine, when a particularly aggressive bear came through a cabin's screen door and hauled away the owner's entire refrigerator. So at each Deep Creek Lake Guerrilla Management Class, I make sure to deliver the "people-vs.-bears" speech. Anyway . . . thanks to Carrie and Haley for the delightful drawing!

Finally . . . Camera Bags for Women!

ann@annmonteith.com — 2007-07-15T13:16:55-04:00

I met a new vendor at Chicks Who Click in the Bahamas . . . jill-e designs. They have some wonderful, stylish gear bags, designed especially for women who don't want to walk around looking like pack mules. I'm not so worried about how I look—I just want to get where I'm going with my cameras, lenses, and MacBook intact. This is becoming increasingly difficult because I usually have to ride on commuter jets. Several times lately, they've refused to let me get on the plane with my SMALL rolling backpack, which holds my essential gear. This is infuriating, because I see others with bags much larger than mine, and I know my backpack will fit under the seat. I end up having to carry the contents of the bag on to the plane in my arms, put the gear in the overhead (which is scary), and then have the empty bag fly in the cargo bay. Really dumb! So I was thrilled to see jill-e's Large Black Rolling Camera Bag. I hope you'll take a peek at it, because it is awesome! I believe I'll be able to outsmart the snarky flight attendants with this bag, because when you collapse the handle mechanism, and throw it over your arm, it looks just like those huge purses that the Hollywood starlets are carrying. I dare them to try to take away my purse! The bag was backordered, but I think it will be worth the wait. Will let you know how everything fits when it arrives.

SuccessWare Leasing . . . The Way to Go!

ann@annmonteith.com — 2007-05-05T11:07:15-04:00

I'm often asked whether it's best to lease or purchase SuccessWare. To me the answer is a no-brainer: Leasing is definitely the way to go. Leasing assures that you are always working on the current version of SuccessWare, which is preferable for software applications that are critical to your business operations. The monthly single-user leasing fee of $49 includes all future upgrades as well as continuous technical support. Multi-user is only $79 per month. Judy Grann, SuccessWare vice president, tells me that since the company introduced leasing in 2003, over 90% of their new clients have chosen the leasing option, and many other SuccessWare users have moved to leasing so that they are fully upgraded and also retain access to continued support. If you have questions about leasing or wish to switch to leasing, you can email Successware at info@successware.net or phone them at 800-593-3767.

Meet Peter and Fran Howlett

ann@annmonteith.com — 2007-04-08T12:09:32-04:00

One of the most important unsolicited emails I ever opened was from Peter Howlett, shown above with his wife Fran. ... My lab had just announced that they would no longer produce "transproofs," which had been our most essential selling tool, almost since the day we opened. ...Early in our photographic career my husband Jim began to fiddle around with Kodak 5072 film, which he used to copy frames of 6x7 film using a 100 watt light bulb, a copy stand, a black box, and a piece of opal glass, then developing the resulting slides by hand in our darkroom. ... We became evangelists on the speaking circuit, trying to convince wary photographers that this was the way to go. It took a while for labs to catch on, but finally they began to offer transpoofs or transviews, and we retired our home-made setup. We certainly didn't want to get it out again, and we COULDN'T do without the vital tool that allowed us to send our kids to college, feed all the pets, and finance a vacation home. I reviewed several programs, but nothing really clicked until I received an interesting email from a company called TimeExposure, located literally on the other side of the world. ... Pretty soon I was on the phone with Peter, because I wanted to understand his development plans to make sure this wasn't a "hobby project." Indeed it wasn't, and ProSelect has been all I had hoped for and more. Early on I introduced digital guru Ron Nichols to ProSelect when he was looking for something to replace ProShots. ...I now use ProSelect for everything from browsing and selecting my images, selling them to clients, and outputting the selected images to the lab or to my printer. It has become a total workflow solution, and recently SuccessWare linked their software to ProSelect's ordering system, so that client orders placed during the ProSelect sales sessions can flow right into SuccessWare. ... If you want to learn how to import orders from ProSelect to SuccessWare, click here to view a SuccessWare "How To" screen movie on the subject. ...They are a delightful couple, and so pleased that American photographers have embraced their software and are using it to make their businesses more profitable. Last February Fran attended my Guerrilla Management Workshop in Fredericksburg, VA, where she was kind enough to give the class an evening tutorial on ProSelect. ...Geographically, Perth is almost exactly on the opposite side of the world to Jacksonville, Florida and consequently it's time zone is 12 hours ahead of New York time, which made it fairly easy for me to communicate with Pete, when I was learning about ProSelect. ...His background is in electronic engineering specializing in software development, and Fran is a master photographer and a former national board member of the Australian Institute of Professional Photographers. Fran made the switch to digital in early 2002 with the purchase of a Canon 1D body and soon involved Peter as her technical support person. This involvement in the changing world of digital photography led Peter and Fran to start to design and develop the award winning products now used by thousands of professional digital photographers around the world.

Showit Puts You On The FAST Track!

ann@annmonteith.com — 2007-07-19T09:31:17-04:00

In case you haven't heard about Showit products, I urge you to take a look at showitfast.com. I learned about these great products several months ago when I was looking for a quick solution for building slideshows on the fly. Showit is the brainchild of David Jay, a twenty-something Santa Barbara photographer, who quickly became a sensation in the high-end wedding photography market. David credits this meteoric rise to his strategy of creating eye-catching Flash slideshows to present on the very day of the wedding. In the process he developed a suite of Showit tools that make the process incredibly easy. You can quickly enhance your photos with Showit Effects and Showit Borders. Then drop your photos into Showit Web to produce a stunning Flash slideshow. Visit showitfast.com to learn about David's marketing philosophy, to see Showit products in action, and to review how-to videos and support information. See how David markets his wedding photography business using Showit products by visiting his studio site at davidjay.com. Here's an example from the Showit Effects application: Check out this example from Showit Borders:

Make More Money! Learn How in Memphis.

ann@annmonteith.com — 2007-07-03T09:02:03-04:00

There's no better learning opportunity for studio owners and managers than the Make More Money Conference scheduled for July 29-August 1 at the fabulous Peabody Hotel in Memphis, TN, my favorite city for mouthwatering spareribs. I'm doing a program on financial management, including pricing. I plan to be on the front row for most of the programs, as last year I learned more at the MMM Conference than at any event I attended. This year workflow has been added, so that makes the content even better! You'll also be able to visit with BellaGrafica at the trade show, as well as meet with three of the company's team members: Beverly and Tim Walden and Sarah Petty, who are doing a joint program entitled "The Boutique Studio Experience." Don't miss it! To learn more about the conference content, click here.

Say Hello to Judy . . .

ann@annmonteith.com — 2007-06-30T22:33:39-04:00

Last night I got a call from Judy Grann, my friend and teaching partner at Guerrilla Management Workshops. Judy is vice-president of SuccessWare, and she is now a proud iPhone owner. No, she didn't stand in line with the hoards of eager consumers who were desperate to wrap their hands around the latest got-to-have-it Apple toy, she took a chance and dropped by an AT&T store after work and got lucky. She couldn't wait to call me when she got home, even though it was on her standard-issue office phone. She was having too much fun holding it to get it set up! Why the big deal about Judy's new phone? It just reminded me of how powerful a brand can be in creating loyal clients that are ready at a moment's notice to purchase from you. I hate cell phones with a passion, but I'm going to buy an i-Phone and switch carriers because Apple has added just what I need to make a cell phone something that will improve my life, rather than just intrude on it. And I'm willing to pay the price because I trust the company: their products have never let me down, and they make me happy. You can read more about how Apple and other companies have elevated their brand to "lovemark" status in a book by Kevin Roberts entitled Lovemarks - The Future Beyond Brands. You'll learn what it takes to turn YOUR brand into a lovemark that assures a loyal clientele.

See You In The Bahamas?

ann@annmonteith.com — 2007-05-30T22:23:25-04:00

It's hard to believe that it's less than a month before PPA's first off-shore women's retreat. I've been lucky enough to attend all of these exceptional events, and I'm especially excited about this one: I'll be debuting a brand new program entitled "The Boutique Studio Revolution." I've spent over a year researching this emerging business model that is designed to appeal to the tastes of women. It is women, after all, who represent the vast majority of portrait/wedding studio clients. Also debuting at The Bahamas conference is BellaGrafica, a brand-new division of Marathon Press. You've probably been hearing some buzz about this exciting new company that is being developed to serve the specific needs of Boutique Studios. The very first BellaGrafica products will be on display at the Conference. Don't miss this great opportunity to learn from and network with some of the brightest minds in the business. To register for the conference, click the "Chicks" banner above. To read what BellaGrafica is all about, click the logo below. BREAKING NEWS (added on 6-8-07): I just learned that if the U.S. Department of State has eased requirements for issuing passports to The Bahamas. Provided that you have already applied for your passport, you will be allowed to enter the country. To learn more, click here.

Boutique Studio Program Debuts in The Bahamas!

ann@annmonteith.com — 2007-06-30T20:15:48-04:00

The Lucaya Resort on Grand Bahama Island was a wonderful setting to debut the new marketing program that I've been so eager to share with other photographers! Over the past year I've become fascinated with the boutique studio model because the concept behind each studio is unique and focused, and branding is a key to its success. I've had several photographers suggest that a boutique business is nothing more than a studio that sells "all kinds of stuff" such as photo collages, jewelry, handbags, etc. While I wouldn't be surprised to find products such as these in a boutique studio, that description really misses the mark . . . almost as widely as the belief that boutique studios are run only by women. In fact, what boutique studios (owned by men OR women) are all about is marketing to women, and creating businesses that appeal to their specific needs and wants. Market research shows that women are the primary consumers for portrait/wedding photography, so understanding how women respond to marketing also is a key factor in the success of boutique studios. That's the very reason why Marathon has created a new division—BellaGrafica—which is designed to support boutique studios that cater to women clients. As part of a "soft launch" strategy, BellaGrafica was on hand at the Bahamas Chicks Who Click women's retreat. The enthusiastic reaction of the attendees suggest that you'll be hearing quite a lot about BellaGrafica and the boutique studio concept.

"New Blog" Alert! Visit sarahpetty.com.

ann@annmonteith.com — 2007-06-08T19:33:59-04:00

It was only a matter of time . . . Last year Springfield, IL photographer Sarah Petty launched her new senior business in a big way, so for this senior season Sarah has introduced an exciting new blog. You can access it by logging on to her site (sarahpetty.com) or go there directly by clicking here. Either way, you'll see that her blog is aimed at seniors. Such a branding guru, Sarah has used her senior theme "Shine on" as the title for her blog. The site design smartly coordinates with her awe-inspring senior marketing piece, printed and assembled by BellaGrafica. I'll be talking about Sarah's boutique studio as part of my "Boutique Studio Revolution" program at the Chicks Who Click conference later this month in The Bahamas. And Sarah will be teaming with Bev and Tim Walden to present a program entitled "The Boutique Studio Experience" at PPA's Make More Money conference on July 21-August 1 in Memphis.

Favorite Blogs

ann@annmonteith.com — 2007-04-20T19:09:01-04:00

Recently I heard a marketing insider say that "blogs are just a fad." His comment reminded me of the number of folks who not so many years ago were saying the same thing about websites. For what it's worth, I believe it won't be long before it will be unthinkable for photographers NOT to have a blog. It's such a great way of introducing prospects to the "personality" of your business and making them feel comfortable with you and your studio. When you meet someone who's been reading your blog, they already feel as though they know you. And best of all, they tell other internet friends about you . . . just as I am going to do for the studios listed below :-). Here are some of my favorite blogs: Liana Lehman. Liana's website won top website honors in the 2006 AN-NE Awards Competition Lori Nordstrom Jeff & Julia Woods Laura Novak Ryan Phillips Jed & Vicki Taufer I'm amazed at how much I enjoy reading and learning from these talented marketers:

One Fantastic Blog!

ann@annmonteith.com — 2007-06-03T15:50:26-04:00

One of the best things about teaching is that you get to learn from your students. Such was the case at my May Guerrilla Management Workshop when I met Carrie Viohl and learned how good for your business a blog can be. Carrie and her husband, Phillip, own Carrie Viohl Photography in Moultrie, Georgia. Employee Renee Truett attended the workshop with Carrie and Philliip. Besides being a wonderful photographer, Carrie has made extraordinary use of her blog (carrieviohl.com) to propel her business. She credits it with helping to gain an incredibly loyal group of clients. I'm confident that you will enjoy taking a look at Carrie's blog. Note that when you reach the bottom of the scroll under a given topic or month, you might not have reached the end of her posts. So be prepared to click on "Previous Entries," because it's worth your time not to miss anything! Carrie has really been an inspiration to me to keep blogging away and doing my best to make it interesting. One of my favorite parts of her blog is the "stick figures" section which her super-talented employee Haley draws from time to time. There's an entire set of drawings that cleverly informs clients about how to display photographic art appropriately. I've joined the group of interested readers who log on just to find out what the stick figures are up to! Here's a photo of Carrie and Phillip taken at Deep Creek during the week of my class. What a great couple! When you visit the blog, you'll see wonderful images of their two darling kids.

Something New at Deep Creek

ann@annmonteith.com — 2007-05-29T15:25:16-04:00

If you've attended a class at my lake house, then you know what a great place Deep Creek Lake is. Well as of last weekend, Deep Creek became a nationally recognized Mecca for white water enthusiasts. Deep Creek's new Adventure Sports Center International (ASCI) is home to the world’s only mountain-top whitewater course and to a diverse array of adventure sports opportunities. The Adventure Sports Center International concept had its beginnings after the 1989 World Championships which were held on Savage River, about ten miles from Deep Creek. It was a huge event for Maryland, but getting the necessary water appropriated for those championships was almost impossible, so event coordinators decided to host only one more already planned race at that location. Those were the 1992 Olympic trials for the Summer Olympics held in Barcelona, Spain. It was at the Olympics that the visionaries and founders of the Adventure Sports Center International saw the artificial whitewater facilities built for the games' whitewater events to assure that sufficient water would be available. ... It took 15 years for the dream to come true on the top of Wisp Mountain above Deep Creek Lake. The course features an entry pond and a huge reservoir that feeds water to it. Four massive pumps literally shoot water out horizontally, which creates the rapids right out of the rocks. "Wave shapers" in the form of pneumatically controlled air bladders underneath metal plates can literally raise the bottom of the river up and down so that the waves can be fine-tuned to create a hole or a wave. A conveyer belt take rafters from the lower pond to the upper pond as the ride begins. The course is about one-third of a mile long with over ten individual rapids along the way. The Adventure Center also includes a climbing area that contains 65’ rock faces that sport climbing groups and adventure seekers love. Also under development is ten miles of mountain bike and running trails. The Center's goal is to be THE adventure sports destination for the region, and the ACSI is well on the way to achieving this lofty goal, as there are more class III, IV and V streams jammed together within the area than virtually any other part of the United States. Click here if you want to see a video of the whitewater course in action. If you want to learn more about how this incredible facility was build, click here. ...In the bottom image you can see just a few of the army of earth-moving vehicles that made the course possible.

When Clients Question Your Prices . . .

ann@annmonteith.com — 2007-07-10T15:08:21-04:00

Recently I heard from one of my Studio Management Services clients who was really down about some of her original clients who are upset that her prices are now much higher than they were when she first opened her business. Mind you, her original prices were absolutely rock-bottom and could not sustain a business. I believe that everyone faces this problem during the development of a business. And when you are new in business, it is normal for every criticism to be hurtful. You are trying so hard to please clients and to do the right thing, that any little comment can seem like a failure, and it's so easy to become defensive. ... Your issue really isn't about your pricing, it's about learning the proper sales technique to handle this "Objection." Good sales people love objections, because they enjoy the challenge of turning objections into assets. In this case the objection is about price, so just confront the issue directly. With a pleasant smile on your face, and with confidence you can gain from practicing this little "choices" speech over and over, say the following: Joan, I can certainly understand your concern about my prices, as setting a value on my work is something I don't take lightly. When I started my business I had a lot of learning to do: about photography and about how to operate a business. ... But what I have learned as my skills have grown, is that every business reaches a turning point in which the owner has to decide whether to stress low price or high quality. I knew that the only way I could be happy and my clients would be satisfied is to choose the quality route. It's a harder type of business to run, because you have to earn the trust of your clients with every single session, but I believe I've made the right choice. ...Remember this: When a client comes at you with a complaint, they are pushing on you. ... When you come back at them with a big smile and a lot of confidence, it helps to disarm them. One other thought: I believe it helps to soften clients' attitudes toward higher prices when you give them something extra or something unexpected when they pick up their finished order. This, combined with treating them like they are gold when they are with you in the studio, will help them focus on the experience as well as the quality of your photography. It's strange but true that clients can sometimes remember the little kindnesses that you do better than they can remember which portrait session it was.

What a Great Workshop!

ann@annmonteith.com — 2007-05-16T14:53:39-04:00

Every Guerrilla Management Workshop takes on its own personality, and each one is memorable. I'll always remember the May 2007 Workshop at my lake house in Deep Creek, MD because the participants were especially smart, committed and personable . . . just the qualities needed to be successful in business. They also were a lot of fun! I'll also remember them for suggesting that when workshops take place at Deep Creek, I should take the opportunity to host a creative coloring contest on the last night of class, when we gather at one of my favorite local restaurants, the Santa Fe Grill. I plan to take their advice, as the contest was a lot of fun. For the record, the first contest winner was Renee Truett of Carrie Viohl Photography, Moultrie, GA. Congratulations Renee!

SMS Illinois Workshop

ann@annmonteith.com — 2007-05-10T13:31:00-04:00

Just got back from taking part in a wonderful three-day PPA Studio Management Services Workshop in Illinois. The workshop took place in Jed and Vicki Taufer's fabulous new "Haven" educational retreat facility, which they have added on to their gorgeous V Gallery studio in Morton, Illinois. The space is wonderful, and the Tauffers will be offering lots of educational offerings. Click here to take a look at this great facility. The photo below shows V Gallery, the Taufer's stylish boutique studio. One evening the class was invited to visit Jeff and Julia Wood's amazing urban chic Portrait Life studio in Washington, Illinois, which is the site of their in-studio workshops. Visit their educational site to learn more. The next night, we journeyed to Sarah Petty's whimsical studio in the capital city of Springfield. Sarah also hosts in-studio workshops, which are listed on her educational site. It was fascinating to view three very different boutique studios that so very well reflect the personalities and business concepts of their dynamic studio owners. The workshop participants truly appreciated this special opportunity. PPA's Studio Management Services Workshops are designed to help studios understand the financial side of their businesses. In addition to well-known studio owners, the workshop includes SMS accountants who work one-on-one with participants. Click here for more information on the workshop series.

Happy April Fool's Day!

ann@annmonteith.com — 2007-04-01T19:39:10-04:00

April Fool's Day seems as good as any day to start a new venture. For a year I've been reading about and visiting blogs . . . all kinds of blogs . . . blogs by photographers, blogs about business, and even blogs about politics. What I've learned is that blogs are a marvelously versatile means of communication. I get a lot of emails from photographers looking for answers to marketing and management questions, and it's hard to answer each one individually. So I've decided to go the blog route as a means of communicating with more photographers more efficiently. If you would like the answer to a question that you believe will be beneficial to others in addition to yourself, just send me an email at ann@annmonteith.com. Please limit each email to one question, as long emails full of questions tend to go to the bottom of the email pile. So . . . Happy April Fool's Day, and let's see what happens . . . .

Check Out My New Article on Boutique Studios

ann@annmonteith.com — 2007-05-01T19:23:23-04:00

The May issue of Professional Photographer contains an article I wrote on Boutique Studios. I've spent many months studying this emerging business model, which I believe is one of the most important trends I've observed since I became a photographer. I hope you enjoy the article and others in the issue that concern marketing to women, who, of course, represent the majority of our client base. So watch for your copy in the mail!

PPA's Benchmark Survey

ann@annmonteith.com — 2007-04-10T19:21:39-04:00

If you're looking for help in understanding how financial business models work in the photography industry, the most definitive resource is the findings of the 2006 Benchmark Survey conducted by the Studio Management Services division of PPA. This is the industry's first fully audited survey of photography studios. Based on 2005 data, it reports on both home studio and retail location business models and reveals industry averages and "best performers" in each category. Now you can compare how your studio is doing in these key areas of Sales, Cost of Sales, General Expenses, and Owner's Compensation plus Net Profit. The in-depth survey examines numerous other financial position comparisons including years in business, levels of gross sales, weddings vs. portraits and geographical locations, among others. PPA members can download the entire survey by clicking on the graphic below, at left. Also available is a Professional Photographer article that summarizes the survey from the November, 2006 issue.

Exciting News Today!

ann@annmonteith.com — 2007-04-26T10:26:04-04:00

Today I got some exciting news from Cameron Bishopp, editor of Professional Photographer Magazine. Last November the magazine included an article entitled “How You Can Make More Money,” which concerned the Financial Benchmark Survey, a project for which I wrote the "Findings." The article, written by Leslie Hunt, summarized those findings. So I was thrilled to learn that the article was honored with a Gold award from the Southeast Magazine Association's annual awards. Here's what the judge had to say: “Compelling, focused, specific, impeccably researched and relevant to its audience: Those are the qualities that garnered Professional Photographer's “How You Can Make More Money” the Gold Award for Best Service Journalism. The story summarized industry benchmarks without becoming mired in extraneous detail, outlined specific recommendations for increasing profits and included real-life "turnaround" stories that illustrated how business owners could use the article’s tips to do exactly what the headline promised. Bravo!" Congratulations to Leslie Hunt, PPA CFO Scott Kurkian, and the staff of PPA’s Studio Management Services for their hard work. It’s not often that you get a pat on the back for an article about financial management in a photography magazine. It feels really good! If you haven’t read it yet, then click on the graphic below to download a pdf.

Pricing Basics

ann@annmonteith.com — 2007-04-05T23:08:49-04:00

I get lots of questions about pricing . . . questions that reveal that many photographers don't understand the basics of pricing and the industry standards that govern the mechanics of pricing. Right now I'm working on some new pricing information that I believe will be helpful for photographers in the digital age, but in the meantime, here are some resources that are available to you now: In 2005 I did a DVD series PPA has available on PPA.com. Click the graphic below to learn more. Professional Photographer magazine also has three of my older magazine articles archived on its website. Clicking on the graphic below will get you there, and you'll also find some other very interesting articles in the website's "Profit Center" feature.

Viral Marketing

ann@annmonteith.com — 2007-04-15T23:14:47-04:00

If you're not already an active blogger, you might be wondering whether a blog is right for your business. I began investigating the subject of blogs last year by logging on to Amazon.com and searching for the site's three top hits on the subject of blogging. The book shown below, Blog Marketing, by Jeremy Wright, was the most helpful. One of the author's comments really got my attention when he said something to the effect that blog marketing is the ONLY way you will get the attention of a growing number of customers. Blog marketing is part of an emerging marketing category now referred to as "viral marketing." Some folks call it "buzz marketing," but the term "viral" speaks to the fact that the Internet allows one consumer to quickly and easily "infect" new markets, when they forward your website or blog link to their computer. Word about your business can spread like wildfire throughout markets that target young people. One of my students referred to the phenomenon as "word-of-MOUSE" marketing. So if you're over 30, don't dismiss blogging before you investigate this dynamic new marketing medium. After all, you're reading this blog. Just think about all those computers you could infect with your marketing message!