DON’T BUY THE HYPE.

Posted on May 7, 2012 by Robert

What a load of garbage. He may not me the orchestrator of the mess but for the last 4 years he’s been the conductor. Just an observation but is it really a good idea to only take responsibility for the good and none of the bad ? I am not trying to form opinions here just be aware of the facts and do not buy into the hype……

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/obama-ad-strikes-don-t-blame-tone-economy-143546694.html

New Obama ad strikes ‘don’t blame me’ tone on economy

news.yahoo.com

President Barack Obama’s campaign released a new ad on Monday that takes aim squarely at his greatest vulnerability: the sour economy. The ad emphasizes that the president inherited the financial disaster when he took office and insists that, thanks to his policies, “we’re coming back.”

recent Q and A with Thumbtack.com

Posted on April 28, 2012 by Robert

Recently I got to play question and answer time with www.thumbtack.com. It was actually kind of fun! Just re posting it here for all of you.

Q:What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

A.People often wonder why I demand to meet the bride and the groom before I go into a contract with them. This is simple we have to have a match. Knowledge is important but if your personality and that of your photographer do not mesh all the experience in the world cannot save your wedding day. I hear it from friends of my clients all the time at the reception “You are so much better than our photographer was at our wedding. That jerk wouldn’t even talk with us or anything” or something to that effect.

Q.If you were a customer, what do you wish you knew about your trade? Any inside secrets to share?

A. The greatest most expensive camera in the world and years of college education does NOT make a good photographer. In fact it usually makes a overpriced Arrogant jerk. Personality and the instinct to see a good image does. Give me a 20 dolor camera from wallie world and I could shoot a good wedding. Granted not a great one but you get the point

Q.Why does your work stand out from others who do what you do?

A.Experience. Before I took my first picture I was wedding Dj. Yes I was doing portrait photography with Olan Mills at the same time. I studied under the lens of one of the masters for a year before going out on my own. I even did four free weddings for people I did not know to make sure I could offer quality service before I even thought about charging. That was years ago but seeing a lot of the garbage and greed in this business I am glad I took the route I did.

Q.What do you like most about your job?

A.The people! I have the greatest job in the world. I get to spend time with people on the most, happy, crazy, scariest, insane day of their lives!

Some unique happenings

Posted on April 28, 2012 by Robert

It truly is agonizing.

Since my days with Olan Mills in the brick and mortar buildings I have felt the photography world has been totally lacking in the studio portrait genre. Think back to when you were younger….. Getting a family portrait was a HUGE ordeal. Your family would get dressed to the hilts, maybe even make an evening out of it, go out to dinner afterward or what not… Sadly those days in the studio are dead . When I decided to open the studio portion of my business two years ago I did everything I could to bring that back. I kept my prices low so everyone could afford it, I was completely unique in my backdrops I tried to take a completely different approach actually offering full one hour appointments for families.

Well it didn’t work.

Wait that’s not entirely true it did work just never in the studio. I also do on location family photos and that is where 98 percent of my portrait business comes from. An on location shoot is basically the same as studio the biggest difference is I bring the studio to you. It is the closest thing to good old days and to be honest I have come to prefer this. It gives families a chance to change outfits as many times as they wish, get different nature scenes and still get the studio backdrops as well in a perfectly controlled lite setting. The studio sat empty…. It was hard to close the doors but sometimes its just best to know when something is dead. I was literally using it to meet wedding clients and once or twice for holidays. Well the holiday photos are now done yearly at local churches and banks (check website for location and times during holiday season) and other locations by me so I could not justify what I was paying in rent to meet wedding clients, not when the same thing can be achieved at Denny’s and I can get a hot cup of coffee at the same time.

Am I down about it? Well not really, I tried. People want to go to the photo studio to get a photo done and received 400000 stamp sized photos for 4.99 and buy a new toaster at the same time who am I to stop them. I am more nostalgic for the days of old when a family photo meant something. My on location clients get it, and for that I am thankful. I have 17 family’s booked this year already for on location work so I know you folks are still out there I guess I’ll come to you from now on and to me that’s just fine.

Robert-

Top ten things you should never say to a DJ:

Posted on March 19, 2012 by Robert

1. PLAY SOMETHING GOOD…SOMETHING WE CAN DANCE TO !
The DJ has to play for more than one person…so what you hate may be another’s favorite song and EVERYTHING played here can be danced to one way or another.

2. WOULD YOU PLAY SOMETHING WITH A “BEAT” !
BE SERIOUS! We know of NO songs played in a club that don’t have some sort of BEAT!

3. I DON’T KNOW WHO SINGS IT AND I DON’T KNOW THE NAME OF THE SONG, BUT IT GOES LIKE THIS….
PLEASE don’t sing for the DJ. They have to put up with smoke filled rooms and dangerous decibel levels all night long…Do them a favor and DON’T give them a rendition of your favorite song.

4. EVERYBODY WANTS TO HEAR IT !
Oh, sure… you polled everyone in the club and, as their spokesperson, you’re requesting the song.

5. EVERYBODY WILL DANCE IF YOU PLAY IT !
The DJ won’t. I guess that blows a hole in that theory!

6. I CAN GET LAID IF YOU PLAY IT !
Why settle for one night? Buy the album and get laid for a whole month!

7. I WANT TO HEAR IT NEXT !
The ONLY people who can get away with that statement write the DJ’s paycheck!

8. WHAT DO YOU HAVE ?
It’s a lot easier for you to go have another beer and figure out what you want to hear than it is for the DJ to recite the name of every record in the booth!

9. HEY, MAN, NOBODY CAN DANCE TO THIS !
It’s NOT advisable to say this when the dance floor is packed (but some people do anyway) ! HOWEVER, even if there is only ONE person on the floor, it STILL contradicts the statement!

10. PLAY IT SOON, BECAUSE WE’RE LEAVING !
If your gonna leave after he plays it, why shouldn’t he wait till the very last song so you stay all night!

Baby you can’t drive my car…..

Posted on March 16, 2012 by Robert

Now baby can’t drive my car….

I am not old. Well at least as far as I am concerned I’m not. I can remember a dollar a gallon gas. I filled up this morning and while staring through tear filled eyes I flashed back to those days. I wish I could tell you what has changed. I wont go on a tangent and tell you what I think, however I will arm you with some real world facts.

Real World Facts (not moon beam ideas).
1- We imported 24% less oil last year.
2-We exported 550,000 barrels per month.
3- More leases then ever but 63 % are not used by the oil companies.
4- More Canada oil into midwest then can be refined -there is a excess of oil.
5- We used 15% less oil last year. So more supply and less demand why prices up?

Refineries on all coasts and midwest have lower capacity due to “maintenance” issues. Many think they are holding back to drive prices up since we are using less, Significant increase in speculation and holding oil off the market driving actual supply down. Many leases not used? due to wanting to keep supply down.

6- Whole idea of Keystone is to get Canada oil to Asia. We are their only market and we are using all we need. They plan on price increases if they can get to Asia.

camileonphoto.com

Diamonds aren't the only thing that last forever.

DON’T BUY THE HYPE.

Top ten things you should never say to a DJ:

Baby you can’t drive my car…..