Fear itself

Taking a quick break from photo-centric posts, it's becoming more and more obvious that many of us are being driven by fear. For months it's been the economy, which is sputtering, but isn't nearly as bad where I am as it could be. If anything, it's the media machine beating the drum of despair that's fulfilling its own prophecy.

This week, it's swine flu. Don't worry about the fact that as of this writing, there weren't even 100 confirmed cases in 11 out of 48 states in the contiguous US of A. Yes, it's serious. No, it's not cause for alarm.

The only thing we have to fear is fear itself. Oh, how history repeats.

Branching out

In the spring, summer and early fall, the trees in our back yard filter the sunlight to make the ideal spot for taking photographs of people. It wasn't until the boys showed an interest in climbing them that I realized they are also one of the best natural photo props I could ask for. The question is, though, do I want to let a client's child climb up there, risking life and limb, just for a good photo? That's a tough one!

New Web site launching soon

My main business Web site is relaunching soon with a cool, more usable design courtesy of the talented and patient folks at untame.net. It's halfway up, but is falling victim to some Yahoo server errors being worked on now. Check out what you can at www.toddovermanphoto.com!

Ten!

My wife and I will celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary tomorrow (April 24). That's us in the little framed photo, one we've always had on display somewhere. We're not big on photos of ourselves, but it's great to have a little one to remind us of the day we started this journey. We were so young in so many ways back then!

Our first stop as a married couple was at a Wal-Mart to buy contact solution. My new bride forgot her makeup bag and had to deal with her contact lenses. We were also fortunate that day that it was overcast (great lighting for this photo) and that it didn't rain until dinnertime (made for a romantic evening). We were married in Tulsa, Oklahoma (back when the state required blood tests for a marriage license!), spent the night at a great bed-and-breakfast in Claremore, drove back south for a stop at our rental house and then spent a week on the beach in Galveston. It's all two newspaper journalists could afford!

Since then, we've been through a lot. But we've come through and our blessings are magnified and unmeasurable, two of which – our kids – have expanded the very definition of "blessing." Ten years might not be that long a time in the scheme of things, and for us, I hope it still represents the beginning. I'm enjoying the trek so far!

Note to any nearlyweds out there: if you're looking for a wedding photographer, it's an important decision. Find someone who has a proven track record and is someone you can stand to be around for one of the most important days of your lives. We're all as budget-conscious as ever these days, but shopping based on price is more likely to leave you disappointed. The gown will be packed away. The food and cake will be long gone and forgotten. But the photos will remain.

Happy Green Day!

In my first job out of college, as a newspaper reporter/photographer, the world of photography was a different place. The standard was 35 mm film, although the new APS film had recently been released and was a mild flop. I used my grandmother's old Olympus OM-1 camera ... I set the shutter speed, aperture and focus, and advanced the film with my thumb. The mechanical cur-thunk of the shutter was satisfying, for sure.

At the paper, we reused old film canisters and wound our own film. Then we developed it and printed photos ourselves in a closet-turned-darkroom. We reused film developer for as long as we could stand, mainly as a way to save green rather than be green. Once the developer didn't work anymore, it was sent off to be processed appropriately. We cut 8.5x11 sheets of photo paper in half to save money, too. And we were told to use rechargeable batteries whenever possible.

Fast forward to today, and it's easier than ever to be a green photographer. Digital SLR cameras take more juice to operate, but standard power supplies are rechargeable. The rechargeable batteries of all shapes and sizes, including for powering accessory flash units and the like, have improved in performance and reliability. There's no need for nasty chemicals to develop film anymore ... merely some electricity to process the X's and O's that comprise the image. We can print out a photo if we want without having to use another series of nasty chemicals, and we can adjust images on our computers without the trial and error that was often required years ago.

Instead of using paper to proof photos for clients, they can now be uploaded to Web galleries and viewed at leisure. This saves paper and also gasoline that an in-person proofing session requires. Memory cards on which images are stored in the camera can be reused many, many times.

The struggle is to maintain personal relationships with clients in this electronic, e-mail age. There is always the actual photography session or wedding, but is it enough? Or is this kind of service what everyone expects nowadays?

Always have a camera handy ... don't always use it

Here's my youngest after a long day of play. I took it a month or so ago (on a day it was cold enough to wear long sleeves). The image shows one reason why it's a great idea for anyone, especially parents and grandparents, to have a camera close at hand most of the time.

But there are also times when it's just better to leave your camera where it lies. And that's because putting anything in front of your face can get in the way of simply having a good time. The last time we visited the beach a year ago, I had a lot of fun with my camera during the entire trip except for one day: the one day we actually went out to play in the water, I left it in the motel room on purpose. I knew worrying about saltwater and sand getting into the lens or camera body would ruin my fun. I wanted to be able to keep up with whichever kid wanted my attention. And it was an awesome time.

Sure, I'd love to have a few photos from the two hours we were out there. But I made up for it on other parts of the trip. I know I made the right choice to just be Daddy for awhile.

As summer vacations beckon, take your camera along. But don't forget to put it away now and then!

New fire station opens this month

I covered the opening of Keller Fire Station No. 4 earlier this month. These are a few of the images from the event. I'm far from being a kid anymore, but there's something really cool about being in a fire station (for firefighters, it's probably cool, too, but involves work). It's only got one floor, so there's no fire pole to slide down. Sadly!

Zoe in the bluebonnets

I photographed my niece last week in some bluebonnets in Wylie, the same field we used for her 1-year portraits last year (see post below), as well as a street just off of the main drag. Got lots of good shots, but here are a few of my favorites. Sometimes it's harder for me to be in the zone when I know the subjects well, and I didn't notice that my sister was holding her car keys in the third photo above until afterward. I took some where they weren't visible, but their expressions are best in this one.

Won't be long until the wildflower season is over and the heat is on! Always a little sad to see that happen, but my allergies are OK with summertime vs. spring.

The Big 'Cheeeeeeeeeeeese'

This was among the last shots I took of this group comprising the student body and several teachers and staff of an elementary school. The lighting wasn't the best, as it was near mid-day with a bright, sunny sky. No matter what side of the building I photographed them, their little faces would be bright and squinty.

I was on the roof and shouted back and forth to the principal, who was on the ground with a bullhorn. The process went pretty smoothly. My main goal was to get them mostlly looking at me at one time and have the edges fairly even. Everyone was waving at me on this one, so a few kids (note the little on up front) got out of line. But that's no biggie.

Generations of adults have purported a huge disservice to photographers everywhere, and that would be instructing kids or anyone to say "cheese" while being photographed. The idea is to elicit what appears to be a smile, but few people are excited about "cheese." So the result is a really fake-looking grimace. Stop the madness!

With the photos of the students, though, "cheese" was actually helpful. I didn't tell them to say anything, but they automatically went into Cheese Zombie Picture Mode. That way I had an audible signal that I had at least the attention of most of them.

To sum up about cheese:
It's great on a pizza, not so good on a face.

Why hire a professional photographer?

It's a hard time to be a professional photographer.

So many people own their own digital cameras, from point-and-shoots to professional-grade SLRs with fancy lenses to match, why would anyone hire a professional? Heck, most of us carry around cell phones with cameras in them. They work pretty well, right? Everybody who sees the resulting images on MySpace and Facebook seem to love them, so they must be great! Anyone who uses a camera is a photographer.

Admittedly, photography isn't brain surgery. At its simplest, it is using a tool to capture an image. At its finest, it is a blending of art and science to create a special image that could be enjoyed for generations. So what's the difference and why should I care?

Here are two different scenarios:

1. Family snapshots
If you capture a photo of your kids doing something hilarious or special, it doesn't necessarily matter if they are in focus, are properly exposed or part of an artful composition. The moment is what's important, and that's why I think every parent and grandparent should have a camera they love to use. The simpler, the better. You might print out a small photo and stick it to your refrigerator, or tape it to your file cabinet at work. Every time you look at it, it makes you smile. You've e-mailed it to everyone you know and they gush about how great it is. Mission accomplished!

2. The professional portrait
But there are other times, whether as part of special events, milestones or simply because, that capturing images of family members and loved ones at a particular time is important. The art of the image matters. Its technical details matter: focus, brightness in the eyes, composition. This is an image that will hang in a prominent place on the living room wall, or will be part of a treasured photo album. This is a keeper. It will capture a moment and time that will never happen again. Not only should it be a beautiful photograph, it should also contain the emotions and spirit of the people depicted. Everyone who views the photo is taken aback, enjoying the layers of meaning, the artistry and how well it captured the people in it. Mission accomplished!

Take a look at the "creative" services listing on Craigslist. At any given time, you'll find postings promising affordability at the forefront. That doesn't mean hiring from the listings won't yield some stunning images, but it is certainly a roll of the dice. Many are posted by people who are new to photography, have recently invested in equipment and believe that it's easy to make money from their new hobby. Some of them will make money at the expense of unsatisfied clients. With wedding photography especially, where things happen once, experience and technical savvy are extremely important. I think it's crazy when some of the Craigslist ads aim to be a photographer "for your every need." Even seasoned pros specialize simply because doing it right in every discipline isn't easy and takes specialized equipment. The phrase "you get what you pay for" may not even apply when paying an amateur; you might get far less than you paid for. Don't take a chance!

Professional photography isn't about the camera; more important is the ability to produce excellent photographs in any situation, at any time, and following up that expertise with stellar customer service. Equipment does matter, and longtime professionals invest in their businesses by buying the best tools they can afford. But the tools themselves are only part of the equation; the art itself is a direct result of the artist. The service aspect sets pros apart from wannabes.

Look at other hobbies out there where equipment is seen as a way to become an expert: from fishing to golf, the latest reel or set of clubs is touted as the way to bigger catches and better scores. Better tools help us all, but it still takes skill to get the job done well consistently.

Why hire a professional photographer? I can't speak about other pros and their habits, but this is how I approach my work:

• I love my job and the people I serve.
• I know what I'm doing. I only accept assignments for which I am prepared to handle, and ensure I am prepared.
• I care about my clients' experiences with me and am not happy until my clients are happy.
• The creation of stellar images isn't a roll of the dice, but rather a direct result of study, experience, skills and ability.
• I always have backup equipment (and when necessary, backup people) to ensure clients receive excellent service.
• You get more than what you pay for.
• I'm not afraid to admit I don't know everything and embrace challenges that help me learn.

In today's economy, price often is a major factor in whether to hire a photographer and who to hire. But I hope when the images are important to you, you won't let price drive your search. If it's important to hire a pro, look for someone who can meet your needs and desires. That's what art is about!

Happy Easter!

We had an egg-decorating session and egg hunt at home on Saturday (was supposed to have storms on Easter Sunday) and it was a real blast.









My oldest son ends up in the trees on some holidays. He climbed one on Thanksgiving, too! Hope you had a Happy Easter, where the blessings that are most important to you were counted in a special way.

No wonder we never have any food

I caught my youngest son in the refrigerator recently. He can now reach the top shelf. This is not good.

Two growing boys ... I think their Mom and Dad are gonna go hungry while they eat their way to adulthood.

Customer service in tough economic times

With so many businesses competing with each other, with similar services and products, the deciding factor that sets a business apart is customer service. Excellent customer service can breed repeat business and word-of-mouth referrals, seeding success through building a strong reputation. Just as powerful, terrible customer service can cripple a business and cause it to fold under the weight of its own policies and behavior.

I don't like fast food, but it's an occasional reality – especially with kids. My oldest son wanted to eat at a place tonight famous for its roast beef. We normally buy a kids meal with a ham-and-cheese sandwich. I pull up to the speaker, order his food and am told they now only offer kids meals with jr. roast beef sandwiches or popcorn chicken. I asked when that changed, as we had bought the ham-n-cheese often without any fuss, and the voice said it happened three or four months ago. Not only is that not true, as we had one less than a month ago, but it is annoying.

Restaurants naturally shape their menus to reflect what sells. There are franchises that also modify their menus separately of company policy. When it comes to fast food, I don't think any of us expect stellar customer service. We visit a certain brand out of convenience, expecting to get what we want to eat. That means that to meet our expectations and earn our business, that's all they have to do: give us the food items we want. When that doesn't happen, as was the case today, the restaurant lost my business today and probably every time we pick that company with my son in the car. Because this is the closest one of these establishments to our house (the other one nearby burned recently), that represents quite a bit of money across the next 12 months.

Decisions have to be made to cut costs and serve a customer base as a whole. But now is not the time to cut choices for customers. Not only should choices abound, but it's an opportunity to ensure employees are trained to not only perform their jobs well, but offer customer service above and beyond.

For my photography business, I don't just take photos. A lot of people can do that. I continue to develop my style and attempt to find a niche in the community, but I strive for the best customer service possible in everything I do now. I'm not only selling the images, but selling myself. If a customer isn't happy, I'm not, either, until I've done everything I can to solve the issue. I'm working to simplify my offerings, but not constrict them. If there ever is a time, now is not it to time to limit customer choices. When you or someone you know is looking for a photographer who cares, please keep me in mind.

By the way, we ended up at another fast-food chain. They got our order wrong.

It's wildflower season!

In the Dallas-Fort Worth area, finding a nice field of bluebonnets is a real treat – and sometimes difficult. With our climate alternating between some rain to drought, we aren't always blessed with fields blanketed in bluebonnets and other colorful wildflowers. Head to the Texas Hill Country, and it's an astounding difference. But not all of us want to spend time in the car chasing after flowers.

Here are a few tips I used to photograph my niece last year (shown above) in a secluded little patch of bluebonnets:

• If you can, find flowers off the road. Unfortunately, you have to know they are there and you're most likely to see them along the highway. Just use common sense ... don't put your kids or yourself in danger near traffic.

• Wildflowers need sun to grow, so if you're taking photographs in the harsh sunlight of mid-day or early afternoon, you've got to work a little harder. Place your subjects with their backs to the sun as much as possible, and use a "reflector" or your camera's flash to brighten up their faces. Try to avoid having your subjects face into the sun, which can cause squinting and also harsh shadows in the eyes and under noses. If possible, take photos earlier in the morning or near sunset, when the angle of the sun is lower and the light is much more flattering. If you want to try using a reflector, any white surface (the photo above was taken with an unused 11x14 artist's canvas) or even dull silver object, such as some car windshield sun shades. In the photo above, the reflector was held by my sister at camera right, at about a 45-degree angle. There are still some areas of slight overexposure (too much light), but I think it works because her sweet face is in even shade.

• Normally, you don't want to shoot down on children to get the tops of their heads because that doesn't make for interesting pictures. We usually see kids that way! But for wildflower shots, to make it look like there are more flowers, shooting at a higher position will make the flowers and your kiddo(s) the focus instead of a bland horizon or highway or utility poles, etc. I got lucky with the photo above because the flower-covered kill sloped upward behind my niece. But having a stepladder can go a long way in a flat field.

• I prefer candid shots (like the one above) because the expressions are genuine. With two kids, I like to have them interact a little together rather than look into the camera. You can also introduce a prop for them to play with. If you'd rather have them looking at the camera, don't have them say "Cheese!" Whoever thought that was a word that created a natural-looking smile is crazy!

• To help active kids want to stay put, you can use an aforementioned prop or take a chair for them to sit in. Something rustic (maybe their size, maybe adult-size) can add a little something to the images. A blanket can make the ground more comfortable and make it easier to corral more than one kid.

• My kids have a camera pointed at them a lot. When they're not in the mood, I don't force the issue. Make it fun! For older kids, this might mean letting them grab your camera to take some shots of you. For wee ones who can't be trusted with delicate electronics, show them photos as you go along ... make goofy noises and faces. Never make photos a chore. Roll with the punches and let your kids be kids. Some kids of any age just don't like to pose, so don't make them. You'll end up with more natural-looking photos that will remind you exactly what your kids were like at that moment in time. For a photo-taking excursion, include activities your kids enjoy so that it's not a chore for them. Don't forget to have fun yourself!

If all this sounds like too much, you can always hire a pro! Call me at 817-675-1143 or e-mail todd@toddovermanphoto.com to set up a photo session before the wildflower season is over!