ASMP MEETINGS

June 9, 2009
Dick Durrance:Creating Opportunities
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Ongoing:
Flashes of Hope
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Upcoming Programs

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Past Meetings

May 26, 2009
The Assistant Workshop: The Assistant Survival Guide
May 12 , 2009
Brian Smith : The Future of Editorlal Photography
April 21 , 2009
Judy Hermann: Taking Control of Your Career
March 10 , 2009
Who?What?Where, with Art Buyers
February 10, 2009
Multimedia with Paula Lerner
January 13, 2009
Pints N' Pixels at the Harpoon Brewery
December 9, 2008
Marketing Professional Beth Darmon Stone
November 18, 2008
Architectural photographer Steve Whittaker
October 6 & 7, 2008
Two day Photoshop Program with Kevin Ames
September 16, 2008
Blake Discher - " I stink at Negotiating"
June 16, 2008
Dirck Halstead
May 20, 2008
Gary Gladstone - Reaching Climax (MN)
April 8th, 2008
Travels with Walter Bibikow - an Evening off the Road!
March 18, 2008:
Peter Vanderwarker:
Getting Good Light, Getting Good Clients
February 5, 2008:
Adobe CS3 & Lightroom
January 8, 2007:
Pints and Pixels
December 11, 2007:
Stock now!
How to create, what sells
November 20, 2007:
Meet with Jody Dole
October 16, 2007:
The Photographer's Survival Guide
September 19, 2007:
Boat Cruise
June 11, 2007:
Gregory Heisler
May 10, 2007:
Leslie Burns - Creative Marketing Consultant & Coach
April 10-11, 2007:
Business of Fine Art Photography with Thomas Werner
March 20, 2007:
Full day with Katrin Eismann

Seeing What Is / Imagining What Can Be
In difficult times, creative vision is the key to economic survival. Dick Durrance, with stories and award winning images from photographing National Geographic assignments, combat in Vietnam, and global advertising campaigns, shows you how to focus your creative vision on the challenges you face. He ignites your passion for fresh ideas, reminding you that creative vision does not just come from seeing what is but from imagining what
can be. He inspires you to harness your gifts, develop your skills, and build the teamwork you need to create fresh opportunities. He will help to not only survive but flourish, fulfilling your dreams for yourself, your family, and your community.

Presentation highlights:

* It doesn’t matter what your gift is, what matters is what you do with your gift.

* Creativity without craftsmanship is like a million times zero. It equals zero.

* If you reach out to other people, you invite them to reach back in return. In that connection, you discover the understanding and opportunities that arise when you work freely with the people around you. Make that connection and magical things can happen.

* By stretching your imagination, you can see what is and imagine what can be.

* If you create opportunities for your community, your organization and yourself,
you honor the gift of life.
“Imagination

Location: EP Levine, 23 DRYDOCK AVE BOSTON MA 02210 - 617-951-1499 - directions

Time:  Social hour & Food: 6:00; Program: 7:00
Cost:  Members: $0; Students/assistants: $5; All Others: $20 (Food, beverage provided)

Only those who pre- register early will be elidgible for the door prizes, so please register as early as you can: Registration is now closed. See you there!

Sponsored by :

Location: EP Levine, 23 DRYDOCK AVE BOSTON MA 02210 - 617-951-1499 - directions

“ Rarely have I seen a speaker so captivate an audience. Your journey in life, so eloquently delivered through the spoken word and incredible photography, cast a spell on all in attendance.”
--Stan Orr, CAE, ASAE Fellow, President, NonProfit Resources, Inc.

“ Every single one of our team loved the talk. You brought us closer together and showed us how each of us has a special gift. The message was profound, and will stay with me for a long time.”
--Jeff Temple, President, Due West Land Company.

“ Dick, you grabbed the audience’s attention at the outset and never let go. The photographs were breathtaking -- it is as if we were experiencing the adventures first hand. I want you to know that you received the only standing ovation our group has ever given! Thank you for sharing your gifts and for inspiring us to share our gifts.”
--Nancy Fenimore, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, The Seniors Blue Book

More info coming soon...

Brian Smith: The Future of Editorial Photography

Editorial Photography is undergoing rapid change, yet the death of magazine photography has been greatly exaggerated. Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer Brian Smith, President of Editorial Photographers, will discuss how to maximize the creative and commercial rewards while avoiding bad contracts, stagnant rates and rights-gobbling appetites of multinational media corporations. 

Smith will discuss the need to charge properly for the time and expense of digital capture and processing and why photographers and agencies may be to blame for unreasonably low caps that some magazines that some magazines have placed on digital fees. Photographers, when united, have been able to affect positive change to the industry for fair contracts paying higher fees and space usage and how photographers unwilling to turn down bad deals can send it all tumbling down.

Seminar Topics:

• How to get and keep the attention of photo editors and art directors at top magazines
• How production value can make your work stand out
• What are the best things you can do in a slow economy
• How to maximize re-licensing, syndication and reprint revenue
• How will the shift to online content will affect rates
• What you should know about editorial that nobody told you

The Presenter:

Brian Smith’s first magazine photograph appeared in Life Magazine when he was a 20 year-old student at the University of Missouri. Five years later he won the Pulitzer for photographs of the Los Angeles Olympics. Based in Miami Beach, his work has won awards in World Press Photo, American Photo, Pictures of the Year and Communication Arts Competitions and has appeared on hundreds of magazine covers including Time, Forbes, Business Week, Sports Illustrated, and New York Magazine. Smith is one of Sony's Artisan's of Imagery. His work can be seen at: www.briansmithmiami.com

ASMP NE Chapter presents:
Judy Hermann: Taking Control of Your Career

Are you satisfied with the work you're creating? Do your clients appreciate what you bring to the table? Are you struggling to adapt to a changing marketplace and a down economy? Is your business taking you where you want to go?

Judy Herrmann will share real-world tactics for developing and implementing a plan that will take your career where you want it to go. You'll learn how to achieve your creative and financial goals, anticipate and adapt to business and technological change, and build a satisfying and stable photography business. Whether you're just starting out or have years of experience, the tools and techniques shown in this program will give you greater control over your future.

Seminar Topics:

Get yourself moving in the right direction
Complete an honest analysis of your career
Prioritize your goals and activities
Exploit your strengths, minimize your weaknesses
Anticipate and successfully navigate change
Case studies show you how this really works

The Presenter:

Judy Herrmann of Herrmann+Starke specializes in digital still life and lifestyle photography for advertising. Her work has appeared in Lurzer's Archive, Graphis, Communication Arts, the How International Design Annual and Pix Digital Annual. She has been recognized as an Olympus Visionary since 2000. She lectures extensively about digital photography and offers consultations on building a successful photography career. A past president of the American Society of Media Photographers, she received the United Nations' International Photographic Council's leadership award in 2008.

"Judy is inspirational, organized and perfect!"
— Cindy Schafer

"Very thorough and generous."
— Greg Leshé

"Precise and to the point — wonderful information"
— Tony Arrasmith

"Thought provoking and honest"
— Gary Buth

One-on-one Consultations

With nearly 20 years of experience running a successful photography business, Judy Herrmann can show you how to take your photography career to the next level. She'll help you identify and prioritize your career goals, map out a plan for achieving them and address any immediate business issues or concerns. Use Herrmann as a sounding board or an advisor. She'll offer clear, objective insights that will help you maximize your strengths, overcome your weaknesses and get you started down the right path for where you want to go. Consultations are ideal for any photographer — new or established — who's interested in building a creatively and financially satisfying photography career.

ASMP NE Chapter presents:
Who? What? Where?

Who is buying Photography? What are they looking for? Where are they finding it?

This panel discussion with top industry creatives and moderated by Selina Maitreya, is destined to be revealing as well as informative. In a time of economic uncertainties, where is our industry headed and how do photographers adjust to stay in business? We have invited a diverse panel of six industry creatives ranging from large international ad agencies, to the boutique and niche, with a group that includes creative directors, art buyers and producers as well as a graphic designer, all of whom are willing to share their insights and thoughts on our industry now.

After introductions to the panelists, their backgrounds and visual examples of their agencies’ work, Selina will ask the type of questions that are so pertinent today, such as:

What are the big challenges for creatives and photographers in the current climate?
What type of work are you looking for, and has it changed in a significant way this year?
What new trends are you seeing and what has become passé?
What makes a photographer stand out from the crowd in today’s saturated market?
How do you find new talent?
What type of photographer’s promotion appeals to you and do you have a preference?
What makes you bookmark a website?
Do you use stock and if so, how often and where do you go to find it?
Do you prefer dealing with an individual photographer or an agent?

And there will also be ample time for the audience to ask questions during the discussion.
Read the biographies of the participating panelists.

The Art and Commerce of Multimedia with Paula Lerner

Combining your still photography with audio or other media can strengthen your message and your style.

Well Adding sound to still images to create multimedia features can make for powerful storytelling. It also opens up new opportunities for still photographers who are willing to expand their skill set and embrace new media. In this presentation Paula Lerner will share work and discuss making the transition from shooting stills alone to combining still images with audio to produce multimedia narratives. She will talk about the basics of multimedia as well as show how this medium can be both a profitable business option and an outlet for personal projects.

Thanks for such a great turnout the party was wonderful.The slideshow was a hit and we couldn't have done it without everyone's participation.

Two great big Thank You's to Harpoon Brewery for supplying the venue and the beverages for the evening, and to Porters Bar and Grill on Portland St. for the wonderful food.

What is the best way to advertise?
How do I set myself apart from all the competition?
How much time and money should I expend to market my business?
What do I need to do to grow my business in a down economy?

Like many professionals, photographers are often expert at what they do, but find the prospect of marketing their business daunting. Taught by Beth Darman Stone of ClairStone Communications, Putting Your Business in Focus: A Strategic Approach to Marketing Photographers will help answer these questions. We’ll examine your business and industry, your clients and their experience of your business, your competitive environment, and the tools available to your industry. The seminar is designed to help you develop a strategic approach to creating a marketing and communications plan that works for your business.

Marketing is everything a company is and does, a phrase commonly cited by Beth and her partner Lisa Clair. Want to learn more?

About our company:
ClairStone Communications is a strategic marketing and communications partnership offering small to mid-sized companies a full spectrum of marketing, advertising and public relations services. Owned and operated by Lisa Clair and Beth Darman Stone since 1988, the company has grown to include expertise in a variety of service-oriented domains, such as home care (interior designers, painting companies, contractors, architects, realtors, garden designers), healthcare (in-home care services, assisted living facilities, skilled nursing centers, message therapy), retail, and not-for profit organizations. When small businesses need a structured, goal-oriented strategic approach to communications, they rely on ClairStone’s wisdom, experience, practical style and personalized service.

November 18, 2008
Steve Whittaker - Architectural Photography:
It's an art form but it's also a business

Steve Whittaker is an architectural photographer based in the San Francisco Bay Area, specializing in Architecture, Interior and Aerial Photography. His clients range from architects, interior designers, developers corporate direct, hospitality, advertising agencies and editorial.

The business of Architectural Photography is an aspect that constantly requires attention. One of the goals from this event is to empower photographers by gaining a better understanding of contractual issues and dealing with negative terms and conditions. We will cover estimating, licensing issues, contractual issues, copyright, project coordination, and practical experiences, both with lighting and assignment issues in general during more of his challenging assignments.

Whittaker Photography began in 1980 in Belmont, CA. After the 1989 earthquake, Steve moved the studio to Foster City, CA. He graduated from San Jose State University with a BA in Advertising and minor in graphic design. While working as a photographer and graphic production artist, he attended evening classes at the Academy of Art in San Francisco  until 1977, where he ended up as a part time instructor of Architectural Photography from 1992-2001 while running his studio.

Steve joined ASMP back in 1983 and became active as a board member in 1995. At that point, he started the Northern California chapter’s educational outreach program. This program covers business practices, business ethics and how ASMP helps to advance the photographic community.  In 1999-2000 he was the Northern California Chapter Co- President. Steve remains active with the ASMP Norcal board as an active member of the chapter’s advisory board, encouraging both members and emerging photographers to get involved and help advance ASMP, ASMP Architecture and Northern California Chapter.

“I find it extremely rewarding, in being part of a movement that can offer changes in our industry and help advance our profession. In addition, I have enjoyed being part of a growing organization that empowers photographers to be stronger in business practices as well as advancing their techniques”.

See more of Steve's work at www.whittpho.com/

The memories of a lifetime, homecoming, parties, graduation, vacations, marriage, births, first steps and of course paying photographic jobs—the list is infinite, are now stored on hard drives. Hard drives offer an easy and seemingly solid means of storing digital photographs. Unfortunately this is at best a false sense of security. The truth is every hard drive will fail eventually; most likely destroying all of the data--your hard won digital photographic negatives for instance--on them. Compounding the problem is that most of us have these precious memories on several hard drives. The challenge is to consolidate your digital negatives, catalog them and make bulletproof copies.

Get control of the digital negatives on your hard drives and memory cards using Adobe Lightroom and the Bulletproof Archiving System. Learn how to rename, enhance and add the information (metadata) to your RAW or JPEG digital photographs using Lightroom to create and manage a truly bulletproof archive that can survive hard drive crashes, fires, floods, hurricanes and the Apocalypse (ok not the Apocalypse. All of the others though.)

October 8, 2008 9am-6pm - Photoshop & Lightroom
A day of photographic possibility + Intro to CS4

Lightroom has become the backbone of many photographer’s businesses by being a one-stop mini lab that also sorts, edit, enhances and delivers the picture. Kevin explains ways to multi-task in Lightroom 2 during import, Efficient work in the Develop module as well as how to show your work in Slideshow, Web and Print.

Layers, Layer Masks and Unlimited Undo's Forever

Once a Photoshop file is saved and closed, the history is gone forever and so are your undo's. Learn how to replace those destructive dialogs under Images adjustments and pixel killing tools like the eraser with layers, adjustment layers, layer masks, layer groups and Smart Objects. This comprehensive tour-de-force through Photoshop’s most powerful palette will fill you with ideas that will not only take your post-production techniques to the next level you’ll do them so you can always remember what you did and be able to change it even years later. If you use Photoshop this will change the way you work forever!

Working in RAW with Smart Objects

Take the power of RAW files a step further. Move the RAW workflow right into Photoshop using Smart Object to control contrast, extend dynamic range as well as backup your original digital negative in your working Photoshop Document. Discover the versatility of Camera Raw in the layers palette. Understand how RAW files work and how this translates into control and creativity.

High End Retouching for Digital Photographers

Retouching is so much more than dust spotting and fixing scratches. It is an extension of the photographic vision. Learn how to create a retouching strategy map so you and your subject agree on the work to be done and how to use the strategy map to make sure the all the work gets done. 

I shoot people and places. This session demonstrates techniques for softening lines, removing blemishes, smoothing skin and eliminating wrinkles under eyes and elsewhere.

You’ll learn the ins and outs of enhancing beauty, how to brighten eyes, remove discoloration from and whiten teeth. You’ll discover methods for opening lazy eyes, fixing cracked lipstick and other makeup flaws as well as how to remove hair in front of eyes, body sculpting and more. Switching gears to interiors I show how my photography is an extension of my vision of how a scene translates into a digital file and what I shoot to make certain I have all the parts to complete the job with retouching in Photoshop.

Photoshop CS4

Learn more about the latest versions of Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Photoshop Lightroom and get familiar with the new features that make them the gold standard in digital imaging. Adobe Photoshop CS4 software offers more intuitive access to its unrivaled power for greater editing freedom and significant productivity enhancements so you can composite images and achieve amazing results more efficiently than ever before.

About Kevin Ames

Kevin Ames is a commercial photographer immersed in creativity. His photographs have appeared in the Wall Street Journal, Time, Newsweek, in and on the covers of Professional Photographer, Photoshop User, Atlanta Sports and Fitness, Jezebel as well as books, brochures and websites.

Kevin also writes the popular Digital Photographer’s Notebook column for Photoshop User magazine. He has authored four books on digital photography including one for the extremely popular Dummies series.

He teaches photographic and digital imaging classes and workshops across the United State, Canada and Europe. His studio and home are located in Atlanta, Georgia.

See more of Kevin's work at www.amesphoto.com

Do you panic when you have to discuss money with a client? Do you talk too fast, ramble or sound indignant? Do you give in too fast to a lower price or broad licensing terms?

Blake Discher will teach you the steps to become a top negotiator. This critical skill can change your business in the most profound way — more and better work! Blake will walk you through real world scenarios, show you how to listen and talk to prospects turning them into loyal clients.

"Absolutely amazing and dead on for business."
— Joana Gribko

"Blake was inspirational, informative and amusing!"
— Terra Chandler

"Blake's tell it to you straight style is perfect."
— David Hillegas

"Incredible information — Blake has removed the smoke and mirrors of our business."
— Alicia Eschwege

"I now know how to put my foot down respectfully."
— Julie Birkemeir

Seminar topics:

• Learn how to prepare for a negotiation.
• Researching the client.
• Increasing your clout.
• Listening skills.
• When is it time to walk away?
• The follow-up is critical.

Detroit photographer Blake Discher specializes in people photography for leading editorial publications and Fortune 500 corporations for advertising and annual reports throughout the world.

Blake's fascination with photography began in the eighth grade and he's been hooked ever since. He unselfishly shares his knowledge with students and other photographers through his involvement with the American Society of Media Photographers, most recently as an educator in ASMP's successful Strictly Business 2 conferences.

It's Blake's keen ability to make subjects feel at ease in front of the camera that takes him around the world to produce award-winning photographs for clients such as General Motors, Daimler Chrysler, American Airlines and Oracle.

A professional photographer for 20 years, he shares his home with his wife Lesley and his four year old son Blake. When not working, he's usually tinkering with one of his British-made vintage Triumph automobiles. His work can be seen at www.fireflystudios.com. In addition, Blake's other company, www.go-seo.com, consults for small businesses in search engine optimization.

June 16th, 2008
Dirck Halstead - EVERYTHING IS CHANGING..HOW TO SURVIVE THE NEXT WAVE

But as long ago as 1997, he saw that the industry was about to change in a fundamental way. Paternalistic attitudes at magazines were being replaced by hardheaded MBAs, who had no personal relationships with photographers. Space started to disappear from magazines. The wire services started to become the prime asset for editors, rather than contract or freelance photographers.

And all this started to happen long before the Internet turned into the World Wide web/

Today, magazines and newspapers are moving their content to the Web in order to survive. But the Web has different requirements than print.

Dirck Halstead, who has become one of the most prominent futurists in photojournalism (AMERICAN PHOTO named him the 11th most influential photographer in the business in 2007), will address the changes, and the strategies that photographers will need to master in order to survive.

More about Dirck:

Dirck Halstead is the Editor and Publisher of The Digital Journalist. Dirck started in photojournalism when he was in High School. At the age of 17, he became LIFE Magazine's youngest combat photographer covering the Guatemalan Civil War. (LIFE had no idea how old he was). After attending Haverford College, he went on to work for UPI for more than 15 years, covering stories around the world. In 1972 he accepted a contract for Time Magazine, and for the next 29 years covered the White House for them. In 1992 he played an instrumental part in the formation of Video News International (VNI), which started what is now the Platypus movement, allowing still photojournalists to cross the barrier between print and television. He is now a senior fellow in photojournalism at the Center For American History at the University of Texas. He has won the NPPA Picture of the Year award twice, the Robert Capa Gold Medal for his coverage of the fall of Saigon, and two Eisies. In 2002 he received the lifetime achievment award from the White House News Photographers Assn., and in 2004 he was honored with the Joseph A. Sprague Award for lifetime achievement and service to photojournalism, considered the highest honor in the industry. In October of 2007 he was awarded the Missouri Honor Medal by the University of Missouri for "Distinguished Service to Journalism". Halstead is on the board of directors for the Air Force 1 Museum. See Dirck's Portfolio at AmericanPhotojournalist.org