Photo Thoughts

San Francisco Smugmug User Group Call for Presentations in 2012

November 20, 2011 By Joey Leave a Comment

The San Francisco Smugmug User Group is putting out a call for speakers for our 2012 monthly speakers series:

The general topic for 2012 is Creativity and all that it encompasses. Possible topics include:

Expanding creativity through lighting, posing and personal projects
Building a business foundation that supports one’s creativity
Finding inspiration for creativity after being in business for a while
Collaborating with others photographers and vendors.
What are newbies missing about creativity and what are the old dogs missing about creativity?
Finding your own creativity without chasing every new fad

We are looking for people that can address these topics and other in an educational and entertaining way.

About the San Francisco Smugmug User Group

SF SMUG is a place for professional and amateur photographers to meet other photographers and hear talks from industry leaders. Currently the group has about a 1000 members and averages about 70-80 attendees at our monthly meetings. About 50% of the attendees are photographers that have both a photography business and a full or part-time job. The other half incudes full time professionals and amateurs. That ratio fluctuates depending on the speaker. Over all we are one of the most active photography groups in San Francisco and the Bay Area outside of the industry associations (and even with those we are getting close).

Our speaker series runs from January to October with the meetings always being held on the last Tuesday of the month in San Francisco. Meetings last from 6-9 with the speakers going from 7:05-8:30. Topics range from using flash and natural night, working with brides and clients, and creating strong business practices. About half of the speakers are wedding and portrait focused with the other half being a mixture of landscape, sports and fashion photography. We also bring in business experts to discuss marketing, contracts and search engine optimization. Past speakers have included Bambi Cantrell, Ed Pignol, Anna Kuperberg, Scott Robert Lim, Zach Prez and Brook Todd. The group has a 4.5 star rating on meetup.com and you can see our reviews here.

If you are interested in speaking, please send a short bio and course description and let us know why you would be great for our group. We really want people with something interesting to say so let us know why at this you. These presentations are not sales-oriented so while you are more then welcome to mention products and workshops at the end, the bulk of the presentation should be on the chosen topic. This is a great opportunity for anyone to get in front of a large, active group of photographers.

To submit your presentation or if you have questions, please email Joey Chandler at joey@jchandlerphotography.com. We are already a quarter booked for the year so don’t delay. All submissions will be kept on file and we’ll contact you if we choose your presentation. At this point we have no budget for travel so speakers have to cover those costs.

P.S. If you are wondering why this is posted here, I’ve been running the group fro the past two years – Joey

We want to help your business – Ace Networking

November 4, 2011 By Joey Leave a Comment

Our BNI networking group - ACE Networking in San Francisco – is growing. We are over the 30 member mark and are on track to reach a million dollars in referred business this year. We are looking for professionals that really get the “giver’s gain” philosophy and want to be part of an active business networking group. If that is you, then Please consider visiting our chapter:

Thursday’s 7-9am
Serrano Hotel
405 Taylor St. (Near O’Farrell St)
San Francisco, CA, 94102
$5 for parking

Our goal is help each other grow our businesses through mutual referrals. I’ve more then paid for the chapter dues already in my first 6 months. And now I have a team of people behind me that not only sends business my way but also is trusted resource if a friend, myself or one on my clients is looking for help in a variety of areas – accounting, book keeping, graphic design, family law, wills/estates, real estate and many more. For a solo creative person, these meetings have proven to be an invaluable resource and support for my business.

A few of the professions we are looking for:

Finance And Business Services

Business Broker
Business Coach
Promotional Products
Bankruptcy Attorney

Residential & Commercial Services

Electrician
Junk Removal Provider
Landscaper Architect
Master Gardener
Plasterer
Plumbing / HVAC Contractor
Roofer
Auto repair
Body shop
Auto detail

Health & Wellness Services

Physical Therapist
Personal Trainer
Pilates Instructor
Yoga Instructor
Nutritionist
Aestheticians

Events/Weddings

Caterer
Florists
Hair stylists
Make up artists
Baker
Event Planner
Videographer

To attend, just contact me so I can get you on the list. Let me know if you have any questions and hope to see you there.

Filed Under: Photo Thoughts

The Wedding Moment I love (and why pre-ceremony photographs are so great)

October 13, 2011 By Joey Leave a Comment

I thought I would share this moment I’ve seen happen at my recent weddings. It’s totally cool, totally fun and a perfect way to send the couple down the isle. No real way to plan for it but I think its a moment that every bride and groom would remember as one of the hight points of the day. This happens when the formal photos are done and the bridal party is gathered in what every room they got ready in. The energy in the room is great, everyone is relaxed and excited and the bride and groom feel so supported. Just naturally some form of group huddle takes place. This is a perfect time for a toast, like what happened here:

And if there are no drinks handy, then the spontaneity still takes over:

Point is, that these are awesome moments that I wish every bride and groom could experience. Interesting thing is that I’ve only seen these happen when the first look and the formal photographs are done before the ceremony. Something about being together and taking the photos breaks the nervous energy of the day, allowing people to connect and really be with each other. This is one of the reasons that I suggest doing the formal wedding photographs before the ceremony. It just sets up the day for an even greater number of amazing moments.

I know this doesn’t go over with everyone so let me know what you think in the comments below.

Filed Under: Photo Thoughts, Weddings

Our Wedding Vows on our Anniversary

September 26, 2011 By Joey Leave a Comment

7 years ago today, Sue and I said these vows to each other. I have to say that more then anything else from our wedding, I’m most proud of these vows. They are like our constitution. And like the more famous constitution, they did not come easily but when they did they really made a difference. I like them not because I live up to them everyday but because they help guide me in those moments when I don’t want to live up to them. We pull them out from time to time but the thought of them is with me always.

“I Sue/Joey, take you Joey/Sue to be my husband/wife.
I promise to honor, cherish and adore you.
I promise to laugh and play with you…to respect and believe in you.
I promise to live my life to the fullest and bring passion and adventure to our marriage.
I promise to work through the challenges and difficulties that lie ahead.
I promise to create a safe place where we can let down our guard and be vulnerable…
…and I know that we’ll make a difference in the world, not by being perfect but by being ourselves.
I promise to continue our love affair and grow in ways our relationship will require.
I promise to be your friend and partner…to trust and forgive you.
And I promise to love you – even when you forget how amazing you are – so that when my one precious life comes to an end, we’ll both say this was the best thing we ever did.”

Joey and Sue
San Francisco
September 26th, 2004

Filed Under: Photo Thoughts

How my photography and business are evolving

September 15, 2011 By Joey Leave a Comment

In the past couple month’s I’ve really started to think about my work and what I love about photography. Most photographers would say its something about the ability to share one’s vision with the world. I would agree and those thoughts took me back to the moment that I thought I could be a photographer. It was before Lucius was born and I walked into a friend’s house as saw a photo of a boy that I found engaging and different then your average children photos. Took me a few moments to realize that I was looking at one of my photos. That was the first time I saw my work displayed at someone’s house. That was the moment that I thought I had something interesting to offer as a photographer.

I say this because I’ve realized that photos achieve an entirely different level of impact and significance once they are printed and displayed. I had actually looked that the photo of our friend’s son many times on my computer but never “hey – I might have a career at this”. It wasn’t until I saw it live and in color that it meant something to me.

This made me realize that what I love about photography isn’t so much the photo but actually creating art for people’s homes. There is nothing better then delivering a picture to a client and seeing their faces light up as they hang their canvas or thumb through their album.

This is impacting how I approach my sessions. Now when I work with clients my goal is to create images that they will be displayed in their homes and become part of their family’s legacy. Of course some people simply need images for holiday cards or announcements which is absolutely ok, but my personal goal is to capture something that they will love to hang on their walls. I’m also using software to show people exactly how images will look in their home or office. So now I can help clients determine the perfect image, material and size for a specific spot it their home. All of my wedding packages include albums so that my couples can experience their day for years to come. And I’ve created ordering specials where I basically include digital copies in the price of prints and albums.

My goal now isn’t so much to take great photos but to create family art for homes. Much harder to do of course but so much more valuable for valuable to my clients and rewarding for me.

A few images that are now hanging in homes right now…

Filed Under: Photo Thoughts

Fall Mini Sessions

August 24, 2011 By Joey Leave a Comment

Come have fun, get decked out in bling, and get great photos for your Holiday Cards.

Erin Rudsenske, an Independent Stylist for Stella & Dot jewelry will be on hand to help style you for your session.

Times:

August 28th from 9:00-12:00am at Golden Gate Park/AIDS Memorial Garden
September 18th from 2:00-5:00 pm at Baker Beach

What you get:
20 minute photo shoot
Style session with Erin Rudsenske and use of her jewelry samples for the photo shoot
3 digital files you can use for Holiday Cards
Access to an online gallery where you can purchase additional pictures

Reservations can be made by filling out the contact form here.

Limited Spots so Contact me today.

About us:

Erin Rudsenske
Independent Stylist, Stella & Dot
www.stelladot.com/erinr
erudsenske@gmail.com
415-215-2730

Joey Chandler
Family and Portrait Photographer
http://www.jchandlerphotography.com/
joey@jchandlerphotography.com
415-948-3959

Filed Under: Photo Thoughts

San Francisco BNI ACE Networking Chapter BBQ – Networking at its finest

May 18, 2011 By Joey 1 Comment

Have to love a business group that not only meets every week in the wee hours of the morning on Thursday at a Hotel in San Francisco and then makes time to socialize and BBQ on Saturday Night. I recently joined Ace Networking, a San Francisco BNI chapter and its been great so far. Seriously good people all working together to help grow each of our businesses. I really love getting to learn about all sorts of businesses that I really don’t know anything about – law, real estate, accounting, finances, insurance, interior design and others. Being a wedding and portrait photographer can be a lonely business sometimes so this is nice way to get out of the house and learn from some very smart people. Of course the best part of meeting outside of the standard business environment is that getting reminded of how interesting those people really are. So many unexpected stories about living outside the country, practicing martial arts to high degree, scuba diving in Monterey and swimming from Alcatraz. Definitely looking forward to getting to know all these folks better and see the results when lots of talented people work together.

We meet Thursday mornings at 7:15 at the Serrano Hotel – 405 Taylor St. (Near O’Farrell St) in San Francisco. We are growing and looking for:

Florist
Aesthetician
Commercial Real Estate Leasing Agent/Sales Agent
Landscape Architect
Massage Therapist
Physical Therapist
Banker
Event Planner
Hair Stylist
Attorney – Bankruptcy

Contact me any time if you would like to come.

Filed Under: Photo Thoughts

Rockon with Groupon – ways for photographers to manage client concerns

March 15, 2011 By Joey 7 Comments

I recently purchased a coupon from Living Social for a boot camp here in San Francisco. I was one of about 600 people that thought getting up early to have someone yell “do more push-ups” sounded like a good idea. But after I purchased it and began to think about the offer, I got worried. All sorts of thoughts about “do they have the room” and “are there enough instructors” began racing through my head. The next morning, rather then being excited about getting an amazing deal with what I’m assuming is a great company, I woke up with visions of hundreds of people showing up for our first class and over running the bootcamp.

That got me thinking that beyond the process of managing all of the business and selling products, photographers (and other businesses) need to really think about the concerns and fears of their clients if they want to have a successful groupon. Avoid this and they run the risk of off putting off clients the moment they purchase the groupon.

To point out ways to better manage those customer fears, here are three companies that recently used a daily deal site.

Ultra-Spective Photography Studio, Livermore, CA

Ultra Spective ran a groupon offering a 30-minute on-location or in-studio portrait session, plus a choice of a three-sheet prints package of one image (one 8”x10”, two 5”x7”, and 8 wallets) or one high-resolution image on disc for $55 ($345 value). A solid deal that is appealing without giving away too much in terms of product or processing time. They ended up selling 150 sessions which feels like a good number for groupon sessions. But where Ultra Spective excelled was in their Groupon FAQ Post . US went out of their way to address just about any concern that client might have.

Basics – where, when, how long and how many people. US limited the sessions to 30 minutes in 4 different locations. Smart for them and clear to the clients.
How clients would view and purchase their photos – great way to set up client expectations about purchasing additional photos.
Staffing – they address the “can they pull this off?” client concern by saying they have brough on additional staff. I felt great about that purchase and I didn’t even buy one.
Additional questions – love this line “We have cleared our calendar to answer your questions and book your session as soon as you’re ready. We believe in amazing customer service so be prepared to receive!” Clearly the US staff thought about their client experience and took the steps to guarantee to make sure everything went well.

And I did hear from Anna Vickroy, Ultra-Spective photography Director and Photographer – “The groupon has been an amazing success for us. We did a lot of research before running our groupon including getting advice from PPA through their Studio Management Program. Keys for us were to only provide one image, have a trained staff already in place and have a sales plan with an agressive up-sale strategy that requires in-person sale appointments.”

Karina Marie Diaz Photography, San Francisco, CA

Karina did a wildly successful groupon – $99 for a 45-minute ladies’ boudoir photo session, including a web gallery and two prints (a $545 value). Her work is amazing and that clearly resonated with her clients as she sold almost 1500 sessions. Logistically she is set up well as all the shoots are done at her studio and she put in a short deadline (8/1) so she ensured that she wouldn’t be doing the groupons forever.

When I first saw her offering and those numbers I thought “that is crazy – another groupon blow up. Who can do 1500 sessions that fast?” But from what I gather from her yelp reviews and from some people I know that are familiar with the deal, she planned for these numbers and brought on a team of people to help her manage everything. So while I’m sure she is very, very busy, with a team of people, that 1500 goes from being impossible to simply challenging. Definitely applaud her for that.

I don’t know if her clients got worried about doing all those sessions but I imagine that a few did. I think she could have alleviated any potential problems by simply mentioning ”I have a team” like Ultra-Spective did. Plus, Since she is sure to have a ton of upsell, I think a statement about the sales process would have helped as well. Lessoned learn on this – let it be known that you have a great team. And if you don’t have a team – get one.

Start Fitness, San Francisco, CA

This is the boot camp deal from Living Social that I purchased last week. And while risking the additional attention/wrath of the coaches when I finally do start the bootcamp, I wanted to point out a couple things that I think would have reduced the concerns that I had.

How are they going to handle the additional 600 clients – from their home page their SF location “runs from 0600-0700 (6a-7a) Monday through Friday” an “all classes are 60 minutes.” Because there wasn’t a special Living Social FAQ page, this was all I had to reference. My brain naturally went to “how will 600 people all fit into one place?” and “man – 600 people will be really smelly.” Now this maybe completely handled from their perspective (after all not all 600 people will show up on the same day) but since that wasn’t 100% clear to me I started to get concerned and apprehensive about my purchase.
FAQ Page – can not be stated enough. If you are going to do a daily deal – have a FAQ page and make it prominent. My only feedback for Ultra-Spective is that I think they should keep their “groupon deal” button on their main website. Because there was no FAQ on Start Fitness’s website when I purchased the coupon, I had to search around and try to determine what will happen. This makes me wonder if they can provide there normal level of exceptional service.

I haven’t started started with Start Fitness yet so these concerns may not be warranted. I hope not of course and given that they have been in business so long, the logical part of my brain tells me not to worry. But with so much hype around businesses being over whelmed by ill-planned daily deals, the non-logical part of my brain can’t help but worry.

(Follow up – Start fitness is awesome. The best and most inspiring boot camp I’ve ever been to. Very glad I did this.)

Lessons learned from these – not only think about the processes once your clients enter your doors, but also think about how they will perceive your business the moment they purchase their groupon or daily deal. Once again, for me, Groupon is a great opportunity but it requires some serious thought and planning.

Please leave your comments – what else should people plan for when doing a daily deal?

And if you are a child, family or wedding photographer looking for more groupon information, you might like my other post about my groupon experience.

Filed Under: Photo Thoughts Tagged With: Groupon, San Francisco Portrait Photographer, san francisco wedding Photographer

Palace of Fine Arts at Sunrise

March 5, 2011 By Joey Leave a Comment

The Palace of Fine Arts is a frequent stop for San Francisco Engagement Photography tour. With amazing towers, beautiful lake and golden colors, the palace is an absolutely gorgeous place for photographs. This morning I went out for a sunrise session there. My almost 4 year old, Lucius, has been asking to join me for a sunrise photo session, so I pulled him out of bed and headed out. Getting a sleepy boy dressed took some time so we were too late for my intended stop of the Golden Gate Bridge. Driving through the Presidio, I saw the golden towers of the Palace shining in the early morning light and I decided to go there. The Palace has opened recently after a multi-year, many million dollar renovation and it looks amazing. Highly recommend checking it out if you haven’t done so already. I love the early morning colors and I was doubly please by combining them with the energy of a little boy (who woke up once we started playing chase around the pillars). I think this would make a great place for family photography and engagement photographs. Would require getting up early of course but I think it would be worth it.

Contact me if you are willing able to make a sunrise shoot happen.

San Francisco's Beautiful Palace of Fine Arts at Sunrise - San Francisco Photographer Joey Chandler

1 vote

Small Boy in the Grandeur of the Palace of Fine Arts - San Francisco Photographer Joey Chandler

1 vote

wpid-Palace-of-Fine-Arts-at-Sunrise-San-Francisco-Photographer-Joey-Chandler-3.jpg

0 votes

Boy Jumping for Joy at the Palace of Fine Arts - San Francisco Photographer Joey Chandler

2 votes

Boy Jumping at the Palace of Fine Arts at Sunrise - Palace of Fine Arts at Sunrise - San Francisco Photographer Joey Chandler

1 vote

Palace of Fine Arts at Sunrise - San Francisco Photographer Joey Chandler

0 votes

Filed Under: Children/Families, Engagement/Couples, Photo Thoughts Tagged With: San Francisco Child Photographer, San Francisco engagement photograp, San Francisco Photographer, san francisco wedding Photographer

Learning Lighting and Directing from a 3 year Old

February 27, 2011 By Joey 1 Comment

Lucius and I ventured out into the backyard to work in the garden and play a bit with my lighting. I’ve been working on learning the art of off camera flash so that I can use them with my family, engagement and wedding clients. San Francisco is blessed with an abundance of great light but it never hurts to have alternatives just in case things don’t go as planned. I set up my flash and stand and photographed Lucius playing with his tools. But after a bit, Lucius asked if he could use the camera. This was definitely a lesson in directing. As I tried to point out more serious tips about where I should stand and how I should look, Lucius said “no, no, no – do this” and preceded to make some sort of silly face. I followed his direction and we had a great time and got some fun photographs. Definitely a great way to learn the nuances of lighting and to access my inner-child. Plus Lucius might have a career as a photographer some day.

wpid-Play-in-the-Back-Yard-San-Francisco-Photographer-Joey-Chandler.jpg

0 votes

wpid-Play-in-the-Back-Yard-San-Francisco-Photographer-Joey-Chandler-2.jpg

0 votes

wpid-Play-in-the-Back-Yard-San-Francisco-Photographer-Joey-Chandler-3.jpg

0 votes

wpid-Play-in-the-Back-Yard-San-Francisco-Photographer-Joey-Chandler-4.jpg

0 votes

wpid-Play-in-the-Back-Yard-San-Francisco-Photographer-Joey-Chandler-5.jpg

0 votes

wpid-Play-in-the-Back-Yard-San-Francisco-Photographer-Joey-Chandler-6.jpg

0 votes

wpid-Play-in-the-Back-Yard-San-Francisco-Photographer-Joey-Chandler-7.jpg

0 votes

wpid-Play-in-the-Back-Yard-San-Francisco-Photographer-Joey-Chandler-8.jpg

0 votes

Filed Under: Family, Photo Thoughts