LION OR MOUSE?

 

BY HANNELIE ELLIOTT

I am currently busy reading my children bedtime stories from Aesop’s Fables. I am once more amazed at the incredible life lessons contained in these simple short tales. I have decided to use my love for storytelling to remind my readers of the value that is taught in some of the most well-known stories that we all loved as children. I will start with this one…

 

The Lion and the Mouse

 

A Lion was awakened from sleep by a Mouse running over his face. Rising up angrily he caught the Mouse and was about to kill him, when the Mouse piteously entreated saying : “If you would only spare my life, I would be sure to repay your kindness” The Lion laughed and let him go. It happened shortly after this that the Lion was caught by some hunters, who bound him by strong ropes to the ground. The Mouse, recognizing his roar, came and gnawed the rope with his teeth, and set him free, exclaiming: You ridiculed the idea of my ever being able to help you not expecting to receive from me any repayment of your favor; now you know that it is possible for even a Mouse to confer benefits on a Lion.”

 

Have you ever thought that everyday, in a multitude of situations, you are either the Lion or the Mouse? If we apply this to photography you might think there are a few lions (experts) that you are cautious of approaching and that they could snap you in one blow if they wanted (ok, that sounds a bit extreme, but you know people like that, right?) And sometimes you are the lion who can’t be bothered by the little mouse wanting help on the basics of photography or business skills that you have mastered years ago.

 

I too had some bad experiences as a mouse being ridiculed by the lions when I started out in the business of photography. But knowing my own strengths and being confident in my ability to offer something beautiful, I was afforded with many opportunities to grow and develop a roar of my own. While I feel that I have done well in realising my dream of becoming a photographer, I am still a mouse in so many respects, gnawing at the challenges thrown at me everyday.

 

On the other hand, I hope that there are certain aspects of photography that I will master in years to come, but that I will have the ability to still observe and accept the seemingly small tokens of wisdom offered by someone just starting out, someone that is still in awe of photography and has stumbled upon a gem that I have missed. Being a lion of course has plenty advantages, one of which is the respect of your peers and the awesomeness factor that goes with being one of the best. But this should never give one a false sense of security or the inability to recognize when you need to improve or make changes. Failing to do that will surely  lead to stifled creativity and self-imprisonment.

 

The lesson from this very simple story is that we all have different strengths and weaknesses – if we are open to accept wisdom from every person we meet, we will be surprised at our ability to learn and grow.

 

I hope you all have a splendid week of growth and discovery!

 

Monday, July 25th, 2011   Category: Inspiration   No Comments comments

Friday Feature: Harvey Grohmann

Today’s interview is with the very talented wildlife photographer, Harvey Grohmann. Harvey is such an interesting character, the type of guy you would want to spend hours listening to alongside a crackling fire in the African bush. I hope you enjoy his images as much as I do! Thanks Harvey!

 

 

 

Tell us how you got into photography and how long have you been doing it?

My earliest memories of wildlife are that of a baboon stealing my banana whilst I was sitting in a  pram at the picture perfect Victoria Falls. I was 4. In the ‘70’s my parents did slide show evenings. After dinner my father would haul out his projector and slide trays filled with selected images he took in the 60’s around Southern Africa and described each shot and subject in perfect detail to the guests. Naturally the big 5 but also Fauna and Flora. This subconsciously instilled in me an interest in the natural world.

During a 4 week family trip to South Africa and Namibia from Australia in ‘76, we stopped over in Hong Kong. Even then it was a Mecca for well priced electronics. I bought my first camera, a Pocket Fujica which used a drop in 110 film cassette. I still have it and the thousands of images I shot with it. A year later I asked my father how his SLR’s worked. It was the first time he let me go to bed late! The lecture lasted from after dinner to 12pm. I was hooked.

I progressed to his Minolta SRT 101, and occasionally the XK and XM coupled with superb Minolta glass on and off for the next few years, using mostly 100 or 400 ASA slide film and almost exclusively in Aperture Priority Mode or Manual Metering and manual focus!  I detest the green Auto button. I think it kills creativity. My “coming of age” was as second shooter at a neighbours wedding at age 16.

We emigrated back to the RSA in ’83 and I started shooting sports, beauty pageants and other events and doing my own D&P for the school in house newspaper. The odd trip to the Kruger kept me in touch. Due to the cost, I learned to only take a shot when it was “right”. On matriculating I was given a Minolta XG-M and a year later bought the new XD-7, the first Shutter and Aperture Priority SLR. I still have and shoot with both. Good quality glass was as important and as expensive then as it is today and had everything from 50mm f/1.4 right up to a 600mm f/6.3. 50mm’s were the defacto “kit lens” in those days, every SLR came with one and I used my “nifty 50” daily, moving my feet and not a zoom ring to get the shot. I only hauled out the artillery when on holiday or at an event. Sadly almost all the gear was stolen in the ‘90’s and when Minolta turned its back on the Pro market by going plastic and futuristic, migrated to Nikon SLR. Then to DSLR in mid 2009, a major step and learning curve, especially the post processing, which up till then I did in a real darkroom, not on a PC.

I now shoot throughout Africa, and have travelled as far as Ghana, Kenya, Namibia, Botswana and the length and breadth of South Africa. It’s risky to have too many specialities so I stick to three main genres. For solitude I shoot wildlife, even the tame Kiewiet’s on my bushveld plot in Jo’burg aren’t safe. For income I do events, product photography. When the photo work is slow, I develop and host web sites and do hands on practical training for budding nature photographers to supplement income.

 

 

What’s in your bag?

F-801s, D80, D90 and D300s, grips and SB-800s. 
Nikkor: AF-S 24-120mm f/4G ED VR II, 
Sigma: 75-300mm APO f/4.5-5.6 Macro DG AF, 28-70mm f/2.8 EX DG AF, 70-200mm f/2.8 II EX DG APO Macro HSM AF, 100-300mm f/4 EX APO IF HSM AF, 170-500mm f/5-6.3 APO DG AF, 180mm f/3.5 EX DG APO Macro IF HSM, Vivitar: 500mm f/6.3 DX Series 1 Mirror Lens catadioptric (reflex) lens, DX: Tokina 12-24mm f/4 AT-X 124 AF Pro DX, Manfrotto Tripods, Monopods and Gimbals, Studio Lights, Triggers and accessories.

 

What inspires you?

To constantly improve my technique to repeatedly get “that” shot… especially with Bird in Flight. To see a student create a superb image using only basic gear. To submit the best work I can for clients, friends and even the obligatory family snaps should be top notch.

 

What is your preferred subject matter?

Non-captive wildlife. No need for model release forms! I do however love candid photography where it’s possible to capture the essence of a human being without them being aware of you or your camera. Macro’s, landscape and OOB (out of Box) images are a labour of love.

 

 

Name one thing that you’d love to shoot that you haven’t?

The Kgalgadi Transfrontier Park inhabitants and vistas.

 

When in doubt about your work, whom do you confide in?

My wife, Christelle. She has the uncanny/uncommon ability to see and to listen and then softly critique or suggest. She’s also a superb critter spotter when I can’t see the bush for the foliage!

 

 

Qualifications/training in anything?

Photographically I am self taught. I learn faster that way. It sinks in and stays there. That’s not to say that I don’t learn from my peers. I live on the internet. If there is a technique or a shot I like I will ask how or look for it online. Today’s digital photographers have no excuse for poor work. Google is your friend!
I have qualifications in IT (was a project manager and A+ / MCSE trainer) and in the Emergency Services as a Fire-fighter and Medic (Sandton Fire Platoon Commander) during the rough years of ’89-’97 when SA almost slipped into civil war. I wished I had a digital camera in those days or a bigger budget for film! The township violence photographs alone could have filled a book.

 

Who are the photographers that inspire you both locally and internationally?

I’m not sure I have a well known ‘tog as an ”idol”. I bookmark a lot of togs. This can be from Abstract to Zebra. There are a lot of superb South African wildlife photographers, one of whom I admire for his natural and oft humorous work is Willie van Schalkwyk . An humble and unassuming “amateur” wildlife photographer, as he calls himself.
My earliest recollections of published work would be of Anthony Bannister who shot wildlife extensively in Southern Africa from the late 70’s and published coffee table books filled with unique images of wild Africa that I still learn from today.
Then there’s Thom Hogan of the USA. With his solid technique and vast practical experience, his willingness to give back to others and to share his wildlife and technical knowledge in a non-condescending yet honest way is exemplary.

 

 

Plans for the future?

I am working on a unique wildlife book concept for budding photographers. Not just another Bird or Big 5 book, but something that has longevity and relevance where there are scant fresh ideas in the past 5 years since digital became mainstream. It has taken two years to shoot, and another year to type, copy, polish, edit and hopefully get published.

 

In one  phrase describe your photography

To capture special moments or the essence of a subject, that connects with the viewer

 

Favourite quote

“Amateurs argue about bodies, professionals about glass.
Photographers let their images argue for themselves.”

 

 

More of Harvey’s amazing wildlife photography can be seen on his website: http://photocommission.com/

 

Friday, July 22nd, 2011   Tags: , , ,
Category: Featured Photographer, Inspiration   No Comments comments

COSTING THE WEDDING

BY BRETT FLORENS

 

 


PRICE VS VALUE

Pricing is a major aspect of your business, not only does it impact on your bank balance, it will have a psychological impact on sales, as generally, the market opinion is that the price is related to the quality of the product. If your price is higher than the perceived value of your finished product, then you are not going to book many weddings. Vice versa, if your price is lower than your value, you may have too many bookings and you will be working really hard, but not making any money. If you are too cheap, the impression will probably be that you are not very good. I feel that trying to get your foot in the door by means of a lower price has the complete opposite effect to what you intended to achieve, a client with the budget to spend is not going to be attracted to you because you are charging less than your competition, she is looking for quality work that she is expecting to pay for. Especially if you are hoping to target high-end weddings that are at great venues with great suppliers, good hair and make-up, all the ingredients that contribute to making fantastic images.

 

DISCOUNTING

If your images look as if they were shot for clients with money then you will attract clients with money. Discounts are permanent!! If you discount your work, you are setting a precedent that will be very difficult to escape from, you will do a great job for a client and they will love your work and word will get out to her friends and family, who would generally be the same target market as your client. They will then come to you, and by then you will have realised that you can’t run a sustainable business charging your discounted rate, and you have increased your prices. Now instead of generating a reputation for being a great photographer that has a great service and product, you are now the photographer who is arrogant and greedy and charging double what you used to charge, even if the service and product warrant that price. Every time you raise your prices you are disregarding your previous target market and starting to target a new market all together. Rather offer to shoot weddings of friends or family at cost as a gift for them to gain experience. Three, four, five weddings, however many you need to get you ready to charge what you deserve for your talent, time and effort. That way you are not labelling a price tag to yourself for the rest of your career.

 

COST TO COMPANY

It is imperative that you take into account all costs when you are pricing out your weddings. This will include your basic overheads, rent, telephone, staff. Then you have to cost in your advertising and marketing such as your print ads, your website, the bridal expos, computer hardware and software, as well as your photographic equipment and office supplies. Gather all this information and project it over the span of a year. Then you divide this by the number of weddings that you anticipate booking during the year. This will give you the cost of the wedding excluding the cost of sales, which would be prints, cd’s, albums etc.

 

Once you have calculated the costs of a wedding, you will need to factor in things such as income tax and VAT. Only then will you be able to get a good indication of what you should be charging. Remember that there is a lot of post production time as well as the time that you spend with the client during the initial meeting, as well as any other meetings prior to the wedding. I usually spend about an hour with the client prior to a wedding, and then approximately 10 hours on the wedding day. Post production usually runs into 60 hours – totalling +- 70 hours per wedding. This may sound like an extraordinary amount of time, and I myself was surprised when I first documented the amount of time spent on one wedding, but there it is! I have employed a full time graphic designer to deal with all the post production photoshop work as my time has become too “expensive”.

 

I also realise that by having a specialist doing the touch up and enhancements, my time is more productively focused on marketing, as well as shooting commercial work. This may seem like a costly option, however when you work out the amount of hours spent behind the computer editing images, and I assume that if you are reading this article that you do edit images prior to giving them to clients , you will find that the financial reward is not what you thought it was. Go to the local Technikon or design college and get a third year student to train to do the post production under your guidance. Pay them per image or per wedding edited and get them to understand your vision for your work, this will take time and may take a few wedding for them to get it right, but training and development is essential to the sustainability of any business. Cost it into the wedding.

 

I think that the problem with most of us is that we are not running our operation as a sustainable business. So talking about sustainability, let’s look at the costing of an average wedding – bare with me as this is a very difficult aspect to our business and we need to remove all emotion fro the costing aspect and think about the business from a long term perspective. Do you want to be shooting in 5 year’s time and if you go on the way you are right now will you be able to? If you look at a bridal magazine from 5 years ago you will find around 30 photographers advertising, now you might find 35 or 40, but how many of those original 30 are still around? Maybe 5 if you are lucky. They are the ones who are running their business like a business!

 

THE BREAK DOWN

Let’s go through all the factors that you need to take into account before putting a price to your product.

 

Advertising as mentioned earlier. Take your yearly spend on your print, electronic and bridal fair marketing and divide it by the amount of weddings you shoot a year. Take into account that a website may cost you R36k and after 3 years may need to be rebuilt. If you advertise in magazines, let’s say R12k for the year, Bridal show another R12k. This may seem a lot, but go through what you have spent and you may be surprised at how much you spend. Total R3k per month.

 

Your capital outlay for computer hardware and software. Let’s also say R36k for a 3 year cycle. Total R1k per month

 

Your capital outlay for equipment R36k for a three year cycle, new technology, better lenses, ware and tear etc. Total R1k per month.

 

Sorry, if this is depressing, but it is a reality!

 

Right – let’s cost the wedding – remember we are talking averages so this will differ across the spectrum. I am basing these averages on shooting 3 weddings a month.

 

Album, including images, or coffee table story book – R2500
Assistant or second shooter R 500
Telephone, office rental etc… R 500
Advertising R1000
Computer hardware and software R 300
Camera gear R 300
Travel, wear and tear on vehicle R 400
Insurance R 500

Total cost of sales R6000.00

 

This is calculate for the photographer who is doing all the post themselves – I would pay R1500 per wedding for post so bare that in mind if you want to outsource the post production.

 

So now, crunch time – let’s say that you are currently charging R12 000 for a wedding that costs you R6 000 to produce. That is a R6000 profit, let’s take off the Vat because if you charge R12k per wedding and are shooting 36 a year, your turnover is R432k on weddings alone which means you are legally required to register for Vat Profit is now R5160, income tax on that takes it down to R3400. That is R3400 after tax profit. R3400 divided by 70 is… R 48.50 an hour!!!! An average take home pay of R 8148 per month, no wonder so many photographers are barely getting things together, let along progressing!

 

THE LONG AND SHORT OF IT

I think that you should work out your hourly rate you need to have the lifestyle you aspire to, taking into account the impact your hours and hours sacrificed away from your family on weekends and late into the night have on your life before thumb sucking an amount you would like to charge for your weddings.

 

Let’s say that you need R30k a month take home pay to sustain any sort of decent lifestyle, where you can afford a home and family. That is R 58k per month before VAT and income tax. That is around R19k per wedding meaning you should be charging R25k and shooting 3 a month to achieve that. Scary and shocking!! So many of you are thinking that the market will never pay R25k for a wedding. I hear you, but are you happy to work for R48.50 per hour considering the impact your career is having on your life.

 

Hard core stuff I know, but we have to think long term sustainability.

 

Shoot for yourself!!

Brett

 

Friday, July 15th, 2011   Tags: , ,
Category: Brett Florens, Business of Photography   No Comments comments

FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHER: GAVIN BLOK

 

Our Friday Feature today is on Johannesburg based photographer, Gavin Blok.

 

Tell us how you got into photography and how long have you been doing it?

The first SLR I owned was a Nikon F70 that I bought in 1994 while on holiday in the Maldives and it was for personal use only. I was more into making movies and loved the immediate results I was getting shooting with a video camera. I loved filming weddings and have been capturing special moments since 1988. For 20 years I was content with video only, till I got to see the amazing results the new 2nd generation professional Nikon cameras, i.e… Nikon D2x was producing.

I was born in Stellenbosch and lived there almost all my life. In 2004 we relocated to Johannesburg and I had to restart my wedding video business from scratch again. One of the first wedding togs I met was Jaco & Daleen Fourie. We filmed many weddings together and became close family friends. I was amazed at how fast Jaco mastered digital photography and his ability to build a name for himself, locally as well as internationally. In the wedding video industry, this type recognition just did not exist.

When the economic and financial crunch started to effect us in South Africa, my wedding video bookings almost came to a standstill – yet active wedding photographers were still getting bookings. We then realised that a wedding video had become a luxury and that videographers were dropping to the bottom of the list of required service providers. What was I to do?

I absolutely love working at weddings and have devoted most of my working life to this amazing industry. Also from a financial point of view, I was so heavily invested into technology and equipment – that I simply could not throw in the towel. I had to find an alternative, more sustainable activity where I could use my skills and experience. Doing wedding photography was a logical option.

I contacted Jaco for advice and he recommended that I give it a shot. He had a used D2x for sale and I got it at a good price. He also asked me for a favour, to make a video of him shooting a “Trash-The-Dress” in Durban. In return I could use the opportunity to take some pictures for myself. The Trash-The-Dress shoot was an awesome experience and I got to meet an amazing group of wedding photographers. Togs like, Linda Twiggs, Derrick Gravett, Petrus Saayman, Pieter Willering and Neil Cuninghame left such a positive impression on me. I was stunned at the way they interacted with each other and the way they shared their knowledge. Needless to say, I have become close friends with most of them!!

When we returned from Durban, I could not contain myself when I saw the results of the photos I had taken. Jaco offered to print me a coffee table book and instantly I became published with my own first hard cover photo book.. This was the most exciting moment in my new photography career!!

Then in September 2008, after second-shooting only two weddings, I was thrown into the deep end by Doug Place. He had an enquiry for a wedding that he could not do and was asking for someone available in one of the forums I frequented. I called Doug to ask if the client wanted a video and then he gave me the client’s details. When I called – the client was not interested in a video and told me that Doug had only recommended me to do the wedding photos. I was so caught of guard, stuttered and then said ok – I said I would bring a sample photobook of my recent shoot in Durban when we meet later that afternoon. Needless to say – they loved my work and the book and booked me on the spot.

That is how I got my first solo wedding!!

The wedding turned out beautiful . . . and their coffee table book was a huge success!! After that I had two books to show my new prospective brides and that’s how I started. I was given an unexpected opportunity, grabbed the bull by the horns and I just went out and did it!!

 

 

What equipment do you use?

2 x Nikon D700 FX “Full Frame” DSLRs, 1 x Nikon D300 DX DSLR, Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 G IF-ED AF-S VRII Lens, Nikon 24-70mm f2.8 G IF-ED AF-S Zoom Lens, Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8 G ED AF-S Zoom Lens, Nikon 35-70mm f2.8 D AF Zoom Lens, Nikon 50mm f/1.8 D AF Prime Lens, Nikon 10.5mm f/2.8 AF Fisheye ED DX Lens, Nikon 18-200mm f3.5-5.6 G AF-S ED DX Lens.

 

What inspires you?

The utmost satisfaction I get, when my clients look at their photos and say: “We can’t believe it’s us – the photos are awesome!! Thank you, Thank you . . . Thank you!!!”.

 

 

What is your preferred subject matter?

Photographing people at live events.  Also couples – truly in love, when nothing you ask of them is too much trouble.  I love shooting a “Trash-The-Dress” at the coast – because that’s were it all started for me.

 

Name on thing that you would LOVE to shoot that you haven’t yet

At this stage in my photography career, I can’t really say that there is something I really would love to shoot. I go for every opportunity and try to make the most of it. I have so much catching up to do, so much still to accomplish and learn, that I am sure – some time in the future I will find “The One LOVE” to shoot.

 

 

When in doubt about your work, who do you confide in?

The internet & forums are amazing!! I can’t believe there are so many people out there – willing to help a stranger. Forums I follow is nobsphotosuccess.com, DWF and a few FaceBook photo groups, like Photographer Mojo and SAWPA. I also follow other international togs pages like Neil v Niekerk, Denis Reggie, Jerry Ghionis, Jim Garner & David Beckstead to name a few. When I need to talk to someone, I can call Jaco Fourie any time and talk for hours.

 

Qualifications/training in anything?

I’m a qualified submariner in the SA Navy. I studied Mechanical Engineering, Psychology and Information Science. I worked as a Financial Planner at Old Mutual for 7yrs and also had my own Insurance Brokerage. At the same time I was in a partnership with a Commercial Video Production Company in Cape Town and I also owned a Training School teaching newbie’s how to use a video camera, camera technique and editing. I’m a self-taught filmmaker and photographer.

 

 

Who are the photographers that inspire you both locally and internationally?

As mentioned above, Neil v Niekerk, Denis Reggie, Jerry Ghionis, Jim Garner & David Beckstead (international) and Jaco Fourie, Petrus Saayman, Michael Tree, Mario Sales and I must say Dror Eyal. Also Greg Mulford has played a huge role – what a crazy awesome guy!!

 

Plans for the future?

To expand my total operation – to find people who want to help us grow our business. I am so glad to have a former colleague and friend, Ross Goosen, with me at the moment. So much of what I know about video and media, I learned from him and he is an awesome commercial videographer!! I want to expand my studio, make it bigger and better. I wish to create a space for creative people to flourish in. I also want to get back into training – to share the knowledge and experience I have gained in this industry over the past 23 years.

 

In one phrase or word, describe your photography.

Still in a process of discovery . . .

 

 

Friday, July 8th, 2011   Tags: , , ,
Category: Featured Photographer, Wedding Photography   No Comments comments

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