Tag Archives: photo

#127 Creative Portrait Session

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I met last week with a group of working creative people. We spent some time on a purely creative exercise. Each member had about half an hour to let their imaginations run wild in a portrait session. There were no real restrictions – just some time to experiment and have some fun.

I worked with Duncan Marshall of Marshall Maruska Aerial Images. I like playing with motion and asked Duncan to whirl circles around me at the end of a rope. Some of my favourites came from the whirling because of the motion and how the fun made Duncan react:

Duncan Marshall

Duncan Marshall

I also produced some more traditional work:Duncan

And some photojournalistic portraits as Duncan told stories about flying:

Have fun,

Harry

PS “Exposed!” Photo Newsletter comes out this week.

#124 New photo workshops offered

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Dates have been set for two new types of photo course at HarryNowell.com.

1. Sessions Photo Workshop

It’s time to challenge yourself!

I have been asked to host workshops that span a period of time allowing students to see progression over the sessions. I did not want a classroom based course – imagine learning to drive a car solely from a classroom!

We will meet in central Ottawa/Hull locations to photograph a variety of challenges:

  • night life
  • street portraits
  • architectural detail

followed by a critique session in a central classroom. The flexible course agenda will take advantage of weather and available events. We will be shooting inside and/or outside.

Sessions
Sessions

Details: The course covers 4 weeknight evenings in November: 7-9:30pm. Very fun for photographers with some base photo skills! Cost – $250 + tax.

More details – Sessions

2. The Professional Program

I also get requests from people who want to jump the gap from amateur photographer to working photographer. This is a tough leap that requires:

  • good photography skills
  • good business skills – perhaps more important than photo skills
  • good people skills
  • patience
  • persistence

A new business is often depicted as an uphill battle! No one can ever guarantee your business success. Never. There are ways to stack the odds in your favour. This program is designed to help!

Uphill battle?
Persistence, patience and smart work = good business

The flexible year long process involves:

  1. Choice of five or more photo courses at HarryNowell.com.
  2. One-on-one sessions throughout the year to review work, set goals, discuss business practices
  3. Work experience – the student must arrange 40 hours of co-op work experience in an environment that meets their goals.
  4. Final evaluation and report – we review the student’s final portfolio that will be produced with a client presentation in mind. A written evaluation and certificate will be delivered.

The program also includes phone and email support throughout the year.

The course provides elements that will set the groundwork for a business in photography. We already have our first student!

More Details – Pro Program

#122 Muisc and photos

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I finished a shoot last week for Peter Foret and his big band Peter and the Wolves.

Peter Foret
Peter Foret

A shoot like this always has its challenges:

  • co-ordinating a large group of people
  • dealing with uncertain weather
  • limited location
  • very limited timeline

With so many people involved we had to ‘create some magic‘ with whatever was available – people, personalities, weather. There was little flexibility because of the size of the group. Studio lighting is always an option but limits flexibility further and increases time involved.


Peter and the Wolves

We chose a familiar area that had a few options or ‘contingencies’. A shoot like this can be stressful as there are few certainties and many limitations. Stress can trample creativity. Developing a trust that things will work is tough but crucial to performance! More on performance and butterflies soon.

The shoot went well. We had reasonable weather for the shoot. I am pleased with the results. The best part was Peter’s reaction – He was ecstatic with his new collection of promotional material!

That makes this job fun.

Harry

#121 The high cost of low-cost photography

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Zoom airlines recently announced it has “suspended operations.”

Zoom is, er, was a low-cost alternative to traditional, higher priced air travel. Zoom offered budget flights and reportedly excellent service. Unfortunately, they charged too little for a good thing! People loved Zoom until they got stranded at the airport recently or, like my parents, paid for flights that no longer exist! Speculation was that rising fuel prices squeezed the airline more than it could handle.

What has that got to do with photography? The budget photo business model can lead to the same results as Zoom Airlines. Substitute low cost photo work for Zoom’s low cost flight service and you could encounter the same “suspended operations.”

soaring costs hurt budget businesses!
Avoid pitfalls with solid business training.

Pricing your photo work low can help attract some early sales but it can create problems:

  • client expectations of low cost work. Try raising your prices to sustainable levels after a year of low cost photo service – see what your client says.
  • little breathing room for unexpected expenses like equipment breakdowns or ‘high fuel prices’.
  • industry expectations – If too many people offer budget prices the new norm may be unsustainable wages for photographers. What you charge affects the industry!
  • price too low and your happy customers may be disappointed after they discover you have “suspended operations” because you cannot make ends meet.

Want to stay in business and promote a healthy photography industry? Discover a way to charge fair and realistically sustainable prices for your level of service! This will require:

  • educating your clients to the value of your work
  • saying no when dollars are too low
  • learning how much is too much for the customer

Pricing work is a tricky business!
Skip painful mistakes – Learn from other creative business people with the Creative Business Seminar in November, 2008.

Harry

#120 Photo job available

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Mimi, graduate of my Creative Fundamentals and Creative Business Seminar, sent me an e-mail about a photo job offer at the University of Ottawa. Anyone interested?

Thanks Mimi!

In other news, my story on the Pumphouse will be completed soon. The story is a special one for me as I usually spend my summer fun in whitewater. It’s been a good and busy summer. Alas, my paddling time has been limited.  Sigh:

whitewater paddling on the Ottawa River
Whitewater kayaking on the Ottawa River

#116 Photographer’s Olympic Report

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Photo District News filed a report of the Olympics from the photographer’s perspective.

Mountain Bike Photo - ChelseaGallery.ca
Relatively new Olympic sport – Mountain Biking

” “It’s pretty amazing actually,” says Getty Images photographer Shaun Botterill… Photographers and editors interviewed over the last few days universally praised the Beijing Olympics as the best-run games in years.”

Read the full article.

I don’t usually watch tv. But I have been glued to the tv late at night! The Olympians have amazed me!

Harry

#114 ‘Secret’ Olympic training site

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I mentioned I was working on a magazine assignment highlighting a downtown Ottawa ‘secret’ Olympic training site. It’s a slalom whitewater kayak and canoe course within metres of the office towers in the central core.

The Pumphouse - Ottawa
Downtown Ottawa’s ‘Pumphouse’ with downtown Hull in the distance.

Ottawa’s downtown water pumping station near Bronson and Wellington has provided necessary waterworks infrastructure for the city of Ottawa for over a century. The Ottawa River Runners have been paddling there for years.

Three years ago a pedestrian slipped on the crumbling banks of the waterway and drowned. The city shut the whole site down and stripped the banks of the waterway.

Pumphouse
The Pumphouse at low water – LeBreton Flats development behind.

Central Ottawa is now left with a beautiful green space – don’t dare call it a park – and a world class facility producing Olympic athletes.

Sarah Boudens and James Cartwright – athletes training at the site – are representing Canada at he Beijing Olympics!

The feature will appear in Ottawa Magazine in the spring or early summer 2009. James Hale will be writing the article around my photos.
Harry

#113 The workshop

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Pretty perfect weather was what we had for the Urban Landscapes Workshop this past weekend.


Harry, the instructor.

It was a good group sharing varied experiences. We explored locations in central Ottawa and Hull discovering unknown secrets, rediscovered memories and overlooked landmarks.


Reviewing the ideas of the ‘gray card.’

One student piped up “I’ve never noticed that tall building before!” Another was full of smiles and new knowledge by the end… she had come a long way, photographically, in a short time.


… Helping navigate the camera.

Another student sent me some photos from the start of the course to use on my blog – thanks Chris!


“The one thing to remember…”

Thanks for the fun! We meet again for the critique session this week. There may be an Urban Landscapes course in the spring – stay tuned.

Harry

#112 Beyond Iceland

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I have been all about Iceland lately. There is life beyond Iceland:

The Urban Landscapes Photo Workshop is hosted this weekend. It’s a fun and challenging photo safari in the beautiful cities of Ottawa and Hull.

Urban Landscapes

I am also working on a magazine feature for Ottawa Magazine – covering local Olympians and their Ottawa Training site. It’ll run next spring.

Some more stock work for a government client is being delivered tomorrow.

So far this year work has been good. I am smiling. While you will always have some good luck, consistent business growth takes sustained hard work. See my Creative Business Seminar for ideas for your creative business.

H