I know that a little over a month ago I announced that I am ending the regular audio episodes of F-Stop Beyond. However, today’s guest was someone we had booked prior to making the announcement. I had originally planned to air it on Good Friday…so I am. Mark Mabry has created a powerfully moving exhibit about the life of Christ called Reflections of Christ. It’s one of those personal artist projects that we all conceive from time to time. That one project that eats at you and drives you to make it, no matter what the cost. Whether or not you celebrate Easter, if you’ve ever had one of those projects or desired to do one, this episode will inspire you.  Despite the financial hardships involved, Mark saw this project through. And he’s a better photographer and better person because of it. Truly amazing.

Bumper music for this show is “Close to You” by Steve Hefter and Friends of Friends, part of the TRUE ROMANCE collection, courtesy of Triple Scoop Music.

Mark Mabry on F-Stop Beyond

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Listen to today’s episode to get the 411 on what’s going on. But this is the pen-ultimate new episode of F-Stop Beyond. Help me find who will be the guest on the last new episode of the show, the series finale. Below is a poll of suggested guests who I’ve either thought about or who other people have mentioned. Or, if you have another suggestion, write their name in. In the meantime, give us some love and share with us some of your favorite FSB moments, or any comments about what you’ve loved about the show. Stay tuned to my Twitter feed (twitter.com/rondawson) for future update.

Today marks the start of the annual Thirst Relief auction where some of the world’s top professional photographers auction off valuable one-on-one consultation and advice to raise money for a worthy cause. Almost two years ago I interviewed the founder of ThirstRelief, Jim Davis-Hicks. Listen to that interview again and learn how it all got started.

Also, I’m pleased to announce that I am also throwing my name into the hat. If you need help on branding, sales, marketing, social media, or if you want some help getting into filmmaking with HD DSLRs, you can bid on my services as well. Go to thirstrelief.shootq.com to see all the amazing talent giving to this cause. Special thanks to ShootQ for being a co-sponsor of the auction.

The most important talent a visual artist can develop is his or her creativity. It is arguably the essence of any visual artist. So it is with great pleasure that I have as my guests today wedding and portrait photographers Will Jacks of Cleveland, MI and Chris Williams out of the Superbowl-winning New Orleans, LA. These two have embarked upon a rather unique venture. In an industry inundated with workshops, they have started a new one. But this is not a photography workshop. It’s not a filmmakers workshop. It’s a creativity workshop called REBIRTH. When I heard about it and saw what they were doing, I just knew I had to get them on the show. They first tell us a little bit about their respective histories. Will actually started out in the movie industry but was not too fond of the process. He even taught 7th and 8th grade English. Chris thought he’d be a drummer in a band, but hated that life. He fell in love with photography and grew a prominent wedding photography business.

Will describes the workshop more as a retreat. It’s job is not to teach you anything specifically, but is instead designed to help you enhance the creativity that’s already inside of you. You won’t learn how to use a Pocket Wizard, but instead creative ways on finding light. And although there will be a few classes specifically geared towards photography (including a session shooting with film), the bulk of the sessions will be applicable to any visual artist: filmmaker, photographer, or painter. This is a discussion about creativity and how you can boost it and how you can stay passionate about your art.

The workshop is March 30 to April 2 in Will’s hometown. Learn more at rebirthworkshops.com.

Bumper music for this show is “Close to You” by Steve Hefter and Friends of Friends, part of the TRUE ROMANCE collection, courtesy of Triple Scoop Music.

SUPPORT THE SHOW

If you like this show and all that we offer, please consider making a donation. For as less than $3/month, you can help keep this amazing program going. Any amount you decide is appreciated. Also, leave a comment about the show in iTunes.

Will Jacks and Chris Williams on F-Stop Beyond

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Sports Illustrated photographer and music video director Bill Frakes is a busy, busy man. I had a very slim sliver of a window to grab this interview with him, and I think you’ll be so happy I did. Bill is a photographer’s photographer. He has a deep passion for the art and a profound respect for what it takes to be good. Bill shares with us stories from his early days at the Miami Herald to his current work with Sports Illustrated and his multimedia company Straw Hat Visuals. (I love the story he tells of his very first Hawkeye camera at the age of 7. Are you old enough to remember revolving flashbulb cubes?) He also gives his insight into the world of HD DSLRs (he just finished shooting a music video in Scandinavia using ten of them!) And if you’ve ever wanted to know how to keep your passion alive and creativity fresh, you’ll love his take that topic too. How does one stay inspired doing work they love the most, and make a living at it. Lastly, be sure to check out his multimedia inspirational story about Missy.

Bumper music for this show is “Close to You” by Steve Hefter and Friends of Friends, part of the TRUE ROMANCE collection, courtesy of Triple Scoop Music.

SUPPORT THE SHOW

If you like this show and all that we offer, please consider making a donation. For as less than $3/month, you can help keep this amazing program going. Any amount you decide is appreciated. Also, leave a comment about the show in iTunes.

Bill Frakes on F-Stop Beyond

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If you’re familiar with my show, you know that my interest is not just in interviewing the photo celebrities the whole world knows about. Of course I know that probably no one would listen to this show if I didn’t interview those photo superstars. But, every now and then I love to have on the show a person who has the true heart of a photographer and has an intriguing story to tell. Whether it’s breast cancer survivor Deborah D. Lattimore, blind photographer Alex de Jong, or today’s guest

Joe Wigfall was the WNYC Street Shots Challenge winner, a contest where every day people who take photos of people and places in NY were asked to submit their best photos. Joe wasn’t typically interested in contests, but he had grown quite a following on Flickr and his comrades their strongly encouraged him to enter. To his shock, he won! I learned about Joe from one of my Twitter followers who tweeted me to check him out. I’m so glad I did. Joe’s charming personality and outlook on life are so infectious. He talks about how he does his “shoot from the hip” photography, his philosophy on being a photographer and artist, what it was like growing up in Harlem, and he of course tells us about his experience with the WNYC contest. I guarantee that this part-time pastor, full time legal assistant, and all-the-time photographer will inspire you.

Bumper music for this show is “Close to You” by Steve Hefter and Friends of Friends, part of the TRUE ROMANCE collection, courtesy of Triple Scoop Music.

SUPPORT THE SHOW

If you like this show and all that we offer, please consider making a donation. For as less than $3/month, you can help keep this amazing program going. Any amount you decide is appreciated.

Here’s the short WNYC video segment about Joe:

Joe Wigfall on F-Stop Beyond

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Every year online studio management software producer ShootQ offers a $10,000 grant to a wedding photographer who is interested in doing a special photojournalist project. Last year’s winner is today’s guest. Annie O’Neill was a traditional editorial photojournalist for the better part of two decades. As many in that field are now want to do, she made the cross-over to wedding and portrait work. Annie’s story is quite an interesting one. She’s a twin sister, ninth of ten kids, from an Irish Catholic family on Long Island. She shares with us her stories growing up and making the trek into photography. She then shares with us about the subject for which she won the grant: military post traumatic stress syndrome as it specifically relates to sexual abuse.  Annie gives us a no holds barred interview that you won’t want to miss.

Remember you can catch a new episode each week at fstopbeyond.tv and you can follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/fstopbeyond.

Bumper music for this show is “Close to You” by Steve Hefter and Friends of Friends, part of the TRUE ROMANCE collection, courtesy of Triple Scoop Music.

Annie O’Neill on F-Stop Beyond.

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Next week we have the WNYC Street Shots winner Joe Wigfall.

Matt is one of those photographers who has seen and photographed just about it all. Celebrities. Big sporting events. Poverty. War. Lavish weddings. From his days working at the college paper (he was an English major that failed Chaucer four times), to his days as a photojournalist at USA Today and United Press International, to his current role as a high society wedding photographer. Matt has over two decades of stories to share. Unfortunately, we don’t have enough time to go over ALL his stories. So in today’s riveting episode, after learning about his history and foray into the industry, he shares with us some of the stories behind a few of his favorite photos. Shooting Nicole Kidman (he had exactly 10 minutes!) Getting his job put into perspective by Chris Rock. Capturing five living US presidents (from both sides of the party line) in one shot. Reflecting on the moment right before Yitzhak Rabin shook the hand of Yasser Arafat with Bill Clinton. And the shot the made Neil Leifer (one of the greatest sports photographers of all time) comment, “That’s a helluva picture kid!” This episode is quite a gem!

Remember you can catch a new episode each week at fstopbeyond.tv and you can follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/fstopbeyond.

Bumper music for this show is “Close to You” by Steve Hefter and Friends of Friends, part of the TRUE ROMANCE collection, courtesy of Triple Scoop Music.

SUPPORT FSB AND GET A GREAT  THANK YOU GIFT

Speaking of Triple Scoop Music, as a sponsor and long-time supporter, they are offering a great gift. As a listener supported show, your donations will help keep our great programming going. You can donate whatever amount you feel comfortable. But, for those of you who donate $20 or more, Triple Scoop Music will give you a song of your choice from their collection of over 5,000 amazing tunes you can use legally in your slideshow or video productions. That’s a $60 value for only a $20 donation. Not bad. Just click the “Donate Now” button below and the rest is self-explanatory. Only while supplies last, so act now.

Matt Mendelsohn.

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Next week we have ShootQ Grant winner Annie O’Neill.

Today’s guest came highly recommended from past guest Gabrielle Geiselman. Drew Gardner is a world renown photographer out of the United Kingdom who’s been in the business for three decades this year. He is respected by the best in the business and has a great story. He quit high school at 15-1/2 and began working as a pro at 16. He is completely self-taught. In this interview Drew talks about his history, what it was like as a young boy hearing stories about raids on Londoon during WWII from his grand parents, his relationship with his parents and how that has affected his photography, and the relationship with his own daughter. He also talks about what he feels is the future of the industry: the HD DSLR revolution.

You can keep up to date with Drew and his work on is blog:  www.thedarkart.com.

Remember you can catch a new episode each week at fstopbeyond.tv and you can follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/fstopbeyond.

Bumper music for this show is “Close to You” by Steve Hefter and Friends of Friends, part of the “TRUE ROMANCE” collection, courtesy of Triple Scoop Music.

SUPPORT FSB AND GET A GREATďż˝ THANK YOU GIFT

Speaking of Triple Scoop Music, as a sponsor and long-time supporter, they are offering a great gift. As a listener supported show, your donations will help keep our great programming going. You can donate whatever amount you feel comfortable. But, for those of you who donate $20 or more, Triple Scoop Music will give you a song of your choice from their collection of over 5,000 amazing tunes you can use legally in your slideshow or video productions. That’s a $60 value for only a $20 donation. Not bad. Just click the “Donate Now” button below and the rest is self-explanatory. Only while supplies last, so act now.

And now, on with the show.

Download MP3 | Subscribe in iTunes | Drew Gardner

Next week we have photojournalist turned wedding photographer Matt Mendelsohn.

Seems like every industry has those young wunderkinds that accomplish more in just a few years at a young age that many professionals do their entire lives. Today’s guest is Joey Lawrence. No, not the 80s teen heart throb, but the young pro photographer from Canada made famous for his work shooting the “Twilight” movie poster. As of the taping of this interview, the dude had just turned 20 a week earlier. In this engaging interview we get up close and personal with Joey. He shares with us how he got into photography, what he likes to shoot and why, how we got into pro photography, and he shares some stories about his travels to Africa that may make you cringe. (NOTE: due to the graphic nature of one of his stories, parental guidance is suggested). He also chimes in on his feelings about using tools like Photoshop. This interview will either inspire you, or piss you off that he’s done so much at a young age. Hopefully, it’ll be the former.

Remember you can catch a new episode each week at fstopbeyond.tv and you can follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/fstopbeyond.

Bumper music for this show is “Close to You” by Steve Hefter and Friends of Friends, part of the “TRUE ROMANCE” collection, courtesy of Triple Scoop Music.

SUPPORT FSB AND GET A GREAT  THANK YOU GIFT

Speaking of Triple Scoop Music, as a sponsor and long-time supporter, they are offering a great gift. As a listener supported show, your donations will help keep our great programming going. You can donate whatever amount you feel comfortable. But, for those of you who donate $20 or more, Triple Scoop Music will give you a song of your choice from their collection of over 5,000 amazing tunes you can use legally in your slideshow or video productions. That’s a $60 value for only a $20 donation. Not bad. Just click the “Donate Now” button below and the rest is self-explanatory. Only while supplies last, so act now.

And now, on with the show.

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What would you do as a visual artist if you lost the ability to see? How would that affect your life? There often comes a time in a person’s life when he or she is faced with a decision that can have a profound impact on the rest of their life. When life, in all of its ebbs and flows, throws a curve ball you didn’t see coming. Today’s guest had TWO such curve balls. First, he was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Then, as a result of that tumor, he lost his eye sight. Alex de Jong is a symbol of how far the human spirit can go when given the right perspective. Alex will share with us how he got into photography, and how he copes with his physical condition. I hope you will be inspired by his tenacity and outlook on life. To find more inspiring photographers who are blind, visit blindphotographers.org.

Next week we’ll be on Christmas break and will most likely run a previous show. Then, on January 1, we kick off the year big. It’ll be our 100th episode and the launch of a brand new website (hopefully it’ll be completed by then). And our guest will be none other than that Canon rapping, “Twilight” taking, wunderkind photographer Joey Lawrence (aka Joey L).

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We’re in the process of making changes to the show to make it more reliable and stable. So, I want to get an idea how most of  you are listening to the show. Please take 2 seconds to answer this poll for me. We’re really excited about what’s coming down the pike!

WARNING: Listening to this episode of the show could cause you to pee in your pants from sheer laughter. Besides being extremely talented photojournalistic wedding photographers, today’s guests, Pepper Nix and Mitch Burt, are a riot. They really could take their act on the road. Except, it’s not an act. They are genuinely easy going and very, very funny. They are great examples of how not to take life too seriously.  Today they each talk about how they got into professional photography. Mitch by way of USCs film school then a switch to a neurobiology graduate course. Pepper is a proud art school college drop out. (Her photography professors told her she didn’t have what it took to make it as a professional photographer. Now she’s internationally renown, award-winning wedding photographer who’s shot celebrity weddings.)

They also share with us how they got hitched and what it’s like being in business together, then becoming “friendly” competitors. This is an interview that will greatly entertain and inspire you. You’ll also learn tips on how to keep your 2-year-old from getting pink-eye.

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Next week I speak with Alex de Jong from the Netherlands. You may not have heard of him, but after this interview, I guarantee you’ll be inspired by him. The story of a terminally ill and blind photographer and how he hasn’t let his blindness prevent him from creating his art.

Earlier this year we had an amazing interview with Nashville, TN commercial photographer Jeremy Cowart. Today I asked Jeremy back on the show to tell us about a terrific worldwide movement he’s started called Help-Portrait. Help-Portrait is a project where on December 12 of this year, photographers all over the world will find people in need, take their picture, and give those people the print. It is an opportunity for you to use your craft to love on somebody. To make them feel beautiful. To give them a sense of dignity. Jeremy shares with us how and why he came up with the idea, and he also talks about the controversy that surrounded the project when it first started. We hear some inspiring stories about the project, some behind the scenes info about the promo video (see below), and Jeremy tells us how you can get involved in your local community.

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Here is the current Help-Portrait promo.

Next week we have an hilarious interview with wedding photojournalists husband and wife team (and friendly competitors) Pepper Nix and Mitch Burt. Don’t miss it.

A few months ago I get this email from a photographer saying how much she loves the show and that she thinks she’d have a lot of cool things to contribute. I frequently get guest suggestions, but honestly, I don’t tend to give that much weight to people who suggest themselves. But, I took a look at her website and saw her clientele. Rob Zombie. Marilyn Manson. Alice Cooper. Marshall Amplifiers. And other major rock bands. My first thought was “Wow, I’m honored someone who’s been involved with such major bands is that interested in my little show.” But, to be honest, my NEXT thought was, “Do I really want the photographer for Marilyn Manson on my show?” Anyone who knows me well knows I’m more of a David Crowder, Mercy Me, and Fee Band kind of guy. But then I had a third thought, “F-Stop Beyond is about interviewing ALL kinds of photographers, from all walks of life. Let’s do it.” So I wrote her back, invited her to be on the show, and she gladly accepted. I’m so glad I did.

Today’s guest is a real “rock star” photographer. Not only because of her clientele, but because her work does indeed “rock”. Gabrielle Geiselman started her career at the tender age of 12 when she would sneak into L.A. rock clubs and take photos of bands during the early 80s. Yes, I said age 12 (as she puts it, she didn’t, ahem, look 12). Music has always been an important part of her life, so it’s only natural she’d gravitate to taking photos of rock bands. Gabrielle shares all kinds of terrific insights like: how to get good exposures in a dark rock club (answer: become good friends with the lighting designer); why you should shoot with a 50mm 1.4 for a year; what it’s like traveling on the road on a bus with a band when you’re the only girl; surviving and thriving in two male-dominated industries (photography and music) withOUT sleeping to the top; whether or not the personas portrayed by her clients are just for show, or if they are like that in real life; and so much more.

This is another one of those great conversations that I didn’t want to end. I have to admit that I had judged what I thought Gabrielle would be like based on her clientele. Thank you Gabrielle for reminding me that you never know what you’ll find inside an individual until you have the courage to look inside. That’s what this show is all about. It was such a pleasure having you on.

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Happy Thanksgiving everyone. Tune in next week for another brand new episode.

Every now and then I get a show where the conversation flows so naturally and is so engrossing, I lose track of time and don’t want to stop. Today’s interview with Anna Kuperberg was such an interview (thus the hour+ long episode). But, don’t let the length scare you. I have no doubt you’ll savor every second of this wonderful interview, in fact, you’ll probably be wanting more.

Anna covers the whole gamut. Born to Polish parents (it was her first language) who emigrated to Houston, TX, then moved to Auburn, AL when she was very young. Eventually moving to the St. Louis, MO area where she attended college. Anna was voted this year by American Photo as one of the top ten wedding photographers in the world, and is by far one of the most successful photographers in the San Francisca Bay Area. Anna talks about what it was like getting a degree in photography but not learning the business side. (That was something she had to learn on her own, which she’s glad she did). We have a wonderful discussion about improvisational jazz as an analogy for photography, which leads to a fun tangent about my stint as a swing dancer (don’t worry, I tie it back into the interview quite nicely). We talk about living in the south, why immigrants make terrific photographers, how she improves her craft, using social media effectively, how the switch to digital has affected her work and business, and her take on the use of Photoshop and other such tools. (You may be surprised at the information she shares). From the funny anecdotes to the insightful advice, this is an interview that will inspire you.

Next week we have a Thanksgiving Day special. Another thoroughly engrossing conversation with a real “rock star” photographer, Gabrielle Geiselman, photographer for such groups as Alice Cooper, Rob Zombie, and Marilyn Manson. You definitely do not want to miss what Gabrielle has to say.

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We’re back from our month-long hiatus. And I’m really excited about the lineup we have over the next few weeks. Today’s guest got a D- in his high school photography class because he didn’t take the kind of pictures he was supposed. He took the pictures he wanted to take. Ever since then, L.A. fashion and commercial photographer Jason Christopher has been a rebel. After working as a stand-in in Hollywood and being amazed with the lighting set up, he decided to quite to pursue photography. It was very hard at first. He even went through a time where his utilities were turned off. But he didn’t want to ask his parents, so he hit the streets, going to modeling agencies, doing head shots, etc. He then got the opportunity to work under celebrity photographer Jerry Avenaim and things took off. In this episode, Jason talks about the importance of knowing business, the difference between the industry now and how it was back in the film days and now, the importance of knowing the greats, and the value of sharing.

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Next week we have celebrated San Francisco wedding photographer Anna Kuperberg. Don’t miss this one folks!

Continuing with the Breast Cancer Awareness Month theme, how could I not re-run my interview from earlier this year with Flickr sensation and double mastectomy survivor, Deborah D. Lattimore. Deborah has built up quite a following on Flickr and has used this community and her photography to cope with her cancer and inspire others.

In case you’re wondering, new episodes of FSB will start up again in November. We’ve got some great interviews in “the can,” including one with L.A. fashion photog Jason Christopher and SF Bay Area wedding pro Anna Kuperberg.

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A year and a half ago I had the honor to interview Emilie Sommer, photojournalist turned wedding photographer. As someone who has had loved ones touched by breast cancer, Emilie feels very passionate about the topic. So, since this is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I thought it would be great to pull this interview out of the archives. Recorded live at WPPI 2008, this was one of those gems of an interview that’ll make you laugh and cry. From her experiences on the road with US presidents, to her unhappy encounter with Oprah, you’ll be amazed at the experiences this young lady has had: all before the age of thirty (at the time). Enjoy!

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A quick note about the interruptions. Since we were at WPPI, we were frequently interrupted by passersby. A kept a few of the interruptions in the interview for comic relief.

Sorry this week’s show is late. Last Thursday and Friday I attended a terrific leadership conference called Catalyst. One of the causes supported by the organizers of the conference is the plight of orphaned children throughout the world. Some of the stories I saw moved me.  So, I’m inspired to re-run an interview I did with Orange County photographer Annette Biggers of Triple Cord Photography. In this interview from June of 2008, Annette shares how she got into photography, why she gives away 90% of her income from photography, and the story behind her family’s adoption of two at-risk youth. Be inspired.

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Be sure to visit Annette’s personal cause, Heart 4 Africa, dedicated to helping orphaned children in Africa.

A growing trend I’m seeing in the world of professional photography are photographers branching out their businesses to offer products and/or services to fellow photogs. Everything from camera bags and CF card holders to social media network sites have been started by pro photogs. Well. there’s a new player in the game who has a product she hopes will take the photo world “by storm.” Candice Cunningham is a successful wedding and portrait photographer who was literally tired of lugging around her cameras on two separate autonomous straps. So, with necessity being the mother of invention, she created the Camera Slinger. A single, dual-strapped device that allows the photographer to easily carry two bodies, with the weight being evenly distributed across the back. Simple and ingenious. Today we get to learn how Candice started this later endeavor.

But not before we learn about her personal and professional journey. From the challenges or starting her business, to her personal triumph over obesity and dealing with self-esteem issues. Candice shares with us how important it is for you to find what it is holding you back in life, and change it. Own up to that part you play, then change.

We top it off with how in the world she came up with perhaps her craziest idea to date. To photograph a bride and groom…in front of a live tornado, then film a reality TV show about the process. It’s called, “Romancing the Storm“. With celebrity wedding photographer Robert Evans as her partner, they went on a wild and wacky adventure. Today we get to hear about how it almost didn’t happen.

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Next week we have L.A. based fashion and commercial photographer Jason Christopher.

If you’ve been in the wedding and portrait business for any amount of time, you know that Australia seems to have an abundance of the world’s greatest wedding photogs. Every year at WPPI the Aussies seem to steal the show. Today we have one of the brightest stars from down under, the one…the only…Jerry Ghionis. After months of trying to hook up with Jerry to get him on the show, we finally were able to meet up at this past Skip’s Summer School.

In today’s show we learn how Jerry got into the biz. How he worked for another photographer, without pay, when he started. He realized that the value of the education was worth it. Believe or not, this multi award-winning, internationally renown photographer started his career…carrying bags. He then shares with us about his philosophy on finding the best light over finding the best location; how and why he gets his brides to pose during the wedding day in order to accentuate their beauty; the reason for the opulence of his style and studio; he tells us where he gets his inspiration; and he even gives us insight as to why Aussies seem to win so many awards. We learn why Jerry not only is such a phenomenal photographer, but why he’s also such a giving human being.

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Next week, “Romancing the Storm” photographer Candice Cunningham tells us why she was crazy enough to shoot an engagement session on the heels of a real tornado.

What do you get when you cross a brainiac, with a cheerleader and a photographer. You get the one and only Jen Basford of 3 Girls Photography. Don’t let her barefoot, bouncy, and bubbly personality fool you. This MBA was once ranked #5 in her state in math and worked as a technical consultant at Accenture before starting her portrait photography studio. The meteoric success of her 3-4 year old studio is a clear testament to her marketing smarts and business acumen. In this episode, Jen shares with us her take on what makes a photographer a professional? Which she believes is more important, the photography or the business side? What it was like growing up as an only child and how that influences her as a mom of, you guessed it, three girls. She also shares why she absolutely will not do weddings. Jen has a vibrant outlook on life and an infectious spirit that will keep you smiling throughout the entire interview.

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Our next episode guest will be the internationally celebrated and muli award-winning, self-professed metro-sexual wedding photog superstar himself, Jerry Ghionis.

You may notice that the last name of today’s guest matches my own. I admit it. Today’s episode is nepotism at it’s best. But, there’s a very legitimate and exciting reason I wanted to have my beloved wife on the show today. Her story and journey is one I am confident many of you will find inspiring: from being a single mom for seven years, to writing her first novel, publishing her first book, working for Apple Computer, becoming the creative director for my company, and ultimately, forming her latest career endeavor, Teen Identity Portraits. But, most recently she’s initiated a movement that in just the past two days has really caught fire. Bolstered by the encouragement and sage advice of veteran photographer Scott Bourne, Tasra has initiated the tasra365.com challenge. There are many year-long or “365″ challenges out there related to photography. This one is sort of special, and the huge surge in the people joining is proof positive it’s struck a chord. Learn about how it all came about, then head on over to tasra365.com, click the “Join me” button, and tag along for the ride.

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Next week we’ll bring you the bouncy, bubbly, and incredibly brainy Jen Basford of 3 Girls Photography.

Here’s part 2 of the interview with did with Jesh de Rox that originally aired almost two years ago. It still remains one of my favorites. As I continue my conversation with Jesh, he shares with us his thoughts on whether it’s possible to teach a person to have the sense of child-like freedom that allows them to the see the world in a different light. I particularly like his insight on a person’s individualism. That the people who make the most impact on the world, people like Einstein or Picasso, are those people who are most true to themselves. We’ve become a world so into routine, we don’t stop to say why are we doing this. Do you find your photography is like that? I guarantee you’ll walk away from this episode with a whole new outlook on life.

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Today’s re-run is part 1 of an interview I did with “Young Gun” Jesh de Rox. Jesh is one of the most amazing talents in the wedding photography biz, as was noted by his sweep of awards at the 2007 WPPI awards night. Since then he’s grown to international acclaim. I particularly chose his interview as a re-run because I love his approach to creativity, and in this episode Jesh talks about his inspiration, the freedom of childhood, and our need to re-embrace that freedom. It coincides perfectly with the “Comparison Kills Creativity” Campaign update I posted on my regular blog (read about it here). Next week we’ll have part 2. Then in September we’ll have an all-new episode.

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I don’t know what it is about Nashville, but it seems like they have a knack of churning out amazing pro photographers in a short period of time. A few weeks ago we had celebrity portrait photographer Jeremy Cowart who started out as a graphic designer, then switched to commercial photography, and now after only about 4 short years, he’s photographed the likes of Sting, a bunch of other celebrities, and was the official photographer of Britney Spears’ Circus tour. Today, we have a good friend of Jeremy and a wildly successful photographer in his own right. David Bean is also in Nashville, started out as a graphic designer, switched to photography, and now only about five years into this business is a sought-after celebrity portrait and commercial photographer. My wife discovered his website and brought it to my attention when she read a blog post of his where he decided to take a sabbatical from self promotion. After reading that, I knew I had to have him on the show.

David story is such an inspiring one. He talks about how he got his start, how his faith and morals play into his business (in one year he turned down $90,000 from two jobs), how sharing and building relationships have helped him, and ironically how a month after his sabbatical from self-promotion, he made more money in one month than he’s ever made in his life. I think you’ll find both David’s passion, experience, and advice very enlightening. (Oh, and you’re going to love the story he tells near the end of the interview about the “grumpy” old-school guy who sent David a seething email after David invited him to a workshop.) Enjoy.

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Due to some travel and work, the next two weeks we’re going to have re-runs. Then in September we’re back with all new episodes, starting off with the bright and energetic portrait photographer Jen Basford of 3 Girls Photography.

In late June of this year I wrote a post on my regular blog about the future of portrait photography. It painted the picture of a “Debbie Digital” type photographer succeeding amazingly due to technological achievements and a savvy marketing sense. It stirred quite a response on my blog and on some photography forums. One of the most “vocal” repliers to the post was today’s guest, fine art and wedding photographer David Wittig. David is a seasoned pro whose images have almost an otherworldly feel to them. (I love his use of tilt shift lenses in some of his wedding work). He’s respected in the industry and is a frequent and value contributor to a number of pro photography forums. I was very intrigued with the passion in his posts as he challenged some of my writings. I invited him on the show so that we could discuss this engrossing topic mano-a-mano. We talk about the different types of photographers in the world: from photo snobs who believe you must have a formal education to be considered a real photographer; to doe-eyed newbies with a passion for the craft but just don’t have the knowledge of the history. We delve into what really makes a “photographer.” I think you will find this a very engaging and interview. The result is a wonderful interview that gets into the past, present, and future of the industry.

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Next week we have advertising and lifestyle photographer David Bean

Last year, Marketing Essentials International president Skip Cohen, and San Diego based wedding and portrait photographer Carey Schumacher had a BBQ Smackdown contest a la “Iron Chef” to raise money for Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep. In this re-run of episode 51, Carey and Skip talk about the contest as well as the importance of cause marketing.

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Next week we have a brand new episode as I have a profound and engaging discussion with fine art and wedding photographer David Wittig about the future of photography. Don’t miss it!

This week we continue our re-run of the “Photog Entrpreneur” series from last year about this time with Scott Bourne. Scott is a nationally recognized leader in the field of photography and technology. His 30 year experience as a pro photographer has covered the entire gamut: fashion; sports; commercial; and yes, even weddings. In the 90s he made it big with the IPO of NetRadio.com (the first online radio network) and then retired. He was co-founder of the popular podcast This Week in Photography, and he is currently the producer and host for the photography podcast Photo Focus. To give you an idea of how big Scott’s following is, when Photo Focus launched a couple of months ago, it immediately rose to the #1 technology podcast on the iTunes store.

Scott has written numerous books and is an avid teacher. He has recently been added to the speaking docket for the highly anticipated Skip’s Summer School occurring this August 16-19 in Las Vegas.

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Last year I did a series of interviews with entrepreneurial photographers who have created businesses above and beyond their photography. One of my favorite episodes from that series was with Orange County wedding photographer Jim Kennedy. Jim has an amazing, true to life “rags to riches” story. Early in his career he was penniless, barely making ends meet. His first marriage suffered under the strain leaving him a single dad to boot. Now he is happily remarried to a wonderful woman and business partner. And his business Jim Kennedy Photographers is probably the most successful wedding studio you may never have heard of. I say that only because Jim is a low key, under the radar kind of photographer, not seeking fame and prominence. His friends and colleagues, other Orange County, CA photogs like Becker, Dane Sanders, Jasmine Star, and his mentor Joe Photo, are in many ways household names in the world of wedding photography. Yet, none has an “empire” quite like Jim’s. From living paycheck to paycheck, to running a million dollar plus studio that does well over 300 weddings a year, to now co-owning and running Stephanie James Couture, a retro chic wedding clothing store with his wife Stephane, Jim is living the American dream. Bust out the pen and paper. You’re going to want to take notes on this one.

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Today’s guests are two giants in the world of social media and technology. Zoomr founder and Flickr sensation Thomas Hawk, and technology writer extraordinaire Robert “Scobleizer” Scoble. Both also happen to be terrific photographers (although I’m sure Robert would down play his talent). In this information packed episode, we learn about how each got started in photography, how they met and became friends, their take on the changing technological landscape and how it affects photography, and they chime in on the provocative “terms of service” issue. Should you as an artist really be concerned with Facebook’s, Flickr’s, or any other site’s TOS as it relates to the photos and/or video you post there? Speaking of large social media sites, they also give poignant commentary on some sites’ censorship practices and the ramifications of such practices not only for your photography, but society in general. Lastly we find out why they’re such big fans of Friend Feed. I’m sure this is an episode you’ll listen to over again.

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Today is our last first-run episode for a few weeks. I’ll post some of my favorite re-runs from the past two years to keep your FSB fix alive.

As we enter this 4th of July weekend, it seems only natural that we have guests this week from…Canada? Few people have made such a wave in the world of visual arts as it pertains to the wedding industry as our guests today, Patrick and Amina Moreau of StillMotion in Toronto, Canada. As the name suggests, their studio offers both wedding photography and cinematography and they (along with their fellow artists Michael Y. Wong and Konrad Czystowski) have literally become international superstars, giving workshops around the world on how they do what they do. Patrick is one of my fellow EventDV Top 25 video producers and what’s amazing is that he only first picked up a camera about five years ago while in college (er, I mean “university”). What you may find even more interesting is that they both were psychology majors.

In this interview we find out how they each got into their respective arts, how they eventually fell in love (or as Amina puts it, “infected each other”), their philosophy on the importance of “telling stories,” and we get to hear their take on a subject that is particularly related to them: inspiration vs. imitation. Because StillMotion’s work is so incredible, there are many other studios who attempt to emulate their style. Some have even had the audacity to actually download StillMotion videos and re-edit the credits to pass it off as their own. We’ll hear what they think about all that. And they weigh in on the topic of mixed media and “fusion.” Whether you’re a photographer or a filmmaker, this is an interview you won’t want to miss.

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Next week we have an amazing treat. We get to hear from two giants in the world of technology and social media, who also happen to be terrific photographers: Robert Scoble and Flickr superstar Thomas Hawk. You absolutely WON’T want to miss it!

Ira Lippke is a documentary photographer with a passion for capturing truth and reality. He has undergone one of the most unique documentary projects I’ve seen. He’s re-created his childhood in a “documentary” series of photos called “Lore”–a collection of photographs depicting what it was like for him and his brother living in the woods with this “hippie” parents (at one point they did upgrade to a school bus.)  As Ira puts it, he wants this series to be “true” rather than exact.  He’s hired actors to star as his mother, himself as a kid, and his brother as a kid, and his real brother stars as their dad. This idea of uncovering these memories and revealing what is true is part of what we’ll discuss in today’s insightful interview.

Ira’s a man whose work takes him to vastly divergent parts of the world. Ira also comments on what it’s like to be documenting poverty and despair in 3rd world country one day, then literally shooting a swank Beverly Hills wedding the next.He also straddles two coasts with a studio in Manhatten and in southern California. This is an interview that I think will open your eyes to the possibilities of stretching your eyes and your heart with respect to your art.

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Next week we chat with the husband and wife photo and cinema team Patrick and Amina Moreau of StillMotion in Toronto, Canada.

There’s something special about the mother-daughter relationship. Especially when the mother and daughter look alike and work together in the same studio. Today’s guests are the mother-daughter portrait photography team of Kia Bondurant and Sana Antisdel of Antisdels Photography (Sana is the mom). Sana was raised on a dairy farm, then subsequently raised her kids on a farm too. In addition to the standard farm fare like chickens, cows, pigs, etc, they also raised Arabian horses (go figure). Sana, who was trained as a water color artist, took her artistic talent and interest to start the photography business in 1994. Now, just 15 years later, they have one of the most successful family and teen portrait studios in the country, despite the fact they live and work in a littlemid-west town. Both were self-taught. And in the early days Sana had a unique way of teaching Kia a lesson whenever Kia would ruin a roll of film by over or under-exposing it: she’d tie a light meter around her neck and make her wear it all week. Kind of like tying a dead chicken around a dog’s neck to keep it from killing more chickens. If you’re wondering what the heck I’m talking about, just listen.

In addition to sharing with us their unique family experiences, they also pass along some wise insight about the current and future state of the industry, how their studio has grown, advice on breaking into the senior market, and they tell us about SPA (Senior Portrait Artists), the organization they started to help educate senior portrait photographers. This is one of those interviews that is equally fun, educational, and inspirational.

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Next week we’ll have bi-coastal editorial and wedding photographer Ira Lippke.

SPECIAL BONUS

Here’s the trailer for the SPA Event DVD mentioned in the interview. Enjoy!

Sometime the stars all align for a guy and an innate talent can quickly lead to super stardom. Jeremy Cowart is such an individual. He started his full time commercial and music editorial photography business in April 2005. In December of that year he was photographing music legend Sting (yeah, as in the ex-lead singer of “The Police”. When he was first discovered by his agent, he didn’t even know what an agent was). It’s been all up hill from there. His client list reads like a who’s who of entertainment: Sting, Carrie Underwood, Miley Cirus, Denise Richards, Ryan Seacrest, Kim Kardashian, ABC, E!, Fox, FX, Capitol Records, Island Records, and on and on and on. Last year he was the official photographer for the Christian concert tour Passion (comprised of four of the top bands in the Christian music scene), and he was the official photographer for Britney Spears’ Circus tour (talk about diametrically opposed. Oh, and did I mention he has NO formal photography education? Crazy man!

In this insightful interview, Jeremy tells us the story of his path to success, what life on the road for months at a time is like (hard when you have a wife and two kids waiting at home for you), where he gets his inspiration, and how his faith plays into his work. He also talks about his first foray into video production shooting his first music video for the group Abandon (using a 5D Mark II of course). He mentions on the blog post for that video how he just jumped into it without knowing anything about video (kind of like how he started in photography). I’m confident you’ll find this another inspiring interview.

Next week we have mother/daughter portrait photog sensations Sana Antisdel and Kia Bondurant of Antisdels Photography. Another example of an uber-successful studio in a small town.

My favorite blogging program is WordPress (the blog you’re reading is a WordPress blog). So, I was excited and surprised to learn that today’s guest, Christine Tremoulet (weddidng and boudoir photographer, and a self-admitted geek) is the person who came up with the name WordPress. Christine is a good friend of Matt Mullinweg (the lead developer of the platform) and at the time he was developing it, she suggested the name (she’s even mentioned in Wikipedia under her maiden name Selleck). At the time she had owned her own blog hosting company and was active in the whole internet developer scene. But ever since high school she was in love with taking pictures. She just never thought she could make money at it. So, after selling her blog hosting company, she determined that was the best time to pursue her passion.

Today’s show is a fun and enlightening look at Christine’s life and the world of Web 2.0. As someone with almost 3,900 Twitter followers, she has a thing or two to say about the topic. She talks about the importance of blogging, Twitter, Facebook, and how they all give her clients a sense of comfort and who she is. She even gives us her take on how the proliferation of digital photos on Facebook is affecting the photography world. If you’re wondering if all this talk about blogs and Twitter are worth it in your photography business, this interview will put you at ease. But perhaps the most amazing thing we learn in this interview is that despite being a geek, until only a few years Christine did not know that Luke and Leia were twins. (Scary!) You’ll have a lot of fun (and learn a bunch too) with this one.

Next week we have celebrity music and commercial photographer Jeremy Cowart. Just nine months after starting his commercial photography business, he got to interview Sting. ‘Nuff said. Don’t miss it

“At some point you have to ask yourself, ‘why am I doing this?’…If you’re not familiar with your own subconscious, when it does arrive, it will scare the s#*! out of you.” ~ Gray Scott

I first “discovered” Gray Scott at liveBooks Photographers in Focus video series. His work has a brooding, almost eerie sensibility about it. After watching the short video, I knew that he’d be a terrific guest for the show. His sense as an artist, his talent, and his passion for his work are right up our alley. What’s even more amazing is that he’s gained a great deal of success in the commercial and fashion world after only picking up a camera five years ago. His artistic career started with oil painting as a kid. But somewhere down the line he got into make-up of all things. But, whether it was a desire to be the guy “in charge” (as opposed to just the support staff), or his need to “say something” with his work, he dove into professional photography full time (he was shooting his first editorial only after 3 months).  In this very inspiring and vulnerable interview, Gray shares with us about his career growth, his view as an artist, the pain in his past that has such a profound influence on his work, and how his work has evolved over the years. You get a sense that he’s a man on a quest. For those of you who are passionate artists, Gray’s words will be like honey to your ears. This is quintessential F-Stop Beyond. Enjoy.

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Next week we return to the world of social media with the woman who actually came up with the name “WordPress.” Wedding and boudoir photographer and social media maven Christine “Big Pink Cookie” Tremoulet.

Social Media has become a huge part of the professional photographer’s online marketing and networking strategy. From blogging to Facebook to Twitter and everything in between, they’ve proven to be a terrific avenue for education, finding help, promoting your services, or just making new friends. On today’s episode we speak with Jack Hollingsworth (Twitter hand @photojack). Jack talks to us today about the power and importance of social media and it’s affect on the industry. If you’ve every wondered whether it made sense to join Twitter, today’s interview will help shed some light on the topic for you. Between his Photographer Makeover and his weekly “Toginars” (Twitter speak for “photographers” and “seminar”), Jack is quickly growing an online social media empire. He also shares with us about his 30-year career in work as a commercial stock photographer, and why he is so optimistic about life and business despite a depressed economy.

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On the next episode, we have a very eye-opening and profound conversation with fashion/commercial photographer Gray Scott. You won’t want to miss that one!

Last year around this time I had the pleasure of having editorial photojournalist Vincent Laforet. It was during a series on “giving back” to the community and Vincent talked extensively about his work documenting the Katrina damage, as well as his amazing career. If you’re relatively new to the show, this will be a special treat.

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Next week we have comercial stock image producer and new media master Jack Hollingsworth.

“You know, the thing that stops everybody is fear…If you don’t swing for the fences and take the risks, you’ll never achieve the dream.” ~ Doug Menuez

When you think of a photographer’s photographer, the kind of guy whose work and viewpoints on life inspire other greats, look no further than today’s guest, Doug Menuez. His 30+ year career has taken him from being a top notch, highly sought-after freelance photojournalist for top periodicals, to forming a multi-million per year commercial photo business working with Fortune 100 companies. Perhaps his most intriguing project to date was the 15 years he spent documenting the world of Silicon Valley. He’s had access to greats like Steve Jobs and John Doerr, and his work on the project was recently purchased by Stanford University for a proposed documentary. He’s even worked with Robert Redford to create a Sundance catalog. He’s had an amazing career. Despite his incredible financial and commercial success, Doug has also maintained his artistic integrity, at times turning down $100,000 (or greater) gigs because the creative wasn’t what he wanted. But, he’s been smart about it, creating a business plan for his career and sticking to it (kind of). No matter what kind of visual artist you are, this is an interview that will ignite your spirit. I’m excited for you all to hear it. This is one of those episodes you should just play on a continuous loop.

Next week due to a number of gigs I have to shoot and prep for, there won’t be time for me to put up a new show. So we’re going to have a re-run of my interview with “Reverie” director Vincent LaForet. Luckily, we were able to get an interview with him before he shot his ground-breaking short film with the pre-released Canon 5D Mark II. If you’re relatively new to the show and haven’t yet heard this interview, you won’t want to miss it.

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WHAT’S AHEAD

We have a plethora of amazing interviews down the pike from all aspects of photography. Scheduled guests include commercial photographer Gray Scott; new media darlings Christine Tremulet and Jack Hollingsworth; Senior Portrait Artist owners (mom and daughter team) Kia Bondurant and Sana Antisdel; photojournalist Ira Lippke; and we have a very special duo planned for June that I can’t say yet. They’re on the calendar, but their schedules are such things might change. But, trust me, when we have them, it’ll be BIG. So, there are many exciting things in the works. Stay tuned my friends.

A little over two years ago, Scott Hayne was running a small courier business that lost a major contract forcing  him into “unemployment.” His wife Adina lost her job as well.  Yet, Scott had a gift for photography, and in the midst of those job losses, they took a leap of faith and invested $10,000 in camera gear and other equipment to start their photography business. Well, their investment paid off. This year at the Annual Senior Portrait Artist event, he was named both Senior Portrait Artist of the Year and Top New Artist of the Year. Scott and Adina seem to be doing everything right. They’ve gathered over 2,500 Facebook friends (half of which are clients or potential clients), have a decent Twitter following, and his meteoric rise to success has prompted other photographers to ask, “How’d you do it?” So, they started their “No Rules “Workshop” to share the what worked and didn’t work for them.

In this interview, Scott and Adina tell us how it all began, the scary start of borrowing the money to start the business, how Facebook has benefited their business, how they went from 4 weddings to 37 in one year, finding one’s “style,” and what it’s like working together as a husband and wife team. In today’s trying economic times, it’s encouraging stories like this that remind you anything is possible!

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Next week we have a very special treat. Uber-successful commercial photog and industry thought-leader Doub Menuez graces the FSB airwaves. You absolutely WON’T want to miss it!

Contest Winners

We also announce the winners of the “Find our ad in RangeFinder Magazine” contest. Congrats to Lydia Takeoka, Rich Mattingly, Patrick Farrington, and George Williams. If you want to bypass the contest winner announcement, the interview starts at 5:36.

On April 16 we launched our “Find our ad in RangeFinder Magazine” contest. The contest was to find the ad then Tweet about it on Twitter, as many times as you like. I want to give a big thanks to our sponsors:

Author, photo business coach, and wedding pro Dane Sanders is offering an audio book, a pDNA (Photographer’s DNA test) and a free eBook.

CameraDojo.com will provide their Dojo Lightroom Tools preset pack for Adobe Lightroom. The Lightroom Tools pack contains the Dojo Powertools, Dojo Wedding Tools, and Dojo Monochrome tools for almost 75 different Lightroom presets in all. This is a $44.85 value. CameraDojo.com is a leading source of news, tutorials, and product reviews for aspiring photographers. The Camera Dojo has several free Lightroom preset packs available as well as a Power Tools for speeding up your workflow, Wedding Tools for wedding and portrait photographers, and the new Monochrome Tools for getting the best B&W images possible.

Camera Slingers is a Double Camera Strap that allows you to carry two cameras at once! Camera Slingers takes the pressure off your neck and spine. The weight is spread out evenly. Your back will love you! “Freedom to shoot the way you want without worrying about your straps”

Photographers’ Round Table/The Longest Day Season DVD

We’re going to produce a DVD of the photographer’s round table that we taped the day after filming “The Longest Day.” Over twenty of the country’s top pro wedding and portrait photographers share with us their secrets and how they deal with this economy. Mediated by Skip Cohen it’s an excellent educational tool. The DVD will also include all episodes from “The Longest Day” as well as some bonus videos which didn’t air during the season run. We’re going to add this to the prize list as well.

AND THE WINNERS ARE…

• The winner of Dane’s audio version of “Fast Track Photographers” is Rich Mattingly of Buffalo, NY.
• The winner of Dane’s pDNA is Lydia Takeoka of Northern Cali.
• The winner of Dane’s eBook is Patrick Farrington of Ft. Collins, CO.
• The winner of the Camera Dojo Lightroom preset pack it George Williams of NJ. Here’s an interesting note. If you click his link (it’s the link to his Twitter account), you’ll see he has only one entry. The contest entry. It’s apparent he created the Twitter account just to enter the contest. Well, it paid off. Good call George.
• The winner of a Camera Slinger is…Lydia Takeoka again.
• And, the winner of a free copy of the Photographers Roundtable/The Longest Day DVD is, for the third time, Lydia Takeoka. (FYI, Lydia entered A LOT of Tweets, at least a few per day. Well Lydia, your perserverance paid off!

Congratulations everyone. I’ll hook you up with the sponsors to get your prize.

It’s my goal to have F-Stop Beyond be a place where you can learn not only from the best “professionals” in the world, but also from some passionate photographers who’d you least expect. Today we have a special episode with a photographer who is not a professional photographer by trade, but she has been paid good money for some of her photos. Her name is Deborah D. Lattimore, and she has become somewhat of a sensation on Flickr. She’s gotten news coverage from the likes of San Francisco Magazine, San Francisco Chronicle, and Popular Photography, and has given workshops at the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy and presented her work at the Apple Store.

Deborah will talk about how she got addicted to Flickr and how she’s been paid up to $4,000 in royalties from companies who found her work on Flickr. She’ll talk about some of the tricks of the trade to help your photos get found on Flickr by agencies, and the kind of things you need to be aware of when posting your work.  I think her story will encourage and inspire the artist in you. All the more so when you learn how her love for photography, and the community she found on Flickr, has helped her to cope with breast cancer (discovered just last September). I bet that her story will be one of the most inspiring you’ll hear this year on the show. I’m proud to have had Deborah as a guest.

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Next week we’ll have Senior Portrait Artist Top New Artist of the Year, Scott Hayne and his wife and partner Adina.

Frederick Egan Castleberry is not exactly conducive to good business card placement. Today, Fred Egan shares with us the evolution of his moniker from just Egan, to Fred, to Fred Egan – Photographer. (I also give some fun tidbits about my own name you may find interesting). Fred, or Egan, is an extremely savvy business person, as well as a talented photographer. We get into one of my favorite topics, branding. I know what you’re thinking. “Isn’t F-Stop Beyond supposed to be beyond business and branding?” Yes, but every now and then, branding is a topic which just happens to be very germane to that particular photographer, like when we interviewed Kevin Swan a couple of weeks ago. Also, as the show evolves, I’ve learned that people like it if I can have a nice balance. But don’t worry, after a great conversation about branding, then whether or not it’s important to improve your craft, and how Fred got into photography, in true F-Stop Beyond fair, we also talk about Fred’s love for music (he tells us what music he’d put on a CD for a crush if he had one), and why he thinks “Slumdog Millionaire” is the best movie ever made.

Before the interview begins, I tell you about a cool contest we’re running. Find our ad in RangeFinder magazine and tweet about it to be entered into a drawing for some great prizes. Go to the April 16 blog post to learn more details. Many thanks to our contest sponsors:

• Fast Track Photographer
• Camera Dojo
• Camera Slingers

You have ’til the end of the month to join in.

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Are you ready to win some valuable prizes? We have a couple of fun contests coming your way where you can. Here’s the first:

FIND OUR AD

F-Stop Beyond has an ad in the April issue of RangeFinder Magazine. Find it, Tweet about it on Twitter, and be entered into a drawing at the end of the month to win some very cool prizes. Here’s all you have to do:

1. Find the ad in the April 2009 issue of RangeFinder Magazine.
2. Note what page it’s on. (Hint: if you use the index, look for the new name of our company. It’s no longer Cinematic Studios).
3. Then on Twitter, enter this tweet: @rondawson The F-Stop Beyond ad in RangeFinder this month is on page xxx — where “xxx” is the page number (note, the page number isn’t necessarily a 3-digit number). You must enter the @rondawson part correctly or else I won’t be able to see your tweet when I do a Twitter search for it.
4. You can tweet as many times as you like. Do it once a day if you like. Every hour even. You can use a free service like Tweet Later to schedule multiple tweets (they have a lot of other cool features too).
5. Every qualifying Tweet will be entered into the drawing. You can win multiple times!
6. The drawing will be held a the end of the month.

OUR SPONSORS

Here are the great sponsors offering value

Author, photo business coach, and wedding pro Dane Sanders is offering an audio book, a pDNA (Photographer’s DNA test) and a free eBook.

CameraDojo.com will provide their Dojo Lightroom Tools preset pack for Adobe Lightroom. The Lightroom Tools pack contains the Dojo Powertools, Dojo Wedding Tools, and Dojo Monochrome tools for almost 75 different Lightroom presets in all. This is a $44.85 value. CameraDojo.com is a leading source of news, tutorials, and product reviews for aspiring photographers. The Camera Dojo has several free Lightroom preset packs available as well as a Power Tools for speeding up your workflow, Wedding Tools for wedding and portrait photographers, and the new Monochrome Tools for getting the best B&W images possible.

Camera Slingers is a Double Camera Strap that allows you to carry two cameras at once! Camera Slingers takes the pressure off your neck and spine. The weight is spread out evenly.ďż˝ Your back will love you! “Freedom to shoot the way you want without worrying about your straps”

Photographers’ Round Table/The Longest Day Season DVD

We’re going to produce a DVD of the photographer’s round table that we taped the day after filming “The Longest Day.” Over twenty of the country’s top pro wedding and portrait photographers share with us their secrets and how they deal with this economy. Mediated by Skip Cohen it’s an excellent educational tool. The DVD will also include all episodes from “The Longest Day” as well as some bonus videos which didn’t air during the season run. We’re going to add this to the prize list as well.

So what are you waiting for. Start tweeting today!

How many of you would be willing to cut 25% of your revenue so that you could  have a better life for yourself? Today we’ll speak with a couple that did just that—two giants in the world of teen and family portraiture, Kent and Sarah Smith. About 7 years ago at a time when their studio was grossing over $900,000 a year, $250K of that was from weddings. When they were forced to leave a great vacation in Italy in order to get home in time to shoot Saturday weddings, two weddings that involved a lot of stress, it was then and there they decided to quit weddings cold turkey. They’ve since made up that revenue with just their portrait business and life is so much better for them because of it.

Kent and Sarah share with us stories from their 25+ years in the business. A lot of you do same-day slide shows at your weddings. Hah! Kent was doing slide shows at the weddings back in 1982 when he was literally using slides! He’d shoot the weddings on slide film, then develop them in the back of his van and project them later that evening. They comment on leadership, the use (over-use) of Photoshop, we talk about the movie Braveheart, getting paid what you’re worth, and how to keep the passion of your art when running a business has turned your love photography into a “job.” And I get to get back on my soap box about the exploitation of teens in sexually explicit advertising. This is one of those episodes that covers the whole gamut. Don’t miss out.

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Next week we have on the show wedding photographer, savvy businessman, and music aficionado Fred Egan.

At a relatively young age, and in just five short years, Chris and Katie Humphreys have become rising stars in the world of wedding photography. They are speakers at Pictage, give webinars for liveBooks, are writing for ProPhotoResource.com, and all around genuine people. Theirs is another inspiring story of two people who kind of fell into photography and bloomed. After failing miserably as a camp counselor for little kids, Chris (who was a music major of all things) asked the camp owners if there was another job he could do. There was: taking photos. He fell in love with photography. He sought a job at the college paper as a photographer, and one fateful day, in a very funny way, he met David Jay (who at the time had recently started his own wedding photography business, and is now world renown instructor and CEO of ShowItFast). David hired Chris as an assistant, and soon encouraged him to “leave the nest.” He later “dragged” his then girlfriend Katie into the business, and the rest as they say is history.

In this fun interview, Chris and Katie fill in the details of how they got started and how they met. They share how the differences in their personalities actually helps them in their business and staying sane as married couples who work together.

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Next week we have another married couple, this time at the other end of the age spectrum, Kent and Sarah Smith, 20+ year veterans and leaders in the world of family and senior portraiture.
CHRIS AND KATIE IN ACTION

We’ve had the pleasure of producing for Chris and Katie this video that shows them in action at both a wedding and an engagement shoot.

We’ve joined the Flickr craze and created a group on the social network and photo sharing site. The name of the group is, well, F-Stop Beyond. Simple. There are already some inspiring photos being shared in the pool. But, better yet, I plan to have a Flickr photo contest with some valuable prizes. Details to follow. For now, join the group, share your art.

Today we continue our discussion with fashion and editorial photographer Piper Carter. As an African American female, making it in the world of the high stakes, high pressure world of fashion photography has its challenges. Piper shares what it was like in her career coming up through the ranks as an assistant (often times the only African American and/or the only female), and the trials that entailed. Or the interesting comments she gets now when she meets with ADs and other potential clients who didn’t know she was African American ahead of time. As we continue the discussion of African American themes, I get Piper’s take on the controversy surrounding the stereotypes in Tyler Perry’s films. Lastly, before I let her go, I ask her what’s the deal with soft-porn style ads of teen age girls in magazines like Teen Vogue.No matter who you are, I’m confident you’ll appreciate her take on these various issues, particularly he insight into Hollywood.

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Next week, we’ll have husband and wife team Chris and Katie Humphreys discussing how their differences help them in both their marriage and business.

Today is part 1 of our interview with fashion photographer Piper Carter. Piper is the kind of person who tells it like she sees it. As an African American woman in the world of fashion photography, she’s had to grow a thick skin, step up to the plate, and do twice as good as her male counterparts, or Caucasian female counterparts, in order to get to where she is. In this segment of her interview, Piper shares how she started out as a theater major (dancer and performer) and Howard University, before changing her major to photography while a junior. She talks about the importance of being in touch with one’s culture, as well as being exposed to other cultures. And she gives us profound insight on the power of ideas. Be sure to tune in next week for part 2.

As I mention in this intro to this episode, it’s been a while since I’ve broken up an episode into two parts. I want to know from you what you think about doing that routinely. I’m toying with the idea of keeping the podcasts lengths to the 25 to 30 minute range. That would mean making many (if not all) of our episodes 2-parters. Tell me what you think.

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And be sure to follow me on Twitter to keep up to date with all things F-Stop Beyond…and beyond.

Today we get to spend time with one of our photog friends to the north. Trevor Brucki of Winnipeg, Canada is a very talented photographer and savvy business person as well (he was recently featured on an episode of Becker’s B-School blog). Like last week’s guest Kevin Swan, Trevor is a guy who has had no formal photo school training, but has taken his artistic skill and combined it with a keen business sense, to be one of the most successful wedding photographers in his area. Trevor shares with us today about his thoughts on the importance of being a great people person in this business, what the economic climate is like in Canada, and he gives us a Canadian social studies lesson…kind of. (If you ever wanted to know what the political make up is like in Canada, this is the show for you). He also talks about competition, clients, and how he feels when he loses a gigvis a vis when one of his competitors does. It’s a great insight into the psyche of competition.

Most importantly, Trevor talks about IL-FOTO (an organization he started with his two biggest competitors, Joel Ross and Manuel Sousa) that is committed to the fight against breast cancer. Essentially, they join forces to offer a combined wedding package (worth $20,000 of photography) and donates the proceeds. This is a fun, insightful, and educational interview you won’t want to miss.

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Next week, we interview rising star in the world of fashion photography, and recent contestant on VH1’s “The Shot,” Piper Carter.