First off, it’s pretty incredible how far back the Timeline goes. In fact, the first thing I realized was that I probably wanted to polish up a few things before all of my past photos, tags, and posts were on public display for everyone.

My first impression however is that I really like the large banner photo at the top of your profile. In fact, this made me think that Facebook is now directly going after the blogger market by having a similar appearance as current blog headers. You could even go so far as to create a custom image header and use that as your timeline banner. I’m pretty sure we’ll be seeing some of this in the very near future as more people adopt the new layout.

My next favorite is the larger photos on display. This is a great opportunity to display some of your current work with large colorful images.

However, as always with Facebook, privacy is a big proponent of online controversy. So, I’m taking a moment to remind you some simple steps to control who sees what on your new Facebook Timeline.

First, go to the down arrow on the very top right of your profile. Clicking on the Privacy Settings option will bring you to this page:

Here you will be able to select individual settings for how you want to control your privacy. Facebook has recommended certain settings, however I prefer a little more privacy as I’m sure you do as well.

Click on “How to Connect” and you now have full control over your privacy for each way you connect with people on Facebook. Here is how I have my settings configured:

This allows me to still let people know I’m on Facebook, but without letting them see absolutely everything about me before I have a chance to connect with them.

Continue through the different options to personalize your privacy settings. You’ll find very specific options, such as allowing people to tag you when checking in to Facebook Places, or allowing you to review any photos you’re tagged in before your friends on Facebook can see them.

Facebook is a wonderful tool to network with colleagues, as well as stay connected with family and friends. Rather than jumping on the naysayers bandwagon about losing privacy on Facebook, take the time to figure out your privacy preferences. Take control and make Facebook work for you.

This post is brought to you by Collages.net.

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT THE NEW FACEBOOK TIMELINE? POST YOUR COMMENTS AND RESPONSES BELOW…

I’m always open to flexibility with my wedding prices. When this bride had expressed that the wedding was to be very small, only about 40 people or so, she asked if there was any opportunity for some sort of discount. Usually, I only get about one in five brides asking for some amount of pricing flexibility, so I wasn’t really set back by her request. Also, because I was feeling really good about this bride, I included bridal portraits at no additional cost.

As time came closer to doing the bridal portraits, it became apparent that our schedules wouldn’t line up. After going back and forth a few times, it looked like her dress wouldn’t be ready until a few days before the ceremony. Therefore, I offered to exchange the bridal portraits for engagement portraits instead. Suddenly, the bride was perturbed that we wouldn’t be able to do her bridal portraits. She explained that she already had plenty of photos of her and her groom, but really wanted to do the bridal session. I explained to her that I understood her disappointment, however it wasn’t possible to do her session just a couple of days before the ceremony and have enough time to pick out a portrait to have printed in time for her wedding day. She requested that I take the price of the bridal portraits out of the wedding package that I had created for her. Also, although the bridal portraits weren’t included in the package she paid for since I had given them to her as a gift, the best I could do would be to do an engagement portrait session. I explained that she didn’t pay for bridal portraits, therefore I couldn’t refund them to her.

She agreed to the engagement portrait session and things went better after that. We had a great time shooting great photos of the happy couple and enjoyed great conversation while doing so. Soon after, the wedding day came and I shot the wedding event just like I always do, except this time I was shooting solo because of the smaller intimate gathering than the typical size of most weddings we cover.

As far as I could tell, everyone was having a wonderful time, I was getting great images for the bride, groom, their family, and their guests. However, after the proofs were online for them to view, I received a very heated email from the bride expressing her disappointment in the number of images captured, as well as her feeling like there were many “missing” images. I explained that due to the fact there was only myself shooting that day, the number of overall images would be less that if we shot with two shooters like we normally do. Also, I explained that if there were any images missing, it were the images that were either duplicates, out-of-focus, or not exposed properly. This didn’t satisfy the bride as she persistantly requested that I send them all of the images I captured that day.

Soon afterwards, she asked to schedule a meeting to go over the images for the album. However, this meeting turned into nothing more than a barrage of complaints about pre-conceived shots that the couple had in mind that I had missed (which by the way were never brought up or requested by the bride and groom prior to the event). Also, there were complaints about why I wasn’t capturing a certain moment over there while I was busy capturing moments over here… and so on and so forth.

Here’s the point of my long story. Rather than letting my adrenaline get the best of me and passionately defending myself against their claims of my inadequate skills as a professional wedding photographer, I chose to listen. That’s right, I just looked them in the eyes while they complained, ranted, and listed out all of my faults as their wedding photographer, and sat quietly. At times, I even said things like, “I’m sorry you feel that way” and “I can understand your disappointment”. Even with my statements, I wasn’t lying about what I said. I truly felt sorry that they felt this way.

As post-wedding negotiations still ensue, I continue to maintain a professional and sympathetic approach to this rather tenuous situation. Why? Because this is how business gets done. Yes, we are creative and unique individuals. But there are times where you must realize that part of your success is also about maintaining professionalism and customer service. In fact, the situation has progressed to the point where we’ve dissolved the contract, I’m refunding their wedding package minus the deposit, and I’m moving on. Why? Because, no matter what I do for them, they won’t be satisfied.

Cut your losses. It’s not the most enjoyable thing to have to do in business. However, there are times when you have to step back and realize that you can’t let your pride, ego, or your emotions run your business. The backbone of business is built on numbers, and you can’t manage your numbers if you let the emotional side of your business take over. Yes, there are plenty of times when your feelings enhance the client experience, making your business the personal touch that clients love. As time goes on, it’s apparent that there are many other problems this client is dealing with, and I was just one of them. Rather than dragging out the situation and trying to make it work, sometimes its better to realize that it just isn’t working. Don’t let your clients walk all over you just for the sake of making them happy. There are just some people in the world that you will never make happy. And it’s your job as a professional to know how to deal with the wrong clients.

This MpactPhoto.com post is sponsored by Animoto Pro.

POST YOUR THOUGHTS AND COMMENTS BELOW.

Renee:

Hi Dustin,

I have a question regarding business/facebook page.  A page was initially set up thru a personal page of one of our former employees (owners son).  It is very difficult to control the page this way.  We feel limited to the current page, our studio name had a slight change from “CHARLESWATERHOUSEPHOTOGRAPHY” to “WATERHOUSEPHOTOGRAPHY”,  we want to grow the page and do better advertising on it.  We also do not want to loose the current “fans” we have.  What would be the best way to go about creating a brand new page?    I am doing some searching on the internet but it really does show how to transfer/keep your current friends/fans….

You have been so helpful in the past (WPPI class 2010).. Any direction would be greatly appreciated.  I also registered for HootSuite also.

Congrats on the new addition to your family… Maddox.. he is beautiful

Cheers,
Renee

Here is what I wrote back to her:

Hi Renee,

That’s a great question. Currently, a lot of the more complicated Pages vs. Profiles management processes are still kept in the dark. I have closed down several of my own Pages without finding a way to transfer those Fans over to a more consolidated Page.

In the past, I was able to locate an email address for Facebook. “Support@facebook.com” I believe. However, no support email addresses can be found on Facebook. Nor have I located and support phone numbers to contact them about these kinds of questions. It appears that FB is moving everything over to a “user-based” support forum, where the customers answer each others questions.

The only thing I’ve found is to be proactive in alerting your current Fans on your old Page that you’re moving to a new Page. You can do this by adding a status update every week or so. Also, you can send out an Update, however I find that people hardly ever read those anymore now that they’re not located within the user’s Inbox.

I know it stinks, but currently this is the only method I’ve found to be successful. Yes, it’s quite possible that some of your Fans won’t migrate to your new Fan Page. However, look at this as a “quality control” exercise with your clientele. Those that are truly interested and invested in your studio’s services will elect to make the move over to your new Fan Page :)

I hope this helps, will you be at WPPI this year? If so, make sure to say hello!

Thanks,
Dustin

POST YOUR THOUGHTS, QUESTIONS, OR SUGGESTIONS:

Little things like love, joy, and inspiration. As photographers, we work tirelessly to please our clients, meet expectations, and rise to the competition. But let’s not forget why we all do it. And let’s not forget the moments in our lives that give us the inspiration to continue to create.

I’m reminded to appreciate many things. But I also wanted to let you know that I appreciate you, the reader. MpactPhoto wouldn’t be here if you weren’t here to read it. We wouldn’t be here if our wonderful sponsors didn’t believe in MpactPhoto and what it stands for. Thank you, and start fresh with an amazing new year :)

-Dustin Meyer

POST YOUR COMMENTS AND THOUGHTS BELOW

Ok, now that we’ve got that taken care of, it’s time to dive a little deeper. I want you to take a second to think back, back, way back. Remember the first time you painted a picture for the refrigerator. The first time you made  a clay pencil holder for Dad’s desk. The first time you pushed the button on a camera.

That heart flutter. That rumble. That spark. That excitement that built inside you when you couldn’t wait to share your creation with someone. Somewhere deep inside the darkness of your creativity was a light, that once exposed couldn’t be snuffed out.

Now, take that light, hold it high, and use it to illuminate others in their lives. Let it chase away the darkened corners that hold others back from experiencing life for what it’s really created for. The relationships, the experiences, the loves, the pains, the joys, and the trials.

You are an artist. You are a light for others to witness their own lives. And the more you shine, the more people will be able to create memories of their own experiences. All because you shared your gift.

The Latin definition of Photography is to “draw with light”. I say it’s to “Create With Light”. Everything we as artists create is done so through our own set of experiences and dreams. When we illuminate others’ lives, allowing them to record their own experiences, we have impacted their existence. When they go back through the photos, it’s your creation that their seeing, invoking the same feelings they had the day those memories were recorded, but intensified.

You have a duty. Not only to shine, but to also be true to your own light. Wipe away all the dirt you’ve piled on yourself by trying to imitate others, by doubting your self. Find your own light, as diminished as it may seem, give it some oxygen, and let it swell. Over time, it will grow into a force of nature that cannot be ignored.

POST YOUR COMMENTS, EXPERIENCES,  AND THOUGHTS BELOW…

As the year before, I’ll be teaching a Master Class at the convention that you definitely don’t want to miss: The Power of Video Marketing

Description:

Ok, so a little dramatic, but it’s my true feelings on the topic when it comes to painting the right picture of yourself. I want to share a recent experience with you that I just had with a client. Actually, it just happened last night to be specific.

I have this amazing bride. Funny, successful, photogenic, creative, talented, everything. Jennifer is the bride we all come to love, and hope to have within every client.

Like many of my brides, Jennifer is an out of town bride. Therefore, I rarely get to sit down and go over bridal images in the studio with my brides. Most of our review time is spent on the phone. What does this mean? I don’t get to “razzle-dazzle” Jennifer with a gorgeous Animoto slideshow, pull on her heartstrings, make her mom cry, etc. I have to use my words over the phone as we look at them together in a Collages.net gallery. I can’t use music or fancy special effects to knock her dead with my images. I have to use myself.

Hmm, how do I do that, Dustin? You have to show your clients that you’re an artist in every true sense of the word. A short while back, I attended the WPPI Road Trip when it came to Dallas. And they never fail to satisfy me. If there’s one speaker you ever need to hear before you die, it’s Joe Buissink. This man is an artist in every way, not just with his photos, but in the ways he crafts intricate connections between himself, his artwork, and his clients. It’s a glimmering spiderweb of passion, love, creativity, and beauty interwoven to attach the client to their commissioned work for a lifetime. And that’s my point, your client is hiring you to paint a beautiful portrait of themselves. And you are the filter they trust to make it unique with your own flair and style.

I spent at least two hours on the phone with Jennifer, guiding her, helping her make her decision on which canvases she wanted to display at her wedding. Why would I do this? Because when you know more about an artists intentions, you’re more likely to love a piece of work. Think about it. Wine lovers take the time to learn about what region the grapes were grown in, what time of year they are harvested, how they are pressed, and eventually fermented into the bottle they’ve come to appreciate. It’s the same way with our work. We have to educate our clients on the who, what, when, where, and why of every image when it comes to selecting the perfect portrait. You have to make everything in the photo count, leave nothing in or out that would take away from the image. A painter wouldn’t paint something onto the canvas if it wasn’t supposed to be there.

A lot of this is backed with confidence. It takes time to build, can be smashed to bits in an instant, but it’s completely essential to selling your images. When your client hears the passion in your voice as you describe why this image is a perfect representation of her personality, the Hollywood lighting, the vintage diner booth with dark brown leather, the brass accents, the gold framed cow painting that appears to be kissing her on the back of the head, the power of her personality glowing from this image, the fact that this image looks like a shot taken between shots while this fabulous bride is taking a break and she still looks amazing… well you get the picture (wink).

The more you invest your passion into your explanations of your work, the more your clients will love it. You’re an artist, it’s supposed to be about love, creativity, passion, etc. I guarantee the first time you try it, you’ll be amazed at how much of a difference it makes with your work and with your customers.

WHICH IMAGE DO YOU THINK JENNIFER PICKED FOR HER CANVAS? POST YOUR GUESS AND YOUR COMMENTS BELOW…

Many times, I get new photographers struggling with the same problem. Pricing. So, I thought I’d share with you something I wrote in response to a frustrated photog who was being hounded by the budget bride:

“Hey Dustin,

I’ve heard a lot of great things about your ability to run a profitable photography business (several, it seems). I think you would be the perfect person to demystify this issue.

How does one deal with potential customers who have very tight budget restrictions? I have several weddings under my belt, and I’m just starting a business here in Dallas. A bride back in Austin was referred to me by a friend and wants me to come back in January to shoot her wedding. However, she expressed a desire to pay no more than $500. She has admitted she doesn’t really understand how expensive wedding photography should be, but insists she has a tight budget.

I was thinking I could offer her à la carte services, but I wonder…how do you make it clear that this is a valuable investment, and going cheap isn’t necessarily wise? I hate to turn down a potential customer, but is $500 even worth traveling down to Austin? I spent a great deal of time and thought on my prices and I’d planned my wedding packages to start around $2400. Did you ever (or do you still) have to deal with frugal brides when you were starting out? Am I just being a diva?

Thanks a bunch, Dustin.”

Here’s what I wrote in reponse:

“No, you’re not a diva :) Accurate pricing helps to guratantee that you will still be in business for years to come. Trust me, you don’t want clients that don’t see the value of your services.

Choosy brides are typically not worth the hassle. They nitpick everything and end up taking up way more of your time than it’s worth. My basic rule of thumb for weddings is this:

For every hour I spend shooting a wedding, I expect at least 2 hours to spend on producing that wedding (photoshop, editing, album design, uploading, online hosting, etc.). For example, you shoot a 7 hour wedding, expect to spend 21 hours total on the wedding and post-production. Should you only get paid $500 for that much time? Plus, you have debts to pay off (rent, student loans, equipment, etc). Think of everything involved to shoot that wedding.

Trust me, it’s much better to let her go find her super-cheap photographer than to hire you. You have experience, a degree in photography, expenses, marketing, production costs, equipment charges, all of those things you have to pay for.

I would just politely tell her that your starting prices are competitive for Dallas and Austin rates. However, if that doesn’t work, you would be happy to refer her to someone else.

The best practice ever is to stand in front of the mirror and “I’m worth ($3,000)” or whatever price you see fit. Repeat it over and over until it becomes second nature. Because the more you believe you are worth $3,000, the more confidence it shows to potential clients. The clients that don’t question your reasons for your prices are the ones you want to work with because they find value in you.

It sucks starting a business, trust me I know! But hang in there, set your standards and stick to them. In the meantime, if you’re serious about shooting weddings, think about where your referrals are coming from. Go meet with some local wedding planners whose prices fall in line with yours and try to get their business, build their trust. Cut them a killer deal that they can offer to a bride to get a chance to work with them. A $500 bride can only refer you other $500 brides.

I hope this makes sense. Thanks and take care!

Dustin Meyer”

and here is her response:

“Thanks for the advice! You make a really good point in saying that $500 brides will only refer you to other $500 brides. I hadn’t thought about that. You’re right. It really does also take a lot of confidence to go out there and comfortably say “I’m worth so and so, and I’m sticking to that.” Guess I’ll have to practice :)

Thanks, Dustin!”

Disregard any particular price since your own city will have different pricing that can be supported by your current market. However, the principle is still the same: “Be confident in your work, and back it up with confident pricing”  Everything else will follow suit.

PLACE YOUR COMMENTS AND RESPONSES BELOW

And as promised, here’s the lighting layout I used.Also, don’t forget to post your comments below, thanks!

My friend Eric Doggett uses a Drobo, which is great because it has multiple bays and has automatic backup programs onto several hard drives at once. And with a network enabled Drobo, you can backup a network of computers onto a central device.

This is a great solution if you have multiple computers that need access to a backup system. For those of you with studios that have several Photoshop or design specialists working from a central file system, this would be a great backup for your server.

However, a system like this can get costly. Not only do you have to replace the hard drives once they’re full, but you have to incorporate it into your system which requires some thought. Are you just going to plug it into your computer, or do you need it to support your network system server? Some of you may live for this kind of challenge, but some of you may just want a simpler solution.

Enter: Online Backup Solutions. We all know that data will eventually leave behind it’s physical form of DVDs, flash drives, floppy drives (j/k!) and return to its original form of digital material. In the beginning, we humans tried to capture data in a physical form in order for us to understand it, control it, manipulate it, until we learned from it to create better methods of spreading knowledge through fiber optics, lasers, hi-frequency waves, and light. Its as if you just point to your target receiving the information and it’s here in a hyper-second. Also, with the increasing bandwidth both upstream and downstream available by broadband providers, we can transmit more data to more places exponentially faster than we could a few weeks ago! So why not make it work for your backup solution?

One such online service called Mozy provides ease of use for a simple online backup solution. So simple in fact that you only pay a small license fee plus a usage of space fee per GB of storage used.

Another online back up solution that I’ve been using happily for 2 years is Jungle Drive. Jungle Drive is basically a portal software between your computer and Amazon S3 servers. By utilizing their automatic backup feature, all my files are backed up on to secure Amazon servers that I can access at any time. Plus, they have data access features from the web when you’re on the go. You can even tell Jungle Disk what types of files to backup (JPG, CR2, RAW, TiFF, etc). That way you can choose to back up your original images, or just your final jpegs. Plus, you can configure Jungle Drive to work like a network drive, where you can just copy/paste items into your virtual drive.

So, it seems there are several ways to seamlessly create an online backup system for just you or for multiple users. This nice thing is that these providers give you enough flexibility to custom fit a solution to your particular situation. Plus, without having to worry about having your backup data stored on a physical drive, there’s less worry about catastrophic data loss. Recovering a damaged hard drive can cost up to $5,000. And of course, we all know the worst happens when we’re least prepared for it.

Do some research and find out what solution works best for you. Data is data, but when it’s stored in a physical state, it becomes vulnerable to breakage, theft, corruption and loss. So keep it in its natural form and get it in a safe place and out of your studio/office ;)

PLEASE COMMENT ON ANY EXPERIENCE YOU HAVE WITH ANY OF THE ABOVE PRODUCTS OR SERVICES. ALSO, POST QUESTIONS AND I’LL BE HAPPY TO FIND ANSWER FOR YOU :)

Cheers,

Dustin Meyer