Business

Cloud Computing Confusion

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A new survey by Citrix find that most folks have little to no understanding of cloud computing. For those reading, the cloud in this case refers to a network that allows for data to be accessed from a variety of devices. Here are some highlights of the survey.

  • 95% of those who think they’re not using the cloud, actually are
  • 3 in 5 (59%) believe the “workplace of the future” will exist entirely in the cloud
  • 40% believe accessing work information at home in their “birthday suit” would be an advantage
  • More than 1/3 agree that the cloud allows them to share information with people they’d rather not be interacting with in person
  • After being provided with the definition of the cloud, 68% recognized its economic benefits
  • 14% have pretended to know what the cloud is during a job interview
  • 51% of respondents, including a majority of Millennials, believe stormy weather can interfere with cloud computing.
  • When asked what “the cloud” is, a majority responded it’s either an actual cloud (specifically a “fluffy white thing”), the sky or something related to the weather (29 percent).

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Getting the InBox Under Control

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Missed messages, slow responses, lack of courtesy. All of these lead to a loss of business and a hit on our professionalism. But the deluge of email is overwhelming and keeping up on it (plus all the social media messages) seems like a full-time job.

Here’s a few tricks I use to keep things manageable.

Make Rules – Your email application should have a function called rules. You can now have messages flagged, colored, bolded etc. Add your best clients and existing business to a rule and make sure you see it. While you’re at it make a rule for employees or key contractors since it seems like the only way people under 30 deliver time sensitive and project impacting news is via an email.

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Write Good Subjects – Try to make the subject of any emails you generate descriptive. Proposal attached or Invoice are not nearly as helpful when you need to find something. Proposal for Johnson Family Shoot – 2012 or Invoice #432 Due 10/15/12 are much more useful to the recipient (and you when you start searching).

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Try Sanebox – I am in love with this service. You have to bless it with some powerful access, but its worth it. It builds an initial screening list based on your social media connections like Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn to have a white list. You then get options for several other email boxes for things like social media notifications and mailing lists that auto sort those out. The best feature, add someone to the black hole and they are zapped. Much more effective than trying to unsubscribe to all those junk lists you’ve been added to and spam marketers. You can also move people into the SaneLater box, which will automatically prioritize all messages to be read when you have the time from that person. The best thing? It works on my mobile phone and tablet as it happens at the server level every 5 minutes.I’ve cut my clutter by 2/3rds and its made a huge difference. To get a free trial – http://sanebox.com/t/85vww.

Three simple things…. see if they can gain you back some productivity and professionalism.

Video is a Team Sport

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This is the hardest message for most photographers to accept. You cannot truly make a professional video in isolation. Am I saying that one person can’t do everything? No. But can they do it well? Consider the following.

  • Video projects often have firm deadlines – Whether it’s an air date, a live event, a corporate meeting, or a project launch. Deadlines are standard in the world of video, having a team means bench strength and safety in numbers.

  • You’ll make more money doing what you do best – How many photographers are magazine publishers? Do they sell the advertisements and write all the stories? What about when publishing a book... do they fire up their personal printing press? The point here is that a photographer should do what they do best. That tends to be direct the talent, pick the locations for shooting, lens the project, and carry their creative vision through the editing and graphics stages. I am not saying you should avoid editing or motion graphics, but you may be pretty slow (especially when you first start). I say try anything three times… but if you find you hate the work or you are turning down other jobs... then its time to move on. You can always find people who want to do parts of the job you are weakest at… plus they’ll likely be far faster than you. This will let you shoot more and line up more business through your contacts.


  • The creative mind is like a hive – Adding additional people that you trust can really lead to a better product. I find that having other professionals around keeps me from slipping into my old habits. It also leads to creative discussions that push the envelope and lead to a better outcome.

Apple iWork.com Shutdown Reminder

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iworkcom

Remember, as of July 31, 2012, you will no longer be able to access your documents on the iWork.com public beta site or view them on the web.

We recommend that you immediately sign in to iWork.com and download all your documents to your computer. For detailed instructions on how to save a copy of your documents on your computer,

read this support article at Apple.com

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Moving forward, you can use iCloud to store your documents and make them available across your computer and your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch.

Learn more about iCloud

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Dear iWork.com user,

Hear My Interview with Photographer Tamara Lackey

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Here is the new feed: feed://feeds.feedburner.com/photofocuspodcastDownload episode here…
 Host Rich Harrington and co-host Scott Bourne interview Tamara Lackey about her photography and business philosophies.

  • Portrait photography techniques
  • Creating a connection with your subject
  • Common mistakes new pros make
  • How to handle photography sales
  • Effective social media techniques for marketing and sales
  • Canon 1DX Review
  • Where to meetup with Rich and Scott for training


Our Guest
Tamara Lackey is a renowned professional photographer,  author, speaker and web series host. Her authentic lifestyle photography, from children’s portraits to celebrity portraits, is praised within her industry and published internationally. Tamara’s work has been featured in dozens of media outlets including Vogue, O – The Oprah Magazine, Town & Country, Parenting Magazine, Food & Wine, Men’s Journal, Professional Photographer Magazine, Rangefinder Magazine, NBC’s The Martha Stewart Show, ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, CNN’s Anderson, PBS’ Need to Know and NBC’s The Today Show.
Tamara’s new web series, the reDefine Show, examines the inspiring stories of top-tier creative artists who make it work.  Tamara’s interview style showcases her abiding interest in real conversations that share practical tips, innovative methods, and previews of the newest and most useful technologies on the market.
Download episode here…

Adobe Story Plus is Now Avaialble

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Story

Adobe Story Plus is Live!

This is a comprehensive screenwriting and production management tool.
It's available two ways


If you're a Creative Cloud member, here's how to get it. Just log in to Adobe Story Plus with your Adobe ID, it automatically lets you in and provisions the service.

For more info – http://www.adobe.com/products/story-family.html#content-dotcom-en-products-story-family-jcr-content-bodycontent1-ttt_0
To get the free version of Adobe Story – which is quite full-featured too! – http://www.adobe.com/content/dotcom/en/products/story-free.html

The Fair-use Myth

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A popular myth in academic cultures is fair use. The doctrine provides situations where copyrighted works can be used without paying. It places restrictions on:

  1. The purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes
  2. The nature of the copyrighted work
  3. The amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole
  4. The effect of the use on the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work



Students and teachers alike get caught up in exemption number one. It is true that in a classroom situation you can use virtually any image you want for practice or class exercises. However, here is the problem: As soon as a student wants to start looking for a job and builds a portfolio, those images are being used for financial gain. If you are a student, you need to build work samples that help you get a job. Use images that you have the rights to (or that you have photographed).
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The other clause that is often seen as a loophole is number four. People often think that because their project was small or personal that damage cannot be claimed. It is relatively easy for a copyright holder to claim damages or lost revenue. Even though they may not go after you, why take the chance? As a content creator, you should respect the law and the welfare of your fellow designers and photographers. For more on copyright and fair-use doctrine, visit www.copyright.gov and www.asmp.org/content/registration-counts


Photofocus Podcast May 25 – Richard Kelly

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Richard Harrington talks with photographer and educator Richard Kelly about important trends for emerging and established professionals. Kelly is the past president of the American Society of Media Photographers and the conversation covers business advice related to pricing, marketing, social media, and contracts for creatives. He also shares a ton of useful resources to help any photographer.