Getting The Attention Of Potential Clients

Another excellent video presentation by Photography Consultant Leslie Burns-Dell' Acqua on the design and use of direct-mail promotions and emailers can be found at the ASMP website. You can go straight to the video lecture by clicking here.

Old Wailuku Inn

Just a couple of blocks from my studio, there is a wonderful old historic home now operating as a licensed bed & breakfast operation known as The Old Wailuku Inn at Ulupono. Furnished and beautifully decorated in Hawaiian and Chinese immigration period antiques, the Inn is a popular lodging choice especially for business travelers from the island of Oahu. Situated just a couple of blocks away from all of the state & county buildings & offices, a 5 minute drive from the airport & town of Kahului and a twenty minute drive away from the resort areas of Kihei & Wailea, the Inn makes a logical "home base" for doing business on the Valley Isle. The town of Wailuku itself is an historic, funky area mixed with old, local, plantation-era residences, junktique shops, a trendy coffee shop/wine bar and great entertainment venue and just a hop, skip & a jump into cool & refreshing Iao Valley where you can hike, swim in natural stream pools fed by gurgling waterfalls and simply get away from it all. 

Monday was spent shooting new room interior photographs for the property. Here are a couple of views of the results.

Playlist... Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Tuesday morning playlist from "The Academy of Errors" radio program heard every tuesday morning from 6-10am hawaiian time on 91.5FM, listener-supported Manao Radio. You can listen in from all parts of the globe by clicking here.

It's Only Rock & Roll But I Like It...

Outtakes from yesterday's studio session with brand spankin' new guitarist, Ola, of The Throwdowns.  I love launching musicians into the air on the mini-trampoline!

More Grim News In The 808 For Publishers, Writers & Photographers

Hawaii's massive publishing & advertising industries have been severely hit by the dramatic national economic downturn. Publishers and broadcasters alike are reporting massive losses in advertising revenues, forcing major cuts and layoffs at the state's two largest newspapers, The Honolulu Star-Bulletin and The Honolulu Advertiser. 

Hawaiian Style Magazine, a neat, slick publication featuring architectural designs and some of the most interesting dwellings across this state is reportedly no more. I notice the website is still online and no mention of the publication's demise, but I have it on good authority that publisher Doug King has been forced to throw in the towel, like so many other businesses across the country, due to declining advertising revenues and rising printing & distribution costs. Doug was always very fair in his dealing with me and I know many other photographers specializing in architectural photography that will sorely miss both Doug and his magazine.

Hawaii advertising and editorial photographers have long benefitted from the very large number of both visitor-oriented and lifestyle publications produced here... some would argue that in terms of the visitor-oriented publications, there are far too many. It looks like in the months ahead, a major shake-up and shake-out is inevitable and there are bound to be other 'zines sounding the death knoll.

There are also rumors afloat about more layoffs and cut-backs at one of the states largest advertising agencies and remaining staffers being asked to take a mandatory pay cut. 

Without publications and advertisers willing to commission the work of content providers like photographers and writers, along with the declining venues for our work to be published... it is even more important that we all strive to provide our best work whenever the opportunity presents itself. It's getting tougher each day to make a living in this business and clients are now insisting that fees for our work be reduced, more liberal usage rights be granted and less time and money be spent producing the little work being commissioned. No choice now but to hang tough... to 'work" with clients that have shown some sense of loyalty in the past and hope and pray that we all get through this time together. 

Playlist... Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Playlist for last Tuesday morning's "Academy of Errors" program on listener-supported Manao Radio. Better Late than never.

A Portrait & a Link

Today started with an early morning portrait session, a bank executive head-shot... straight forward, vanilla, color portrait of a smiling man in a suit (and aloha shirt just to be safe).

Fortunately, I left all the lighting set-up in place when a friend dropped by to share some wisdom & combustibles and I was able to beg, coerce and otherwise flog him into sitting down in front of the lens for a few minutes. A quick re-tweaking of the lights into a configuration a little less revealing and 15 minutes later, there was a very fun series of very expressive portraits, though I don't quite know exactly what it it they are expressing. Thanks to Ray Gooliak, musician, songwriter & recording artist for enduring my abuse & cajoling and contributing his considerable talents, wrinkles and follicle-challenged skull to yield the two images above.

On a completely different note, Leslie Burns-Dell'Acqua is a name that has appeared on this blog on several other occasions. Leslie is a photographer's business consultant of wide repute & publisher of the website Burns Auto Parts. This is not a place to find parts for your broken down jalopy. The website contains lots of interesting and very helpful materials, advice, books all pertaining to the business & marketing of commercial & editorial photography. You can also find a link to her "Super Premium Blog" and it is well worth a read.

Leslie is at it again. This time... over at the ASMP (American Society of Media Photographers) website, you will find a 25 minute video clip of a presentation Leslie made to ASMP members recently. You don't need to be a member to view the video... just click on the link here. In the video presentation, Ms. Burns Dell'Acqua discusses how to fine-tune your website and portfolio for bigger bang and better impact. Grab a cuppa and spend a few minutes of precious time watching the video. You'll be glad you did.