Today's guest post is by Davina Fear, Familyness Adventure Seeker, wife, mom, familyness photographer and creator of Love 15. “By day, I photograph families. By night, I build forts the size of elephants with my family. I live in a yellow house and I believe real life is the best getaway ever.” Follow her on Twitter.

As a wedding photographer during the first two years I was in business the start up seemed slow but steady. In the third year the amount of work that came to me as a result of those first two years became overwhelming. I was involved in a variety of projects, not to mention speaking engagements and weddings almost every weekend. It had been one year since my fourth child had been born and the summer had flashed by me before I had even taken a breath.

That’s when I knew that my life had to change.

My business became bigger than me. My life had become my business.

It didn’t feel like I had a real life anymore.

And most of us think that’s what we want.

Until it actually happens.

We think that the rush of what we’re looking for is in the next $1000 that’s handed over to us or the next presentation in front of a room full of people.

An entire summer passed by me while I shot weddings galore. An entire summer when I didn’t see my kids. We didn’t go to the pool, camping, or the other summer stuff that we looked forward to each year when school was out and the sky was clear. Instead, they had a nanny. The entire summer. I have nothing against nannies. I just didn’t plan to have a nanny. Ever.

Life can pass that quickly when we’re not paying attention. It happened to me.

It happens daily. In the little ways.

I was in a place I had never intended to end up.

At the time I was traveling and speaking and shooting sessions and weddings like crazy. I had raised my prices three times and still had plenty of work. It seemed like I was successful. It seemed like I was arriving.

… Arriving to a place I didn’t want to be.

I have a great family so the support I needed wasn’t an issue.

I was the issue.

I meant to be a mom and then a photographer. Not the other way around.

In the past few years I’ve met 100s of women from around the globe. What we all want most … even more than a successful business … is meaning and relationships that we can lean on.

This community of people, these photographers, want more than a successful business. They want a successful life.

I hear that call! I was one of them. Six months ago I knew that Familyness was what I am meant to share with the world and with that assurance came Love 15.

As an industry we talk about balance and how much we need it. And I’ve wondered what that means?

And what I think we really want is to know that each day we’ve honestly connected with the people that mean the most to us.

We want moments every day where we’ve really looked at and seen the people we love most. That’s when we feel like we’re doing okay. That’s when we feel balanced. It means that we’ve done what we were meant to do for the day. We stopped our world and we saw what we’re blessed with.

That’s the purpose of Love 15.

A chance to really see the people we love the most.

I believe it can change the world because it changes our relationships, it makes us feel like a better mom, wife, husband, daughter, friend.

Love 15 is a little prompt each day. One small idea that takes less then 15 minutes.

Each morning an email arrives in your inbox as a little reminder with an adventure idea of how to spend 15 minutes with your spouse, child, friend, or someone you love that day.

The reason the idea arrives first thing in the morning is so that it can be there in your mind, just waiting for it’s perfect opportunity. Many people who are doing Love 15 go about their day as usual and in a pocket of time while they’re sitting and waiting for someone to come out to the car they’ll think, “This is it! This is a Love 15 moment.” And they do their adventure idea on the spot.

When I thought of the Love 15 concept I knew it would have to be easy and guilt-free. It’s not designed to be something that you add to your to do list. It’s an idea that floats around until it finds a landing place. If today got crazy. No worries. Tomorrow is a new day. And that means a new idea for a fresh day. They don’t pile on top of one another. They drift into a day and leave with the day.

Most days we know we want to do something meaningful with the people we love. We just don’t see the opportunities when they present themselves and sometimes when the opportunities do arrive we don’t know what to do in them because it’s unexpected.

Love 15 solves both of those problems.

So, starting today … spend just 15 minutes to a happier life and more familyness.

Love 15 went up to $12/month last Friday but Davina has graciously offered to bring the price back down to Tiffinbox readers until 5.30 pm EST on Tuesday, February 14 … yeah, for Valentine's Day … to $7.50/month. If having “family time” is as important to you as it is for me, I say “jump” on this special offer. I have!

Davina also offers Get To Know You (GTKY) kits – templates, essentially – for photographers. Use the code: seshu20, to receive 20% off anything you put in the cart. Buy either the WEDDING bundle or the INSIGHT bundle and save even more! (nope, I don't make a dime for promoting Davina's products)

Christa Meola just wrapped up a three-day seminar on boudoir photography on CreativeLive. Did you catch any of it? I checked out her website and stumbled upon her manifesto. It's both for herself and other professional photographers. It is lucid and succinctly written. It's a quick read. I encourage you to download it.

“I wrote this Manifesto for pro’s and newbies alike. As professional photographers, we all need to be reminded of good habits from time to time. For those just starting out, it’s great to encourage wise habits from the beginning.”

The 10 Habits of Successful Professional Photographers:

1. I Know Myself, My Brand and My Client
2. I Value My Talent and Time
3. I Show Up With All That I Am
4. I Know My Gear Inside and Out
5. I Shoot With Intention
6. I Adapt
7. I Embrace Collaboration
8. I Exceed Expectations
9. I Sell Experience and Emotion
10. I Believe In The Power of Imagery To Change The World

Christa travels internationally for commissioned projects and conducts photography workshops and mentorship programs for fellow professional photographers. She’s written a book on how to photograph women, EXPOSED: Redefining Boudoir that includes a chapter for guys too. Follow Christa on Twitter or connect with her on Facebook.

If you missed any of Christa's presentation at CreativeLive, you can buy The Boudoir Workshop by 12 pm EST tonight for $99. (nope, not an affiliate link) If you miss that deadline the price reverts to $149. From my experience with CreativeLive seminars, though, that is still a very good deal.

Have you written a manifesto? Or, do you have a mission statement that guides you and your business? Share it below!

I am honored to have Lori Nordstrom as our next guest blogger. You can find Lori teaching around the country, or on Photo Talk Forum, an online community of photographers dedicated to growing their businesses! Lori will be presenting at WPPI. “It's a Brand New Game,” is all about shaking it up and keeping things fresh to stay ahead. It's on Sunday, February 19 at 9 am.

I really can’t believe it’s February! Crazy really!! When I was a kid it went so fast … now I just wish for days back! It’s funny how that reverses as we get older – when we’re little we just want to be older, and now we just want to be younger again. Maybe even want a “do-over”. I guess it might be one of the most important things I want to instill in my kids … to live every moment!

Yes, it’s easier said than done. I had to remind myself today that even though January is over, we are still brand new into this new year. January for me always feels like a clean slate and a fresh start, so I’m always a little sad to see it go. This year however I’m going to concentrate on feeling every day like I do on January 1. What can I do today to make it the best day ever?

I’d love to share with you a couple of things that will get you to your happy spot for 2012.

Be A Goal Setter

Did you claim a New Year’s Resolution? Most don’t last, so don’t beat yourself up! It’s something that we call out at the last minute, usually after a couple toasts and say – “next year I’m going to …”

Goals are something different. Goals have direction. Goals need and require action. If you haven’t set real goals before, do it now! When you have a clear set of goals, both immediate and for the future, it makes it exciting to get up in the morning.

WHAT is the goal you want to achieve?
WHY do you want to achieve it? (Give it a purpose!)
WHERE are you, your starting point?
HOW will you achieve your goal? (Action steps)
WHO will you commit your goal to? (Accountability counts!)
WHEN will you reach this goal? (Specific deadline)

Zig Ziglar recommends setting goals in each of these areas:

Career

Financial

Spiritual

Physical

Intellectual

Family

Social

Ziglar describes that when you are working towards goals in each of these areas you have a complete wheel. When you leave out one of these areas you’re going to end up with a flat tire!

I feel it’s just as important to set the daily/small goals and make a plan as it is to set goals for the future. Stephen Covey says that if you spend 15 minutes planning each morning, you’ll add 20% productivity to your day! Start each morning with a prioritzed to-do list, and get more done!

Start A Journal And Write Things Down.

This makes a huge difference in not only moving forward, but re-evaluating later.

I wish you the very best 2012! To help with your planning, download this Business Plan Workbook + Goals Worksheet for FREE!

One of my personal goals has always been to give back. Getting specific about that means defining when, where and how. I've been involved locally and raise money each year for several charities including the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, who I'm very involved with. However, in 2010 I went for the first time to Ecuador.

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After falling in love with the people and the culture, and especially the orphaned children, I started a non-profit with fellow photographer Travis Gugelman with the hopes of raising money for the orphanages there. You can follow some of what we're doing there at www.dandoamor.org.

The next trip to Ecuador will be in March 2012. If you are interested in coming on a trip with us or would like to help by raising money, please email me lori at nordstromphoto dot com. I would love to get more info to you about how you can get involved. It's a trip and a cause that will change your perspective and your life – it certainly has mine.

What personal or business goals did you set for yourself and how are you going to go about achieving them? Tell us in the comments section below!

This YouTube video made me chuckle because people have and still do say these things to me. They perhaps don't mean it or aren't thinking too much about what they are saying. Yeah, probably the latter. Ha!

Thanks to Sukhi Ghuman for the link through her Twitter feed.

Today's guest post is by Shuva Rahim of Accent Photographics. Shuva specializes in photographing couples and families in Eastern Iowa, splitting her time between Iowa City and Davenport. You can read her blog, friend her on Facebook or follow Shuva on Twitter.

Put yourself in a prospective client's mind. This person loves your photography and wants to know more. What impression do you present of yourself?

Good client communication is not about taking great photos, but about trust and follow-through. Even after the job is done your client should leave without lingering questions. So here are 9 tips – things I do and recommend – to help enhance your client relationships.

1. Introduction.

On first contact ask what this person wants photographed, the time frame in which he or she wants the session done by and then clearly explain your process. Even if the info is on your website, don't assume it's been looked at by the individual.

2. First Date.

Get to know your prospective client in person with a pre-session consultation. Pre-session meetings can help decide if you and the individual are the right fit for each other, further establishing the kind of client you want. If there is a good fit, the pre-session ideally should be used as a scheduling meeting and to talk specifics about the session. Best case is to meet with all the parties who will be photographed.

3. Ask Questions.

Keep the conversation focused on them, not you. Get to know who they are, the relationship among everyone who will be photographed and what makes them tick. Then talk about you.

4. Social Media.

It's easy for photographers to promote our work on Facebook, Twitter and blogs. So much so that we can take it for granted. Not everyone is equally active online. If you use Facebook to promote your business, make sure ahead of time that posting photos and tagging them is OK with your clients.

5. Expectations.

Give general information in advance on how long the session will likely take, how soon photos can be ready to view and when an order is expected to be completed. Repeat this information before and after a session. Be realistic, but always under-promise and over-deliver.

6. Highlights.

After the pre-consult, send a letter or email highlighting the main points of your client meeting. That way everyone is on the same page with expectations.

7. Show Thanks.

Send a thank-you note after a session. I use SendOutCards, which allows you to electronically deliver a card that the client will receive in the mail. Sending a card immediately after a session shows how much you appreciated photographing that client and CARE about them.

8. Extras.

Include one or a few additional prints, candy, a gift card or whatever you deem appropriate as something a little extra in the order as a token of appreciation.

9. Become friends.

If a client enjoyed their experience with you, he or she is likely to want to develop a relationship beyond that of a client and service provider. Whether that means being Facebook friends or getting together for coffee once a month will depend on the person. Regardless, if you have a good vibe with a client be real with that individual, and be willing to show who you are as a person.

What other tips would you add to this list? Let us know below in the comments section.

Doug Levy is a photographer based in Acton, MA. He shoots weddings and portraits. Check out his blog. Check out Doug's first guest blog post about second shooting weddings. Doug will be teaching reception lighting techniques at Inspire Photo Seminars. Follow him on Twitter.

When Seshu saw my year in review post with my favorite ring shots of the year and asked me to write a guest blog about rings, my first thought was, “That's not substantial enough of a topic for an entire blog post.” Then I gave it some more thought and realized there might be enough there after all.

With my ring shots, the light is almost always the same, small flash through an umbrella or white diffusion panel, as close as I can get it. Shutter at max sync, aperture in the F/8-16 range (you want that diamond to pop!), and ISO 100 or 200.

There are other tricks too. A few years back Matt Grazier turned me onto the idea of magician's invisible string (to help rings stand up), and though I've never been able to make it work for me, I definitely see how it could be a useful tool.

With the technical formalities out of the way, on to the fun part.

My ring shots almost always about one of two things – humor, or something personal to the couple. Sometimes, it's easy.

The groom was a big Bruins fan, and their wedding was just a few weeks after they'd won the cup, nothing crazy here.

Sometimes though, it's not quite so obvious.

A bottle cap from room service.

The card from the coffee at the end of the night.

A hotel room key (the couple was going to Hawaii on their honeymoon).

The dessert table is a great spot to dig up ideas.

So is the bar.

When I get really stuck, I start looking for text.

It would be easy to put the rings on the flowers or the cake at every wedding. That's easy. That's also, “been there, done that.” And I never want to repeat a shot. To me, that's just throwing in the towel and being lazy. I love it when potential clients come over and wonder aloud what I'll do with their rings – that's the fun part. Then comes the, “I need to step up my game and do this better,” part. But that part should never go away, and that's what makes it fun.

Share links to your wedding ring shots below in the comments section.

Matt and Enna Grazier, of Grazier Photography founded Inspire Photo Seminars with a group of like-minded studios three years ago, and are counting the days till Inspire 2012! Follow the Graziers on Twitter. Follow Inspire Photo on Twitter.

Thank you again Seshu for inviting us to share our ideas about how to get the most out of a conference! In Part 1 we described our philosophy about conferences and the wonderful benefits of smaller regional conferences. Large or small, attending a conference is a significant investment of time and money, and in this post (Part 2 of 2) I'm happy to share my strategy for getting the most out of a conference.

Winter is conference season! Several great events have already happened in January, and a few more are on the horizon (WPPI in just a couple weeks, and our Inspire conference later in March).

I tend to get a little ADD – if I may use that term lightly – when I attend a big conference. I’m likely to wander dazed through the tradeshow and collect every single piece of paper that is offered to me, and forget to take notes about products that I might want to buy or sell. I wander from one shiny object or person to the next, I bounce in and out of conference sessions, full of indecision about where to spend my time, or I play hooky from the classes entirely, opting instead to spend quality time with old and new friends over coffee or a long lunch, or even camped out in the hallway outside of the conference sessions.

Don't get me wrong – I LOVE participating in a conference in this fashion, and I'm sure I'll never change my ways, whether it's a cozy intimate conference like our own Inspire or Pictage‘s Partnercon series, or the mega-sized WPPI. What I’ve learned through trial and error is that it’s important to go into a conference with a “strategy”, a plan of action and goals, so that when I leave I can feel that my investment was well worth the time and money.

When attending a conference, our advice is to choose conference sessions and opportunities that will give you concrete help towards reaching new goals. If you're just getting started, this will help keep you from feeling too overwhelmed by all the new information. And if you’ve been in business for more than a few years, then the great thing about this strategy is that – if you’re completely honest with yourself – it should be easy for you to identify the areas where you need the most help or improvement.

1. Set Goals. What is your business in need of? Look over the course descriptions and find the ones that interest and will benefit you. Set a few goals for the conference based on your own needs and the unique opportunities offered by the conference. Don't shy away from the challenging topics.

2. Choose Classes. Prioritize your list of classes to attend. See how they fit in the schedule. This can be difficult as you are bound to have to sacrifice a class or two due to scheduling conflicts, but your goals should help you make these decisions.

3. Make a List. Make a list of people to meet, Exhibitors whose products or services you wish to learn about, and any other topics that you need to research at the conference.

4. Connect. Reach out to some of the other attendees and speakers before the conference. This will also make it easier to make connections with people at the conference. We're super excited about our online conference community which is designed to facilitate this exact sort of interaction and networking before, during, and after the conference! People who are attending our conference in March are already interacting and getting to know each other in our virtual conference community, preparing for their classes, learning about our sponsors.

5. Go. Go the conference. Have fun and learn to the point of exhaustion.

6. Take Action. Set a deadline to take action on all the new ideas and information that you take home! Don't just let those ideas ferment. Give yourself a deadline (we think 1 month is good) to take action on the most important things you took home from the conference. It may help to find someone you can be accountable to for these action steps – your business partner, or a fellow conference attendee are both good options!

Here’s My Sample Plan:

Our Studio Goals for 2012

a) Expand our studio to include a team of associate photographers
b) Refine our product selection for portrait clients
c) Network with more photographers in Seacoast NH, ME, and northeastern MA
d) Explore other sources of revenue (non-wedding and portrait related)
e) Polish our brand and portfolio

My Punchlist For The Inspire Conference

Look at and hold every Couture book available (and decide which to offer in our Boudoir and Portrait clients). Learn album sales strategies from Studio Nouveau’s session on Album Sales and Workflow.

a) Connect with at least two photographers who we might consider hiring on as Associates.
b) Get an intensive portfolio review with Allana Taranto (I need to choose a good set of images to share, so this review can feel comprehensive)
c) Take tons of notes in Carla Ten Eyck’s Managing a Team class (I admire Carla’s bustling studio so much, and I’ve wanted to learn some of her management techniques for years)
d) Learn about pricing and bidding on commercial shoots from Jane Shauck.
e) Attend Doug Levy‘s lighting demo where I can learn how he works with light.
f) Feed my heart with insights and ideas from Lauren Rutten on how to keep my business and work emotionally sustainable.

After The Conference

a) Set up a meeting with potential associates/employees at our Portsmouth NH studio.
b) Order new sample albums.
c) Identify some potential commercial clients/subjects in our new hometown and pursue them.
d) Get our revised portfolio selections onto our website asap!
e) Have a long meeting with Matt (my hubby and business partner) to discuss all our ideas and new knowledge that we want to implement or continue to develop. Preferably with wine and chocolate.

Like I said, I’m notorious for skipping or bouncing around in between conference sessions because I want to hang out with people, or just can’t decide which session to attend. Heading into the conference with this punchlist will help me stay on task, remember my goals, and ensure that I’ve maximized my time and financial investment in attending the conference. Of course at Inspire I'll be busy running around behind the scenes, but I do plan to work hard to address each item on my punchlist while at my own conference!

Be one of the first 5 to use this PROMO/DISCOUNT CODE: 2012TIFFIN and receive $50 off your registration.

Matt and Enna Grazier, of Grazier Photography founded Inspire Photo Seminars with a group of like-minded studios. Thank you Seshu for inviting us to share our ideas about the value of “regional conferencing” and to tell your readers just a little bit about what we are cooking up for Inspire 2012!

We love attending conferences! They give us the chance to see great products, listen to great presenters and to network with incredible colleagues! We are excited to be at the forefront of a new trend of conferencing, which is the smaller more intimate regional conference. Jim Collins, CEO of Pictage, sums up the value of the regional conference perfectly when he wrote about last year's Inspire conference: “the reason I love this conference so much is because it is so relevant to its own community.”

We all know conferences can be tricky … it's easy to leave a conference feeling like you've just glimpsed the glossy surface of the topics presented. The irony for conference presenters is that while it’s difficult to pack rich material into a lecture spot of just one hour (the ability to do this is surely one mark of a gifted teacher), it’s very easy to fill an hour perfectly with a lot of inspiring catchphrases and pretty pictures!

It’s also common for conference attendees to have the sense that the best part of the event was the “in-between” time spent sharing war stories, strategies, ideas, and commonalities with other photographers. Our favorite moments at conferences we’ve attended are the most serendipitous – a chance meeting with a comrade who we get to chat with over coffee – or, if we’re lucky enough, while sharing a fine meal. We can’t tell you how many times we’ve gone home feeling incredibly grateful for these relationships, yet incredibly sad that we can’t easily continue those conversations over coffee, wine, or shared photography jobs simply because we live so far away from each other. Much of our business success is due to these photographers who have shared their own ideas and expert knowledge in happenstance, in-between, serendipitous moments.

Another common disappointment at the large conferences is that the talented speakers and experts who are the biggest draw to attend large conferences are often inaccessible, either surrounded by an almost impenetrable group of fans, friends, and colleagues, or just dropping in for their portion of the schedule and not participating in the greater community for the rest of the conference. Even if they work hard to be accessible, the sheer volume of people at a large conference makes it almost impossible to interact closely with these experts.

Each of the things that frustrated us about large conferences motivated us to put together our own conference that would address these three shortcomings and fact our approach to these shortcomings forms the building blocks of our conference community. We wanted to create an event that has the diversity, breadth, and spontaneity of a conference, but the depth of information and personal connections that are more often associated with a retreat.

Depth. Our sessions are deep. Instructors are selected almost half a year prior to the conference, and we communicate with them throughout the months that they are preparing their lectures. We give them 1.5 hour time slots for their sessions, and we encourage them to focus on addressing the needs of the mid- to advanced-level studio owner. We want them to deliver meat! This approach ensures that their content will be relevant to the beginners as well as the more seasoned photographers. This shouldn’t intimidate the less experienced studio owner, it just helps us make sure that we’re meeting the needs of the larger professional community.

Community. We have built the schedule and physical layout of the conference around the concept that the peer-to-peer networking and mentoring opportunities are of equal value to the conference sessions. There is plenty of time for impromptu mentoring and networking, and we also have scheduled time for 1:1 and small round-table mentoring with our speakers and several of our sponsors (for example, Jared Bauman of ShootDotEdit will lead a small group to whip their pricing and packaging into shape during his allotted mentoring time). All meals are included in the conference fee (breakfast, lunch, and dinner), and we eat together. We have built plenty of time in the schedule for attendees to gather and socialize and because of this structure wonderful things happen! Attendees get more than an idea, more than motivation, more than a plan to move forward; they build real relationships with those who want to help them succeed… relationships that continue beyond the conference and are easily sustainable because everyone is from the same region.

The image above shows one of our innovations this year: a private online community for our conference attendees, sponsors and speakers. Everyone is invited to join and interact during all of 2012, including the months before and after the conference. Conference-goers can manage their class schedule, chat with attendees, speakers, and sponsors, download class materials, and schedule private meetings with others. We are excited to see how our participants utilize this unique tool!

Connections. Our teachers are not always well-known – most of them aren’t on the lecture circuit, and they haven’t proposed their workshop sessions just to become known as “rock star” wedding photographers. They are busy, hard-working photographers who are committed to raising the standards of business and art of photography within their own region, because they recognize that by raising the barre across the region, every studio stands to benefit. We’ve chosen our instructors in part because they’ve expressed interest in learning and participating in this community, and we pay for their lodging and conference fees to enable them to participate fully in the conference community. We know that part of the reason that they are teaching is that they also wish to attend – and not just as an expert, but as a fellow studio owner who recognizes that we can all learn from each other.

Regionality. Oh yeah, did you notice this word that I’ve repeated throughout this post? Region. Inspire is a regional conference. The national conferences are definitely important, offering polished and inspiring speakers with dazzling success stories, diverse trade-shows, and incredible opportunities to mingle with photographers who we either know or admire from across long distances. However, we’ve found that within our region (and perhaps others), photographers are starved for structured networking opportunities, and for relationships with local colleagues. It’s important to cultivate relationships locally: this networking provides emergency backup and other skilled resources within easy reach, and gives opportunity to become more familiar with the local markets. And, with enough critical mass, we believe that a community can actually drive the market – in style, policy, practice, and culture.

We have heard many photographers say they don’t recognize all the names of our speakers. While that presents a small marketing challenge for us, the tradeoff is that every single person who attends inspire – paying ticket-holder, speaker, sponsor, exhibitor, and members of the planning team – will benefit greatly from genuine, deep relationship building with successful studios who are right in their neighborhood. Our speakers are true experts, and we want to facilitate their connection with other photographers within their region. These are relationships that can continue into the wedding season and beyond. We’ve seen photographers meet at Inspire and hire each other as associates, cover for each other in emergencies, and share incredibly helpful information to see each others’ studios grow. We’ve even heard from one person exclaim, “I’ve vacationed with people I met at Inspire!” This was the biggest compliment, because it shows just how well people in our conference community can connect with each other.

You may work alone, but you don’t need to build your business alone. Everyone who attends Inspire finds a welcoming community willing to help.

Be one of the first 5 to use this PROMO/DISCOUNT CODE: 2012TIFFIN and receive $50 off your registration.

In our next post, we will share our strategy for choosing your path in a conference agenda so that you may leave the conference fulfilled and ready to tackle your business!

I was one of those that scoffed at the idea of learning old-school lighting and posing. But guess what? I was wrong. Learning the fundamentals is so crucial to our success that when the Monte Zucker Lighting and Education bundle was being offered through PhotoDough.com, I had to jump in and get it.

Who was Monte Zucker? He was a master as lighting and posing. He was a teacher. At one of the first WPPI's I attended, I recall a room full of nearly a 1000 people sitting there watching this man teach his techniques. The minute the seminar ended, the crowd surged on towards the stage to badger him with more questions. I had absolutely no chance of getting close to him. I felt like I was at a rock concert. People like Bambi Cantrell still talk about him and what he taught her.

“Based on classical tradition, Monte’s portraiture has never strayed far from his original intent – to capture a moment in people’s lives and memorialize it for posterity.”

After battling cancer, Monte Zucker passed away in 2007. I know it was a huge blow to the industry he cared so much about.

Here is what Bay Area photographer Michael Corsentino says about Monte Zucker:

“Sad that some people don't know but at least they're asking. He was a great person and a passionate educator, definitely missed.”

Thankfully, his teaching lives on.

You can learn more about Monte Zucker's products here. But if you are quick, you can grab a good chunk of what the store offers and save $131 now through PhotoDough.com.

For $49 you receive a downloadable set of 4 CD-ROMS, including 6 slideshows with over 500 photographic examples with text descriptions. Also included are PDFs that you can tote around on your iPad and refer to often. As I said, I bought this bundle and I am looking forward to getting back to basics. Frankly, there are too many “teachers” out in the world now who are just winging it. If you want to learn from the best, this is your chance.

Get to know Monte Zucker and learn from him at your own pace. The PhotoDough.com deal is only on for a limited time.

Oh, one more thing – it's tempting to learn from a master and just copy what she or he says. That would defeat the purpose of photography for me. I intend to learn from Monte Zucker, but plan on adapting it to the way I work with my clients. Making that experience unique is key to everyone's success. Good luck!

Yunghi Kim is today's guest blogger. She is a highly regarded freelance photojournalist based in New York City. From 1995 until 2008 she was represented by Contact Press Images. She has also been a team leader at the prestigious Eddie Adams Workshop. Learn more about here and follow her on Twitter.

I’ve learned from my 28 years as a photojournalist and the hundreds of stories I’ve covered, how to quickly recognize a big story. It was clear from the start that the Occupy Wall Street movement (OWS) had all the right elements to become huge. Unlike most of my projects, I wouldn’t be traveling to a far off war zone. This story was happening right in my own backyard.

I don’t recall a movement or an event in my career that has struck such a cord with so many Americans. OWS changed the dialogue in America and around the world as well. It successfully brought attention to runaway corporate greed and gave a voice to the working “99 Percent” of us. All of this only a subway stop away from my home in Brooklyn. How could I not pursue this story?

Like so many of my bigger projects over the years, like “The Comfort Women of South Korea”, the Rwandan refugee crisis, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, my own desire to document the story in pictures would be my biggest motivation. To bear witness to history is a common drive among photojournalists. We want to capture actual events as they unfold and to create a visual story. Without this drive, I think it’s almost impossible to produce a meaningful body of work.

I was surprised to see the wide amount of support generated by OWS and enjoyed the creative ways in which they spread their message. Everyday there’d be a protest scheduled for both the opening and the closing bells of the stock market. Complete with the now well known slogans like, “The banks got bailed out, and we got sold out” Often the protestors would use humor, such as dressing up like zombies or taking brooms to Wall Street and pretend to sweep away the greed. I think this strategy hit a cord with Americans and helped to successful brand the movement.

Of course, other times there would be a more serious tone. As when the protesters would play “cat and mouse” with the police, or even outrun them so they could march the streets, free of escorts, as they saw fit. These tactics often ended in arrests.

It was no easy task for the NYPD, probably the biggest and best trained police force in the world. Mayor Bloomberg claims it’s the sixth largest army on the planet! During arrests, police officers would form huge columns which would block what you could see. Frustrating, to know something is happening and not being able to photograph it. They’d also use a technique called “kettling” where people would be locked into a certain area (protesters, journalists, whomever) circled by police. Anyone trying to leave would be arrested. It didn’t matter who you were, once an officer decided to arrest you, there was nothing you could do. Many times the arrests seemed random.

As a freelance photographer, the thought of spending thousands of dollars in legal fees and going through the court system became more of a concern as I spent more time working this story. 

The protests were quite physically demanding. There was a lot of running, backwards, forwards, and sideways, during marches that would cover half the length of Manhattan. One day I ended up flat on my back (with another photographer on top of me) after being pushed by a police officer. Luckily I was able to find my glasses so I could continue shooting. Having a few new bruises at the end of the day was common among photographers.

Bruises are better than handcuffs any day!

I was fascinated by how efficiently OWS used social media to communicate with their supporters. They had their own live video streaming team with protesters carrying portable wi-fi enabled webcams. Everything they and the NYPD did was documented and shared almost as it happened. Eventually, I learned to utilize @Yunghi pretty well myself.

Zuccotti Park was another amazing scene. You could see Noble Prize winners, celebrities, average Americans and homeless people all rubbing shoulders and making speeches to one another.

If you had something to say, Zuccotti Park was the place to be!

Overall, this was a lot safer than much of my work. You didn’t have mortars going off or bullets flying around, but, it was often frustrating having to navigate around the NYPD. Still, I think my images stand up well and serve as a visual record of what I experienced and witnessed.

(The text of this post was edited by another incredible photojournalist, Ken Jarecke)

Did you field a camera and attempt to document the Occupy Wall Street protests? Tell us your story in the comments below.