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Portraits Of A Community In America

April 11, 2019 by Seshu | Editor & Publisher

Muslims In America

The first Muslims may have arrived in the North American continent in the 14th century. And according to this article about “Islam in America,” even Christopher Columbus may have used a guide book written by Portuguese Muslims!

Yet, Muslims in America today often feel marginalized and stigmatized by the media. They become easy targets of ridicule because of their faith or in the way they dress. The fact is, Muslims who have either immigrated to the United States or have been here for generations are productive citizens in the communities they call home.

Genesis Of A Project

So, when New York based editorial photographer Syed Yaqeen was looking to work on a portrait project, it would seem the work came looking for him!

Syed who is originally from Bangladesh, identifies himself as an American now. To counter the often negative portrayal of Muslims in the media, Syed commenced to work on project to portray his Muslim sisters and brothers in a positive manner. Through his work, he hopes to inform us that Muslims are so much more than the stereotypes seen on television every night.

He was commissioned by ISPU – The Institute of Social Policy and Understanding – to create the portraits for Muslims for American Progress.

Portraits of A Community

From Syed's site:

“The Muslims for American Progress (MAP) Project educates the public by providing a much-needed, evidence-based portrait of a deeply misunderstood community. The MAP project quantifies the contributions of American Muslims in New York City in eight areas: Civics and Democracy, Economic Development, Medicine, STEM, Philanthropy and Nonprofits, Arts and Entertainment, Sports & Education. MAP-NYC is a project of the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding. ISPU conducts objective, solution-seeking research that empowers American Muslims to develop their community and fully contribute to democracy and pluralism in the United States. ISPU is a leading think tank focused on studying and empowering the American Muslim community.”

The Interview with Syed Yaqeen

Syed and I recently chatted about his work and where he hopes to take it after New York City. Give this quick interview a listen please.

Syed's Portrait Portfolio

Give these portraits a close look please. These are our neighbors, our friends, may be even our relatives. I believe the central premise to Syed Yaqeen's work is to show us that Muslims aren't really very different than you and me.

Meet & Greet

Meet some of the subjects of this project this Saturday (April 14, 2019) at the Mulberry Street Library in New York City.

John Gress Will Teach You To Light Your Subjects For Impact

January 30, 2019 by Seshu | Editor & Publisher

Light Your Subjects

Have you ever had trouble using flash to light your subjects?

John Gress will teach you to light for impact and precision. He has just launched his first US workshop tour, starting with these nine cities: Pittsburgh, Washington, D.C., New York, Boston, Detroit, Chicago, Atlanta, El Paso, Dallas.

Who Is John Gress?

John Gress got his start in photography in Portland, Oregon. Evanston, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago is now home. Initially a photojournalist, John now considers himself a commercial and editorial photographer. He is also actively involved in directing videos now.

Recently, John spoke at ImagingUSA, in Atlanta, Georgia and will soon be presenting at the CTPPA convention, February 15-18th.

From his website:

Gress arrived in Chicago in 2003 after having worked as a Portland, Oregon-based freelance photojournalist since 2001, regularly handling assignments for Agence France-Presse, Associated Press, Los Angeles Times, USA Today and People magazine.

From 2000-2001, he was a staff photographer for The Topeka Capital-Journal, where his subjects included the University of Kansas basketball team, the Kansas City Chiefs, and state government figures.

Previously, from 1996-2000, he was a freelance photojournalist for the Associated Press, covering the Portland Trail Blazers, the USA Track and Field Championships, the 1998 World Cup, and various natural disasters across the Pacific Northwest.

Interview With John Gress

Give this a quick listen now:

Lighting Scenarios

Lighting Workshops

Learn more about John Gress' lighting workshops here. Use the code or mention: SESHU, to save $50 on your workshop registration.

Remember there are only 15 spots in all of these workshops and most of them are more than half full already. So, jump to it people!

Looking for other resources on lighting your subjects? Try this one about Zack Arias' OneLight 2.0 video course and this one about Joseph Victor Stefanchik's speedlighting workshop

How To Build A Loyal Audience For Your Creative Business?

November 17, 2017 by Seshu | Editor & Publisher Leave a Comment

Why Do You Need A Tribe?

Having followers on social media is one thing, having a loyal audience is quite an another. When you build a tribe of followers and they turn their loyalty into supporting your creative endeavors, both they and you win.

This is the central premise of Pete Mosley‘s forthcoming guide book about fostering a loyal audience for your creative business.

Who Is Pete Mosley?

Pete Mosley, is a writer, speaker, and coach based in the East Midlands, in the United Kingdom.

His first book – ‘Make Your Creativity Pay‘, was published in July 2011. The second – ‘The Art of Shouting Quietly – a guide to self-promotion for introverts and other quiet souls', was published April 2015 and is now available as a paperback, on Kindle and as an audiobook.

He is on a mission to help creative entrepreneurs find the point where the stories we tell ourselves and the stories we tell others come together. To that end, he is working on his third book that will delve into the idea of creating a loyal following for our work; a tribe that will support our creative endeavors.

Speaking With Pete Mosley

After reading The Art of Shouting Quietly, I had to interview Peter and after a few months of back-and-forth emails, he finally committed to a short interview. Give this a listen please:

Topics In The Interview

Why “confidence” is a mercurial thing?
Promoting yourself with confidence
What's the root cause of the lack of confidence?
How do you fight imposter syndrome?
Extroverts aren't always confident either
Building a community or a loyal audience for your work
Communicating authentically with your audience
Connecting genuinely with people as your values mesh

What's Next For You?

I highly recommend Pete Mosley's books: Make Your Creativity Pay and The Art of Shouting Quietly. I would suggest you read those first. Then, if the content there resonates with you, consider supporting Pete through this special Patreon page. I am eagerly waiting for the third book to drop because the topic is timely and the content is actionable. Pete promises to show you the many ways to grow a loyal audience for your business.

Zack Arias Will Present His OneLight Workshop At Silk Inspire

October 3, 2017 by Seshu | Editor & Publisher Leave a Comment

Who Is Zack Arias?

Zack Arias is a portrait photographer based in Atlanta, Georgia. A little over ten years ago, he began offering off-camera lighting workshops around the US that he called OneLight Workshops. Hundreds of photographers now know not to fear off-camera flashes, but embrace them because of Zack. I am one of them.

I was at Zack's Boston and New York workshops and let me tell you that he does not hold back on anything. He approaches his teaching with just as much humility and grace as he does his photography projects and commissions. The truth is he doesn't have to teach, but he wants to.

He is incredibly generous with his time during the workshops, and I remember him starting early and ending late at night. Every time, Zack patiently answered questions and demonstrated solutions to participants, even if it was for the third or fourth time.

At some point, Zack invited people to send him questions and a collection of his responses became the basis of his book, Photography Q&A: Real Questions. Real Answers.

Zack At Silk Inspire

I was thrilled to hear that Zack will be presenting his OneLight workshop at Silk Inspire, in Goa, India.

You may have watched Zack on CreativeLive, or seen his videos in Marrakech or Mumbai.

While gear is important for Zack, I remember the super simple setup he introduced me to during his OneLight workshop. Still he is always ready to be challenged, like this “cheap camera challenge” or the shootouts at Gulf Photo Plus.

If you have registered for this incredible photography festival, you already know what to expect (but there are some surprises for you too). We are just days away from opening day!

Interviewing Zack Arias

I sat down with Zack to find out what his plans were for Silk Inspire, and so here is that quick interview with him:

A Sample Portfolio

Zack's work is diverse and in between commissioned work, he self-assigns personal projects to stretch his creative muscles. Can you tell which ones are for his clients and which ones are for him?

Register Now For Silk Inspire 2017

You are going to meet and learn from world-class photographers like Zack Arias, at Silk Inspire. There is no better opportunity than right now to register for the event that runs from October 6th through October 10th, in Goa, India.

If you have made it all the way down here to this post, that's awesome.

But let me sweeten things for you. I have a few cool giveaways for those who register for Silk Inspire today. Once you do, email me your receipt (with today's date showing) and you will be qualified for a few cool things I am bringing with me. What are they?

Well, let's just say you could win one of six Black Rapid camera straps, one of three ShootProof annual accounts or one brand new LowePro camera backpack (valued at $350). Email your receipt to me here – seshu at tiffinbox dot org. First ones to email me win. That's the only way to keep this fair and you must be present at the event, to receive the prize in person. Good luck!

Speakers At Silk Inspire

Please watch the interviews with other Silk Inspire speakers: Arjun Kartha, Jen Huang and Brian Callaway. Plus, there are other incredible panelists!!

Considering Marketog For Your Photography Business?

September 18, 2017 by Seshu | Editor & Publisher 1 Comment

Marketog For Photographers

You may recall I wrote about Marketog back in January 2016.

So many of you jumped in enrolled when Jamie Swanson of The Modern Tog, opened up her marketing course for photographers. Since then, Jamie has developed an awesome community and helped hundreds (if not thousands) of photographers through her other courses, her Facebook forums, and her many ebooks she has shared for free.

On September 25th, Jamie is kicking of the very last time she will be teaching through Marketog. Retiring the course wasn't an easy decision, but Jamie is clear on making it available one last time before 2017 comes to a close. Her heart and her enthusiasm hasn't waned one bit. She is just as thrilled to see photographers learn, execute and see results as ever before.

Essentially, this is why Marketog is so popular among photographers – it's wholly results oriented. If you are struggling to find clients, she will teach you how. If you are wondering why people have stopped visiting your site, Marketog will help you with that too. The course is all about attracting more clients to your business. If you are looking to book clients and don't know how, this course is for you.

The Interview With Jamie

Sign Up For The Free Webinars

For this launch week only, Jamie is offering FREE webinars where she walks you through what she is offering through Marketog.

Simply sign up through Messenger (don't worry, she won't post anything on your Facebook wall or anything like that), and you will be offered a few dates. Sign up for the webinar time and date that works best for you.

Is Marketog For You?

It's not easy question to answer. While our goals might be similar, every one of us is on a different path, in our craft or commerce. I believe a strong business is a great way towards the freedom we seek; the opportunity to be artists and produce artwork that speaks to us and our clients. So, running an efficient and successful business is a critical component of who we are as photographers.

What Marketog promises to deliver, is to create a credible and repeatable system. As Jamie says in the video above, the course intensive. Plan on rolling your sleeves up and getting your hands dirty. For six weeks, you'll be challenged and your heart and mind will want to resist. But challenge yourself to go through the modules. I am sure that you will see a remarkable difference in how your business sees results.

Here are the six steps she covers in Marketog:

How to get more of the right kinds of clients
6 game-changing strategies to turn inquiries into clients
How to turn your website into an inquiry-generating machine
How to get repeat clients and more word-of-mouth advertising
How to get other business owners to send you their best clients
Your marketing toolkit for effective marketing

The Bonus If You Sign Up Today

If you sign up for Marketog today before midnight CDT, you will receive a free copy of The Go-To Guide for Client Emails (100+ Email Templates for Photographers). This retails for $147.

The real bonus of course is seeing your photography business soar. Jump in, do the work, ask questions (Jamie will be involved in the forum, but this is the last time she is offering such close attention), see results

As A Photographer, Is The Compelling Frame Within Your Reach?

September 13, 2017 by Seshu | Editor & Publisher Leave a Comment

The Compelling Frame

If you caught yesterday's Apple announcement about the new iPhones launching soon, you'll know the advances in technology are truly stupendous. We are most definitely in the midst of a golden age in the visual arts. Technology is making it possible to create billions of photographs every day. Yet, world and humanitarian photographer, David duChemin believes the majority of the images produced on a daily bases fall short because they lack soul. In other words, the photographs we mass produce are not compelling enough.

The photographs we see today often don't stop us in our tracks or stir our curiosity or evoke an emotion. They tend to be much of the same trite look at our beautiful and surprising world. When we do encounter a photograph – be it our own or photographed by someone else – that has an impact on us, we remember it more vividly, almost as if we can experience it again and again.

Some are indeed so compelling that they create a response within us, perhaps, even a set of actions that affect humanity the world over. Now, don't you want to make an impact, however small or big, with your photography?

But what stands in the way? Practicing and producing the same photographs again and again is of no use to anyone. We've also been told about the classic rules of composition – the rule of thirds or the golden spiral – but these have held us hostage for far too long.

Going Beyond The Rules

We have limited ourselves with our visual vocabulary to go deeper and create stronger images. David duChemin, who has authored nearly 10 books on photography (see below), insists that it is possible to learn the visual language, or syntax, that is essential in creating compelling photographs.

Understanding and then expressing ourselves by using this new visual lingo, expands our abilities to do so much more. Better yet, you'll never ever feel like you are in a creative rut again.

Interviewing David

David just launched The Compelling Frame, an in-depth course for photographers eager to consistently create compelling frame. I spoke with him at length about how photographers can stop spinning their wheels and get on the path to making photographs that make them truly proud of their accomplishments. Give this a listen (approximately 35 minutes):

What's In The Course?

Just as soon as I recorded my interview with David, I knew I had to be a part of his course, so I signed up!

Here's what is in the course: 19 awesome lessons (videos you can watch again and again), 31 creative exercises, an opportunity to study the masters, a ton of bonuses that are actually useful and a vibrant and exclusive community called The VISION-DRIVEN.

I'm willing to bet that a year from now, my photographs are going to be several levels above where they are today because of The Compelling Frame course and The VISION DRIVEN community online.

This course is open only for a very short duration. I suppose that's one way to really gauge who is serious about elevating their craft, right? Here's my recommendation and it isn't biased in any way (the links in this post are not affiliate links at all):

You could continue making photographs and not sense any momentum in your artwork or you could spend a modest amount of money ($295), to enroll in this course (yes, with me) and truly accelerate your growth.

Enrollment for The Compelling Frame ends in about eight days. My suggestion is that you don't wait. Jump in now.

David's Books

Money could be tight, or now may not be the right time for you to be a part of this course, in your path as a photographer. I get it. So, really the next best thing would be to read David's advice through his books (these are affiliate links):

I'm going to sound like a total fan boy, but I own every book David has written. In an environment where there is so much noise, David's words of wisdom are a clear and consistent signal that is well-timed. Wherever you are in your photographic journey, I highly recommend David's resources for photographers.

I've followed his work as a photographer and a teacher for a long time and in 2011 chose him to win the first Annual Tiffinbox Award.

Visit David's website, follow him on Facebook and Instagram. His YouTube channel is one of my favorites. You are in for quite a thrill.

And, to answer the question this post poses: yes, the compelling frame is most definitely within your reach. With the right guide, the right community and a lot of intentional practice or play, photography will cease to be a foreign language and it will become more intuitive for you.

Learn To Create Client Experiences That Are Memorable

September 4, 2017 by Seshu | Editor & Publisher Leave a Comment

Create Client Experiences

Brian Callaway, a destination wedding photographer based in Southern California, believes it is very important to create client experiences that are memorable. It's this mantra that has helped the business he shares with his wife, Allison, a worldwide success; naming them the top wedding photographers in the world!

Together with their fine artist’s eye, technical mastery and photojournalist’s gift for anticipation and timing, they are unmatched when it comes to creating the images and experience that is the story of your love and celebration.

Want to learn more about how to create client experiences that will ultimately also make you memorable? Brian and his wife routinely conduct workshops for photographers. If you live in or near India, you are in for a real treat. Brian is speaking at Silk Inspire 2017, in Goa, India, from October 6 through October 10, 2017. Now is the time to register for this event!

Interview With Brian Callaway

Just as I have interviewed Arjun Kartha and Jen Huang, I was thrilled to speak with Brian about his journey from comedic television actor to wedding photography. Check out this interview now:

The Same Portfolio

Register Now For Silk Inspire 2017

My friend Sephi Bergerson, who is producing this awesome wedding photography festival, tells me that he is pulling all the stops to make Silk Inspire an incredible learning and social experience for all of you. But to be a part of it, you have to register now for Silk Inspire and then get there.

If you are already in India and you are a wedding photographer, you must be a part of this event. In addition to the amazing speakers, you will get to meet other photographers like you who are also discovering their place in this industry. Look, even I'll be there, and I am looking forward to hanging out with you.

Let me know in the comments, if you are coming to Goa, in October.