First, be prepared for the unexpected. Pros are able to get the job done with what they have and what they know…and are able to roll with the punches.

And, speedlights work in a pinch. :)

Here is the podcast…

Or you can download the episode here.

And here are the pictures. :)

Good stuff.

I talk about a few of the podcasts, blogs, and other sources that I routinely check out….

Or download the episode here.

The links:

• Chase Jarvis’s Blog
• Zack Arias’ Blog
• Nick Onken’s Blog (didn’t talk about it in the podcast, but has some very valuable and practical industry info
• Kelby Training
• D-Town TV
• fstoppers.com

And many more!!

When Nick asked, “What advice do you have for photographers getting into the game?” one of the responses Katie gave was,

“It’s also really important to have friends who’re in the visual business. Since photography is an individual field (you don’t meet other photographers on a shoot), I think it can help with technical questions, borrowing/sharing gear and making connections with potential clients. And it’s also nice to grab a beer with someone who you admire or can understand your situation.”

I’ve found this to be so true…and it’s one of my sneaky ways of learning new tricks. :)

In all seriousness, a lot of photographers are rockstars…we are ego-driven…and with that territory, comes ridiculous attitudes and notions that we are “the shit.” Sometimes, that’s true…but can’t we all be the shit? Why yes, I think we can.

Which is why I try and surround myself with people like this: people that are obviously creative and good at what they do, but without the ego.

Over the past several months, I’ve worked with several talented photographers. It’s rare, but undeniably fun, to get a couple rockstar photographers together…a few gorgeous models together…and just have fun taking pictures. No assignments. No egos. No deadlines. Just good old-fashioned picture taking madness.

What’s cool about it, for starters, is the networking. We all know people…and it’s always good to know more people who are like-minded and creative.

Secondly, the friendly competition pushes us to be better. Rather than going into a shoot ready to do the same old thing, the competitive nature pushes us to try new things…

And on the other end, to learn new things. No matter what level we happen to be at, we all do things differently. There have been instances where my assistants have taught me something new. We’ll be packing up equipment or decompressing at the end of the shoot and talking about photography and they’ll bring up something I had never thought of before. We all bring something new and fresh to the table…and you’d be surprised what you can learn from just shooting the shizzle with another creative photographer.

I encourage collaborations on projects with photographer friends…someone you know and trust, and someone you admire. Make some pretty pictures and learn some new things. If you’re an ego-driven photographer…get over yourself. Just kidding…sort of. But seriously, it’s cool to have friends in the biz who you can shoot ideas off of, borrow gear from, share critiques with, and get advice from. You can never have too many talented friends.

Many people ask me how I’ve gotten so many “commercial” jobs as I have. Honestly, I wish I had more…but all that will come as my plan to take over the world unfolds.

I attribute a lot to God, honestly. Being a faithful dude (albeit, not as faithful as I should be sometimes…but faithful nonetheless…), I can wholeheartedly say that without a doubt, God is THE key factor in my success…because if it wasn’t for the gifts and abilities He’s given me, I wouldn’t be able to do what I do. It’s that simple.

But I think fundamentally, it all comes down to being consistent.

You see, there are many-a-photographer out there doing their thing…and getting it done. We are a dime a dozen, my friends…so what sets me apart from anyone else who’s out there making pretty pictures?

Consistency.

Even if you consistently rock or consistently suck, at least you are consistent about it. Although, it IS better if you don’t consistently suck…but if you do, you know where you stand, right? And trust me, we ALL have consistently sucked at some point…sometimes, I still do. :)

I learned early on that being consistent was important…all the way from the basics, which would be a single photo shoot. Early on, when we all picked up a camera, we probably put the camera on automatic. We let the camera tell US what the white balance should be, what the shutter speed and aperture should be, what the focus should be…and that’s great, if things never changed…but camera’s aren’t smart enough to detect and make those subtle changes that us human beings are able to do. So what happens? You get all kinds of different pictures…some over exposed, some under exposed…some warmer, some cooler. We sometimes get that ONE shot that’s just right…but maybe only one out of every ten shots we take. Remember I told you I try to teach myself something new at every shoot? Well, on that particular day, I taught myself a couple of things; but one of those things was learning how to consistently make pretty pictures. To make sure that ten out of ten shots were great. I still try to do it, even if I’m not always successful.

But I think that’s the mark of a professional: making pretty pictures consistently. You see, there are hundreds of us that can take a decent shot…you look at people’s portfolios and pictures every day and they are chock full of lots of great shots. But are all of them great?

I’ve learned it’s SO important to have your portfolio be a reflection of you and what you are currently doing. Sure, you may have a great picture in your portfolio that you think is awesome…but is it really awesome? Is it a true representation of your work and what you can currently provide for your client? These are the questions that you need to ask yourself and you really need to evaluate whether or not a particular image is really doing you justice.

The bottom line is when a potential client or model looks in your portfolio, what are they seeing? Consistency is what tells people you can hit that mark every time you shoot. When a client asks you for a particular shot, can you deliver that shot every time? If the answer is “yes,” 9 times out of 10, you will get the job over someone whose portfolio shows great images, but lacks consistency.

When you put yourself out there for the world to see, make sure it’s something true to you and that it’s something polished and pretty…and when you execute, make it a goal to consistently rock with every single shot.

In today’s show, I talk about some tips and tricks for getting that perfect sunset shot with a swimsuit model. I’ve shot many-a-lady in front of the gorgeous sky…and I have to admit they are my favorite kinds of shots.

One of the photographers I mention in the podcast is Christopher Hartman. A genius when it comes to achieving a perfect light balance on his gorgeous models. Check out some of his shots here.

And here’s the show…

Or you can download the episode here.

And here are some pretty sunset shots I’ve taken…

Learned some things…and these things confirmed what I already knew…the portfolio has got to go!

I’ll be fixing it up all nice and purdy over the next few weeks, so stay tuned.

And while you’re at it, listen to the show…

Or download it here.

And while you’re at it, you might want to take a look at some of the cool stuff mentioned in the podcast…

• For instance, the web site of commercial photographer Nick Onken.
• Or you may want to pick up a copy of The Photographer’s Survival Guide: How to Build and Grow a Successful Business
• And finally, you should really give the new Broken Fingers album a listen over at MySpace or ReverbNation (search Broken Fingers)

After our shoot, we got to talking…and she got me thinking about what I love shooting and why it’s so important to shoot things that you like and the stuff that you’re passionate about.

Here’s the show:

Or you can download the show here.

On this particular day of shooting, I tried 3 of those ways.

Here are some pretty pictures of Brianne…

Natural light, back-lit…

Natural light, front-lit, with reflector

And here are some with artificial light as my key light and a reflector as an accent edge light….

Some of the geniuses I talked about in the podcast…

• Nick Onken
• Andy McFarland

And here is the show…

Or you can download the episode here.

They are cool. Really.

Okay, maybe not. :)

But maybe we can overcome the uncoolness.

Here is the show…

Or download the episode here.

Here is the video we did up in the snow, in case you want to check that out.