Doug, however, is best known as the author of the Totally Rad family of Photoshop tools which are used daily by thousands of photographers all over the world.   He has taught Photoshop and wedding photography at workshops and seminars all over the United States.

Lots of changes have come Doug’s way in the past five years including home ownership and parenthood.  Doug’s success points to the amazing skill he has behind the camera as well as in post-processing, but there is so much more to him.  Doug is also a pilot, surfer, baker, musician, husband, and father, in addition to shooting the occasional personal photography project at www.dougboutwell.com.

I really love Doug’s edgy style that you’ll see in his images throughout this interview.  What I also really love about this interview is his complete honesty and candor in his journey.  Love the challenge he puts out there to keep learning something completely unrelated to photography.  Like baking bread.  I like that idea.   Read on, you won’t regret it. Q:  LEARN: What is something that you feel like you’d like to learn more about, something you are continually learning? What is something that you wish someone would have told you before you had to learn it the hard way?

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A: First of all, I think that continuing to learn is one of the most important things you can do, for yourself personally. A few years ago, I decided that I’d try to take on one new thing every year, to learn something new. So far I’ve learned how to surf, to fly airplanes (and will probably have my pilot’s license in a week or two), and to be a dad. This year I’m working on learning piano. Those are just the “official” ones…

I’m also learning how to bake bread, brew beer, and always have some little thing on the side. I find that having something to challenge yourself with, that’s a personal endeavor instead of a business one, keeps me feeling young, and keeps me from getting bored with life (all without just sitting in front of the TV or whatever). Hopefully one day, when I’m getting to be an old man, I’ll be more like the guy in the Dos XX commercials, and not some guy just sitting around being bored and waiting to die.

The other thing I’ve found about learning is that the more you do of it, the better you get at it. You can literally learn to learn, and by continuing to challenge yourself with learning new things, you’ll get better and better at it, keeping you fresh and able to adapt to new tasks, technologies, and circumstances.

A lot of the work that went into making our latest product, Dirty Pictures, involved learning new programming skills, and being able to learn things quickly is what made it possible. I wish I started making a hobby out of learning random things earlier, because I spent way too much time just passing time in front of an Xbox. I have nothing to show for those hours, really, but the real world stuff that I’ve taken on will enrich me for the rest of my life. And it’s every bit as fun. So even if you aren’t challenged in your work (which is fine!), find other ways to keep yourself busy learning new things. GROW: How have you grown in the past five years in your business, in your own personal quest for growth, in your awareness of the world around you? How would you recommend others grow do you have a favorite marketing tip, workshop suggestion, or convention to attend?

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It’s been tough for me to get my brain around the idea that your business doesn’t have to be your life. If you put everything into your business, it’s easy for your life to go off the rails with any business crisis. That’s not to say that you can’t seek to make money by doing something fulfilling, but just that you shouldn’t demand that your business is what gives your life purpose every day.

This goes against my own idealism about what an artist’s life is like, and for most people in photography, it probably sounds like sacrilege. But the truth is that sometimes the work you need to do is boring. The opportunities that come your way aren’t the ones you want. If you have something else in your life aside from your business, it’s easier to weather those things with a smile.

I learned this the hard way. I had a lot of my sense of self-worth and emotional energy tied up in my career 5 years ago. Things began to get rough when I realized that I wasn’t making pictures for me anymore, but for my clients… it had always been that way, but I could feel good about selling them on what I wanted to do for a while. Then I started realizing that, more and more, the photos I wanted to make weren’t really anything that people getting married wanted me to shoot. Not that I couldn’t sell it to them, but just that I felt they’d look back years later and wonder what the hell I was thinking. Weird conceptual photos of people with their heads cut off, or making blank faces or whatever – those look cool, and they’re dynamic and exciting, but it’s really just camera gymnastics that serve to entertain the photographer (I feel).

It wasn’t really 100% fair to turn someone’s wedding day into an opportunity for me to make a weird photo of them in a dumpster or public restroom or whatever. If I wanted to do that stuff, I needed to be shooting for an editorial or advertising or fine art market. Stock, even. But weddings weren’t it, and I just didn’t feel good about shooting what I wanted, and wasn’t really artistically fulfilled by shooting what they wanted. Meanwhile, photography had come to mean everything, and all I ever shot was weddings. So I soldiered on for a year or so, helping Chenin shoot something our clients would actually cherish years later, shooting my last wedding in 2007 (as I recall… it’s been a while). She’s since turned the Boutwell Studio brand into something that’s still contemporary and artful, and even quirky, but that is also a beautiful expression of the love, connection, and joy that is a wedding. And I basically became a full-time Photoshop guy. I didn’t plan it that way.

If the money was no object, I’d be shooting fine art projects, with some editorial and ad jobs thrown in to keep things interesting. In fact I did shoot about half of a fashion photography portfolio in 2007 in prep for a career shift. But that’s a steep mountain to climb, and there’s a lot of macaroni and cheese dinners to eat along the way, so to speak.

Learning to allow my career to be one thing, and my personal fulfillment to be another, has allowed me to escape a situation that had me feeling burnt-out on photography, and also probably saved my marriage. If you’re a photographer full-time, the best thing you can do is make yourself do something else besides photography on the side. Most people can’t have their personal and business lives wrapped up together for long before they start coming unwrapped. Besides which, having more than one thing going on in your life allows your personal and your business sides to enrich one another. Grow another you by separating your personal life from your business life.

SHARE: How do you feel that you contribute to the industry? What is something you would like to share with your follow colleagues?

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One of the goals at Totally Rad is to create a community where photographers can learn and be inspired. Our blog, our recipes site, our video tutorials, and our support page are all places where people can come to pick up new tips, explore the possibilities that are available for their images, and gain a deeper understanding of the tools, people, and issues that are relevant to them. I believe that a rising tide will generally lift all boats, and that if you want more pie, you should just bake a bigger one instead of trying to take someone else’s slice (insert any other colloquialisms you find appropriate here).

Part of what’s made Chenin and me successful, both with Totally Rad and with Boutwell Studio, is being open with our colleagues (who you could also think of as our competition, if you wanted). Southern California, for whatever reason, is full of people doing the same thing for a living, who wanted to have a community of their peers to learn and grow from (and hang out, play poker, etc). Chris Becker was a big advocate of that when we were just getting started, and he helped introduce us to a lot of people who felt similarly. The Digital Wedding Forum took that a step further.

We made lots of friends, who we would compete for jobs with, but who were also some of our closest friends. Those people have helped us spread the word about our products, answer tricky business questions, get backup gear in a pinch, and most importantly to meet other people who can help us. And we try to help them whenever possible. Meeting and engaging our competitors has been the single best thing we’ve ever done for either of our businesses, and most of our best friends grew from those relationships as well.

So share. Be involved with your industry, and engage your peers. Help them with advice. Refer them jobs you can’t take. Loan them gear. Buy them drinks. Go to their kids’ birthday parties. Provided you find the right people, it’s a win-win-win. You’ll benefit, they’ll benefit, and your clients will benefit.

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THANK YOU Doug for being so open and honest in this interview.  I have to say this is probably one of my favorites.  I’m so glad that you are part of this industry, you certain contribute to making it a better place for everyone.  Also, make sure you check out Olive’s monthly contest for a chance to WIN your own copy of Doug’s Dirty Pictures!

He’s a man of many skills — a teacher, an author, a new media producer, and a technology enthusisast.  Scott travels the world giving lectures and workshops on various aspects of photography, and is most famous for his work as a nature and wildlife photographer.

Scott’s current online endeavor, Photo Focus, is an online magazine about photography.  Scott publishes articles several times a day with the intent of informing, entertaining, and educating people who are interested in photography.  And he does!

With over 48,000 followers on twitter–and that group keeps growing– Scott keeps his audience entertained with thoughtful quips and lots of fantastic prizes!  You can Follow Scott here.

All images are gleaned from his Flickr stream, used with his permission.  I love the variety of images throughout, and how it shows Scott’s personality.  That is one thing I really love about photography–how the photographer’s personality really comes out in their images.  You can tell something about a photographer by the images that they choose to capture, and how they capture it. 

While Scott’s online presence is vast, and his work in photography is ongoing, it has been so great getting to know Scott personally.   He is full of wit and easy to talk to–he  always has an opinion on any given subject.  You also won’t find Scott without his signature hat and Tommy Bahama shirt!

Today’s interview is a little different from the other Coffee Breaks, in that it is more of a conversation with Scott.  His insight on relationships is worth the read alone… relationships not only with clients, but with anyone and how to manage them in your life.  He will also share the number one impediment to financial success… and the answer might surprise you.

JOY: Hello Scott! Thanks for joining me today! I’ll dive right in and ask you about Learn: what do you wish you would have known when you first started in this industry?

Scott: I wish I would have understood the importance of relationships way sooner than I did. Relationships with vendors, photographers, other clients. I was under the impression when I first started that if I did my job, made a good image, I’m supposed to get paid and that was all that was required of me. I didn’t understand that what people were ACTUALLY paying for was the relationship, and the photos were just a by-product of that. It cost me a lot of money when I started out in my career. I didn’t value relationships as much as I should have, and it was only when I started to value relationships that my business started to take off.

For instance, when I did weddings a long time ago, I was sort of cut and dry –I mean, I’m a business man, and this is a business transaction. But that didn’t go over well with brides at all. When mothers of brides would get in my face I would point out in the contract where it said they couldn’t…. I had no mentor, I didn’t belong to any associations… I just thought, “hey, you’ve hired a photographer, and I’m a good one!’

But as I grew up a little and studied business and studied marketing I started to realize that MOST business, frankly, are the relationship. People want to pay for a relationship! If you are the best photographer in the world, but you don’t have a good relationship with the bride, she’s NOT going to give you referrals. Conversely, –and this is the part that people are surprised at– you can frankly suck at photography, but if the bride loves you and people say, “how was the photography?” she’s gonna say, “It was great!”

You find out how to become a better portrait artist by having a better relationship with your client. And I have a different relationship with my current client…. I no longer photograph brides, now I photograph bears and wolves! And I actually get to know them by reading everything about them… about their habitats, their eating habits, their life cycles, their culture, everything.

Joy: I love your bird images and I love the story that goes along with all of your images!

Scott: All my images that are my gallery edition images–and I only do about ten a year — all comes with a story.

Part of what I feel like I’m doing now is speaking for the wildlife. They don’t have anyone to speak for them.

We all live our busy lives, day to day, our drive-thru kind of existance, and we don’t stop to look at how many feathers are on an eagle, and how detailed those feathers are, and what it’s like to watch a baby wolf being fed by its mother.There is a lot going on in the natural world that we just walk by and miss. And since the animals can’t speak for themselves, I may be a poor spokesperson but I do my best to speak for them. And that has a lot to do with the storytelling behind my images.

When I work on my images I work on pre-concocted images… images I may have imagined years before in my mind, and then I go out and try and find it.

Joy: How do you do that? If you have a pre-concocted image with a wolf, how do you work that out with the wolf?!

Scott: You don’t work it out with the wolf, you work it out with nature. For example, my most successful image, “Cranes in the Fire Mist” is a shot that is based on something I saw from my mentor, Arty Morris, 13 years ago. He had made a photograph at a location we go to every year in New Mexico. I wanted to make my own version–so I thought, this is the most likely time of year, this is the most likely place to go… it is just going to involve patience. So I just sat down and constructed what needed to happen.

I ended up going to that place for 13 years, 10 days at a time, 130 times before I got the shot. A whole series of things needed to happen for me to get the shot I wanted: I needed the sun to rise in a cloudless sky, the wind to be from the west, I needed the birds to still be there and not have scattered because they were chased by a coyote or whatever. I needed a mixture of of cranes, and different geese, and I needed two or three birds to fly in from the opposite side so the scene would have balance. I needed it to be exactly 32 degrees because I wanted there to be mist and that is the way you get mist, it has to be exactly 32 degrees. And it took me ten years to get the shot.

Joy: That is a crazy story.  (If you want to see that shot, click HERE. )

Scott: I’m a crazy guy. That’s the way I work. I concoct a scene in my mind… and the other thing I do that few other people do… I am a musician so I actually write the music in my head that will go with the slideshow as I’m shooting. It gives me a deeper sense of connection with the subject.

Joy: So, what are you continuing to learn? And tell me more about your take on relationships.

Scott: As for continued learning I try to read as many magazines and books and blogs and go to as many conferences as I can… even though I teach at a lot of conferences, sometimes I’ll just go back and sit in the audience and one of the instructors will say, “Scott, what are you doing here?” And I’ll tell them, “well, I already know what I know, I need to know what YOU know!” So I think continued learning is really important.. it keeps you young, it keeps you engaged…. as a matter of fact, right now I am totally, completely immersed in learning the video side of convergence… the mixture of these hybrid cameras with video built in. I spent the last six months working on this almost every day.

Here’s my advice on how to maintain relationships… put every single person in your life ahead of yourself and to care about everyone more than you care about yourself, and put them first. It’s very hard to do, but there are rewards that go beyond any ability to describe if you are able to do it.

Joy: How do you then negotiate too many relationships in your life?

Scott: That’s easy. I don’t. That is a place where it is better to say, if I’m going to call it a relationship, rather than an aquaintance, you have to be careful about your relationships, and pick and choose who you are going to get that close with. In order to really have a relationship with someone in my world, I basically give them my heart. I give everyone everything I’ve got, I don’t hold anything back. So you can’t do that with a hundred million people!

I have a different relationship with all the twitter followers, etc, than someone that I really know. But in general, if I have a client, I try to genuinely put their needs ahead of mine. if that means I lose the business, I’m ok with that. If they say, I want you to do this, and I know there is someone down the street who does it better, I’m ok with sending them there–I’ve been living my life that way for several years now and I’ve reaped a lot of benefits from it and I believe that it works. I believe that if you love on everyone that you meet as much as you can that everything will work out for you. If you are stingy with your love, you are gonna lose. I did! It took me to become an old man to figure it all out.

Joy: If you are friends with a client, do you find that they try and take advantage of the friendship?

Scott: You know, all my life people have tried to take advantage of my friendship and basically my rule is to let them. That’s part of loving others ahead of yourself and letting them deal with their own consequences. I mean, I’m not talking about letting people steal from you, but I feel like if they go ahead and go down that road and they do take advantage of me, it is a sign that I’ve misjudged that relationship and I’ll use that as a valuable lesson to myself to say ok, I can end this relationship now… without a lot of drama or anything like that… you can use that as a clear marker that it is time to move on, and whatever lesson you learned there is probably pretty cheap compared to what it would have cost you had they stayed in your life.

Joy: I wasn’t expecting that answer, and I really like that!

Scott: Old guys know stuff!

Joy: Lets talk about Grow. Talk about ways that you’ve been growing in the last five years, ways that you feel like you are still growning and how you reccommend others grow..

Scott: The way that I feel like I’ve grown is that I want to share as much as I can, and in the process of sharing you get into a teaching role, and there is no better way in the world to learn but by teaching. Teaching is the best way to learn something. I grow because I’m trying to share and teach. You have to become a subject matter expert to have any value!

My favorite thing to teach is self esteem. It is the number one impediment to not being financially successful. I particularly like working with women photographers who all for some reason seem to have issues along these lines. I try to free them up from that and get them to understand that they are good enough by concentrating on the right things. They all think its about their photography and it’s not! If you remember what we said before about relationships, you’ll remember it is not!

I point out that there are many better photographers than me who don’t make as much money as I do and there are many situations where I’m a much better photographer and they make more money because they are better at the relationships. People look for crutches and excuses to fail, that is my experience. They give themselves permission to fail…”if I had Scott’s camera, if I had Scott’s twitter followers… then I could do something” but chances are it wouldn’t change a thing for them.

Joy: I can see why you and Dane Sanders get along so well. He has a similar mantra.

Scott: Well, I would say Dane’s workshop is one I would recommend. The people who are going to Dane’s workshop don’t realize that all their issues are going to be called on. They are using all their excuses as a crutch for not being successful and not have to deliver. For example, if someone decides they are not dateable so they won’t ask anyone out, it is comfortable place to be in, no danger or threat of rejection. And rejection is worse than lonlieness for some people. So you have to deal with these excuses and crutches. You have to decide to be done with those excuses for not being successful and move forward from that, and once you do amazing things start to happen.

At the end of the day you have to decide what is important to you and you have to balance your life. If it is truly in your heart to go out and protect people’s memories… I take every photograph as if it is going to be the last photograph ever made of that person or animal. I don’t take this job casually at all. This is a career that can really make a difference.

Joy: We’ll end with share. This has to do with any sort of charity work you’ve done or ways that you give back to the industry or ways you’d recommend people give back…

Scott: Just be generous with your time, and your knowledge and your relationships and your assets… that is the way to live your life. When you do that things come back to you in a way you wouldn’t believe. That is why I try to do three blog posts a day and have over a thousand blog posts at photo focus and don’t charge a penny for it, I’ve done hundreds of podcasts and don’t charge a penny for it.

I’m trying to help people, and trying to share. They may not agree with me, they might not like it, and then they can move on. But I’m trying to do what I can. If someone wants help from me I give it. Just be generous. It will never be a bad thing and you will live a much more productive life not just as a photographer but as a human being. Too often in the photography business we forget about the value of a good hug or a nice sunset. Beyond what it looks like on film. When you get old, you realize that the timer is clicking away and you start to value every single solitary experience in such a way that you want to take big bites out of life. When I watch a sunset I dont read the newspaper, I watch the sunset!

Joy: That is a good point about some issues, that I’ll admit I have myself, about the whole “online social networking” thing… iphones, twittering… and I think there is a great place for that, but I find that it makes it difficult for me to be present. So instead of watching a sunset I’m thinking, “ooh, i’ll take a picture of this and twitter it!”

Scott: That is really simple. My phone stays in my pocket. If I have you in the room, I don’t care about my phone. I’d rather be with YOU, a real person. If I’m with people who can’t do that, I don’t spend time with them. I don’t want to feel like I’m on a date with someone’s iphone. I think that all that social networking is great, and I think it is tremendously valuable, but its primary value is to facilitate THIS… one on one and in-person connection, where we are sitting together, talking, and experiencing the same space together. That is worth more than gold. When you get to that space, then put the phone down!

Joy: Good rule, Scott! I have a friend who is going to institute a new rule when he takes people out to dinner: check your phone at the door. No tweeting during dinner allowed. Thank you so much for spending some time with me today, I really enjoyed our conversation. Thank you for sharing yourself, and I know that our Jules Cafe readers really will appreciate it too!

I tempted Kevin with local sushi, knowing he was a foodie, and was thrilled when he agreed to attend.

Kevin is the kind of person who lights up a room when he walks in. He has probably single-handedly changed the way most photographers do their post-production, with his amazing array of products designed to help professional photographers speed up their workflow and make more money in the process. Kubota Image Tools products have won multiple Hot One Awards as well as the Readers Choice Award, and if you have never tried them, you are truly missing out.

Here’s a shot of that night, with some of my favorite photographers, including Ann Hamilton, Robert Evans, and some previous Coffee Breakers Gene Higa among the crowd! American Photo Magazine named Kevin Kubota one of their first “Top 10 Wedding Photographers in the World”. His photos have been featured on the covers and within the pages of many popular magazines and photography books. Kevin has been sponsored by Nikon and Adobe, and his work with the Nikon digital camera earned him a spot as a Nikon “Legend Behind the Lens”. Kevin is also a PPA Photographic Craftsman.

Kubota is an internationally recognized speaker and author, having presented for every major photographic convention in the USA. He created the popular “Digital Photography Bootcamp” workshop in 2002 and it sells out every year. A few years ago he invited Jules to come and speak at his camp, and I was lucky enough to be a classmate. If you can attend, it is worth EVERY penny. Here’s Jules and Kevin doing what they do best… playing around with a camera!

I love that Kevin is constantly trying to improve himself, to learn, to engage…even in his workshops and presentations, he never wants to give the same talk twice. Last year he developed a new presentation for the Imaging USA convention, interviewing 10 successful photographers to see what they could offer as their top success tips. He was so inspired by what he learned from them that he wants to keep interviewing other photographers and successful business people for a potential book in the future. You can read Kevin’s interview with Jules here!

Kevin works with his wife Clare in the sleepy town of Bend, Oregon, and even though he travels the world speaking, I know that coming home to his boys is the highlight of his day. I asked Kevin to participate in my Coffee Break because he constantly amazes me with his insight, and I knew that he would blow me away again with his responses to these simple questions of Learn, Grow and Share. Which he did. Keep reading, and you’ll be inspired by him too.

Learn: What’s something you’d like to learn more about, something you are continually learning? What is something you’ve learned the hard way?

Kevin: A while back, in one of my workshops, I had a man who was in his 70′s. He was as eager to learn as the 20-somethings fresh out of photography school. He said he attended several photo workshops a year and loved Photoshop, digital photography and all the gadgets that went along with it. I was so impressed by his enthusiasm; by his wide eyed approach to learning new things. I wish everyone could be this way, life is so much more exciting!

I’ve always loved to learn new things, in fact it may be to a fault. I dive deeply into new projects and opportunities to learn about something and once it’s figured out I need to learn something else. I think one of the smartest things a photographer, or any business owner, can do is to set aside time and a budget for ongoing education. You never reach a point where you “know it all” or even “enough”. The most successful and creative (educated creatives) people I know are constantly trying to improve and grow.

What else can you do? Our minds need to constantly learn in order to keep fresh. I often challenge myself by taking on something completely new, just to keep myself learning and growing. The most challenging thing I’ve done in recent years was to take on getting my pilots license. I’m still working on it, and it has been one of the most challenging things I’ve done. It’s pushing me out of my comfort zone, and that’s good, I believe.

I also think some of the best ways to grow are to occassionally study things outside your obvious area of focus. For example, a photographer can learn a lot by taking a fine art painting class, or a class on art appreciation, or color theory, etc.

What have I learned the hard way? Clear communication. I’ve only had a few real “regrets” in my life – I see everything as a learning experience. However, the few that I have came from a lack of clear communication. The issues were not insurmountable, but simply mis-understandings that could have been avoided by being very clear and open up front. I’ve learned to get every business agreement in writing up front. Tell people your expectations of them, and intentions with them. Be honest about what you want and will do. It’s also very important, I’ve learned, to commit to only what you truly can and want to do. Otherwise you can end up doing things out of a sense of obligation that you are not whole-heartedly committed to – and may hold internal resentments that are not really fair to the other party. You committed, so they believe you really are committed.

Grow: How have you grown in the past five years and how would you recommend others grow? Kevin: I have grown to learn to let go. In the early years of my business, I felt the need to be a control freak. I stayed up late worrying and working and didn’t trust anyone else to be able to do things the way I wanted them done. To a great extent, I have grown out of this. I learned to trust others, hire good people, and believe in their abilities. I caught myself in that never-ending circle where work consumes you and you realize time is slipping by faster than it did in previous years. I didn’t want to miss anymore time with my family, or forget the reasons why I moved to a beautiful, slower paced town. While my businesses have continued to grow, I’ve grown to work smarter and relax more. I’m still busy, but I feel like I’m busy doing the things that really matter now.

Continually learning is one of the best ways to grow, as I talked about earlier, but I really feel growth comes from putting ourselves in other people’s shoes – and in uncomfortable situations. This happens for me with travel, especially to other countries. My eyes have been opened, my tolerance increased, and my appreciation for life and the life I have has grown, through travel. As photographers, we have opportunities to create travel related work if we choose to. It’s a gift. Not many professions offer that possibility. Wedding photographers can market themselves as destination photographers if they do a little creative thinking. Fine art photographers can create sale-able image products, or offer their images as stock. At the very least, we can write off our travels if we legitimately use the experiences to create images for sale. (Please consult your own tax advisor!) I think the best photography workshops are those that take you, both physically and mentally, outside of your comfort zone. Push yourself to try something really different or challenging. Maybe try something that is not directly related to your current photographic direction. An art class abroad? A filmmaking class? Maybe something that is not even obviously related to photography, like scuba diving, or sky diving lessons!

Share: What is something you’d like to share with your colleagues?

Kevin: When I first started teaching photo workshops and presenting at conventions, I was driven by the thrill and satisfaction I got from seeing light bulbs ignite in the minds and eyes of the attendees. It energized me and became just as creatively satisfying to me as photographing. Eventually, the phrase “Empowering Photographers” became my business mantra and it guides everything we, as a company, do now. I’ve always felt that I’ve tried to make myself available to anyone who needs help (I probably get that “quality” from my mother), and I firmly believe that sharing whatever I know will not hurt my own business. As the supply of me lessens, and demand for help grows, I obviously can’t get to every opportunity. But, I try.

I know, and it’s widely known, that you learn more about your own skills from teaching them to others. I think every photographer can share something of what they are good at with others. Start a local photo group and do a short presentation. Teach a class at your local college. Take kids out and teach them to photograph. Mentor someone just getting started. Take the fear out of sharing your knowledge and you open an amazing door. I believe that photographers have an awesome gift that can benefit charitable causes as well. Every photographer, at any level, can find some way to give back to their community. Even if it’s just occasional office headshots for a local organization – make it a regular part of your job.

While recently we’ve been very moved to provide service to communities in Africa, the charity that has been closest to my heart is a local group named Sparrow Clubs. Sparrow Clubs connects children in school as a group, or club, to provide assistance to a child and family in dire medical need. The club at school does fund raisers, community work, and other activities to raise money and provide support to the sick child and it’s family. It’s an amazing thing to see these kids pull together and learn to share their compassion and caring. It’s amazing what they do and it’s such a valuable life lesson. The children and families in need are often transformed for life by the acts of generosity and caring. I was able to take photos of the children, both the clubs and sick ones, to provide promotional material to raise awareness for them. It was transformative for me to be able to visit the children and learn from their energy, love, and simple faith. I never felt so humbled, and yet proud to be able to offer so valuable a service with photography.

I think charity work is really a key inspiration for me as a photographer. I didn’t realize the power of it in the early days of my career. We can give a priceless gift with photography, something that transcends even monetary donations. Someone once said, and I agree, nothing matters more than knowing what you do matters.

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THANK YOU Kev, for your thoughtful responses to Learn Grow Share! I really enjoy learning from Kevin, and in 2009 Kevin was personally awarded the Monte Zucker Memorial Humanitarian Award for his work in Rwanda and other organizations, which is, of course, an enormous honor, but I think speaks more to who Kevin is as an individual. He is an inspirational human being and I am grateful to know him.

One last thing about Mr. Kubota.  He’s actually 12 years old. Well, at least in spirit (he’s gotta keep up with his two boys somehow!). Recently at the PPE convention in New York and again at PartnerCon in New Orleans, Kevin sparked a now nationwide craze, The Laying Down Game (and yes, it is grammatically incorrect thank you very much). I’ll leave you with this final image to spark your curiosity, and then make sure you check out Kevin’s blog to find out more! It’s fun to know that even though Kevin can be found anywhere in the world at any given time giving workshops or speaking, he still maintains a healthy photography business shooting weddings and portraits. I really love his fun, romantic, and sexy style. His images have been featured in a number of publications…

….and now the world-famous Jules Cafe!

If you have been concerned about SEO (Search Engine Optimization) lately, you’ve probably heard of Lawrence Chan. Lawrence is a Los Angeles wedding photographer who worked with his brother in their joint  venture, Furious photography until in 2008 he decided to spend more time with his new business, Tofurious, marketing “Digital Tools for the Modern Photographer.”

Since he has started offering workshops to help photographers navigate the confusing world wide web, and SEO in particular, you could say Lawrence is getting a reputation as the king of SEO.   To learn more about what Lawrence offers, check out his site here.  He has started a Coffee Tour around the country, taking his SEO tips nationwide! You can click the link to see if he’s visiting a town near you!

Essentially, Lawrence’s point is this:  it doesn’t matter how good of a photographer you are if someone can’t find you on the web.  Knowing about internet searches and how to manage your online marketing is critical in today’s industry.

Along with championing the quest to figure out SEO, Lawrence offers several other digital solutions for photographers such as pre-designed album templates and blogs. Lawrence is donating one of his super cool album templates to a lucky winner on Jules Cafe! Check it out here: If you want to win the entire set, go to Olive’s monthly contest on Jules Cafe!

Grab your cup of coffee and let’s see what Lawrence has to say.

LEARN: What’s something that you feel like you’d like to learn more about, something you are continually learning?

A: An area that I would like to explore more would be cinematography. Our current cameras have the ability to offer so much! Technology is changing the way of how business is conducted in our industry.

What is something that you wish someone would have told you before you had to learn it the hard way?

A: I wish someone would have told me how awesome WordPress is before I had to learn to hand-code my own websites and experience the limitations of other web platforms. I had spent two years figuring out features that WordPress already had created. This is why I like to share this Open Source platform with everyone so that they don’t have to learn it the hard way like I did.

GROW: How have you grown in the past five years in your business, in your own personal quest for growth, in your awareness of the world around you? How would you recommend others grow-do you have a favorite marketing tip,workshop suggestion, or convention to attend?

A: In the past five years, I feel that the biggest growth in my business would be my online presence. I have been able to target a wide demographic of brides from all around the world based on my website. On a parallel note, someone could be the best photographer in the world, but without the ability to be found, his or her skills will never gain full appreciation.

I suggest that everyone attends WPPI at least once (if not every year). The convention has so much to offer through educational programs, workshops and trade floors. This year was my first year and it was eye-opening!

SHARE: How do you feel that you contribute to the industry? What is something you would like to share with your follow colleagues? How can they turn around and do the same for others? Favorite charitable contribution?

A: My biggest contribution to the industry is what took me two years to learn and master – SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and blogging. What is the point in being the best at anything if one cannot be found? My goal is to offer photographers the tools and resources to bring in business through their websites.

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THANK YOU Lawrence for your thoughts!

I just love Lawrence’s images below… really fresh and fun perspective on food and travel… my kinda guy.  Take a sip of your coffee as you peruse through a quick trip to Europe, through the eyes of Tofurious!

In 2006 Lauren partnered with talented photographer Sara France and together they created GoBee CF card holders, which is featured this month in Olive’s Monthly Contest!!  GoBEE’s goal is to create a stylish solution to keep your CF cards protected and accessible at all times, while expressing your personality and be fun to wear!  Can you do all that in a card holder?  Check it out and see!   This is a fun shot by Kenny Kim of the dynamic duo in action at last year’s PartnerCon event! 

In addition to being a featured photographer on Adobe’s website, Lauren’s work has been published worldwide and has graced the pages of Grace Ormonde’s Wedding Style, Susie Coelho’s new book “Style Your Dream Wedding”, Inside Weddings, The Bride and Bloom, Modern Bride, Brides southern California, Brides New Jersey, The Knot Weddings Southern California and Texas, Studio Photography and Design and Greersoc.com. She is currently the resident editorial photographer for The Bride and Bloom Magazine in Los Angeles and was just named as one of the Top 5 photographers in orange County by Fox 11 in Los Angeles.

I was thrilled to read what Lauren had to say about Learning, Growing, and Sharing… she talks about the power of social networking, and recommends that everyone take advantage of some of the conferences out there as well as connecting with other photographers in community…. In Lauren’s words:
***

Learn:
Something I continually want to get better at and learn how to balance is learning how to balance my personal and work life. I find the need to set boundaries in work and personal life and create concrete work and play times in this flexible career.

Business 101 is so important to learn and master even in the most creative of fields. I wish I had taken some small business courses to be an expert on things like accounting, sales tax, banking and file management. I am such an artist I have a tough time setting aside time for these very important parts of running your own successful business.

Grow:
The last five years have been all about growth in every part of my business and personal life. My business has become well know in my area and we get more and more great opportunities every year. In the last three years I have become a resident editorial photographer for The Bride and Bloom magazine here in los Angeles and also have been recognized and supported by Adobe as a photographer. This last year photography has taken me me all over the world which has been an amazing adventure. The world is getting smaller and smaller every day and it has really had an amazing impact on my photography business.

These last few years I also started GO|BEE Bags , a company dedicated to designing fashionable and functional camera gear for professional photographers. GO|BEE has opened my eyes to a whole different side of the photography industry and challenges me every day in being a designer, drumming up new business and thinking of new creative ways of marketing.

I also just started to embrace the power of social media especially Twitter and Facebook.  This is one of our most powerful self marketing tools available out there and its totally free.

Share:
I love thinking of new ways to help and challenge this industry. For me I want to help photographers look and feel their best on a job, while being able to do that job in the best way possible.

That is why I started GO|BEE. Our products are Fashionable, professional and functional. I believe it is extremely important to create communities with our photography peers and continually share with each other to elevate this profession and educate our clients on why photography is so important in documenting the lifes of others.

I think growing and learning and sharing is essential in any business but especially photography, and I constantly try to reinvent myself and try to do everything a bit different than the rest of the pack. A great place to learn and grow on annual basis is Pictage’s annual Partner Conference and of course WPPI in Vegas. You really can’t find a more talented group of teachers and mentors in one place.

***
Thank you Lauren for sharing!! Check out some of her work below, I love the way Lauren sees the world. Lauren brings fashion flare to her pregnancy shoots! Leave a comment for her and thanks for reading!

I met Nicole through my good friend Justine Ungaro.  Hailing from the East Coast, this girl is one cool cat.  She is unassuming and easy-going, and her photography makes me want to be a better person– her style is so distinctive and unique, she really pushes the envelope to create works of photographic art.

Nicole was born and raised on a small island off the coast of New Brunswick Canada. She was a lobster fisherman’s daughter with a love for the sea and the simplicities in life, but with a longing for a world far different than she had ever known. She grew up very geographically separated from other ways of life but it nurtured a love for family and people. Nicole describes herself this way: “I am a people person. I could sit all day and talk to a total stranger just because I am intrigued by other cultures and capturing faces and lives on film. I love to travel and feel so fortunate that my job allows me to do that. I speak a French, “un peu”, I love to sleep on boats and dig for clams with my grandpa, I love cheesy 80’s ballads and I am obsessed with Horror movies and my favorite food is a sea vegetable called Dulse!”

Nicole, her husband Brad, and her business partner Jeremy started SOTA Dzine back in 2001.  They now have two Studios, one in DC and one in Chicago, but they travel worldwide, specializing in photography and graphic design.   They are not just a photography studio, but a company that comes up with creative solutions for graphic design and other print and online media.  They have traveled all over the world for work — Italy, China, France, Canada, The Caribbean, Mexico and South America.

“We have stayed under the radar for so long,” says Nicole,  ”But I want more people to see that there are really cool other things going on out there, We really push it hard to create work that is innovative for our clients. thats why we are doing all this new Studio Stuff, cause its never been done.”  Nicole finds inspiration in a number of different media.  For example she styled one of her shoots to reflect  a Burton ad.  Her clients loved to snowboard, so Nicole wanted to reflect their love for winter and winter activities in her shoot.  They had imitation flakes flying through the studio, and created a winterwonderland for them, as well as some amazing imagery.

As much as she, Brad, and Jeremy think they are under the radar, their work is clearly getting noticed.  Their imagery has been featured in People Magazine for shooting singer/song-writer Lisa Loeb’s wedding last year,  MyDay Magazine, Bride and Bloom, Destination Weddings and Honeymoons,  The Knot Real Weddings Magazine, Brides, PDN, AARP, Pepsi, Clear Magazine, Coature, and Kettle One.  She has received accolades in WPPI’s 16×20 competition, placed in PDN’s top Knots 2010, and been listed as the “Ones to Watch” by the Washingtonian 2009.

Nicole’s work was featured at Foto Week DC as the winner of the PDN World in Focus Contest sponsored by National Geographic Traveller along with fellow Coffee Break photographer Catherine Hall.  Her work entitled “Sea of Faces” will be on exhibit at FOTO Week DC this Fall. This has been a labor of love for a number of years, documenting the local fisherman on the island where she is from, and she’s focusing on publishing a book of the work.

I always enjoy these Coffee Breaks, because they give me a chance to learn more about these amazing and inspiring people in our industry.  You are going to LOVE Nicole’s interview today.  She’ll challenge you to take another look at yourself and your talent, to toot your own horn, and to give back to the community. Take a moment and hear what Nicole has to say about our Learn, Grow, Share motto:

LEARN: Well first off I am always learning how to be a better artist. I think it is so important to recognize that you are only as good as your last shot and that you should strive to constantly push yourself to the edge of your own creative being. I think it is impossible as artists to create work that is innovative, thought provoking, and inspiring if we just continue to do the same thing day in and day out. It is our responsibility to create new ideas, to be excited about the possibilities of our own imaginations and to then share that with our viewers and in turn our clients.

Something that I wish someone would have told me is that the art world has a tendency to be very cut-throat. In the beginning of my career I had a very self-hate attitude towards my art, that there were so many people better than me and that I could never be at the level of some of my peers. Thankfully, through great mentoring and a reality check, that attitude changed quickly. I always say to young artists, don’t ever doubt the possibility of what you will become! We as artists need to be open to the possibility of failure and from this nourishing ourselves and recognizing our need for growth. We are our own worst critiques but we also should be our biggest cheerleaders. Our talent is a God given gift that no one else can take away. Technique can be learned but talent is innate, you either have it or you don’t, and if you do, push yourself to exceed your own expectations and create work that makes your heart explode. If you aren’t passionate about your own work, who else will be?!

GROW: Wow, I have grown so much since I started photographing professionally in 1997. The past five years however have been the most difficult and the most rewarding of my career. My husband Brad, business partner Jeremy and I came through a time with our company where we never thought we would come out on the other side. We soon discovered that even though we were artists, we were business people too. We had always focused on great imagery, design and branding and developed a really great website http://sotadzine.com and blog http://overexposedblog.com but knew that in order for our company to succeed, we needed to take more risks with our business, and recognize that our art was our business!!

We recognized the importance of networking and selling ourselves.  Taking great photos and having no one see them was not going to grow our company. We were never big on talking about ourselves but soon realized, if you don’t toot your own horn than no one else will. Get out there, beat the streets, show your portfolio to the people that need to see it in order to get you your clients. The longer you wait, the more opportunities you will miss out on and the job will go to someone else! Attend WPPI and enter as many contests as you can, get your work seen and appreciated by others in the industry. WPPI has been an amazing way that I have been able to connect with other friends in the industry and learn and grow from each other.

SHARE: I feel like I contribute to the industry by not allowing myself to be in the middle. I feel like in order for me to be the best photographer I can be, I can’t allow myself to become mediocre in my art. We at SOTA are constantly pushing the envelope, not riding on anyone’s coattails, and making our own mistakes but also our own successes! Make an imprint in the industry, take risks, do it for yourself and for your clients.

One of my all time favorite quotes is from Cecil Beaton.  He said “be daring, be different, be impractical, be anything that will assert integrity of purpose and imaginative vision against the play-it-safers, the creatures of the commonplace, the slaves of the ordinary.”

One way that I share my love for photographing is by mentoring high school kids. I am involved with an organization called Critical Exposure that fuses the power of photography with the voices of our youth to help bring about policy change in order for students to get the best education possible and the opportunity to succeed. I am also volunteering my time and my photography this year to She Dances to help bring awareness to the horrible situation of sex trafficking across international borders.

I guess the most important thing for me that I try to remember, and hopefully others will to, is that I am documenting the human experience! That’s a big responsibility, and I don’t ever want to take it lightly.

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Nicole, thank you!!  Your answers are so thought-provoking and empowering… much like your imagery below!  I love it.

I’ll leave you with this quote from Dr. Suess… I asked Nicole what her favorite children’s book was, and she gave me this fantastic quote:   “Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are?” “When you think things are bad, when you feel sour and blue, when you start to get mad… You should do what I do! Just tell yourself, Duckie, you’re really quite lucky! Some people are much more…Oh, ever so much more…Oh, muchly much-much more unlucky than you!”

I’ll give you an example: when I asked Lori if she would share a personal story for the Coffee Break, she told me,  “We just experienced a favorite family memory recently! It revolved around my Grandmother passing away, but was a great weekend of getting together with extended family and old friends.

My Grandma lived a great, long life and while I’ll miss her, I know she’s out of her broken body and dancing with the angels! That makes me smile. After we got together to celebrate and honor her life (I suppose some call that a funeral), my brother and niece and my son Jaxon and I all went to spend the day at Cedar Point.  We rode every ride and had such a fun day together.”

I love how even in a sad situation, Lori sees the bright side of it and celebrates life.

As a PPA Master, Craftsman, CPP, & ABI (approved business instructor), you can find Lori all over the globe teaching photography workshops and classes… she recently traveled from Texas School straight to Canada for Image Explorations.

Lori started in photography about 10 years ago by photographing her kids, and absolutely fell in love with hand-painting black and white photos.   When you check out Lori’s work at the end of this article, you’ll see that she has clear knack for this art–I love the subtle way she brings out details in her images through the use of color.  Lori has had retail studios, home studios, been completely “on location” and now lives above her retail space in what she calls her “studio home.”

Not only is Lori an amazing photographer and instructor, she’s also an inventor/designer!  I’m thrilled to share this months’ contest prize with you… Lori’s very cool camera straps. Do you need a little Spice in your Camera? Try Pepper! Lori has designed super cute camera straps in a variety of colors and patterns to spice up your shooting style!  Pepper was born out of Lori’s desire to break free from the ordinary and create a completely fresh new look for photographers.  For years, Lori searched for a camera strap that would be as individual as the person wearing it.  Not finding it, she did what we all want to do:  She went out and designed one herself.  Designed with quality and stability in mind, this camera strap is easy to change and can suit any mood.  I’m so excited to get mine!

I think you’ll find Lori’s take on our Learn Grow Share questions very interesting.  Lori says you can plan all day long, but the only way we grow is by actually taking the steps: by doing something.  Well said, Lori!  She’s got some great tips on marketing, and something thought-provoking to say about measuring the quality of your life.  Now grab your coffee and settle in for some wisdom from my new favorite bundle of energy.

What’s something that you feel like you’d like to learn more about, something you are continually learning?

A: I want to learn something new every day! I love to read and really try to stay saturated in business, sales, marketing and personal growth books. I want to learn more about people and why and how they tick! People fascinate me – learning about habits, needs and motivators. I’m continually learning to nurture the relationships in my life. Tony Robbins says that the quality of our lives is in direct proportion to the
quality of our relationships.

What is something that you wish someone would have told you before you had to learn it the hard way?

A: When I began my business as a photographer, it was after owning a hair salon for 10 years. I thought I was a good business person because I loved sales and I loved marketing. What I found out (the hard way) was that being a good business person is all in the numbers. Learning to schedule every part of my workflow was also something that certainly came the “hard way” for me. We all want to “find balance”. And, really, the only way to find any sort of balance, is to have every part of the workflow completely scheduled.

How have you grown in the past five years in your business, in your own personal quest for growth, in your awareness of the world around you?
A: I’ve learned that the only way I can grow is to give. By giving and sharing and letting go of things, we make room for new.

How would you recommend others grow?
A: We grow by doing. I can read, plan, etc but the only way to move forward is to take the steps.

Do you have a favorite marketing tip?
A: We are all marketing all the time! Know who your target client is, know what motivates her and know what her priorities are. How is your target client spending her time and spending her money? Larry Winget (Pitbull of Personal Development) says “your time and money always follow your priorities”. When we know more about our client and what motivates her, what her needs are, we know how to market to her, talk to her and match
the right products and services to her. Help your client design her space (based on needs, priorities and motivators) before the sales appointment. I could go on and on! Marketing your personal brand is something I love to talk about!

Do you have a workshop suggestion, or convention to attend?
A: I love networking with other photographers. Join your state associations and get involved. There are some fabulous workshops out there – too many to mention! Find photographers you connect with and make a list. Set priorities to study with one photographer on your list each year. I recently started www.phototalkforum.com It has been such a great way to connect with other photographers and get to share something every day!

How do you feel that you contribute to the industry?
A: I love this industry and the people in it. I’m so thankful for the opportunity to teach and share with other photographers, and always leave inspired and fulfilled.
This business gets rough! So many that begin from a hobby and something that they love, and it turns into this ugly monster and crying in front of the computer at night! I talk to so many women who’s families are hurting and I have been there!

When you have the opportunity to teach/share there is sometimes the facade that comes along with that… “You make this look so easy!” is something I hear so often. Well, I’m here to tell you, it’s NOT easy! I love getting to share what I’ve been through (the good, the bad and the ugly) with others in the business, especially young women.

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Lori, your answers were so helpful and thought provoking… I appreciated your advice to find photographers you admire and “follow one a year”… just enough to make it not so overwhelming!

Lori didn’t mention her charitable contribution to the industry, so I wanted to add it here:  Now in its 6th year running, Lori devised a “Little Angels” Calendar that contributes to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.    All images from the “little angels” portrait sessions she offers are considered for the Little Angels Calendar, and all proceeds from the calendars go to the LLS.  Its a truly creative way to give back and “celebrate life with photography.”  Thank you, Lori.

www.nordstromphoto.com
www.spiceupyourcamera.com
www.phototalkforum.com

Some of Lori’s gorgeous and very unique images…

Seshu (say it like “say shoe”)is a documentary wedding photographer based in Connecticut, specializing in multicultural, ethnic and interfaith weddings in New England and around the world. He is happy to call himself husband to his beautiful wife, Sangeetha, and father to his two sons, Rohan and Ketan (seen below– aren’t they cute!?). Seshu was born in New York, grew up in India, then returned to go to high school and college in the US. His cosmopolitan perspective helps him bridge cultures and traditions for his clients, but his disarming and charming personality both online and off is what makes him a success.  

To put it in his own words, “Even the best equipment can’t guarantee a powerful image… for that me and my client, we need to, well, click.  Before I snap a photo — before I even pick up my camera — I get to know them, their family, and draw inspiration from the relationship we build.”  Seshu is all about relationships — he even names his blog.  His current blog, Saffron, is a bold red blog that colorfully demonstrates his Indian heritage.  Some of his work shown below are wonderful images of the grandparents in his family, another sign of how important relationships are to him, and how that spills out into his photography.

Most photographers feel like they have enough on their plate keeping their own businesses running, and I’m always impressed by those who take it one step further and use their talents for good to the community. Make sure you check out the Good Works article in this month’s issue of Professional Photographer magazine– you’ll learn all about Seshu’s charitable project, “Phases & Faces: The Kids of Connecticut” a portrait project designed to benefit Connecticut Children’s Medical Center.  The project will culminate in a Coffee Table book published by Seshu Photography in time for the Christmas Holidays!

Just reading Seshu’s Coffee Break will give you an idea of just how generous and thoughtful he is… his answers read like a blogroll with all of the connections and websites he shares.  I love his  advice as well…”Always seek to inform yourself. If it doesn’t help you directly, it may just help someone you know down the road indirectly…Look for ways to help people, with absolutely no expectation to get anything back in return.”  Well said, my friend, in the true spirit of Learn, Grow, Share of Jules Cafe.  Read on, you’ll be glad you did!

LEARN: What’s something that you feel like you’d like to learn more about, something you are continually learning? What is something that you wish someone would have told you before you had to learn it the hard way?

A: Other than lighting, it’s the business side of photography that I am continuing to learn about. I started out as a business major in college and a part of me wishes I had a business degree now. Instead, I graduated with degrees in History and American Studies, then spent two years in Japan trying to learn Japanese. Whether it is marketing, sales or accounting, there seem to be new ways to approach each one now and so I am “in school” perpetually trying to figure out what would make the best sense for my business. It is about adopting and adapting best practices because what someone down the road is doing will rarely work for your own unique situation. I think that’s something to remember.

GROW: How have you grown in the past five years in your business, in your own personal quest for growth, in your awareness of the world around you? How would you recommend others grow—do you have a favorite marketing tip, workshop suggestion, or convention to attend?

A: As I tell people, I don’t live in a bubble nor operate in a vacuum. I have a great many people to thank for either directly or indirectly bringing me to where I am today. Given the rapid growth in blogs, workshops, online seminars, podcasts and video posts, I have learned a great deal in the past five years. My lighting has improved a great deal thanks to people like Zack Arias (onelightworkshop.com), David Hobby (strobist.com), Joe McNally (joemcnally.com), The Wiebners (thewiebners.com) and of course the Digital Wedding Forum (digitalweddingforum.com). That’s the technical side of things.

On the business side, I have followed Dane Sanders (fasttrackphotographer.com), Laura Nowak (strategyavenue.com), Dave & Quin Cheung (dqstudios.com), Anne Ruthmann (photolovecat.com) and of course Jules Bianchi (thank you Seshu!). I also follow Anna Kuperberg (kuperberg.com), David A. Williams (davidwilliams-heartworks.com), Punam Bean (punambean.com), Huy Nguyen (f8studio.com), Carla Ten Eyck (carlateneyck.com), Brooks Whittington (brookswhittington.com ), David Murray (murrayphotography.com), Emilie Sommer (emilieinc.com) and Marc Climie (climie.com) for inspiration.

But there is another type of growth, the kind that is internal and that one rarely has the capacity to teach because the willingness to learn to become a better person comes from within. Four people who have influenced me in that regard are my friends Paul Gero (paulfgero.com/), David duChemin (pixelatedimage.com), Jesh de Rox (jeshderox.com) and Storey Wilkins (storeywilkins.com). They are just incredible at what they do because they approach their photography with such conviction and resolve.

There are various ways one could grow. The obvious are taking workshops, reading a lot of books, following a lot of blogs and simply getting involved in any photography related gathering near you. But it begins with having an open mind about it all. There are workshops I have attended that were at face value a rather waste of my time and money, but weeks or months later I had light bulbs go off that made it all worthwhile. Always seek to inform yourself. If it doesn’t help you directly, it may just help someone you know down the road indirectly. Extend your hand out at a party or gathering and introduce yourself. Carry your business cards and give them away at the right opportunities. Look for ways to help people, with absolutely no expectation to get anything back in return. Be there for a fellow photographer. I have learned quickly that this is a very small community and what goes around comes around … and fast.

One thing in common among all of the photographers (and those I haven’t mentioned) above is that they are all GIVERS. That might give your readers a hint about how to succeed in this business!

SHARE: How do you feel that you contribute to the industry? What is something you would like to share with your follow colleagues? How can they turn around and do the same for others? Favorite charitable contribution?

A: I enjoy connecting people or guiding them to the right resources. It gives me great satisfaction in knowing that I have helped solve someone’s immediate problems. It could be local or someone living on the other side of the planet. It doesn’t really matter. Stepping up, when you can, to lend a hand is perhaps the best thing one can do.

I grew up in a household where voluntary work was encouraged. With two kids of my own now, I wanted to put my skills to use to help Connecticut’s largest children’s hospital. So, I recently launched a portrait book project called Phases + Faces: The Kids of Connecticut. This was inspired by Tero Sade, an Australian photographer and Paul Gero, who I mentioned earlier. Both have connected with their communities and helped them raise a good deal of money for some very worthy causes. There is nothing stopping other photographers to define their goals, approach a non-profit of their liking and start producing images for that cause. It’s win-win-win for all.

I feel my contribution to the industry is still in its nascent stages. As an Indo-American photographer, I feel I understand both cultures and expectations well. When I am asked about Indian weddings, I am totally an open book. I am happy to share whatever I know. Down the road, I would love to teach and write a book about multicultural and ethnic weddings.

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Thank you Seshu for your inspiring answers! I really appreciate the time you took to invest in Jules Cafe, and all of the photographers who visit here for inspiration. Make sure you check out Seshu’s blog for photographers, Tiffinbox.org. Seshu is trying to develop it as a go-to site for those photographers who are interested in South Asia. Recently Seshu was featured in a local article, and you can read more about him here.

And finally, in the spirit of sharing, here are two of Seshu’s favorite blog postings for you!

20 Giants of Photographic Lighting
31 Must Follow Photographers On Twitter

Seshu Photography
Elegant. Memorable. Real.
Website - http://www.seshu.net
Saffron – http://www.seshu.net/saffron
Twitter account – http://twitter.com/picseshu
Facebook account – http://www.facebook.com/seshu

p.s. I know a little secret about Seshu.  He really wants to photograph a wedding at the Oberoi Udaivilas in India, so much so that he’ll do it for free if you take him along!  So if you are looking for an amazing location for your destination wedding, and a photograher who can do the job… look no further.  :-)

Check out his amazing work here!

Those who have not had the pleasure of listening to Craig talk about his work in photography are in for a treat.  Craig is such an unassuming and sweet soul it is easy to see why he and Kevin are such great friends.  Here he is pictured with his super cool wife, Shari.

You might be more familiar with Craig’s amazing product, the Lensbaby, than with the man behind the lens.  He co-founded the company in 2003, and after 18 years working as a professional photographer for newspaper, commercial and wedding clients, Craig  transitioned in 2005 into a full-time role in Lensbaby.  The company has been an astounding success, selling in countries all over the world, inspiring hundreds of thousands of photographers. While his passion for photography started with film cameras, it wasn’t until the digital age where Craig really started to experiement, and this is how the lensbaby was born.  The first lensbaby was made out of a vacuum hose!

The fact that the world can be seen in a new way through Craig’s lensbabies  is something that really inspires him.  Images are created that would not exist if it were not for these unique tools.  But it isn’t so much about the tools, but the artists who use them that continue to impress Craig.   He is grateful for the following that lensbaby has garnered and constantly encouraged by the photographers who use them.

I really appreciate Craig’s outlook on photography, and life in general, and love listening to him.  Whether it is listening to his interview on Ask Dane,  watching his presentation at Boot Camp, or just chatting over lunch at a conference we’ve both attended, talking with Craig really makes me stop and think.

The way Craig sees his photography is that it is something that no one else can imitate, because they don’t see the world in exactly the same way that he does.  What Craig determines as the important moment to capture, the image to hone in on, is completely different from another photographer.  When he shoots an event, he takes the pictures there that HE was meant to take, the moments that stand out to him.  I love that.

Craig’s interview here is no different.  I love his recommendation to “honor your own deep desires” to find your vision for your career.  Pay attention to what you care about and listen to your own voice, and the rest will come. I really enjoyed this Coffee Break with Craig, and I am sure you will, too.

Let’s start off with a really important question.  I know you have three young children, so if  you could go to Disneyland with any celebrity alive today, who would it be?
A: Joaquin Phoenix, duh!

I’m always trying to improve my reading list… give me your three favorite books.
A: The River Why, The Brothers Karamazov, and whatever book I’m currently reading… right now its The Art of Possibility

LEARN:  What’s something that you feel like you’d like to learn more about, something you are continually learning?
A: My most important learning is lifelong and has to do with how well I am serving and affecting people. Right now, I’m reading a book called “The Art of Possibility,” which helped connect some dots for me regarding the way I want to contribute to those around me. I’d been thinking I had some feedback for a friend that would be helpful and I halfheartedly planned on someday bringing it up. As soon as I read that chapter, I emailed and set up a time to talk. Books can be very powerful tools. They can be like my mirror, where I can say “WHOA! I know that what I just read is true and now I need to live consistent with that belief.”

What is something that you wish someone would have told you before you had to learn it the hard way?

A: It took me quite a few years to realize that, as it related to my career, I was primarily a businessman and not an artist. That was a tough pill to swallow and — despite having read The E-Myth twice in the late 90s, The E-Myth Revisited once, and many other business related books — I hadn’t come up with a road map for my wedding photography business that was as clear and well thought out as what Dane Sanders has spelled out in Fast Track Photographer. I would have benefited greatly and made many fewer missteps had I had Dane’s excellent advice back in 1993 when I quit my job at the newspaper and ventured out as my own boss. I’m thrilled for the photographers getting started that have access to Dane’s guidance while they are in the midst of running a photography business.

GROW:  How have you grown in the past five years in your business, in your own personal quest for growth, in your awareness of the world around you?

A: In the last five years I have made a huge transition from working as a photographer full time in my freelance and signature brand photography business to being the president of Lensbaby, in charge of new product development. Prior to that transition, while running my photography business for 12 years, I relied too heavily on my artistic talents and far too little on continuing education and on bringing in individuals who have strengths in areas that I don’t.

How would you recommend others grow—do you have a favorite marketing tip?

A: Honor your deep desires and you will find a greater vision for your career than if you try primarily to meet someone else’s desires. These days, I work very hard at paying attention to what I care about and listening to my own voice. This has been critical in me succeeding in my career as a photographer and as an inventor. A friend in college labeled me a “Gadget Man”. He was right. Caring about gadgets and being frustrated that there weren’t the ones I wanted on the market led me to make some that have resonated with me and, as it has turned out, many other photographers.

Embracing who you are is critical.

Workshop suggestion, or convention to attend?

A: I would not be on the path I am today without having attended that very first Kubota Digital Bootcamp or without having had the honor of being a part of many of the subsequent camps as an attendee/guest speaker. There is something magical that happens in Kevin Kubota’s workshops. Sign up for the next one that is available. Right now. Go!

SHARE:  How do you feel that you contribute to the industry?
A: My hope for my work in the industry is that I help challenge photographers to expand their vision of themselves and their personal vision of the world.

What is something you would like to share with your fellow colleagues?
A: There is so much technical stuff out there that can drive photographers into a 24/7 panic attack about everything they don’t know, that they feel compelled to learn. Some of it is important, but it’s so easy to lose sight of the spontaneous act of photographing. Getting out of the comfort zone is critical. Try something new. I am partial to trying a new lens because a lens is literally how we see the world. Use a new lens to the extreme, brightest and darkest and funny shaped apertures included. Figure out if and how it can expand your vision of the world. Once you’ve spent time figuring this out with one lens, try another and another. Finding new ways to focus can make a world of difference in the photographs that you create.

How can they turn around and do the same for others?
A: People need to see you being true to who you are, as a business person and as an artist. Paying attention to your core values gives others permission to be themselves. In the photographic community, we all benefit from everyone’s gifts being fully realized.

Favorite charitable contribution?
A: Kids with Cameras.

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Thank you Craig!  It is an honor to be considered your friend, and I really appreciate the time you took to share with us on Jules Cafe.  For those of you who can’t get enough, Craig was also recently interviewed on Digital Apple Juice, and you can learn more about Craig and his lensbabies here.  Make sure to follow Mr. Strong on twitter at @strongcraig!

Also, thanks to Craig and Lensbaby, next month we will be giving away a Lensbaby Composer to one lucky winner for Olive’s Monthly Contest!

Take a look into the brain of Craig Strong, as shown by his thoughtful and thought-provoking images.

I’m thrilled to have Nathan on our Coffee Break today, and I think you’ll appreciate his business insights — and look for information about his free Lightroom webinar!   My favorite quote from this interview is: “This business is ultimately not about the pictures, but the experience you create for your clients”.   Well spoken, Nathan.  Grab your cup and read.

Nathan Holritz grew up in a foreign country, surrounded by a completely different language and culture.  He had to learn to adapt, to communicate easily and be aware of the needs of others.  His Japanese is still fluent (if you need an interpreter, he’s your guy).

Nathan and Amber decided to begin a business built around photographing weddings in Chattanooga, TN in early 2002.  Over the next 18 months they photographed 15 weddings.  The skills Nathan learned overseas in adaptability and communication came in very handy and they more than doubled that number the following year.  At that point, Nathan threw himself into research and industry networking, and propelled Holritz Photography to the top of the local industry, while simultaneously making a name for himself and Amber within the photographic industry on an international scale. Since that time, he has spoken often within the industry, and is considered an authority on the topics of organization and post-processing.

As Nathan worked with photographers to assist with their post-processing, he began to notice a genuine need in the industry.  Photographers were spending incredible amounts of time processing their own images after a wedding or portrait session, taking them away from those activities that were truly proactive and would grow their business.  Nathan thought to himself, “What if there was a company that would allow photographers to get rid of the ‘busy work’ of processing their own images?  Even better, what if there was a company that could offer those services easily and affordably?” And so Photographer’s Edit was born in 2008.

Photographer’s Edit has grown into a successful company that strives to make life easier for photographers so that they can spend time doing more of what they love –and what is good for their business– shooting and marketing!

Splitting duties between Holritz Photography and Photographer’s Edit has not been easy. Nathan plans on continuing to photograph 8-10 weddings a year while investing in the growth of  Photographer’s Edit. Nathan lives by the quote  “Life is what you make of it,” and he certainly has made quite a bit for himself!

Nathan is a gentle soul, and immediately likeable, just like his adorable wife. I love the Holritz family… love the way they raise their children, and how unassuming they are as people, how they just open themselves up to friendship. Here he is with his take on Learn, Grow, Share.

LEARN: What’s something that you feel like you’d like to learn more about, something you are continually learning?

A:  This is a HUGE topic, but my friend Kevin Swan, owner of KISS Wedding Books, has inspired me to continue to learn more about the general topic of marketing, and more specifically positioning/branding. It’s an ongoing study for sure!

What is something that you wish someone would have told you before you had to learn it the hard way?

A: I wish that I had been more aware of what it means to manage the financial side of my business from the start. Having a good accountant and/or financial consultant on board from the very start to help you manage the numbers, a budget, and set appropriate goals would have been so nice!  It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of photography and not think about the business management side of things.

GROW: How have you grown in the past five years in your business, in your own personal quest for growth, in your awareness of the world around you?

A: Wow!  So much has happened in the last 5 years!  How have I grown?

Business-wise: The most significant things I’ve learned has been about the fact that  this business is ultimately not about the pictures, but the experience you create for your clients.  It seems simplistic, but so many photographers think it’s about the pictures and miss out on how profitable their business can really be.

SHARE: How do you feel that you contribute to the industry? What is something you would like to share with your follow colleagues?

A: I’m not presumptuous enough to think that people gain a lot from my existence in the industry, but for the last few months, I’ve been offering a free webinar through Photographer’s Edit dealing with Lightroom workflow.  Thanks to an informal partnership with Adobe, we actually had 750 people sign up for the last webinar!  I’m passionate about the Lightroom software, and I love the idea of sharing it, along with a simple workflow for processing portrait sessions, with photographers in our industry.  This workflow will allow the photographers to process their small jobs fast, and then we want them to send their weddings and larger events to Photographer’s Edit!

Also, in the theme of sharing, as the company grows, we’re going to be partnering with one or two charities/non-profits to process their images in association with projects they are working on overseas and stateside.

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Thank you Nathan! I really enjoy hearing all of the different takes on these questions.  I always leave with something new.  If you have not checked out Photographer’s Edit before, I would encourage you to — every photographer owes it to themselves to experiment with outsourcing.  It is the next step towards growing your business.  Tell Nathan that Jules Cafe sent you!

This month, participate in Jules Cafe’s contest to win a set of Lightroom presets designed by Nathan! This is a set of Warm B&W, Neutral B&W, and Color Lightroom Presets to get both your RAW and JPEG images looking fantastic in no time.

Nathan sent me some images from his last wedding in St. Lucia, and these are really fantastic.  As much as Nathan is the strong business side of Holritz Photography, he certainly has his own eye for catching a brilliant moment.  Check it out for yourself: