The Business of Photography

October 6, 2017

Video Viewpoint: Staying Current In Today’s Media Landscape
Remaining grounded, profitable and moving forward as the video and cinema world shifts beneath you
Dan Brockett
video business
The business facts, on their face, seem grim. In video and digital cinema, the tools are better, cheaper and more accessible to the masses than they have ever been. Software is quickly making many production tools and techniques obsolete. How people consume media is changing everything in our business. Award-winning films like Tangerine, shot on smartphones,... Read more
September 6, 2017

Social Media: Brand Recognition
We ask a major brand what it’s looking for in a social media photographer and in its online campaigns
DL Byron
social media photographer
Instagram influence is about nuance, and in this instance, the escape of riding off into the mountains with nothing but a bedroll and a long beard. Photo courtesy of R. Mankoff Brands are turning to Instagram to find influencers, and we asked Sean Estes, the global PR manager of Specialized, a bicycle manufacturer, about the process. Specialized was... Read more
August 28, 2017

Sony: Lessons On Business And Passion Learned In Japan
On a first-ever trip to Sony’s Japanese image sensor factory and headquarters, much was revealed about Sony’s photographic business
David Schloss
Sony photographic business
Digital Photo Pro was among a select group of U.S. media invited by Sony to make a trip to Japan to visit the company’s Kumamoto sensor factory and its Tokyo-based global headquarters. At the meetings at the locations, Sony revealed quite a bit about its recent sales successes, as well as some of the missteps it has made along the way and some business... Read more
August 11, 2017

Throw The Book At Them: A Selection Of Output Services For Photographers
Choices abound for the wedding and portrait photographer looking to give their clients stunning books and prints
DL Byron
output services for photographers
The key thing that most people don’t understand when they embark on a career in wedding photography is that the photography is only one part of the business. I’m not referring to the pounds of paperwork and the endless self-promotion that occupy the bulk of a wedding photographer’s day, but instead to the tangible final product. While a number... Read more
July 27, 2017

Media Matters
Some recent events within the cinema and video production worlds are causing us to take a fresh look at our shooting media needs
Dan Brockett
With recent industry events, recording media strategy depends on your camera, how much footage you’re shooting—and whether you can afford the media
Panasonic AU-EVA1 Super 35 Handheld Cinema Camera Some recent events within the cinema and video production worlds have caused us to take a fresh look at our shooting media needs. You know, those cards and/or drives that we use to record our best efforts, dreams and wishes manifested as zeros and ones? Two different relatively earth-shaking events... Read more
July 20, 2017

Video Production Gear Budgeting
How to budget smartly for professional video and cinema gear
Dan Brockett
video gear budget
“Should I buy this piece of gear?” I see this posted often, and since I’m in possession of at least a few gray hairs, I’m asked the same question on a pretty consistent basis. People often spend inordinate amounts of time curating and writing out a long and often well-researched gear list that they’re thinking about buying. It could be a camera... Read more
July 19, 2017

Synology DS916+: It Will Go Full NAS, If You Want
A high-performance NAS for small- to medium-sized studios
DL Byron
NAS storage
The Synology DS916+ set up in my office next to the WiFi and my favorite plant. Following up on my story about storage solutions for small studios, there’s a company called Synology that makes a very high-end NAS, which is great for video-editing outlets and for huge studios. Synology competes with companies like G-Technology (the RAID cited in my... Read more
July 18, 2017

Copyright Monkey Business
How a simian’s selfie might change copyright law
Samuel Lewis
monkey selfie
While this monkey is smiling, photographer David Slater certainly isn’t after a copyright claim threw the ownership of this image into question. Credit: David Slater How does a monkey own a copyright? While this may sound like the beginning of a bad joke, for UK-based photographer David Slater, the question is far from funny. In 2015, Slater and others... Read more
July 14, 2017

Social Media Strategy: Always Be Closing
Don’t chase every social media audience; pick the ones that work to generate jobs
DL Byron
social media strategy
By cultivating a “look” and carefully curating your images, a single social media tool can be incredibly powerful. Photos by DL Byron Get them to sign on the line that’s dotted. In an infamous scene in the movie adaptation of Glengarry Glen Ross, Alec Baldwin—while verbally “motivating” a group of real estate salesmen—drills into their... Read more
July 5, 2017

Storage Solutions For A Small Studio
A good storage and backup strategy takes a lot to set up, but is well worth the time
DL Byron
storage and backup solutions
With a custom 24MP Sony sensor, fast processing times and a huge buffer, a camera like the a9 can shoot 20 fps for up to 362 JPEG or 241 RAW images. Dual slots for UHS-II cards at up to 128 gigs means a photographer can finish an assignment with images of over 10K. All that tech and storage ensures you’ll likely never miss a shot, but you’ll also... Read more
June 28, 2017

Working With Apple
Apple services you may not know about
DL Byron
Apple programs
When Apple announced a Kaby Lake update to the MacBook Pro Touch at WWDC, some reviewers were upset. A popular tech blog even wrote an inflammatory headline about the update and then went on to lambast Apple for not shipping the Kaby Lake processor back in November when the MacBook Pro Touch launched. Not privy to Apple’s supply chain logistics, I... Read more
June 3, 2017

8K Video Ushers In New Still Photo Era
With the world of 4K barely established, the video and cinema markets are boldly headed toward 8K, and some companies, like RED, have already arrived
David Schloss
A portrait captured as a frame grab from the RED Weapon 8K camera. Photo by Vincent Laforet At the RED booth at CineGear, I had the chance to catch up with photographer/videographer Vincent Laforet, who had some of his recent photographic work on display on the walls of the booth. Laforet is a former Canon Explorer of Light, and his early work with... Read more
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