These guys were brilliant! It really looks like an eyewitness video, with the uneven handheld panning, the comments and the camera reaction of them running to see if the baby was ok. But the one thing they missed was the shadows. Between six frames, the angle of the sun changes from behind the lens and over the right shoulder to the left of the lens.

Using the shadows, you can tell which objects were animated creations, and which were really at the park. Still it’s a brilliant video:

And here’s the viral YouTube that has gotten over 10 million hits overnight:

My book, “Rockstar” is a call to action for Professional Photography to make the imposters more transparent. So many couples are getting burned by photographers who don’t deliver images.  And even worse are unscrupulous photography seminar instructors who are just out to sell educational materials and workshops.

I’ve seen a video where this this woman named Janelle asks this “Rockstar” couple when she should just quit her job and go full time as a professional photographer.  And, without looking at her experience, talent or skill – he says the most stupid, irresponsible thing I’ve seen in a long time.  The pinhead says -

“DO IT NOW!   “What’s the worst that can happen.  Do you really think, Janelle, that you’ll really be on the street homeless?”  And Janelle says, “My house might be foreclosed”  and this buffoons says, “it’s not!  It’s not going to happen!”

Folks, people who say things like this are just trying to look cool so they can get your money.  They’re trying to sell educational materials and fill seats in workshops.  So they prey on nervous people who don’t feel sure.  And so what will happen is Janelle, and all of the Janelle’s out there watching are going to listen to that advice, “face their fears” and go into business.  And things like this happen to trusting people like Janelle… here is the sad story of Heather Peachee, aspiring professional photographer.

click here

I’ve created a handy form to use as a booking tool.  It’s a “job application” for a photographer, and it asks for information like, “do you have insurance”, etc.  It’s available in PDF or WORD format in instant download.

Photographer Interview Form

It’s a great way to educate your client as to what are questions to ask a photographer.  I have no idea what to ask a drywaller.  But if a drywaller gave me this filled out application (plus blanks) and explained the importance of each of the fields on the page, I’d really appreciate it, and I’d hand it over to anybody else I was interviewing.  It would help me set standards of professionalism, in the mind of me, the consumer.

Here’s the link to the pDF click here.  Here’s the link to the WORD document (which will automatically transfer to your desktop).  I hope this is a helpful tool for you to use in your business.

I haven’t edited this at all, including spelling:

i know it will be competition but my wife has started Photography Business and we dont have a Photaophers Camera we just have a regular Digital Camera and i ewas wondering if you would have an old one you could us for round 500 let me know or let me know where we cann find one thats bout all we can afford rite now THANK YOU

Thoughts?  Comments?

Today I asked for ripoff stories from students of charlatan photography workshop instructors. My email box was FLOODED with stories of outrageous full-out greed. I know that great workshops exist, but they are few compared to the the unorganized, untrained events run by those who are good at marketing falsehoods, but short on talent, experience or skill.

I got into this mess by listening to some of my friends not able to get refunds from a Motivational Speaker from OC that I used to know really well. Their lives were impacted because he took their money. I know of another lady who spent $16k on workshop and “founder” materials, and she wound up nearly getting a divorce. She spent it all on credit cards, reasoning that she would earn it back without her husband ever knowing the money was gone. This is why they signed up. The instructor made representations that the students would earn multiples.

Brooks Institute of Photography just went through a class action for “persuading prospective students to enroll by “willfully misleading” them, “falsifying and omitting critical information.”. This lawsuit eventually cost the school $12.5 million.

In many ways, what Brooks got nailed for was similar to most workshop claims today. I think I have a way to protect yourself. Have them fill out the application (attached) and get your copy signed before attending the workshop.

An “implied” claim is not the same as a “stated” claim. In a “stated” claim if the photographer states that you will increase your income, that is a stated claim. If you signed up because of this claim (e.g. make more money) then an attorney may have a “Brooks Institute” field day. If they say they probably won’t give you skills to increase your business, why go? Please pass this on as I’m interested in your thoughts!

Send this to your workshop instructor before signing up for a class!

As some of you already know, I’ve been working on a book called, “So You Think You Can Be a Rockstar Photographer”.   It examines the impact that social media has had on the profession of professional photography.

In compiling the research for this book, it became very clear that there’s so much misrepresentation and fraud that the entire industry is beginning to appear not credible.. It is so easy to “appear” as an established professional photographer (as in the story of Meagan Kunert)  and there’s so many things that a potential bride and groom may not know to ask photographers that they’re considering hiring.

A lot of brides for example, would have no idea that their photographer should carry a certain amount of liability insurance, or to ask if the images on the photographer’s website were taken at actual paid events, or at a shooters workshop (where a professional photographer hires models and stylists)  for participants to use as samples of their work online.

Misrepresentation in photography is very damaging to the industry. The public at large may soon begin to not trust professional photographers in general.

Here are some early images of the questionnaire.   It will probably have a few final tweaks, but once it’s done it will be released to potential brides. I think for you, it would also be a great gesture, (and a great-booking advantage) if the you gave your potential client a copy of this form completely filled out and signed.

Just like the diamond industry goes to great lengths to educate their consumers that a) a diamond should cost the groom three months salary or b) what the four C’s mean in measuring the quality of the diamond.   Having a standardized, “Truth in Disclosure Form” will at least protect the consumer from fraud.

I understand that to some photographers this may seem intimidating because your natural tendency would be to look through every single one of these boxes hoping that you would score an “A” on every answer. But that’s not the point. The point is to be truthful in the categories listed, and with that information, the potential client can simply be more informed. I think this is extremely important to have circulating around for these reasons.

As for, “will the brides even know meaningful answers?” I plan on publishing a guide to the range of answers possible, and how to weigh their meaning.

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