Queensberry Connects


Johannes van Kan

I am a photographer, poet, and once was a traveller .... until I set up a photographic studio which somehow, almost magically sucked up any traveling funds and time. I am married to the lovely Jo Grams (also a photographer) and in June I officially became the father of Ida Valentina. People warned me that everything would change. It has. Ida has taken over from the studio as the magical time and money sucker (just kidding).

http://jvk.modafotografica.co.nz/

Johannes's Archive

The Bumble Bee Effect

June 3rd, 2011 in Opinion by


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Johannes has a better metaphor, but the photo is from iStock. – Ed.

The Bumble Bee Effect. Different to the Butterfly Effect because they haven’t made a movie of the same name with at least two sequels.

The Bumble Bee effect is all about buzz and pollen.

It’s about being talked about. We successfully did so by putting on an earthquake (a really big one).

There are other ways to create a buzz that are much more positive.

Obvious buzz topics are awards, photographing the wedding of Kate and Prince William, standing tall in the face of adversity, scandal, heroism, and achievement. (Actually ‘scandal’ might not be considered as a positive buzz.)

Pollen is the haploid male gametophyte generation of the plant and is produced in both angiosperms and gymnosperms through the process of meiosis. Pollen is produced in the male cones of gymnosperms and in the anthers of angiosperms. This is important stuff (thank you Wikipedia).

Plants produce microscopic round or oval pollen grains to reproduce. In some species, the plant uses the pollen from its own flowers to fertilize itself. Other types must be cross-pollinated; that is, in order for fertilization to take place and seeds to form, pollen must be transferred from the flower of one plant to that of another plant of the same species. Insects do this job for certain flowering plants, while other plants rely on wind transport; agents that effect pollination are also known as vectors.

The Pollen is really a metaphor for the fertilisation, and spreading of, ideas.

Ideas are the buzz.

When you think about it, The Bumble Bee Effect is straight out advertising, but in this age it includes being in places where people talk, like Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter etc (the vectors). The Bumble Bee Effect is about the information and the way it gets around.

A side effect of the pollination process is the gathering of honey (rhymes with ????), a sweet reward for the passing on of the message (pollen).

This is the way of it all really. We are the often-inadvertent carriers of other people’s buzz, but, if the world were a hive, we wouldn’t mind because a smart bumble bee knows that it is all for a greater good.

So here’s the guts of it. Become talked about. Allow others to carry the message and be happy to carry the message of others.

Cheers, Johannes

PS On average a Bumble Bee flaps its wings 150 times a second.

 

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    • The invention of lying

    May 16th, 2011 in Products & Services by


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    Not the movie!

    I am talking about wedding photography.

    OHHHH if only I had a dollar for every time somebody said to me can you airbrush/photoshop me thinner/more beautiful/younger/less wrinkled, and why oh why is it always, I want to look like Brad Pitt or Angelina?!

    I would be RICH!!!!! Filthy dirty rich, and in truth I would not have to make any money as a photographer.

    Photographers didn’t really invent the lie … Adobe did. Actually that is a lie, it was the first person to do a cave drawing representing themselves (or somebody else) as a bit more upright than they really were, or possibly slightly taller.

    Why do we do it? Of ourselves it is vanity. Of others it’s for profits.

    In our studio we talk about keeping the lie real.

    Real enough that people never ask, “Who is that with your husband?” Nor do they suggest that things “seem to have gone downhill since your wedding” when they note the sudden onset of crows feet, a few extra laughter lines and a dramatic change from porcelain skin to something much more leathery.

    A good lie is one that is reinforced by the evidence. So creative body enhancements and beautification needs to be maintained throughout the telling of the story. In the case of a wedding album the same lie needs to be told consistently.

    Queensberry is happy to lie on your behalf. They call it “artwork”. It means that you can partially distance yourself from the emotional burden of dishonesty.

    This doesn’t come free! There is a price to be paid for bending the truth. But then sometimes a little white lie can make things so much better.

    If you would like Queensberry to lie on your behalf,  talk to them about sharing the burden.

    Cheers,
    Johannes

     

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    • A sea of beige

    May 7th, 2011 in Inspiration by


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    Rebecca said it right!

    The more you replicate other photographers the more beige you become.

    Be inspired by the success of other photographers and influenced by their philosophies.

    Be colourful, but accept that some people see beige as a safe colour.

    Somebody asked me how do we stand out when our audience sees us as somehow all the same … just dearer or cheaper (light beige and dark beige).

    I was watching a piece on TED about a guy called Daniel Libeskind … his work is very left of centre and clearly not beige.

    Watch it and listen to his talk. Take note of his word sets, Emotional vs Cool, Memorable vs Forgettable etc. This certainly explains the concept behind not being beige better than I ever could.

    Cheers, Johannes

     

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    • The difference between photographers, brides and people

    April 29th, 2011 in Photography & Design by


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    I was talking to Stephen last night and he made a comment about how photographers will approach an album on the Queensberry stand at trade shows.

    He said that most often they will pick up the book and look at the last pages first. If what they see catches their interest they look more closely.

    I can think of several reasons for this behaviour. At trade shows there are many suppliers peddling their wares, It is important for photographers to be efficient in their research. The last image in an album is often a defining one and in some way summarises the quality, content and feeling of the album.

    When photographers look at albums at a show they are either critiquing their content or their construction, feel, and look.

    When brides approach an album they flick from the front. Often they will survey for people or places they know. They wiill pause on the details, but they will look for the feeling of the wedding.

    When other people look at albums they are more open to engaging in the story they are being presented with.

    Interestingly photographers doing a ‘check out’ of other photographers, under the guise of a prospective bride (or groom), will look intently at each image. They are surprisingly obvious.

    That is the difference between engagement and research.

    Its our job to make albums engaging.

     

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    • Time for a new sample album

    April 26th, 2011 in Inspiration by


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    Yes our circumstance is unique (our studio was wiped out in an earthquake), but what a great motivator to get a new sample album or two.

    Very seldom do we get a blank canvas opportunity where we get to look at what we do and ask, “If my past no longer dragged down my future what would my future be?”

    On February the 22nd  everything changed. We went from a plan, to a nightmare, to a dream.

    But this post isn’t about us. This is about you.

    We as a studio would often leave updating our samples until there was a specific need, which most often was a bridal show.

    This always put pressure on us and the lovely folk at Queensberry because the deadline would always be short.

    What I am proposing is the regular scheduled upgrading of sample albums, either as a specific job or as a copy of some work you are proud of.

    Choose a couple of dates in a year, like April and October, and make those the dates to replace samples. Make it a rule for every year.

    Try and look at it as a blank canvas opportunity where you get to be whatever you want to become, by creating something to excite you and your audience. Make it the “new you”, not the “old you” revisited and rehashed.

    Recreate yourself continuously. That should be the plan. And the dream should be to always be excited about being a photographer. And if you have the choice, skip the nightmare.

    Cheers,
    Johannes

     

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    April 18th, 2011 in Inspiration by


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    Just read a post (love the internet -pause- sometimes)

    and had to share the punch line.

    The complete post is here and it’s written by a guy called Spencer Lum for a blog called Ground Glass.

    Read this and grow. I wish I had written it.

    Find yourself in 13 steps

    1. Be true to the art. The art powers it. It’s not a flash to the side, a quilt on a couple, or a texture on an image. Those are just techniques. Techniques have no soul. You do. Art does.

    2. Don’t rush it. Faster isn’t always better. You start on a path, and it’s hard to get off, so if you push too hard, you get lost before you know it. Build the word by letting people in on what you do. Be true to it. Make them need you.

    3. Do something for people who follow you. Find ways to reach out and make yourself and not just your art part of their lives. You are only successful because of the people who believe in you.

    4. Learn. See how you can make photography your own. See what ways other photographers have used the craft to connect with people. We’re talking about the history books – great photographers have meant so much to so many, they’re part of the history books. There’s way more than just impressing people. Get under their skin and in their head, and you’ll always have a following.

    5. Take a stand. If you have no position, you’re not digging in enough. Everyone has a viewpoint. Every has something to say. Find your voice.

    6. Forget about pretty. You want beautiful. And beautiful can be ugly.

    7. Learn technique, copy inspiration. If you do it the other way around, you’re back on the wave.

    8. Get people to hate you. Nothing can be that great if no one hates it.

    9. Make things that shouldn’t work, work. Every great idea was something most people thought wouldn’t work at one point. Salt on caramel? Who does that? Until someone does. Flare? That’s a lens defect, right? You learn about yourself when you walk to the edge, and jump off to see what happens. Otherwise, you discover nothing new.

    10. Believe in people, believe in yourself. Belief powers everything in the world. It gives you the stamina to make it through. It lets people see the best you there is. It lets you become what you’re not quite yet. Trust that if you put it out there, people will get it. Some will. Many won’t. Don’t worry about the many. They’ll come around if you stay focused on the some who do.

    11. Forget about money. We’ve all got bills to pay. Pay them. But you’re more important than the money. You, your time, your self is everything. Protect it by any means necessary.

    12. Rest. There’s enough pressure as it is. Give yourself the time to digest.

    13. Don’t be a chicken shit. OK, this one is just a reminder for myself. But it works, right?

    Now go follow Spencer – Ed.

     

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    • Inadvertent victims of fashion

    April 8th, 2011 in Photography & Design by


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    Picture this!

    Some magic lighting, a beautiful bride and a handsome groom, standing staring emotionlessly at a camera.

    In ten years time what does this picture say about the happily in love couple on the happiest day of their lives? Actually what it says about them now is that they appreciate a current and popular expression of fashionable imagery. It isn’t possible for them to say that they didn’t know it was happening.

    Because something is fashionable doesn’t make it good, or that it suits the outcome. We go out of our way to keep up with current trends, sometimes losing sight of what we are doing.

    There is a huge difference between creating a tome dedicated to fashionable imagery and telling the story of two people who got married and were fashionable.

    In 20 years time do these people look at the image of themselves staring soullessly back and say ‘I remember being young and in love’?

    The trick is to balance the knowledge of people and photography with creativity and not link it to a passing trend.

    The secret is to make the moment important by photographing it well and then to educate your audience to seek that out. The success is in making it be fashionable to have really good photography, and not that really good photography is defined by fashions.

    So what does this mean with reference to Gen 2.0? It means that their longevity is based on recognising the fickle hand of Fashion that, in a day, swipes aside the flared, emotionless, strangely coloured image of two people staring meaninglessly straight ahead only to replace it with the next new big thing. It means that to survive the long haul this fashionation of wedding imagery must still be underpinned by damn good photography.

    Herein lies the meeting of generations. Where experience and fashionability get together to create an attractive product for brides and grooms that has power, emotions, beauty, and creativity married for the long haul.

    Cheers,
    Johannes

     

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    • Generation 2.0

    April 4th, 2011 in Opinion by


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    I daren’t start this blog with ‘In my day … things were different!’

    In my day ‘We’ were the difference … we were the new generation biting at the heals of ‘the old guard’.

    There was always going to be a new generation coming in to replace what we did.

    Several things happened in the wedding industry when I was starting up. People started looking for images that were less formal and more photojournalistic, and people started asking for their negatives.

    Enter Generation 2.0, invigorated and empowered by the digital revolution. Camera makers have made it easier for our audience to be better aligned with our photographic skills, by vastly improved focusing, exposure, and image quality at affordable prices.

    Generation 2.0 is the new guard, thirsty for knowledge and keen to experiment. Herein lies the secret.

    If I sit on my experience and my wisdom I will quickly become redundant. The safety of my place in the wedding industry will be threatened by my own adherence to being safe, and my new clients will fade away. It is essential that I continue to experiment, take risks, and grow new ideas.

    Somebody once said there are no more new ideas left, just the old ones reborn and repackaged.

    This may be true but if you look at Gen 2.0 photographers there is a definite inclination towards fashion, architecture, design and emotional intent. I blame computers for this heightened awareness!

    But hang on! Isn’t this what we as a new generation of photographers (in our day) brought to wedding photography to become visual leaders?

    So there’s the rub! Its not that photographic intent has changed in any way. The new generation is photographing with a more aware eye to current trends in design and fashion.

    Generation 2.0 has a creative fearlessness unencumbered by the wisdom of experience. Flared out images with heads chopped out are hot, photographs of people in lines staring at a camera are not.

    There is a huge risk that if a Gen 1.1 photographer takes on the guise of Gen 2.0 without understanding the differences, they could easily end up looking like the guy with a really bad toupee. People stare, some point (especially children), and he never seems to get a date.

    Generation 2.0 embraces technology but also appreciates the retro opportunities of film. Generation 2.0 has an understanding of technology and creative fearlessness that will only be surpassed by Generation 3.0.

    As I recall, the two problems that other photographers had with us entering the market were:

    • We had a new product that was attractive to a new generation of brides and grooms,  and
    • We were under-priced.

    Not much has changed. Actually that is not true, photographers are educating themselves more, and better.

    All generations of photographers need to keep growing, learning, and creating.

    Cheers, Johannes

     

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    • Coy or not coy?

    April 2nd, 2011 in Marketing by


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    I couldn’t help myself … I just had to jump in on this one.

    There are many reasons why photographers are coy on their pricing.

    They want to keep their colleagues uninformed. They don’t want to frighten potential clients before they have had a chance to impress them with their own brand of personal charm, their list of awards, and the opportunity to brandish their Photoshop skills. They don’t feel confident in their own pricing.

    We have two companies dealing with different budgets.

    The less expensive brand has full disclosure on the website. 65-75% of people responding to the website are booking an appointment if we are available. 10% are asking for our prices (mainly photographers who can’t read … I’m kidding but you’d be surprised). 15% are trying to sell  us something and about 10% are asking about other things.

    The more expensive site gets more comments but less bookings. The most common request is, ‘How much?’  This usually comes up well before ‘Are you available?’

    I liked that both Heather and Anna said don’t waste your time telling them how good you are.

    They are both right about their responses, and the choice depends on who you are talking to.

    Some brides feel that you are hiding something if you are unable to answer their question. Others are looking for a ball park. Both want an honest answer.

    With our premium brand we have two significant issues to address. Firstly people assume we will be out of their budget. Secondly they assume that we will be busy.

    Stating our prices on our website could mean that we miss out on having the conversation that could lead to us picking up a booking. Stating our prices does let people overcome some of their own barriers. It is important that we have something that clients can like and afford so that the door is still open to us for a look in.

    Cheers, Johannes.

     

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    • Design simplicity

    March 24th, 2011 in Photography & Design by


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    Three quick tips to simplify album design.

    1. Avoid unnecessary repetition (eg this is the bride looking slightly left, straight ahead, and slightly right) unless you make your profits from the number of images you sell.

    2. Embrace open space (especially in sample albums – lead by example).

    3. Offer a two album option that allows people to have lots of images without overcrowding.

    While I’m mentioning ‘leading by example’:

    If you don’t make a sample album from each order, at least make each design into a slideshow you can show prospective clients.

    This library of slideshows allows you to show them how you can work at specific locations and how diverse your work is. It also allows you to customise your presentation to suit the prospective’s perspective.

    Cheers, Johannes

     

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