Financial Statement

When creating a financial statement for my business's budgets and sales forecast; I learned a few things.  First it is not an easy task, rather time consuming, actually.  It is not a fun project by any stretch of the word but a necessary one.  The research alone will drown you into a state of deep depression.  HOWEVER -  Thanks to the good folks at Nevada State bank, an easy-to-adapt excel workbook version was available and I was able to plug in my figures and calculations.  I still had to determine what these figures were and actually had to do Math - Yuck! But nonetheless, it has to be done.
Here are few things I observed:

•  Your figures and estimations need to be real - very real. There is not one banker that will view your business plan based on fictitious numbers. Be prepared to explain and justify every expense and earning. Staring with your cash investment and equipment purchases to salaries and profits.  
• You will most likely not get paid your first 6 months of running your business.   If you have a business partner that has shared this investment with you, neither will they.  So expect to continue working your Pizza Delivery job for the first year.
• The Forecast is great guideline.  You spent all this time creating it - Now use it!  This will assist you to stay on budget - avoid over spending. Also your sales forecast will aid you in staying on top of your monthly sales.  Keeping a running tally of what your actually sales are each month and where they need to be is a motivator to get out and make more money. 

Overall, I am having a good experience with my budget & sales forecast. oh sure, my sales fall low one month and then triple the nest, but with this business plan, I am able to keep on eye on my bottom line and anticipate which direction my business is going in.

40 under 40 in Vegas

The 40 under 40 Awards recognize not only the determination and commercial drive of the nominees but also the philanthropic pursuits that balance their corporate achievements and as such acknowledge their less public contributions to the welfare of the state of residency.
Whew!  This may seem like a lot to accomplish in a short amount of time, but for myself, I know how quickly a plan can come together for great success.  For example: in my twenties i was working in advertising. I received many prestigious awards for my creative work, both on a state and National level.  Although I never really took it for granted, I did not seek these accolades either. They just came with the territory, write a great commercial - win a CLIO.  Cross promote with a non-profit that aids in their fund raising - win an NFPB. Become a top female account executive in advertising - wards from RAB & NAB. The list goes on, but I am not here to look back. Quite the contrary, I am here to look forward.
 I invested in my future to gain a technological edge - to stay on top of the tidal wave prior the crash to shore.  With an ever changing media like digital photography, it is silly to think this can be self taught.  However, the business savvy, ability to communicate with others, express your ideas, do things for the greater good of a community; may be taught in a class but the comprehension and implementation comes from experience in the field. Also, the valuable network group that surrounds you, only grows as you become older, wiser and more successful.
Currently, I see myself growing in the next 10 years, to an award winning, Master Photographer.  Throw in a Pulitzer Prize to the mix and I will still keep striving for more.

Is she fair game?

After watching the movie Roman Holiday, starring Audrey Hepburn (Princess Anna), Gregory Peck (Writer; Joe Brady) and Eddie Albert (Photographer; Irvin), they are faced with a dilemma of to publish or not to publicize the quirk events surrounding a Princess.  The statement is made; " ...She is fair game..." implying they (the two male characters) should go forward and publish the Princess' activities.
   When posed with the question of Is she fair game? First we must define just what fair game is. My definition would be, when speaking of a girl, does she have a ring on her finger? If not, she is fair game. In other words, if a lady has not been betrothed to another, than she is fair game.
    With reference to the movie and the issue of printing the story & photographers; I would have to reply... Heck Yeh! After all, the Princess is a public figure. Her image in a public place is completely "fair game" based on those factors alone. Now, the movie is a romance, so Gregory Peck goes soft and decides to not go forward and write the story.  Not only is he out the five grand for his exclusive, he does not get the girl either.  FOOL!
   In conclusion - fair game has a broad definition as a whole, but may be interrupted very specifically when it comes to photography, especially when the image is captured of a public figure, in public.

Biggest challenge to complete my business plan

I must admit, I have a current active business plan, so ask me what is my biggest challenge in creating a business plan is moot. HOWEVER~ some challenges I face day in and day out is following my plan, altering my plan and adjusting to the ever changing environment of photography and my current economical atmosphere. When creating my Executive Summary, one of the hardest things to do is talk about yourself, sell yourself and by all means, toot your own horn. I fall short in doing this. I can talk about my business, my passion, all day long with those that share the passion; but to discuss with a room of bankers, who probably don't speak the same jargon, is terrifying.

Although the executive summary leads off the business plan, it should be written last. That way, you can gather information from the rest of the report, and make certain there are no inconsistencies.

The executive summary is the best place to illustrate your mission statement. Develop a brief description, no more than a few sentences, which explain:

• Why your business exists
• What its goals are
• How you will achieve those goals

“…your plans must incorporate the idea that the business of photography is constantly changing. You not only must plan for what you expect, but you must establish responses to unexpected events and response to those responses, and so on and so on.” (Best Business Practices for Photographers; John Harrington, pg 7)

Next, develop the business concept; details about the type of business you want to open, who the customers will be and what the competitive advantage is. A competitive advantage explains why customers will chose your business over marketplace rivals. Your reasons may include:

• Filling a void in the marketplace
• Offering a better product than what currently exists
• Offering a comparable product, but at a better price than your rivals

From there, give a brief description of your financial stance. This part of the executive summary should mention the expected start up costs, as well as your short and long term financial projections.

“Statistics show that an invoice more than 60 days old has only a 70% chance of being collected in full. After 90 days, the chance of collecting the invoice in full drops to 45% and after 120 days it falls to 20% It diminishes form there, so make sure you get paid sooner than later.” (Best Business Practices for Photographers; John Harrington, pg 365)

The next issue to address is your business status. It may still be only in the idea stage. Perhaps you've already raised a little money. Or, it may be that you are fully operational and looking to expand. Investors will interpret your current business position as a signal as to how much capital is needed to advance your company, and whether or not this equals the type of opportunity they are looking for.

The final part of the executive summary will focus on critical aspects that will determine your chance for success. These items will be specific to your business, but may include:

• Low staff turnover
• A technology patent
• A strategic partnership
• Externalizations, such as the continuation of a marketplace or economic trend

“If you have been telling yourself that you can’t cause for your success to happen, then you are a victim, but not a victim of circumstance, a victim of your own thinking.” (9 Lies That Are Holding Your Business Back...and the Truth That Will Set It Free; Steve Chandler & Sam Beckford, Career Press, 2005 Pg. 163)

Generally, the executive summary should offer a glance into what the business plan holds. Highlight the important points; if you refrain from composing it until after you've written the rest of your business plan, it should virtually write itself.

Ron Galella & the 1st Amendment

Prior to the intrusive, aggressive paparazzi of today, there was Ron Galella, a photographer who made history. Smash His Camera is a documentary about the life and career of Ron Galella, the man who fundamentally gave birth to the stalking methods of today’s paparazzi. Galella cultivated fame in the 1970s and 1980s. For over ten years he set his sights on Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, although he also photographed any other celebrity he could find.

Galella has a list of dos and don’ts for students in the art of paparazzi. His first rule is to sneak in. He also advises photographers to dress the part, know where the kitchen is as that is an easy access point, forge credentials, and shoot fast. He enjoyed capturing surprised expressions of his subjects.

The ironic circumstance is he can get away this, simply because he is shooting celebrity figures; the legal term is public figures. When shooting a citizen who is not a public figure, a photographer should always obtain a signed release. Whether it is for location, property, or person, this release gives the photographer the permission to use these photographs as they see fit with regards to reproduction, publication, printing and distribution.

A model release being the most common, and it is executed by anyone over the age of 18. Or in rare cases, the person, signing the release could be deemed to be a legal guardian if the subjects considered not capable of executing a release.(John Harrington; Best Business Practices For Photographers, Pg. 344)

Failure to get these signed releases can result in a messy law suit. however, what if you are a paparazzi photographer and the public figure you are chasing down feels you are stalking them? Well, in all reality, you are. So how do you deal with this? How does the 1st Amendment address this? First let's look into the details of Ron Gallella's case:

Ron Galella vs. Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis

“I do not have any guilt,” he says about what he has done through the years. Yet he was in a famous court battle with Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. Galella followed Jackie and her kids all around New York City. Jackie once asked her bodyguards to “smash his camera.” Galella sued Jackie O who counter-sued Galella. The First Amendment rights were on the table as personal privacy went up against freedom of the press and free speech. Jackie’s attorney’s argued that Galella’s tactics worried Mrs. Onassis and frightened her two young children, who were under the age of 18, therefore still under the protection of the Secret Service. (Prime Time TV, Francine Brokaw, May 30, 2010)

It would appear that Jackie O feels she is not a public figure and should have the same 1st Amendment protection as any other citizen, but this is not the case. She is a high profile public figure (especially at the time of this case) and has to accept that she will be a highly desired subject to photograph.
Ron Galella ran into a similar situation from Marlon Brando.  While walking down the street with Dick Cavett, after a taping of a 1973 show, they were met face to face with Ron's camera. After several dozen images, and a few blocks, Marlon became irritated and literally cold coked Ron and broke his jaw. Yes, they went to court, but as Ron says, "It was never about the money" he just wanted celebrities to understand, they are public figures making their daily life a desired community to the photographic community.
So, the next time you are shooting on a public street and Mathew McConaughey walks in front of your lens, SNAP AWAY. you are protected under the 1st Amendment to do so, just be smart and don't piss him off, or you may be looking at a trip to the E.R. or worse, dental surgery.

Race Horses not Unicorns

In layman terms, a racehorse represents a worker; a unicorn represents a dreamer (or what I call delusional).   As artists we all dream, but are you doing anything about it? In other words, what are doing to self-promote? Have you published a book of images to submit to Art Directors? Do you have a hit list of top Editors for national publications? Are you networking with professionals current and actively working in the field?
I am -making me a true Thoroughbred race horse!!
My choosing filed is Editorial / Commercial photography.  Confident this genre of photography utilizes my past 20 years experience in advertising and photojournalism,  I can now combine my artistic style into my images. Oh sure, I am positive there will be some assignments that I will do begrudgingly,  for the money, or probably be a favor to a friend, but these will be few and far between.
Armed with these skills, experience and knowledge,  it is my goal to bid and obtain contracts from major publications from leaders like LIFE, TIME, Word Press, Associated Press, for national clients like Coca Cola, Walt Disney, Kellogg and other major corporations.  Specializing in commercial photography (in order to pay the bills) and seeking editorial assignments, will balance my business bottom line.  As always, I will continue my "hustle' all along the way.

Scary Legal Issues

In photography, the most scary issue you will probably encounter is protecting your intellectual property after is has been stolen. Can you imagine creating a beautiful image only to stumble across it on someone elses page where they claimed your work as their own? How does one go about rectifying this situation? My response; GET A LAWYER! It never hurts to have a legal representative at your disposal. Someone who can review your contracts, assist in your negotiations, and protect your imagery.
Let's explore contract negotitations.


1.  Contracts: Editorial publications. One of the biggest challenges is negotiating your contracts. First you need to understand who your are negotitating with. In many cases the APE's (Assistant Photo Editor) and the PE (Photo Editor) / DOP (Director of Photography) role is one person. In very small publications there id no AD (Art Director). For a publishing conglomerate, one AD handles multiple titles. the key is to know who has the power to sign off on your negotioning points. Always ask your prospective client, "What is your budget for this assignment?" You will get sveral different responses and here is how one expert handles this situation:

"Regardless of whether I'll take the assignment, I want to know where thay are so I can guage the likelihood that I will get the assignment. Even the first response - seemingly too low to consider-I'll send them my paperwork. I do this for several reasons. Many clients who call have experience with a lower rate in their town and will experience a sticker shock when trying to book in a larger community." (Best Business Practices for Photographers; John Harrington; pg.179)

Some prospects willtry to get their work done for cheap. They figure if they start low and see who bites. others will do this too weed out those who accept the low offers.  Once a client gets over the sticker shock, you want to stay in the bidding pool, as your competitors offers come rolling in and educates your prospective client of the market. Always send out an estimate, the worse they can say is no.


2.  Bids, quotes and estimates: Commercial / corporate photos. During the negotiation process, you will want to know what process you are preparing. A bid or a quote requires a great deal of refinement. You are commiting to that cost to produce the outlined project on the bottom line of your bid. A clever way to go about this is process called triple bid the project. You and two other photographers present your combined bids to the client, and the client decides who will shoot the project. Estimates, on the other hand, allow for a bit of flexibility on the bottom line, allowing for change orders to occur.  It is a good idea to carry a change form with you.

"When the parameters or circumstances change for a shoot, so do the figures involved in the estimate. As with an editorial assignment, in which the concept of a change order is less common, change orders are a frequent neccessity for corporate and commercial assignments." (Best Business Practices for Photographers; John Harrington; pg.222)

3.  Weddings and rights of Passage: Think about all the grand events we go through in our lives, from birth to death. Birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, engagments and more, where you will negotiate your photography. Often these contracts need to be specific, to the letter. If you don't want to "Uncle Louie" popping in with his inst-o-matic as you are working, put it in the contract. And as all other types of contract negotiations, know who to be negotiating with, in this case, the bride, groom and probably the paying parents.  Most importantly, as the event photographer, take control.

"If a client hires multiple photographers for an event, they are all goping to want to get the same angle/shot. Yet, if you're the photographer who subcontracts the others, you are in charge-you choose coverage perspectives, and as such, you can significantly enhance the event coverage."(Best Business Practices for Photographers; John Harrington; pg.271)

Our challenge as photographers, is convincing the people hiring you that you have to be in charge of the photo shoot. If you're not incharge, make sure your role is clearly defined. Personally, I try to always be the one in charge-that's my nature.

Where are you going and where are you now?

2012© KeriNeal dba KeriLynn Design, LLC

Where are you going and where are you now?
This is a relatively simple question for me to answer, as I am a mature photography student that has accomplishments on my bio.  I left working for a newspaper company and advertising agency to go freelance and update my education -where I am now. Where I intend to go is grow my business and get big publishing opportunities. With that being said, I am often asked how do I make money this way?
~Show Me the Money!
One of this most controversial arguments among professional photographers is pricing. What to charge, when to reduce your rates, when to charge more than your listed price, etc. My standard answer when asked, "How much do you charge?" is "..as much as the client is willing to pay."

"Never be the cheapest-it's true. you never want to be the cheapest. I don't want to be the 'always low prices, always' Walmart version of photography. Nor do I want to be the Target version. I want to be the Nordstrom's, Saks, Tiffany or other high-end exclusive boutique version of photography. Further, I believe that's the level of service, quality and commitment I bring to each assignment." (Best Business Practices for Photographers; pg.96)

This is an art form after all. Warhol charged different prices for different art pieces. Freelance photographers like Dorthea Lange or Gary Weingard probably started out working for peanuts (especially when working under Federal subsides grants and the FHA programs) and earned more when their popularity and demand rose. And then there is markup...

"One way to evaluate your fair markup rate is...look at the items you typically use for assignments -seamless backdrops, film, packaging materials, shipping, etc. and that you will be carrying these expenses over a period of time..between 30 to 45 days.With all this said, understanding markups are a common practice, you should be more empowered to charge markups on everything and not feel guilty about it."(Best Business Practices for Photographers; pg.110)

I ask myself, what is my time worth? Sure, I may only need an hour to take an image, but I may have an additional 5 hours in editing, so I never want to undercut myself and not be paid for ALL my time.
I was recently aware of this debate when I read a letter -written by a client-posted by a fellow photographer, here is an excerpt:

"...I canceled my $500 photography session with you and this is how I spent the money: $79 for a manicure and pedicure, $180 for a hair coloring and cut, $150 dinner with my husband at a fancy restaurant, and $91 on miscellaneous items I can not recall and probably did not need.  Today, I was told by my doctor, my cancer has returned and given me about three months. So instead of having a lasting professional image of my family that my husband and daughter can have for a life time, I cancelled my appointment with you and foolishly spent the money. Please share this with your customers if they ever feel the need to cancel, I am here to say, they will regret it." 

In most cases, my clients understand, I am giving them quality work that is worth every penny. I have been given the unique privileged of entering their private lives to capture a memory that they will value the rest of their lives. So, I ask you, what is that worth?

My Voice

Hold on world, a new day is coming! With over twenty-five years experience in the field of communication and advertising, I decided I wanted to decelerate. Don’t get me wrong, I loved my work and cultivated a great deal of business knowledge, through trial and error. I spent countless hours meeting with clients, designing ad layouts, planning advertising campaigns, story boarding commercials, scripting radio ads, and list goes on. However, there is one thing I enjoyed the most, taking pictures. So, in 2000, I started my own LLC, specializing in photography and graphic design. The reality is, technology will pass you by, if you let it. Currently, I am a student at the Art Institute Las Vegas for digital photography. Although I love my film cameras, and the anticipation of the developing time, I now have the benefit of doing it myself with digital skills. The ever changing software, search engines and mechanics of the World Wide Web, no longer frighten me. Most importantly, I am able to work at my speed, my time, my choice.

Haute Couture

What is  Haute Couture and why do designer's do it, when most items are nonfunctional? The term "haute couture" is French. Haute means "high" or "elegant." Couture literally means "sewing," but has come to indicate the business of designing, creating, and selling custom-made, high fashion women's clothes. Sounds simple enough. So then, why are these items ranked in a non-functional (not so practical) category? Well, the best example I can think of is Lady Gaga and her outlandish costumes for major WOW factor and stage presence. 

We all know, we would never be caught dead in this bubble dress going to the grocery store. but would you wear it to a party? An evening out with the girls? Let's consider the functionality; can you use the restroom freely? are you able to maneuver  through crowds? more importantly, can you get in and out of your car?  And yet, the designer's continue to produce styles like this - why? For the fame, for the money? 

Because they can!  Like photographers, fashion designers are artist, too! As a photographer, I am seeking bi-lines, credits, money and compensation for my images but I do not take on the task for that reason - I do it because I believe in what it is I am shooting -an artistic connection- to create an photo that promotes feeling and inspiration.

"To many photographers appearing in print and achieving a photo credit in a prestigious publication are the ultimate goals, but as poet Dorothy Parker said, "Beauty is only skin deep; ugly goes clean to the bone." When you encounter an offer to work primarily (or only) for a photo credit, and the costs of doing so are greater than your revenue, the beauty of that photo credit is skin deep, but the ugliness of what you are required to sacrifice in order to achieve that goes to the bone." (Best Business Practices for Photographers pg.xxviii)

 With that said, it is no wonder a designer will create such haute couture when the price is right. Just as a photographer is willing to go to great lengths to create a gorgeous, memorable photograph. In the business of photography, it more than just snapping the shutter button. There are so many other elements (I will be discussing on this blog) to creating a successful photography business, like planning and preparation.

 "Planning and preparation are cornerstones of success. The Roman philosopher Seneca once said, "Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity."

Therefore, be a boyscout; be prepared, even overly so.

"All of the circumstances you could find yourself in, and myriad other things could go wrong, go sideways, or just plain throw you off. If you do not have multiple backup plans and the resources to carry them out (preferably seamlessly), then you are not ready for the unexpected, and this lack of preparation will ruin your shoots(s) at the least desirable times." (Best Business Practices for Photographers pg.20)