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.

Photo Challenge: Food Photography

It is said you eat with your eyes first! Food Photography is a dirty little secret game. There is so much styling and prep work that goes into food photography it literally makes it inedible. Trust me, after a few squirts of lacquer and glycerine you would not want to eat it.  Here I will reveal some of my trade ideas to make food looks as appealing as possible but still remain edible.

  Tips for Photographing Food
Make more than you can eat:  invite friends over, so they can help you eat the left-overs, or take them to a neighbor.  The reason you make more, is because like snowflakes, no two pieces of your food are identical. The toasting, the juices, the skin or color...never the same.
 
 Light

Use natural light next to a large window, with a few white boards to bounce nor re-direct your light.  Also consider building a 4 x 4 Light tent out of foam boards and Parchment paper. This will allow you to control your light source and give you a larger range of high key lighting.

Setting

Before you start shooting, make sure there isn’t any distracting clutter in the background of the shot (stray people, silverware, whatever). Using a wider aperture to blur the background will help.  Choose a setting that enhances, but doesn’t distract from your food. Pick a simple, plain background or tablecloth. Use dishes and flatware with color  that either contrasts  or complimentary to the food, this is a good time to brush up on your color wheel.

Details

The devil is in the details. Check the plates and glasses for food, and smudges. Use sauces and garnishes to add color to drab shots (i.e. adding a lemon wedge to iced tea).  I promised I would share some secrets; If you want something to glisten - use oil from an orange peel. Simply peel the rind like and apple- this releases the oil, them use a small brush or Q-tip to apply. Put Olive oil in a small spritzers bottle and add moisture without getting your food wet.  Are you garnishes wilting? Stick them in the freezers for a few minutes wrapped in a paper towel. Looking for the perfect toast?  Use a butane torch lighter and paint it on - but be careful it, too can burn.


This is the time to PLAY with your food. Go ahead! Have fun! And afterwards, you can eat it...Don't forget to share!

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.

Photo Challenge: Barber cuts in

Elvis cuts in 2012© Keri Neal

After viewing the movie, "Roman Holiday" I was inspired by a scene where the characters are attending an outdoor dance and a local Barber cuts in while the two lead characters are dancing. Not to be rude, but rather to join in the festivities and, naturally, to woo the attention of the pretty girl.
Here. I took this image when a Flash-mob broke out in the square at Trivolli Village in Las Vegas. The dance group (including the show girl) that practiced the choreography were pleasantly surprised when Elvis, popped in.
I found this to be newsworthy for several reasons; the flash-mob itself, is always a surprise of spreading joy, the location is a newly opened shopping center in town - the event to celebrate the Grand Opening, and anytime Elvis makes an appearance it is newsworthy.
I took this photo using my "drop" camera; a Canon Rebel on f/16 @1/500 sec with a 75-300mm lens.  It was hard to hold still with all the excitement around me.
Rock on, Elvis, rock on.

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.

Photo Challenge: How do you show the light reflection on eyes?

2012© KeriNeal dba KeriLynn Design, LLC

Reflection - inner, exterior of one self or of something. What or who is being reflected? And most importantly, do the eyes tell all?
Or is it what is reflected in the eyes that tells the true story?
In a painting, the light reflection is a white dab of pigment. In a photograph, all will be revealed through the final processing and development.A person in the middle, with lights all around creating the highlight of the pupil.
Here is photograph I took of myself inside the pupil of a friend. I did this with a Canon 7D with a portrait 85-135mm lens. Focusing just on my reflection, I pushed an f8 with a speed of 1/160.
The squiggly colors behind me, where a happy accident from the blinking street signs and evening sun.

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.