focal point jan-11

Focal Point JANUARY 2011

1 Northern California Professional Photographers



Northern California Professional Photographers Officers

Committee Chairs and Coordinators

President Wayne Miller 925-330-8737 [email protected] 1st Vice President Programs Denny Weigand 925-336-7994 [email protected]

Membership Stacey Flurscheim 925-330-7130 [email protected] blog / Website Wayne Miller 925-330-8737 [email protected]

Send Newsletter information to: Tom O'Connor. [email protected] Deadline for submission of articles and ad copy is the 24th of each month. Information received after the deadline cannot be guaranteed publication

2nd Vice President Print Competition Tom O'Connor 925-586-2745 [email protected]

Newsletter - Focal Point Editor Tom OConnor 925-586-2745 [email protected] FP Copy Editor Denny Weigand 925-336-7994 [email protected] Hospitality Lisa Duncan 925-284-3878 [email protected]

3rd Vice President Membership Stacey Flurscheim 925-330-7130 [email protected] Treasurer Malcolm Slight 925-330-8737 [email protected] Secretary Kevallyn Paskos 925-766-3121 [email protected]

Apprentice Membership Ann Gordon 510-222-4115 [email protected]

Chairman of the Board Randy Cazinha 925-249-1999

Photographer Eduardo Cardona

Focal Point is published by Northern California Professional Photographers. Articles and comments are invited; publication is subject to space available and editorial approval. Note: Articles are the opinion of the author and do not necessarily represent the position of NCPP. Ads and flyers may or may not have the endorsement of NCPP or its Board of Directors.



Annual NCPP Membership Renewal 4 Become a NCPP Member 5 Presidents Message "Let's make 2011 a WOW year" - Wayne Miller 6 - 7 1st VP Message "I need your thoughts" - Denny Weigand 8 2nd VP Message "Year end print comp report" - Tom O'Connor 9 January speaker - Robert Pierce "Been there...done that...now what?" 10 January Image Competition: "Masters Only PPA Style" 11 Preparing an image for "Projected Image Comp" 12 - 13 Best of Show - November 2010 14 - 15 November Meeting Review and Images 16 - 32 NCPP Semi Annual Board Meeting Photos 33 Marketing - Sales - Business "Diffusion of Innovation" - Jay Yogan "A Photographers Worst Nightmare" - Cheryl Bigman "Ever is now forever" - Jay Yogan 34 - 37 Coming in February 2011 - Laura Cottril "Behind the Scenes with Family Portraits" 38 Membership Information 39 NCPP Member Awards & Member Degrees New 40 - 41 PPA Certification, Merit & Degree Programs New 42 NCPP Membership Classifications and Fees for 2011 New 43 NCPP Sustaining Members 44 - 49 Our Neighboring Affiliates 50 Calendar - Important Dates 51 Sunset Chart 52

NCPP MEETING THIS MONTH TUESDAY, JANUARY 11, 2011 Doors open at 6pm, meeting starts at 7pm

Come early at 6pm to socialize!!

Table of Contents



Join or Renew your NCPP Membership 2011 Dues are due for your NCPP membership by Jan. 30th.

We have rolled back the membership fees to $135 per year, and if you renew by midnight Jan 15th it is only $125 (you save another $10).

Please download and fill out the renewal form Membership application and include it with your renewal check or PayPal payment.

-Professional Active:

Annual Dues $135. A professional photographer is an individual who on a regular basis, takes and sells photographs or photographic services. Must satisfy federal, state (resale permit), & local license requirements. Professional Active members have full membership privileges (Free meetings, voting, use of NCPP logo for self promotional use, and image competition).

-Aspiring*: Annual Dues $135. An individual who does not work in the photographic field, or derive any income from photography but plans to enter the profession. Limited to one year. Membership privileges: meetings and entering image competition, but may not vote, hold office or use the NCPP logo. May not actively sell photography or advertise/promote themselves as a photographer for hire. Limited 20% enrolment.

-Student*: Annual Dues $50. Members preparing for a career in the photography and currently enrolled in a school as a full time student. Applicant must show evidence for enrollment. Membership privileges: meetings and entering image competition, but may not vote, hold office or use the NCPP logo. Limited 10% enrolment. Please e-mail your application to Membership Chairperson: Stacey Flurscheim. [email protected] Or bring it to the meeting Jan 11th and give it to Stacey Flurscheim. Or mail it to: NCPP Membership 1973 Countrywood Ct. Walnut Creek, CA 94598 (Must be postmarked by Jan 15th to qualify for the discount) If you need an invoice for your accountant click here:



If you are a professional photographer in the East Bay Area, come to an NCPP meeting to experience the camaraderie, networking and learning opportunities available to you. We meet monthly at the Marriot in Walnut Creek, Ca. We are always looking for enthusiastic photographers who are passionate about their craft, who like to learn and are willing to share their experiences. Our membership fee is very reasonable and you get much more from a PPA (Professional Photographers of America) affiliated organization than you get at so many of the free events that are happening on line and elsewhere. This is the place to become a Certified Professional Photographer, a Master Photographer, a Master Craftsman Photographer, a Craftsman Photographer or a Master of Electronic Imaging Photographer. We have a great speaker every month that is easily worth the membership all by itself. So give us a try, we would really like to meet you!! Visit our Website at http://ncpponline.org/ to learn more about us. Contact mailto:[email protected] for questions.



Lets make 2011 a WOW year. Yes it is up to us (that is you and me, Bunkie) to make 2011 a great year. This last year has been a challenging one for everyone in the country and more so for us photographers. With even more competition in the market and people holding on to their $$$s 2010 was a year to remember or forget. 2010 brought a lot of challenges and lessons for us to grow or fall by the wayside. So learn from the lessons and let us raise the bar for 2011 NCPP. In order to grow we must learn from our mistakes or from others. I have learned a lot from what is happening in the photographic world by reading trade magazines and listening to podcasts. It all boils down to us to make 2011 a year of growth or a year of stagnation. I prefer growth personally as I do not like the alternative, so how do we make it happen you ask? Simple: Stop resting on your laurels and start making things happen. The past is gone and we are facing a new year with new challenges ahead. So are you strong enough to belly up to the bar and take it on? Put on your big boy/girl pants and start doing something that makes a difference to the community and the photographic community. Rethink who you are and where you want to be by the end of 2011. Make a plan, set some goals, and make a difference. NCPP is a great community that only exists for its members and community. It is predicated on helping each other grow and become better at our craft, which provides the local community with better photographers. The only catch is the input side and that is where you come in. Without input and help from members NCPP cannot exist period. The behind the scenes effort that is needed to bring in speakers, pull the meetings together, and create interesting content for members is a labor of love for the ones that make it happen. It is kind of the same effort that you put into your photographic business that the customer doesnt see or even think of. If you do not make an effort then your business / organization will not exist or grow.

In my travel though life I have been in several organizations and served on the board of almost every one. What I heard most of the time is someone ought to do this or that while that person does (yeah your guess is correct) nothing but complain. Well you are someone are you not? So just dont sit there and complain, do something.

2011 is the Chinese Year of the Rabbit.

According to Chinese tradition, the Rabbit brings a year in which you can catch your breath and calm your nerves. It is a time for negotiation. Don't try to force issues, because if you do you will ultimately fail. To gain the greatest benefits from this time, focus on home, family, security, diplomacy, and your relationships. Make it a goal to create a safe, peaceful lifestyle, so you will be able to calmly deal with any problem that may arise. quoted from internet.

So be a rabbit and spring into action and your community of fellow photogs at NCPP and help raise the bar so we can all grow and benefit from each others knowledge and experiences. Volunteer: on the board, write an article for the Focal Point, or just help out at a meeting.

Presidents Message - Wayne Miller (aka Blogomeister / PdTG guy)



2011 brings hope and new opportunities for us, and we must be ready for it. As you know luck is really preparedness for opportunity and we need to be prepared. Once we are ready then the opportunity comes at us (or we really recognize the opportunity because we are prepared for it).

Creating a game plan for 2011 in terms of business and personal goals helps us be prepared for that opportunity that comes along. How else are we going to recognize that opportunity if we havent created it in our mind first? Luck, I dont think so! If everything in our life was predicated on pure luck then what a chaotic world it would be, and we would either be lucky or unlucky by chance. We would have zero control over anything and life would just happen to us without any direction or input from us. Ouch! Good thing it is not that way unless we let life run us by chance and not purpose.

So allow me to help you set up a winning game plan for 2011:

1-Education: Invest at least 15-mintues a day on your craft. (30-min is better).

2-Business: Market your business 1-2 hours a week minimum to new and existing clients.

3-Community: Donate your trade skill to a local school, church, or charitable organization. 4-Organization: Get involved with your craft (NCPP) board, by writing articles, or helping out. 5-Create: Do something fun in photography that you normally do not do. If you do landscape try portraits, if portrait try landscape, sports try still life, etc. Dues are due for your NCPP membership by Jan. 30th. We have rolled back the membership fees to $135 per year, and if you renew by midnight Jan 15th it is only $125 (you save another $10). Please download and fill out the renewal form Membership application and include it with your renewal check or PayPal payment.

Clayton, CA 12/7/2009

NCPP Mission Statement: The Northern California Professional Photographers is an organization dedicated to advancing the business of professional photography. Our purpose is to create an environment amongst professional photographers that will inspire each of us and to help one another grow as business professionals and artists.

Presidents Message - Wayne Miller (aka Blogomeister / PdTG guy)



I Need Your Thoughts! So put on your thinking caps and respond to this article! Seems to me that we need to bring in more professional or aspiring photographers into the NCPP group. I made a suggestion that I think would benefit us all, gain new membership and cultivate your speaking and teaching skills. You all have special talents that no one knows aboutperhaps even you dont know about! Its time to exercise that inner creative brain!, and benefit the organization at the same time. We have the venue to do this, in that we have the Marriott for the whole day prior to the General Meeting. Why not use it to gather new members? My proposal is this: On the day of the meeting, from 3:30 to 5:30, in our regular meeting room, we will have an appropriately named session (maybe Tips From The Pros) where one of our members can present his/her expertise. It will be free to all members with a nominal charge to photographers from the area. The session would include a free entry into our General Meeting, thus giving the individual a chance to see what we are all about. When I off-handedly made this suggestion I immediately filled three of the eleven sessions. Speakers volunteer their time and have a great opportunity to exercise their speaking abilities. For instance, Malcolm Slight is going to teach us about motor sports photography, Wayne Miller has volunteered his time for a June presentation on HDR, and I will do the same for one of the other presentations. It strikes me that Tod Gomes can enlighten us with his expertise on sports photography, and Ann Gordon can tell us all about animal photography. Presenters to fill the other slots will fill up quickly, so get your name to me soon. I have only touched the surface of our talent, and await your positive responses to my proposal. Denny

1st Vice President's Message - Denny Weigand



The NCPP Year End annual Print Competition was jointly held with our neighboring affiliate PPGBA. The location was in San Francisco at Mischa Purcell's Photography Studio. Mischa is a member of PPGBA. Both of our groups were well represented with both images and judges. The results will be announced at our annual NCPP Banquet. Time and place to be announced. PPGBA Judges judging NCPP's images were: Mischa Purcell, Jorg Lehmann and Paul Tsang. NCPP Judges judging PPGBA's images were: Jim Fidelibus, Laura Cottril and Mack McNamara. Print Handler for NCPP was: Malcolm Sleight. Also attending was: Mark Benjamin (PPGBA), Tom O'Connor (NCPP). Special Thank You to: Wayne Miller for building the print viewing stand!

2010 End of Year Print Comp - 2nd VP - Tom O'Connor



Been there done that now what? Just a few of the things we will be discussing: 1. An open discussion of what it means to be a PPA Master

Photographer Craftsman. What this achievement will bring to you and your career, and also, what it wont.

2. A review of what it takes to create images that will make the PPA judges happy as well as your clients.

3. Exploring new media for fun and profit. An overview and demonstration on how to take simple photos to a new level as a new profit center for your business.

Bio: Robert Pierce, M photog.Cr., has been in photography since 1966. He opened Robert Pierce Studios in 1976 where his focus has been primarily on portrait illustration for wall dcor, although High School Seniors, Children and Weddings have been a big part of his Studios business. Robert has won numerous awards, including lately, Photographer of the

Year for the last two years for the Professional Photographer's of the Redwood Empire. He has held office for many professional photographers associations and their affiliate schools. He is proud to say he was the first to become a Certified Professional Photographer in Sonoma County and is dedicated to the betterment of the photographic community and industry. Robert has embraced the new generation of imagery becoming proficient in the art of digital image manipulation.

The advent of the digital age in photography has brought a whole new meaning to the word creativity. Mastering programs such as Adobe Photoshop and Corel Painter have given us more tools to use in the creation of striking images. However, it matters less how an image is created or what medium is used, as much as how it moves the viewer to feel something. My goal is to create images for our clients that are not only complementary but also appropriate for their needs. Most importantly, we want to create a personal statement that will become a centerpiece for their home and a part of their heritage. Robert Pierce Studios - 707-528-0850 - Santa Rosa/Windsor CA - rpstudios.com [email protected] - More bio info: http://www.rpstudios.com/about/about2.html

6-7 PM: Socialize: Network with other photographers in meeting room. 7:00 PM: Meeting Starts NCPP members are free, Guest fee is $20 in advance or $30 at the door the day of the event. (Click here Early Bird $20.00 PayPal)

NCPP Speaker for Tuesday, January 11th: - Robert Pierce



January 2011 has three different types of print competition: Masters Only PPA Style - only Master Photographers can participate.

People's Choice Year End - If you placed 1st, 2nd or 3rd in the two People's Choice

competitions during 2010, you are eligible to enter. Eligible Members and Print Titles are listed below. Only NCPP members may vote and the only award will be for the 1st place People's Choice of 2010. The winner will be announced at the annual NCPP Dinner and Awards Banquet. Date and Time to be announced.

Masters Choice - Only Masters will vote on their favorite of the People's Choice entries. Winner will be announced at the meeting.

Photographers and images eligible to enter People's Choice End of Year Print Comp: Peg Jackson - "Christina" Richard Stahlberg - "The Right Place The Right Time" Richard Stahlberg - "Mahalia" Tod Gomes - "Untitled" (Seattle Seahawks) Nicole Gee - "Honeymoon Glow" Denny Weigand - "Murano Boardwalk" Wayne Miller - "Red Rock Canyon" Malcolm Sleight - "Rest in Peace" If you are interested in volunteering with image comp, please contact: Tom O'Connor at 925-586-2745 or Email Tom @ [email protected]. The next NCPP PPA Style Image Competition will be at the February 2011 meeting and we will have both "Print" and "Projected" image competition. More information on "Projected" on pages 12 and 13 of this Focal Point issue.

Image Competition for January 11, 2011



Preparing your image for "Projected" Image Comp This article will remain permanently in the Focal Point.



Here are the basics for creating your "Projected Image" file. We will be setting the file type, dimensions, color space, jpg quality, pixels per inch and file name that that will qualify for NCPP Projected Image Comp. These requirements are the same as the PPA requirements with the exceptions of the two items in NOTE 2 below.

1. Create a file that will become the background for your image that is 4,000px x 2,200px @ 200 pixels per inch. (20" x 22") This size fits our monitor and will be displayed at its optimal.

2. The color space can be sRGB or RGB1998. 3. The file type is a jpg with a Quality setting of 10. Total file size not to exceed 3.5mb. 4. You can apply a color or pattern to this layer just as you would do for a printed image that you

would have entered previously in print comp. 5. Next prepare the image that you are going to insert over the background. The color space, ppi

etc needs to be the same as your background layer. 6. Size the image as you wish in either a vertical or horizontal format. The image size must be at

least 80 square inches. An example is 8" x 10". The image may be placed anywhere you want to put it on the background layer. The positioning of the image on the background layer will be part of your "Presentation" score just like with Printed print comp.

7. Add a stroke or any other edge treatment to the edge of the image you want, or not. 8. All images will be shown only with the background in the "Horizontal Format". This is the same

way that PPA is handling it. The monitor will not be rotated for vertical images. They will be shown just like the example images on the previous page.

9. There is to be no photographer name or studio name on the image. 10. Name your file with the following convention:

Member's First Name_Last Name_Image_Title_ (Use _ for spaces). Example file name: Bill_Jones_Mount_Diablo_Sunset

11. More information for download or viewing at.

NOTE 1: If you plan to submit any of these images to PPA, I would initially save this file as a layered PSD or TIFF. When I was done and ready to submit to NCPP, I would then save it again as a jpg with all of the requirements listed above and submit the jpg. This way if you later decide to enter this same image with PPA, you can open your PSD/TIFF and increase your background and image size to fit the 4,000 x 4,000px requirement of PPA. NOTE 2: PPA Projected Submission Specifications match what is required for NCPP, except:

PPA requires your PPA# in place of your name in the file name. The background size is 4,000px x 4,000px. (Therefore, the image can also be larger).

ENTRY RULES AND DEADLINES:

Cost per each image is $5.00. Fee is to be paid via the NCPP PayPal link no later than the Saturday (at midnight) prior to the Tuesday meeting.

E-mail images to [email protected] no later than the Saturday (at midnight) prior to the Tuesday meeting.

Limit of 10 Projected images allowed per meeting. This is at the discretion of the Print Chair on a month by month basis.

Preparing your image for "Projected" Image Comp This article will remain permanently in the Focal Point.



CONGRATULATIONS!!!!

November 2010 People's Choice Winners

1st Place - Rich Stahlberg "Mahalia"

2nd Place - Denny Weigand "Murano Boardwalk" Tie Wayne Miller "Red Rock Canyon"

3rd Place - Malcolm Sleight "Rest in Peace"

November 2010 People's Choice Winners

Image by: Trina Tuel



Mahalia was created as part of a series of self assignment photographs I did during two or three sessions earlier this year. Most of the photographs in the series were images that I had wanted to do for some time. The old window screen used in the photo was salvaged from a 1940s house that was being torn down, the clothing worn by the model was purchased from a theater companys wardrobe sale, the props in the background are fake brick, and the model is a waitress I met while having lunch at a restaurant with a friend. (And, in my opinion, what makes this image riveting is the personality Mahalia brought to the session.) I combined all of the above in my Studio using a large soft box as a Main light, a reflector fill, and a background light. Winning any NCPP competition is an honor, but its special when the members vote an image the Best .thank you.

Best of Show Nov 2010 - "Mahalia" by Richard Stahlberg



The November meeting was one to remember!! Ooh we had fun!!!!!! First we had our own Michael Van Auken as our speaker and instructor for the evening. His subject was "Lifestyles of the Almost Famous" which was all about "Story Telling". Michael always has a terrific and enthusiastic presentation but tonight was special. Beyond MVA's presentation was his lighting, camera and props set up where he took photos of anyone who wanted to be a model and also let anyone take photos using his equipment. The flurry of activity around this event was amazing. Michael has such a magnetic personality that it is not only easy for anyone to work with him, but everyone wants to. There was so much laughter, smiles and fun going on around this "shoot" that it was hard to get close to the action. There was a line to get to the camera and many great photographers were nearby giving their tips and hints of how to pose or light the subjects. MVA's idea of getting everyone involved certainly worked! Many came in their costumes that depicted "Their Story". It was very collaborative and demonstrated that the core excitement in being a photographer is taking photographs. The business, travel, planning, image processing and everything else that goes into being a photographer takes second place to the act of taking a photograph. Thanks Michael for a great presentation!! We had our Sustaining Members and Sponsors in attendance with all of their photographic products for us to drool over. They contributed many great prizes for our raffle. Thank you to all of the vendors for their generosity!! Be sure to frequent their business's, they are all very reputable companies with great products. Many past members attended as it was Alumni Night. (this was MVA's idea). It was great to see everyone who has not attended in a while and I hear we even had some past members say they are planning to become active members again. NCPP is a ton of fun as well as a great opportunity to learn and share information with each other. The next several pages have some of the fantastic images from MVA's camera setup. Most taken by MVA but other photographers participated. They are fantastic and can be seen in a slide show and stills produced by MVA. Slide Show link: http://albums.phanfare.com/slideshow.aspx?i=1&db=1&pw=Linxbyze&a_id=4950456 Stills link: http://albums.phanfare.com/isolated/Linxbyze/1/4950456 Check out all of the meeting photos this month and see if you can find yourself. One of our newest members, Trina Tuel, has been very helpful at the meetings and this month she took most of the photos documenting the meeting. There were so many candid shots of people visiting and having fun, that there are 10 plus pages of photos this month.

November Meeting and Images article by Tom O'Connor



Michael Van Auken Images



November Meeting Images



September Meeting Images




NCPP Semi Annual Board Meeting Photos



Diffusion of Innovation Gene Kranz: Lets look at this thing from a um, from a standpoint of status. What do we got on the spacecraft thats good? - Apollo13 Successful businesses exhibit two distinct qualities, innovation and marketing. Back in the 50s, Everett M. Rogers developed the Diffusion of Innovation theory, how new ideas spread and coined the phrase Early-Adopter. The theory illustrates how people in a social system adopt innovation. Rogers defines an innovation as an idea, practice, or object that is perceived as new by an individual or other unit of adoption. The 5 categories in this system are below: Innovators: These are the first people to adopt an innovation. These are the risk takers, have cash to spend and very young. They are at the highest social class. This group is standing in line a long line for the latest iPhone, no matter the cost; they need to have it first. Early Adopters: They are the second fastest to adopt innovation. They are like the Innovators in age, spending and social status. They are a bit less of a risk-taker in that they can perceive the value of the innovation and judge whether the value is useful. Theyll get an iPhone early because of all the cool things they can do with it. And most importantly, the Early Adopter is the one group that all the others look up to for advice. They lead the opinions on whether the innovation is valued for the masses. They have major influence over the other groups. Early Majority: This group takes much more time to adopt any innovation. They are low risk takers, very deliberate, above average in the social status but are rarely opinion leaders. This group will wait for the reviews on the iPhone before they buy. They look to the opinion leaders (Early Adopters) for the OK. Late Majority: This group adopts innovation after the average member of the society. They are the no-risk takers, below average in social status and below average in financial lucidity. They are skeptical about innovation and almost no one looks to them for their opinion. This group will purchase a jail braked used iPhone years down the road. Laggards: This group adopts innovation because they have no choice. They have the lowest social status, lowest financial lucidity, are the oldest, and are very traditional. Their social network only includes their family and closest friends. No one looks to them for opinions. They are not affected by change agents. The only change they know is in their pocket. As for the iPhone, this group is still climbing the pole to make phone calls.

Marketing, Sales and Business by Jay Yogan



As businesses look to growth via social media marketing, I believe that you should focus on the Early Adopter group (13.5%). I refer to them as evangelists. They will shout the good (and bad) of your business from the mountaintops. Being opinion leaders, this groups influence will tip the adoption of innovation to the much larger Early Majority (34%). Because of their respected social status, social media gives them a conduit to broadcast reviews and experiences to the majority (Early & Late = 68%), setting trends and then creating the cool factor. The Early Adopter is being followed by the masses. Being able to identify the Early-Adopter characteristics of customers and prospects can help you:

choose Ambassadors for your Senior High School market. reward Early Adopter customers with referral programs. connect/communicate to this group through focused relationship content via Facebook, Twitter

and blogs. determine where your marketing dollars will be spent with the greatest ROI.

If you look at your own business in terms of innovation, can you put it into one of the systems categories? For instance, a Laggard business doesnt change; it is stuck in tradition and only sells to its own kind. This business is predominantly selling to only 16% of the market, the 16% that has the lowest financial lucidity. Successful businesses exhibit two distinct qualities, innovation and marketing. Take status of whats good on your spacecraft. Jay Yogan Burrell Colour Imaging

Article reprinted with permission from the Burrell Connect blog




A Photographers Worst Nightmare Youve heard the stories. Hard drives crashing, people getting lazy with their backups, damaged memory cards, photographers losing years of images. Its such a tragedy when these things happen, but they are part of the reality of living in the digital photography age. Ive always been super careful about backing up my images in multiple places and on multiple media types. Yet every time I hear one of these horror stories, something inside says, Oh, that will NEVER happen to me! After shooting a clients bat mitzvah rehearsal in a beautiful, newly renovated synagogue, I was so excited to get home and download the images to my computer. I inserted the first of two cards in the reader, and anxiously waited to see what I had captured that day. You can imagine my shock when the card showed 0 images. I took the card out and tried again. Still - 0 images. I didnt panic and figured I must have accidentally picked up a blank card. I inserted the 2nd card, and loaded the images with no problem. But the majority of my shoot was on that first card which I couldnt find. Ive always used Lexar memory cards and knew they had a program called, Image Rescue which I downloaded and immediately fired up (the latest version is Image Rescue 4). I was amazed as I watched images being recovered from shoots Id done several months prior, especially since I had re-formatted the card so many times. An hour later, Image Rescue had recovered all of my shoots from the last 4 months but NOT my bat mitzvah. Now panic set in and my heart sank. I re-traced my steps from the shoot and remembered that I had gotten the CF Card Full message on that first card. Im usually careful not to fill a card completely, but this one slipped by. I also remembered being interrupted while changing cards and getting involved in a conversation with the client. There was only one other possibility one that I really didnt want to face. Could I have inadvertently put that first card back in my camera and formatted over my entire shoot? I figured if Image Rescue could recover files from 4 months ago, and if I had done the unthinkable with that first card, maybe it would still be able to find my missing images. In went the first card back into the reader and Image Rescue started doing its thing. My mouth fell open as I watched my missing pictures show up one by one until all 278 had been recovered. Now if someone else was telling me this story, Id still be thinking, Oh, that will NEVER happen to me! (along with things like, What an idiot!). Never say NEVER! The truth is, accidents happen to the best of us and well probably all experience that moment of panic at some point in our careers. Side Note: Lexar Media cards are the best and they stand behind their products 100%! I spoke with the VP of Marketing and he confirmed that formatting a memory card does NOT permanently erase all your images. However, there is an Erase command within Image Rescue that WILL permanently erase your images and set the card back to its factory default setting of 0s and 1s. If youve been using a card for quite awhile, this might be a good thing to do. Just make absolutely sure you dont need the images on that card!

Marketing, Sales and Business by Cheryl Bigman



Ever is now forever

I may know better than most the value of photography. The portrait below is the only professional photograph of my family that was ever taken...and after the past 40 something years, ever is now forever.

In the Kodak Gallery commercial from a number of years ago, the gallery tour guide says, "The pictures are talking...You can hear them...They're saying... Keep me. Protect me. Share me. "And I will live forever." My family photograph says all of that loud and clear. As an industry, believe me, we can do much more to educate our community on the value of photography. Focusing your marketing on the value of portraits instead of the discounts you may offer, the amount of prints in your packages or a new trendy product, will go a long way to ensuring your business will live forever. Customers engage, connect and believe in why you do what you do. Tell your community to listen to, cherish and share the images that you create. I was in a studio this week where the owner was preparing a wall gallery frame and 30 gift prints for a client to pick up. This client is terminally ill and a few weeks ago asked the photographer for one final photo session. She wanted a beautiful portrait to share with her family and have a photo prepared for her death announcement.

If you listen you can hear her photos say, "Keep me, Protect me, Share me."

I hope you can hear it too before ever is now forever.

Jay Yogan Business Consultant Burrell Colour Imaging




Behind the Scenes with Family Portraits Learn Laura Cottril's secrets for creating memories that go beyond just a photograph. Laura will share her vision for the ideal client relationship that leads to raving referrals. This testimonial speaks for itself! "The whole experience was one of the most amazing things to happen to us as a family!" Great photographs are the other side of the scale to balance with the memory making. Laura will show the way she looks for light and texture to create stunning photographs. She'll go over her process of the portrait session and what she looks for when working with her clients. Laura believes you need to put your own oxygen mask on first. The keys to success start with you! Laura will share her experience that revealed the path to overall success and clarity. Learn to re-frame your thinking for life balance with the tips that Laura will share. Fill Your Keychain with the three keys to success! - Rewarding client relationships - Memory making photographs - Life balance tools Award-winning, certified professional photographer Laura Cottril specializes in creating emotional images with natural light portrait photography Laura believes the portrait experience can bring families closer and create lifelong memories. Her specialties are maternity, children and family images. Laura has been profiled in Rangefinder, Professional Photographer and ProPhoto West magazines. You can see more of Laura's work at www.lauracphotography.com.

NCPP Proudly Presents on Tuesday, February 8th: - Laura Cottril



Contact Stacey Flurscheim with / for any Membership Information Stacey Flurscheim @ 925-330-7130

APPRENTICE NEWS Contact: Ann Gordon @ 510-222-4115

If you have comments or information regarding new applicants, please send them to: Stacey Flursheim, NCPP Membership Chair: [email protected]

Membership Information



This is a permanent addition to the Focal Point, listing all of the NCPP member awards. I have tried to find out all of the photographers names who have received these awards but still need some help with Photographer of the Year and Member of the Year for 2001. If you should be included, or if you know the names of the vacant spots, please email me at [email protected] so I can include them. At some point, this message will be removed from the FP. Thanks, Tom

NCPP Past Presidents

1998 Michael Van Auken 1999 Judy Host 2000 Jim Fidelibus 2001 Linda Johnson 2002 Walter Guasch 2003 Kimberly Peterson 2004 Jim Fidelibus

2005 Michael Gan 2006 Michael Gan 2006-2007 Laura Cottril 2007-2008 Leslie Artis-Gan 2008-2009 Brent Walton 2009-2010 Randy Cazinha 2010-2011 Wayne Miller

NCPP Member of the Year 1998 Peg Jackson 1999 Michael Van Auken 2000 Jim Fidelibus 2001 2002 Kay Simon 2003 Shelly Najera 2004 Linda Johnson

2005 Heather M. Whiting 2006 Michael Gan 2007 Laura Cottril 2008 Tom O'Connor 2009 Brent Walton 2010

Photographer of the Year 1998 1999 2000 Richard Stahlberg 2001 2002 Richard Stahlberg 2003 2004

2005 Richard Stahlberg 2006 2007 Michael Van Auken - Tie 2007 Richard Stahlberg - Tie 2008 Richard Stahlberg 2009 Wayne Miller 2010

NCPP Member Awards



This is a permanent addition to the Focal Point, listing all of the NCPP member degrees. I have tried to find out all of the photographers names who have received these awards but I am not sure if I have them all. If you should be included, or if you know the names of anyone else who should be shown here, please email me at [email protected] so I can include them. At some point, this message will be removed from the FP. Thanks, Tom

PPA Master Photographers Jim Fidelibus Linda Johnson

Deidre Ligenfelter Peg Jackson

PPA Craftsman Photographers

PPA Master Craftsman Photographers Lisa Evans Peg Jackson

Michael Gan Judy Host

PPA Certified Professional Photographers Leslie Artis-Gan Laura Cottril Lisa Duncan Michael Gan Jill Hager Judy Host Greta Heintz Tammy Hughes Linda Johnson

Scott Kouns Dana Smith Richard Stahlberg Arleen Thomas Darleen Tom Denny Weigand Wayne Miller Brent Walton

Pam Biasotti Jennifer Chesterman Jennifer Fink Stacey Flurscheim Nicole Gee Tod Gomes Ann Gordon

NCPP Member Degrees



If you are interested in becoming a Certified Professional Photographer, Master of Photography, Master of Electronic Imaging or a Photographic Craftsman, click here. This link will take you to the PPA website and you will see the page shown below. The image below is just a screen shot of the website, the links are not hot on this screen shot.

PPA Certification, Merit & Degree Programs



Professional Active:

Annual Dues $135. A professional photographer is an individual who on a regular basis, takes and sells photographs or photographic services. Must satisfy federal, state (resale permit), & local license requirements. Professional Active members have full membership privileges (Free meetings, voting, use of NCPP logo for self promotional use, and image competition).

Aspiring*: Annual Dues $135. An individual who does not work in the photographic field, or derive any income from photography but plans to enter the profession. Limited to one year. Membership privileges: meetings and entering image competition, but may not vote, hold office or use the NCPP logo. May not actively sell photography or advertise/promote themselves as a photographer for hire. Limited 20% enrolment. Student*: Annual Dues $50. Members preparing for a career in the photography and currently enrolled in a school as a full time student. Applicant must show evidence for enrollment. Membership privileges: meetings and entering image competition, but may not vote, hold office or use the NCPP logo. Limited 10% enrolment. Sustaining: Annual Dues $150. Membership issued to the business name of the organization, which is a supplier, vendor, or manufacturer of photographic materials, supplies or photographic services. One representative of the organization shall have meeting privileges only, additional pay guest fees. * Aspiring & Student Classifications must assist/help six events per year to maintain classification or move to Professional Active.

NCPP Membership Classifications and Fees for 2011



Sustaining Members are companies that manufacture or distribute photographic equipment, laboratories, publishers or firms providing services to photographers. These Sustaining Members also contribute to the welfare of NCPP, with monetary and technical support. Sustaining Members may participate in all NCPP events, however they may not vote or hold office. We encourage our NCPP members to support our Sustaining Members. If you are interested in becoming a Sustaining Member, contact Denny Weigand. 925-336-7994 or E-mail @ [email protected] -Listed Alphabetically- THE ART OF PICTURE FRAMING APF is a full-service wholesale custom framing facility. We work closely with Fine Art and Framing Galleries, Interior Designers, Professional Photographers, Art Consultants, Retailers and others in need of custom framing at wholesale prices. APF specializes in creating custom programs or packages to your individual business or market needs. We offer superior quality with flexible pricing to fit your individual needs. Contact: Mike Moretti 1084 Shary Circle, #B Concord, CA 94518 (Located behind Costco) E-mail: [email protected] 925-689-5177 web: http://stores.apfwholesale.com/StoreFront.bok

NCPP Sustaining Members



BAY PHOTO LAB Contact: Debbie Thomas E-mail: [email protected] 510-585-7049 web: http://www.bayphoto.com/ 2161 Delaware Ave. Santa Cruz, CA 95060 800-435-6686 fax: 931-475-5257




PPC Professional Photographers of California Affiliates

Company Name City Phone Web Site

All Valley Professional Photographers - AVPP La Canada Flintridge

(818) 262-7903

Associated Image Makers - AIM Fairfield 1-888-442-6606

Central Valley Professional Photographers - CVPP Fresno 559 266-0305

Channel Islands Professional Photographers Association - CIPPA Camarillo (805) 573-7637

Gold Coast Professional Photographers Association - GCPPA Pismo Beach 805 733-5197

Inland Empire Professional Photographers & Videographers - IEPPV Riverside 951-737-7310

Northern California Professional Photographers - NCPP Walnut Creek 925 330-8737

Professional Photographers of California Escondido

Professional Photographers of Los Angeles County - PPLAC Culver city (818) 344-0671

Professional Photographers of North Valley - PPNV Redding 530-241-2191

Professional Photographers of Orange County - PPOC Mission Viejo 949.916.2471

Professional Photographers of Sacramento Valley - PPSV Sacramento 530 363-0138

Professional Photographers of San Diego County - PPSDC San Diego (858) 695-9563

Professional Photographers of Santa Barbara County - PPSBC Santa Barbara (805) 403-6556

Professional Photographers of Santa Clara Valley - PPSCV San Jose 408 244-2293

Professional Photographers of the Greater Bay Area - PPGBA So. San Francisco

530 574-6033

Professional Photographers of the Redwood Empire - PPRE Santa Rosa 707 548-1181

Stanislaus Professional Photographers - SPP Modesto 209 847-0540

Our Neighboring Affiliates

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SAT 8 5 5 Business101 7 4

SUN 9 6 6 3 8 5

MON 11PCEOY 7 7 4 9 6

TUE 11MastersNt 8Meeting 8Meeting 5 8Meeting 7

WED 11BIGROOM LauraCottril 9 6 11 8

THUR 13 10 10 7 12 9

FRI 14 PPA 11 11 8 13 10

SAT 15 NCPP banquet 12PPC 9 14 11

SUN 16PPA 13 13ProExpo 10 15 12

MON 17IMAGING 14 14 11 PPASuperMon Tip-W Miiler

TUE 18USA 15 15 12Meeting 17 14Meeting

WED 19 16 16 13 18BoardMeet 15

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FRI 28 25-FP Due 25-FP Due 22 27 24

SAT 29 26 26 23 28 25-FP Due

SUN 30 FP Pub 27 27 24 29 26

MON 31 NCPP Dues 28-FP Pub 28 25-FP Due 30-Fp Pub 27

TUE Membership 29 26 31 28

WED deadline 30-FP Pub 27 29

THUR 28 30-FP Pub

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This information is for Walnut Creek. You can obtain sunset times for other locations at http://www.sunrisesunset.com/

Sunset Table

Join or Renew your NCPP Membership 20112011 Planner 2.pdf6-2011

focal point jan-11

Documents