Professional Books - Page 5

Photography: Focus on Profit

Tom Zimberoff

Amazon Price: $23.10 List Price: $35.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Allworth Press Amazon Marketplace: 31 new & used starting at $8.73

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> Equipment
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> How-to -> General
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> How-to -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 5 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Essential Gear 5 out of 5 stars.
28 of 30 people found this review helpful.

Beginner,amateur or professional; "Photography-Focus on Profit" by Tom Zimberoff is a must have for all photographers. Tom provides a written road map that is invaluable to not just the individual, but to photographers as a whole. He guides you from the basics of starting out; continues through the do's and dont's on up to maintaining profitability in this tight market.

That's not all. He also includes the "PhotoByte" program. This amazing software keeps track of all assignments from birth to conception. It guides you step by step.

Want to know how much profit you have made from a particular image? It does it! It keeps track of all profits in general and by individual photographs (it even displays the photo). Want to know which customers still owe money, which one's pay on time and how much profit (or loss) from a particular customer? It does that as well.

Don't want customers seeing the markup on your services? Enter the item(s) and Photobyte shows it on the screen and calculates everything for you... automatically. It even add's the sales tax for you! Keeps track of equipment (with serial numbers), customers, jobs...

This program is heaven sent which means Tom is an angel. If you need direction then this book will give it to you. The program is just icing on the cake.

As a former photographer for the military in Hawaii; I moved to Puert Rico to start anew due to the economic slowdown caused by the 9/11 tragedy. I've worked for many people but never on my own (photography). I had the practical photo experience. But the business side was a stretch and I could only go by "general" business practices.

Tom's book showed me that "general" does not apply to photography. "Focus on Profit" is exactly that. "Focused".

Thanks Tom. This is the best Photography business book I have ever read. It stays on my desk at all times.

Editorial Review:

A handbook on the photography business, offering advice on how to make profit, and supplying the software to do it. The accompanying free CD-ROM contains PhotoByte 2000, a business administration program that should leave photographers more time to be creative. The text details the "best practices" of every aspect of starting, running and evaluating the ongoing operation of a photography business. It covers topics such as money-raising practices, choosing the right digital equipment, and copyright issues. The author addresses the importance and how-to of business automation, developing a comprehensive business model that reflects the issues of digital copyright.

Magic Lantern Guides: SONY DSLR A300/A350 (Magic Lantern Guides)

Peter K. Burian

Amazon Price: $13.57 List Price: $19.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Magic Lantern - Model: 1600594115 Amazon Marketplace: 28 new & used starting at $9.56

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> Cinematography
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> Digital Photography
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> Equipment

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 2.5 of 5

Very disappointing book - do not buy! 1 out of 5 stars.
21 of 24 people found this review helpful.

I have purchased recently a Sony A300 dSLR and wanted to learn some tips & tricks, in addition to the materials in the excellent users guide.

As the book hinted that it may fit the bill, I have purchased it.

The book looks very nice from the outside - but the inside is very disappointing.

1. The structure is not very logical, and key parts are missing (for example it discusses the menu and fn button functions, but never gives an overview of what happens when you press the button first).
2. There are no tips / tricks in the book which I would consider useful - it looks simply as cut / reshuffle / paste of (some) parts of the users guide. (There ARE various hints and recommendations in the book - and they may be useful for some, but they did not help me.)

The original users guide (came with the camera) has lots of recommendations about how to use the camera and also how to take good pictures, in an easy to understand manner. This book is not good for either - and it actually may confuse the reader more than help. (It did confuse me for sure!)

Of course, if you like puzzle games: you may like this book as you will have to flip back and forth to find something (but in some cases you will never find it). If you want a solid document, helping you to make most of your camera: this book is not it.

Note: I had previous experience with SLR and digital cameras. I have also read a number of other similar books. As a result my perspective and the perspective of others on this books may differ. If you have no experience whatsoever about SLR cameras, or digital cameras in general, you may find this book interesting.

Editorial Review:

Meet the A300 and A350—the two newest cameras in Sony’s beginner-friendly “A” series. They’re alike except for sensor resolution (the 350 has the highest available in any consumer model), and are perfect for anyone ready to move up from point-and-shoot cameras. That’s because they actually allow photographers to view the scene in front of them on the LCD monitor prior to shooting. Owners will look to this guide to find out how to use the Live Preview with AF and exposure control; adjustable variable angle LCD monitor that flips out and twists; and Super SteadyShot(R) image stabilization that vastly reduces blur.

Event Photography Handbook: How to Make Money Photographing Award Ceremonies, Corporate Functions, and Other Special Occasions

William B. Folsom, James P. Goodridge

Amazon Price: $23.07 List Price: $34.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Amherst Media, Inc. Amazon Marketplace: 19 new & used starting at $21.94

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> Professional
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> Reference
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> Subjects -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 3.0 of 5

A diverse and helpful handbook 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

A logical approach to become successful at photographing a broad range of events. I found the strategies outlined for finding customers and marketing to be very helpful. How to avoid and cope with common problems is also a nice asset this book provides. Event photography is a field easily incorporated into any photographer's business making this a suitable companion book for anyone with a camera.

Editorial Review:

From parades, sporting events, and black-tie galas to political rallies, product-release parties, and anniversary celebrations, this is the definitive guide to event photography. With the recent advent of relatively inexpensive digital cameras, consumers are becoming increasingly proficient at capturing important moments on their own. In order to save their business and stay in front of the curve, professional photographers must proactively build their businesses by initiating new contacts, selecting the best equipment for each job, and enhancing their marketing and promotional skills. Detailed information on how to be successful before, during, and after the event—including proper professional etiquette, lighting and posing options, and snapping unobtrusive action shots—is included as well advice on working with both the images and client after a job.

Photo Styling: How to Build Your Career and Succeed

Susan Linnet Cox

Amazon Price: $14.93 List Price: $21.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Allworth Press Amazon Marketplace: 38 new & used starting at $6.92

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Fashion -> General
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Fashion -> General AAS
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> Digital Photography

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 5 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

From styling for catalogues, advertising, stock photography or magazines, this book covers all the essentials. It explores, in detail, the numerous directions the profession can take and helps to prepare new and working stylists with information on various specialties within the business from production and casting to location scouting. It includes business forms, such as proposals, job sheets, and invoices, as well as some trade secrets like merchandise returns and re-tagging garments. It explores photo styling in-depth from photo shoot etiquette and styling basics to practical tips and business forms for running one's own freelance styling business. It explains a typical shoot and different types of styling. Among the useful illustrations, photographs and lists is a special how-to-kit for stylists complete with checklists as well as chapters on how to market yourself and business techniques. It also includes interviews with stylists in various specialties, such as food styling, editorial, wardrobe, soft goods, and room sets, as well as anecdotes and personal stories.

The Photographer's Guide to Marketing and Self-Promotion

Maria Piscopo

Amazon Price: $14.96 List Price: $19.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Allworth - Model: 1-58115-096-02 Amazon Marketplace: 54 new & used starting at $3.92

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> Equipment
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> How-to -> General
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> How-to -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Substandard reading- Not worth your money 1 out of 5 stars.
16 of 24 people found this review helpful.

This book sounds like a sales person yelling in your ear. The author is NOT an experienced photographer, nor does the author offer any resonable, useful tips. Very outdated material also, from 1995-1999! Its not helpful for the serious digital or medium format photographer or even for an amateur. Its simply a waste of money. Amazon has better books for serious photographers for sure.

Editorial Review:

In this handbook a veteran photographer's rep reveals how to find more clients and make more money by using techniques for promoting and selling photography. This third edition has been brought up-to-date to reflect photo market trends and techniques for using the Internet. Condensing theory into practical, easy-to-follow instruction, the book explains how to build a marketing plan that incorporates self-promotion, advertising, direct marketing, public relations, and the Internet. Promotion pieces, portfolios, researching and winning clients, negotiating rates, finding and working with reps, computers, and the ethics of good business are just a few of the topics covered. Real-life examples, case studies and interviews are included.

Platon's Republic

Editors of Phaidon Press

Amazon Price: $43.16 List Price: $59.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Phaidon Press Amazon Marketplace: 25 new & used starting at $17.97

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> Photographers, A-Z -> General
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> Photographers, A-Z -> General AAS
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> Portraits

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 5 Average rating: 3.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

A collection of unique portraits by British born, New York based, fashion photographer Platon, which includes over 120 photographs constituting a unique and dynamic cross-section through the cult of fame and power. Platon's subjects are all leaders in their field and include Al Pacino, Bill Clinton, Vivienne Westwood, Leonard Cohen and David Beckham. A collection of unique portraits by British born, New York based, fashion photographer Platon. Over 120 photographs have been selected from an enormous range of powerful images taken over the last decade and together they constitute a unique and dynamic cross-section through the cult of fame and power. Platon's Republic is a window into today's media-led culture that bombards, and sometimes overwhelms, us with images of world-wide importance juxtaposed with frivolity. Platon's Republic replicates the same intense and sometimes surreal experience with portraits of Al Pacino, Bill Clinton, Vivienne Westwood, Leonard Cohen as well as more documentary photographs of Jesse Jackson and Bianca Jagger demonstrating against the death penalty and football supporters. Granted extraordinary access to some of the west's most powerful people, Platon's subjects are all leaders in their field. Whether they are from the TV industry, politicians, actors, fashion designers, writers or musicians, they all wield enormous influence within their arena. Platons' portraits are graphic and intimate, but the unusual angles and revealing expressions are his hallmark.

Winogrand: Figments From The Real World

John Szarkowski

List Price: $55.00 By: The Museum of Modern Art, New York Amazon Marketplace: 5 new & used starting at $43.95

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> Criticism & Essays
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> Photo Essays
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> Photographers, A-Z -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Back in Print The first comprehensive overview of the work of Garry Winogrand, long out of print and difficult to come by, contains an eloquent and important essay on the life and work of the photographer by John Szarkowski and a lavish plate section presenting the photographs thematically. Grouped under the following titles-- Eisenhower Years, The Street, Women, The Zoo, On the Road, The Sixties, Etc, The Fort Worth Fat Stock Show and Rodeo, Airport, and Unfinished Work-- many of the 179 plates are works that had never before been published. The last section includes 25 pictures chosen from the enormous body of work that Winogrand left unedited at the time of his death in 1984. In his essay, Szarkowski, who knew the photographer well during most of his career, describes the development of Winogrand's pictorial strategies during his years as a photojournalist, the increasing complexity of his motifs as he pursued more personal goals, and the challenge posed for other photographers by the powerful and distinctive authority of Winogrand's best work, "with its manic sense of a life balanced somewhere between animal high spirits and an apprehension of moral disaster."

The Real Business of Photography

Richard Weisgrau

Amazon Price: $13.57 List Price: $19.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Allworth Press Amazon Marketplace: 33 new & used starting at $8.58

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> How-to -> General
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> How-to -> General AAS
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> Professional

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Excellent source of practical advice 4 out of 5 stars.
10 of 10 people found this review helpful.

I was really impressed with this book. I've read a quite few books on the business of photography lately, and along with Lou Jacob's "The Big Picture" I think this book should be essential reading for all commercial photographers.

I found the chapters on promotion, networking, sales technique and debt collection extremely useful. However I didn't give this book 5 stars because I found the authors stance on copyright a bit limp wristed (i.e. you can licence images for exclusive unlimited use, in perpetuity - so why would you ever need to hand over copyright?) and the advice on writing your own terms and conditions just seems down right dangerous.

Other than that I think "The Real Business of Photography" is brilliant!

Editorial Review:

Drawing from decades of experience as a working photographer and industry leader, the author defies popular "business myths" and trend-driven behaviour by providing a fresh, common sense approach to running a photography business. Focusing on what is specifically important to a photography business, the book covers all the essentials of running a photography business - setting a strategic vision and managing finances, networking for prospects and retaining clients - with the goal to develop an individual, unique business style.

How to Start and Operate a Digital Portrait Photography Studio

Lou Jacobs

Amazon Price: $31.16 List Price: $39.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Amherst Media, Inc. Amazon Marketplace: 25 new & used starting at $24.76

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> Digital Photography
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> How-to -> General
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> How-to -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 5 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

OK for amateur, too simple for a professional 3 out of 5 stars.
8 of 9 people found this review helpful.

Lou Jacobs Jr. has been writing photography books for decades and wrote a great guide to my old Konica Autoreflex 35mm SLR manual camera back 3 decades ago. This new book about starting your own studio offers a feel good fluffy guide that can motivate the beginner. It offers very little hardcore technical advice that is really important when it comes to digital studio work. For example, Jacobs glosses over the issue of storage by making statements such as just back up to CD/DVD and you're all set, whereas he should be talking about backing up to multiple harddrives, RAID, etc. Those issues aside, the studio photographs are outstanding and inspriring. Lighting is used to great effect.

Editorial Review:

Twenty successful studio owners offer their expertise to aspiring professional photographers in this guide to operating a digital portrait studio. Every element of a thriving studio is covered, from choosing a location and determining a budget to selecting computer equipment and streamlining the digital work flow. Details on selecting backgrounds, sets, and props that set a studio apart and advice on lighting patterns, posing, and clothing selection help photographers ensure that they produce client-pleasing images and return customers. Customer service tips on creating comfortable waiting and viewing areas are included to help photographers set up an attractive space to better profit from their artistic skills.

Mastering Digital Wedding Photography

James Karney

Amazon Price: $29.19 List Price: $39.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Course Technology PTR Amazon Marketplace: 39 new & used starting at $24.98

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> Digital Photography
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> How-to -> General
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> How-to -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Mastering Digital Wedding Photography serves as a practical guide to the unique art, craft, and business of wedding photography in the digital realm. Succeeding as a wedding photographer requires more than the ability to take excellent pictures under pressure. You must also develop a solid business and marketing plan that makes you stand out from the crowd in this highly competitive industry. This book addresses each of these fundamental skills. You will conquer hands-on techniques for the shooting of documentary events, making great portraits quickly, and maximizing the quality of your images after they have been captured. You'll also cover the essential topics of workflow and file management and important marketing techniques that will expand your services and grow your business. Whether you are a novice photographer, a seasoned professional adding weddings to your assignment list, or a film photographer transitioning to the digital realm, Mastering Digital Wedding Photography will help you develop the skills you need to capture the magic of each wedding you photograph.