The PhotoTellers--Photography Podcast

Imagine this: You have 30 minutes to sit with a leader of an international company and ask whatever you want about leadership. To your surprise, you find him unassuming, relevant, and happy to leisurely answer your questions.

Welcome to this very special episode of The PhotoTellers! This is a Fireside Network Chat with Mr. Ron Wallace. He's a former UPS Driver, and also the former President of UPS International. He's now the author of a new book: Leadership Lessons from a UPS Driver: Delivering a Culture of We, Not Me.

Enjoy the book and you'll glean much, much more . . . but here are a few tidbits you'll learn in this conversation:

• Some of the key persons and lessons in 38 years of leadership experience
• Why is this book especially valuable for teens?
• The concept of "Constructive Dissatisfaction," and how many of UPS' great changes DO NOT come from the C-Suite
• Why is it important to UPS to promote from within? What does it mean to "play your best 5, not your 5 best?"
• The inspiring lesson from one man's "4 faiths," and the "best operation in the world."

And if that's not enough! Learn where, according to the Brew Master of Guinness beer, you can find one of the 7 "perfect pour pints" in the world--here on the outskirts of Atlanta!

Okay . . . I'll give you a VERY STRONG hint . . .The Olde Blind Dog Irish Pub, in Milton, GA.

If you're studying classic photography portraiture, at some point you'll hear the name Tim Kelly. And if you're striving to create a business that poignantly, distinctly, loudly looks unique your competitors, I'm proud to bring this conversation with Tim Kelly.

Tim has been photographing for over 40 years. Yet the real interest I had in interviewing him was the business & artistic decision he made 25 years ago. It seems counter-intuitive to all conventional "wisdom," and it's been wildly successful (and rewarding).

Otherwise, you'll also hear Tim discuss:

• How to properly curate a public display
• Why he's gone back to film and the darkroom
• "I basically do everything different--on purpose." -Tim Kelly
• How the opening of a high-end studio changed his business
• His career of staying away from what other Photographers are doing

If you'd like to hear more from Mr. Tim Kelly, he'll be speaking again at Imaging USA 2017 in San Antonio, TX.

timkellyportraits.com

photoportraitguru.com

And Tim mentions the beautiful work of David Maheu. Find his website HERE, and the link to my conversation with David below:

http://firesidenetwork.com/photographer-set-a-mood-and-set-yourself-apart-with-the-right-background/

Welcome to the talk with one of the most enthusiastic Photographers I've ever interviewed!

Mr. Rick Ferro is one of the very, very few wedding Photographers in the world whose client is Disney! In 1993, Rick helped create the wedding photography department for Walt Disney World. His work has been seen on ABC’s Weddings of a Lifetime and Regis & Kathie Lee Show. An author and teacher, when he's not photographing at Disney, he's often on the road teaching other Photographers.

Yet when you ask Rick how he landed the job at Disney, he claims that it's not because of him or his work. Hear him explain the power of a Mentor's influence, and how it's shaped his own career since.

You'll also hear Rick discuss:

• The unique challenges of being a wedding Photographer at Disney
• The Art of Romance (the book and his theme of his work)
• "Chimping" and how it gains the client's trust
• For those who think "posing" is outdated. Is it a dying art?
• How to get more impact in your images

Learn more about Rick, and take advantage of hours of FREE education that he's providing for other Photographers by CLICKING HERE, and find his website HERE. And he mentions the Disney Wedding site: HERE IT IS.

Photographer Eric Pickersgill's REMOVED project has gone viral. Like thousands of others, I first saw his work online--and it haunted me.

The project dramatically altered his career, landed him on the stage of a TEDx talk, and has reignited the conversation about our relationships to our cell devices.

Amidst the whirlwind, Eric graciously sat down for a conversation on The PhotoTellers. Today you'll hear the story behind a Photographer with a large format camera who captures us without our portable devices.

"A common theme in my photography IS PHOTOGRAPHY." -Eric Pickersgill

What can you expect to hear?

• How did the identity of "Photographer" help him shed his teen anxiety?
• The scene in a restaurant, a detached Mom, and cell phones that spawned the project.
• How have the subjects in the photos reacted before and after the work?
• How does life change when one of your projects goes viral?
• How do you know it's time to hire an agent?
• Should you sell your fine art work through your own website, or a gallery?
• What has this craft of Photography given him?

If you'd like to explore more, take a look at:

RWFA Rick Wester Fine Art

Julie Grahame        Since my conversation with Eric, I've also interviewed Julie! Hold on for a gripping conversation, coming this week! [HINT: If you'd like to work with Julie, tell her that you listened to the show and she'll take 20% off!]

REMOVED.social

EricPickersgill.com      Here you'll see much more of Eric's work!

I'm Bill Ramsey, and I know how to fail in Photography.

I've also had a few victories along the way, but it's really my failure that has birthed The PhotoTellers podcast.

Today is a personal look into my own history in Photography, the bumps along the way, and the reason the show exists. I guess you could say that I started the show for the guy I was 13 years ago.

If you're a Photographer who is struggling in business, know that you aren't alone. I hope that today's episode gives you a sense of hope, and maybe a few tidbits to help.

And if you know someone who needs the encouragement, kindly send them the link/share on social media. And while you're at it . . . subscribe to the show on iTunes & leave a review. Please and Thank You.

Below you'll find the link to the book I mention, and also a link to my conversation with Lori Nordstrom. One of the first guests on the show, she also knows the feeling of a business running out of control . . . and her conversation is filled with practical advice!

http://firesidenetwork.com/lori-nordstrom-photography/

www.ThePhotoTellers.com

Imagine that you sat down with 100 Photographers to discuss the craft and the business of Photography. They're from all walks of life, all over the map, creating wildly different work. What if they all came back to the same recurring themes?

They have. And that is today's episode.

On this, the 100th episode of The PhotoTellers, your grateful host, Bill Ramsey (that's me), reflects on what he's learned from 100 interviews (actually, closer to 150).

And I hereby ask for your help!

• Please go to iTunes and leave a review of the show. Yes, it REALLY DOES help me and the show. While you're there, please subscribe.
• Leave your input on the show's notes. What themes (that I overlooked) have you noticed from the guests? What would you like to hear discussed in the future? If you're listening through one of the syndicated channels, the site is www.ThePhotoTellers.com.
• If you've benefited from one of the guests, reach out to him/her specifically and thank them for being on the show!
• Share the show with a friend. Post this episode to your social media sites, email the link directly to a friend, write a letter in longhand with ink & quill.

The next episode, like this one, is a monologue from Yours Truly. Why did my hot wife and I create The PhotoTellers? Why do we keep funding it?

You might be surprised.

Thank you--sincerely. God bless.

-mr. bill

And since I often ask the guest about his/her favorite resources . . . here is an incomplete, eclectic collection of books on the shelves in my office:

Most professional trades require some sort of certification--but not Photography. For the Photographer who wants the designation, the Professional Photographers of America offers a program to become a "Certified Professional Photographer."

Other than the title, or "bragging rights," or a certificate to hang on the wall . . . does Certification really make an impact on a Photographers career?

In today's conversation, my co-host Cris Duncan and I explore this very question with Julia Boyd, Director of Certification at the PPA. You'll hear us discuss:

• What does it mean to be "Certified Professional Photographer?" Why does it matter?
• "Photography is the subjective use of an objective craft." -Cris Duncan
• What are the steps to become certified?
• What are the objective metrics that distinguish between a certified & non-certified photographer? How is this used in marketing? How will PPA help you leverage this distinction?
• To the Photographer who says, "I don't need certification! I'm doing great work without it." What will you gain through the process?

If you'd like to learn more about the Certification process, CLICK HERE. Or if you have questions directly for Julia, email her at [email protected].

And the books that Julia mentions? Here you go:

The folks at Lensbaby want to help you rework your work.

Ben Hutchinson kindly sat down with me at The Texas School of Professional Photography to explain what's new, and how Photographers are using Lensbaby to bring variety into their work. Listen in and learn:

How is this the selective focus tool for portrait & landscape photographers?

For whom is the Lensbaby best suited?

For the architecture photographer--the Edge 80 lens. How is it different from the classic tilt-shift lens?

As always, you can learn more about Lensbaby by CLICKING HERE.

And if you're in the market, I greatly appreciate you using the affiliate links below:

 "Hate" is a strong word; the word your mother told you not to use. So here I go:

Jared Platt HATES to see Photographers needlessly squandering time. HATES it.

Are you using your time for worst, good, better, or best? How can you work in the "best?" Jared has a word for you today!

He's a wedding & lifestyle photographer himself, and he now spends a great deal of time teaching. [Hint: He's not a teacher-by-default. Listen in on his educational pedigree.]

Some of the highlights of my conversation with Jared at Imaging USA 2016:

"The desire for Photographers to do everything themselves is a really bad idea." -Jared Platt

How can you learn more, and take advantage of the resources Jared Platt has to offer? Simple! CLICK HERE.

What about the other resources he mentions? Here you go . . .

CREATIVE LIVE          |           ZACH GRAY'S RESOURCES          |           SHOOT.DOT.EDIT

Just in case you missed the previous PhotoTellers conversation with Zach Gray (who patiently endured our abuse during this conversation):

http://firesidenetwork.com/zach-and-jody-photography/

As we fast approach another year of the Texas School of Professional Photography, I'm fast approaching the end of the conversations I recorded in 2015. If you've been keeping track, you'll notice that I'm averaging once per week of TX School conversations.

Let me take a moment to say "thank you!" to Don Dickson, the Board of TX School, and the Board of TPPA. Their sponsorship of The PhotoTellers has allowed me to share these conversations with you.

BUT THAT'S NOT ALL!

It is with great excitement that I bring you good news: Texas School is bringing me back for 2016!

Rather than drip one TX School episode per week, this year I'll publish all of them by the end of August.

________________

But enough housekeeping. Take a few minutes to hear from Carey Zarate. Along with a great tidbit of advice about your time in Photoshop, she shares the difference Texas School has made in her career. You'll also hear how Carey found boudoir photography is so personally rewarding.

CLICK HERE to see some of Carey's work.

And as always--if you find something especially valuable from a conversation, please send a word of thanks to the guest.