Andrew Niesen

We're here in Victoria, British Columbia for a beautiful wedding coming up on Saturday. Exploring the city was our first order of business today! it's especially enchanting at night.

Stay tuned for more action-packed Victoria photos soon!

	“Who we are is the most important thing about photography.”
	— Sam Abell

I love talking to photographers. In the last week, I've picked up a consistent theme from the ten-or-so conversations I've had: Where's the work?

Everyone is asking: Why? Is it gas prices? The economy? Uncle Bob?

While a combination of these factors is the likely culprit, I've noticed another: schizophrenia.

Don't take me literally here. I'm not referring to a photographer's mental health. Rather, I've noticed many photographers lack a strong sense of identity. This leaves them vulnerable to the whim of trends.

In the course of many workshop portfolio reviews, I've seen work from individual photographers which looks more like a collection of the best images from a diverse sampling of stylistic influences. Looking at a photographer's portfolio, I can clearly see a visual history of all the workshops the photographer has attended. One image was clearly made after the photographer attended Yervant's workshop; the influence of Denis Reggie is evident in the next, followed by a photograph that could be on Joe Buissink's website.

What's amazing to me is that the photographer has been so successful emulating the styles of each of these industry icons, but the collective result is still a failure. A prospective client looks at their work and has no clear sense of the photographer's identity!

It's natural to be influenced by industry icons and to think: "If it works for them, it will work for me!"

This starts a process of photographic experimentation, resulting in new images that make their way into the photographer's portfolio. While these images are well-executed, they create ambiguity in the photographer's marketing message. Ambiguity actually works against the photographer's marketing and sales efforts. The inspiration drawn from successful photographers has an unintended effect, one Rachel calls "visual schizophrenia."

When you compare LaCour's work to Yervant's, you might think it's surprising that he is a great source of inspiration to us. While our photographic style and approach is divergent, Yervant has crafted a unique identity, which is clearly communicated through his branding to his marketing message to his photography. It's strong and unwavering.

The most successful people in any field stand out because of a personal investment in their work. They have found a way to express who they are through what they do. This becomes increasingly true in a saturated, competitive market.

So, I encourage you to answer this question: Who are you?

How do you approach photography? What is your style? Can you articulate this to your client in two sentences? Is your branding and marketing message consistent with who you are photographically? Do your images work together to reinforce your identity or do they work against each another? And most importantly, what artistic inspiration do you have outside of the photography world?

This requires an intentional effort of specialization. You must ask yourself, how does this new style, approach or technique fit with my identity?

So if sales are down, don't just run out and buy the latest action set or add trash-the-dress sessions.

Start with finding yourself. Then the clients will find you.

The view from the Four Seasons' 45th floor, looking uptown toward Central Park

Quick self-portrait near Times Square

I spent Saturday shooting at the Four Seasons in Manhattan. It was an intimate little wedding, with just eight people in attendance.

This is the kind of trip that I refer to as a "surgical strike" — in the morning of the wedding — out first thing the next morning! That was a total of 19 hours in NYC!

I spent a few days in Philadelphia this past week visiting my brother, Phillip, who paints some pretty amazing murals around Philadelphia, like this one (before and after):



Anyway, I've been waking up at 5:30 am every weekday morning for the past couple of months doing an awesome fitness Bootcamp. So from 6-7 am we work hard running all around Freedom Park doing something different everyday. Pushups and tons of variations - clapping pushups, diamond pushups, military pushups, etc. Lots of abs and core strength work. And if anybody wants to know about Tabata Squats, I'd be happy to tell you. They're killer! So my endurance has skyrocketed. I have to cinch my belt a notch or two tighter now. Fat has melted off and is being replaced by muscle. Where are these weird ripples coming from? But other great benefits are that I have so much more energy now throughout the day and I feel much more focused and productive! Oh, and I've been eating a lot healthier. Nothing revolutionary. Just being smarter with food choice.

So, while I was in Philly, we decided to make a fun little video. My only intention was to share it with the folks at my Bootcamp, but of course I showed a few photographers who cracked up over it and so I figured I'd share it with the world. Prepare for the cheese:

Never have I found the limits of the photographic potential. Every horizon, upon being reached, reveals another beckoning in the distance. Always, I am on the threshold.

—W. Eugene Smith

In the past three days, we've traversed the state of California, from San Francisco to San Diego. It's incredible how much emotional, intellectual and psychological distance can be covered in such a short time. Some things can't be measure in miles, only in milestones.

I wish I could share all of the business developments with you now, but many are looming like shadow play on the horizon. One thing is certain: LaCour and ShootQ stand together at an important crossroads.

Our first stop in San Francisco reconnected me with my mentor, Kim Komenich. During my time at the Missouri School of Journalism, Kim's passion for photography and storytelling fueled my love for photojournalism and life in general. He was both a guide and a friend. Having lunch with him was like coming home; it was a rare opportunity to witness life coming full circle. As I sat across a battered bistro table from someone whose influence on the direction of my photographic life is immeasurable, I felt ineffably grateful. Without Kim's guidance, I would not approach weddings with a storyteller's eye.



After lunch with Kim, Andrew and I joined a wonderful group of photographers in San Jose for a presentation about LaCour and ShootQ. We were thankful for the many insightful questions we heard from this group! It was a combined PUG, with San Jose, San Francisco and Sacramento photographers.

Andrew demos ShootQ for the PUG.

Following the PUG, Andrew and I had a series of encouraging, ShootQ-related meetings. As I said earlier, I wish I could share more details. More to come...stay tuned. Needless to say, my journey from student at the Missouri School of Journalism to wedding photographer to software company owner has been filled with curiosity, challenges and creativity!


Wheels up over Silicon Valley