BluDomain - Blog Comments

dane: Thanks Kailee ... I can't wait for tomorrow ... Here's a teaser in case you guys can't wait for AltF ...! http://www.cutframetv.com/view_video.php?viewkey=75530d9583c34fd356ef (7.31.07, 6:46pm)

Kailee: A BIG thanks to Dane Sanders for spending time at Blu's Happy Hour! Inspiring to say the least. I hope you all learned a lot and had some fun! Please do not post anymore comments but read below to be inspired. Stay tuned tomorrow for Happy Hour with famous photog John MIchael Cooper ( yes the one that lights his brides on fire!) (7.31.07, 6:42pm)

dane: hey christie, thanks ... check out kiss albums for engagement albums. very cool stuff and super value. peace out friends! -d (7.31.07, 6:42pm)

Christie: Hi dane, I am a big fan, started doind engagement albums inspired by you and they are a huge hit, but I have not found a vendor for those I am totally stokes about who do you use? Also I loved your Easter SPM and just wanted to say it was awesome for me to see another photographer being very open about his/her faith and ROCK ON!! (7.31.07, 6:39pm)

dane: hey you guys ... thanks so much for being so cool and kind ... AND SPECIAL THANKS TO KAILEE AND BLU! I'm so honored and thankful. I love you guys. What an amazing forum to connect and raise the bar for our whole industry. If I missed anything please send me an email or swing by my blog and say hi :). You guys rock! (7.31.07, 6:38pm)

Mellanie: I never post only listen! But hoorah to Blu for doing this. I have to say you are a community based company and it's been fun watching you grow. And Dane the secret advice was just worth this hour because I have followed you for some time and you make big things happen! (7.31.07, 6:37pm)

dane: hi marina! keep it simple is my montra because if i'm not simplifying, i'm complicating and every time i do that my kids suffer. if it doesn't simplify, i don't do it. (7.31.07, 6:35pm)

dane: james ... secret advice? i have something for you but you'll need to check back for it. keep http://fasttrackphotographer.com bookmarked and check back in mid-september ... hint hint :) (7.31.07, 6:34pm)

dane: sally, LA/OC area is a great place to be a wedding photographer ... very competitive, sick talent, great vibe. makes everyone better. the big plus though is the culture. generally, people share a lot if who they're sharing with are cool with it. btw, i didn't mention jules bianchi earlier. i read her alot and love olive. (7.31.07, 6:33pm)

Brittany I: Dane what do you do to keep things alive in your soul and not get burnt out? How do you keep things fresh in your business? (7.31.07, 6:32pm)

Rona Leah: Thank you so so much for hanging with us Dane. You made my evening! Hope to meet you some day. Hope to have my work make you cry. Ha! ...Have a good week. (7.31.07, 6:31pm)

dane: stacey, great question about which blogs i stalk. i spend a lot of time at Seth Godin's blog. I'm also into Tim Ferriss. In the photo world, I read Becker, Jessica, Mike Colon, Cup 'O Joe, David Jay, Gary Fong, Jasmine and a bunch more. it's how i stay connected ... blogs are huge and not going away any time soon. you need to find a voice and blogs are free and global. HUGE. (7.31.07, 6:31pm)

StacyZ: Dane - just to let you know I had trouble with the itunes of your podcast...I have no idea why...so cutframe.tv is in my favorites for sure! Love the videos though (7.31.07, 6:31pm)

Kailee: Dane is amazing! Dane your Happy Hour is expired but of course it is your moment to say Last Question when you are ready! (7.31.07, 6:30pm)

dane: rona leah, i don't know what i clean stuff with. i just buy it and clean it. i have cleaned the sensor on my own and the first time is nerve racking but it's not that big a deal. probably next time i'd send it in to save on the effort. (7.31.07, 6:29pm)

dane: can i stay on a little longer to try and address the questions i haven't gotten to yet? maybe we can hold off on new ones at 4:30 and I'll try and catch up. thanks for putting up with my slow typing :)! (7.31.07, 6:28pm)

dane: vargas, good question ... i think more women are active on blogs, but my sense is guys just talk less for some reason ... it's weird. (7.31.07, 6:27pm)

DH: Thanks Dan! Something else I thought of...4-6 weeks before a wedding I sit down with the bride and groom to go over what groupings of people they want in shots. Not how to set up the shot, but who is in the shots. I wonder if on the wedding day this "check list" is cramping me. I feel like there is no room for where my eye and creativity really want to go. Do you use a checklist? Thanks for spending time with us! (7.31.07, 6:26pm)

dane: vicki, great question ... my podcast is video, so you'd actually see and hear them ... you can check 'em all out over at http://cutframetv.com or on my blog at http://danesanders.net or on iTunes where you can subscribe and they'll show up in your iTunes player. I think we have like 70+ episodes so far. (7.31.07, 6:25pm)

Rona Leah: What products do you use to keep your camera and lenses clean. And do you clean your own sensor or do you send your cameras back to Canon for that? Thank you. (7.31.07, 6:24pm)

dane: dh, i shoot as the clients want to be shot. increasingly though, they hire me because they want creativity so i tell them the easiest way to do that is for them to let me get 'em before the ceremony. they usually go for it when they have the option and they're not bridezilla :) (7.31.07, 6:24pm)

dane: bridget, great question. i'm not really into balance. haha ... seriously. i'm into extreme commitment to not doing things i shouldn't so i can focus on what i love most ... which is my wife Tami (who i adore!) and my kids (who I am absolutely smitten for). they're why i work. anyway, with good focus and choices, I have plenty of time available. even now though, i'm ruthlessly simplifying. did i mention "four hour work week" yet? :) (7.31.07, 6:21pm)

dane: audrey, i usually shoot alone for e-sessions. it's a connection builder with the clients and i want to bond with them exclusively. i think it puts clients more at ease too. ps actions? i use kubota alot and am loving totallyradactions ... i also am liking some of the cool raw xml files for sale from dj and kevin swan. (7.31.07, 6:19pm)

amber: ive asked a couple other happy hourers this too...but id like to know your suggestions and input on networking with other photographers...especially the people you look up to? (7.31.07, 6:19pm)

dane: Ella ... great questions ... the first workshop i went to was Mike Colon's. Since then, I have just identified those i'd like to learn most from and get to know. if there was one i'd go to right now it would be the anti-workshop. the creativity and authenticity there is just amazing. i'd also spend time with woods (who i think are on here soon right?) as well as parker phister .. who freaking makes me cry when i see his images ... so good. regarding labs, as long as it's a pro lab and you like how they work, i think you can't go wrong. i use pictage and am really happy. forums? http://opensourcephoto.com is my first and favorite. try to stay away from the grumpy forums ... they don't help the psyche. (7.31.07, 6:17pm)

Marina Miller: Aloha Dane!!! I am a wedding photog in Hawaii. :) where does "keep it simple." come from and how do you apply that thought to your life and photography? (7.31.07, 6:16pm)

Sally: why is Orange County-LA area more buzzing with wedding photographers that are up and coming? Is it a marketing thing. I know there is talent, but does everyone move there for a reason? Do you enter competitions? (7.31.07, 6:14pm)

dane: rona leah, yes ... i'm speaking of images of the day's shoot shown at the reception ... check out http://showitfast.com for some helpful tools ... (7.31.07, 6:14pm)

dane: hi kate! i try not to meet with bride's too often ... i mention my style but they don't know how to listen usually. they are guided by their gut and if the images move them. then if they like me, they tend to book. no hard sell. again, the videos of me is kind of how i present myself. (7.31.07, 6:13pm)

Stacey: Brings up a great question Vargas what blogs do you stalk daily? And how important is blogging? Like that name Vargas! woott! (7.31.07, 6:12pm)

dane: heather ... your WOM train is hilarious ... yes i have thoughts on that. first, do a slideshow at every event you can and publish it online. second, get in front of the camera and put fun videos of yourself on your blog (which I'm assuming you're doing and if not, you should). finally, the key is to be consistent and regular with your content. once a week every week is better than every day for two weeks and then two months of silence. (7.31.07, 6:11pm)

Rona Leah: What products do you use to keep your camera and lenses clean. And do you clean your own sensor or do you send your cameras back to Canon for that? Thank you. (7.31.07, 6:11pm)

Vargas: Hey, Dana alot of great advice. But, doesn't it seem like there is more females on these blogs than males. Is it because females just love to talk so much, or that that Oprah is in reruns...........JUST KIDDING (7.31.07, 6:11pm)

dane: hey again robert ... destination weddings ... hmmm ... it's weird. since i lived in santa barbara, i think they kind of started there when people destinated there. i dont' think of destination weddings as such very often ... i just get hired out of state a lot for some reason. i don't do much intentionally to make that happen. that said, i'm not exotic like jessica ... for instance i still haven't shot in hawaii yet ... weird. (7.31.07, 6:09pm)

dane: rona leah ... one more thing on album pre-design ... if you're wanting more on that check out Gary Fong's Get Rich DVD ... album pre-designed doubled my per wedding revenue last year. Everyone knows Gary for his lightsphere (which is awesome), but his real contribution is album pre-design ... it's amazing. (7.31.07, 6:07pm)

dane: hi heather :) ... i don't totally know what else i'd do besides what i do ... i'm pretty grateful for my life and don't really want to do anything else ... unless i could sing ... then, i'd want to be bono ... LOL (7.31.07, 6:05pm)

dane: hey charles ... the only shooting advice i have in particular is to shoot more. it's cliche but understated ... log 100,000 shutter clicks in 3 months and watch your decisive moment hits skyrocket. (7.31.07, 6:04pm)

dane: kristen, i am largely self-taught except what I've picked up from dear friends ... i try to learn every chance i get and in our industry, especially on the west coast, that will get you pretty far! (7.31.07, 6:03pm)

DH: Many of the photogs on the happy hours shoot well over 1000 images....how are you Bride & Groom to do as many photos before the ceremony and then any left over before the reception. some of them do not want to see eachother before the wedding. how do you have time to create unique one of a kind shots that aren't the traditional boring posed shots? Or do you not do the traditional posed shots at all? Thanks for your input. (7.31.07, 6:03pm)

dane: hey kerri, i was david jay's professor when he was in college and he became my mentor in the photo world. that guy rocks. i have a video of what is in my bag over at http://cutframetv.com ... go check it out. now that i use the shootsac like crazy, my bag is getting lighter and lighter :) (7.31.07, 6:02pm)

dane: ashley ... i can only do all this stuff because i'm work really hard at removing what i shouldn't be doing ... again 4 hour work week may be the best expense you'll make this year if you employ his ideas. future of the photo minute? great question!!! we have some really fun guests coming ... kevin kubota, joe buissink, bob davis ... etc. what would you like to see??? (7.31.07, 6:00pm)

dane: i shoot canon ... i usually have two bodies ... my 5D for wide lenses and my Mk II for long ... I love the 85 1.2 ... I also play a lot with my fisheye and my 70-200 is still my workhorse. (7.31.07, 5:58pm)

dane: tessa, i love that question ... i definitely have rituals to focus and relax. i'm an external processor though so who i shoot with really adds to the experience. it's why i shoot with my friends so often. i haven't used a second shooter in a long long time. (7.31.07, 5:56pm)

dane: rona leah, great question ... i do album pre-design and include album credits in my packages. albums then sell themselves (automation) ... all my fulfillment is with pictage. it's a total hands off process ... with shoot.edit all I do is shoot and market. (7.31.07, 5:55pm)

dane: robert, I make the bride wait almost an hour ... isn't that a long wait? haha ... i use the showiteffects to edit small jpgs on site and through them up on iphoto, often on my cinema display or even on my laptop. (7.31.07, 5:53pm)

Kate: Dane thank you for taking the time to join Happy Hour? A brilliant idea and I'm soaking in the advice daily. My question: When talking to a potential bride about your style, what do you tell them? And how do you make the sale? (7.31.07, 5:52pm)

Heather: Hi Dane, I've just started shooting weddings and I'm trying to get my name out there. Can you recommend a good place to print promotional material and do you have any awesome advice for just getting over the hump to start the word of mouth train? ^_^ thanks! (7.31.07, 5:52pm)

dane: i've never been a fan of advertising unless you have a specific intent in mind. word of mouth is far more powerful ... you just need a good vehicle to make WOM happen ... like the slideshow ... or genuinely exceeding expectations so your brides can't help but sing your praises ... (7.31.07, 5:51pm)

robert: Hi Dane ... do you shoot destination weddings and if so what was your favorite location ... and, what do you think is an effective way to break into that market? (7.31.07, 5:50pm)

Rona Leah: I think my second question got burried. I'm finding great work doesn't sell it self. What are some tips you have for getting clients to follow through with the purchase of prints and or album? thank you. (7.31.07, 5:50pm)

Charles: New guy around town. How do you train your eye to capture decisive moments? And what advice do you give us new folks to always getting the shot? (7.31.07, 5:49pm)

dane: amber, first, the photo minutes are back! sorry for the (ahem) delay ... more coming regularly over at http://cutframetv.com second, the foto cabina's are premium photo booths available for rent in the so. cal. market and available for lease around the country. it's a spendy buy in ($10K), but it pays for itself in 6 events and is pure profit from there if you want to add a photo booth business to your offerings ... (7.31.07, 5:49pm)

dane: hey kristin, my favorites are all my best friends ... Jessica, DJ, Becker, AltF, Mike, Joe, the Boutwells ... and have you seen Jasmine's work recently ... wow! I'm a big fan Bob Davis and Joe Buissink but I don't know them very well yet. I'm stoked I'll get a chance to say hi to them at Gary Fong's wedding later this month ... (7.31.07, 5:46pm)

kristen: Hey Dane! I'm a new fan of your work and a newbie. What do you shoot with, and if you could only bring one lens with you to a wedding, what would it be? (7.31.07, 5:44pm)

kerri : hi dane! love your work... how did you break into the business? did you have a mentor and what is in your camera bag! :) (7.31.07, 5:44pm)

ASHLEY: How do you balance everything Dane? You just seem to have many things going on in your life? And can we get some sneak peeks into future Simple Photos???????? (7.31.07, 5:44pm)

Sarah : Hi Dane, Thanks for being here. I checked out your site today from Kailee's link and am going to buy Showit Web. Thx for the link! What camera do you use the most and what is your favorite lens? thx! (7.31.07, 5:44pm)

dane: hey jason, i shoot raw so post production is super slick. i used to edit all my images myself (took about 4 hours) and would do online proofing except when paper products were requested (very rarely). now though, I use shootdotedit.com and am LOVING the time I just discovered in my life ... (7.31.07, 5:43pm)

dane: hey robert ... i do a lot of my consultations through my website in the details section. it's automated, like most of my life ... LOL .... I'm a low volume shooter ... no more than 20 weddings per year. (7.31.07, 5:41pm)

Dane: the foto cabina is loose italian for photo booth and it was because when we looked at it, it seemed like an italian sports car. you can get one of your own! jim kennedy did!! check 'em out at http://fotocabina.com (7.31.07, 5:39pm)

Rona Leah: My second question is about print sales. I'm finding great work doesn't sell it self. What are some tips you have for getting clients to follow through with the purchase of prints and or album? (7.31.07, 5:39pm)

robert: Dane ... how do you present the slideshow and apparently you don't subscribe to the idea that it's better to make the bride wait and anticipate the images ... (7.31.07, 5:39pm)

Dane: The best advice I'd give to a newbie is to first make your photography skills your backbone and second, trust your backbone will improve and scale your business so you can spend all of your energy marketing ... not all your money :) (7.31.07, 5:38pm)

Jason: PROOFING: straight out of the camera vs color correcting etc.? What are your thought? Do you provide a proof book or simply proof online or digitally? (7.31.07, 5:36pm)

Dane: I shot my first wedding as David Jay's assistant and saw the power of the slideshow and have done one at every wedding since. The subtle slideshow is the most powerful marketing piece I've ever seen. (7.31.07, 5:36pm)

grace: First Bludomain I'm digging that you named a template after me. Dane you are gorgeous! Secondly rumor has it we can own one of those fabulous fotcabinas! I would like to know the cost and where you came up with the concept and name? (7.31.07, 5:35pm)

Dane: Is there a way for me to respond without putting in my name, email and website every time? This might take a while :) ... LOL (7.31.07, 5:34pm)

robert: Hi Dane ... thanks for taking an hour out of your day to do this ... i was wondering where are you rclient consultations and how many weddings do you like to shoot annually? (7.31.07, 5:34pm)

Rona Leah: My first question is about getting clients when starting out. what are some of the more successful things you did to book clients when no one knows who the heck you are? Thanks (7.31.07, 5:33pm)

kailee: Good afternoon! Just to let you know "the" Dane Sanders will be joining us any minute! Also hundreds of emails asking me when I will be doing my what's hot entries, and photographer interviews. Those will be starting again on Monday! I'm dying too gossip! (7.31.07, 5:32pm)