Make photo copies of your license, passport and credit cards and leave in each of your travel bags. You don’t want to end up stranded if your wallet goes missing.

Kevin Lock is a current national director of ASMP. While Kevin does not get stranded he has been to change direction in mid trip so he hardly ever checks his luggage.   

182 years ago Louis Daguerre invented his eponymous daguerreotype and photography was born.  With this new medium came a competitive and complex world that has conflicted the artist within and simultaneously seduced him/her into the realm of capturing the moment for financial gain.

Fast forward to 2011 and you will find that within ‘our’ society there is a growing division amongst photographers.  A festering contempt of the pro’s for the artists and more specifically the hobbyists. I find it humorous that so many people within our industry see amateurs as threatening our existence. Some even go as far to argue that professional photographers are becoming an endangered species.  I disagree. I believe photography is thriving.  More pictures are being taken today than at any time in our history.  And we are doing it well.

“Virtually all societies have developed some degree of inequality among their people through the process of social stratification.”  (Wikipedia)  This holds true for our photographic society as well.  While there may be inequality, I consider myself fortunate to be included in this visual society that hungers for the photographic image.  This society is alive and well today and will survive despite the drama.  Society needs us;  “The Lovers, the Dreamers and Me.”

Kevin Lock is a national board member of the ASMP. When Kevin is not trying to block Kermit’s cute little voice out of his head, he can be found “star gazing” .. half asleep , “hearing voices calling” his name .

Are they really clients if they refuse to pay up?  I don’t think so.  I have another word for them. Let’s call them what the court calls them: Defendants.

I am not litigious, but I refuse to be taken advantage of.  I’d rather not sue, but I have had to.  As a small business, I have had the unfortunate experience of having a few clients that have refused to pay. Refused to pay up for work that I completed and delivered at the agreed upon price.  Refused to pay in a timely manner or at all.

They broke the rules, so I had to change the game.

Now I am not a big player and I have no intention of entering the ‘World Series.’  I have only utilized the lower courts.  More specifically, I have sat down to the Small Claims table and anted up.

Why Small Claims?

There are a couple of advantages to playing at this level.  First of all it is inexpensive to file suit.  Not only are the filing fees minimal, but the fact is you don’t have to hire an attorney and the court often has free legal consultations available to you.  In California, for example, they provide an attorney for you to meet with and discuss your case before it goes to court.  You can even have an attorney in the courtroom during the proceedings, as long as they don’t address the court directly.  Same goes for the Defendant.  This means when it comes to time to make your case, it’s your word against theirs.  And perhaps the most important advantage, the courts do not like for ‘man to take advantage of his fellow man’.

While going to court is not a pleasant experience, it can be a rewarding one. My favorite part of the process is that you can have the Sheriff serve them a subpoena at their place of business and there is the opportunity to get what is owed to you.  Of course there is the possibility that you won’t win.  There is also a third possibility, which I believe offers a bit of insight: the win/lose.  I once won a judgement only to have a client turn around and claim bankruptcy.  The experience of taking him to court and having him told he was wrong, well the emotional reward far outweighed the financial loss.

Kevin Lock is currently a national director of the American Society of Media Photographers.  When Kevin isn’t having his ‘day in court’ he can be found winning, losing and then winning another hand of poker with fellow ASMP SD members.

We all have our own reason for getting into this business.  For me it just kind of happened.  It was something I always did and to be honest I didn’t plan on making a living doing it.  Perhaps you had a similar experience and find yourself in business struggling to make a decent living. Well, I am here to tell you, if making a living is in your plan, you better mind your business.  You are a business first, a photographer second.

First step?  First Base.  You got to get on before you can score.  So, how? Market.  Sounds simple… but is it?  If you want to thrive let alone survive you must market your business.   You have to sell yourself.  If you aren’t taking the time to market, your market will disappear.

Second base… Well that takes a little planning.  If you didn’t hit it out of the park, you might find yourself stuck on first…. Waiting for someone else to drive you home.  I say, “steal second.”  Watch your competition and your clients closely.  When everyone else is not paying attention it is your opportunity to take advantage of the situation and move forward.

Third takes a bit of strategy.  Time to rely on your teammates/ your peers.  Surrounding yourself with other good players/photographers will assist you in taking your game to the next level. If you are an ASMP member, you are already on third and it is time to thrive.

With that motivation, the values and associates around you… scoring should not be a problem.

Kevin Lock is a current director for the American Society of Media Photographers.  When  Kevin is not laughing with his daughter while watching Abbott and Costello he can be found breaking into a nervous “Rain Man” fit .. “Who’s on first, what’s on second, I don’t know is on third?”

“Back to school, back to school… to prove to dad that I’m not a fool.”  (Adam Sandler / Billy Madison.)  Not sure about you but I for one don’t want to start over.  I have too many years invested.  Just like Billy, I do not want to repeat the first grade or my first year as a professional photographer for that matter.  But sometimes it pays to begin again.  I, for one, am going to take a day off and do just that.

I say take the time and rediscover the love and passion that brought you to photography in the first place.  Take one day.  One work day.  One 8 hour day.  Get away from your world.  Make a conscious decision to spend that time thinking.  Rethinking.  Considering.  Reconsidering.  Review and then plan your next move.  Remember why you chose photography.  Why photography chose you.  You owe it to yourself. Take the time to make a difference in you.  A difference in your photography.  Go back to school.

I am not sure where the Summer went, but Fall is upon us.  Yes, the crazy, lazy summer is coming to an end and I am excited about the possibilities that are just days away.  Say it with me…. September, October, November, December… Hallelujah!  2012 is just around the corner.

“…I got my lunch packed up, my boots tied tight, I hope I don’t get in a fight… oohhhhh….. back to school….”

Kevin Lock is currently a director of the national board for the American Society of Media Photographers.  When Kevin is not watching and reciting lines from Billy Madison he has been known to change it up with a little Happy Gilmore… “Laying by the bay…. Making things out of clay…. I just may…. Whada ya say?”

We are presently within “Daylight Savings Time,” where our clocks are set forward and I find myself forward thinking. I don’t know about you, but I plan on getting to the Photo Plus Expo this Fall, October 26-29.  It is well known that hotels in NYC can cost a fortune and fill up early, so in hopes of making your visit a little cheaper this year I suggest booking early.  Looking for a deal on a room?  Try either The Jane or Hotel Carter.  Both are extremely affordable.

Kevin Lock is currently a national director of the American Society of Media Photographers.  When Kevin is not thinking forward, he can be found paying back his fellow ASMP photographers with quick tips, albeit 3+ months early.

An assistant who can anticipate a photographers next act is an invaluable asset to any shoot.  Being acutely attentive and acquiring the ability to ascertain the needs of the photographer, in advance, is an attractive quality that is always appreciated.  In addition, your attentiveness will positively affect your client by aggrandizing him or her in the eyes of their audience.  Your adept performance will assuredly actualize a working alliance with the photographer in the future.

This practice can also be applied to your own photographic business.  By watching closely and paying attention you will accomplish your goal of becoming a successful assistant and in turn these qualities will augment your own photographic affairs.

I assure you, if you are able to acquire a level of proficiency in the practice of anticipation, you will absolutely be effective at becoming an accomplished assistant and photographer.

Kevin Lock is a current member of the national board of directors for the ASMP.  When Kevin is not (trying to be clever by) cramming ‘A’ words into his strictly business blog posts (50ish), he can be found anxiously awaiting and anticipating another arrival of appurtenant advice for assistants, via ASMP’s strictly business blog.

I have been in the (“professional” photographic) business for almost 20 years.  So let me ask you “what the hell do I know about new business models”?  I imagine that I am not alone in my ignorance.

While completing a Google search on “New Business Models,” (drum roll please…) number 4  of  25,300,000 returns was a listing entitled  “Scrambling for New Business Models”  This includes a video short uploaded May 19, 2011 from Forbes.com. Since I was scrambling myself, I gave it a listen:

http://video.forbes.com/fvn/future-tech/scrambling-for-new-business-models

Up until now I have thought of myself as a high-end service provider.  What I found has inspired me to rethink what I have previously “thunk” about business, customer service and alternative business models within the photographic industry.

Within the interview of Forbes staffer Rich Karlgaard, Rich explains the intricacies of a ‘low end’ service provider and offers his assessment of their success.  “ Southwest Airlines does almost nothing for you.  You have to print out your ticket. You have to stand in line where they say you do. Pretty soon they are gonna make you clean up after the flight. And somehow, you come out of a South West flight feeling upbeat…They’ve made a promise, they’ve kept it…they have a great investment in their service…their service really educates the customer to not expect a lot and then they over deliver”.

IFLYSWA.  Simple.  Or perhaps I am simple.  Either way, I appreciate the ease and consistency of the process and the experience SWA offers me.   I am thinking about following their lead.

Kevin Lock is currently a Director of the National Board of the ASMP.  When Kevin is not offering high end service he can be found suffering thru another flight on his favorite airline, SWA.

I am taking that one step further.  I have been slowly building a body of personal work in hopes that, in the future, it will be the only work I show.  Why?  I want to move in the direction of securing the work that I want to do…. not what I currently get hired to do to pay my bills.  I know I can’t be the minority here.  We all want the dream jobs.

I view the ‘landing a client process’ a bit like dating.  No matter who approaches whom, one of us is obviously interested.  So we begin.  Since there are many clients I am interested in, I have several different websites.  I point my potential clients to the site that best meets their needs and is relevant to their industry.  Once I get some feedback on the site or land the job, I will point them to my ‘new site’ which is actually my ‘business portfolio’ that is continuing to evolve.  I think of it like dessert for the client I am wining and dining.

This website currently shows only a small percentage of work that I get hired to do.  In time, it is my intention to populate this site entirely with the imagery that speaks to me… personally.

I haven’t got my business portfolio filled entirely with personal work as of yet.  It is a process.  But I am confident that once I do, it will pay off.  My business will follow this evolution and after a few dates…. well… that’s kind of personal.

Kevin Lock is currently a national board member for the ASMP.  When Kevin is not getting personal he can be personally reached at kevin@lockphoto.com

Wikipedia defines time management as “exercising conscious control over the amount of time spent on specific activities, especially to increase efficiency or productivity.”

Ha.  If only it was that simple.

I put the question of time management to my daughter.  She added “ and not procrastinating”.  I am not sure but I think she might have been speaking directly to/about me.

Take this blog for example. I was given 50 days to deliver, and yes, I am over 12 hours late.  Obviously I am not the poster child for time management.  Other contributors, to Strictly Business, often turn their blogs in early, sometimes a month in advance.  I can’t.  I try, but I don’t.  Not making excuses.  Just stating fact.

So I have reevaluated my time management that is affected by this procrastination. It is actually ‘my subconscious control of the lack of time spent on specific activities which in turn decreases my efficiency and productivity.’  Time management for me is an ongoing battle.

“Procrastination is the art of keeping up with yesterday,”  wrote Don Marquis.  I know I need to focus, think, prioritize and execute.  Why is it so hard?

Last week I wrote about being my own competition.  I stated it was my clock I was racing.  I thought I was on the right track.  Not according to Arthur Godfrey who said   “Even if you are on the right track – you’ll get run over if you just sit there.”  Well I don’t want to get run over.  So the first step is obviously a change of thought, a change in direction.

I encourage you to take this challenge with me. Let’s focus, think, prioritize and execute. Let’s turn our blogs in early.

My new definition of time management is going to be ‘a victorious battle with procrastination.’

Kevin Lock is currently training as a show blog monk, which involves daily hand-to-hand combat with his procrastination.  When not battling, Kevin is a director on the national board for the ASMP -  The premier trade association for the worlds most respected photographers.