John Welsh

Life is about relationships and so is success. And since business is part of life, then success in business must also involve relationships, right? Perhaps there’s flawed logic in that claim, but I still believe it’s true. And as each year passes and brings with it “better” technology, it leaves us with very little face time to develop our business relationships. It seems it’s becoming increasingly difficult to carve our niches as photographers, but the…

These are three things a traveler expects to find in the northern parts of Pennsylvania these days. But I also relate them to the capture and editing of moving pictures. Most of my storytelling experience comes from photojournalism. Of course, I’ve worked with writers while photographing stories, but my best work is shot while alone. During my evolution from stills to motion, and while Hunting for stories, I purposefully worked alone – at least in…

There are many paths that can lead us out of The Creative Block. For me, it’s about genuinely wanting to know everything when situations present themselves – it’s wanting to know about people, about cities, about places and about other ways of thinking. That may be the journalist in me speaking, but since the disruptive economy has become the standard, a new thought process, one that focuses on curiosity, has helped me adapt and reinvent….

Grow or Die. Scary words, right? They speak of challenge and failure. Those words have been floating around this disruptive digital economy for several years. But they are also helping us create great things and the concept should become a permanent part of our thinking rather than something to fear. So is this concept of growth or death actually true? In a feature story by Dottie DeHart & Mary Best, on the BedTimes website (yes,…

Giving Back to your community, your profession, your colleagues, to whomever – it’s a good thing. It creates community and it’s something we need when facing the challenges within the new marketplace. But what about Taking Back? It may be more important than giving in this state of unsettling business practice. We need to find ways that empower and let us to play on level fields; ones that allow us to thrive in healthy working…

Perspective. Observation. Clarity. These words help me find vision. And vision is something we need in order to differentiate ourselves within the horde that’s creating images. But I believe these words are also a component and fundamental layer in storytelling. So, what if we took the Big Bang Theory and applied it to storytelling? That the moment of creation is when the story begins to have structure. That it’s something tangible. That if you inserted…

How far into the future do you think you can see? What will you be creating 5 years from now? How about 10? It doesn’t take a dose of the supernatural to figure this out, but it does take Vision. But it’s not having vision in the sense of business, marketing and becoming a brand. They are all tools we must have. The vision I’m talking about is your identity as a photographer. It’s something…

If you were asked to use three words to describe a formula for conducting a successful interview, which ones would you pick? For me, it’s Truth, Trust and Time. They are all in play before, during and after an interview. Everyone wants to be respected in a relationship. And that’s what we are doing every time we interview someone. We are building a relationship and the goal is to share what needs to be revealed….

Collaboration. New Media. Repurposing Content. Audience Building. These trendy buzzwords are reflective of how we’ve evolved as image making pros, but what do we do with them? You’ll have to find your own answer but maybe mine will help… Although I like gadgets and enjoy exploring new tech and social outlets, I always end up to going back to the fundamentals, the Old School, and bring attention to what we do best – tell stories….