by Skip Cohen ​It's a 25th-anniversary throwback to 1999 and WPPI. Don Blair and I were the opening act with a packed room. We launched his new book, Don Blair's Guide to Lighting and Posing Body Parts, at the convention, but we had started the project a year earlier. Marathon Press did an incredible job printing the book and after a successful presale, the first copies were delivered the morning after our program, right on time at Don's booth on the trade show floor. The concept was creating a small spiral-bound guide that photographers could keep in their camera bags. It dealt with posin ..read more

Click for more info ​by Skip Cohen We all know when our phones are low and need a charge. Yet, we repeatedly fail to recognize when our own batteries are low! Instead, we keep pushing ourselves without taking the time to recharge until we simply hit the wall. Over the years, I've written extensively about the importance of attending every possible conference. Why? You can't push the envelope of creativity to build your brand and business without inspiration. We all go through it, and the stress of growing a business today is unmatched by anything in the past. ClickCon is coming up, an ..read more

AI from Adobe Stock by Skip Cohen It's Marketing Monday! I want to talk about partnerships but with a specific focus on the upcoming seasonality, using Mother's Day as an example. Mother's Day is loaded with opportunities NOT to fly solo! Let's start with a direct mail piece featuring you, the photographer, a florist, and a local venue. The timing is tight to get something done for this year, but the model works for Father's Day and graduation season. Direct Mail - Informational: Design an oversized postcard to get through the noise. Each partner has their own list of customers, which can ..read more

by Skip Cohen It's Sunday Morning Reflections and I never know what I want to write about until I sit down at the computer. For some reason, this morning my head is filled with an, almost overwhelming appreciation, for the career path I stumbled into so many years ago...photography. Here's the scenario that got me going today about my love for capturing memories... Sheila has been beating me up for years to get her prints of the photographs we've taken. Sadly, while I talk a good game about being organized, photographs are everywhere electronically. From my computer, to laptop, the cloud ..read more

by Skip Cohen If only there was a button you could push to grow your business! There's no button, but there is an outstanding conference coming up to help you achieve your goals. ​ ​When it comes to building our business, we're all in the same "boat." Everyone is looking for answers to the same kinds of questions: How can I increase business, as well as revenue? I need new customers, but where do I find them? How do I expand my skill set? Am I the only one with this kind of challenge? Who's out there that I could work with to develop a partnership? I need more diversified friends in my ..read more

by Skip Cohen It's Marketing Monday, and as I think through what might be helpful to you, I'm stuck on finding something new... something I haven't written about before. So, with the clock ticking down to Mother's Day, it seems like the perfect time to remind you to stop thinking you have to do everything alone - STOP FLYING SOLO. The upcoming Mother's Day is the perfect example, with so many different opportunities for partnerships to share the cost and expand your reach. With every partnership, you increase your reach and expand the potential for brand awareness for your business.  ..read more

by Skip Cohen It's Sunday morning, and as usual, I avoid writing about business and marketing. Reflections is just that—whatever's on my mind when I sit down at the computer. Whatever I write is more personal, but I do my best to make it relatable. I've written in the past about a habit Sheila and I got into many years ago - reading something inspirational each morning. She tends to like things more spiritual, while I go to more of a positive thinking trend. The thoughts we share from various authors are always worthy of an "a-ha" moment. The other day, Cyndie Spiegel in her book, A Y ..read more

Click for more info by Skip Cohen If photographing seniors is already part of your business, then you already know we're getting down to the wire to support this important specialty. May and June are the two most popular months for high school graduations, but the revenue benefits happen in two stages—the original sittings for the portraits themselves and, second, happening now, support with products like grad cards. As I've written before, the class of 2024 has had a lot to deal with over their years in high school. Most of them were freshmen when the pandemic hit. Coping with the challeng ..read more

by Skip Cohen ​ ​It's a new year, and what everyone thinks of as the "slow season" is over. With Mother's Day, graduations, proms, and Father's Day all just around the corner, Spring seasonality is in full swing. But today's post isn't about seasonality but the diversity of your skill set. For those of you who are struggling as one-trick ponies – it might be time to diversify. Having a primary specialty is excellent, but it's time to grow if that's all you can photograph confidently.   Think back to the height of the pandemic – when events were all canceled, people were pa ..read more

Click to register for 10 complimentary 8x10s by Skip Cohen ​ Typically, timing is everything, and while it's pushing the envelope for a three-part mailing for Spring seasonality, it's NEVER too late to plant the seed for later in the year.  You're all looking for ways to make your business stand out in the community. Competition is fierce, so how can you cut through the noise and attract attention to your role as an artist and the ultimate storyteller?  Marathon's Power of 3 marketing for families is a simple and cost-effective way to market to families in your area. Plus, th ..read more