With the Sonoran desert wildflower bloom taking it’s last breath photographers are starting to look elsewhere for their fix of colorful flowers.  Weather around Moab has been strange, to say the least, and the wildflowers are just now starting to brave the crapshoot that is our current climate.  With temperatures hovering at 80 degrees one day and 60 the next plants, creatures and humans alike are all at a loss as to what to expect.

Today I wandered out to Arches NP for a sunrise shoot.  Along the way I stopped to record some of the early bloomers with my iPhone camera.  These photos have no artistic value.  They are for reference only so you’ll know what to expect if you show up in Moab tomorrow.  Don’t do that, though.  The nightmare that is the annual car show is in town and if you’re wise you’ll stay far, far away while doctors, lawyers and rednecks drive their hot rods up and down Main St. for hours on end, occasionally slipping into their teenage years as they light up the tires all the way across an intersection.  On a state highway.  Soooooo not legal.  Sooooo totally silly.

I should know the names of all these flowers.  Sadly, I don’t.  I can only name one of them.  If you’re a better naturalist than I you are cordially invited to share your knowledge in the comments.  And now, the snapshots.

Here’s another great “Ask An Expert” question I received in email a week or so ago.  This one’s about gear, but not in the usual “which lens should I buy” kinda way.  Let’s get down to the business of insuring all the pricey gear.

The Question:

How important is it to get your gear insured, and what’s the best method of going about it/best company to do it with to prevent getting screwed over?

My Response:

Unless you are confident that you will never, ever drop a lens, knock over a tripod, have your gear stolen or leave your camera bag on the tailgate of your truck as you drive off in search of Mexican food after a sunset shoot I think insuring your gear is pretty much something you just have to do.  I’m a klutz.  I’m also not sitting on a bank account overflowing with money.  Hence, I insure all my gear because if it is stolen or boneheadedly broken I really would like to be able to replace it without taking out a home equity loan.

There are some variables to consider when shopping for insurance on camera gear that is primarily used outdoors.  If you make money as a photographer your search for insurance gets a little bit trickier because most homeowner’s/renter’s policies will not cover your gear.  To find out if this applies to you, speak to your insurance agent.

If you’re like me and you need your equipment covered not only in the event of theft or fire, but also in the event of stupidity, you should look into what is commonly called an “inland marine policy”.  This type of insurance policy covers most accidental damage.  For example, I once set up my tripod on the bank of the Colorado River with a Canon 1Ds MKII and 24-105mm lens attached, with a Singh-Ray polarizing filter on the front of the lens.  It was windy.  The sand was wet.  The rock was hard.  I turned around to retrieve something from my pack, a gust of wind kicked up and my tripod fell over.  Because the Gods of Good Luck hate me, the lens landed face down on the one rock on this beach.  It completely shattered the filter, stripped out the filter threads on the lens, broke the lens hood and scratched the front lens element badly.  I cried.  I cursed.  I probably kicked a few things and stormed off with my broken gear in hand as the sunset painted sandstone cliffs in vibrant shades of orange and red.  I called my insurance company the next day.  After completing some paperwork and providing copies of receipts for the damaged gear as well as a couple photos I had a check in hand within 2 weeks.  I have a $500 deductible so I still had to come out of pocket a little bit but it’s much easier to scrape up $500 than $1,500.

If you only need your gear covered in the event of theft and you don’t use your camera equipment as part of your job, you may be covered by your homeowner’s or renter’s insurance.  However, this insurance will not cover stupidity.  Or mistakes.

If you’re wondering where to start shopping for camera gear insurance a good starting point is NANPA (North American Nature Photographers Association).  Members can purchase comprehensive insurance at very reasonable rates through two different insurance agencies.  Get a quote from both to ensure you’re getting the best deal.  My gear is insured through American Family Insurance as part of my business liability insurance.  I’ve been with AmFam for 4 years and the experience has been great.  I’ve only had to make one claim (see Colorado River incident previously mentioned) but it went smoothly.  And, I’ve received great customer service from them when I’ve needed their help on various non-claim issues.

You would be wise to contact your current insurance agent to ask for his or her advice, too.  Describe what kind of insurance you’re seeking, answer whatever questions they throw at you and chances are good they’ll point you in the right direction.

I hope this helps!  As always, I’m always interested in hearing what has worked and what hasn’t worked for other photographers.  Please leave your thoughts, suggestions and experiences in the comments section and help a brutha, or sista, out.

I’ve been trying to think of a way to make my “FF”, or “follow friday” recommendations carry a little more weight.  The usual way just didn’t sit well with me as it seems to be somewhat worthless to constantly regurgitate the same twitter user names every friday without any context.  To that end, I’ve decided to create a list here on the ol’ blog of my “BFF’s”.  No, not my best friends forever.  These are my burly follow fridays, or best follow fridays or better yet, my bitchin’ follow fridays.  Yep, that’s it – bitchin’ follow fridays.  I’ll just point to this post every Friday so the whole twitterverse can see who I find talented, useful or funny.  I’ll update this list as I find new tweeple to follow.  Without wasting any more of your time with bad prose and silly twitter terminology, here’s the list.

Photographers (in no order whatsoever, not even alphabetical)

Guy Tal (@guytalphoto) – Best nature photographer in Utah (maybe even all of the Southwest), killer blog, conservationist, workshop leader, all-around nice guy.
Michael Gordon (@MichaelEGordon) – Amazing large format photographer in California, print master, conservationist, workshop leader, cool dude to hang with.
Gary Crabbe (@enlightphoto) – Shares lots of inspirational photos and the occasional nugget of hard-won photo biz know-how.
Tim Parkin (@timparkin) – Interesting observations and images from across the pond, super guy, workshop leader.
William Neill (@wgneill) – Outdoor Photographer column, gorgeous photos, entertaining & useful blog.
Quang Tuan-Luong (@terragalleria) – National Park photographer, very helpful blog posts.
Jim Goldstein (@jimgoldstein) – Prolific photo blogger, social media guru & talented photographer.  Posts lots of good links to useful info.
Ron Niebrugge (@Niebrugge) – Hyper successful stock photographer, prolific blogger, sharer of interesting tidbits and all-around cool cat.
Kari Post (@KariPost) – Great East Coast photographer, posts links to good info, fellow NatureScapes.net member.
Carl Donohue (@CarlDonohue) –  Transplanted Aussie photographer, funny as hell, leads photo treks in Alaska, blogs about interesting stuff & shares my loves of da blues.
Sean Bagshaw (@SeanBagshaw) – Really talented Pacific NW photographer, posts great photos from adventures, workshop leader, good blog posts.
Greg Russell (@alpenglowimages) – Talented California photographer, blogs a lot about stuff that will help you, nice dude.
Younes Bounhar (@younesbounhar) -  World traveling photographer in Canada, great blog content, down to earth guy.
Michael Anderson (@andersonpics) – One of the best photographers in the world, if you ask me. Doesn’t tweet much but be there when he does.
Paul Marcellini (@PaulMarcellini) – Florida photographer with amazing local landscape work & some useful blog posts.
Steve Sieren (@SteveSieren) – California photographer whose desert work is especially stunning, good blog, posts lots of inspirational images.
Ann Torrence (@anntorrence) – Author/photographer of book about US 89 who lives in SLC, Utah and posts links to useful stuff.  Oh, and buy the book!
Mike Cavaroc (@cavaroc) – Jackson, WY photographer who posts lots of useful stuff, great photos and is a nice dude.
Jay Goodrich (@jaygoodrich) -  Very talented Pacific NW photographer of landscape, wildlife & adventure sports, blogger, workshop leader, another cool guy.
Russ Bishop (@RussBishopPhoto) – Landscape & adventure photographer w/ great blog & tweets & some seriously amazing work.
Dan Bailey (@Danbaileyphoto) – Outdoor & adventure photographer in Alaska, great guy, blogs & tweets about lots of good stuff.
Robin Black (@RBlackPhoto) – Talented nature photographer, frequently shares inspirational photos & tidbits.
Deb Sandidge (@DebSandidge) – HDR guru, author and blogger who posts images, tips & other cool stuff.
Paul Conrad (@pabloconrad) – Photojournalist in the Pacific NW, great guy, shares lots and lots of good information & links.
Sarah Fischler (@SarahFisch) – Photographer, outdoorswoman, traveler & NPN social media guru. Lots of helpful tweets.
Anne McKinnell (@annemckinnell) – Talented photographer, writer and all-around nice gal who shares much great info.
Jerry Greer (@greerphoto) – Nobody photographs the Smokies better than Jerry. Environmentalist, great guy, awesome blog & good tweets.
Richard Bernabe (@bernabephoto) – Outdoor photographer extraordinaire, cool dude, author, guide/workshop leader and NPN editor-in-chief.
Justin Reznick (@Justinreznick) – Talented PNW photographer, leads workshops, shares interesting info.
Mike Spinak (@naturography) – California based nature photographer, shares great information on blog & twitter, nice guy.
Rene Pirolt (@RenePiroltPhoto) – Rockies based nature and adventure photographer, nice guy, shares good info.
Scott Bacon (@baconphoto) – Good friend, well-traveled wilderness photographer, blogger who posts good links & other info.
Mark Graf (@grafnaturephoto) - Talented landscape and wildlife photographer, blogger in Detroit, Michigan.
Adam Schallau (@SchallauPhoto) – Taos based photographer of the American Southwest, former Grand Canyon Artist-in-Residence & cool guy.

Organizations

Blackstar (@blackstar) – Lots of tremendously helpful information on running a photo business.
Naturescapes.net (@naturescapesnet) – One of my top two favorite photo forums on the net, shares helpful information, makes you a better photographer.
Outdoor Photo Gear (@OPGear) – Great blog, only store dedicated to outdoor photo gear, awesome service.
Artistic Photo Canvas (@APCpro) – Shares useful information, discounts on canvas prints, just generally good people.
West Coast Imaging (@MelanieWCI) – Another great source of helpful information, some of the best printing services in industry, occasional discounts.
Adventure Tykes (@adventuretykes) -  Everything you need to know about enjoying the outdoors with your tykes, all the gear they’ll need too.
Peta Pixel (@petapixel) – Always posting links to uber-informative photo blogs, articles, etc.
Photoshelter (@photoshelter) – More great information, specifically how to run your business and stock photo topics.
The Photo Argus (@thephotoargus) – Yep, still more helpful information, interesting links, etc.
NAPP (@NAPP_news) – Latest and greatest Photoshop/Lightroom news, tips, tricks, techniques.
Nik Software (@niksoftware) – Love their software, especially Silver Efex Pro, Dfine and Sharpener Pro.  Posts links to good post-processing stuff & more.
My Nature Tracks (@MyNatureTracks) -  Developed really cool iPhone app for identifying animal tracks, RT’s interesting stuff.
Pictureline (@pictureline) – Camera store in SLC that knows what customer service is all about, tweets handy tips and does a bang-up job cleaning sensors.
Shutter Sisters (@ShutterSisters) –  Collaborative photo blog that welcomes all women with a passion for photography from experts to amateurs alike.
F-Stop Gear (@fstopgear) – Makers of the finest backpacks for adventure photographers, tweeters of useful info, all-around cool company.
PDN (@PDNonline) – Photo District News magazine. Tons of insightful info about running a photo biz, being creative and more.
Stella Kramer (@stellakramer) – Pulitzer Prize-winning photo editor & consultant. Posts tons of can’t miss business advice.
Wonderful Machine (@wonderflmachine) – Agency that does great stuff for represented photographers, tweets lots of great business advice & other inspiration.

So, there you have it.  No doubt I’ve left out a few who deserve to be in this list.  If I forgot you – I’m sorry.  It’s getting late and the caffeine is no longer having any effect at all.  I will update this list regularly as I remember who I forgot and also when I find new and exciting people to follow.  Check back every once in a while to discover the new peeps.  Have a most excellent day!

After a couple weeks with no questions for the Experts I received four in one day last week.  I sent three of them off and decided to tackle this one myself.  I’ll qualify my response by saying that unlike some questions which have very defined answers, this one is wide open and my answer is subjective.  It’s my opinion, which is based on my own experience.  Other photographers may respond differently.  In fact, I encourage you to leave a response in the comments section if you are a working pro (part or full-time) with some knowledge to share on the topic.

The Question:

As someone who is not new to photography but someone who has never received any formal training, I am wondering how to best go about turning my semi-lucrative hobby into a more permanent career. Should I invest in a better camera (I’m using a D40 currently) or newer lenses? Should I focus on the post-production aspect of things in order to make marketable images or more on going out and shooting? I’m really not certain how to prioritize steps in my pursuit of lucrative work. Thanks for your time!

My Response:

I’ll break down my response to cover all the little questions inside the big question.  We’ll save the gear question for last.  I am a confirmed gearhead but I’m also smart enough to know that more/bigger/newer/better gear is rarely the answer.  Sure, if you aspire to be a wildlife photographer and your longest lens is an 18-55mm zoom it won’t hurt to invest in some big glass.  But like I said, we’ll cover gear at the end.

Ask a dozen pro’s this same question and you’ll probably get a dozen responses.  Here’s mine: start by determining what kind of professional photographer you want to be.  Do you want to shoot for stock, do you want to make money teaching photography (workshops, seminars, etc.) or do you want to be a fine art photographer?  Maybe you want to do all of the above?  I think this is the first and most important step because it will determine the path you take as you develop your photography career.  For instance, if your goal is to own a gallery where you will sell your prints you should probably focus on learning post-production and printing techniques.  However, if you’re shooting for stock your time is better spent learning what sells, shooting tons of saleable images and researching how to best reach potential markets.

One part of your question I’d like to touch on is that marketable images aren’t made in post-production.  Yes, there are exceptions.  As a rule marketable images are made in the field and they are optimized in post-production.  If you photograph a scene in bad light or your focus wasn’t quite right all the post-production in the world is not going to change the fact that you photographed in bad light and your focus was off.  Get it right in the field and use the digital darkroom to make a great photo even better.

Here’s a thought to ponder: An average photographer who is also a savvy businessperson can make a killing in this business.  Do not underestimate the importance of schooling yourself in how to run a business.  The best photographer in the world who doesn’t know squat about marketing probably ain’t gonna make a dime.  At the very least, I recommend you read John Shaw’s “The Business of Landscape Photography”.  It’ll get you thinking about all that is involved with running a photography business.  It wouldn’t hurt to take a couple marketing classes.  Speak to your accountant about tax impacts of running a business and how to properly structure your business.

While on the topic of education, photography may not be a profession that requires a degree – like medicine or law - but getting some formal training never hurt anyone.  It’s not easy to learn all the ins and outs of using artificial lights on your own.  Trust me, I’ve tried and failed.  No doubt it can be done but you will save lots of time, energy and frustration paying someone to teach you the proper technique.  Also, most of the respected schools offering photography degrees require you to take lots of business classes (hint, hint) as well as how to build a portfolio, work with clients, and more.

Finally, the gear question.  Owning a pro camera and lenses does not make you a pro photographer.  Yes, you should use the best equipment you can afford as the pricier glass will resolve better detail with fewer abnormalities (distortion, chromatic aberration, etc.).  Yes, having a 40 megapixel medium format camera will allow you to make huge prints.  Take a step back and think about your business model, though.  Are you primarily photographing for stock?  If so, how large do you think your clients are going to need to print your images?  Most likely a two page spread, right?  You can easily print a 2 page spread from a 6 megapixel file.  Having said that, there are stock agencies and even some magazines who won’t even consider an image made with a camera resolving anything less than 10 megapixels.  So, here’s my advice for gear: buy the very best lenses you can afford and upgrade your camera every couple of years to ensure that you are staying current with trends/requirements in the industry.  You probably don’t need a top of the line camera body, either.  I started with Canon’s flagship $8,000 model.  When upgrade time rolled around I found that my $8,000 camera was barely worth $2,000 and had long ago been surpassed in image quality.  I opted to go with a Canon 5D MKII to replace it instead of purchasing the flagship model, saved myself about $5,000 and am still able to produce saleable images.  I’ve never regretted the decision.

So, there you have it.  A much longer response than you were probably expecting.  Hey, I wanted to be thorough!  Hope it helps and best of luck to you in your career as a photographer.  Don’t forget us little guys when you’re world famous and rollin’ in $500,000 cars.

Sound off, pro’s!  What are your thoughts on this topic?  Leave a comment and help an up-and-comer reach their goals.

The single most important piece of equipment carried by any respectable landscape photographer is the venerable hot shoe bubble level.  I’ve used one for years.  More than any other tool it has saved my bacon time and time again.  Here is a thorough review of this masterpiece of high technology design.

The hot shoe bubble level was designed for photographers who just can’t keep their horizons straight.  Sure, the architectural grid you see in your viewfinder can help but nothing says “level” like a little bubble sitting squarely in the center of a circle.  Oh, so you’re a Canon 7D owner and you use the fancy schmancy digital level that Canon has been so kind to include?  What are you gonna do when your battery dies?  Then what?  That’s what I thought!  You’re totally out of luck.  Not me.  I’ll be standing proud with my camera perfectly level.  And if you drop your 7D in a rushing creek, how will that electronic level work?  Not so good, sucker.  Not so good at all.  I’ll just fish out my little analog hot shoe bubble level and keep pluggin’ along.  Hot shoe bubble level saves the day!

It is true that these little marvels cost between $19.00 and $30.00 – not cheap for a piece of acrylic with an embedded dual axis bubble level.  Think of all the time you’ll save rotating images in Photoshop, though.  Not to mention the time and labor it will take to learn the complicated process of rotating and leveling an image using software.

What about other uses?  Yes, you can remove the hot shoe bubble level from it’s home and use it for myriad other purposes.  Got a roof top tent on your SUV?  Use the hot shoe bubble level to get your vehicle on perfectly level ground and you’ll never roll off your sleeping pad again.  Don’t want to dig around in your toolbox to level off the picture frame?  Dig around in your photo pack instead!  Just think of all the uses for it!

In summary, the hot shoe bubble level is without a doubt the most important piece of equipment carried in my backpack.  Be sure to include one in your pack and you’ll be a better photographer in no time.  Oh, and Happy April Fools Day!