Recently in Continuing Education Category
I just finished reading a book by Seth Godin called Meatball Sundae. For me, Seth is a marketing Guru, and without a doubt I will be reading his book a few more times to make sure that it all sinks in. At the very least I am now an avid reader of his blog.
Welcome to the new age of marketing. If you own your own business, read his book. Run, don't walk. Get a copy now.
Houston Wedding Photography - Aric C. Hoek, the Master of Shadows
713-524-3303
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Well, it’s time to get back to work! The holidays are over, and we just finished the largest bridal show of the year last weekend. Don’t get me wrong, that bridal show was nothing but work…. And fun. But when I say time to get back to work, I mean the work of producing wedding albums and the such.
I am so pumped up for 2008! The business is growing by leaps and bounds and I have just hired my second employee! With any luck, she will be able to help with my album and wedding production.
I have been getting quite a few requests, five to be exact, to keep up with the blog. I never realized I had so many readers! I plan on making a huge effort with my writing, and if my new employee fits in, I will have more time to do just that. I do have to admit that I enjoy blogging. It really allows me to vent.
I was in Florida for the past few days, at the PPA convention. I took just over 10 photography classes and I was loving every minute of it. Continuing education is a big thing with me, and my customers benefit the most from it.
OK. I am off to put a wedding online and get two albums to the binder today. After that I have a consultation and then I am off to a board meeting for the PPGH. I'm Librarian this year, which means I get to read all the photography books I can get my hands on.
2008 is going to be the year of education for me!
Houston Wedding Photography - Aric C. Hoek, the Master of Shadows
713-524-3303
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The moment is here, now. I’ve worked hard to achieve a goal. Others have sacrificed to help me on my way. A lifetime of education, and a year of competing against some of the finest photographers I know, to achieve a goal, to earn the title “Photographer of The Year”.
It may seem trivial to others, but to me, it’s a really big thing. It’s part of my personal definition of success.
But now that the moment is here, there is a danger. A danger of just soaking it in and letting the moment pass, when there is serious work to be done. It would be a shame to just sit back, and let the moment pass without taking full advantage of it.
Here are my plans…..
1) Contact every wedding planner in the city of Houston, and make sure that they have they are all aware who the 2007 Photographer of The Year is, and give them the opportunity to pass this information on to their perspective clients.
2) Contact all of the best wedding facilities in Houston, and make sure that they have they are all aware who the 2007 Photographer of The Year is, and give them the opportunity to pass this information on to their perspective clients.
3) Join a national organization of Wedding Planners, and make sure that they have they are all aware who the 2007 Photographer of The Year is, and give them the opportunity to pass this information on to their perspective clients.
4) Contact Nikon, my photo lab, the companies that sponsored the awards, and anyone else I can think of, and ask if they would like to create a link to my site. This more than likely will not happen, but I might have a better chance if I pre-write an article to submit for them to post on their sites.
5) Generate a new page on my site displaying the award.
6) Higher a company to submit a press release locally, and nationally.
7) Change my business cards.
8) Change all of my advertising.
9) Change the graphics of our booth for bridal shows.
10) Change the signature of my email, blog entries and The Weekly Escape.
11) Send out an announcement in The Weekly Escape.
Finally, if you have any ideas on how I can use this opportunity to further promote Solaris, then I would love to hear from you, either in a comment to this post on in an email.
Houston Wedding Photography - Aric C. Hoek, the Master of Shadows
2007 Photographer of The Year
713-524-3303
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Well tonight’s the night! My tuxedo is out of the closet and fitted, and my wife and I went out and bought the most beautiful gown. She looks stunning!
Anybody who’s anybody and into photography in Houston is going to be there. The annual Professional Photographers Guild of Houston is sold out and is sure to be a great party! It’s a Mardi Gras theme this year.
The PPGH is THE source for professional photographers in Houston. If you’re a professional photographer, then you are a member or thinking about becoming one. Currently the PPGH, a subsidiary of the Professional Photographers of America, is the largest chapter in the nation.
Each month there is a new speaker at the monthly meeting, and at each meeting members bring in prints to be judged by their peers. Different categories can be entered into each month, each category defining a different discipline. As you can guess, I regularly compete in the wedding side of the competition. This includes bridal portraits, illustrative images, wedding albums, etc.
In 2004 I won Wedding Album of the Year, and I haven’t really competed since then with the birth of my twins in 2005. This year though, I went all out. Even if I don’t win, I do have the education and the personal satisfaction of growing as an artist.
Awards for 2007 will be given out at tonight’s gala. There will be a “best of” in each category and “photographer of the year”. It is my understanding that photographer of the year is awarded to the photographer that has received the most ribbons from competitions in the same year.
Normally I wouldn’t write about an event like this until after the event had passed, thus saving face in the case that I didn’t do to well in the results.
But I'm just to excited….. Keep your fingers crossed! (hope I didn’t just jinx myself)
Houston Wedding Photography - Aric C. Hoek, the Master of Shadows
713-524-3303
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We first meet at the Café Express located on the bottom floor of the newest building, and after lunch we don our iPods and walk through the museum looking for inspiration and insights into how we can develop our own work.
Well, David and I thought that we would give an open invitation to any other photographers or artists out there that would like to join us on our next outing. I haven't talked to Mitch about this yet, but zI amsure if he is aailable he will be there too.
Come join David and I at Café Express on October 19th at 11am. After lunch we plan on taking an hour or longer to meander around and brain storm. If you are interested, then please email or call the studio at 713-524-3303.
Hope to see you there!
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People Attending
1) Aric Hoek - Solaris
2) Houston Wedding Photographer - David Jones
3) Jennifer Schafer - Publisher of Premier Bride
4) Mary Beth Touchstone
5) Andie Smith
Houston Wedding Photography - Aric C. Hoek, the Master of Shadows
713-524-3303
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I knew that when I graduated college I wanted to be able to photograph absolutely anything with some level of professionalism. Someone could ask me to photograph a car, a building, food, or an executive, and I wanted to be able to answer with a resounding “YES” to the opportunity.
At Salem State College I began to study commercial photography, and my skills were really put to the test. Two years later I found myself in Florence, Italy taking advanced black and white classes as well as some beginning cinematography. I finished my college career at Northern Arizona University studying under Dr. Gene Balzer pushing hard to learn additional commercial photography skills. I finally graduated in 93’ earning a BFA with an emphasis in photography and a minor in business.
After graduation I worked for three different photography studios in two different states before I found my self on the Gittings team. After Gittings I managed the digital department of one of the largest and most respectable professional photographic labs in the state.
All of that education is put to the test each week at each wedding. For a wedding photographer it all comes down to one moment. There’s no tomorrow. There are no retakes. Put up or shut up. And after each wedding is over, you find that you are only as good as your last image, regardless of your history and education.
I have no idea how many weddings I have been lucky enough to photograph, but I find I still can’t get enough. Every wedding I walk into I approach with the attitude that I’m getting ready to take the best picture of my life. All I need to do is just find it.
Houston Wedding Photography - Aric C. Hoek, the Master of Shadows
713-524-3303
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Captured 8/18/08.
It’s Monday morning at 6am and I am excited to be in the studio already. When I leave my house this early in the morning, I get to the studio so much quicker and I am in a much better mood that if I had been fighting traffic all the way here. The trek only took 21 minutes from door to door today.
This morning I am working on entering four prints into a statewide competition through a professional photographic organization I recently joined, the Texas Professional Photographers Association. While their website is rather lacking, the quality of membership is really nice.
I wanted to share the images that I will be entering into the competition with you, but before I do I need to say something first. I made a promise to myself that I would never enter in two of the images that I am submitting into a competition. They are two of my favorite images, and I don’t want them to score badly. I know that I just wouldn’t take it to well.
Well, I know what you are saying. “Get over it!” I agree. It is time for me to start competing on a national level. I have this crazy idea, a dream, of becoming an educator of photography to other professional photographers, and my first step is to expose other photographers to my work through competitions. After all, some unknown no-name photographer just showing up on the national photographic scene from out of nowhere wanting to speak at national conventions is going to get laughed at. Well, maybe not laughed at, but at the very least will be given a quick no.
I have to start somewhere, so my goal is to enter in these four images in a state wide contest. If they score well, then I will resubmit them into this years national judging for the PPA, of which I am a member as well. If they do not score well on a state level, then I will need to decide if I want to try and improve the images through Photoshop and then resubmit them nationally, or just chose all new images to be submitted instead.
If you know my website, then you already know these images. They are very special to me, and represent different milestones in my professional photographic career.
Aric C. Hoek – The Master of Shadows
Solaris Studios
713-524-3303
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Well, something had to give…. And the blog was put on a side burner for a bit. Things got just a bit to busy around here. Let’s review.
The first weekend in January was The Bridal Extravaganza. Over 6000 brides in two days. Wow!
The Two weekends later I went to San Antonio for some continuing education at the annual Professional Photographers of America Convention. At the convention I took an exam to become classified by my peers as a Certified Professional Photographer. I passed. I was scheduled to return to Houston on Monday, but we all remember the ice storm that blew through here. I had the pleasure of staying in Houston one additional evening.
Now, while I was at the PPA Convention, I found something that I really liked, and if I do say so myself, it takes something pretty special these days to peak my interest. Over the past three weeks I have increased my workload in order to bring a new line of wedding albums to the table for my clients! I can tell you that it will be nothing short of spectacular! I have designed the album, printed the prints, and shipped them to the album company for assembly. The finished product should be back in about 3 – 5 weeks.
Now, if this wasn’t enough, as you may or may not know, I have been holding interviews for a job opening here at the studio. According to my records, over the past two years I have referred out over 140 weddings due to the fact that I was already booked. If that isn’t reassurance that it is time to bring on another photographer, I don’t know what is.
After 11 interviews, I have made a selection. Elizabeth will be assisting for me over the next three months and will then become a full time employee in June. Beth and I are both very excited to have her on board.
I will be posting again later this week with a few wedding album designs that I have recently completed for my clients.
Aric C. Hoek
Houston Wedding Photographer
The Master of Shadows
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Beth and I will be out of the studio starting today at 2pm until Wednesday morning. I am leaving to attend a continuing education conference and trade show in San Antonio hosted by the Professional Photographers of America. I go to multiple shows each year, but I always make a point of attending this particular one. I have scheduled myself to attend 12 different classes. Needless to say I am very excited! http://www.imagingusa.org
Beth will be going down to League City representing Solaris at a small and intimate bridal show hosted by Butler’s Courtyard. She will be back in the studio on Wednesday morning.
So, the best way to get a hold of me between 2pm today and 9 am on Wednesday will be through email. I am sure that I will be posting images from my trip from my hotel room, so stay tunned.
Aric C. Hoek
The Master of Shadows
Houston Photographer
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Do you appreciate this BLOG on any level? Want to support Solaris? Help us spread the word and add a link from your site to the Solaris BLOG.
My goal is to build a great photographic team. A team with very little turnover. A dependable team. A respected team. I am in need of a full time photographer, T-F 9-5, and weddings on weekends.
One associate photographer is needed and will be provided with a desk, an Apple workstation, phone, Solaris email address, business cards, and access to a complete Nikon camera system with backup equipment to photograph their weddings with. Associates will be paid $1000 per wedding photographed. I estimate that with our current marketing plans in place, an associate will be able to photograph 25 – 30 weddings a year, however this number could be higher or lower. There is just no way of knowing. Obviously though, it is in the best interest of Solaris Studios to keep their photographers shooting as much as possible. Once an associate has achieved two years of services he or she will be offered a percentage of the wedding albums sold from their weddings as further incentive / advancement.
Please continue reading if you are interested in the position....
Over time, people have gravitated to specific images that I have taken. Positive comments have been lavishly given to some of my images more than others. So, I have decided to try something a bit different in the sale of my photography.
As of today, I am offering a line of posters for sale! These posters are priced to move starting at only19.95!
Here is a link to the available posters. Additional links to the posters can be found on the index page of the Solaris Site as well as to the right of the blog. Right now, I am only starting off with four images, but I will be adding additional selections soon.
Enjoy!
Aric C. Hoek
The Master of Shadows
Houston Wedding Photographer
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I spent all day Friday shooting in the studio, and it felt great! I really only try to schedule one shoot in the morning, and one shoot in the afternoon. Before I opened my doors and began shooting for myself, I had years and years of experience working with other photographers and studios in one way or another. Most of those studios would book their appointments back to back so they could pack in as many sessions as possible in a day.
For me though, that does not allow any time to think outside of the box. As an artist and a photographer, I feel that I do myself a great dis-service if I do not allow myself the opportunity to try new things. Things would become very boring really fast if I never gave myself time to try out new ideas.
When I try new things, I like to try them in an actual session. I allow my clients to become part of the creative process. Of course I make sure that I have captured some fantastic work first before I start playing, as I do not want to waste anyone’s time. However, there are no guarantees that when I am exploring new visions that they will be pleasing to look at. But at the very least, we all have a good time trying.
Yesterday, I had a bridal session that definitely drinks my brand of cool-aide, which always makes me feel more comfortable trying new things. From day one this particular customer has had nothing but excitement for my services. So yesterday, I gave it my all!
I wanted to try going way outside the box. But what does that even mean? To me, at any one give time, it means trying to create an image that shows my particular style of doing things, but in a very different way. Normally I will use shadows to draw a viewer’s attention to a particular point in the image, which is normally the clients face. The face would always be the brightest thing in the image. This time I was going to do the exact opposite. The point of interest would be the darkest thing in the image, specifically the subjects eyes.
After about 30 minutes of trial and error, I think we came up with something that is really fantastic. I liked it so much I added it to my site this morning.. I also wanted to share a much more traditional shot that was taken before we started experimenting. Can you see how I have used the shadows in each image to draw attention to a specific spot?
Aric C. Hoek
The Master of Shadows
Houston Wedding Photographer
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