I don’t like sure things. I’ve spent years living by them, but I think a sure thing is basically something so many people have done that common wisdom tells us it will work, which is the problem. Sure things are dull and lifeless. If everyone is doing it, you gain no advantage. If it’s accepted wisdom, there’s nothing new do discover. If it stirs no doubt, you don’t have a problem to solve. But all of these things are the tasks that teach you to make a business work. Business thrives when we force ourselves to work things out.

Here’s something I just discovered. Burning DVDs for a wedding on my computer sucks up about an hour of productivity. I’m … Read more...

There’s truly nothing I love more then hearing how happy a clients is. It genuinely makes me a little giddy knowing that I was able to do something for someone that mattered. But here’s something that only recently sunk in. Getting praise from clients is only a little harder than getting praise from your mom. Don’t get me wrong. I love my mom, and I love my clients, but it’s the worst way possible to judge the quality of your work. It leads to complacency. Your clients are some of the most likely people to like your work. Your style is so appealing to them they invested their hard-earned money and took a leap of faith to hire you, so … Read more...

Have you noticed that the yogurt trend is in deep freeze? On decline for the past two years, stores have been shuttering and sales dropping. In New York City, Pinkberry’s closest competitor, Red Mango, has closed down 4 stores. Meanwhile, Pinkberry has managed to keep all its stores open. Why? Two reasons:

1. It was the first mover.
2. It preserved that lead by creating the most distinct brand.

Pinkberry was meticulous about their image. Their flavor was unique to their market. They used chairs designed by Philippe Starck. They created a club-like experience. They created their own ordering system. They took the time to be original and stand out. Other competitors tried make modest upgrades in flavor with questionable … Read more...

If you’ve read Jen Huang’s blog, you know she’s a person on the move, not only professionally, but geographically. Covering weddings around the country, she can be found regularly on both coasts. At the moment, foremost on her mind is her workshop, Love Notes, coming later this year. I caught up with Jen at her studio in the Upper East Side one Friday afternoon.

Perfectly adorned, her studio is draped in light with strong rustic accents. As I surveyed her images on the wall, it was clear that these were pictures about charm, simplicity, and light. Where many New York photographers choose to go dark, she goes light, giving her images an ethereal sense of whiteness. Her restraint and … Read more...

Telling a story is a great way to connect with people when you talk about your images. It lets people know you care, you’re passionate, and there’s a person behind the pictures. But getting personal not only lets you bring yourself into the fold, it taps into fundamental aspects of human psychology. We’ll talk more about the reasons below, but the approach is simple. Emphasize details and stories, de-emphasize analysis. Paradoxically, the more you analyze why a picture works, the less people really care. Imagine:

“I took this picture with a low aperture lens to produce a beautiful, soft look, and I just managed to catch a bit of stylized flare on the edge by tilting the lens up. I