2014 Review: What A Wonderful World

I love keeping stats on my photography business as a way to track progress and changes from year to year.  It's pretty amazing to see the dramatic change that New York City has had on my business over the last year (all photos in this blog post are from my personal instagram feed)...

Business 2014 in New York City:
300+ Properties Photographed with a 95% 24hr turn-around
6 Headshots & Family Portraits
5 Photography Consulting Clients
3 Weddings as Second Photographer
2 General Events Photographed
1 Six Month Intern Mentoring
1 Podcast Interview

Compared to what my business looked like in 2013 between Lowell, MA & NYC:
84 Headshots & Family Portraits
20 General Events Photographed
3 Weddings as Primary Photographer
5 Weddings as Second Photographer
5 Properties Photographed
3 Photography Consulting Clients
1 Professional Photography Presentation



When I started this year, I had no idea I'd spend the majority of my year shooting Interiors & Architecture almost exclusively.  In fact, even into May,  I was still planning for additional marketing toward weddings & events.  It became more clear as I was mentoring this year's intern that all of my wedding & portrait experience from the last 10 years was going to be more useful to him than it was going to be for me.  It was only when I took full stock of what was actually happening the first half of the year when I shared my Evolution as a Professional Photographer, that I really decided to fully embrace Interiors & Architecture as a serious market to dedicate my time and attention to, even though I'd already been filling my shooting time with interior work since mid-January.



Interiors & Architecture gave me a renewed passion and desire for learning more in my craft.  I was putting in so much study during my free-time toward things like lighting small and large spaces, composing space, and other interior techniques that I even found myself photographing interiors in my dreams!  Once I made the mental switch to fully embrace interiors and architecture as my direction in NYC, things started happening that I never could have imagined- like getting to work with major companies on large architectural projects and working with fabulous interior designers who create luxury homes.  The best part was that I could actually walk or take public transportation to almost all of the shoots, so I also got the side benefit of getting in as much exercise as if I'd spent an hour at the gym every day!  I nailed down a solid 24hr turn-around workflow and found a price point that allowed me to serve quickly with great quality.  There was a little part of me that craved people work after shooting so many interiors, so I'm glad I still had some portraits and weddings to get me back to thinking on my toes with pure emotion from time to time.

What's even more amazing is that almost all of the interior & architecture work I did this year came without having a dedicated website portfolio of my work.  I made a bold move in May to completely eliminate my website portfolio and put up a one page site asking to be contacted to view more work.  I'd been in desperate need of a website update and rather than live with an outdated site any longer, I simply removed it until I could dedicate time to an update.  That means I ran my business almost entirely by word of mouth, without a website portfolio, for a completely different market and niche than I'd served before, in what I'd consider to be the most competitive photography market in the world... in one year of living here.  *drops the mic*

Hell yes, I'm proud of myself and what I've been able to accomplish.  As the saying goes, "If I can make it here, I can make it anywhere."  But the truth is, I've already made it everywhere else. :-)  That may sound bold, but if you've been following my journey, you know how much I've been through and how many times I've had to change gears mid-cruise.  Eventually I'll get my new portfolio online, but as you can see, I haven't had much incentive since things have been pretty good without it.  Not having too much SEO and website presence also helps keep down the random inquiries and allows me to focus more fully on pre-qualified clients who already know they want to work with me.  It's allowed me to spend a lot more time shooting and serving clients who need me and a lot less time behind the computer writing proposals for clients who aren't sure.  There's definitely a chance I've been I've been sacrificing big complex projects in favor of more small and easy ones, but I just want to create great work that helps people be seen in their best light, and that's what I've been able to focus on this year more than any other.

This year I also decided not to offer any workshops or webinars and only help consulting clients one-on-one who came by referral.  So far, it looks like everyone I got to work with has done pretty awesomely over this last year.  It's amazing what a little bit of business organization and mentoring can do toward creating confidence for a creative to go bigger and bolder in their business.  It's something I always wished I'd had when I was starting out, but I had to learn most of it the hard way.  I guess that's what helps me make it easier for other people.



Beyond the business, life is only good if I'm also able to have the time and space to enjoy family, friends, and travel.  This year didn't disappoint in that realm either as I was able to take plenty of time off, including most of my weekends.  I enjoyed spending a lot of extended time with family and friends, whether it was away or here in NYC.  Some of the travel listed below was combined with work, but was done in such a way that it could be well-balanced between time dedicated to working and time just spent relaxing.  This truly was a wonderful year in so many realms of my life, and I have to be grateful and acknowledge when life feels so abundant and joyful.  It's not always this amazing, but when it is, it's awesome.

Personal Stats 2014:
10 Weeks Off for Vacations
11 New Cities Visited: Santiago, Chile; Curitiba, Brazil; Porto Allegre, Brazil; Fire Island, NY; Hamptons, NY; Ocean City, NJ; Atlantic City, NJ; New Hope, PA; Philadelphia, PA; Shackleford Banks, NC; Siesta Key, FL;
11 Family Members came to visit NYC



Each year of working in my best flow makes it more and more difficult to set goals for the year ahead.  When I'm in a place of so much joy and gratitude for how everything already is, it's hard to want anything more or less than what I already have!  I look back at my flickr feed from 2014 and everything seems so surreal, but it all really happened: Horseback riding in the Andes, VIP dining at the James Beard Awards, Photographing wild Horses on Islands of North Carolina, Looking at the water from Pablo Neruda's home, Chatting with Mike Myers about his new film... and that doesn't even scratch the surface.  The best things that happened to me this year were all in collaboration with, or a direct result of other people and their generosity of spirit or time and I'm endlessly grateful to them and their efforts in making so many great things happen.  I seriously do not know how I got so lucky this year.  I only hope I can pay it forward. :-)

Likewise, if you would have told me in January that I'd photograph 300 interiors by the end of the year, while still taking over two months off and doing everything I've done this year, I would have laughed at you and said it was humanly impossible.  So, I may just keep leaving this goal-setting stuff up to the universe, because I obviously have no idea what I'm actually capable of.  If I could leave you with one parting thought, it would be to anchor yourself in the possibilities of abundance beyond financial gain or material acquisition, because there are so many more riches to be experienced in this world...

Living in Manhattan - My First Year in NYC

We did it.  We survived our first year in Manhattan and learned a lot along the way.  In many ways it feels like one year of living and working in Manhattan is like a lifetime in other cities.  So many things can happen in just one day, plus the city is in a constant state of change, so there are new experiences to be had even if you walk the same streets every day.  It's hard to know where to start with what I've experienced over the last year of living in this city, so I'll just go with what comes to mind after meeting over 200 residents living and working with me in this little overpopulated island of people... (all photos are from my personal instagram feed)

1. Manhattan Can Make A Millionaire Feel Broke

Overheard at a party, "... they aren't hedge fund rich, they're just lawyers and doctors."  Professions that would likely score you a mansion with a nice plot of land in the rest of the country can score you a cozy 500sq.ft. studio apartment in your favorite neighborhood of Manhattan.  I've met CEOs and CFOs of major companies looking to rent out their space in Manhattan while they travel because they'd like someone else to pay the rent so they can enjoy a little more vacation cash.  In a way, it's also a bit leveling in the playing field.  What neighborhood you found an apartment in and if you got a deal on rent is often a topic of discussion as you get to know people here.  It's not as taboo as other parts of the country because it can occasionally take people 6 months to a year just to find an affordable place to live.  The people who get shy to share are the ones who are paying under market rate for their place because they know jealousy will ensue.  To emphasize his rent-control deal without revealing numbers, one guy said, "if I told you what I was paying in rent, you'd punch me in the face."  I bring this up because EVERYONE feels like it's very expensive to live here because they KNOW they can get more for their money elsewhere, no matter what end of the income spectrum they happen to fall on, but they continue to stay, pay, and make sacrifices because they love this place and wouldn't want to live anywhere else.

2. Manhattan is Designed for Short Skinny People

As a tall and large-framed female, I am very aware of how much larger I am compared to the intended comfortable consumer of this crowded city.  I would estimate that you might feel quite comfortable with only 2sq.ft. of personal space around you if you were a 5'5" 130lb person.  At my height and size, that leaves me with little more than 3-4" of space on any side of me, which becomes a blessing in a crowded commuter train where everyone is just attempting not to sweat on each other.  However when you're having dinner, those few inches of space are crucial to being able to move your arms for things like cutting your food or grabbing a glass of wine on your table without elbowing a diner sitting at the table next to you.  I'm quite certain the maximum occupancy and fire codes for Manhattan buildings are based on a completely different standard than the rest of the country.  While there are certainly exceptional places that provide a comfortable sense of personal space for even an NFL player, there are enough places that are not designed with this in mind to remind me every day that that the average New Yorker is more petite than the Midwestern types.

3. A Couch in Manhattan Is Free Hotel Room for Friends & Family

When the alternative is paying $300 - $400 a night for a hotel room, the couch in your living room is suddenly an amazing option for anyone interested in visiting you.  I knew people would want to visit, and we certainly did our share of encouraging people to visit, but we almost needed to create a separate visitor calendar for our couches just to make sure we could accommodate our visitors.  Once you move here, you become a destination trip for friends and family who want to visit for a long weekend or more.  Hosting guests in Manhattan teaches you exactly how to sleep 6 people comfortably in a one bedroom apartment with two couches, and it gives you reason to do all the touristy things you rarely make time for otherwise.

4. Manhattan was Made for Walking

Before moving to Manhattan, a mile seemed like a long walk.  I now think nothing of walking 15-20 minutes or 20 "short blocks" to my destination.  I probably walk 3-4 miles a day when I'm on assignment shooting different properties around me.  Depending on your destination, walking may even be faster than taking a taxi, bus, or the subway.  When friends and family visit, we usually take them on a tour of the neighborhood which can easily turn into four hours of walking around outside and stopping various places.  Then, like clockwork, they end up crashing in a 45-90minute nap in the middle of the day.  If they stay overnight, their hips usually hurt the second day from all the walking the first day.  While there is accessibility for those who are handicap, it's rare to see anyone in a wheelchair on the subway, but I frequently see 90+ year seniors almost doubled over in half walking around without a cane.  These lifelong New Yorkers are inspiring with their elderly mobility.  This city is best experienced on foot any day of the year and you can easily miss a lot of the random cool things around you when you're flying by on a bike, in a taxi, or underground.

5. Manhattan Is The Loudest City On Earth

Aside from the public health issue of not having enough oxygen-producing plants to compensate for the 8 million people living here, there's also the public health issue of protecting your hearing.  That blasting fire truck siren may be an annoyance in your apartment building at night, but when it approaches and whizzes by you on the street merely 5 feet away, the decibels of that siren are at the threshold of auditory pain.  The trains pulling in and out of the subway as they squeal and rattle by can also be seriously ear-drum piercing.  Talking to someone in a crowded NYC restaurant or bar is easily the same loudness required by an opera singer projecting to a crowded ampitheatre.  If you think New Yorkers are stubborn and loud, it's more likely that they are just deaf and used to louder environments.  (Caveat: I haven't been to Mumbai or Beijing - but I imagine they'd be equally as loud.)

There are many more things I've learned since living in Manhattan, but those are the ones you should definitely know if you plan to move here too.  New Yorkers learn to tolerate a lot of things that might bother people who aren't from the city, either out of necessity or because life is simply less stressful when you aren't bothered by everything.  I've learned which people sitting and begging on the street are neighborhood regulars and perfectly sane people versus the ones who may need to be avoided.  Also, for the amount of people and the diversity we have in this city, it's actually quite safe, and I've gone an entire year without being a witness to a single crime, theft, or assault (knock on wood.)  That doesn't mean I completely let my guard down or stay out really late, but I'm more relaxed walking around than I was when I first moved here.  Of course there are a lot of bonuses to living here that I haven't shared, but I'll save those for another post ( now available: Living in Manhattan - My Second Year).  ;-)

How to Remove Watermarks from Photos

Why do photographers watermark photos?

The watermark over a photo is there to protect that photo from being used inappropriately by someone who does not have permission to use or distribute the image.  This is especially important when images appear in online galleries that can be accessed without passwords, most often with services like Facebook or Pinterest, which require that you give their company full permission to use a photo anywhere and for any purposes whenever you upload an image to their site.

Without that watermark, someone may find an image of you, your children, or your product online, think it's a free google image that can be used without permission (because there's no obvious watermark or copyright info on it), and then slap it on a website or poster advertising a disease or medical condition without your knowledge or permission.  Suddenly you become the poster child for a viral disease you've never heard of, or for an organization you'd be embarrassed to be associated with. While that example may seem extreme, it's not far from the truth of what I've experienced when finding images of my clients that they'd uploaded to Facebook without watermarks, on websites for companies they'd never heard of.  If they'd uploaded an image that had been watermarked, the company probably would't have used the image on their website.

Where can you find images without watermarks?

The best place to find images to use on business websites, concert posters, or for advertising promotions is on stock websites like iStockPhoto, ShutterStock, or Getty Images.  You can be super focused in your keywords for finding just the right image with these stock image banks, and because the images were MADE for commercial usage, they're always sharp, eye catching, and professionally photographed without the expense of hiring a photographer for a custom project or piece.  It's a small fee for each image, but a huge peace of mind to know that know one is going to accuse you of stealing, or worse yet, send you a much more expensive bill or court date for illegal usage.

If an image is being used to illustrate editorial content or a blog post, it may qualify under most Creative Commons uses.  The best place to find free images that have a creative commons license for editorial use is on Flickr's Commons Search.  You can search by relevance, interest, or recent imagery that fits a topic or theme, and you can even define if you'd like the license to be fully public, creative commons, or ones that allow commercial usage.

OK, but how do I get a watermark removed from an image?

The only person who has legal permission to remove a watermark from an image, is the person who put the watermark on the image to begin with.  Hopefully the watermark provides information about the photographer's name or website so that you can contact them directly to see if the image can be used or purchased without a watermark.  If the watermark is too elusive to identify the creator, see if the image has copyright or creator information stored in the extended EXIF data of the image.  Once you've identified the creator of the image, send them an email with the following information when making a request for watermark removal:

1. Email the copyright creator with the subject: Request for Image Use
2. Include a link to where you found the image online that provides a preview of the image
3. State how you'd like to use the image and why it's important to use this particular one (this assumes that you've already searched the stock photo agencies and flickr commons mentioned above without luck of finding anything similar that was already available for usage)
4. Provide a sample of how the image would be used as well as what website it would appear on
5. Ask if the image is available for use without a watermark if credit is given or if usage is paid
6. Provide a phone number and email so that the image creator can contact you to discuss more details about the image and its usage
7. Follow up if you don't hear back within 7 business days
8. Assume usage is illegal or unavailable if you don't hear back within 14 business days

If you find an image on Google that doesn't have a watermark or any EXIF info, it's better to assume that it's fully copyrighted and illegal to use than to assume it's freely available.  There's nothing worse than being served with a large bill or court case just for making a bad assumption.

If you have any other questions, please leave me a comment and I'll do my best to answer them!