These days it seems like there is a new ‘must’ have for Photographers every two minutes. They range for the ‘in’ camera bag to a set of actions that will transform your editing process.  I learned a long time ago, to research and pick my purchase carefully or I would have a computer full of templates I don’t use and a closet of bags and other things that sit gathering dust.

However, I have been SEARCHING for a comfortable camera strap.  I have to say there are many custom straps out there, some more functional then pretty and others more pretty then functional.  My primary reason for a new strap was that I wanted to hide that big NIKON D700 or D300 that Nikon uses to brand it’s higher end cameras.  To me I was walking around with a red flag that said: “hey look I have EXPENSIVE gear ROB ME.”

I looked at so many straps it’s not funny. So many of the straps on etsy had me concerned as I was not sure about the durability of their clips.  Then a friend posted a link to Abie Straps.  I was immediately drawn to the colors, variety and the quality of the straps.  Here was something that seemed not just functional, but pretty too!

I got my strap last month and I am really blown away at the construction and how comfortable the strap is.  I will start with the entire process, her ordering was easy to use and I loved that her site told you how many were left of each item.  No order and hoping it was in stock, which really helped me to narrow down my choice.  The order was placed late on a Wednesday and I had my strap on Saturday morning.  That speaks volumes about the service and the commitment she has to this product.

The strap it’s self is amazing. It’s wide, but not too wide.  The back side is soft black suede and just feels amazing against my neck. I have two cameras and change them out during a session, I hated changing to the camera that has the cover on it – that’s how comfortable the strap is.  The leather trim finish off the edges nicely, it’s these details that make me love the strap so much.

The strap — look how nicely the edges are finished.

The strap is lined with the suede and is so comfortable on your neck!

The strap was clearly designed so you can adjust it and create the length you need.  It comes in three pieces, two sections that you hook to your camera and then the third section which is the padded strap. Pretty sure I did not describe this using the proper terms (LOL).  I love that I can remove the strap easily to work on a tripod and add it back in just as quickly if I am on my way out the door.  There was plenty of webbing so this would work for me at 5’2” and just as easily for my friend who is nearly six feet, and we rarely find something that fits us both!

There are a few things I don’t/didn’t like. The first is that there were no instructions with the strap. That would have been helpful for those like me who are not always the most savvy at putting things together.  However, after contacting the company I am pretty sure this has been resolved and that there are now instructions available.

After weeks of using the Abie Strap I am in love and wanting one for my second camera, OK it’s sad to say that I often won’t use my back up camera as it does not have the nice comfy strap on it.  Christmas is coming if anyone needs to get me a gift…..LOL!

The clips:  So easy to use to take the strap on and off and STRONG!

Love the details they just make this something special.

Just love the look of my camera with the strap!

To get a discount on your Abie strap use the code “SHANNON” …see below comments for amount…and leave some blog love while you are there!

Shannon

I tend to spend down time getting caught up on the blogs I follow.  This week I read something very interesting on Scott Bournes ProPhoto blog.  He was talking about  ImageRights.

ImageRights has a new recovery service, it  allows you to actually recover damages from those who use images without the correct permission.

ImageRights recovery service works with photographers, allowing them to recover settlement fees from websites that have published images without a license.  They have both a free service (you can get up ot 50% of any revenue they claim with the free service) and then a paid service (this has a recovery payment of up to 65%). ImageRights will also search the web monitoring for use of your images each month, and let you know when they find copies of them online.

They also will aide you in recovering future infringement violators by  registering your images with the US Copyright Office.  They do this for you, for a fee, but if you are too busy to do it for your self.  it’s a great service.  According to their website,  registration is the key to effectively recover settlements from violators. To find out more about their services and at  their website: www.imagerights.com.

I  just love George Dean!  Seriously he rocks!  Not only is he a great guy but also one of the most sharing individuals on the net today.   I love that he started My Photography Business as a way to share information and what he had learnt with others looking to grow, solve problems in their business, and shoot better…and while it does cost to join (but let’s twist his arm and see if we can get a special!….I’ll update if he does it!)…..it is SO WORTH IT!!!

Seriously…the videos of George shooting in the sun, and using flash off camera, were totally worth it to me!  …and then his actual live sales sessions, tips for increasing your profits, videos on HOW to upsell, etc have just been invaluable to my business.   There is also PLENTY of FREE information/videos on there too!!!!   Told you he was a great guy!!!

Like most photographer’s, I’m a visual person, so the videos have especially been a god-send for me.  I often feel like saying to people “don’t tell me, show me” and George does exactly that!   He GETS IT!!!   I’d rather watch an hour of video footage, even showing me how not to do things, and what it looks like when it is right…than read a manual for the same amount of time.   I also love that at the end of the shooting videos, George shows you the what the finished image looks like.  Brillant!

So if you’re looking to improve your shooting, increase your sales,  market more effectively, sell with a passion…….then check out My Photography Business …and really, who DOESN’T want to do at least one of the above!!!

..and posts are always better with pics!  Right???  Both Images by the fabulous Kyla Hornberger of Kyla Beth Studios a fantastically talented Beyond member

I know I have been absent from the blogging scene the past few weeks (OK months really). However, summer really came on strong and busy for us.  I am just now finally getting a rythm going and it’s nearly gone!

I am going to be doing some exciting things coming up. I have a review of the New Abie Straps, just love love mine and want to share why.  Some cool new tips and tricks for having your business run smoothly and of course somethings that are just plain fun!

So look for the first post on Monday morning!

Shannon

I am always looking for new ways to do things, like blog posts or update my website.  The problem is with blog changes, say I have to go between the a tab that has the backend open and one that has how it looks.

Now I can have both open at the same time — I love it!

This is due to a new tool called Fox Splitter.  This allows you to have to tabs open sideby side in one panel, great for working on blogs, websites that have an on line editor or if you just want to compare to things side by side.

It does require that you have the latest version of Firefox, but that is it!

Many of us are familiar with the EXPO disc (and even though I don’t have one I want one LOL).  This little tool makes getting the prefect white balance so easy, which in turn will make editing a much easier task.

The makers of the expo disc have come out with this new product that I find so intriguing. I really want to get one just to see how it works.  Those with a NAPP membership were able to get a discount on it (check out the NAPP website).  This is the Roque FlashBender, the part that makes it so interesting to me is how easy it would be to slip into even the smallest camera bag to always have on had to direct your flash.  Let’s face it I am a sucker for cool new things that make my life easier.  That is probably why I am so in love my my little flash to start with — great power and portable too!

I know there are a lot of bags out there for Pro Photogs and hobbyists alike, but a lot of them are black….or black…or black (oh and let’s not forget camoflague!)…as a woman I actually want something that is :

• Fashionable
• Practical
• Well Made
• Has some “wow” factor and still makes me look business like!
• Padded!!!   My L lenses love a good secure home!
• Girly
• Variety of styles and colors to choose from
• Carries everything I need and does so comfortably

Kelly Moore’s bags are just the answer to this!   Not only are they stylish and cute, but they tick all the boxes on my list….I also love that she is bringing out new and different one’s on a regular basis…..and guys…she has some for you too!!

On a wedding day, a lot of thought goes into the details, finish, color and style….so turning up with a fun, stylish, colorful photography bag, that looks like a handbag, definitely says “I know how to capture your day and your details….because I love those things too”.

Go check them out! You might find just the color/style that you have always been looking for, but if you are looking for a different color, just drop Kelly a line!  I love that she is always open to ideas, feedback and comments from her customers….as many Beyond members can attest too.

While you’re over at “her place”, be sure to check out Kelly’s amazing work!   Just wow!

I know lately many of us have been hearing about, PPCC, but do not know what it is or if it is something we need to consider to take our businesses to the next level.  It is Professional Photographic Certification Commission.  This was at one time directly done by the Professional Photographers of America.  It has now been pulled off to it’s own site.  It’s a great way to set yourself apart from your competition.  In a nutshell you have to prove you are at a level that you can and should be taking images for pay.  It consists of a 100 question test and an image review.  The best part about it is once you declare you have THREE years to take your test and submit your images, which for someone like me is a blessing. I am certain I can do well on the test, I love to study. However, picking and creating a portfolio that will wow the judges, scares me, so I am glad I have time to complete it.

Even better is that Sandy Puc is doing a free forum to help 1000 photographers get certified.  The forum will be around as long as or until 1000 are certified.  This is a great way to meet others studying and get a study group together!  She has a free webinar tonight — but it will be available to review if you miss it!

I know this is just the jump start in need to do this — it’s something I have been talking about for a long time.

Shannon

When we start to think about the ‘busy’ season and holiday cards and items, along with Senior Announcements and other items.

I thought I would feature some of the sponsors here at Beyond because they all have a amazing templates and I just love looking at their sites!

I know I am always looking for great resources.  There are literally hundreds of places, but not all vendors allow you to use them for clients or what is known as commercial use.  Some even have a restriction that you can not buy from them unless you are a photographer and going to use them only for your clients.  This is a hard one because sometimes you don’t know what you will use something for and so many photographers are doing their own personal thing as well.  Just try to be fare and pay for the upgraded fee if you think you MIGHT use it for client work.

Now that we have talked about use where do you get mucis can templates from?  I have talked about music before, so today I will focus on great template websites.  We are so lucky here at Beyond to have such amazingly talented sponsors.

My Lil Creations by Tina Parker — her work  is vintage and simply stunning.  I love that she sells sets of elements that you can use to make/create your own cards/albums or other projects.  I also love that she will frequently sell just single cards, so I don’t end up with a whole set,t hat is left unused, when I really just needed one~  One of my favorite sets to date are her vintage frames. I have used them many many times to dress up an album but still keep it simple.

Photographer Cafe: Their simple styles and diverse collections will aide you in everything from marketing to getting client products that reflect you and your brand, like CD cases and images boxes!  I wish I had more clients so I could justify more, ok ANY of their templates because I adore them!

Jamie Schultz Designs – Her work is contemporary and and in particular her senior templates are more edgy. If I did seinors I would be looking to invest in her yearly book/grad cards each year she has an amazing set.  I also love her holiday cards! I am still working with a set

LCH Designs:  Leah has an amazing aesthetic she creates simple yet beautiful templates that remind you of another error. Although her style is similar to Tina’s they are worlds apart in what they deliver!  I just love her border set — again somethng I use often on proof images and proof books.

That is all for today! More templates and resources for brushes, textures and other things coming next week!~

I know that we all, by now, have a LOVE hate relationship with Photoshop and Lightroom.  I love the tools but often feel like I miss out on using them to the fullest.

There are many great blog and other resources like actions that help us work through using Photoshop and other tools.

A great starting points is the Internet and blogs. Such as the blog by MCP actions.  However, there are times when just a blog post or a few short tips/tricks is not enough.  That’s when it is nice to find things like the National Association of Photoshop users, you do not have to be a Photoshop guru to belong and use their services.  They have so many resources I am just still, moths after joining learning my way around. I suggest you go on over and take a look — if you join let them know I sent you (they do have a referral program — which is just one of their perks).

I also love Scott Kelby’s Training website.  You get a discount on the membership, when you belong to NAPP, and you will get access to hundreds of videos on dozens of photography related topics.  They are not limited to Photoshop and Lightroom but also include many topics such as use of flash, lighting and well jsut about anything you can think of!  I know I can not wait to get into all the videos and other things he has to offer.  (nope no referral program here).

Hope everyone has a great weekend.

shannon