Latest Business Portrait

Local real estate professional Mary is a delight, and I am pleased to welcome her to Lumacraft Photography's client roster.

Virginia of Beauty on the Go provided in-studio hair and makeup styling service for Mary’s portrait session.

Video: ONE Competitors at Work

Here is a nicely produced five minute video, documenting the efforts of the other competitors and me, during our one hour photography time slots, producing our entries for the One - A unique photography competition + fundraiser for Charity.  Videography by Jason Bourke.  Editing by Krown Video.

My previous blog entries about the competition are here and here.

See Us in the Current Edition of SNAP Burlington

On page 20 of the current print edition of SNAP Burlington, there is a nice little write up about the March 28 gala which concluded the ONE Photo Competition and Charity Fundraiser.  The article features a photo and a mention of yours truly.  I wrote about the exciting news that I received on that occasion in my April 1 blog post.  You can see 33 photos taken at the event in the online version of SNAP's article.

Adobe Drops Perpetual License Model: Why Photoshop is Like Gasoline

I have been trying Adobe Creative Cloud for almost a year and, I must admit, I really like how it works. Installing and uninstalling products couldn't be simpler. Routine updates to the suite of products get installed smoothly in the background, and occasionally these updates have included feature upgrades. Plus the Cloud has provided a trouble free solution to my occasional need to work from different workstations.

Prior to starting my Cloud subscription, on average I had been spending a few hundred dollars per year on regular upgrades to Photoshop, Lightroom and Acrobat, and less frequent upgrades to Illustrator and Dreamweaver. When my discounted introductory Cloud subscription expires, and it starts costing me $50/month, that will likely increase my annual Adobe expenses somewhat. It's arguably a justifiable increase: thanks to the Cloud model, I have been getting good use out of some Adobe products, like InDesign, that I hadn't been using previously.

No matter how you look at it, Adobe product licensing is a big expense for a one man business like Lumacraft Photography. But, compared to the perpetual license model, cash flow and budgeting are a lot easier with the monthly Cloud subscription payment option. Plus, I no longer have to spend any time evaluating the various upgrade license and product bundle options, making purchasing decisions and arrangements, and manually downloading and installing software updates. So, I can accept Adobe's decision to drop the perpetual license option as being sensible streamlining for them, and of little consequence to me, other than greater convenience.

To me, using Adobe products feels a lot like keeping the car filled with gas. The cost of it really galls me, but it’s something that I rely on almost daily.  I couldn't run my business without it. The moment that I find a truly viable, less expensive alternative, I will switch. In the meantime, I will keep on paying the monthly bill, and keep on trying to getting as much value for my money as I can.

From My April Workshop – Portrait of a Student

 

Yesterday at my studio, I ran my workshop, Introduction to DSLR Photography and Naturally Lit Portraits. I was happy that Erica, one of my brides and portrait clients, was among the students. As part of the workshop, we went outside to practice the methods that we had been discussing. I liked this portrait of Erica that I captured while demonstrating, and spent some time finishing it today.

These Women Mean Business

As the headline says, these women mean business.  And, if I may add, they know that a good business portrait can be an investment that pays dividends.  Check out this nicely illustrated article in yesterday's Mississauga News about Pamela Rashid and Tammy Jones, and their Real Women Real Business conference, happening in Mississauga on May 4.  Lumacraft Photography is a proud to be among the event’s sponsors.

Real Women Real Business

After having met and produced portraits for Pam and Tammy, two of its speakers and organizers, I am delighted to add Lumacraft Photography to the list of sponsors of the Real Women Real Business conference, happening Saturday May 4 in Mississauga.

Are you starting or growing your business and looking for some information, motivation and inspiration? Are you seeking to connect with some like-minded businesswomen? If so, this one day conference is for you.  Register by April 19 to save $100.