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| Professional Photographers of California

www.ppconline.com

Summer 2012

PresidenT CayCe newman, sPPC (951) 737-7310 CayCe@gOldmarkgallery.COm

O F F I C E R S

firsT ViCe PresidenT marCy dugan, CPP, f-PPC, s-PPC (310) 322-2917 marCy@marCyduganPhOTO.COm

1514 N. Elm St Escondido, Ca 92026 (800) 439-5839 www.ppconline.com

seCOnd ViCe PresidenT Michael Sauer (530)-276-8404 sauerphotography@gmail.com

seCreTary Penny PalumBO, CPP (626) 826-1836 PCuBed@ sBCglOBal.neT

Treasurer rOBin swansOn, CPa (818) 7906333 rOBinswan@maC.COm

Chairman Of The BOard PhilliP aBel (619) 4350583 PeaBel@mindsPring.COm

Staff
Business Manager

Roger Daines
ConferenCe Manager

M.Photog, Cr, CPP, ASP, API,, FPPC, SPPC (800) 4395839 roger@prophotoca.com

Trade show Manager

wesT CoasT sChool direCTor

Bill Thomas

Kathy Metz

(626) 915-4449 PBKPIX@AOL.COM

M.Photog, Cr, CPP, FPPC, SPPC (951) 7802627 rivphoto@att.net

Dea Meyer

Pro PhoTo wesT ediTor

(805) 933-0464 dea_bach@hotmail.com

Rodney Ninow

editor@prophotowest.com

Professional Photographers of California, Inc. is a nonprofit, 501(c)6 trade association of professional photographers, employees, suppliers and others allied to the profession. Professional Photographers of California offers a variety of opportunities and benefits to its members and is one of the largest state affiliates of the Professional Photographers of America. Pro Photo West is the official publication of Professional Photographers of California, and is published quarterly for the purpose of keeping members informed of photographic information, news and activities of the state. Subscription is included with member dues, or is available for $26. per year. Articles, with or without photographs, are welcome for review for inclusion in this publication; however the Editor reserves the right to edit and use articles on a spaceavailable basis. Materials will not be returned unless a postage paid envelope is provided. Letters and contributions must include a phone number. Send all communication, articles or advertising to the Editor. Articles appearing in Pro Photo West reflect the opinions of the writer. They do not necessarily represent those of the editor or Professional Photographers of California. Permission to reprint contents of this magazine is granted to similar photographic publications, provided the author, Professional Photographers of California and Pro Photo West are credited as the source. Printed by Marathon Press, Norfolk, Nebraska .

| Professional Photographers of California

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Contents
Features Columns
4 5 7 8
Pro Photo exPo and conference guide

10 20 27 44 46 52

k aren nakamura: Portrait of a PPc PhotograPher R ae DeVito lightroom: exPorting and using external editors tRoy MilleR

affiliaTe direCTory ConTriBuTors ediTor PresidenT

18 MeMBershiP Message 26 ConferenCe Manager

interview: troy miller on the nikon d4

54 The end

Quickbooks for the Professional: lesson 14: backing uP Robin SwanSon creating a winning image: Jim Paliungas Michael collinS

Jim Paliungas
Your favorite PPC magazine is now available online!
Thats right! You can now view the most current issue of ProPhotoWest magazine at www.prophotowest.com Click on the current issue link at the top of the page. Click on the cover to access the pages inside, and navigate from one page to the next by clicking on the arrow buttons on either side of each 2 page spread. You can also click on the pages to zoom in automatically and read the print quality text. Enjoy!

Cover By

This months cover image is by Jim Paliungas. It is titled Argentine Dancer and won best in show at the 2012 Western States Print Competition. You can read more about this shot on page 52. You can see a print of this image, and many other merit winning images from the print competition at this years Pro Photo Expo and Conference in Pasadena, turn to page 27 for full details.

Summer 2012

Your LocaL affiLiates

Affiliate
AIM Associated Image Makers, Fairfield AVPP All Valley, La Canada CIPPA Channel Islands, Camarillo GCPPA Gold Coast, Pismo Beach IEPPV Inland Empire NCPP Northern California NorCalPPA - Chico PPLAC Los Angeles County PPNV North Valley, Redding PPOC Orange County PPSCV Santa Clara Valley PPSDC San Diego County PPSV Sacramento Valley SPP Stanislaus, Modesto SVPIP South Valley , Bakersfield www.aim.homestead.com www.allvalleypp.com www.cippa.org www.goldcoastppa.com www.ieppv.com www.ncpponline.org http://norcalppa.com www.pplac.com www.ppnv.com www.ppoc.org www.ppscv.com www.ppsdc.com www.ppsv.org www.stanprophoto.com www.svpip.com

Mtg
3rd Th 2nd W 2nd M 3rd M 3rd W 2nd Tu 3rd M 4th Th 3rd Th 2nd W 2nd W 2nd Tu 3rd W 3rd Tu 2nd W

President
Robert Pierce (707) 5280850

Penny Palumbo (626) 826-1836 Dan Holmes (805) 701-5559

Michael Collins (805) 733-5197 Troy Miller (951) 7377310

Kevallyn Paskos (925) 7663121 Nicole Roberts Bob Young (530) 895-8000 (310) 338-9385

Michael Sauer (530) 276-8404 Anthony Holguin (949) 728-2955

Linda Krakow Eaman(408) 9799179

Jeff Davidson

(619) 2446841

Traci Kinney (916) 717-1874 Marian Miller (209) 847-0540 Rod Thornburg (661) 8278710

| Professional Photographers of California

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Contributors
Robin Swanson is a professional photographer and CPA (Certified Public Accountant) who realized her accounting and business skills could be combined
with her photography skills to create a successful photography business. Swanson has always loved photography, and several years ago became a professional photographer. She is a member of San Fernando Valley Professional Photographers (SFVPP), Professional Photographers of California (PPC), and Professional Photographers of America (PPA) and attends every photography convention, seminar, and class she can fit into her busy schedule. She photographs anything that gets in front of her camera. Her great rapport with adults, children, and even pets creates an environment conducive to capturing beautiful images. Several of Swansons photographs have earned merits in regional print competitions and in PPAs International Print Competition. Robin has easily adapted her business and accounting skills to her growing photography business. During these past few years she learned a lot about photography from her peers, but also noticed that some of them could benefit from her accounting and business knowledge. As a Certified QuickBooks Professional Advisor, Robin is helping other professional photographers use QuickBooks software to accurately account for their finances.

Donna Jirsa, owner of Lasting Impressions Portraiture & Photographic Art located in Redlands, CA is a creative entrepreneur, profes-

sional photographer and graphic artist, exercising her inventive talents for set design, portrait enhancement, new product development, artistic portrait design and photo restorations since the studio opened in 1980. As a member of Inland Empire Professional Photographers (IEPPV) Jirsa has received the following awards: 2003, 2005, 2006 Illustrative Photographer of the Year; 2005 IEPPV Peoples Choice Award; and the first IEPPV Chuck Jones Memorial Presidential Award for Service in 2006. She has served as IEPPV secretary and membership chair. As a member of Professional Photographers of California (PPC) she has earned the following: Fellowship Degree (F-PPC); Service Award (S-PPC); 2007 Top Ten Photographer; and is an Evans-Kingham Service Award Recipient. She been a speaker at Western States Conventions, served as Digital Cafe Chair for Western States Pro Photo Expo, Convention Committee Member, magazine editor of Pro Photo West, and currently serves as Membership Chair.

Dea Meyer is a professional photographer who has traveled the world in search of history, art, diverse cultures, and challenging

topography. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in art history, literature and music and brings a wealth of experience in non-profit and corporate management to her position with Professional Photographers of California as their Conference Manager. Currently a member of Professional Photographers of California and Channel Islands Professional Photographers Association, she has been actively involved as a PPC volunteer for many years through the Expo, Conference, Silent Auction, West Coast School and Print Competition; and was a member of the board of directors of Professional Photographers of Santa Barbara County for three years. Meyer has worked in the photographic industry for over twenty-five years, most currently with Meyer Photography alongside her husband Tim Meyer. Her decades of photographic experience and images spanning many photographic medium illustrate an abiding love of the craft of photography.

Rae DeVito is a South Bay professional photographer who specializes in capturing personalities of two and four-legged beings, mainly through portraiture and special events. She is currently serving her second year as board secretary and third as editor for Professional Photographers of Los Angeles County. Rae is also a member of Professional Photographers of America, Professional Photographers of California, the National Association of Photoshop Professionals, and Nikon Professional Services. She has merited at state and local levels. With a Bachelors in Journalism degree from the University of Texas at Austin, Rae also enjoys writing web content and press releases for photo clients as well as articles and screenplays. You can view some of her imagery at www.photobyrae.com.

Troy Miller is the current president of Inland Empire Professional Photographers and Videographers (IEPPV) and has been a

member of PPC for several years. He has been a professional photographer for nearly 20 years and together with his wife, Marjorie, runs Imagery Concepts, a wedding and portrait studio in Corona, CA. A late adopter to shooting digitally, Miller has now fully embraced digital capture and prides himself on his knowledge of image editing software. He has written close to 100 actions to improve his workflow in Photoshop and is always eager to get his hands on the latest raw editing software. Switching to Adobe Lightroom from Adobe Camera Raw for his raw conversions last year, he has immersed himself in the program, learning everything he can about it.

Michael Collins retired from Law Enforcement at the rank of Sergeant after 30 years of service.

He has been a professional photographer for over 15 years and served on the board of directors for the Professional Photographers of California becoming President in 2007-2008. He has also served as President of the Gold Coast Professional Photographers Association 7 times. Collins passion in photography is mostly photographing high school seniors. As he says, I am at the same maturity level as they are. He has written several articles, published in both photographic and law enforcement magazines.

Summer 2012

From The ediTor

s I put the finishing touches on this issue of Pro Photo West, I realize that many of you may not be aware of some exciting news. Pro Photo West won first place in this years PPA Affiliate Communications Competition! We won in category one, a printed publication of more than 12 pages printed at least 3 times a year. While I would love to take all the credit for this honor, I really cant. I have to thank all the writers and photographers who contributed to each issue, without them, Pro Photo West would not be the award winning magazine it is today. You will find their names on page 16. The issue you hold in your hands is a special one. Inside, beginning on page 27, you will find a 17 page guide for PPCs annual Pro Photo Expo and Conference. A huge thank you goes out to Dea Meyer, Conference manager, for creating those pages! So as soon as you finish my column, you may want to turn there to find out all you need to know about PPCs biggest event of the year. Flipping through this issue, you may notice some new advertisers, please join me in thanking them by patronizing their businesses. Without them, there would be no Pro Photo West magazine. As with past issues, this one is full of some informative and fun to read articles. If you have been trying to figure out how to export images or run a Photoshop action from within Lightroom, then you need to read Troy Millers ar-

ticle on page 20. Our cover image this issue is by Jim Paliungas, and Michael Collins has written about the image in his column, Creating a Winning Image on page 52. Rae DeVito rejoins us this

month by writing an article about her friend and Canon Par Excellence winner, Karen Nakamura. Turn to page 10 to see some of Nakamuras stunning images. Summer is in full swing as I sit here typing this column. I only have one photo trip planned this summer, but I am

continuing to challenge myself to shoot outside my comfort zone. Ill be shooting night images of the Milky Way near the end of July and I am really excited about it. What about you? Have any of you taken me up on my challenge from the Winter 2012 issue? Are you shooting outside your comfort zone? If so, and you have an image you would like to share, please, feel free to contact me at editor@prophotowest.com There is a good chance I will feature it in an upcoming issue. Something else I have challenged myself this year is to improve my post processing. The image here is one I shot back in 2005 with my first DSLR, a Canon 10D. I learned early on to always shoot in raw mode, so Im able to get an even better image out of those old files with new software like Lightroom 4. I am seeing colors in those files that I never knew were possible, colors that more closely resemble what I saw with my eye when I captured the image. Lastly, Id like to give a special thanks to Robert Fletcher for providing this months image for The End. You will find his moving image at the end of the magazine along with the story behind it. Remember, your image can be featured in that column if it fits the theme. Just send me your idea to editor@prophotowest.com -Rodney Ninow, Editor
www.ppconline.com

| Professional Photographers of California

Summer 2012

From the

President
A

by Cayce Newman

Which of my photographs is my favorite? The one Im going to take tomorrow. ~ Imogen Cunningham
nother part of the deal that comes with this presidency thing is being able to write this column every three months. (Is writing a column about having to write a column the moment you should know you jumped the shark?) Its a terrific opportunity because it gives you a crystal clear moment to have a voice about things you think are important, but can also be a bit of a speed bump because the deadline is there looming whether youve had your moment of inspiration or not. Ive always been more of an inspiration writer (believe me, I use the term loosely) than someone who can just sit down and hammer it out. Timing and priorities (and our conference manager and editor) tell me that this is the perfect time to talk about our upcoming Pro Photo Expo and Conference. Unfortunately, my best Expo and Conference anecdote about the completely unexpected, but joyous, discovery of a photographer who would revolutionize my personal view of photography came last issue because that story is also a West Coast School story and fit perfectly in that issue as well. Since West Coast School is first up on our calendar they got dibs on the best tale. (Yes, I use the terms dibs and best loosely.) Since I cant just say, Hey, check out the presidents message in the last issue for a great story about Pro Photo Expo and Conference, (although you really should!) I do still need to find a compelling way to tell you how awesome our Expo and Conference will be this year. Except do I really need to do that? If you are a photographer, and Im assuming that if youre reading this you are, and there is a conference featuring top level speakers like George Lepp, Joyce Wilson, Tony Corbell, Joel Grimes, Kirk Voclain, Arthur Rainville, Doug Gordon, Kevin Kubota and many more how can you not already be beyond giddy to go and why do I need to sell you on it? Add to that a top quality trade show featuring major vendors from across the nation who bring many additional speakers/ educators in with them to help promote their stuff and show you how it works, and who make the show even more exciting and educational. Im sold already and I havent gotten the whole box opened yet. Photography conferences (and trade shows) are an unappreciated resource and opportunity to meet, rub elbows with, discuss our art and business with, sit down to lunch with, (never underestimate the power of a good lunch) and just generally network the heck out of with other people who do exactly the

Nothing happens when you sit at home. ~ Elliott Erwitt

continued on page 53 8
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I
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Images Vicki Taufer

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Backdrop: Venetian Breeze Floor: Thomas Summer

2012

Floor: Charles

Karen Nakamura
10
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Portrait of a PPC Photographer

text by Rae DeVito photos by Karen Nakamura
Summer 2012 |

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So Cal Flower Child a Blooming Success

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Southern California professional photographer Karen Nakamura is pinching herself these days and for good reason. Shes on a winning streak, and shes enjoying the ride.
Soft-spoken Nakamura won the coveted 2012 Canon Par Excellence Award, representing the pinnacle of achievement at the Professional Photographers of America regional level. Image makers must receive a minimum score of 80 on each of the four images entered in their cases to be eligible. Nakamura was the lone photographer to reach that goal this year at the 2012 Western District Photographic Competition with what could be described as her Floral Case comprised of Iris in Bloom, Tulips Caress, Romantic Bloom, and Elegant Arrangement. Nakamura also landed the lauded 2012 California Top Ten Photographer award at the 2012 Western District Competition. It marked the second year in a row she earned that prize. Nakamuras recent competition success doesnt end there. PPA honored this flower child with its 2011 Silver Medalist Award, including her image Three Calla Lilies in its Loan Collection; another three photos made their mark in PPAs General Collection. Professional Photographers of California handed her the Presidents Choice Award twice: in 2012 for Iris in Bloom and in 2011 for Best Friends. She also won PPCs 2011 Nature Photographer of the Year with Secret Paradise. Not bad for someone who just started competing at the state level three years ago and at the nationals just last year! Thats pretty crazy, huh? Im not supposed to be there yet, Nakamura humbly replies with her infectious grin. Nakamura gives much of the credit for her competition wins to several years on the Professional Photographers of Los Angeles Countys board and to PPC, where she currently chairs the Business and Arts Degree program as well as the Conference Speaker and Affiliate Displays committee. I had a great experience with PPLAC, and involvement in PPC has enriched my photographic experience even more. The camaraderie that exists between members is amazing to me. I wouldnt be the photographer I am today without them, claims Nakamura. Dont get the wrong idea. The photographer is by no means an overnight success shes paid her dues. Nakamuras been shooting since college, when her sorority, Sigma Phi Omega at Long Beach State University, named her historian. At the time, she was working towards her Bachelors Degree in Fine Arts. What Nakamura says about her images: Elegant Arrangement (previous pages) I love photographing orchids. Kaleidoscope Phalaenopsis is one of my favorites. Both orchids were shot using my Canon 5D Mark 2 with an 80-200 lens. I used a soft box and white foam core to light the flowers. Romantic Bloom (above) When I first glanced at this orchid plant, I instantly saw that the spray had the shape of a heart. I did everything I could to emphasize the heart shape and added red to my background to give it a sense of romance. Tulips Caress (left) When photographing my cut flowers, I now use a Japanese frog. Its like a little metal pincushion that really helps keeps the flowers in place.

Summer 2012

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Photography didnt initially inspire me; it was art. Im also a painter. Photography evolved into the artistic medium I prefer. I looked at issues of magazines like Elle and said, I want to do that. She took one fine art photography class, and something inside her clicked. By the time she attained her B.A., it included a specialty in photography. Nakamura aimed at a career in commercial photography, but fate stepped in and changed her direction. I helped pay for art supplies for school by being a manicurist at Creative Cuts. The makeup artist there asked me to take photos of her children, and my business took off. She got hooked on childrens portrait photography, thinking of poses before each shoot, looking for inspiration on the internet, intrigued by her small clients and the amusing things they say. By 2006, she had her own studio up and running. Then, in 2007, burglars rammed through her studios double steel door and robbed her business in the middle of the night - taking her computer, photo equipment and a yearand-a-halfs worth of photos. She lost client images, including her brothers wedding. It was a heartbreaking time shed rather not dwell on, preferring to concentrate on a positive What Nakamura says about her images: Best Friends (above) I loved photographing my friend, Biljana Milasin. She would speak loving, tender words in German to make her kitty cooperate. It was so sweet. Three Calla Lilies (right) My second attempt at photographing flowers is these three little calla lilies. This image won Best of Show at PPLAC, Judges Choice Award at PPC and then went Loan at PPA. Iris in Bloom (far right, top) When I photographed this Iris, I saw the all of the ruffles on the petal and stems of the flowers. I wanted to emphasize it by using tungsten light. I also digitally brought out more detail and saturation in Photoshop. Secret Paradise (far right, bottom) This image was taken in Maui. I used a Canon ID Mark 2 with a 24-70 lens. The waterfall appeared to have a dark black area. I digitally placed the bird in front of the hole to fill the void.

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future, but she learned a powerful lesson: Back up. Back up. Back up. Nakamuras bread and butter income now comes from family and school portraits, which she loves. Youre documenting history. You are creating art for your client. A portrait is a precious moment caught in time that lasts forever. But shes widely acclaimed on the professional photographer circuit for her signature style images of flowers, gifted with a unique take on them that evolves with each new blossom she shoots. Some of her inspiration and creativity comes from an adoration of orchids, which she tended to as a hobby while in college. Then, a few years ago, a client who grows them sought her out to photograph his prized orchids. That love bloomed. I look at it more as an art piece than a flower. I look inside it, see its composition, explains Nakamura. You can see the wings, the head, and the eyeballs in the moth orchid, Phalaenopsis. At one of her first print competitions, a judge said, Flowers are already beautiful. Its your job as a photographer to enhance their beauty. That advice stuck with Nakamura.

I search for the beauty within the flowers I photograph. I play with light to see what texture I can find. I play with Photoshop to try to give my images depth, says Nakamura. And, theyre subjects that have a definite benefit over people: they dont move. Unlike her beloved flowers, Nakamuras on the move, making plans for the future. Shes expanding her photography business to involve more schools. And, of course, she has her eye on shooting more flowers doing case studies of different species. Shell wait and see what grows from there. - Rae DeVito

Photo of Karen Nakamura by Rae DeVito

Summer 2012

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Pro Photo West has been awarded 1st place in the PPA Affiliate Communications Competition. I have a lot of people I would like to thank for helping me each issue and their names are listed below. I think I included everyone, if not, please forgive any oversight. Thank you to all our readers and contributors! Rodney Ninow, Editor
Phillip Abel Suzette Allen Jodie Beck Fred Blood III Carl Caylor Michael Collins Kip Cothran Kathy Cunningham Roger Daines George DeLoache Rae DeVito Marcy Dugan Robert R. Fletcher William Hodge Donna Jirsa Charlie Laumann Dea Meyer Kathy Metz Troy Miller Ann K. Montieth Karen Nakamura Cayce Newman Kevin OConnor Henry Oles Jim Paliungas Penny Palumbo Tashia Peterman Steve and Peggy Roosa Monica Royal Michael Sauer Paul Speaker Bill Thomas 16
| Professional Photographers of California

Thanks to all our advertisers too: Album Crafters American Color Imaging Bay Photo Lab H&H Color Lab Millers Color Lab Nikon, USA Sigma, USA White House Custom Color Thanks also to Marathon Press for the beautiful job they do printing each issue.

www.ppconline.com

 2012 LINDSAY ADLER | SD1 DSLR + 70-200mm F2.8 EX DG APO OS HSM

So theres a new game in town.

The Sigma SD1 digital SLR camera. With the unique Foveon three-layer direct color sensor that creates incredible files when you need to go big. How big? Big enough to match images from medium format cameras. How about 40x60 prints from 45mb RAW files without any post processing. No aliasing. No artifacts. No moir patterns. No interpolation...because there are no filters over the imaging sensor. So the result? Pure color reproduction. The SD1 is backed up by a complete system of over 40 high quality Sigma lenses for virtually any assignment.
Summer 2012 | 17 SIGMA Corporation of America | www.SigmaPhoto.com | Twitter.com/Sigma_Photo | Facebook.com/SigmaCorporationOfAmerica

Your Opportunity to Rise With Us!

by Donna Jirsa
ts almost here THE biggest PPC event of the year! Of course, Im talking about Pro Photo Expo and Conference, August 9 thru 12, at the Pasadena Convention Center. Our Trade Show Manager, Bill Thomas and Conference Manager, Dea Meyer, have been working tirelessly (well, I think they are actually pretty tired, truth be told) to amaze, educate and impress you during this fourday event! There will be so much to take in, it makes me crazy! Some might say its a short trip. Youll find a complete program and event guide in this issue of Pro Photo West. Be sure to check out all the fantastic opportunities offered, and create your plan of attack so you dont miss a thing! And sign up for one of the day long programs on August 9th, at an extra fee; your option for even more education! As it turns out, I am serving as PPC Booth Chairperson this year. I never exactly know how it happens that when I offer to help with something, its suddenly my baby! I am very excited about what we have planned for the PPC Booth, located on the trade show floor. Youll find a Mentor Lounge, where Expo attendees will have an opportunity to spend a few minutes, one-on-one, with some pretty impressive Pro Mentors! Im not going to divulge too much information here, but watch your e-mail for more details. I will share that even you seasoned professionals will be impressed with our mentor line-up, thanks to Tim Meyer, Conference Program Chair! Take advantage of this time to get a tough question answered, or perhaps get an image critiqued. Daily schedules for the Mentor Lounge will be posted, so come by each morning to check it out. The PPC Store will be set up in the booth, so if youve been wanting a PPC logo shirt or other item to show your pride in membership, this will be your opportunity to make purchases and avoid shipping fees. Drawings and other happenings will be going on in the PPC Booth. Dont miss

out, visit often! Im issuing this personal invitation to all current PPC Members: Stop by the PPC Booth, say hello and show your valid PPC member ID card to receive a small gift of appreciation for your Professional Photographers of California membership! If youre a current member and dont yet have a new ID card, Ill be glad to hook you up with one when youre there. Ive mentioned Dea Meyer and Bill Thomas who coordinate this event, but we must remember it takes an army of dedicated volunteers to make an event of this proportion successful. PPC thrives because we have an intricate network of incredibly dedicated volunteers who selflessly devote their time, talent and energy to make this vital organization flourish. While many of our volunteers donate countless hours to fulfill their commitment to PPC, there are many volunteer opportunities that require far less time while still providing vital support to the successful operation of our organization. One of the many benefits of PPC membership is the opportunity to earn the prestigious Professional Photographers of California Service Award, designed to recognize members who are active within the organization. It is achieved by earning merits doing work that

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provides a service to our association and to the photographic community. The silver Service Medallion may be worn at all photographic functions and while making presentations. It includes an 1114 Service Award Certificate suitable for framing, and can proudly be displayed prominently in your office or studio, alongside your medallion. This award is designed to demonstrate to your peers and clients your expertise and efforts to improve your profession. It can, and should, be used as a real marketing tool for your business. Your clients will be impressed by your achievement on the state level! Once you have earned 25 service merits you will receive the silver Service Medallion and Certificate at the annual PPC Awards event, which is held at Pro Photo Expo and Conference. After you have earned your Service Medallion and continue to earn merits, you will then receive a Service Bar for each subsequent 25 service merits you earn. These Bars are worn on the ribbon attached to your Service Medallion. Merits can be earned for virtually everything you do to help PPC function, and even for serving within your own affiliate. Find out about Service Award requirements and a schedule of merits at: http://www.ppconline.com/membership/degrees-merits/ service-award/.

I challenge you, as a PPC member, to become a volunteer and find out the true reward of volunteerism while earning points toward your own PPC Service Award. All of the networking, education, mentoring and fun of Pro Photo Expo and Conference is included in your Professional Photographers of California professional level membership. What better value could you ask for? Of course, Pro Photo Expo and Conference is only one in the array of benefits that are included with your PPC membership. Numerous new benefits have been created and launched this year, bringing true year-round, state-wide value to your membership investment! I urge you to invite your colleagues to experience Pro Photo Expo and Conference, so they can see for themselves what PPC is all about. Theres even a new Education Track available to non-PPC Members who are eager to expand their craft, taking it to the next level. Spread the word! PPC is changing for the better! See you in Pasadena! Donna Jirsa, F-PPC, S-PPC Membership Chairperson

THE COFFEE TABLE BOOK

The Coffee Table Book is a bound Hard Cover book with photographs custom mounted to invisibly hinged pages. Panoramic binding allows for unlimited digital design. The Coffee Table Book, available cut or folded, comes with any of our standard cover materials including leathers, suedes, silks and linens. Optional PhotoCovers and Cameos are also available.

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Summer 2012

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Lightroom
exporting and using externaL editors

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text and images bY bYroY miLLer text and images t troY miLLer
Summer 2012 |

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f you have been keeping up with this Lightroom series over the last four issues, then you have learned how to import images and work on them. Once you have an image the way you like it, its time to edit and export.

Before I explain exporting, I want to describe how to take your images into an external editor, in this case, Photoshop. From the library module in Lightroom, you can either right click an image and select Edit in or hit command e (control e for PC). You will probably then get a dialog box asking you if you want to Render using Lightroom or open anyway. This will appear if you have a version conflict, such as an older version of Photoshop and a newer version of Lightroom. Choose render using Lightroom so that all the work you have done up to this point will be present in the image that opens. Now is when, in my opinion, Lightroom does something really cool. It will open a copy of your image and that image becomes part of your library automatically. This can be very handy for keeping track of images you export and edit for clients. Once you have made your edits, simply save the image. The files in Lightroom will be updated. If you do a save as and change the name, Lightroom will no longer track it. So think carefully before you save with a different name. Since most of my edits are crops, dodging and burning and minor blemish touch ups, this works perfect for me. Once I save my image to update the copy in Lightroom, I then do a Save as to a different folder for my orders. If in the future, I want to rework the image, Lightroom will ask me if I want to edit with Lightroom adjustments, Edit Copy or Edit Original. I usually edit a copy. Exporting images from Lightroom is a choice you might make for a variety of reasons. In this article, I will explain some of the more common reasons. Exporting images for presentation on the web is probably something that all of us do from time to time. Most of you probably like to watermark your photos to deter people from using them without your permission and this can be done easily during the export process. You can create either a text watermark, or use a logo style. Youll need to create the logo or art work in a program such as Photoshop and save it as a JPEG or PNG file first if you choose that option. If you want it to have a transparent background, use the PNG file. In the Library module, select the images you want to export with the watermark. Right click them or click export in the lower left. A dialog box (Figure 1) will open and you will see some options. They are, in order from top to bottom:

Figure 1

Previous image spread: Example of an image that had a watermark and a Photoshop action applied from within Lightroom.

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Export Location I usually export to my desktop and click Put in Subfolder and move the finished folder as needed. File Naming To rename with a file sequence Select rename to In the drop down choose Filename - Sequence Change the start number to 001 Video Not using this , if we were, you could choose different formats. File Settings Image Format - JPEG Color Space - sRGB Quality 85 Image Sizing Check Resize to fit Long Edge from the drop down set to 7 in Resolution 100 Figure 2 Output Sharpening I do all my sharpening in LR before exporting. Experiment with this if you want to add more on export Metadata I use Copyright only but you can choose whatever suits you here Remove Location Info, this is important especially if the images are taken at my home or other locations that I dont want to publish all over the web. Watermarking Select Check box In the drop down select Edit Watermarks, a new dialog box (Figure 2) will open as described below: Watermark dialog box Select Text or Graphic if you have a pre-made watermark Choose appropriate options as desired Watermark Effects, effects either a text or a graphic watermark Size is where you change both text and graphic size Inset - I recommend applying an inset. If you leave it right on the edge, it might get cut off when printed. Anchor tells Lightroom where to put the watermark Click save in the lower right corner and give your new watermark a name for future use. Under Post Processing, you can select Show in Explorer (Finder on mac) and this will open the folder where your new resized images are located on export.

Watermarked image

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Click the export button in the bottom right and your web sized image with watermark will be saved in the folder previously selected. Now that you know how to do a watermark from the export dialog box, lets tackle running a Photoshop action on export. When I learned how to do this, my workflow speed was improved significantly. Instead of doing an export of my images in Lightroom, then running a batch in Photoshop for my actions, I can do it straight from Lightroom. In my experience, not many people are using this feature, which is a shame because it can really speed things up. This is how I created the image in the opening spread. To begin using Photoshop actions in Lightroom, we need to create a droplet in Photoshop. Youll need to be using CS4 or later. You cant just pick any old action for this, the action must include a Save as command. If you arent sure how to do this, read the side bar, Create a Photoshop Action. Once you have chosen an action that is compatible in Photoshop, click File>Automate>Create Droplet. A new dialog box will open. (Figure 3) At the top, pick a place to save the droplet and give it a useful name. Under Play select the action you want to apply in this droplet. Next, under Destination choose Folder and pick an output folder. I suggest a new folder on your desktop as this will be easy to find when you are done. Lastly click the Override Action Save As Commands check box. If you want to have the files renamed, you can change those settings in the File Naming box. Personally, I do not change file names when running an action, but of course, the choice is yours to make. Now click Ok and your droplet will be created. Now that you have your droplet created in Photoshop, go back inside Lightroom and click the Export button to open the Export dialog box. At the bottom, under Post Processing click After Export and select Go to Export Actions Folder. (Figure 4) This folder is where you will place the droplet you just created. There is no need to retain a copy of this droplet, so simply move it to the folder. You are now ready to run that Photoshop action when you export images from Lightroom. Follow the steps outlined previously to export an image, remembering to choose the correct image size as needed. At the bottom, instead of choosing Show in Folder select the action name. When you click export, your image(s) will be watermarked (if you chose that option) and the action will be applied. Remember the folder these images will be saved in was specified when you created the droplet. If youve read all my articles on Lightroom up to this point, you should have a good foundation and understanding of how to use it. In my next article, I will go over some tips and tricks that I use daily when processing my images. -Troy Miller

Figure 3

Creating a Photoshop Action

Open an image Click Window>Actions Uncheck Button Mode Click New Action Name the new action Hit Record Perform steps as desired for this action Do a Save As (name is irrelevant) Choose the JPEG compression options (usually 10-12) Click OK and Close the image

Figure 4

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THE PERFECT MATCH THERES A NIKON FOR EVERYONE.

There is a Nikon for everyone. Our stylish COOLPIX digital compact cameras, innovative Nikon 1 system, highly acclaimed digital SLR cameras, and versatile NIKKOR lenses create the ultimate lineup to entice customers. And with our sales and marketing efforts continuing to drive customers to your store, Nikons lineup is geared for ultimate sales. Keep up with demand. Supply them with a Nikon. nikonusa.com

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Were Ready To Roll Into Pro Photo Expo & Conference 2012

by Dea Meyer

ere Ready To Roll.Into Pro Photo Expo and Conference 2012. Were in the home stretch now for the long anticipated return of Pro Photo Expo and Conference. Due to many factors, our switch from a February/March event to our current August offering has generated lots of phone calls and questions about when well be back. Well, here we are August 9-12, 2012 at the Pasadena Center! So far, the change has been received very positively. The move away from the hectic trade show season where you and our vendors had many options for scoping out the industry, but were quite possibly overwhelmed by the sheer multitude of events, has seemingly proven to be beneficial to all. We hope youve already made your plans to join us. If not, dont hesitate any longer. Register now! If you will be a Professional Photographer of California Member during the event, Pro Photo Expo and Conference is a benefit of your membership and thereby, theres NO CHARGE to register online. Dont let this great opportunity pass you by. If you are not yet a member, there are a number of options to get you there. $130 buys a full registration ticket for all of the Friday through Sunday events and includes a one-year Professional Photographers of California membership. $99 buys a full registration ticket minus the membership. If you are only interested in the Daylong Workshops on Thursday, August 9th, they are $69 online. Or, our new Education Track - two action-packed days, four stellar speakers - for only $79 online. (Note that the Education Track is included in a full registration ticket!) Last, but most certainly not least, is the Expo - an outstanding three day trade show for only $10 online, or use coupon code PPW to register for FREE! (The Expo is already included in all other tickets.) Online registration for all tickets can be accessed through ppconline.com - look under Events for Pro Photo Expo and Conference. If you have any questions, contact me at conference@ppconline.com. Our stupendous speaker lineup includes: Kevin Kubota, John Pittman and Jim Seers with H&H Color Labs Sports Boot Camp for the Daylong Workshops; Joel Grimes, Dennis Nisbet, Arica Dorff, Rebecca Ford-Soren, Joyce Wilson, Kathy Metz, Robin Swanson, Kirk Voclain and Arthur Rainville for the Early Bird and Platform Programs, Friday through Sunday; and Tony Corbell, Sarah Petty, Chris Orwig, and Doug Gordon debuting our Education Track on Saturday and Sunday. On Saturday evening, we are so pleased to welcome the highly respected Canon Explorer of Light, George Lepp, as he

presents Snowflakes to GigaScapes - Maximizing the Creative Power of Todays DSLRs. Lepps program is open to the public at no charge. The Expo/Trade Show will be held on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, August 10-12. Three days of amazing new technology and product availability. Youll find all of your favorite vendors as well as some new faces. This is your opportunity to hold the latest model camera that youve been eyeing, or touch the new cover treatment and pages from a multitude of album companies. You might even pick up a few pointers from the software designers as they demo their wares. The world of technology is moving quickly and youll never know what you dont know unless you attend! How can you even think of missing the Professional Photographers of California Annual Awards Program, the Welcome Reception and Silent Auction, the Speaker, Affiliate and Print Competition Print Displays, The Mentor Lounge at the PPC Membership Booth, among so many other great networking and learning opportunities? You can even take your Professional Photographers of America Certified Professional Photographer Exam or complete the Moderators Course for the PPC Judging Academy. Registration for these two classes is separate. Please see ppa.com and ppconline.com respectively for more details. Here is yet another reason to register NOW! If you havent signed up yet, youre not in the running for a copy of Sarah Petty and Erin Verbecks book, Worth Every Penny. A New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today best seller, this book is flying off the shelves. It is extremely timely and informative for small business models, and both Petty and Verbeck have proven track records for getting businesses like yours off the ground toward a successful future. The first 300 conference registrants qualify to receive this outstanding new book about how to build a business that thrills your customers and still charges what youre worth! (Full Registration and Education Track tickets qualify, and you must be present to receive your book.) Help us spread the word! Share our event, make it YOUR event, with your colleagues and friends on Facebook and Twitter. Talk amongst yourselves in your affiliates and if you have a MeetUp group, SMUGMUG, PUG, camera club or other group that loves the sound of a shutter click, let them know were here for them! Watch for our iPad and iPhone apps. We cant wait to welcome you! See you at Pro Photo Expo and Conference, August 9-12, 2012!

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Nikons New Flagship DSLR: D4

photos by Troy Miller

proved? TM: Yea it has improved massively over my D3s and all previous models, plus the exposure accuracy at the focus point is much better. PPW: Can you explain what you mean when you say the exposure accuracy at the focus point is better? TM: The camera appears to bias the exposure more tightly around the focus bracket than before, so if I move my focus bracket on the subjects face, and the background is very dark or light, it gives me a better exposure on their face and I find myself not having to use exposure compensation as much as I used to with my older bodies. It is dramatically better with flash. In the past, the flash seemed to try to light the whole room, while now the flash exposure is much more accurate on my subject, based on where I place my focus bracket. PPW: So would you say that the D4 has made your job easier? TM: I do, I dont have to out think the camera as much, it

e recently sat down with PPC Wedding Photographer of the year (and frequent contributor to Pro Photo West) Troy Miller to talk about the newest toy in his camera bag, a Nikon D4.

Pro Photo West: So Troy, you got the D4 as soon as it became available, were you that excited about the improvements over your last body that you had to have it now? Troy Miller: Yea, I was very excited about the high ISO, and the improvement to focus in low light and new video capabilities and built in HDR processing. Plus new bodies always have improvements, so I was looking forward to better exposure accuracy and improved tonal range. PPW: You were honored this year as PPC Wedding Photographer of the Year, does that mean you primarily shoot weddings? TM: Yes, I also do family, maternity and sometimes seniors from referrals of my wedding clients. PPW: Ok, lets talk about some of those improvements as you have observed, has the focus speed in low light im-

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is much more accurate now. I dont have to pay attention to the camera settings as much and make compensation, especially with flash. PPW: What about noise at high ISOs, can you use even higher ISOs than before? TM: The noise is about a stop better, but the color and tonal range in high ISO is probably even more significantly improved. I guess what I mean by that is normally when you shoot at high ISO, the tonal range and color balance seems to fall apart, it just doesnt look right. But with the D4, this has been dramatically improved by probably two stops at least. It gives me more creative latitude in my shooting. PPW: What else have you noticed is better with the new body? TM: The dynamic range has improved and Im capturing more detail in extremes, like the black tux and white dress than I ever have before. Its giving me even more to work with when I do my post processing. I have found that if I want to purposely blow out a background, I have to overexpose by one additional stop because of the improved dynamic range. PPW: What else do you like about the new D4? TM: First of all, they added a little thumb grip for when you are shooting vertically and it may seem small, but its awesome, I love it. The D3 didnt have it and when you rotated the body, you have to grip really hard, with the D4 you dont have to do that. Everything is much more configurable and customizable than in the past. They added two toggle buttons that you can configure to do just about anything. I use them for controlling my focus brackets. For me, someone who lives with this camera in his hand, those little changes are huge. PPW: Anything else about the body that is new that you like? TM: Yea, they changed the auto focus mode selector. They improved it. I used to constantly bump it into manual mode. And now you have to press a button and turn the switch to change from AF-S to AF-C and back, which I used to always find in the wrong position because it was so easily moved. PPW: At wedding receptions, you probably use flash a lot, have they changed anything as far as flash exposure control? TM: Yes, they have in a big way. I can now control the flash and ambient light right from the camera, instead of having to turn a dial on the flash back, and make a change on the

body. The exposure compensation button on the body can now be changed to only affect ambient light when using a flash instead of the whole frame. With this setting, the exposure compensation leaves the flash alone. PPW: All of that sounds really great; do you have any images you can share that would demonstrate some of these new features? TM: Yea, take a look at the sunset image. (opposite page) It demonstrates a high iso shot with lots of color and tonal range. To be able to hold all that detail is just amazing. I was able to with a bit of post processing really brighten up the couple and hold all that detail. For me, that is something that the D4 has made possible. With the D3s, I would not have been able to pull out that much detail without some image degradation. The image of the bride against the white wall

(above) shows subtleties and details in the highlights that I have never been able to create before. PPW: Sounds like the D4 is an incredible piece of equipment, are you finally done buying new bodies? TM: Yea, until the D5! For now, I am looking at lenses.

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Quickbooks

for the

Professional PhotograPher lesson 14:

backing uP
by Robin Swanson

INTRODUCTION
Backing up is probably the most important chore you can do if you own a computer. The makers of QuickBooks know this too, and have provided many ways to back up your precious company data. In this article, I will explain the what, how, and where of these different types of backups.

WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF BACKUPS?

Basically, there are three types of backups: Backup File: To safeguard your QuickBooks data against accidental loss, create regular backups of your QuickBooks company file. The backup contains everything you need to re-create your company file and QuickBooks environment, including all of the QuickBooks files (templates, letters, logos, images, and so on) related to your company file. In case of accidental loss or damage, you can use the backup file to restore your company data. A backup file also includes a transaction log (.tlg file) which Intuit technical support can use to recover transaction data if damage or loss occurs. Unlike a portable file, a backup file is very large and cannot be e-mailed. It is not recommended as a means of moving company data, unless you have a new computer and need to move all of your related files as well. The backup file is saved with a .qbb extension. Portable File: A portable company file is a compact version of your company file, small enough to be sent by e-mail or saved to portable media. Use a portable company file whenever you need to copy your company data to another location or send it to another person. Unlike a backup file, a portable file contains only a compressed version of the company file financial data - it doesnt contain related files such as letters, images, templates, and so on. It also doesnt contain a transaction log (.tlg file). The portable file is saved with a .qbm extension.

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Accountants Copy: An Accountants Copy is a version of your company file your accountant can use to make changes while you continue to work. When you make an Accountants Copy, you will be asked for a Dividing Date. Your accountant works on transactions dated on or before the dividing date while you continue to work on transactions after the dividing date. You can view transactions dated on or before the dividing date, but not change them. When your accountant is done, you then import your accountants changes into your company file. In this article, I will discuss the Backup file and the Portable file. The Accountants Copy is more complicated and will be covered in my next article. HOW TO CREATE A BACKUP FILE 1. From the File menu, choose File>Create Backup. This will open the Create Backup wizard. 2. Choose either Online backup or Local backup. If you subscribe to Intuit Data Protect (a fee based backup service) you can choose Online backup, otherwise, you must choose Local backup. Click Next. 3. If this is the first time you have backed up your file, a Backup Options window will open. (left) a. Browse to where you want your backup files to go. (I keep mine in a file called QuickBooks Backups on my desktop). b. Check the box that says Add the date and time of the backup to the fine name. c. Check the box the says Limit the number of backup copies in this folder to ___ and enter how many backup copies you want to keep. (I keep 3) d. Check the box Remind me to back up when I close my computer file every ____ times. (I have it remind me every 4 timesYou may want to have it remind you more often). e. Check the Complete verification button. f. Click OK g. A window will open telling you that it is a BAD idea to save your backups to the same drive as your company file. I agree. This is a bad idea; however, if youre like me, you dont always have an additional external hard drive attached to your computer. What I do is go ahead and save the backup to a folder that I keep on my desktop. Then, whenever I am attached to another hard drive, I copy the entire Quickbooks Backups folder at that time. So, either choose Use this Location or choose Change Location and save you backup to another hard drive or removable storage device. Whatever works best for you. h. Once you have set up Backup Options, you will not see this window again unless you want to change your backup optionsthen you can click on the Options button in the Create Backup window. 4. In the next window, you will need to choose when you want to save your backup copy. You can choose to save it now; Save it now and schedule future backups; or only schedule future backups. For the purpose of this article, you will choose Save it now. Then click the Next button. a. The next window is where you will navigate to where you want to save your file. It should already know because you told it where in the Backup Options window; however, if you want or need to save it in a different location, click on the down arrow in the Save in box and choose where you want to save your file.

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a. The next window is where you will navigate to where you want to save your file. It should already know because you told it where in the Backup Options window; however, if you want or need to save it in a different location, click on the down arrow in the Save in box and choose where you want to save your file.

b. At the bottom of the window, shown here at left, you can either accept the default file name, or rename it to something else. I like to accept the default file name because it has a date stamp included which helps to determine the most recent backup. c. Click the Save button.

5. Quickbooks will create the backup file and when it is finished, you will see a Quickbooks Information box letting you know that the backup was successful and where is has been stored. HOW TO CREATE A PORTABLE COMPANY FILE 1. From the File menu, choose File>Create Copy. This will open the Save Copy or Backup window. (You can also access the Backup Copy feature from this window) 2. Choose Portable company file and click the Next button. 3. The Save Portable Company File window opens. Click in the Save in box and navigate to where you would like to save the file. 4. At the bottom of the window you can accept the default file name or change it, and then click the Save button. 5. A window will open telling you that QuickBooks must close and reopen your company file before creating a portable company file click OK. 6. QuickBooks will proceed to make the portable company file. When it is finished, you will see an information window telling you that the portable file has been saved and its location. (left) QuickBooks company file. Thats it! You have succeeded in backing up your company file. 7. Click OK and you will be returned to your

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RESTORING A BACKUP FILE

What do you do if disaster strikes and something happens to your QuickBooks company file? Well, because you have been diligent about backing up your company file, you just smile; because, you know that you have a recent backup. This is what you do to restore your file:

1. Start QuickBooks. 2. If, for some reason, a company file opens, go to File>Close company. a. This will open the No Company Open window. 3. Click the box that says Open or restore an existing company. 4. Click the Restore a backup copy button and click Next. 5. Click the Local backup button and click Next. 6. At the top of the Open Backup Copy window use the Look in: box to navigate to where your backup copy is saved. Choose the most recent backup that you have and click Open. a. A window will open explaining that you need to decide where you want to restore the file. If you dont want to overwrite the existing file, then either save it somewhere other than where your existing file resides, or rename it in the next window. Click Next 7. AlrightBig decision. I suggest that in the Save Company File as window, you simply add a date or version # to the file name. That way you still have the old file in case you need it. Just remember that from now on, you will be opening the new file. Click Save. 8. QuickBooks will take a few minutes to restore the file and will open the Login window (if you use a password) or it will just open the file if you dont use a password. 9. You should get a window that says Your data has been restored successfully. Youre back in business. Just remember that you will have to re-enter any transactions that occurred since the backup file date. Thats why I recommend that you backup often. RESTORING A PORTABLE FILE This is very similar to restoring a backup file: 1. Start QuickBooks. 2. In the No Company Open window, choose Open or restore an existing company. 3 In the Open or Restore Company window, choose Restore a portable file and click Next. 4. At the top of the Open Portable Company File window use the Look in: box to navigate to where your portable copy is saved. Click Open

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creating a Winning image

T
he Argentine Dancer, chosen as PPC Best in Show at this years Western States Print Competition, seemed an appropriate title for this image as it had a unique flair and feel. Jim Paliungas was working with this model and intrigued by her unusual hair style. As she was going through her wardrobe, she showed the photographer this cool red dress. She started playing around and getting into some fun poses and then it suddenly hit him, Dancing with the Stars. Although she seemed to be a natural poser, Paliungas wanted to push the envelope and he described a pose he wanted her to do whole idea, describes Paliungas.

by Michael Collins

At that point Paliungas clicked and captured this moment in time. Well maybe it was a bit more like, click, click, click and even a few more clicks and capture. Jim says, You only need that one shot, and I got it. The shot was done against a white cove and lighting was a single light source with a 6 Octabox. It was shot at ISO 200, 125th., at f8. The light was to camera right, models left and turned enough to spill light on the background. He didnt want a completely white background in the final image, so he chose not to use a background light. Paliungas used some standard post production for blemishes, and removed several distracting tattoos from the subjects body, particularly on her legs. He then converted the shot to black and white with some high structure. He wanted a bit of cross over between black and white and color, and especially for the dress to pop, so he pulled most of the color back particularly in the dress. Paliungas has been a photographer for a little over 20 years. He started his photography career as a parttime business, and eventually became a full time photographer in 1995. His work encompasses a wide range of photography including executive portrait, family portrait, model portfolios, glamour, commercial industrial, and the occasional wedding. Hes a member and past president of CIPPA, and a member of both PPC and PPA. He has received numerous awards for his work. Besides this image, he was chosen as PPC Photographer of the Year for Studio Portrait 2012 and 2006, Environmental Portrait in 2009 and Landscape in 2007. His images have won him a place in the PPC Top Ten Photographers of the Year with accumulated highest print case in 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2012. He won the PPC Kodak Gallery Award in 2012 and 2008 and a Fuji Masterpiece award in 2007. He has also won the Judges Choice Award at Western States Regional in 2012, 2009 and 2006. His images have also appeared in the PPA Loan Collection and Showcase books. He has also been published in several other publications.

that he saw her displaying earlier. It just needed a little something extra to make it work. Jim told her to turn her head to the left and cross her legs. As she did, she naturally placed her hands on her hips. He then refined the pose with some minor tweaks. Ironically, her intense expression came out right about the time she was ready to give up and tell him what she thought of my

His clients continue to express that his fun-loving, patient, easy-going style makes him a joy to work with. His policy is that every photo session be a pleasurable experience from start to finish Remember, The Argentine Dancer and many other Western States Print Comp images will be on display at this years Expo and Conference in Pasadena.

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presidents message continued from page 8

Quickbooks continued from page 51

same thing we do and love exactly the same thing we love. Photography. (Not The Avengers) Just hanging out with our peers, and those we hope to someday be peers with, is a hidden value that many potential attendees dont consider, but Ive yet to hear photographers talk about our Expo and Conference without mentioning the friends they make there as one of the best reasons to go. Its like the prize at the bottom of a box of Cracker Jacks. Weve spent a good bit of time working our schedule to maximize the networking opportunities. From an awards presentation where you see photographers from across the state step up to the podium to collect hard earned and treasured honors, followed immediately by a welcome reception that will be a party and networking nirvana; to a mentors lounge at the PPC booth where you can have a conversation with any of a number of top professionals who are scheduled to spend time there. Would you like to have a conversation with a Photographer of the Year, Top Ten Case winner, Peoples Choice or Presidents Award winner? Or how about with some of the best portrait, wedding or landscape photographers working today? We have a perfect place for it in our schedule. Relax, have a beverage of your choice and make Tim Meyer tell you why light meters really are more important than sand bags. (Hi Tim!) Best of all, the entire package including all the things I havent mentioned, (A Camp Certification test, a Judging Academy Moderator class, an all PPC member meeting, a silent auction with truly amazing bargains, compelling and beautiful print and image displays and more) are all right here in California, in our own backyard and nearly all of it is FREE for PPC members and very affordable for non-members. Just a hop, a skip, a drive, an Amtrak ride or a short, inexpensive flight away. Theres an axiom Ive grown to appreciate more and more as time has gone by. (Meaning as I get old) We dont know what we dont know, and for me, Pro Photo Expo and Conference is one of the places where you are able to discover some of those things that you dont know. And its easy and fun too. Why arent you registered already? -Cayce Newman

a. A window will open explaining that you need to decide where you want to restore the file. If you dont want to overwrite the existing file, then either save it somewhere other than where your existing file resides, or rename it in the next window. Click Next 5. Same as before, I suggest that in the Save Company File as window, you simply add a date or version # to the file name. Click Save. 6. It takes several minutes to restore the portable file. When it is done, and you have logged back into your company file, you should see a window that says The QuickBooks portable company file has been opened successfully. Now you know how to back up and restore your company file. Just a few words of advice to help make your backup routine go a little smoother: Keep your backups in a folder that is easy to find (I keep mine on my desktop). If you let them get buried inside folders inside folders inside folders, it makes it very difficult to keep track of them or to even find them when you need them. Make sure that you copy them to another drive or removable media when you get a chance. If/when your hard drive fails, backups on your local hard drive wont be of any use. Back up often. Remember, the longer you go between backups, the more data/ transactions you will need to reenter if something happens to your company file. In my next article, I will discuss the Accountants copy.

Now, GO BACK UP YOUR QUICKBOOKS FILE!

- Robin Swanson

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The End

friend of mine, Fred Blood III, (PPC Commercial Photographer of the Year 2012), had invited me to go to Bosque del Apache in New Mexico with him to photograph the wintering birds. We left right after Christmas with the intent of being gone about a week. Along the way we made a number of stops at locations that looked interesting. In the small town of Socorro, New Mexico, we ran across a very old graveyard called San Miguel Cemetery. Old graveyards are one of my favorite subjects to photograph so we had to stop and look around. Many of the grave sites were from the early 1800s and were clearly unkempt and in need of attention. After spending several hours looking around, I stumbled upon a fairly fresh grave site, which was in sharp contrast to most of the older ones surrounding it. It was neat, clean and simple, with a wrought iron fence surrounding the grave. A Christmas wreath had been laid in front of the headstone. But what wrenched at my heart were the 3 small handprints that had been compressed into the fresh cement, one for each of the soldiers three children. Their names were written to the right of the handprint: Leva, Mo and Emma.

The soldier was SSG Herman Montoya who had recently died in Iraq. My heart was filled with emotion and my eyes were filled with tears as I carefully photographed the resting place of SSG Herman Montoya, warrior and father. The image is not merit worthy, but I know that Herman Montoya was. He laid down his life for the freedom of his three children, his family and for his country. Thank you SSG Herman Montoya, we will be forever grateful.

Photo and text by Robert R. Fletcher

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| Professional Photographers of California

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Summer 2012

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| Professional Photographers of California

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