Portrait Photographer of the Year!

Halcyon Hills Photography Receives 2014 Best of Fort Mill Award 

Fort Mill Award Program Honors the Achievement

FORT MILL November 26, 2014 -- Halcyon Hills Photography has been selected for the 2014 Best of Fort Mill Award in the Portrait Photographers category by the Fort Mill Award Program.
Each year, the Fort Mill Award Program identifies companies that we believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and our community. These exceptional companies help make the Fort Mill area a great place to live, work and play. 

Various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to choose the winners in each category. The 2014 Fort Mill Award Program focuses on quality, not quantity. Winners are determined based on the information gathered both internally by the Fort Mill Award Program and data provided by third parties. 

About Fort Mill Award Program

The Fort Mill Award Program is an annual awards program honoring the achievements and accomplishments of local businesses throughout the Fort Mill area. Recognition is given to those companies that have shown the ability to use their best practices and implemented programs to generate competitive advantages and long-term value.

The Fort Mill Award Program was established to recognize the best of local businesses in our community. Our organization works exclusively with local business owners, trade groups, professional associations and other business advertising and marketing groups. Our mission is to recognize the small business community's contributions to the U.S. economy.

How Do You Focus on Five Things?

I've always heard that claiming to focus on multiple things was the same as focusing on nothing.  As a photographer, you can't be all things to all people.  Very few are great at portraits and fashion and modeling and babies and landscapes and commercial photography and so on.  On the other hand, if you narrow your scope to one thing, like maternity/baby sessions, you can make good money and develop a name, but the work gets a little repetitive.  A friend of mine who did just that recently told me that "If I have to photograph another baby, I'll just scream."  

Now I'm a fair growler but a pretty sucky screamer, so that seems too narrow a focus for me.  I've decided to focus on Three Things (or is it Four - or Five?).  These are areas where I'm pretty good and I already have most of the equipment needed.  The Big Three are 

Real Estate

Modeling/Fashion

Individual/Family Portraits

 

But I'm tempted to add

Event Photography (parties, reunions, proms etc.)

Photo Scan & Repair

 

Until I'm well-known enough to narrow further, this seems like a good mix for me.   I've done all of these things and made money at them.  Where's the focus? you say...  Well, here's what I DON'T do:


Weddings
Boudior
Babies (although I do do Maternity, which I squeeze under Individual/Family Portraits)

Here's a recent Real Estate shot, a Model image and a Portrait from the last few weeks.  This is hugely different work, they use different cameras, lenses and lighting, and the workup is totally different.  But they're fun, they make money, and, after all, Variety is the Spice of Life!

Working, Sometimes for Pay

It's somewhat of a given among photographers that income correlates with skill.  I guess that's true for pretty much everyone, but with photographers, skill usually is developed while working for free.

Now there's a lot of things I think that I do pretty well and am perfectly comfortable charging market prices for.  But over the last year, I've sort of stumbled upon opportunities to photograph young models and actors, both male and female, and I'd discovered that I really love it!  When you can get steady work with people who are comfortable (and skilled) in front of a camera, it helps you become a better photographer PLUS it helps you to coach regular people better who just want a nice photo made.

High-end fashion and glamour photographers make a bundle and are in great demand.  That's not me.  Yet.  But with a half dozen model/actor sessions done in the last 9 months and six more scheduled in the next two months, I've found enough work to really ramp up my fashion/glamour skills.  With a dozen sessions under my belt, it should be possible to take a portfolio to local ad agencies and to the Charlotte Fashion Week people and create some interest.

During such a self-imposed training program, it's important to keep costs under control.  One way to do that is to use local models, who I can find by participating in some of the major modeling websites.  And, while there are plenty of experienced models in my area (who work only for pay), there are a bunch of aspiring models who have some skill but need work as much and for the same reasons that I do, and thus are willing to work for portfolio images.  It's a match made in Heaven!

       Another area where you have to manage cost is hair and makeup.  There are a lot of really skilled hair and makeup artists in our area (who work for pay).   Here you have to be careful.  If the model can do her own hair and makeup (and do it well!), we'll go with that in a heartbeat.  But it's false economy to skimp on hair and makeup and end up with lackluster images.

       And then there's model wardrobes.  I've established relationships with two high-end women's clothing consignment shops who will let me borrow outfits for free.  That was an idea I found in a book, but it's a real gem!

       Getting help, in the form of an assistant, is getting to be critical but it can be expensive.  I've recruited a couple of teenage girls who are interested anyway and who seem willing to pitch in on occasion for a little pocket money.  It will be fun watching these young ladies grow into skilled assistants and perhaps even into second shooters or primary photographers themselves.

       The last thing is location.  I've always been strictly an on-location photographer, but most models don't have space where they live to do a nice session.  So, I've found a 6-8 interesting outdoor locations near here AND I've sub-let some studio space (at the Studio on Main Street) where I can get in and work indoors.  It's really wonderful to have a list of pre-arranged spaces to go and let models do their thing.

Don't expect to see me in New York, Los Angeles and Milan, at least this year.  But as George Harrison said (I'm an old Beatlemaniac), "If you don't know where you're going, any road will take you there."  It's good to have a goal.

A New Focus, A New Beginning

Some things are changing around Halcyon Hills Photography.  One of them is the restarting of our blog and another is the type of the work we're most actively pursuing,  I wanted to get this out in the open, and then we'll have a little more fun in these blogs!

Our Blog is Back!

We posted 18 blogs from Sept. 2011 until Sept. 2012.  They weren't a lot of fun to read.  Now, we're going to talk about photography and making images and working with models and having fun behind the camera.  We'll have some pictures and stories, and I really hope you'll like it.  Time will tell, but we're always interested in your comments.

What Are We After?

We started business in the real estate area.  We have a premier product, the Video Visit, that's great BUT our cost exceeds its value - people won't pay for them.  I don't blame them - I let my technical geek overwhelm my marketing intel.  My bad.

So, we offered still photo packages to realtors & builders, and we specialized in large, expensive homes.  We sold quite a few and still have some regular customers that we cherish.  BUT, large, expensive homes don't come on the market every day, and we don't get to photograph all that do.

SO, we begin expanding into family portraits and business headshots.  As an on-location studio, we saw an advantage doing studio-quality portraiture in people's own homes.  The advantage is real, the quality is great, and we've done a good number of these.  We just have more marketing to do for this to grow.

And, we've done some pet work, most often through having a booth at dog events in the area.

In all this I've learned what I like to do and where I can provide a valuable service.  I can help people, places, things and furry friends look their very best.  Documentary or journalistic photography, where recording the facts of the situation is #1, isn't for me.  I like creating images that show us maybe just a little better than we really are - what we could be.

That's still a fit for the real estate market, but also works with portraiture.  A really good place for this thinking is in model photography for advertising and fashion.  I'll show links to our portfolios on the major modeling website in one of the next posts.

Magic Bullets

You already know that there are no magic bullets to fix the economy.  It's a complex organism, beyond the comprehension of most mortals, and is quite able to resist the efforts of one person or of a small group.  Rather, it goes through phases, usually several  years in length.  The heights and depths of these phase extremes can be influenced (or exacerbated) by national policy positions.  In face, most efforts toward "economy management" seem to be more addressed to minimizing peaks and valleys and to keeping a steady track.  Hmmmm - how's that been working for you?

Nevertheless, we are now past the last low point and are on our way to the next high point.  It looks like there is quite a ways to go yet, the economy being the behemoth it is and not willing to turn on a dime (pun intended).  Still, nearly all realtors will tell you that things are better than two years ago, that they are busier, and that there is more buyer interest.  Another market I follow, the industrial printing business, is seeing the same thing.  More people are buying products that require printing (packages, labels, advertizing etc.).

It is comforting to believe that individuals (Mr. Bernanke, for example) can move the economy.  In fact, while policies and long-term strategies imposed by the Fed can make the peaks and valleys better (or worse) than if we did nothing, and while Mr. Bernanke's statements and actions can easily swing the stock market on a day-to-day basis, the ECONOMY is not holding its breath, waiting on a pronouncement.

My approach at the moment is to be grateful for the improvement, to look forward to several years of progress, and to put aside some savings for the next rainy season.  Will the next trough come 8 or 10 or 20 years out?  Can't say.  But it will come, and those who do not have a long term view and who begin to assume that the good years will stay forever (remember 2000-2007?) will be the ones who suffer the most.

To quote Proverbs out of context:  "Where there is no vision, the people perish."

Getting Better - Numbers or Sentiment?

We hear all kinds of facts and figures on the economy, and particularly for the real estate market.  Slightly better, getting better, maybe better, past the bottom, trouble ahead, could get worse, yadda yadda yadda.  When the numbers indicate a slight improvement that generally can't be felt, people don't feel better.  Sometimes "better" is still not "good" - a quote from my sister is that "it's better than a sharp stick in the eye."  Now there's a different perspective.

This week the South Carolina Realtors June market report shows some data that points to "better" - maybe not to "Good" but definitely to "better."  Here's some of the info reported in the paper:

New listings - down 8.3%
Pending sales - up 7.3%
Inventory levels - down 15.7%
Median sales price - up 1.9%
Days on the market - down 4.8%

I'd like to feel better about the direction.  It would be nice if the mood in the country was more optimistic.  Not that I'm wishing for a return of "irrational exuberance" but it would be a happier feeling if more people were able to think about "getting ahead" rather than "catching up."

Ultimately, the numbers really to tell the tale.  Gradually, continually improving numbers over a few years will really get us to a good place.  But, to use another family quote (from my mother), "I want some patience and I want it now!"

Appropriately Persistent

Everybody who's job it is to sell a service to a client by persuading the client of your value runs into the question of how much follow-up, networking, checking-in etc. is the right amount.  At some level, follow-up by phone or email is perceived as "appropriately persistent" and is generally welcomed by potential clients.  They like your energy, your enthusiasm and your willingness to stay engaged and not give up.  Those are qualities that clients want in service providers (after the deal is done and you're actually working for the client). 

This is an issue not just for photographers, but for realtors, builders, bankers, lawyers and Indian chiefs, as well as anybody else where the world doesn't beat a path to your door.

However, there is a level at which "INappropriate" persistence can be reached.  Now, the client sees you as a yapping puppy dog and a pain in the (pick a place).  The problem is that what is accepted as appropriate is different for different clients.  In order to feel good that you're going far enough, you have to go too far on occasion, at least in my experience.  Perhaps those blessed with exceptional intuitive insight to the human condition can read situations better and faster than I. 

It's true that being too pushy CAN cost you business.  But being too passive WILL cost you business.  I suppose everyone's got to find their own way through this marketing morass.  Paying close attention to all the cues clients give you will help find the right place to be -- but you've got to listen at least as much as you talk.  Like most things, it's all about balance.

It's good news for Somebody.....

In the January 2012 issue of Printing Impressions magazine, there's an article by Vincent Mallardi (Printing in a Mobile World - 2012 Hot Markets) that pegs Real Estate as the #7 hot market for PRINTING.  He claims that residential housing sales will "continue to sink" and the 2 million empty homes, not yet on the market, are foreclosed and repossessed.  He expects 350,000 or so homes to sell in 2012, but at reduced prices. 

HOWEVER, he expects strong growth in printed home-buyer guides, as well as in printed signage and marketing materials. If it's any consolation, he says that commercial real estate is in worse shape.  He's just really excited about the growth in print!

I've got a foot in both camps.  As a real estate photographer, it doesn't sound too encouraging.  But, as a part of the printing ink manufacturing industry (one of my other hats), I can see a sliver of a silver lining in the cloud.

My experience is that larger, nicer homes are still moving.  This is good for me because those homes respond better to good photography.  I've also seen several hotels asking for photography, and several are undergoing interior renovations.  It just goes to show that casting a wide net when seeking opportunities is a Good Thing, because nearly every event is good news for somebody.

Business Plans

A Business Plan is simply a structured way to increase the real chances of putting food on the table.  A random transit through life, careening off the guardrails as we barrel down the highway toward the end of the road, is a good way to go hungry.  Unfortunately, there are just enough lucky stiffs who actually do quite well with no plan whatsoever to make a lot of people think it can happen to them too.  These are the same people who play the lottery.

Our business plan was to establish a core business by marketing to realtors, builders and hotels.  This we have done.  We've established a foothold and done some business with each group, and have developed a degree of brand recognition in the local housing/hotel industry.  I confess, there's a little less there than I planned for, but between the economy and my still-growing understanding of where I fit, I suppose I could explain that.

The niche I hoped to fill was with wide-angle panoramas and 360° panoramic videos.  I take pretty good still shots, but the panorama seemed an area where I could differentiate myself from other photographers.

The second part of the plan was to market on-site portrait services to families and groups, including churches and businesses.  This has begun, albeit slowly, and I can see this growing to be a complementary income stream to the real estate work.

There are further parts of the plan too, but let's wait until later to discuss them.

I've pulled back the curtain on these "private" plans for one reason:  when you see me nudging into areas beyond real estate, it's not a sign of a plan change - I'm in real estate photography for as long as I can see.  That's my core business.  However, I need to try to push into the other market areas that are in my business plan - it's that food-on-the-table thing.  If I get fully booked for real estate, real estate gets my time.  If there's extra time, though, I've got plans for other markets in addition.

Thumbtack

Classy Real Estate & Family Portrait Photography

I'm experimenting with Thumbtack.com, a referral service where people searching for a service can be connected with people providing that service. I'm hoping that there will be tons of people seaching for real estate photography or portrait photography.

They have a reasonable rate for photographers like me to purchase the leads so I can follow up directly with the service seeker. I'm excited about exploring this new way of finding potential customers!

Special Correspondent?

It's important to bring value to your community whenever you can.  This is kind of a core philosophy of mine, not that I'm always successful at it.  By "your community" I mean whoever your audience, your network, or your customer base is.  In an attempt to implement this concept in a creative way, I volunteered to write a regular feature article for our local newspaper (the Fort Mill Times) on taking better pictures - it will be called Photo Finish.  This seemed like a way to share what I've learned, and get a little publicity (or notoriety) in the process.

So, I met with the editor and he agreed it might be a good idea.  He gave me a contract to sign (they're a McClatchy paper), which I did and have submitted the first article.  It's not been published yet, but this looks like it might be fun.

Everyone was crystal clear that there was no money involved, and that's fine.  The contract, though, did have an interesting section.  It allows me to describe myself as an independent contractor, a freelancer, a stringer, or as a "special correspondent."  From now on, you may think of me as "Special Correspondent to the Fort Mill Times"!  Lest that go to my head, feel free to think of me also as a photographer trying to make a living....

Balanced Marketing in Bad Times

It's 2012, and it's still rough out there in the Carolinas real estate market.  Some realtors seem to be at least static, if not growing, but others are really struggling.  One realtor told me recently that they had only one listing.  One builder told me that they had started only one house in the last several months.  Now sure, there's some style, work ethic and hustle issues, as well as simple skill, that can separate people within a given profession.   For those with fewer listings than others, I wonder where the right amount of marketing investment lies.

You bet I've got a horse in this race.  Realtors and Builders that are reluctant to spend marketing dollars don't buy photography.  On the other hand, wouldn't some level of marketing investment (photography or not) help sell what little they do have? 

Everybody's got their own issues and must make decisions that are right for them.  Still, when I hear that "things are very slow" or "I've only got one listing" or "My listings are not expensive enough for professional photography", three things fill my mind: 
1) Wouldn't aggressive marketing be a better strategy than passive (or no) marketing?
2) These people are SO underestimating what great photographs can do, even to mediocre properties, and
3)  How much do they think I charge anyway?  (my price list is open for all, and my wife assures me I'm not charging near enough)

2012 Coming...

It's mid-December, and instead of visions of sugar plums dancing in my head, I find myself thinking about changes/improvements/fixes (pick your term) to undertake for 2012.  The year of 2011 was our first full year of business as a new company.  While I did manage to send out a double-digit number of invoices, the question of the moment is whether things are sort of OK and Halcyon Hills Photography should just 'stay the course' or whether some course corrections are required.  I understand it's the same problem most everyone has.

For me, I think the right answer is a mix.  There are some things that are working well -- you could think of them as planted seeds that have yet to bear fruit.  These things need to be nurtured, cultivated and allowed to grow.  Most of the realtor/builder/hotel part of our photography business is in this category.

Other parts of our business model have not reached any kind of critical mass.  Seems like some extra push, some change of approach will be required.  While there have been some of those slow-growing seeds planted, I may have planted them in the wrong soil.  Seems like some areas of business might be better pursued by a more aggressive, multi-pronged advertising approach.  Such things might include volunteering to write for local newspapers, becoming more active in the community (like the Chamber of Commerce), getting involved in charity events etc.  All of the ideas I have in this area either take time, or money, or both.  Finding the right balance is, as always, the trick.

I keep remembering what my Dad said about things that take more time or more money.  He said, "I keep all my spare time and extra money in the same pocket, and it's got a hole in it."  That seems more real each passing day.  Still, you should expect to see more of Halcyon Hills Photography around York County in 2012 -- We're here to stay!

To Paint, or not to Paint -- That is the question.

Debbie Zimmer, a "paint and color expert" for the Paint Quality Institute, recommends a fresh coat of paint, at least in key areas, when trying to sell a home.  I can't say I'm too surprised at the Paint Quality Institute recommend the use of paint, and it's also no news that a fresh coat of paint will brighten the look of a home for sale.  So, given the appalling lack of novelty in these two points, I tried to read the article (a press release reported by BusinessWire and picked up on finance.yahoo.com/news on Nov. 30, 2011) a little more carefully to find the nuggets of truth that surely must be buried within.

One point that might have escaped the casual homeseller is the concept of repainting "psychologically important areas."  Ms. Zimmer recommends particularly the front door and other "key" parts of the home interior.  I agree, repainting the front door enables the home to make a much-improved first impression.  It sends the message that the home has been well cared for, or at least it creates that impression.  Still, it's a good first step.

She also recommends the repair of all wall "imperfections," particularly in the entry space of the home, and repainting that area in a "quiet" color -- white, or off-white, for greater mass appeal and to make it easier for home shoppers to imagine their stuff in that space.

Ms. Zimmer notes that loud or overly bright colors (what color is YOUR teenage daughter's room painted?) should be muted to a "neutral" color.  I can already hear those creative, free-spirit types howling about bland-i-fying or dumbing down or going to the lowest common denominator.  I read this as an application of the 80/20 rule.  Most people (but not all) would rather move into a bland-colored house and put their own touch on later.  You may lose some potential buyers by de-individualizing your house.  Most of the time, though, it is the percentage play for the fastest sale.

She leaves exterior painting as a judgement call for the home seller.  It is expensive, and may have a lower impact on a buyer.

"Showing the Goods in Lifestyle Scenes"

I just read an article (WSJ, 11/23/11, by Katherine Rosman) describing how high-end goods (carpets, sofas etc.) are being sold on-line through photographic advertising.  The products, ranging from faux mantles to office decor to furniture) are photographed in a (faux) homey setting and published on-line, or in print catalogs, "showing the goods in lifestyle scenes that resemble glossy magazine layouts."

The scenes are created, one after the other, in a faux home and the photographer lights, captures and crops the scene to emphasize quality and to improve customer comfort in buying sight-unseen.  Ms. Rosman calls it "an evolution in online shopping."

What's that got to do with real estate photography?  Seems like a perfect segueway to me.  High quality photography (what we do) of big ticket items (like homes) emphasizes quality and improves customer comfort in the shopping/evaluation process.  I think this article describes a cultural change going on right now, as people are requiring less 'touch' in shopping and are more willing to use on-line evaluation methods, provided the visual quality on-line is high.  This seems like a Good Thing to me, as a real estate photographer.

Dawn or Dusk?

When you're taking exterior photos of properties, it's almost a universal truism that early morning or late afternoon lighting will give more pleasing, more flattering results.  That's because of that photographic bugaboo, strong shadows.  It's really astonishing how a mid-day view looks to the eye versus how it appears in a photograph.  When we look at a beautiful home at mid-day, we see somewhat what we want to see.  The camera takes our mental filter away and leaves only the stark, ugly shadows.

Try it sometime.  Go outside your own home on a bright day at noon with any type of camera.  Look at your house, and then take a picture and look at it in the viewfinder.  You know what your house looks like, so that's what you see.  The camera will show a different and far less satisfying view.  This is one reason many people don't like their own photographs.

The answer:  low sun angles or cloudy skies.  This give a much "softer" light that lets the actual items in the photograph show up without strong, contrasty shadows.  The problem:  you've got to work when the light is right, which is not always the most convenient time.

I like the morning light better than the afternoon light.  In both cases, the nature of the light is changing fast as the sun moves away from or into the horizon.  The morning light, as well as the reduced potential for cars or people moving into the photographic space, makes early A.M. the best time for me.

Hitting the floor an hour before dawn so you can get to the property early takes some commitment.  Plus, a winter sunrise at 7:30 lets you get a lot more sleep than a summer sunrise at 6:00 or earlier.  Knowing these things and being willing to do them gives a professional photographer an advantage.  Other things like composition skills and Photoshop skills and having quality equipment are important too, but the willingness to be on-site when the house is ready is a huge part of making the best image.

Thankfulness for hitting bottom

"Hitting bottom" - that sound like a situation faced by a substance abuser.  However, it carries with it the sense of no further decline!  After a long period of decline, hitting bottom represents a significant change, a point where turnaround is possible, and perhaps, with the eye of faith, a time of hope. 

More people than ever are claiming that the real estate market has hit bottom.  Let's call that a good thing.  The latest claim I saw was an article entitled "What's Going Right" by two economists, Brian S. Wesbury and Robert Stein.  They argue that business investment is growing and is a force for good, but admitted that housing was still "weak."  No argument there.


They report that consumer spending for housing items (appliances etc.) is up to "pre-crisis" levels.  And finally, they say "Housing already looks to have found a bottom. Imagine what happens when it finally turns up?"

This is a theme from many.  The public wants more to see growth.  Growth in real estate seems to be in geographic pockets across the nation.  Just reaching bottom is good and it's reason for  hope, but it doesn't mean the end of pain.  When a badly wounded person simply stops bleeding (but yet lives), the pain remains but hope begins to take root.  


Bottom line:  the good news is Not that the pain is over.  It's just that we're not getting any worse.  But we are excited about imagining what will happen with housing does turn up!

Easy to understand, hard to fix?

Several news articles in the last few weeks point to a three-pronged reason why the economy, and particularly the real estate market is so (let's be kind) lackluster.  The argument goes like this: 
Prong one:  falling product sales led to falling corporate profits that led to layoffs, giving a new unemployed class.
Prong two:  this large group of newly unemployed led to missed mortgage payments that led to foreclosures that led to falling home prices that led to less activity in home construction and sales, which led to even more unemployed.
Prong three:  The reasons leading to the layoffs in prong one also result in fewer jobs available for 20-somethings trying to launch, and thus they stay at home and further reduce home demand and home prices.
These three 'prongs' almost make a satanic-style pitchfork.

I confess, this reasoning makes a lot of sense to me.  It kind of flows in a logical way that seems to address most of the observed effects we are seeing in society.  The only thing remaining is what to do about it.

The whole Occupy Wall Street movement doesn't seem to address any of the issues.  It strikes me more as organized whining, except it's not too organized.  Is there really anything worthwhile to do, or is it more of a massive societal flu - no treatment will work except time, rest and drinking plenty of fluids.

If there's something productive to do, by all means let it be done by whoever has the vision, power and will to do it.  It might be government, corporations or individuals - I just don't know.

It might be that nothing useful can be done, and any governmental action will cause more harm than good.

Candles that Sell Homes?

In the October 5, 2011 issue of the Rock Hill Herald there is an article by Don Worthington entitled "a smell that sells" which amounts to an interview with Stephen Cooley, a fairly famous (he has a TV show) area realtor.  The premise is that Mr. Cooley has contracted with a custom candle manufacturer who has "created a candle that cleanses the air without leaving a tell-tale aroma."

Maybe.


No doubt, there are some homes that could stand some air cleansing.  But as a PhD chemist, I can assure you that burning a candle may MASK odors, but it can't remove anything.  You're setting something on fire in your house - that just doesn't REMOVE odor.

It may well be pleasant, and it may well help sell homes.  No argument there.  And there has always been a big fuzzy area where marketing-speak and science co-exist, albeit often somewhat uncomfortably.  As a science guy, I have to say that the word "cleanses" implies the removal of something.  Firing up a candle doesn't remove anything from a home.  Let's give the process the benefit of the doubt and say it leaves the house more pleasant than it began, and not worry too much about the 'how' part.

I'm of the opinion that some really wonderful photography is more likely to help sell a home than custom candles. In tough times, let's use all the available arrows in our quivers - or, if you don't care for the Native American metaphor, IMHO u need both. 

Remote Photography

I do a lot of traveling, and I think I've proven that it is possible to do all of the aspects of running a photographic business, except the actual photography itself, from the road. 

Yes, I know that pressing the shutter release is kind of an important part of the process.  But there's so much more!  By traveling with a laptop, I now have completed all of the following workflow steps on the road, and several of them on airplanes.  Here's a highlight of the steps involved:

• transfer photos from camera card (in raw format) to computer, and make backups
• add location info, copyright, keywords etc. (the metadata) to each photo
• Save modified photos as TIF files, make backups
• for HDR files, fuse the multiple exposures into one
• for panoramas, link the multiple pieces into one
• Make adjustments of TIF (whether fused or linked) in Photoshop
• Save as final jpg
• for panoramic video, convert Photoshop output into video
• Upload - to website for video, or to photo lab for prints

And then there's calling customers, replying to emails, sending out the e-newsletter and a ton of standard customer-interaction business issues.

Pushing the button on the camera starts the process, but there's so much more to do, and it takes time.  But when you're stuck on an airplane or in a hotel room, there's often plenty of available time.  I'm still surprised what can be done with a cell phone, a fast laptop with a lot of memory and a bunch of USB devices.  And, look at all the newly available time back home after the conversion of dead time during travel to productive time.

Those poor guys working with film and darkrooms did some amazing things, but they couldn't touch some of the things we can do now.  I wonder what amazing technology will be used in 20 years that will make people look back and pity old farts like me.