It’s no surprise when we’re not as chipper in the Winter time. Seasonal Affective Disorder is a real thing. And overcoming it can be as hard as getting out of bed Sunday morning after you finished shooting a wedding Saturday night. As quickly as we become stressed about the riggers of wedding season is as hard as it is to stay motivated and moving during the dry season. The wait – or anticipation – of when you’ll be busy again can be enough to turn your hair gray and your bank account rather lean. This, combined with the heavy competition of our industry, is enough to keep you stuck in the Winter Blues well into April. That and it’s felt like Winter through most of April.

But overcoming this hurdle is no different than any other adversity you face each day. It comes down to a simple choice. “Get busy living, or get busy dying,” insights I borrowed from The Shawshank Redemption.

Maybe it’s not as cut and dry as that, but overcoming the mental monster – that voice in your head telling you it’s the worst it’s been, there’s too much competition, you’re getting too old, stale, flat, uncreative, or whatever personal, inspiration-lacking thoughts play repeat in your psyche – is possible.

Most of us teeter between feeling like we’re really making a difference with our art and feeling like the gum on the bottom of someone’s shoe. It’s pretty much peaks and valleys for artists. Sure, there are some very well adjusted individuals out there who can maintain a sane balance between feast or famine, but for the majority of us, our art is what drives us, so when it’s stalled, so are we. But instead of waiting for fate or fortune to drag you out of the ditch, look inward to find the drive that will get you out of that rut.

When you feel the weight of your thoughts starting to bear down, take a minute to remember that these “problems” are all part of the dream you get to live by actually practicing photography as a profession. Before, when photography was just a hobby and you had a day job (you hated) there was a sense of wholeness. It was probably just the bi-monthly paycheck, because ultimately you left that rat race to pursue your dream. But the familiar is so hard to leave and often reminds us of “simpler times.” The reality is, every day is simple, and can be enjoyable – it just comes down to our perspective.

Before you had these “problems” you dreamed of having this job. You hoped and worked and sweat to get to where you are today with the sense that this was your calling, this was your purpose, this was going to make you happy.

Happiness is fleeting. Peace is lasting. You need to find peace with your self, your work, and your position. It comes from first accepting what is actually going on and then making adjustments to deal with it better. It can be as simple as a positive affirmation you say to yourself every morning in the mirror. It can be the 10 mins every day on your way to the studio (or from the bed to the desk if you work at home where you can limit distractions. Take that time to really count your blessings and remember how happy you are to be here, living this life. You can look at the photos you took on this day last year and the ones you just shot and feel the satisfaction you get by seeing yourself improve.

Once you’ve overcome the self defeat, turn your attention outwards again and find ways to give back to the world that supports your art. Teach photography to someone – to kids, to the elderly, to a group of moms. Take pictures for someone for free ( I know you said you were past that, but the gift of photography never goes out of style and it’s a talent you were born to share). Start a personal project to shoot once a week solely for yourself. It can be your breakfast, your pets, your children, or something more demanding that requires you get out of the house. That exercise will be good for your physical and mental health.

Changing the way you think about your life will actually change your life. Back then, you believed you were good enough to do this. You trusted your gut and went for the gold and guess what? Not only were you right, but it was that thinking that brought you here. That voice in your head that said “keep going” helped you manifest the life you have before you. And the same one that tells you that “you stink” is the same one that keeps you stuck where you are. It’s just a matter of perspective.

As Spring and Summer start and bring us back into the busy season, it’s good to readjust our perspective. It’s good to be thankful and it’s good to be focused. Spending time on your goals and gratitude will help you keep your steam rather than burn you out. And, when the snow is falling or it’s the winter of your life, you can always come to Philly Photo Studio and warm up!

- Matthew J Rhein – Studio Manager, Philly Photo Studio

Philly Photo Studio is opening its doors to all video productions throughout the Delaware Valley by introducing its newly redesigned full-service studio located just minutes from I-95 in the Fishtown section of Philadelphia, at 2424 Studios on 2424 E. York St. Phila, PA.

With your business in mind, Philly Photo Studio offers affordable rates, behind unbeatable service in a working space that promotes free thought. Here, you’ll enjoy high ceilings, low noise, seamless backdrops, furniture/ props, free wifi, free parking, private changing area, and a make up/ staging area all living in 1000 sq ft of production space.

Whether you like to start early or prefer to burn the midnight oil, Philly Photo Studio’s flexible scheduling affords you the convenience you need to get the job done on time. Reserve an eight (8) or twelve (12) hour rental, with inexpensive rates for drop offs or pre-builds for the day before. Save money in overage charges by asking about discounts for long running productions.

Take full advantage of Philly Photo Studio’s curbside concierge service and green room to really wow your clients. Decide on a catering package before you arrive. Have your dailies, backups, and shipping services handled in-house.

Don’t want to carry everything? With a full list of production support services including: hair and make-up artistry, modeling, catering, production assistants, studio assistants, grip, and electric, Philly Photo Studio has you covered. Additional production equipment is available for rent.

Make yourself at home while working here. Feel free to move the furniture, turn up the music, and be you without worrying about “breaking the rules!” Philly Photo Studio is the ideal M.O.S. studio for your next music video, product video, effects work, experimental, narrative, or documentary. Call 215-688-5184 or email info@phillyphotostudio.com today for more information.

Team PPS welcomes 2013 and wishes everyone a safe and prosperous year ahead. Whether you’ve shared our space before or not, we invite you to check us out and see what’s going on this year at Philly Photo Studio.

We’re excited to embark on our second year as the premier shooting space in Philly, and in an effort to continually evolve our services and offerings, we’re ushering in some upgrades that sweeten the space even more.

First and foremost – we’re growing. What better way to help you succeed, than by giving you more space to be you! In fact, we’re adding a Member’s lounge, local gear storage, more natural and artificial backgrounds, and even a mini fridge – okay, we had the mini fridge! But with more benefits and amenities than ever before, we encourage you to consider what a Membership at PPS means to your business and your life.

You can also look forward to more workshop series throughout the year. Photo + Therapy, a monthly meet up focused on studio and location lighting will return in 2013 every fourth Sunday of the month. In addition, PPS will sponsor business oriented workshops to be held during the week for working creative professionals. Watch out for our line up in the next few weeks.

One of the initiatives we hope to build upon in 2013, is our community service to the Fishtown and Port Richmond neighborhoods in which we work. We plan to start a community clean up day and host gallery shows for artists in cooperation with First Fridays. If you are interested in having your next gallery showing, film screening, workshop, or photo/ video shoot at PPS, please email info@phillyphotostudio.com for more information.

As we keep looking for ways to improve your experience, we’d like to find out what we’re doing right, and what you think we can fix. That’s why we’re asking for your feedback. Socially speaking, we encourage you to review us on Yelp, Recommend and LIKE us on Facebook, Tweet the heck out of us on Twitter, and Check-Yourself-In at Philly Photo Studio on Foursquare. Every time you do, you earn more studio credit – get enough social studio cred and get free stuff. It’s like that.

What else can we say, but ‘thank you’ for choosing PPS. We want to keep moving forward and help you do the same. Stay on top of studio news and announcements by joining our mailing list and find exclusive offers from our social sites. Feel free to stop by the studio and tour the space, or drop us an email anytime if you have questions. No matter what, make 2013 matter and start moving forward.

Cheers!
-Team PPS

Smiles. Can. Help.

We believe that. We believe smiles can do a lot.

We hope a smile can change the way a person feels and encourage them to help another. That’s the premise behind the “Smiles. Can. Help. Philly Photo Studio’s First Annual Canned Food Drive and Photo with Santa Day.”

On Saturday, December 8, 2012, we’re inviting our Port Richmond and Fishtown neighbors to come out and show their support for a local soup kitchen, by donating canned-goods, and celebrating in our inaugural holiday benefit which seeks to feed the hungry and bring smiles to many this holiday.

The event will take place at Liberti Church East 2424 E. York St #122 and is open to the public. Doors open at 9:00 am and close at 4:00 pm. We’ll have crafts and games for children of all ages, music and refreshments, and enough holiday cheer to light up the River Ward. All the cans donated will go directly to Blessed Sarnelli Soup Kitchen at 2739 Kensington Ave.

We’ve also invited Santa Claus to visit – so check your lists twice and bring them ready to read! Since we’re a photo studio, we’ll be taking photos of the children with Santa; you can get an 8×10, or 2 5x7s, or the digital file emailed to you for just $20.00. Bring in some cans and get $10.00 off your choice above.

While the kickoff-event to the food drive is the Photo with Santa Day, the canned-good collection will run from Dec. 8 through Dec. 21, 2012. Canned goods will be accepted at Philly Photo Studio 2424 E. York St. #326, Blessed Sarnelli 2739 Kensington Ave, and Stay True 3227 Amber St. 3-4-A until end of day December 21. Click HERE to see our event poster!

The event is hosted by Liberti Church East and sponsored by Philly Photo Studio and Stay True Philadelphia. In addition, Help-Portrait, the international organization that offers free portraits once a year for those in need of a professional photo, will also be holding it’s annual event at Liberti Church East the same day. For more information about Help-Portrait, please visit their website www.help-portrait.com.

Mary Ellen Mark (seated) and Sarah Stolfa (standing) Executive Director of the PPAC.                                                        Taken with IPhone 4S, at full zoom.

I had been eagerly awaiting this night for the better part of October. Mary Ellen Mark, the world-famous and Philadelphia-native photographer, was set to give a lecture about her life, her work, and her career. It’s exciting to sit and listen to an accomplished professional reflect on his/ her lifetime and share the anecdotal memories which often make these experiences very personal, unique, and life changing. It’s inspiring to witness one of “the masters” give voice and personal reflection on iconic images I’ve seen my entire life.

I don’t know if most people grasp the gravity of a situation quite like mine, and to that – everyone who attended last night. Sitting (or standing, kneeling, leaning – it was a packed house) in the presence of a photographer, who, not only led the life we all would have loved to live – in regards to career accolades, accomplishments, places visited, and images made – but, someone who gave so much of herself to what she was doing, is really inspiring. It encouraged me to not be satisfied with just making images, but to strive to make iconic ones. That cerebral shift was so significant because our world is so saturated with images at this point – ones that aren’t even real anymore, Mark argued, in reference to the damaging effects of Photoshop. Mark revealed her stance on the software and the digital medium as a whole, by saying that if Photoshop is used as a dark room, it’s okay, but to do anything else changes the integrity of the medium, (for which she still only shoots film) to a point like today – where we can’t believe the front of a magazine cover, photojournalists get hired by non-profits instead of publications, and everyone is a camera-phonographer.

Mark told the crowd that she always tried to make iconic images. From her talk, I deduced, that no matter what assignment, Mark gave not just her best effort, but all of herself to the work as well. I would further argue that the assignment, to Mark, wasn’t limited by the camera’s frame. She several times spoke about subjects she photographed with details of their life years after she had made the pictures. The work she makes has meaning and purpose because the people she shoots are meaningful to her. She befriends them because the photographer/ subject relationship has less to do with a camera and more to do with a connection. Making iconic images comes from being very good at putting your heart into your work – and you achieve that by putting aside your personal desires and recognizing that, as a photographer, you have a responsibility to your subject to tell whatever story brought you there.

Mark’s portraits are iconic, in part, to her success as a communicator. Her candor with the audience last night reflected the kindness she exchanges with her subjects. Her latest book, “Prom,” featuring photographs from high school proms across the country between 2006-2008, was accompanied last night by a film made by her husband Mark. What’s significant to me is that while her photographs are timeless, the video portrayed an naive ethereality that only a wet-eared high school senior could admit to the motion-picture; seen through a sort of burly confidence, or awkward self-consciousness, or genuine honesty that we don’t allow ourselves to disclose as we get older.

What I appreciated most about the lecture was her delivery, not so much the actual information, but the truth with which she presented it. She admitted that she always tried to make images for herself, despite being on assignment for someone. She admonished that while the vehicles by which photographers get jobs have changed, the need for people to create meaningful photographs still exists. Again, referencing her views on Photoshop and extensively altering post-production techniques – Mark is from the Old School. She is committed to the analog medium for life and will never change, she admits. And why should she?

On a night that boasted the largest turnout in Philadelphia Photo Arts Center history, Mary Ellen Mark led a lecture that was not just inspiring and insightful, but also a little life changing. Before this day, I had only seen her work and read of her life. But after seeing her in person and listening to her speak, I felt like I knew her. I certainly trusted her, listened to her, and let her run the show – as I’m sure most of her subjects in front of the camera did as well. We’re all better for it.

- Matthew J Rhein, Studio Manager, Philly Photo Studio

Manufactured by Photo Tech Inc., the Paper Grip is designed to help you store and manage rolls of seamless background paper. Made of lightweight, polyurethane foam, the unit takes seconds to install and can be mounted virtually anywhere. If, all the parts ship together correctly.

After seeing this product online, we ordered one for the studio. What arrived was something like a giant, foam toe separator (don’t know what that is, click here). What we did not get was the double-coated, pressure-released, adhesive backing paper – the part that mounts the sucker to the wall. Needless to say, we thought the thing was pretty useless, and without the tape, it was.

But, one quick phone call to their extremely pleasant and helpful customer service remedied that. Whomever we spoke to dealt directly with shipping and was able to send us a complete replacement set at no cost (even shipping), sticky stuff included.

Now, when that arrived, things made a lot more sense. As advertised, within seconds we mounted the Paper Grip on our studio wall – about 6-feet from the ground (as recommended). We have 9-foot seamless rolls here so the mfg. height suggestion worked perfectly, but if you have 6-foot rolls, we suggest mounting it a little lower.

Once installed, the rolls held in place without fail. Best of all, the extra wear and tear of storing backdrops in a corner, leaned up against a wall, or (worst of all) laying down somewhere, has been replaced by the clean look and efficient design of the Paper Grip.

No letter grade for these guys; this was strictly a pass/fail review. Fortunately for us and Photo Tech Inc, alchemy highlights their products and services. What was a funny looking, but essentially useless piece of foam, transformed into a really ingenious and easy-to-use product once we got the right thing.

Paper Grip (by Photo Tech Inc.) – Pass

It’s a pretty neat idea. Rent the studio. Rock the photo shoot. Send us your favorite picture, in 4×6 form. Then, we’ll hang each submission in our photo studio. The more photos we get in, the greater the collection. We’re hoping to cover the entire wall with photos and really want you to help us get this project moving!

If you’ve rented from us before, then go back through your images and pick out your favorites from your shoot at PPS. Make some hard decisions and select your best one. Print a 4×6 and send it our way. We’ll hang it within 24 hours of receiving it, and update our blog and social media sites with monthly shots of our growing, collective, and ongoing exhibition.

You are welcome to watermark your pictures, and encouraged to send more than one photo, especially if you’ve shot here more than once. Submit as many 4×6 prints as you like and we’ll make sure to hang at least one from every artist.

If you’ve never rented from us, then we can’t tell you how much fun you’re missing. If this sounds like something you want to be a part of, you know what you need to do. Pick up the phone, send an email, stop by the studio – schedule your next photo shoot with us – and get your favorite shot on our wall.

Enjoy the free promotion. Brag about your work hanging in a studio. Make connections and feel part of something great. Visit our studio today and become a member of our creative community.

What makes this body most desirable is its large sensor at such an attractive price point. For most pro-sumers and even some pros, this camera will answer their demands for an improved dynamic range and low light performance that only a CMOS sensor delivers. Like its more expensive older brothers, the 6D houses a Digic 5+ processor and an environmental housing that’s dust and water resistant. Canon maintained its commitment to appeasing video shooters, as the 6D shoots 1080p at up to 30fps and 720p at up to 60fps.

Canon shooters will rejoice to know the battery is the same as the 7D, 5D Mk II and 5D Mk III. What’s more impressive, manufacturers chose to include GPS and Wi-Fi radios in the body, as opposed to offering them as an add-on accessory as its done in the past.

No camera is perfect however, and Canon users alike will be sad to learn that the 6D steps backwards a little with its autofocus system – choosing to use the 11-point AF system seen in so many consumer bodies, instead of improving upon their 19-point AF system introduced in 2009 with the 7D.

In summation, the 6D is quite an attractive new body that will be an upgrade for most pro-sumers still using a lower end Canon DSLR, and at $2099.00 its price makes upgrading to full-frame sensor a reality. But like the Nikon D600, most pros won’t replace their main body with its purchase anytime soon, but may find confidence in the body as a back up. Stay tuned for a hands-on review as soon as Canon sends one to our studio.

It’s an interesting release behind the D800′s release just a few months ago, but it seems like Nikon’s main target with this offering is the enthusiast/semi-pro, but with similarly capable specs as the D700, this body could very well be a workhorse for some portrait and wedding photographers who won’t necessarily need a super fast continuous shutter (tops out at 5.5 fps).

Another cool little gadget they announced was the Nikon WU-1b, a small little plug-in device that allows you to wireless transmit your files through wifi, to your computer or tablet. Pretty cool to have wireless tethering or even instant image back up to your computer/server while in the studio. We’ll have to get our hands on it to test it one of these days and follow up with another post. I’m really curious to see what the speeds are in getting it to tether to Lightroom or Aperture. The even cooler option is to have the WU-1b hooked into your camera allowing you to wirelessly control your camera with a Nikon app on your iOS or Android device. A nifty parlor trick in most instances, but can likely come useful when you’re in need of a shutter release cable for long exposures on tripod or while bracketing or shooting timelapses.

Read a more in depth introduction to Nikons new camera at B&H’s site.

On Tuesday evening, August 28th, over 50 people gathered inside Philly Photo Studio to celebrate the progress of eight very talented and youthful photographers. Some were family members of the artists being honored, others just supporters of the arts, but all were together under the great cause of philanthropy and photography at the Stay True Gallery Showing.

The Gallery Showing was the culminating event to a summer long endeavor which encouraged the students of Stay True to document their experiences through photography and leverage the art as means of communication and expression. Students were given access to cameras and computers as well as instruction and critique. Students and Stay True members met with us at PPS several times over the summer to keep pace and encourage development.

In all, 17 prints were displayed and eight different students had representation. Several kids had multiple prints on display. Most of them had never worked or owned a camera. None of them had been to a gallery show.

The event in honor of the students also made attendees aware of the organization behind it all, Stay True Philadelphia. The Port Richmond native non-profit helps under-privileged youth becomes agents of political and social change in their communities by a service-based mentorship program. Each summer, they lead students throughout the city to volunteer soup kitchens to community gardens. As they make a tangible difference in their communities, this program helped the children create a visual storybook of their progress and the organization’s history.

Several corporate sponsors played a part in the success of the show – the prints on display were donated by Life Art Imaging, and several items were raffled to raise money, among them, dinner-for-two gift cards to Twenty Manning Grill and Audrey Claire, two contemporary dining experiences in Rittenhouse Square, as well as a free portrait session to Timeless Moving Images and free half-day rental to Philly Photo Studio.

Florescio Films created a documentary in honor of the show and Kreative Connections handled the event coordination. As the school year starts, the students were encouraged to keep shooting and stop by the studio at any time. We at PPS are already looking forward to next year and wish everyone success and good exposures.

Click on the link to watch a documentary from the evening filmed by Florescio Films.

Stray True + Philly Photo Studio Promo from Florescio Films on Vimeo.