Enlightened Tripod 11
The “Enlightened Action Word” …., Key Piece of metal shaped for moving the bolt of a lock Thing giving access, or control, or insight Set of answers to problems Word or system for interpreting a code System of related notes in music Roughness of surface to help adhesion Lever for a finger to press on a piano The “Enlightened Quote” … Knowledge comes, but wisdom lingers. Alfred Lord Tennyson
The “Enlightened Business Plan”… Keys to Success: 1. Articulate a vision First and foremost among the keys of success, is determining what result you want to create? What is your end goal?
2. Define Values Operate from a core set of values that are internally directed. Who are you and what do you stand for?
3. Manage Relationships Put yourself second and focus on others and the needs of the organization first. Successful photographers build strong ties not only to their followers but also to others who affect the job to be done. They accomplish tasks through a face-to-face network of people, which they build and nurture along the way. The networks you create are essential.
4. Build Teams Successful photographers are at their best with teams. They mobilize individuals into a cohesive unit and elicit group performance so that the whole becomes greater than the sum of the parts. Your team does not have to be on your direct payroll. Always hire the best accountant and lawyer that you can find. Build teams with all of your suppliers and associated help.
5. Create Processes It is the successful photographers’ task to link and join individuals and teams with synergistic processes that ensure the effective and efficient use of all resources. Do what you do best, concentrate on it and make sure that you hire people to do all of the other tasks in your business. Too many people today live under the false economy that if I do it, it won’t cost me as much money. How about, “I can make a lot more money doing what I love to do and that is create images and the things I don’t like doing will probably get done better and faster by someone else.
6. Allocate Resources People usually know what it is they have to do and the best way to do it. Where they typically run into problems is not having adequate resources to accomplish the desired task. Leaders need to understand these requirements and then allocate resources accordingly—that is, give the people the tools they need to do the best they can. That includes a good education.
7. Celebrate Success Knowing that the goal has been achieved and basking in the glory of success are key elements of high-performance organizations. Celebrating success is the key to moving to the next task with vitality and enthusiasm gained from past achievement. You can never celebrate too much. It is what makes all the effort you put in, worth it.
The “Enlightened Technical Corner”… Key Light Every photograph we make depends upon lighting. The first aspect that we need to look at is the quantity of light. In many cases I find that people either have too low a contrast ratio or to high. In particular, with today’s powerful light source what happens quite often is that the highlights get “blown out.” In other words the light areas lose detail and colour and often the shadow areas shift in colour.
The second area that is essential is the direction of the light. Of course this is a case of personal taste. The most important aspect to remember is that the light must come from one direction to look “natural.” Often it looks like the light is coming from more than one direction, particularly when outdoors. This is mostly from reflection off of other surfaces. That is why the general rule is that we work with one “main” or “key” light both indoors and out.
Thirdly, we have the general aspect of light, whether it is hard or soft. The larger the size of the light, the softer it looks. Not only is it softer, but it wraps around the subject more, giving a more gradual gradation.
The main light in a scene is the light that is used to establish the shadows and the main modeling in the scene. The direction of this light is the most important in establishing the general look of the picture. The key light is what enables the three dimensional subject to be rendered in a two dimensional plane, yet perceived as a three dimensional image. There has been a lot written about the height of the key light and I have always used a very simple formula. If you can see the catch light in the eye of the subject or the little highlight shine on the product where you want it, then the key light is in the right position. “Enlightened Marketing” Keys to successful marketing: the twelve easy steps to doing it right. 1. Always advertise your strong suits. It doesn't make any sense to advertise for passport photos and make a profit of $ 3 per unit; when, for the same amount of advertising dollars, you can advertise family portraits and make more profit per sale. 2. Advertise at times appropriate for your product. It doesn't make sense to advertise glamour or boudoir in July; it is a natural for Christmas or Valentines. If we look at the department stores and see how they change their fashions and advertising, we can learn much from them. 3. Study the product you are going to advertise. Yes I know that you are aware of your product, but maybe you are too intimate with it? There is always at least one "big" idea about the product that will sell it. It usually takes a big idea to attract the customer’s attention. 4. Find out what your competitors have been doing for advertising and what their success rate is? 5. Find out what your customers think about your product, you may be surprised by what you hear, 6. Position your product. Target your market and target your product. 7. You must have an image or personality for your product. 8. Make the product the hero, not you. 9. Repeat your winners. 10. Educate your clients. 11. Tell the customers the reasons why they should come to you. 12. Stay away form institutionalized advertising. “Enlightened Living”
Keratin Keratin is an extremely strong protein which is a major component in skin, hair, nails, hooves, horns, and teeth. The amino acids which combine to form keratin have several unique properties, and depending on the levels of the various amino acids, keratin can be inflexible and hard, like hooves, or soft, as is the case with skin. Most of the keratin that people interact with is actually dead; hair, skin, and nails are all formed from dead cells which the body sheds as new cells push up from underneath. If the dead cells are kept in good condition, they will serve as an insulating layer to protect the delicate new keratin below them.
So if you look at it another way, keratin is the little details of your body which people look at and make their impressions of you. As you know, it’s the little details that count. In other words if you take care of your keratin you will look more appealing and when it comes to your clients, this is important.
Hair and nails on humans especially tend to become dry and brittle, because the dead keratin is being pushed to great lengths. By eating foods like gelatin and keeping hair and nails moist, they can be grown out while still remaining healthy. In general, the thicker the layer of keratin, the healthier the hair or nail is, because the dead cells outside protect the living cells at the core. Keeping the external layer of keratin moisturized will also keep it healthy and prevent cracking and splitting.
- The big secret to beautiful hair and nails is to keep them well moisturized. - Don't overwork your hair. Excessive brushing, combing and improper cutting and styling can damage hair. - Your hair just can't take the heat. Zap too much moisture out of it with blow dryers or curling irons, or use styling appliances that are too hot, and you might over-dry or even burn your hair. - You must not remove the cuticle! If you do, it destroys the nail matrix and then they can't grow!
You can't actually feed your hair and nails directly, but a good diet is essential for overall nail health. Most experts agree that biotin-rich foods such as eggs, soy, whole grains and liver will help your hair and nails to remain healthy, along with foods rich in sulphur minerals like apples, cucumbers, grapes, garlic, asparagus and onions. Also, be sure to include essential fatty acids (EFAs) in your diet. Like vitamins and minerals, foods rich in EFAs, such as salmon, nuts, seeds and tuna, help keep hair and nails shiny and pliable.
Yours in Health, Happiness, and Success Your Friend Chuck Groot BFA, F/PPABC, MPA
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