What kind of equipment does a pro photographer use, whether its shooting celebs in the studio or podcast hosts in the hallway of an apartment building? In part 2 of this interview, Diana Levine will tell you. (Above… Diana sets up in Jim’s hallway).
Download the podcast from iTunes, or play it below:
Topics Covered:
- The importance of equipment for budding photographers and how the accessibility of equipment is changing entry into the business.
- What to look for in a digital camera
- Jim and Diana consider the great debate of Nikon vs. Canon
Hi, this is Jim Hopkinson, Wired’s Marketing Guy, bringing you the marketing trends that matter.
Welcome!
Today I’ll be speaking with New York City-based photographer, Diana Levine, talking all things photography. Stay tuned.
Jim Hopkinson: Hey, everybody, this is Jim; welcome to the Hopkinson Report. I am with here with Diana Levine in New York City. I met Diana at an event during Social Media Week. It turns out we have some things in common. We’re both Boston-based, originally, so welcome, Diana.
Diana Levine: Thank you so much for having me.
JH: So, give us a little of your background, taking us through your upbringing in Boston to being a freelance photographer.
What’s it like to be a professional photographer rubbing shoulders with celebrities like Kim Kardashian, Billy Corgan, and Ludacris? Pro photographer Diana Levine will tell you.
Download the podcast from iTunes, or play it below:
Ever since I worked in the photo section of the Caldor department store in high school, I’ve been interested in photography. I’ve owned many many cameras, from old school 110, Disc, and 35mm SLRs like my Minolta X-370, to some of the first digital cameras on the market in the late 90s, up through my newest point-and-shoot and desire to upgrade to a DSLR.
So when I had the chance to sit down and speak with pro photographer Diana Levine, I jumped at the chance. I had so many questions on so many topics. I wanted to know what it was like to freelance. What was her favorite equipment. What was it like to work with celebs. And with 2 billion photos a month being uploaded to Facebook, and more and more pictures needed various profiles on the web, how was social media affecting her business.
[Above: Diana shooting Alicia Keys]
We talked for so long I’ve made this a 2 part episode, and then we hit the streets of New York and set up an impromptu studio to see her in action.
In Part 1 we cover the following topics:
Background
- How did Diana get her start?
- Who was her main influence as a child?
- Which Conde Nast magazine did she intern at?
- What was the main thing she learned at Boston Magazine?
Freelance life
- How did she get over her fear of making the leap to freelance?
- What would she tell people wanting to strike out on their own?
- Is it a good or bad thing that cameras are so good and so inexpensive now that everyone thinks they can be a good photographer?
- What are the things that distinguish a true pro from an amateur?
Celebrities
- What’s it like working with celebrities: * Kim Kardashian
* New Kids on the Block
* Billy Corgan
* 50 Cent
* Ludacris
* Alicia Keys
* Vampire Weekend
* DJ AM
* Iman
* Fabolous
* JoJo
* Los Del Rio
* Harry Connick, Jr
(and more)
Other Celeb Questions:
- Tell us about your first celebrity shoot with KRS-One
- What’s the real scoop with Kim Kardashian
- Which singer made Diana have to pinch herself to make sure it was real?
- Which band’s fans sent her hundreds of tweets after she photographed them?
- A revelation about Billy Corgan that really shocked me.
- Which celebrity would be the one she’d like to photograph most (but can’t)
- How do you create a comfortable atmosphere when working with celebrities
- Which celebrity is she named after (Answer at right)
Celebrity projects
- MTV’s Super Sweet 16: What was Sean Combs’ house like?
- AOL’s Day in the Life project, what was it like spending an entire day with Ludacris or New Kids on the Block?
Part II will contain:
- Equipment she uses
- The affect of social media on the photo industry
- Tips and tricks for taking great photos
It’s the dead of winter here, so to brighten things up we’re going to talk to the co-founder of Sunshine Suites, a unique office space for entrepreneurs.
Download the podcast from iTunes, or play it below:
I’ve got a great interview today, a person that I was connected to through Gary Vaynerchuk on Twitter.
His name is Cheni Yerushalmi, he’s the co-founder of a business called Sunshine Suites, and you should download the podcast just to hear me mispronounce his name (I think I was a little better by the time I signed off).
For most people across the country, we’re trapped in bland cubicles like worker bees for 8 hours a day, with many of us aspiring to be entrepreneurs so we can launch the proverbial startup from our garage.
But I think this company has found a great middle ground, giving ambitious new companies a unique place to work and grow their business.
In the interview we cover topics such as:
- Getting started
Like many business ventures, the idea for Sunshine Suites was born out of frustration. Cheni and his best friend/co-founder couldn’t understand why it was so difficult for small businesses to get cool, low-cost office space in Manhattan. So they did something about it.
Hey everyone, I recorded my podcast on a Sunday morning, having just got back from a run. If you’ re a long-time listener, you know I’m a big fan of running, and I’ve said many times that I have never gone on a run when trying to figure out a podcast topic and NOT come back with a clear head, tons of ideas, and boundless energy.
I’m going to talk about the gear I use, the clothing I wear, the brands I trust, and throw in three bonus how-to’s:
- How to make your own training calendar
- How to make the perfect smoothie
- How to make a framed marathon ‘shadowbox’ for $25.
Note… this podcast ended up topping 45 minutes, my longest ever. I was going to break it into two parts, but decided if you’re not into running, you probably won’t listen to it, and thus won’t listen to the second part next week. However, if you ARE into running, you’ll find the entire show really valuable. So throw it on your iPod and head out for a long run.
Download the podcast from iTunes, or play it below:
One of the major marketing discoveries I pointed out, is that the following companies do not own their Twitter accounts: @nike @adidas @asics @newbalance (not a corporate account) @brooks @mizuno
Can you believe this??? It blows my mind. How the heck does a $30 Billion company like Nike not own their main Twitter account?
“Scary WalMart Security Guards In Black Hoodies Prevent Black Friday Deaths” was a headline I read over the Thanksgiving break on The Business Insider, referring to the sad death of a temporary worker that died last year when early bird customers rushed the doors. Oh, and they forgot to mention the bullhorns. (Photo credit: NY Times slideshow).
But it never should have come to that.
Download the podcast from iTunes, or play it below:
As a self-proclaimed “hyper-influencer” and in layman’s terms “the guy everyone asks for tech and shopping advice,” there’s no way I would ever recommend forsaking time with family during the holidays, getting out of a warm bed at 5am, and elbowing other like-minded, bad-at-math, so-called bargain hunters for the lowest possible quality flat-screen TV available at retail.
Before I even get to my rules, I can tell you they violate good shopping logic on so many levels.
If there are two other words that best describe internet marketing in the last few years, I don’t know what they are. As a marketing guy at Wired.com, I must come across that term 100 times a week. Maybe 1,000.
It’s not shocking that I’m immersed in social media because I’m directly dealing with social media sites like Facebook and Twitter and reddit.
It’s not surprising when I read about strategies that 5 person tech startups, apartment-based entrepreneurs, digital ad agencies, and veteran web-based companies are rolling out.
But what I really find fascinating is when non-traditional companies embrace — and dominate — social media.
Download the podcast from iTunes, or play it below:
I think about some of the random companies that really ‘get’ social media, and when you think about it objectively, it can actually be amusing. What if you did this quiz just 2 years ago, before the Twitter explosion, asking people who they thought would have millions of followers.
Hopkinson Report interview with Blogger, Podcaster, Entrepreneur, Speaker, Author, Marketing Guru Mitch Joel.
Download the podcast from iTunes, or play it below:
What does Mitch Joel have that almost every other “social media expert” doesn’t have?
Well, to answer that question, we have to look at the things that Mitch does have:
- He is certainly a great interview
While my Julia Allison interview is still my most downloaded episode ever, Saul Colt is the smartest man in the world, and my talk with Sarah Prevette confirmed she is the very definition of Malcolm Gladwell’s “connector,” my conversation with Mitch was one of the most engaging and interesting talks on the current state of internet marketing I’ve had to date.
- He certainly has a great background
How many other people started out as a music journalist with their first assignment ever being an interview with Tommy Lee from Motley Crue?
- He certainly has the new media resume to back up what he has to say
Considering he owns his own digital marketing agency called Twist Image, has been blogging since 2003 (which is why we discussed consistency over relevance), and also does a podcast.
- He certainly has a unique perspective on book publishing
Why did he go through a traditional publisher with his new book, Six Pixels of Separation? When I asked him if he thought about self-publishing with any of the new and impressive tools that are available, or distributing the book as a PDF or some other form, he said no. Why was that? He was writing a book for people that read books!
It seems quite obvious, but if some is dialed in and is already reading his work online via his blog and listening to his podcast digitally, they’re already aware of him. This is for the guy browsing in Barnes & Noble or running through the airport that wants a marketing book and has never heard of him. And get this, he ENJOYED the book writing process. Not many authors will tell you that.
- He certainly fits the modern geek profile
We discuss the tools of the modern road warrior, the pros and cons of SSD vs traditional hard drives, laptop choices and key features in laser pointers. You can see the list of geek electronics via “What’s in his bag.”
- OK, so what about public speaking?
Mitch is an accomplished speaker, having presented to Starbucks and Microsoft, sharing a stage with people ranging from Bill Clinton to Dr. Phil, and drawing from his arsenal of thousands of slides to wow any audience.
Maybe you’re an expert in your field as well, and want to do more speaking, or teach a class, or be on a panel.
- So what is the thing that Mitch has that nearly every other potential speaker is missing?
Answer: A “speaker’s page” … basically a bio page on your website that has some or all of the following elements:
- Bio section (or link to your full “About” page) that tells who you are
- List of places that you have spoken before
- Video examples of your speeches
- List of topics that you present on within your realm of expertise
- Testimonials from people that you have spoken with before
- A way to get in touch with you
Wow, that was obvious, right? But think about it… without all these elements, how can a company or conference have any confidence that you are a prepared professional that can pull this off? It’s like a resume for your public speaking persona.
I see this as a huge opportunity for people looking to get into this field, raise their profile, or try to generate additional revenue.
1) Fear of public speaking is right up there with fear of snakes and fear of dying. If you LIKE public speaking, you are ahead of 90% of the game.
2) A lot of people are bad at public speaking. If you practice, can weave a good story, and are prepared, you jump ahead of all of those people.
3) If you can put it all together and demonstrate to a potential company or conference that you can do this through a speakers page when no one else is, that should put you to the top of the list.
Mitch goes on to talk about several other great tactics, including books to read and gadgets to use.
If the first half of 2009 was spent telling the world how to use Twitter, the second half might be them telling you that you can’t use it.
Download the podcast from iTunes, or play it below:
As you can imagine, it’s not always easy being a diehard Boston Red Sox fan living in New York City. My passion for the team has come down from it’s astronomic levels after they ended the 86 year drought without a championship back in 2004 . Since then it hasn’t been do-or-die in my life, and things are made easy with a fantastic Red Sox bar just a block from my apartment.
But that doesn’t mean I won’t take the opportunity to venture into the Bronx to see my team play in person when the opportunity arises, and so I found myself at the new Yankee Stadium in early August. How would I classify the new ballpark? To be honest, it really just seems like a newer, larger version of the old one. It has better seats, wider aisles, better concession stands, an enormous screen in the outfield, more opportunities for marketing, and is all-around more luxurious than the last park.
The one thing I noticed it didn’t have, was Wi-Fi. Also worth noting was pretty terrible service from AT&T. A strong 3G connection would have been nice. For some reason, even no connection would somehow be understandable (too much concrete or something). But to have INTERMITTENT, slow service was very frustrating. Sometimes you could get to the web, sometimes not. Sometimes you could check e-mail, sometimes not. Sometimes on 3G, sometimes on Edge.
Building a well-connected network takes time and effort, but if you have fun along the way, it could make your life a lot easier.
Download the podcast from iTunes, or play it below:
Hey everyone, pull up a chair. In fact, fill out a nametag, introduce yourself to the person sitting next to you, and tell us what you do. This episode is about one of the single most important skills you can learn in life: Networking.
As always, I was out on a run to figure out this week’s topic. I’m usually a morning runner, but this week found me gliding down the edge of Manhattan’s East River at dusk on a summer Sunday. They’ve done a great job landscaping and carving out areas and installing benches and tables for people to relax and take in the view, and I saw two older women sitting and chatting at one of the tables.
Two things struck me. First, they had brought their own bottle of Merlot and were drinking from wine glasses, and second, they had brought their own tablecloth to put over the standard issue, bolted-into-the-sidewalk table.
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[Above: Diana shooting Alicia Keys]
What does Mitch Joel have that almost every other “social media expert” doesn’t have?
