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.

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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

Check out Diana Levine’s work: Website | Blog | Twitter

It’s Academy Award season, so we’re going to talk movies and entertainment with Jennifer Sargent, CEO of Hitfix.com.

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Ah, the movie season. It’s been a good one, filled with blockbusters, dramas, and a controversy surrounding the producers of “The Hurt Locker.” I recorded a podcast on March 2 with entrepreneur Jennifer Sargent, and we discuss everything from the favorites for who will be thanking the academy, to how different industries approach piracy.

Topics covered:

Describe your unique path from Electrical Engineering student to the CEO of a cool entertainment company.

Jennifer explains that she wanted a more social career than being stuck in a room as an EE looking at microprocessors, so her path led her to investment banking, focusing on the intersection of media and technology. She later went to Doubleclick to learn about monetizing online brands, but wanted to start her own company.

Like any good entrepreneur, she focused on how she could use her skill set to work on something she was passionate about. After Harvard Business School, she worked at the parent company of Variety, growing the traffic on entertainment sites, and loved the combination of entertainment and technology.

She founded Hitfix in December 2008 to bridge the gap between gossip sites (like TMZ) and trade publications (like Variety).

In a crowded entertainment area online, what does Hitfix do to distinguish itself?

Two tracks

1.      Team of proven journalists that break news about TV, Music, and Movie coverage (insider scoop without the gossip)

2.      Event forecast calendar technology (location-based tool that lets users discover new events, set reminders, download to calendars, and sync news with events)

Example:  The Spiderman franchise reboot. First they break the news: Tobey Maguire is out, shakeup of the storyline. Then, the event: Release date is no longer September 2010, instead, 2012. The action: Set your calendar!

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Ah, Super Bowl Sunday. The day every football player aspires to. How do players get their start? The NFL Draft. The last player picked, after more than 200-250 people have been selected, has been given the name “Mr. Irrelevant.” Don’t laugh — Marty Moore was picked by the Patriots dead last in 1994, and went on to play in the 1996 Super Bowl.

Ah, Super Bowl Sunday commercials. The day every marketing person aspires to. To have their ads seen by millions. And there should only be one goal. To make your ad relevant.

But when it came to relevance, how did so many spots miss the point?

Here are 10 Super Bowl commercials that were completely irrelevant (and 6 that weren’t).

For the FULL RANT, download the podcast from iTunes, or play it below:

1. Hyundai
You’re comparing the paint quality vs. a Mercedes??? When thinking about buying a car, people think about comfort, safety, horsepower, styling, resale value, cost, fuel economy… should I keep going? Where on the list is paint quality? I think this selling point is pretty irrelevant.

2. Doritos
Some funny commercials in there, but where does the URL at the end of the spot send people? www.SnackStrongProductions.com

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So the much-ballyhooed Apple iPad was announced on January 27. What do I think?

Well, I reveled in all the hype, blocking off my lunchtime calendar and jumping between 5 different live-streaming tabs on my browser.

And first off, you DO have to give Apple credit for the hype. Love them or hate them, just think about the sheer number of people talking about this product, and the entire industry of bloggers, writers, reporters, photographers, and so on that exist just to speculate and cover this stuff. I can’t think of another company off-hand that creates another sub-industry just to cover it (other than “Hollywood” or “Wall Street”).

However, with this hype, you live by the crowd and die by the crowd. And right now, the crowd is turning on Apple. My take is that the device is certainly not as good as everyone had dreamed it would be (how could it?), but c’mon people… let’s at least HOLD the thing and try it before passing judgment. Perhaps there will be a double reverse backlash where it now becomes cool to say that it IS the new device to have.

In the podcast I dive into why it could be compelling, and the 5 types of people that would use it.

Download the podcast from iTunes, or play it below:

I think the most compelling features could be:

- Super light 1.5 lbs
- Instant-on like an iPhone
- The potential as an eBook reader (which I don’t think has been discussed enough)

So who are the 5 people that will use the iPad?:

1) Professional geeks, early adopters, unwavering Apple fanboys

I am a professional geek. That’s what I do. I love gadgets. I don’t always get the first version of every new thing, but I like to keep on top of it for sure.  I will strongly consider getting it once the hype dies down and I see it, and maybe I can unload my barely-used netbook on someone.

So will early adopters flock to it? I’m not sure. It’s never good to question the unwavering passion of some of the Apple fanboys, but perhaps Steve Jobs and Co have a Macbook Air on their hands. It was very cool, incredibly designed, and you’d think that it would be something an early adopter would love. But I haven’t seen many bloggers pulling one out of a manila envelope.

2) Travelers

We’re venturing into netbook territory, and it’s hard for me to defend what the iPad can do over a light, small, fully-equipped computer. But I HATE bringing out my laptop on a flight. At least with my work-assigned computer, it’s too big, I hate the whole boot up and log in, and the battery life barely makes it halfway across the country.

I’d much rather keep it in my bag and watch a movie or read. Aha… that’s the advantage of the iPad. You can do all that – watch 10 hours of movies (allegedly), listen to your music or podcasts, read an eBook, or easily browse your photos. And… you can simply slide it into the seatback when you get up from your window seat and have to crawl over people, or want to set it aside when you get your inflight meal.

3) Couch surfers
Here’s the scene… you own a desktop, not laptop. It’s in another room. Or you have a laptop, but it gets too hot, and too heavy on your lap while watching TV. The iPhone is just a bit too small for effective web surfing. The solution is that the iPad is sitting on the coffee table while watching TV.

Picture the scene at a Super Bowl party. You’re watching the game, focused on the big screen. Whoa, that crazy commercial just told you to go to GoDaddy or Pepsi or you want to check a stat. No bringing out the laptop and clearing away a pile of nachos and beers, just pass around the iPad.

Or if you’re on the couch and have an idea, you can just pick it up, turn it on instantly, fire off an email, jot some notes down, and put something on the calendar. (OK, I know I know… you can do this with a laptop or your iPhone too… I’m trying here!)

4) Thieves

On 1/27 the iPad was announced. That same day, I’m sure developers were getting together to tailor their apps, publishers were meeting to figure out content, and video game management teams were having breakout sessions.

But what about the ICSE?  The International Cartel of Stolen Electronics?  OK, I made that up, but did you know that 10,000 laptops are stolen per week at airports? And according to a Forbes story in 2008:
- Cell phone thefts were up 33% from 2006 to 2008
- Digital camera thefts were up 25% over 3 years
- iPod thefts were up 91%
- A 2007 study showed iPod robberies bumped up overall crime rates in some major U.S. cities
- Stolen iPods accounted for 4% of all robberies in Washington, D.C., in 2007.

So if I was ICSE president, I’d say it’s the best news since white headphones. While you can’t just stick it in your pocket and take off like a phone, at less than 2 pounds it’s not like the old days when you had to steal a 200 lb Sony Wega TV.

5) 3P: Portfolio Presentation Professionals

OK, another made up term, 3P.  I think the iPad would be amazing anywhere a professional person with a portfolio has to meet with clients. For example:
- Fashion Designers
- Architect or engineer
- Illustrator / Comic Books
- Artist
- Photographer
- Real Estate Agent
- 1:1 Salesperson
- Interviewees

Imagine you’re an artist trying to sell high-end paintings to a gallery. How impressive would it be to pull out this small device and just swipe your way through your best work?

Or what about being a wedding photographer and sitting down with a couple on their couch to show them your best shots?

Or you’re a real estate agent… out in the field, running around, showing people photos, layouts, and floor plans. Maybe it’s to people not used to using a computer that much. Swipe. Here’s the master bedroom. Swipe. Here the map that shows the nearest schools.  Swipe. Add those people at the open house to your contact list.

And lastly, what about on an interview?  I’ll tell you I’d be impressed if you took out an iPad and said can I just show you a few of my projects?

As for the Apple iPad’s prospects with me… it may not have the job yet, but it’s definitely going to get an interview.

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?

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