The bf/Stop

by Cameron Ingalls

Thanks for visiting and helping to create a community here at the bf/ stop. This is a shot my lovely wife, Anna took of our nephew Ethan. Hope you are having a happier Halloween than he is.

Stay tuned because I have been receiving lots of emails full of great advice from some of my favorite photographers. I will post the article on Friday. It will be called ‘How to Find Your Voice –Advice for New Photographers {Part 2}’.

[Cameron Ingalls, Inc. California Real Life Wedding Photographer](http://cameroningalls.com/)

by Cameron Ingalls

I have a profound respect for film. I always will. Film cameras are like Grandpa. He may be old and dusty, but he can still whoop your butt. There is a respect, appreciation and a fear that should fill your heart every time Grandpa is in your presence. Film is the same way. So many photography people want to debate these days. Film vs. Digital. RAW vs. JPEG. You say toe-may-toe I say toe-mah-toe. When it comes down to it our camera is simply a paintbrush. Sure my new ‘paintbrush’ has mega pixels and an LCD screen, but if I was ever lost in the wilderness of Yosemite caught in a shoot out with old-man Ansel Adams, you could be sure who would get the butt-whooping; yours truely!

I love art. I see photography as art; but I also love people who can create art through other mediums. I happened to see this piece at an art show in Oklahoma City (of all places) and just had to buy it. I talked to the artist {Jered Smith} a bit and asked him about the heart behind the piece. It is called ‘Into The Digital Age’. He shared with me that he was inspired because his girlfriend is a photographer; a film photographer. She loves film and wants to continue to shoot film, but it seems to be quickly fading into the digital age. This piece was created on the inside of a vintage book cover. Totally rad!

I used to shoot film. That’s where I started. I did the whole B&W processing in the darkroom business and really became obsessed with the entire photography process. Perhaps that’s why I work so much on all of my images even though they are digital. I actually work on them especially because they are digital. I want my work to have the look and feel and color that film is so generous to put out while having the immediate gratification that digital offers.

Hope that you enjoy Jered’s art. Who loves film? Please share your thoughts!

[Cameron Ingalls, Inc. California Real Life Wedding Photographer](http://cameroningalls.com/)

On a regular basis, and with permission from the stalked photographers, we will borrow random blog posts of theirs and post here at the bf/stop.

Are You Hospitable?
[by Laura Novak](http://www.strategyavenue.typepad.com/)

Today I received this email from one of my wedding clients:

Laura,
I just had the pleasure of going to an event where Danny Meyer (CEO of Union Square Hospitality Group) spoke about business and how, in today’s economy, it’s not longer just about performance and service–but about hospitality. He’s written a book Setting the Table: The Transforming Power of Hospitality in Business–I haven’t finished it yet, but I immediately thought of you while he was speaking and how you’re always talking about the “brand” of your business and how important customer service is for distinguishing yourself from the competition. This takes it a step further and discusses how you have to find a way to help the customer feel like your doing things for them, not to them in order to succeed in today’s competitive landscape.

Having never heard of [Danny Meyer](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danny_Meyer), I went to a few articles on google and find out the following tidbits:

- Each of his restaurants is very distinctive, and each strives to distinguish itself with warm hospitality and consistent excellence
- When asked about customer service he responds “I can write what extraordinary service is, but extraordinary hospitality is not something I can describe. It is a process of making people believe “I’m on your side.”
- his restaurants cook a meal every Wednesday at Beth Israel Hospital to serve the hospital unit’s nurses, doctors and to families of dying patients.

When googling Danny Meyer, I found some articles on the type of food he serves but mostly about the philosophies of his approach to business and customer service. I even found an article interviewing one of his employees.

So are you a photography company or a customer service company who happens to deliver photography? I’m sure the ‘artist’ in most of us would like to think of ourselves as the former but based on what I’ve written so far today it seems Danny Meyer has made his success as a hospitality company who happens to provide culinary delights.

We’ll be recompiling some system software and rebooting server I (bigfolio.textdrive.com) tonight at approximately 9pm ET.

Sites on server I and bigfolio.com will be unavailable for a few minutes during this time.

On September 30, 2007, and after much ado, baby Samuel Wyatt was born to BIG Folio Prez Mike Caston and his wife Gena. Baby Samuel arrived without a hitch and at a hefty 6lbs, 12oz.

Not only is Big Brother Ian stoked to have someone to teach “how to be Super Heroes”, but Little Samuel is also a big help to the BF Kids boys vs. girls average (BF Girls: 6, BF Boys:2).

Congratulations, Mike, Gena and Ian!!

Check out some cute pics below. Oh, and the professional one above, courtesy [Kenneth Morgan Photo](http://kennethmorganphoto.com/)

On a regular basis, and with permission from the stalked photographers, we will borrow random blog posts of theirs and post here at the bf/stop.

karlin | the bridal session
photographed on location at mashes sands, florida.
[by Susan Stripling](http://www.susanstriplingblog.com/)