I had the opportunity to shoot video of the Dancing with the Stars Fundraiser for the Humane Society of Charlotte.

It was quite the experience indeed.  Here are some of the valuable things that I learned while shooting.

Lessons from the Shoot:

1.  Always have back up camera batteries!
2.  Be willing to change your camera's position on the fly in order to get the video shots that you need!
3. You should have an assistant help capture clips when your on a potty break.
4. Have fun and enjoy it immensely. If your not following your heart then why are you there...
5. Drink plenty of fluids and eat before you begin work , and bring snacks to much on.
6. Listen to your clients to make sure you are capturing the video they want and need.
7. Have an assistant or help take still photographs of the event.
8. Process the footage in a timely manner for immediate turn around. Three days is old news for promotional material.
9. Meet your deadline!
10. Bring your Tripod!!!!

Here are some links for Photographers that will help them build an awesome Business Plan.

Hey guys and gals this week I thought I would make it easier to find information on building your photographic business plans.  The first link leads you to the Small Business Administration. This site has a free tutorial on what goes into writing a business plan and also has a free business plan template where you fill in the blanks and then it does the rest for you. In the financials section you just plug in the numbers and it will export them into excel for you. You have to have word and excel to complete your plan but its definitely a big help. The second link is for Photoshelter.com and their free guide for your photographic business in 2013. The third link is for a workbook from the Savvy Photographer blog. The guide is free and also gives you a workbook to help follow your goals as a photographer all you have to do of course is provide your e-mail address.   The fourth link is Use Plus which can help you write licensing into your metadata of your photos and can be found on the ASMP website. The last is from the NPPA which offers a free cost of doing business calculator that will help you figure out what it's going to cost you to do business. This is great in helping you to understand the costs of running your business so you can adjust accordingly. If you need to change anything as far as costs go you can revisit the calculator and enter your new costs.

http://www.sba.gov/category/navigation-structure/starting-managing-business/starting-business/how-write-business-plan  

http://www.photoshelter.com/mkt/research/2013-photo-business-plan-workbook 

http://thesavvyphotographer.blogspot.com/2012/01/free-downloadable-business-plan.html

http://www.useplus.com/index.asp 

https://nppa.org/calculator 

John A. Russo Jr. 

Essence of Soul Photography