Member of the Month
High Energy, Creative Style:
Ryan and Carrie Phillips

By Linda L. May

Savvy marketing, outstanding service, innovative products and their combined talents have paid off big for Ryan and Carrie Phillips of Thousand Oaks, California. Now they are one of the most sought-after photographic teams in Southern California. In fact, last year they had to build a new 600-square-foot studio space to accommodate their ever-growing operation. Since the addition, their business has "just exploded," they say, which proves they are definitely on the right path.

Ryan and Carrie opened Ryan Phillips Photography in 2002 specializing in weddings, and they have since added portraiture to their repertoire. Of course, they have experienced their fair share of obstacles on the road to success. For example, in addition to offering new options to customers, shooting portraits taught them a valuable marketing lesson. Though they initially named their portrait business Click Portrait Studio, this name created confusion in the marketplace and began to dilute the Ryan Phillips brand. Ryan and Carrie are now phasing out Click and finding ways to re-incorporate those marketing materials back into their original brand. Lesson learned.
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Studio of the Month

From the Prairie to Pro Shooters: Richard McDowell and Amy Sayers

By Mary McGrath

When I first looked at the images from the website of Red Leaf Studios, I was struck by a feeling of warmth and tenderness. Couple The Bridges of Madison County with A River Runs Through It, and you have the ingredients of Richard McDowell and Amy Sayers' recipe for success. Shooting great portraits is hard. Doing landscapes well is a challenge. To combine both of these types of images is a remarkable accomplishment.

Look at how the couples relate in these pictures. Was a camera really there to capture such an intimate moment, or are we looking at a movie still from a Robert Redford or Clint Eastwood movie? And how did they find those pastoral surroundings? I live near a web of freeways; we don't see this sort of scenery in much of Los Angeles. And if we do, we usually have to drive at least an hour to get there. So would someone kindly transport me to Regina, Saskatchewan? I want to see and breathe Red Leaf.
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Business Landscape
Retail Forecast 2008: Economy Slows, Housing Woes

By Phillip M. Perry

Ouch! Those unhappy trends were a three-legged stool of misery for many business owners in the past 12 months. Indeed, 2007 was a period of transition for an entire economy, which began to slow down after a half-decade of vigorous growth.

And what lies ahead for 2008? Most observers see a challenging environment where healthy profits will require nimble management.
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In the Studio & On Screen
Mailbag: RAW or JPEG?

By Ethan G. Salwen

Editor's Note: From time to time, we receive mail from Rangefinder and AfterCapture readers and WPPI members asking for guidance. A recent email brought up the topic of RAW vs. JPEG shooting. Ethan G. Salwen, a regular contributor to Rangefinder and AfterCapture, has some great advice below.

A Reader Asks

Reader Bob Ruthrauff is a photographer who shoots wildlife and environmental portraits of families. He has been shooting with both RAW and JPEG and doing basic editing in Photoshop: straightening horizon lines, adjusting levels and contrast, and color-correcting. He sends his images to a pro lab for printing.
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Member News
Important News for WPPI Members

• The early-bird special deadline for the 16x20 print competition is January 11, 2008. Submit four prints and the fifth print will be free! Go to www.wppionline.com/competition.
  
  
• Last month we announced the call for entries for the Hy Sheanin Memorial Scholarship, which honors the memory of the founder of Rangefinder Publishing and co-founder of WPPI. This scholarship is part of WPPI's tradition of excellence in education and continues Mr. Sheanin's visionary approach to photography. There's still plenty of time to get entries in.
  
  
• Registration for the WPPI 2008 Convention and Trade Show will be up and running on November 15th. Please check our website, www.wppionline.com, for more information. And don't forget to book your hotel rooms! The rates are the same as last year: $129 for Bally's (discount code SBWAP8) and $159 for Paris (discount code SPWAP8). We hope to see you in Las Vegas!
  
  
• MORE >>

Featured Books

Light and Lens: Photography in the Digital Age
By Robert Hirsch
Focal Press, www.focalpress.com
October 2007, $49.95, 397 pages

301 Inkjet Tips and Techniques
By Andrew Darlow
Course Technology, www.course.com
October 2007, $49.99, 528 pages

Puppies Behind Bars
By Christopher Makos and Paul Solberg
Glitterati Inc., www.puppiesbehindbars.com
October 2007, $50.00, 144 pages