Great idea, but I'm feeling a bit frustrated. I had a buddy of mine meet with a potential client to pitch my executive portraiture (priced appropriately for one edit with promotional and web rights attached) and he was told that someone comes in once a month and shoots the newbies/updates others and gives 100 images for XXX (less than $1.00 an image). How can we compete with that?

The market is crawling with people who are willing to work cheap. There's definitely a shift going on. You won't be able to break the other guy's deal until he messes up. Or quits because he's not making any money. I try to stay in the loop with all my traditional clients but I'm slower than I'd like to be and to be truthful, while writing books has been a good introduction to other suppliers my clients don't give a crap about the books.

I think the only people who've been consistently profitable in this whole shift are the guys selling workshops and DVD's. I hate to think the skills we've built are now only applicable for teaching technique to our budget replacements.

I'm playing the numbers. How many times a week can I show a book to qualified corporate or ad people? That's about all I can do to move it forward.

My ears are open.

It's funny and sad that you mentioned that. I've the better part of today looking at and revising (mostly looking at) my ideas for www.hawaiischoolofphotography.com.

Steve, Don't be sad about it. Banish the past. Don't let it anchor you. You may have a very, very prosperous idea for a business there. Jump in with both feet. You have a great base of experience, the cachet of being a published expert and a great destination. Need a visiting teacher to help out?

Seriously, I think it's a great idea.

I'm not above taking the money. I taught last week for the Texas Photographic Society and I'm doing a one day workshop on the 25th of October. God and the passport office willing I'm going to Mexico in a two weeks with Don Giannatti to learn workshopping from a Master.

Just because we used to do something doesn't mean we can't evolve!!!!

Thanks Kirk...I REALLY needed to hear (read) that. The fact is that I have been involved with schools and education for my whole life (from watching my dad teach 6th grade and become an elementary school principal to my own work as a school psychologist to training psychologists to teaching graduate psychology students to [of course] my photography seminars and books). Maybe my niche has already defined itself. I'm taking my shoes off right now to be ready to jump in.

Mahalo...and yes you're on my list of visiting teachers!