Dear Friends,
When Steve Jobs returned to Apple in 1997, one of the original board members reminded him that “Great companies reinvent themselves when they need to”.
Well is it’s good enough for Apple, it’s good enough for [ b ] School!
But first, a bit of history:
When we started working on The [ b ] School back in 2006, we wanted a place where photographers could connect online and help each other grow their businesses. We also wanted to provide a safe place to ask questions, share ideas, encourage one another and continue learning, as we believe a true professional never stops growing.
When we first launched [ b ] School in the fall of 2008, after almost 2 full years of development, we, like a lot of you, were disappointed in the speed of the site (or more precisely… the lack there of speed). We had lots of bugs, we had issues with the developers, and the site pretty much sucked. It was a total bummer because we put so much time, effort, love and $$$ into it. Seriously… I could have bought a Ferrari for what we paid for that site. :-(
However… even though the site itself sucked… I was very pleased by the helpful and friendly vibe that took hold within the community. The giving spirit of our members, the willingness to help out other photographers, the eagerness to grow & learn and the over all positive attitude kept us going. We were happy to reinvest just about every penny we made into rebuilding the site from the ground up (with a new developer of course)!
In February of 2011, we opened the doors to [ b ] School 2.0 and proudly showed off our new home on the web. People were raving about how much better the site itself was, and I am proud to say that we still have the same helpful and friendly vibe going amongst our amazing members. It’s been awesome to witness all of the sharing, the learning and the growth by our members. I am constantly impressed by the quality of images shared in our gallery and the information shared in our forums and clubs.
But guess what… we know we can make it even better, and create a site that is more useful and valuable to photographers… and we are going to do just that with “[ b ] School 3”!
Notice that “[ b ] School 3” is in quotes. It’s because we are mixing it up a bit and rebranding! We actually taking the site in a new direction and we felt a new name was in order.
Whhaaaaaatt????
We know that not everyone is going to be happy with the change, but I realized in high school that I couldn’t please everyone so I stopped trying. I believe the changes we are making are better for our community, and the industry as a whole. Here are a few reasons we are getting away from the [ b ] School brand:
#1 Well technically, we aren’t a school.
I mean, it’s been my goal to connect, educate and inspire as much as I possibly can, and I feel I’ve shared every secret about the biz that I can think of… but it’s not a school in the sense of how most people think of learning and classes and online education (Creative Live, After Dark Education, etc…). My favorite part of school was recess, and for me it was all about socializing and connecting instead of actually learning. In that respect, I am proud of the work we did during the almost 6 years of [ b ] School.
#2 - It’s not about me.
Look, I know some folks think I am a crazy egomaniac, so full of himself, cocky, whatever. I always try to assure new people that I meet that I am not nearly pretentious as I pretend to be ;-) The folks who truly know me deep down, know that I am a pretty laid back guy who just loves life and feel blessed to be doing what he loves for a living. I also love helping others… It’s the whole “teach a man to fish thing”. And while I do believe in branding and the [ b ] logo will live on in my photography business… this idea for our new community is way bigger than any one person… I don’t need it to be, or even want it to be, about me. I want it to be all about the talented photographers who share and help and inspire.
#3. We are professionals.
I do believe that it’s important to never stop learning. Ever. Seriously. But our new site is going to focus on getting your work in front of potential clients, who will hopefully book you. We can’t be referring to you as “students” even though we all are right? We want to assure the prospective clients that this new site is full of dedicated professional who are passionate about photography. I can’t tell you how many people have dropped out of [ b ] School over the years for the simple reason that they didn’t like think of themselves as students. Let me tell you folks… The moment you stop learning you may as well retire. But their point was well taken and we won’t be referring to you as students in front of prospective clients.
But don’t fret…
Thebschool.com isn’t going away… there are way too many valuable conversation, tons of videos and plenty of connection that will live on for the time being.
Private School members will continue to have lifetime access to the new site.
Any yearly subscriptions still active at the time our new site launches, will be automatically transferred to the new site, and a fresh year will be started at no additional charge. (Although your original [ b ] School subscription will end when it is scheduled to).
Even though we are changing directions, we are still committed to help photographers, connect, learn and grow as professionals.
”[ b ] School 3” is being reincarnated as PhotogRefers.com…
A Social Referral Network for professional wedding & portrait photographers.
We’re building a new kind of photographic directory unlike anything we’ve seen on the web. We believe we have a better way to get your work in front of people looking to hire you. We’re also building tools to help you get & share referrals with your peers as well.
Our #1 goal is to help you get your work seen by people looking to hire a professional photographer. While we will have a bias towards wedding photography, portrait & event photographers will be also be welcomed.
Our #2 goal is to help you connect with other professionals and share referrals when you are booked, or unable to do a job. We’re going to continue right were we left off at the [ b ] School, with a commitment to helping photographers connect with one another.
Our #3 goal is to help you find the best products, services & educational opportunities that this industry has to offer. We’ve been at this a long time, and we’ve made partnerships with other companies that are also dedicated to helping photographers.
We’ll have a lot more to tell you about our plan in the weeks to come, but for now, head on over to PhotogRefers.com and reserve your username. Mine is going to be PhotogRefers.com/thebecker, so think of something else!
Also, once you sign up, you’ll be given a custom link, just for you to share with your photo friends on your various social networks. The more people you share it with, the sooner you’ll be invited into the new site.
Be sure to like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and pay close attention to our blog, as more details will be revealed in the coming weeks.
Seriously friends… I can’t tell you how excited I am about this new venture and I hope you’ll get in on the ground floor of this new community. As always… our commitment to helping photographers has not, and will not, ever stop!
Warmly,
Christopher Becker
PS. If you have any questions about this at all, please email me at becker@thebschool.com
PPS. I’ll be at WPPI in Las Vegas from Sunday through Thursday next week, feel free to ask me about PhotogRefers.com
PPPS. Seriously… go right now and reserve your username then share your link with your friends!
![RIP Martin Robison.
Martin Robison, son of our longtime [ b ] School support guru Paul Edward, succumbed to the injuries he sustained while helping a woman in need and passed away this morning.
Last Wednesday, as Martin was walking his 7 year old daughter to school, he witness one of his neighbors being attacked by her husband with a knife. She was stabbed 17 times before Martin heroically intervened. Unfortunately, Martin was stabbed 7 times including once in the brain. He was rushed to the hospital and has been fighting for his life ever since. He lost that fight this morning and we are heartbroken.
He leaves behind a wife and daughter who could desperately use our help in the form of financial contributions. If you can spare anything at all, it would really help and be very much appreciated.
If you would like to donate to help Martin and his family, head to the PayPal website to donate. Click on the “Transfer money to friends” link and add in this e-mail address: helpformartin@gmail.com or you can visit this link if you don’t have PayPal.
His dad Paul called him a “gentle soul”. Martin was truly a hero and will be sorely missed by all who knew him.](http://25.media.tumblr.com/c9648303e804b4e0f0c98f1d79ba97f1/tumblr_mmv2bohARQ1qepqcwo1_500.jpg)
![Our long time customer support guru Paul Robison (aka Paul Edward) is moving on to dedicate all of him time to his coaching clients. While I am sure he will be missed here at The [ b ] School, I’m certain the photographers he mentors will appreciate the extra time and attention that he gives to them. Paul shot his first wedding in 1973… the year I was born, and has a wealth of knowledge and experience that he can give to any photographer starting out who wants to make a living in this business. Check out Robison Coaching for more info.
If you have any [ b ] School support issues, use the support tab at the bottom of any [ b ] School page as normal, but please just be patient as we work to replace him.](http://25.media.tumblr.com/50c1794dbbf31df0e94213896d437f99/tumblr_mkswpmmvse1qepqcwo1_500.jpg)
![Happy Groundhogs Day Friends! I hope that dang rodent doesn’t see his shadow because I’m ready for flip flop weather!
It’s hard to believe that [ b ] School 2.0 launched two years ago today and later this year we’ll be celebrating the 5 year anniversary of our original launch. Even crazier to think that Keats and I have been working on [ b ] School since 2006. It’s been a helluva ride and I gotta say, I truly believe the best is yet to come!
My team and I are working on “[ b ] School 3” and we’re hoping to launch early this summer. For those of you who’ve been around since the beginning, you know that 2.0 was 100x better than the original site and I’m confident that this new site, will be even better than our current home on the web.
Some of the key benefits for you will be:
Faster.
Simplified Navigation.
Responsive Design so you can stay connected on any device.
More emphasis on getting referrals.
Tools to help you actually make more money, save more money, book more jobs and get more experience.
Get your work seen by a broader audience.
Of course we’ve got a lot more, be we don’t want to ruin the surprise just yet.
Right now, we’ve got a special offer in honor of 2 years of [ b ] School 2. If you sign up for a 1 year subscription anytime this month… we’ll automatically extend your subscription or an entire year of “[ b ] School 3”.
That means, if you sign up in February, and we launch our new site in June, we’ll extend your membership ‘til June of 2014. If we don’t launch until July, you won’t have to pay again until next July. If we don’t launch until August… well if we don’t launch until August… I may kill our programmers, but we’ll still extend your subscription until 08/14.
Also, if you sign up RIGHT NOW… we’ll let you in for only $100 per year! That’s 50% off the current price and it’s the last time we’ll be offering yearly memberships for this price. Just use BSCHOOL3 at CHECKOUT.
If you are already a current member on a monthly plan, you can also take advantage of this offer by contacting support@thebschool.com with the subject line UPGRADE (Just let Paul know the best time to get a hold of you).
Lastly… we’ve always believed that the more people that participate in [ b ] School, the more valuable it becomes. If you like being a part of our tribe, please share this link on FB & Twitter and encourage your photo friends to join this helpful community.](http://25.media.tumblr.com/b82f01632beb8dbfe7e0ce3fc1a2add2/tumblr_mhl6u4wnoJ1qepqcwo1_500.jpg)
![On the 11th Day of Christmas my true love gave to me a whole bunch of BOOKINGS, and SnapKnot will help you with exactly that!One of my favorite weddings from 2012 came froma SnapKnot referral and they’ve turned into some awesome clients who are referring me all the time. I love this deal because with just one booking over the course of the year you will have made back your money several times over. This is a 48-HOUR DEAL ONLY, so make sure you don’t miss out and start your 2013 right with more bookings!Just use the code BSCHOOL12DAYS and save a whopping 66% when you sign up for an annual Diamond plan.* *Current annual Diamond SnapKnot members are not eligible.
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We’re giving back a little something in way of a contest where one lucky winner will win a $500 Apple gift card, so please help us promote our 12 days campaign. There are several ways to enter, and you can enter as often as you want. The contest ends at 11:59pm on Christmas Eve, and the winner will be announced right here on the blog on the 26th.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
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Lastly, if you aren’t a [ b ] School member, you can save 50% on your subscription by using the code 12DAYS when you sign up. If you sign up for a year, you’ll also receive a free [ b ] School T-Shirt. Be sure to check back tomorrow for another great offer and another chance to win.](http://25.media.tumblr.com/4815b244bc37ea80034b808ea1c52d8d/tumblr_mfhw16NQH21qepqcwo1_500.jpg)
![On the 10th Day of Christmas, my true love gave to me… a buy one, get one free option on the all new Pass from Show It. Pass is a simpler, smarter way to share your photos with you clients. Click the photo above to watch a 75 second video that explains it all, then click here to take advantage of the buy one event, get another one for free offer.
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We’re giving back a little something in way of a contest where one lucky winner will win a $500 Apple gift card, so please help us promote our 12 days campaign. There are several ways to enter, and you can enter as often as you want. The contest ends at 11:59pm on Christmas Eve, and the winner will be announced right here on the blog on the 26th.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
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Lastly, if you aren’t a [ b ] School member, you can save 50% on your subscription by using the code 12DAYS when you sign up. If you sign up for a year, you’ll also receive a free [ b ] School T-Shirt. Be sure to check back tomorrow for another great offer and another chance to win.](http://24.media.tumblr.com/99d1d23bf9262dc4f229765085257a79/tumblr_mfg06es4p71qepqcwo1_500.png)
![On the 9th Day of Christmas, my true love brought me some Tofu!
Of course I am referring to the marketing genius Lawrence Chan of Tofurious. Ever since I met Lawrence 5 years ago, I’ve been so impressed with the information that he has been making available to photographers. From his blog themes, his pricing info, social media strategies and SEO techniques… the guy just knows what he’s talking about and explains it in a simple straight forward fashion.
For today only, you can save a whopping 40% off of any of his products using the code BSCHOOL12DAYS at checkout.
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We’re giving back a little something in way of a contest where one lucky winner will win a $500 Apple gift card, so please help us promote our 12 days campaign. There are several ways to enter, and you can enter as often as you want. The contest ends at 11:59pm on Christmas Eve, and the winner will be announced right here on the blog on the 26th.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
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Lastly, if you aren’t a [ b ] School member, you can save 50% on your subscription by using the code 12DAYS when you sign up. If you sign up for a year, you’ll also receive a free [ b ] School T-Shirt. Be sure to check back tomorrow for another great offer and another chance to win.](http://25.media.tumblr.com/76113b987cdcb89560db2c4e725c16c8/tumblr_mfdd64pOMG1qepqcwo1_500.jpg)
![On the 8th day of Christmas, my true love gave to me… a little love from our friends at Album Exposure!
I’ve been using Album Exposure for years to show my clients a preview of their albums before we actually make them. It’s been a great tool that enables us to sell more album pages, easily communicate with the bride about any changes she wants, and helps speed up our workflow by keeping us organized.
Use BSCHOOL12DAYS to save $25 on your first annual subscription to Album Exposure. You’ll be happy you did.
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We’re giving back a little something in way of a contest where one lucky winner will win a $500 Apple gift card, so please help us promote our 12 days campaign. There are several ways to enter, and you can enter as often as you want. The contest ends at 11:59pm on Christmas Eve, and the winner will be announced right here on the blog on the 26th.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
_______
Lastly, if you aren’t a [ b ] School member, you can save 50% on your subscription by using the code 12DAYS when you sign up. If you sign up for a year, you’ll also receive a free [ b ] School T-Shirt. Be sure to check back tomorrow for another great offer and another chance to win.](http://24.media.tumblr.com/ffe17b846fb6a91535529654c3799a15/tumblr_mfc968NMWo1qepqcwo1_500.jpg)
![On the 7th day of fake [ b ] School Christmas… my true love gave to me… some sweet customizable USB drives!
Pexagon specializes in making branded USB drives, so that you can deliver your high rez files to your clients with some style. Check mine out here. I started delivering my files on them this summer and my clients have been loving them. I got the 8GB version, but I’ve found that most of my weddings edits have been around 11-12GBs (when I included the engagement photos as well) so a couple of clients received 2 drives. Once I run out, I am going to order the 16GB models, as well as some 2GB versions for portrait shoots.
PHOTOFLASH9 will save you 25% on your order if you enter it at checkout.
If you are wondering how and why I deliver the digital files to my clients, you can watch my reasoning here in the classroom.
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We’re giving back a little something in way of a contest where one lucky winner will win a $500 Apple gift card, so please help us promote our 12 days campaign. There are several ways to enter, and you can enter as often as you want. The contest ends at 11:59pm on Christmas Eve, and the winner will be announced right here on the blog on the 26th.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
_______
Lastly, if you aren’t a [ b ] School member, you can save 50% on your subscription by using the code 12DAYS when you sign up. If you sign up for a year, you’ll also receive a free [ b ] School T-Shirt. Be sure to check back tomorrow for another great offer and another chance to win.](http://25.media.tumblr.com/27128462f8dc0066994cdbcbc4341b62/tumblr_mf9lbkzMXZ1qepqcwo1_500.jpg)
