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Specialization with guest Mike Long

We have a special guest here, somebody who is very near and dear to my heart. Mike Long is somebody that I had the privilege of meeting really in a transitional phase in his career. He is a tremendous pinup artists, and I'm sure someday you'll probably see him here on Creativelive because he's breathtaking. In addition to that, he's a very good person. He's been a good friend. I recognize his talent very quickly and we immediately wanted to get him out on tour. When I tour, I teach things that I have. I teach alone the things that I feel. I'm very confident, like babies and Children and families. Those have been my loan tours there, certain things like video and pin up, although I do pin up. But I love pin up. There are experts out there that far exceed my talent. Mike is the best in his game, so I had the privilege of traveling around the country teaching pin up with him. I did more the marketing aspect. He did more the actual how to and he just blew people's mind. Mike, I would let h...

im tell you more about it, but when I met him. He was transitioning from wedding photographer to pin up, and now he truly has specialized in something. So when it comes to specialization, we talk about doing it well, do it often and show it off everywhere. I think we've covered display. So it's gonna be fun to talk a little bit with Mike about how he how he made that transition to specialize in how we make it, made it work for him. So with that being said, we're gonna go ahead and bring Mr Mike Long up here. Hey. Hello. How are you That I am? Mr. Mike is from Portland, Oregon. Hence his company's name. Portland Pinups were about to crash your side. Because if you don't go check out his work, you're crazy. If you know his work, you will know his sight. It is tremendous. So, Mr Mike, thank you for being with us. And thank you so much for taking the time out of your day. I know it's hard to figure out these segments, so So right out of the gate. I want to talk, if you don't mind backing up Historically, when I met you, as you know, you were your awesomely funny, But you are also when we had that time to finally talk, you were in that transitional phase of really going at a wedding. So tell us a little bit about how that happened. It was really by accident. I discovered pin up photography. Actually, this young girl behind me, Terry girlfriend, she's Why do pinup? She helped me with some lighting tests for weddings. At the end of the lighting test, she said, Well, I'm a pinup girl. Let's do some pinups so messed around with a few poses and I instantly fell in love with a new That's what I wanted do. I couldn't figure out how to do it as a business so still kept doing the winnings, and over a couple of years I kind of figure these things out. I realized that this is what I want to do. I don't do weddings anymore. Been doing it often on 20 years. I've had enough. It was time to do something I really, really enjoyed in this was way. Waas. So pin up really is a specialization, though it's not something that you can. It's not something that you could easily get into you can't just one night say Okay, I'm a pinup artist. So you have to go through that transition of deciding to be a pinup artist, committing to that and letting go other pieces. So how did you do that without losing your business? It was, really because there was a point where by devoting so much time to pin ups yet it wasn't yet a business so much. It was bringing income. And there was a typical went right to say to actually make this work. I've got a jump in and do it full time on. There was a period of time where wasn't bringing enough income. It was a scary time. And it was through a lot of hard work. And for what? Photographer? To watch you every week and see what you do. You know what I do? It does take a lot of hard work to create a full time business, whether it's what angel kids open up, that's what it takes. And I go out into the community, really pushed. The brand, of course, have been upset. Made sure that, people realize, is that when you pin ups on a destination for them to come to this. That's when your specialist you need to be the destination and that I think is really important because you have to sort of separate yourself from everybody else. And Mike has done that through that. We're through his work. Like I said, I hope you all get a chance to go check out a site because when you see what he's doing now, historically you have a story behind retouching. How did you become? Pinup is something you really specialize in. It's something that you have Teoh. I have skills over and above photography. There's a lot of back and work that goes independent. So how did you get those skills? Because your tremendous in this art field, the retention side of it will you talk about retouching was actually reach out before I was a photographer, up much older than I look. I'm 87 years old. It's a lot of L. A plastic surgery here on real on the but I'm over that. Researchers since before Adobe released photo shop on big industrial retouching stations. Back in the days when photographers didn't have access to scanners, you couldn't get the mark by paper and get a free scan. So I was always able to retouch my own work. Robin didn't post place. To do so was always every touch up. Um, and then I worked in commercial retouching for advertisers done this kind of this level of retouching four of a criminal victory, but on the Republican apple. And then I was working on exactly this kind of stuff. The extracting the lady put on a background, my skin retouching when I figured out that I want to be a pinup photographer, put it all together. And that's what will happen now with been a pen. If it's something that there's a lot of confusion. A lot of people confuse pin up with boudoir work, and you are not really a Buddha. I mean, you have done boudoir, but you're not a boudoir artist. And can you help people understand the difference? Because I think people try to lump that into one category. They're very yeah, it waas I've done a little town of it's really not my specialty, so I think to be a really good if it's over for you gotta have a really good connection with the subject, and it's almost a sexual connection. It's not really because you still Barry there, but there needs to be a bit of a connection and being a guy, get in that connection with a client. It's really difficult, You know, You gotta relax, that really have to give you those eyes they give their husband or boyfriend every day. I found that difficult. My stuff is a little bit sexy, but it's grandma friendly, sexy, you know, Grandma printing 99% of what I do. And I love that because it means that everybody can see why with what the climate see it, the husband would see it. That best friend might see it, and that's pretty much it. I want everyone to see what I do. Perfect. Now pin up one of my favorite things about pinup on why I'm more interested in that than anything. Then the boudoir side of it as well is Everybody looks good in pinup. It doesn't matter the size, the shape pinup. Classically, you're actually wearing a lot more clothing than you think. Think, think, pin up and they think tiny swimsuits. The reality is, the majority of the women you work with are fully clothed, correct absolutely. I'd say 70 to 80% of the worker produces fully closed later. It's all about inflation expressions in the funds. Well, having seen you on tour for a long time, it is all about facial expressions. I don't suppose you're going to give us some of those examples about you. Get that right? No, No exact example. The way that I explain it is that some. Whenever I speak up, I said, You gotta be confident and relaxed yourself If you expect your client to be confident, relaxed, something like to get a lady to give you a face, that may well be not sexual because we're not doing this sacrifices. But the one eyebrow lifted. He's a very sexy looking face to get them. To do that, you gotta be confident, expressive yourself, be bubbly and lively. As you know, that's not really a problem for me on that's That's the way to go to do it. And you always say to me, You're retouching fantastic and that kind of thing. I think the thing that separates may from the leftover irresistible the later if you look like they're having a great time and having a really good time. My sessions is supposed to be fun. That's what I found. Well, you realize that being so close, I would never publicly humiliate you and show that video here. I'm creativelive. That might possibly show you. However, it might be accidentally being uploaded to Facebook on my fan page right now, but I would never show it here way. Have a great video that Brandon's uploading that shows. Like I told him I wouldn't pull. I wouldn't show it here. So did I show it here. So he's gonna start drinking, and we're gonna start published. But it's actually really a fun clip because it shows a little bit about how he creates those expressions. And I think when you see Mike, it work. This was actually done on tour, but it's hilarious. If you get a chance, go to my Facebook page. It'll take about 10 minutes to get up. But I didn't show it here like you asked. I didn't show it. You just didn't qualify with me. You got to keep your parameters a little tighter. Their friend he's gonna kill me later. Just so you know. All right, so let's get just a little bit, I figured All right, so let's get back to business here. So I know that I don't wanna go too far into marketing. And I don't want to take too much of your time. But tell me, how is it that you I mean again? I was there with that transition of where you were working on you were really heavy in a wedding, switching over. Now you predominantly, would you say that? You on Lee du pin up photography? For the most part in the last two years, it's been sitting in the last year and 1/ percent. So it is exciting because people out there who are worried that they can't specialize, that they can't hone in on one niche, that it can be done. So So a couple last questions I don't want I don't want to take too much of your time, but from a marketing standpoint, I don't want you to give away all your secrets, but kind of give us an idea of How are you finding or what are you looking for? I guess is a better question in a client. What type of woman is going to want to work with you, That's what that's a big question on. The answer is there are actually lots and lots of ladies. My ideal climb is someone who's got obviously some spend money that wants to invest a lot in something like a custom out more so a lot. But then there are clients that maybe don't have so much money. They end up spending money because they do see this as an investment and they get really excited about it. And I want to hand down some more support tricks that kids can become something that you can what upset. But I know so I never over sell people, but they do realize this is something a bit different. And they will spend money even when they maybe don't have it available quickly. You know, something that they do invest in Finding most ladies is challenging on you. There's no magical there is. One thing you can do is suddenly gonna make you popular. No matter what genre photographer you do it. It's lots of things a working together. You got to get on the Facebook. You gotta be promoting the whole time you gotta be involved. Stores that are like minded t you so familiars lingerie stores in the salon asked if I enough tonight we're shooting the girls from the Betty Page store here in Portland just opened up a clothing store and we're gonna shoot them to put on their walls, sharpened with my logo on display like you displays and a gift card system. So those kind of things and just keep Brandon, Brandon, Brandon, you get yourself out. Well, that's great, because I think that ah, lot of us if you think pin up your kind of thinking that tattooed parlor young 20 something girl. She's really not your client. Yeah, when I first started this, I actually thought she waas And actually, I do remember a fairly short it was you made talking in a dinosaur we were onto, and I was saying, I want to go around tattoo parlors and get those sorts of girls. And you say they really tell until they're going to spend money. And it turns out they weren't because they're so obsessed with themselves in tatters on themselves. They don't want to invest money photography. The bigger market is slightly on. The lady who's probably got a couple of kids got a husband works. She works as well. That's really the most poking a time that I have awesome couple things. I know that you have some great tools. First of all, tell them again where they confined you. Facebook is awesome. He's got a lot of his work there too. So both Facebook and Website let us know where we can find you. A nice and facebook dot com slash full of get nice and 80 Twitter is my long photo think and instagram sport Billups. I don't think there was one yet, so that's where they can find you on. And then I know you also have some retouching tools that I know we use the tools he's going to talk about. We used them in our studio to do pin ups, and we were taught by Mike. We certainly pale in comparison. Our clients love what we do. I know that in our community we kick it. But, you know, I would I would hesitate to show my work next to yours because you have just nailed it. But let people know a little bit about the tools that you have that you use. Yes, so I created something with elliptical machine. You know very well she's retouching from Nashville is called indoor spokes. Pin indoors books. No handover. So it's just to make sure they can hear you. It's pin Dora Pandora's box. I'm speaking assembling your It's that What is that language again? It's English in Australia. Big speak English. Jerry's Australian. Alright, Alright, Alright, right, Which one's cuter? That's the question. Okay, who all the ladies love Jerry? We know that he's talking about Jerry Jones. I also did a tour, a wedding tour with Jerry, who is the best out there so way. Always compete the three of us all right back to you. So touching kids. It helps you with loads of videos about how to extractions, have to do skin retouching and how to do artistic effects will show you have to do that in retouching. It's what I use every single day with my reduction. Perfect. It's pretty amazing. So I'm hoping that Brandon has that video uploaded that I promise you I wouldn't. But before you go, just as a word of inspiration because obviously I'm hoping that people are taking the time to go to your side and see your work because number one it's very inspirational, but really reaching out to these folks. You have thousands of people watching you right now, so give them some advice as faras. Yeah, I know it's scary. Give them a little advice on following your dream because I know you and I have been through similar paths and we have a lot of things in common. So for you, you had to sacrifice. You've got two young boys and you had to make some sacrifices and changes in your life. So what would you tell somebody who's looking at what you're doing? Or any genre of photography and hoping and praying that they could make them? What kind of advice would you give them? Well, that's a big question. The biggest piece of advice is if you do have a dream and you really wanna do this, keep at it, but realize that it is immense amount of work. But once you figure out how Teoh package what you do and get people to love what you do, it will fall into place and it will happen eventually. We just gotta keep the faith in yourself. But you do need Teoh structure your your business and your family time in a way that you still get their interaction with your family. Don't put that aside as much as you possibly could end up doing while you chase that dream, but for sure if it's over for something you really want to do, no matter what that John Roots And this is not your in the Northwestern now just chasing dreams like Like you said, it's a tough business out there with Manitoba, Mr Are you can create in each of yourself and the best thing to do it should be yourself and find your own voice. And that's what I always teach. Tonight in this kind of stuff is, it's very tempting to just look other people stuff and just let in some way. But eventually that will found you. You need Teoh. Take inspiration from the hold around expression from movies for videos from deviation music from books like additional director imagination that you know I'm always writing down ideas and things, and my to do list is huge and just take inspiration from around. Find your spin on it, and what makes expression for your vision of the world and eventually you will find a 1,000,000. Perfect. We'll Mike, I don't want to keep you any longer. Although it is always finding a pleasure to see you. I hope our paths cross again very soon. You have a splendid in very blessed day and I will see you on the road. I'm sure very soon.