Yelp - Ethical or Extortion?

Yelp boasts of being the premiere website portal where the general public can voice their views on just about any business and service. Up until the arrival of such sites, the airing of one's perspective was consider an opinion. Today, however, such judgments are elevated in status and are regarded as reviews.

A quick visit to Yelp will quickly reveal a "Search for" feature where you can effortless begin to search out any business in the country. With a couple quick clicks you're up and running, reading the wall-to-wall reviews.

Seems like a great idea, right?

For the thousands of businesses who are in good standing with Yelp, I'd have to say it's highly beneficial, but for the thousands of businesses who Yelp deems unworthy, the consequences are anything but favorable.

yelp [yelp] verb - to utter a sharp or high-pitched cry or bark, often indicating pain (esp of a dog)

Take me for instance. A quick search for Orange County Photographer,  Mark Jordan Photography shows positive reviews from every site that posts them. Google Reviews posts 31 of them, all 5 Star. CitySearch has 18 reviews - all 5 Star. MerchantCircle with 14 reviews, again all 5 Star. The list goes on and on.

So how about Yelp? I have 85 reviews so far - also all 5 Star. Yet anyone visiting my site would never know. Why? All but a handful have been removed, or what Yelp euphemistically refers to as "filtered." Why? If I knew the answer to this, there would be no need for my post.

Before I continue, a short look back in the very recent past is in order.

About a year ago I received a call from a Yelp salesman, Brandon. He highlighted my many, 5 Star reviews while delivering a persuasive pitch about how advertising with Yelp would dramatically increase my business. We shared several phone conversations, and though I was impressed, in the end Yelp's fees were more than I wanted to pay. Were I a restaurant owner or contractor, I'd have signed-up for sure. Being a portrait photographer, however, I wasn't confident the cost was worth the risk or that Yelp could perform as promised.

Brandon and I parted ways and thought nothing of it - that is until the following week when I noticed all my reviews had mysteriously disappeared. I called Brandon to ask him what happened, whereupon he assured me that declining Yelp's offer to advertise had nothing to do with my reviews vanishing: "Even though the reviews had been posted for quite some time, it was just a matter of coincidence that your reviews were filtered subsequent to declining Yelp's offer to advertise."

When I inquired as to how my reviews were filtered, Brandon explained that "Jeremy" (Yelp's CEO) installed a special program which determines which reviews are trustworthy and relevant, and which are not. It seemed that Yelp simply decided that the reviews that were once evaluated as worthy, having met all their guidelines, suddenly no longer were.

Okay, seems fair enough. Nothing furtive here. One day my reviews are relevant, for a protracted period, and then right after declining to partner with Yelp, they're removed.

Are you buying this?

No Yelp for you!
Makes a grown man want to, well, yelp! 

In the interest of time, suffice it to say, this same scenario has been repeated on the reviews written about my photography studio ever since. Every single one of my reviews are now filtered. I don't know about you, but from my perspective, something doesn't seem quite right here.

If you're wondering about an "appeal" process, none exists. Yelp's decision is final. No Yelp for you!

Does it hurt? Sure it does. Not only are the visitors to my
business told that my portrait studio does not merit a review, the clients who have invested their time are being silenced from sharing their positive experiences. It's enough to make a grown man yelp!

Just so you understand that nothing is peculiar about the reviews written about my studio, here's an example of a typical one:

"Mark did an exceptional job on my corporate head shots. He has a true talent for bringing out the best in his subjects. My photos were professional AND captured my personality. I highly recommend him." 

The client who posted the review above included her name (Janet B) and even the headshot I created. You can see for yourself (along with the many filtered reviews that have yet to be deleted).

A quick review of Yelp's guidelines will show that my client's assessment fulfills their protocol to the tee. In fact, this review, along with all the reviews written about Mark Jordan Photography, could not better define what Yelp is looking for in a trustworthy, relevant review. And yet her voice is "filtered," along with thousands upon thousand of voices like her - all who simply desire to share their experiences.

---------------------------

So then, is Yelp ethical or is it extortion?

To be frank, I do truly do not know - I can only share my experience.

However, I am convinced if Yelp does not either develop a more transparent method of filtering its reviews and answering questions to customers like me, it won't be too long before Dictionary.com will not only define Yelp as a high-pitched cry of pain, but added to the definition of unscrupulous:

Un·scru·pu·lous [uhn-skroo-pyuh-luhs] adjective not scrupulous; unrestrained by scruples;
conscienceless; unprincipled - YELP!

Mark

©Googtoon - Life • Popular Culture • Politics • Entertainment • Public Figures

Mark Jordan Photography

Orange County Family Portraits

Orange County Headshots

------------------------------------------------

ADDENDUM: 7-24-12
One review was restored and is now posted, the one review that was not filtered is now filtered, and four other 5 star reviews were removed altogether - Yelp representative stated that they were "possible conflicts of interest."

ADDENDUM: 10-10-12
One review remains (an active Yelper), eleven now filtered, with four removed altogether.

ADDENDUM: 02-02-15
Eight reviews remain (all actives Yelpers, which it appears to be the key to having a review stick), sixteen now actively filtered, with an undetermined number of reviews removed altogether.

ADDENDUM: 01-29-17
I've been very fortunate to have 59 grateful clients express their appreciation with 5 Star since my last post. Unfortunately, only 35 remain unfiltered. The count was 43 a few months back when I carelessly answered the phone from a Yelp ad salesman. After declining and kindly expressing to the man my concerns, the very next day, all but 27 were filtering. Since then I am careful to never pickup the phone when I see the area code of 415.

ADDENDUM: 11-29-18
My clients have posted 124 5 Star Reviews – yet only 42 are unfiltered. Just last week a total of 75 reviews were showing. So, what happened? I inadvertently answered the phone to a Yelp salesperson. After taking with her and sharing my concerns, she persisted that I needed to advertise. When I gently declined, the VERY next morning, 15 reviews were erased. Since then 1-2 reviews disappear each day. The rate it is going, I will have maybe a handful left by the end of the year. The Billion Dollar Bully is in full extortion mode.

Miami Sewing Machines

by Orange County Photographer, Mark Jordan Photography
South Beach - Miami

Closing my Orange County photography studio (Mark Jordan Photography) to go galavanting across the country is not always easy, especially on a whimsy. But when a good bud offers to pickup the tab for a jaunt out to Miami for a few nights stay at the Versace Mansion (properly titled "The Villa"), who am I to argue? Goodbye California, wife and family, and hello South Beach!

Miami Sewing Machines - ©Mark Jordan Photography 

As it tuns out, the same chap who owns "The Villa," Barton G., also runs a posh restaurant just around the corner, and of the same name, Barton G. This dining phenomenon is yet for another post, but suffice it to say, it's more than worth the flight and expense to experience again, and again. In fact I did. This is where my story begins.

The Villa Barton G: Our Balcony - The Villa Entrance at Night - One of our Rooms with 12' Wide Bed 

After thoroughly gorging myself at a scrumptious dinner extravaganza at "Barton G's The Restaurant" in Miami, rather than accepting a ride back to my hotel (this visit at the Canyon Ranch Hotel and Spa) I decided to walk off a few calories by rambling the streets of South Beach. Also having my trusty Canon 5D in hand gave me all the rationale I needed to walk a few miles when I could have just has easily been driven.

Mark Jordan - View from from room balcony at the Canyon Ranch Hotel & Spa 

Being a Friday night, things were hopping in Miami. Either you like this sort of frenetic activity or you don't. My temperament leans somewhat to the latter, although there is something intoxicating about the energy and youthful lust for life - it percolates my blood. Not to mention the exotic cars, enticing aromas, reverberating sonance and provocative ensembles, if not the trappings of great wealth. Okay, so I was enjoying myself more than I thought.

Regardless, I felt very much the voyeur - a man out-of-place, brandishing an equally out-of-place appendage: a large professional camera. Each time I lifted my cannon [sic], faces would either grimace and scatter, or sparkle and shine. Nonetheless, it was not the people upon which my intent was focused, nor my camera. My fascination was the environs that seduced them - like moths to a flame it brought them by the thousands. The Miami turf, more than anything, captured my attention.

Well then, for all my talk, you'd think I'd post a few fairly outrageous images. RIght? Instead, I document my Miami stroll with a sole image of a window strewn with sewing machines. Well yes, that's me. This was my favorite image and one that seems to encapsulate best what my emotions were transmitting.

Raw Digital Image 

For all the excitement and stimulation, for all the glitz and glamour, and for all the anticipation and fertile hopes, there was an almost suffocating atmosphere of loneliness. It was these sewing machines I spotted in the All Saints window that spoke to me the loudest - each one suggesting the nature of the lives that scurried about. So many with latent design and purposeful intent, but idly active, on display, shelved and disconnected.

It also did not get lost on me that the agents of my curiosity were confined within a store boasting the emblem "All Saints." Although it's commonly thought today that "saints" occupy the realms solely defined by Websters as "persons recognized with exception holiness in the Christian Church by canonization," the Book whereupon the narrative of "saint" was first penned was a characteristic attributed to and attainable by every person. The contrast of this distinction was striking.

For me, these abandoned, inert and impotent machines, seemed to piece together my sense of the walking contradictions before me. So may lives that, though intertwined by activity, were nonetheless isolated and barren by the same force they sought to unite them. I guess if I had observed a display of robitronic zombies I could have substituted their image instead. But in lieu of such a discovery, these Miami Sewing Machines, I believe, will do just fine.

Mark

©Googtoon - Life • Popular Culture • Politics • Entertainment • Public Figures

Mark Jordan Photography

Orange County Family Portraits

Orange County Headshots

From Cityscape to Portrait

When I have the opportunity to travel, which of late seems to be more and more often (thanks to my bud Steve Shulem of Strictly Vacations), I love to get out into the city to walk about in the late afternoon and capture the environs around me. I refer to the images I create from these serendipitous sessions as Cityscapes. Were I independently wealthy, I would dedicate myself to them every chance I could. 

Nassau Wall ©2011 Mark Jordan

A couple weeks ago, while stolling though the streets of Nassau, I came across an interesting textured wall (replete with red accents of shutters, windows, doors and service portals). As the sun was setting fast, I too had to move quickly. In the short five minutes I was given, I was able to squeeze off maybe a hundred exposures on my Canon 5D Mark II (much of which were a tad soft due to long, hand held exposures - and possible a little excitement). 

When I arrived home and viewed my raw files, I knew I had a great deal of "lab" work to perform in order to extract from the image what I had in my mind's eye.  Not only would I have to reveal the tonalities  and texture I felt it demanded, the perspective would also have to be corrected to yield a more balanced expression. As you might have guessed, I already had the composition in mind before creating my exposure. Foolishly, I only took one. 

After a few hours of experimentation, I came with up several interpretations, of which the framed image above is one of my faves. I imagine Nasssau Wall as a 45x60 hanging in a quaint B&B, possibly in a hotel lobby. Regardless of where it might be displayed, with the right framing, I think it's a fine image that would complement the right setting.

Though Cityscapes, in of the themselves, have ample design elements to hang of their own, what I find particularly challenging, and fun, is to later add people to them. The image above is a prime example of a fascinating Cityscape, which, on it's own, would not only make for a handsome display for the right admirer, but might also appeal to those looking for an one-of-a-kind portrait. 

As to my secondary purpose of inserting people into my Cityscapes, on the right is a portrait of a handsome executiveI I recently photographed in my portrait studio. I used this image as sort of a "stock-photo" to demonstrate how I might approach adding a person to my latest Cityscape. Were I to design this image most effectively, rather than dipping into a readily available image, I would begin from scratch, ensuring every detail harmonized with the Cityscape. I chose this particular image not only because of his piercing blue eyes, but the light quality (soft and low, like the setting sun) and direction, which is a close match to the light direction on the Cityscape.

After meticulously extracting my subject for this particular portrait (of which the light stray hairs are vital to include, i.e. to maintain a natural look), I then tweak the outlining edge by removing anything that does not belong. I then soften the edge so as to avoid appearing cut out. I also blur the torso, rendering the back shoulder more diffuse than the front.

©2011 Mark Jordan

Once the edges are just perfect, I make a copy of both Cityscape and subject, then compress the two so that the images are one. I then take my Brush Tool (0% hardness and 20% opacity, 2-3 diameter), and draw-in a few more stay hairs. I am careful to take continuous color samples so that the strays will be as varied as his hair (yes, I know the odds of someone actually spotting the subtle difference are nil, but it's my nature - and yes, I paint on the underside of chairs as well...).

©2011 Mark Jordan

Lastly, I run my image through my a few plug-ins to balance tones, contrast, texture, etc. The idea here is to meld the images not only layer-wise, but the total feel of the image. I can't make up my mind which of the two renditions I like most. How about you?

Mark

©Photosical - the photographic, philosophical observations of Orange County Photographer, Mark Jordan

markjordanphoto.com
orangecountyfamilyportrait.com
orangecountyheadshot.com
orangecountyseniorportrait.com

Mark Jordan Photography specializes in crafting stunning contemporary, traditional, classic, and storytelling family portraits (high school seniors, children portraits, babies, maternity, pregnancy), headshots and pets. Mark Jordan, a Photography Hall of Fame photographer in Rancho Santa Margarita and provides portrait photography throughout Orange County. The portrait studio also serves San Diego County and Inland Empire. Studio Photography Services are also provided in Riverside County and Los Angeles County. Local Cites where photography studio services are offered are in Aliso Viejo, Anaheim, Brea, Costa Mesa, Coto de Caza, Cypress, Dana Point, Dove Canyon, Fountain Valley, Huntington Beach, Irvine, Ladera Ranch, Laguna Beach, Laguna Hills, Laguna Niguel, Laguna Woods, Lake Forest, Mission Viejo, Newport Beach, Northwood, Orange, Orange Park Acres, San Clemente, San Juan Capistrano, Santa Ana, Tustin, Villa Park, Westminster, Yorba Linda, Corona del Mar, Murrieta, Murrieta Hot Springs, Quail Valley, Riverside, Temecula, Winchester, Woodcrest, Chino Hills, Fontana, Grand Terrace, Loma Linda, Montclair, Rancho Bernardo, Carlsbad, Coronado, Del Mar, Escondido, La Mesa, Oceanside, San Diego, San Marcos, Solana Beach, Vista, Carmel Mountain Ranch, Rancho San Diego, Rancho Santa Fe, and San Diego Country Estates, Turtle Rock, Shady Canyon. Portrait Photographers everywhere (photographers in O.C. as well) are welcome to contact our portrait studio for mentoring/guidance.

Ray Ban

Ray Ban is an image I captured while roaming about the Christening ceremonies of Oceania's newest flagship, Marina, in Miami. The handsome gentleman depicted here was sitting next the to the ship, which made for an ideal backdrop for the contrasting skin tones and harmonizing clothing.

Ray Ban © Mark Jordan Photography

When walking down a side aisle toward the stage, I at first passed him up. However, on my return trip up an aisle, he stood out among a sea of empty white chairs. The choir, of which he was the lead singer, had just abandoned their seats as they prepared themselves for the next musical event. He alone remained. 


The trick was to capture this man without his attention. Understandably, this was no small feat. Considering the size of my camera and that while most of the attendees were relaxing comfortably in their seats, I was walking about, I was less than invisible. This wasn't going to be easy. Any pre-attention I gave him was going to destroy the spontaneity. This was not going to happen!


My approach was to feign a conspicuous attention on the stage while directing my peripheral vision to keep my target in view. The objective was to capture him quickly, without him noticing I was there, and then simply move on - the stealth method...


I then knelt to his left and focused on a subjet in front of me that appeared to be equidistant  to him. Feeling I was set, and his attention was on the unfolding event, I swiftly turned to catch him unaware. Just as I did, however, he suddenly noticed a friend who was edging his way out of his seat row, directly behind me. I did not know what had occurred until afterwards.


He turned at the precise same time my lens settled and I caught him wholly oblivious to my presence. The expression you see is his welcoming smile at seeing a fellow musician who was ready to join him on stage. It's one of those magical moments.  


As always, should you have any comments, questions, no concern is too small.


From the heart,

Mark

©Photosical - the photographic, philosophical observations of Orange County Photographer, Mark Jordan

markjordanphoto.com
orangecountyfamilyportrait.com
orangecountyheadshot.com
orangecountyseniorportrait.com

Mark Jordan Photography specializes in crafting stunning contemporary, traditional, classic, and storytelling family portraits (high school seniors, children portraits, babies, maternity, pregnancy), headshots and pets. Mark Jordan, a Photography Hall of Fame photographer in Rancho Santa Margarita and provides portrait photography throughout Orange County. The portrait studio also serves San Diego County and Inland Empire. Studio Photography Services are also provided in Riverside County and Los Angeles County. Local Cites where photography studio services are offered are in Aliso Viejo, Anaheim, Brea, Costa Mesa, Coto de Caza, Cypress, Dana Point, Dove Canyon, Fountain Valley, Huntington Beach, Irvine, Ladera Ranch, Laguna Beach, Laguna Hills, Laguna Niguel, Laguna Woods, Lake Forest, Mission Viejo, Newport Beach, Northwood, Orange, Orange Park Acres, San Clemente, San Juan Capistrano, Santa Ana, Tustin, Villa Park, Westminster, Yorba Linda, Corona del Mar, Murrieta, Murrieta Hot Springs, Quail Valley, Riverside, Temecula, Winchester, Woodcrest, Chino Hills, Fontana, Grand Terrace, Loma Linda, Montclair, Rancho Bernardo, Carlsbad, Coronado, Del Mar, Escondido, La Mesa, Oceanside, San Diego, San Marcos, Solana Beach, Vista, Carmel Mountain Ranch, Rancho San Diego, Rancho Santa Fe, and San Diego Country Estates, Turtle Rock, Shady Canyon. Portrait Photographers everywhere (photographers in O.C. as well) are welcome to contact our portrait studio for mentoring/guidance.

Keywords Make for Poor Communication [i.e. for orange county photographer, or photographers in orange county, etc.]

©Photosical - the photographic, philosophical observations of Orange County Photographer, Mark Jordan

markjordanphoto.com
orangecountyfamilyportrait.com
orangecountyheadshot.com
orangecountyseniorportrait.com


Photographers looking for the most efficacious keywords would do best to contact a professional service who can do the research for them. It's fairly inexpensive and will save any portait studio a great deal of time, especially portrait photographers whose primary focus is family portraits.


Photographers in Orange County, or any large metropolitan area, or a photography studio in any bustling Orange County city such as Irvine, Mission Viejo, Rancho Santa Margarita, Newport Beach or Tustin, would do best to discover targeting keywords exclusively for their local. 


As a family portrait photographer, specializing in not only studio photography, but family portraits at the beach (i.e. beach portraits), park portraits, empty next portraits, and contemporary portraits, could do no better than contacting Golden Nugget Keyword search. They not only were instrumental with my portrait photography studio, but for any photographer in Orange County they would be most helpful.


Now that you may be wondering why I've said a great deal while saying nothing, this was simply an exercise in seeing if I could quickly write a couple paragraphs using all the keywords I just discovered were most beneficial for my portrait studio. As a photographer in Rancho Santa Margarita, a smaller city with very few portrait photographers, my keywords are more specific than let's say a photographer in Irvine, or a photographer in Mission Viejo. 

Regardless, it appears that once I began trying to incorporate all my keywords in a single posting, I simply cannot stop inserting them willy-nilly, such as a photographer in Tustin might do were they attempting to promote their portrait studio, or photography studio, which more than likely specializes in family portraits (and possibly senior portraits and Orange County headshots).


Which raises the question, do you prefer to spell headshots with no hyphen, or head-shots with a hyphen? Or maybe with not hypen at all, head shot? Regardless how one might spell headshots, it's better to do them well than worrying about how to spell headshot. As an Orange County Photographer, and more specifically, a photographer in Laguna Niguel, it's vital to have a portrait studio where the photographer can create family portraits and meet with fellow portrait photographers, regardless if they do headshot business portraits. Senior portraits are a different matter altogether. 


However, photographers in Orange County, as well as photographers in Irvine (and photographers in Mission Viejo) might find it beneficial to incorporate keywords that not only show them as portrait photographers, and headshot photographers in Orange County, but that their portrait studio, whether it be a photography studio creating studio photography, also is proficient at designing creative family portraits, children portraits, and senior portraits. 


Having been a portait photographer in Rancho Santa Margarita for nearly 16 years, and a photographer in Orange County for over 30 years, I can attest to the turism that a photographers portrait studio will thrive only when their portrait families can find the type of portrait photography they need for their family portrait needs.


Enough said.


Mark ;}


Mark Jordan Photography specializes in crafting stunning contemporary, traditional, classic, and storytelling family portraits (high school seniors, children portraits, babies, maternity, pregnancy), headshots and pets. Mark Jordan, a Photographers Hall of Famer is a photographer in Rancho Santa Margarita and provides portrait photography throughout Orange County. The portrait studio also serves San Diego County and Inland Empire. Studio Photography Services are also provided in Riverside county and Los Angeles County. Local Cites where photography studio services are offered are in Aliso Viejo, Anaheim, Brea, Costa Mesa, Coto de Caza, Cypress, Dana Point, Dove Canyon, Fountain Valley, Huntington Beach, Irvine, Ladera Ranch, Laguna Beach, Laguna Hills, Laguna Niguel, Laguna Woods, Lake Forest, Mission Viejo, Newport Beach, Northwood, Orange, Orange Park Acres, San Clemente, San Juan Capistrano, Santa Ana, Tustin, Villa Park, Westminster, Yorba Linda, Corona, Murrieta, Murrieta Hot Springs, Quail Valley, Riverside, Temecula, Winchester, Woodcrest, Chino Hills, Fontana, Grand Terrace, Loma Linda, Montclair, Rancho Bernardo, Carlsbad, Coronado, Del Mar, Escondido, La Mesa, Oceanside, San Diego, San Marcos, Solana Beach, Vista, Carmel Mountain Ranch, Rancho San Diego, Rancho Santa Fe, and San Diego Country Estates, Turtle Rock, Shady Canyon. Portrait Photographers everywhere (photographes in O.C. as well) are welcome to contact our portrait studio for mentoring/guidance.