The Photo Professional

Lensbaby Winner! :)

Michelle — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 15:41:43 +0000

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Congratulations to….

Crimson Chickadee Photography you just won a fancy new Lensbaby Composer! You will be contacted soon with details!

Lensbaby Composer Giveaway!

Michelle — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 15:08:38 +0000

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Extending the giveaway through tomorrow, Saturday August, 21, 2010!

A special thanks to Lensbaby for offering our readers one of their wonderful Composers! We are giving away one Lensbaby Composer to one lucky winner, this Friday August 20th, 2010!

You can view the Gallery of Awesomeness for lots of examples on what this amazing lens can do. I own one and it is always in my camera bag! So easy to use and gives incredible effects!

HOW TO ENTER:

VERY IMPORTANT:

1. Please TWEET THE GIVEAWAY SAYING “I just entered to win a #Lensababy Composer at thephotoprofessional.com! #lens #giveaway #photographers #togs #photography”

2. Please share this Post on Facebook

3. Please leave ONE AND ONLY ONE COMMENT BELOW telling us that you’ve done both of those things. If you leave more than one comment, it will be deleted prior to drawing the winning name.

BEST OF LUCK! We will draw our winner on Friday August 20th at 3pm EST!

Wear it to Work #1: Classy Edge With a Hint of Comfy

Michelle — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 15:07:53 +0000

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I’m really excited to post our very first Wear it to Work! We will feature looks for men and women alike. This particular look is for the laaadieees :D

Every piece pulled to create this look costs $50 or less, and I will do my best to stick with that in each post. I am, afterall, a girl who loves bargains. What does fashion mean to me? It is just a fun outlet that I’m thankful to have. No it isn’t a necessity in my life but I enjoy having a reason to feel good and get dressy! Putting effort into your appearance just makes you more aware of yourself, gives you confidence, and lets others know that you are the kind of person who makes an effort, without having to say anything at all! I wanted to call this one ‘Classy Edge With a Hint of Comfy‘ to sort of sum up what I adhere to when I go out shooting on location. I’ve been known to wear heels in the grass, but I don’t really enjoy that bit of it as much as I pretend to :P

The truth is, we all want to be comfortable when we go out shooting. As an artist however, I believe in making an impression and representing myself as both professional, artistic, and confident (AND someone who cares about my hygiene). Piecing together a look such as this, we are pulling in a few different elements, having combined a mixture of era, pattern, and colour. The top is more Victorian and romantic in feel while the pants are a bit grunge in feel, but that they are slightly form-fitting keeps them from looking messy. Next up we have our mixture of patterns ranging from floral to plaid to Plain Jane. The reason this particular combination works is because of the color selection and intentional pairing of florals as accents. When you are pairing solids with patterns, it is better to start with the patterned piece first and then select a solid color to offset the pattern. The shirt in this instance was an olive green color, and I chose complimentary red accents, starting with the adorable Floral patterned shoes from Forever 21. Since I’m in love with florals at the moment, I figured a nice touch would be to stick with florals for the remaining accent pattern to make the “clashing” of patterns feel more intentional, pulling the rest of the look together. The Red Jumbo Rose bracelet was the PERFECT little solid splash of red, but still patterned to mesh well with the bag and shoes. (And no, not all of my bags match my outfits intentionally, I generally stick with a basic black bag when I’m out shooting but digital shopping makes the world an entirely different playground haha!) Throw on some shades in case its a super sunny day, and voila, you are set!

Please leave us a comment if you enjoyed this post, and please feel free to leave suggestions for future ‘Wear It To Work!” articles.

Get these items:

	Double Breasted Squadron Jacket $36 - canada.forever21.com More jackets »
	Living Dead Souls-FireBubbles $32 - bluebanana.com More jeans »
	Forever21.com – Shoes – Casual – 2077052742 $20 $17 - forever21.com More Forever21 shoes »
	Lucky Brand ‘Large’ Printed Canvas Shopper $79 $39 - nordstrom.com More Lucky Brand tote bags »
	Red Jumbo Rose Bracelet $16 - missselfridge.com More Miss Selfridge bracelets »
	AJ Morgan Women’s Free Press Sunglasses $20 - endless.com More A.J. Morgan sunglasses »

The Easy Accounting Solution Giveaway Winner Announced + Next Giveaway

Michelle — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 18:42:39 +0000

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Congratulations to Tina J!!
candkphotography.com

Tina is the winner of the incredible prize offered to us from The Easy Accounting Solution.You will be contacted shortly with information on how to claim your prize!

Please Mark August 16th on your calendar for the next giveaway, we have a prize coming up worth $270!
A hint: What’s smooth and precise and everything nice? That’s what this LENS is made of…. stay tuned!
Have a wonderful weekend,

Michelle XOX

The Easy Accounting Solution for the Photographer Giveaway!

Michelle — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 17:41:41 +0000

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Here is your chance to receive a FREE copy of The Easy Accounting Solution for the Photographer!!!

Photographers love the creative side of what they do. They don’t however usually like the “business side” of their business. Photographers often comment that they wish there was a way to make it easier for them to take care of their accounting. Keeping track of how much your company makes (income from customers) is not the only thing you must keep track of. You must keep detailed records of your expenses too; this is especially important come tax time. If you have kept detailed records all year, tax-time is SO much less stressful! However, it can be difficult to know what to keep track of, and how to categorize it.

The Easy Accounting Solution for the Photographer has come up with the solution! The Easy Accounting Solution for the Photographer is an easy-to-use Excel spreadsheet that was designed specifically for photographers. There is no prior bookkeeping or Excel knowledge needed. You get not only the Excel spreadsheet, but also a detailed Word write-up which not only tells you how to use the spreadsheet, but what items to track and how to track them.

The Easy Accounting Solution for the Photographer is not only an accounting tool. It also allows you to keep a customer database (good for marketing) and a job tracking tab. One product to keep track of customers, jobs, invoicing, income, expenses, tax deductions, and more!

To win you must:

1. Go to The Easy Accounting Solution for the Photographer Facebook page and click “Like” at the top of the page.

2. Comment on this blog letting us know why you think this would be a great product for you and your business.

3. A winner will be chosen at random on August 6, 2010 at 2:00pm EST

4. All others may use discount code TPP15 to purchase a copy of The Easy Accounting Solution for the Photographer at a 15% discount. The discount code expires with the closing of the giveaway on August 6, 2010 at 2:00pm – don’t miss it!

Facebook badge code:
the Easy Accounting Solution for the Photographer

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BEST OF LUCK to everyone, thanks for entering!

Order Deadlines

Michelle — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 22:29:10 +0000

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I can speak from experience when I say, it has been difficult in the past at times getting clients to order in a timely fashion. Here are some suggestions to help you avoid having to play the waiting game, without waiting until you’ve become frustrated. Remember that the more you stick to your policies and communicate those policies clearly to your clients, the better chance you have of keeping things moving!

1. Proofing Gallery expiration date
If you don’t use this yet, there is not a better time than today for you to start enforcing a gallery expiration policy. Go over this with your clients at the time your session is over when you are explaining the ordering process.

2. Printed order forms
Whether or not your client chooses to order online, via phone, in person, or by mail, printed order forms are a great way to help keep the client organized. My order forms include sections by size with a space to write down the file number, a place for them to make notes, and a place to total everything up on their own. I advise them to use this before making their final order. I always encourage them to place orders on the phone if not in person so there are less chances for miscommunications.

3. In-Person Ordering Session
This is a fairly new option I have been suggesting to my clients, which was spelled out to me by the amazing photographer Michael Corsentino when he called me one day to discuss business ideas. I was so inspired by the conversation that I don’t think I would prefer anything other than in-person ordering and I’m going to stick with it this year. His advice to me was to go ahead and print out some extra enlargements, and have them invite significant friends and family to the ordering session, letting them know that the purchase of those prints were available by discount at the ordering session only. He uses a projector to put photographs on the wall, at various sizes, so his clients can see what appeals to them, literally speaking. Scheduling an ordering session is simply another way to customize their experience with you. Every time you meet with a client in person, it is another opportunity for you to shine!

4. Deadline / Reminder Cards
Whether your client will be ordering by phone or in person, it’s a great idea to shoot a little reminder card in with their printed proof book. I recently re-branded my business and put together my deadline cards lastnight. I am using my order deadline as the in person ordering date also, in case they change their mind it can be set aside in advance. Here’s a sample of what they look like to give you an idea. I printed these onto recycled paper at home and left a pretty border to dress them up… so you don’t have to spend tons of $ creating something that looks really nice, and it is going to be worth it to encourage your client to respect your time.

5. Late Fee
What happens if they don’t make the deadline? They get a late fee applied to their final order. Its like interest really, if you think about it. For example, lets say you wake up one morning and your water line is leaking. You call in the plumber, and charge it to your credit card. The line is fixed, but you haven’t technically paid up. What happens when the payment is late? You get a nasty little interest fee applied to your bill. Same with car and rent payments, etc. Just make things clear ahead of time and they’ll be more apt to comply with your policies.

6. Setting up Payment Plans
Paypal invoicing is a Savior! Being able to offer payment plans helps fit the budgets of all income types. Paying little by little just works better for some households, and Paypal is a GREAT way to allow for this without having to sign up for a credit transactions account, that requires you to pay a monthly fee PLUS transaction fees. Paypal takes out 3% of all transactions, which to me is worth not having the hassle of even more book-work since it logs everything for you. It has a very simple invoicing tool so you can bill your clients by email, and they can pay via credit card even if they don’t have a paypal account. Something to consider!

So what have you learned from these little suggestions?

THAT IT IS OKAY TO REQUIRE A DEADLINE.
THAT YOUR TIME IS VALUABLE.
THAT YOU ARE A BUSINESSPERSON AND YOUR HARD WORK DESERVES TO BE RESPECTED, JUST LIKE ANYONE ELSE :)

I really hope this sheds some light for you. The bottom line is…. have your policy in tact AHEAD of time, go over it with your clients so they know what to expect.

ABOUT US

Michelle — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 00:55:30 +0000

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First, we would like to welcome you to our NEW site! We’re so excited to have such an incredible platform for keeping you up to date with valuable information in the wonderful realm of art called photography!

Michelle Black, Ohio USA

Our blog is really all about you; we want this to be a place for you to come and be inspired, a place to learn, and a place to help you recognize your own vision as an artist, as an individual, and (if it applies to you) a business owner. Afterall, your work is a reflection of who you are! Not only for professionals, we are happy to welcome anyone who has a love for the experience of photography, including scrapbookers, people who simply just love to play in Photoshop and want something new to try, photobloggers, and hobbyists who would like to improve and blossom as artists. Don’t think we’re always in serious-mode here, however; we intend to shake things up a bit with our fun contests and giveaways, music features, and fashion suggestions for different work occasions. Please have a look around and make yourself at home :)

PRODUCTS

Products and resources on thephotoprofessional.com are custom-designed by Michelle Black and a team of guest designers! What is our style like? A touch of earth, a touch of retro, and a touch of modern in our designs.. to bring you the full spectrum of possibility! We will be releasing new products here every month, because we know how much you love new goodies :)

Michelle has 5+ years of experience designing templates and actions, and 6+ years of experience as a serious photographer (four of them as a professional). She began marketing for her photography business and also fell in love with the design process. Photographers all over the world use her products, and she is most sought-after for her film-like processing of digital black and whites.

Our products are aimed towards professional photographers, hobbyist photographers, scrapbook fanatics, and bloggers who want to not only brand their identity, but give their readers and fans something with quality and impeccable taste.

ONLINE WORKSHOPS

Michelle also offers one-on-one creative mentorships (via chat) to those of you looking to refine your vision. Steering away from the technical side to look deep into the heart of why and how you create, how you relate to the world around you, and learning to trust your creative intuition are things you will need to do in order to discover your own creative methods. An amazing personal journey with so much to explore!

learn more about Michelle’s workshops here:

itsyouratmosphere

ARTICLES, REVIEWS, AND TUTORIALS

We are happy to share our experiences with you through articles, reviews, and even video tutorials and podcasts.

GIVEAWAYS & CONTESTS

We will regularly be holding contests and giveaways! Our way of giving back to our awesome readers.

We are grateful for your presence here, and remember: THERE IS NO OTHER WORK LIKE YOUR WORK ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD! Your vision is unique, rare, and beautiful. :)

Steampunk Papers $15

Michelle — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 05:55:00 +0000

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6 high-res JPGs that I use consistently as image overlays and backgrounds throughout my portfolio. These papers were carefully chosen and pieced together with a specific era in mind (Victorian). Beautiful on black and white images as well.

What is “steampunk,” you ask?

“Steampunk is a sub-genre of fantasy and speculative fiction that came into prominence in the 1980s and early 1990s. The term denotes works set in an era or world where steam power is still widely used—usually the 19th century, and often Victorian era England—but with prominent elements of either science fiction or fantasy” – WIKIPEDIA.

Suggested Use: Image overlays, Backgrounds, Marketing Materials (backgrounds), sprucing up your blog or website, digital scrapbooking, card design, album design. All textures were shot by Michelle Black.

Leaves Storyboard Template $5

Michelle — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 14:31:00 +0000

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Gorgeous one-of-a-kind template featuring original photography by Michelle Black as the background! Text is fully customizeable. Layers make it easy for you to add your images and the sizes are specified exactly for perfect placement. Note: Font shown on template is not inclulded. *Font used on this template was Batik Regular* Template sized for printing on a 10″ x 20″ sized sheet. Gorgeous to use on canvas, metal prints, and float wraps!

4-in-1 Vintage Storyboard

Michelle — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 14:20:00 +0000

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Compatible with all versions of Photoshop

Create multiple effects on this classic looking 10″x20″storyboard template. Simply turn design layers on or off for multiple looks, or leave more than one layer on for unique effects! Just $7