Roman bath, England

So, you are going to finally get that long overdue vacation, and you have made plans to go somewhere scenic and beautiful. This means you will be taking along your camera gear in order to make excellent images of your journey. Does it also mean that you have done your research and made a list of potential sites? Have you also planned on taking the minimal gear to make traveling easier? Do you even know which gear you are going to need?

Just like any other photographic endeavor, scheduling vacation photography requires some advance planning and research. “Step one” on any trip is knowing where and what you will photograph. For example, you are planning a vacation to Bath, England and you hope to take tons of photographs of the historic Roman buildings and Georgian architecture that

Bridge in Bath

fill the city. That is great information to know because it guides you in selecting the lenses and gear to bring along on the trip. You know that you will want a wide angle lens for the massive buildings in the city and also for several of the scenic parks, and you will also have to understand that tripod photography is probably out of the question. Lastly, you will know that your photographs might have to be taken at the “sweet light” hours of early morning and very late afternoon because of the reflection of sunlight off the many white stone buildings.

So, with advance planning you will be able to identify the minimal gear to bring and the times of day when your photographic pursuits will be the most successful. Have you also considered your backup plans, such as extra memory cards and battery chargers? If you are heading out of the country it is enormously important to take into consideration the major “what ifs” of any technical glitches. While buying a backup camera is usually out of the question, bringing along the many common extras that make photography

Circular Abbey, Bath

possible is a good idea. As mentioned, memory cards, batteries, an extra flash unit, and the proper power adapters are crucial to success.

Now you have done the research, made a list of the shots you consider imperative, planned for the gear required, and made some backup plans in case of disaster. The final step is to consider how you intend to make your shots unique and memorable.

For example, if you did your research on Bath, England you will see a repetitive look to some of the images of the most popular locations and sites. Why not plan, in advance, to document your visit to these buildings in a way that is different from everyone else. For instance, you might decide to head out before dawn and setup in front of the baths when the streets are empty and record them in the soft light of dawn.

This article was provided by Amy Renfrey – you can learn the same magnificent photography knowledge Amy has and shares here.

baby photography

Babies are great subjects to photograph, because they are just so darn cute and cuddly. It’s almost difficult to take truly bad pictures of them. The first year flies by in a blur, so parents want to capture as much as possible on film. Baby photography is fun, but requires patience and skill to get the really good shots!

Here are some ideas for unique baby photography:

- Take a close-up of just one part of the baby; maybe just his feet, or his teeny hands. By spotlighting, you focus the viewer on something they may otherwise have missed.

- Take photos of the world from the baby’s view, get down on the floor with him and film from his perspective.

- Funny faces. Keep the camera ready to go anytime you’re around a baby. You never know when they will give you the perfect shot: a cheesy grin, or a very adult expression.

• Photograph baby looking at himself in a mirror.

• Catch baby’s element on film: his stuffed animals and bright plastic colored toys.

• Blur the background, and keep baby in focus. This is a simple yet awesome trick for baby photos.

• Props can help you take awesome photos. Catch baby trying on Daddy’s shoes, or put him in a laundry basket surrounded by colorful balls, or in a box full of kittens! Things we take for granted are often really funny with a baby involved.

• Photograph baby with his pet. If he gets nose to nose with his doggie, catch it on film.

• Try all the angles, really! There is nothing right or wrong, and some of the most unique photos will be those from a slightly “odd” angle.

• Try some totally un-posed photographs. Pictures of baby playing with his toys, or getting out all the pots and pans often catch great emotions.

• Dirty faces are adorable! Catch baby after he’s fed himself Spaghettios or frosted cake for a sweet photo.

• Try to photograph as many different emotions as you can. This shouldn’t be too difficult as most babies can be ecstatically happy one minute, highly distressed the next, and silly in the third moment. Get them all from the same distance and angle for a cool slideshow.

As you can see, there are so many different ways of taking great pictures of babies. Just keep your eyes open and your creativity turned to high, and you will think of many other great shots by taking in the surroundings.

Like all photography, there are some things you will want to avoid in baby photography:

• Get their eyes as sharp and focused as possible, and use natural light as much as you can to avoid red eye and “flash surprise.”

• Use high speed film and a large aperture to freeze the frame you want to catch. Take lots of photos as babies move around a lot, and some can get blurred. If you can set your camera to take photos so many per second, you will definitely catch some of the best shots. (And can toss the bad ones.)

• Don’t over think the background, and keep it uncluttered. The baby is the main object of these photos, so the surroundings are seldom of much importance.

• Limit the range of colors in each photo, as you can easily have what seems to be an explosion of color with all of the baby’s things.

• Dress the baby in light, solid-colored clothing to keep the focus on him, and off what he’s wearing.

• Always, always have your camera ready to go! The very best moments with babies are very fleeting and you will need to move quickly to get them on film.

• Keep your photos interesting by using props and extremes when photographing baby so that your pictures will appeal to more than just family and friends.

Baby photography becomes easier with practice, like anything else. But there are a few things to always keep in mind: keep the camera ready at all times, and when you see the perfect shot, take it quickly-because baby’s already moved on to something else!

You can see some of the other articles on this site related to baby and maternity photography below -

• Photographing Babies

• Baby Photographer Tips

• Maternity Photography

This guide I compiled is loaded with tips and easy steps if you’re thinking about taking up serious baby photography.

Posing bride

Plan Ahead Making sure you get perfect shots of everything the happy couple wants is easy if you make a plan and stick to it.  Creating a checklist of every shot they want is the most important part of planning the photos. Once you have that checklist in hand, you can decide how to pose the people involved.

Meet as many people in the bridal party and the family ahead of time as possible, so that expectations are clear, and you also know if there are any odd requests, estranged family members who can’t be posed near each other, or if Uncle Jack is seven feet tall and best posed seated.

Your job is to take the bride’s vision of “perfect” photography and put it on film. Obviously, unless you know what her vision is, you can’t get this right. What does she consider perfect? Does she prefer casual, spontaneous, reportage or journalistic style, or formal traditional poses, or some combination of all of them?  Have a discussion with her, show her samples, and let her show you some she’s found that she likes, so that everything between you is very clear.

Always check out the lighting ahead of time, so you can plan for it when the day arrives. This way you’ll know where best to pose everyone for formal photos, and how your candid shots will develop in the lighting you have to work with.

At this page, there is a very good, very long and comprehensive wedding photography checklist of potential wedding photography poses that the bride and groom might like you to capture.  As part of your planning process, talk with them and check off those that are important to be certain you don’t miss anything.

Happy, beautiful bride

Without further adieu….

Unique Wedding Photography Poses

Now is the time to put all your planning and organization to work. You have your checklist, you know what the couple wants, you have extra batteries and film, (you do, don’t you?) and you are completely ready to get the show on the road.

Here are some tips on getting the formal portraits taken:

• If your list of photo subjects includes kids, save everyone involved some grief and take care of any wedding photography poses they are to be in first. Patience is generally not a virtue that children have yet grown into.

• Don’t force it.  Formal poses are great, but even when filming those, snap some candid shots as well. They often turn out to be everyone’s favorites.  Try to use humor and a playful demeanor to make everyone feel comfortable, and make them smile naturally rather than forcing a phony smile on command.

• Always, always keep the camera ready at all times. Some of your absolute best poses will not be posed at all. You will see touching moments all around, like the bride and groom gazing lovingly into each other’s eyes as they dance for the first time as husband and wife, and those are the wedding photography poses that become treasured and special over time.

• Set up a photography session for an hour before the reception starts and get everyone there that needs to be in the photos. You will want to move from one shot to the next as quickly as possible, but don’t rush it.  Always take several shots of each of the formal portraits.

• Make use of the ushers to round up Uncle Gary from the bar, and grandpa from his table where he was telling war stories.  The ushers will also keep them there until all their formal pictures are done.  All of this is much like keeping kittens in a box, so you will need to keep things moving along.

• Your pre-selected photography area is extremely important to the photos. Outside wedding photography poses with trees and flowers are
  

  Groom and friends

  ideal.  In the event of rain, your backup plan should include a large enough area to accommodate the group shots, and avoid garish decorations if possible.

Otherwise, take close-ups as much as possible and crop out the background.

With the formal portraits done, you are free to look for the spontaneous and capture it on film.  These pictures can be anything from the flower girls napping in the car to barefoot dancing on the bar.  You will see inspiration all around if you just keep your eyes open. Remember, it’s these little slices of life that will become the most unique remembrances of the day.

If you’re keen to specialize in wedding photography, then like every other successful wedding photographer, you’ll need to invest in yourself, follow proven steps and read. There’s more to this than having a list of potential poses. That’s why the professional wedding photographers rarely run out of work, they’re in demand! You should be aiming for the same – plan to place yourself in a position of being in demand! That said, check these few articles for some extra tips and make sure you see the two guides I’ve made available below them. If you can’t get both guides, at least get one to start!

• contemporary wedding photography

• beach wedding photography

• 9 wedding photography tips

• wedding photography poses – a list

Wedding Photography Must Have List – If you are thinking of doing wedding photography properly, you need to know about preparing invoices correctly, wedding poses or posing the bridal party and couple. Then there are things you must know like; extended time agreements, the photographers contract, skilled thank-you letters (you want more business later from this – right?), and a tactful photographer’s deposit reminder. It would be wise to have a better and more detailed wedding photography checklist than this helpful though basic list above. A wedding photography website is also a must and there are templates specifically for that purpose available. Here’s one of the few places we know of that can help with all the above - at least it gives an idea of what you should be looking for if you would like to get started as a wedding photographer.

Important – I updated this article with this resource as soon as I knew it was available. This is the next level of wedding photogaphy. This will be of interest to you only if you aspire to the highest level of professional wedding photography. There are DVDs to take you through the tricky parts. The parts you cannot afford to get wrong or miss out on if you want to charge top-end fees and produce enviable results. Might be best just to look at this link below before you think it’s out of your league. In most instances it’s not! This is the creme de la creme of professional wedding photography training courses.

Here is another wedding photography checklist.

Copyright Photography

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Contemporary wedding photography#1

Contemporary wedding photography is a constantly evolving art, and the latest trends today are the transition to candid photos, in the manner of wedding photojournalism.  This type of photography captures the event naturally, “as is,” and without a lot of stilted poses. Creativity is absolutely key to getting great shots. Here are a number of tips to get the best contemporary shots and finished photos:

* Journalistic wedding photography can capture very romantic and subtle interactions between the bride and groom on the day of the wedding that might be missed with overly posed traditional photographs, which adds a more dramatic story line to the photo albums, and gives the couple memories to last throughout their entire lives. This new, ‘candid photography’ concentrates on capturing the emotions and fun things that happen throughout the day.

* Some brides and grooms, and their families, will want to see a mix of the traditional and new styles. Photos of the bridal party, and of both sets of parents with the happy couple, are a must.  Blending the classic style with the new reportage style is common, and the finished product will be a mix of trendy and traditional photo albums.

* Even in the photojournalistic style, there are occasions that arise where realistic posing might make for a much better photo, and it’s the photographer’s job to pose when necessary. Of course, the more natural it looks in this style, the happier the couple will be.

* Boudoir sessions are increasingly becoming a part of contemporary wedding photography, for both the bride and groom.  These sessions are generally shot just for each other, and add a more personal touch for the couple, making it romantic and unforgettable for both of them.

Contemporary wedding photography#2

* Many contemporary wedding photographers will take photos of the bride looking out a window or gazing down at her flowers.  The shots are angled down from above, which are very slimming shots, and the bride will be very happy with those!

* Other shots of the bride can be taken outside, and have her gazing into the distance, twirling to show off the full skirt on her dress, or holding hands with the flower girls.

* Get a few good shots of the bride and groom gazing at each other lovingly, or sneaking a kiss- they will love these shots.   A shot of them walking away holding hands is great, as well.

* A more casual feel is what contemporary wedding photography is all about.  If you spot the flower girls sitting on the lawn in their white dresses, snap their picture.  Have the groom sweep the bride off her feet, and get it on film!  It’s these types of shots that will thrill the couple for years to come.

* Multi-exposure photos can be layered on top of one another using Photoshop. For instance, a shot of the bride and groom layered over a wine glass is popular, and fairly easy to do.

* Experiment with some of the things the photo software can do, but don’t go crazy with it!  A few photos done in black or white, or a sepia tone, all really cool—pages of them, probably not.  There are lots of special effects tools you can use, and you might try out some, but also never delete the original. (They may like it much better!)

* Likewise, careful editing is crucial. Remember, it was their wedding, and they should have input in how things are done.  Always make sure that you keep the happy couple, happy. (And, never upset the bride!)

While photographing a wedding in the contemporary style, creativity is essential.  However, make sure that you talk with the bride and groom and know what their expectations are from you, and let them have a say in the finished photos.

If you’re keen to specialize in wedding photography, then like every other successful wedding photographer, you’ll need to invest in yourself, follow proven steps and read. There’s more to this than having a list of potential poses. That’s why the professional wedding photographers rarely run out of work, they’re in demand! You should be aiming for the same – plan to place yourself in a position of being in demand! That said, check these few articles for some extra tips and make sure you see the two guides I’ve made available below them. If you can’t get both guides, at least get one to start!

• wedding photography poses

• beach wedding photography

• 9 wedding photography tips

• wedding photography poses – a list

Wedding Photography Must Have List – If you are thinking of doing wedding photography properly, you need to know about preparing invoices correctly, wedding poses or posing the bridal party and couple. Then there are things you must know like; extended time agreements, the photographers contract, skilled thank-you letters (you want more business later from this – right?), and a tactful photographer’s deposit reminder. It would be wise to have a better and more detailed wedding photography checklist than this helpful though basic list above. A wedding photography website is also a must and there are templates specifically for that purpose available. Here’s one of the few places we know of that can help with all the above - at least it gives an idea of what you should be looking for if you would like to get started as a wedding photographer.

Important – I updated this article with this resource as soon as I knew it was available. This is the next level of wedding photogaphy. This will be of interest to you only if you aspire to the highest level of professional wedding photography. There are DVDs to take you through the tricky parts. The parts you cannot afford to get wrong or miss out on if you want to charge top-end fees and produce enviable results. Might be best just to look at this link below before you think it’s out of your league. In most instances it’s not! This is the creme de la creme of professional wedding photography training courses.

Copyright Photography

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Beach wedding photography

Couples who hire a professional to photograph their beach wedding certainly won’t need to worry, as pros know all the tips and tricks of this type of photo.  However, many couples are on a tight budget and have opted for a beach wedding because of its frugality.  Chances are someone in the family or a friend or friends will be serving as photographer for the big day. These tips will help those amateur photographers to get some awesome shots that will rival those of the best pros.

Later, when you’re finished reading this, you should read the article on contemporary wedding photography for more ideas.

Beach Wedding Photography Tips

* Beach weddings by their nature are much less formal and looser than traditional weddings, and it is more than okay for the pictures to show that. In fact, it should be celebrated, as the couple has chosen this open, airy, natural wedding because it is what they love and wanted to share with all of their loved ones.

* Make sure the person who will be photographing the wedding is familiar with taking pictures outdoors, especially in sunny places like the beach. The entire lighting aspect is totally different in this kind of natural space. If they are a relative newbie to this type of thing, it would be wise to give them the camera ahead of time and send them off to take some beach photos to practice.

• In most shots, the sun needs to be behind the photographer, and off at an angle. The people in the photo will be looking into the sun, and there will be some squinting, but the lighting quality is awesome with this type of shot. Get at least one or two shots of the bride and groom literally walking off into “happily ever after” together, from behind, as these are truly romantic photos.

• For romantic silhouette shots, the exact opposite in lighting is true. The photographer will need to take the photos INTO the sun, and will end up with just black silhouettes of the bride and groom.

• Beach weddings can be a little tricky at first, so shoot about twice as many shots as you think you will need.  When going through the photos later, you will see why, as many of the pictures won’t be as good as you’d thought they would be.  The lighting can play havoc, and you only want the best photos as keepers.

• You may need more than one person to take the photos, but start shooting very early and keep taking the pictures until everyone has left the beach. Vary the photos, and take pictures of things that seem inconsequential, but might look amazing in tandem with all of the other photos later.

• Cool action photos always add a fun, whimsical touch to wedding photo albums. With beach weddings, it’s easy to do.  Just have the wedding party run barefoot in the sand, or splash in the surf…..at the end of the wedding of course.

• With the sun over the water, you can position the wedding party in front of it and also have them block the direct rays. Use a flash to keep the shadows off their faces, and scatter the bouquets in front as well for extra color.

• Another cute shot is one of the bride and groom inside a large heart drawn in the sand, maybe with their initials or names and some rose petals scattered around.

• Most beach weddings also have a nice beach reception planned right nearby, so be certain to get lots of pictures of the reception as well.  Especially scout out any kids, like the flower girls, as chances are they will be so pooped they’ll be napping somewhere, which makes for a great photo.  Likewise, Grandma doing the “Electric Slide” or boogying to disco music with the groom are feel good pictures to get.

Beach weddings are beautiful, and the photos will be too. Beach wedding photography is not that difficult, but you do need to learn a little about the lighting to be successful.  It is just a little different, but can be loads of fun!

If you’re keen to specialize in wedding photography, then like every other successful wedding photographer, you’ll need to invest in yourself, follow proven steps and read. There’s more to this than having a list of potential poses. That’s why the professional wedding photographers rarely run out of work, they’re in demand! You should be aiming for the same – plan to place yourself in a position of being in demand! That said, check these few articles for some extra tips and make sure you see the two guides I’ve made available below them. If you can’t get both guides, at least get one to start!

• wedding photography poses

• contemporary wedding photography

• 9 wedding photography tips

• wedding photography poses – a list

Wedding Photography Must Have List – If you are thinking of doing wedding photography properly, you need to know about preparing invoices correctly, wedding poses or posing the bridal party and couple. Then there are things you must know like; extended time agreements, the photographers contract, skilled thank-you letters (you want more business later from this – right?), and a tactful photographer’s deposit reminder. It would be wise to have a better and more detailed wedding photography checklist than this helpful though basic list above. A wedding photography website is also a must and there are templates specifically for that purpose available. Here’s one of the few places we know of that can help with all the above - at least it gives an idea of what you should be looking for if you would like to get started as a wedding photographer.

Important – I updated this article with this resource as soon as I knew it was available. This is the next level of wedding photogaphy. This will be of interest to you only if you aspire to the highest level of professional wedding photography. There are DVDs to take you through the tricky parts. The parts you cannot afford to get wrong or miss out on if you want to charge top-end fees and produce enviable results. Might be best just to look at this link below before you think it’s out of your league. In most instances it’s not! This is the creme de la creme of professional wedding photography training courses.

Here are more wedding photography tips.

Copyright Photography

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Wedding photography tips

Wedding Photography Tips

Wedding planning by its very nature keeps everyone involved on high stress alert where each little detail seems emotionally charged.  Nowhere is this more evident than with the photography. Each bride feels like she is princess for the day, and when you deliver the pictures to her, Heaven help you if she doesn’t look like she is!

These are some basic wedding photography tips for those inexperienced photographers who are interested in capturing their first wedding on film.  Be forewarned that you cannot take on this project lightly, and you only get one chance to do it right. There are no re-takes. (Indemnity insurance is also not a bad idea.)  Those things being said, there are some ways to make sure that you get all the shots the happy couple wants, and look like the star photographer that they’ll happily recommend to all their friends.

Plan your work, and work your plan

Preparation is absolutely essential to making sure you are successful in this job.  In fact, you might spend as much time scouting venues and talking with the couple beforehand as you actually do in shooting their wedding.  How do you prepare for the big day?

Here are some wedding photography tips:

• Make a shot list. Having a handy checklist that you can keep in your pocket and check off as the day goes on will ease your anxiety tremendously.  Have the couple sit down and make a list of every shot they absolutely must have, including where- at the church or the reception, or both; and who should be in each picture.  (Of course, you’ll want to shoot three or four of each and pick the best.)  You’ll also want the couple to introduce you to a family liaison who will help to round up Aunt Sally for you when it’s her turn to be photographed.

• Before the wedding day arrives, you should know exactly how to get to the church and to the reception hall. You also should check out both places, and any others where the couple has asked for photos to be taken, to see what the lighting is like, and also locate places in both which would be particularly suitable for taking special photos.

• Make sure you have the proper equipment including backups in case of equipment failure, and you must be expert and comfortable using all of it.  Your camera should be a 35mm SLR camera or an 8 megapixel digital SLR, at a minimum, along with numerous lenses- super wide angle and medium telephoto, most importantly.  Be sure to turn off any sound-producing mechanisms as well-at the wedding, silence is golden.  Likewise, no flash!

The Big Day has Arrived

You’ve planned and prepared, and now it’s show time!  Gather all of your equipment; load it into your van, round up your assistant, (you have one, right?) and your extra batteries, and you’re off.

• First stop: the bride’s house. You will want to get pictures of her and her mother getting ready, the bridesmaids, the dress hanging up, the bouquet, mock shots of them all leaving for the church. Then get out of their way, for pandemonium is sure to strike at any moment!

• Move on to the church (or perhaps it’s beach wedding photography) and get some shots of the groom and his best man waiting outside, maybe take some candid shots of guests arriving at the church.

• Shoot small details that might seem inconsequential-like the rings, her shoes, the candles at the front of the church, a detail on her dress. These things can make for great pictures in the albums.

• During the ceremony, try and get shots from as many different angles as possible, without being intrusive. Move around a few times, but try to stay out of Grandma’s way, or you will be in trouble!

• Don’t delete shots from your digital camera. They may not look really good in that tiny little screen, but on the computer, they may be fixable and good pictures.

• During the reception, you’ll at least want pictures of the cake, the bride and groom entering, and each set of parents entering the hall.  After that, candid shots of everybody relaxing are great.

Hopefully, with these wedding photography tips, your first wedding shoot was a smashing success, you have some beautiful photos for your wedding portfolio, and you are now on your way to becoming an experienced, in-demand wedding photographer!

If you’re keen to specialize in wedding photography, then like every other successful wedding photographer, you’ll need to invest in yourself, follow proven steps and read. There’s more to this than having a list of potential poses. That’s why the professional wedding photographers rarely run out of work, they’re in demand! You should be aiming for the same – plan to place yourself in a position of being in demand! That said, check these few articles for some extra tips and make sure you see the two guides I’ve made available below them. If you can’t get both guides, at least get one to start!

• wedding photography poses

• contemporary wedding photography

• beach wedding photography

• wedding photography poses – a list

Wedding Photography Must Have List – If you are thinking of doing wedding photography properly, you need to know about preparing invoices correctly, wedding poses or posing the bridal party and couple. Then there are things you must know like; extended time agreements, the photographers contract, skilled thank-you letters (you want more business later from this – right?), and a tactful photographer’s deposit reminder. It would be wise to have a better and more detailed wedding photography checklist than this helpful though basic list above. A wedding photography website is also a must and there are templates specifically for that purpose available. Here’s one of the few places we know of that can help with all the above - at least it gives an idea of what you should be looking for if you would like to get started as a wedding photographer.

Important – I updated this article with this resource as soon as I knew it was available. This is the next level of wedding photogaphy. This will be of interest to you only if you aspire to the highest level of professional wedding photography. There are DVDs to take you through the tricky parts. The parts you cannot afford to get wrong or miss out on if you want to charge top-end fees and produce enviable results. Might be best just to look at this link below before you think it’s out of your league. In most instances it’s not! This is the creme de la creme of professional wedding photography training courses.

There are more articles at my category list on wedding photography.

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Vaseline effect #1 - Eva Polak

Quick note from Roy – Photography tips and tricks are welcomed here and if you feel you have something to offer other photographers, feel welcome to visit this page for the guidelines. Now on with this amazing tip….,

Vaseline does wonders, not only for your skin, but can also help you to create impressionist masterpieces. You can transform just about any subject into something interesting and exciting. If you like the soft, poetic look in your photographs this simple technique is for you.

You will need:

a tripod, a skylight filter or piece of clear glass that will fit into your Cokin filter holder, (You can ask your framer to cut few pieces of glass to fit into your Cokin Filter holder), Vaseline, and a soft, absorbing cloth.

Technique:

1. Place your camera on a tripod and set it to a manual focus.

2. Compose your image.

Vaseline effect#2 - Eva Polak

3. Place a tiny amount of Vaseline on the glass or filter

4. As you look through viewfinder, smear the jelly in different directions,
using your finger or a cotton bud, until you achieve the desired effect.
(Horizontal strokes on the filter will reveal vertical lines in your scene and vice versa).

5. Adjust your exposure settings and focus if needed.

6. Release the shutter.

7. Check the preview for the result. Repeat if necessary.

Note: Vaseline can damage your camera or lens if it gets on them so remember to wipe your finger.

Play with this technique for a while to discover how it works with a different subject and light condition.

Have fun!

Eva Polak

If you have been a photographer for any length of time, you will know that you can never get enough tips on how to make money working as a photographer.  This week, I have looked back at my career in photography and pulled out my top 10 tips on making a consistent income as a professional photographer.

Do an Excellent Job EVERY Time!

As a photographer, I have always made it my aim to let my work speak for itself.  Photography is a visual medium and it can not be faked very easily.  If you take stunning, dynamic photographs, it will be evident in your work and it will serve as its own advertisement.  Aim to leave your customers satisfied every time.

Offer Great Customer Service

Adopt excellent customer service policies.  Dealing with customers is always a challenge.  It is important though that you develop a relationship of trust with customers, and that people know that you will take care of any conflicts that arise.  Be willing at least to address any complaints made by your customers, even when you truly believe the customer is being unreasonable.

Get Referrals from Customers

Asking your customers for referrals is something that you should adopt as standard practice.  Word of mouth is of such high value to the photographer.  Every person that you photograph or that you do work for has friends and family that would also hire you if they knew about you.  In fact, your photos will speak for themselves in many ways, however the boost of being able to contact someone that knows someone you have worked with will help you to no end.

Promote your Business Any Way You Can

Of course, every photographer should have a business card and they should give them out as often and as freely as possible.  However don’t stop with that. Find more creative ways to promote your business such as with bumper stickers, fun promotion items like magnets, videos for your photography site, stress balls and greeting cards.

Advertise in Local Telephone Directories

Although we are moving towards a more web-dependent business world, local directories still have strong relevance when it comes to services that you are marketing to the local community.  There is still a significant enough number of people that still pick up the Yellow Pages or the White Pages when they need a local service provider.  Be sure that you are listed each year in your area telephone directories.

Get Online!

In the 21st century having your own web site is a must not an option.  Yes, your friend’s son can probably build you a web site on the cheap, but that is not what you want to present to potential customers.  Invest in a professionally developed web site that presents your work in the best way possible. Here’s a good alternative.

Sell Your Work

It takes time to establish your reputation as a photographer and artist.  Begin to get your name out there by making your photos available for sale on stock photo web sites and on photo repository sites.  If you are like most, your popularity as a stock photographer will increase gradually.  Stick with it and only post your very best photos.

Advertise in Local Newspapers

As a photographer, most of your work will come from those in your local community.  It makes sense to target them in as many ways as you can.  The local newspaper is still very popular in most regions and it is usually very inexpensive to advertise in it.  Place an attractive ad in your location newspaper in a section that is relevant to the photography you do.

Be Strategic

Bride relaxing

Use every opportunity possible as a stepping stone to where you want to go as a photographer.  Be willing to do wedding gigs for a while even if they are not exactly your ‘thing’.  The key to using stepping stones is focus; it is in remembering to keep moving forward and not to become complacent or satisfied staying on top of a stepping stone. By the way, wedding photography can be lucrative.

Advertise on Popular Local Web Sites

Many communities have one or two web sites that cater specifically to their community and serve as a portal for local businesses and a resource for local residents.  If your area has a popular site such as this, be sure to take your place on that web site.  In situations like this, it is important to be listed in relevant sections of the web site, such as wedding announcements, births and other sections of the site that celebrate life and its milestones.

shooting backgrounds

The first thing to remember about the background of any photograph is that it is indeed the background and ‘not the subject’. This means that the power of this part of the scene must be to a much lesser degree than the primary focus. While there is no easy tip or trick for knowing if you have allowed the background to overwhelm or distract from the subject, simply remembering that it isn’t to be any kind of competition to the attention of the viewer, is a good start.

2. There are many great techniques that can be used to diminish the effect of the background as well. The first is to simply eliminate the background altogether by filling the frame with your subject. Zooming in on the faces in the crowd, the flowers in the garden, or the goofy face of the mud-covered dog will not allow for any room to spare, and this can reduce the chance of a distracting background.

3.  The photographer can simply position their subjects in a way that leaves the entire area behind them as open space. A portrait at the edge of a horizon-free field, along the shore, or simply against a blank wall can force the subject to “pop” and take the viewer’s entire attention. Alternately, the photographer can position themselves to create these same effects. For example, they could squat down below the subject of a portrait which leaves only the open sky above them as the background.

4. Many photographers decide to create a specific look or feel to their photographs by intentionally blurring their backgrounds as well. This is done in several ways, including through panning and aperture adjustments. The panning technique can be used only on images that are in motion, and can be a great way to add movement to the scene as well. For instance, two boys kicking a soccer ball could be frozen in time by a super fast shutter speed, but this might allow by-standers and other people in the scene to pull attention from the subject. Instead, the photographer could partially depress the shutter to lock the settings on the moving boys and then follow them with the camera focused and ready until the right moment comes and they hit the shutter. This is going to allow the boys to remain in full focus, but the entire background is going to be a blur due to the motion of the camera.

5. Aperture adjustments are known for allowing as much light into the camera as possible, but they have a huge effect on the foreground and background too. When the f/stop is set to the lowest numbers the lens is open all of the way, and everything but the subject tends to be out of focus do to the shortening of the depth of field. This too is a great way to capture still subjects without a distracting background.

Contributed by Amy Renfrey who is responsible for many articles on this site. She makes every shoot seem so easy and gives away tips on just how to do it regularly each month in her downloadable photographer’s ezine.

Photography video marketing: image social-media.co.uk

Video marketing is being used everywhere you look on the internet.  It is the new advertising craze, and it appears to be working.  It is currently growing by the day to be the front runner method for on-line marketing.  It can be used to sell products, services, messages and so much more.  Just about every niche can easily take advantage of this powerful marketing tool.  Video marketing is truly a fast and efficient way to promote whatever it is you are looking to sell, including photography.  Let’s take a look at how you can use video marketing to promote your photography products and services.

Producing Your Photography Marketing Video:  The first step in video marketing is to actually make the video.  In doing this, there are some key things to keep in mind.  The first and most important is that the human attention span is short.  In fact, let’s face it, we are all busy and easily distracted.  You are going to want to keep your video quick, relevant and to the point.  Keeping the video to two minutes or less is the general rule of thumb.  You will need to use this time wisely.  In the two minutes you will need to entice the customer with your products and services.  After all, you want them to purchase from you and not look elsewhere.

In producing your video you simply have two choices.  You can either hire someone to do the work or to do it yourself. If you choose the second option know that there are programs available to help you.  No matter which way you choose you will want to follow these tips to creating a successful video.

1. Choose a catchy title with a strong keyword or phrase.  This will draw viewers in and allow for higher SEO ranking.
2. Make sure the video is interesting and relevant.  If it is boring you will lose viewers very quickly.  Adding an entertainment value especially humor can often work to draw in viewers.
3. Make the viewer believe you are only speaking to them.  Be passionate and make sure they can relate to what your message is.
4. Create urgency.  Let the viewer know why they need to take action now.  Offering a special that they can’t turn down is one simple way to do this.
5. Ask for their contact information. Allow the viewer to opt in to receiving more information from you in the future.
6. Always include a link back to your website.  You of course want them to come and purchase your products and services.

Here’s another article which explains what to look for if you decide to utilize video marketing for your portfolio or wedding and portrait shoots.

Make Money by Marketing Your Video:   Now that you have your video made, the next step is to market it.  The great news here is that they are lots of resources right at your finger tips.  Be sure to submit your video to multiple social networking sites like YouTube, Yahoo Videos, and Google Videos.  Make sure when posting you use your title and video description.  Your video description should be SEO optimized.   Once you have posted your videos, your work is still not complete.  You will now need to get people to actually watch it! Simply put, without viewers, your video is worthless.

You will want to use every means available to get traffic to your video.  You of course can do this in a variety of ways.

• Promoting your video on your website.

• Promoting your video on your blog or even posting on relevant blogs with a link to your video can be beneficial.

• Article Marketing.  Be sure to post a link to your video.

• Having viewers refer others.  This is a great way to get traffic.  Simply ask others to send the link to their friends and family members.

In conclusion, video marketing is the up and coming way to market yourself and your business on line.  Whether you business is in Photography or another niche, video marketing seems to be a sure bet.  Just about anyone can make an income from video marketing; you just need to follow the tips provided in this article.  So give it a try.  After all you have nothing to lose and only customers and a nice profit to gain.