1. Fill in your GMB Description Fully

This is the ONE area where you can really entice your ideal client, and also the one place where you can write your own information for Google to see. Go into detail here about the main niche you serve, and mention side niches as well. Cover your main locations served, and mention specific details like “gorgeous prints,” “same day delivery,” etc…. Write this all in a way that reads naturally to people and fills out the space as completely as possible.

2. Reviews and Responses

Do you look at reviews before you work with someone? Chances are pretty high that if you are looking for a local business you check out the reviews. If they are mostly positive, you might dig deeper and read a few negative ones – usually you’ll think things like, “oh, that person just didn’t get it,” or, “wow, that person had a very strange issue that won’t apply to me…” These reviews will lead to you having more trust in the business. This is how potential clients are looking at your profile. So, if you’re sitting there with 3 positive reviews and it says you’ve been in business for 5 years, people won’t have a strong initial trust.

Work to grow your review base by asking every client to leave a review. You can also go back and ask previous clients for reviews as well, but if your list is huge, try to pace that out so it doesn’t look too spammy to Google.

Finally, respond to every review, both positive and negative, to show that you are actively involved in your business. These are all “signals” to Google that you should be trusted and featured higher in search results.

3. Update Photos Regularly

Another way to show people that you are actively working with clients is by keeping your photos updated. Google shows the date published and if everything is 3 years old, this can decrease trust. Google cares about recency with your photos just like potential clients will.  Update these a few times a year to keep things fresh, and remove old images that are no longer your best – chances are high that recent shoots will be even better than your old ones.

Interested in a career in photography? Check this out!

Rocky Mountain School of Photography Professional Intensive Program

4. Choose a Narrow Service Area

Even if you list your physical location, you can now choose an area served as well. And yes, Google still seems to favor physical locations – but that doesn’t mean you should list your house if you aren’t comfortable with that!

When picking your service area, think about the amount of people and photographers within. You can search the areas you want to target on Google (go figure!) and see how many photographers are showing in the maps. Just type in the location + niche + photographer (e.g. Denver newborn photographer) and see what shows up. If there are only a couple in that area, you should be able to do well there.

One quick caveat: even if you don’t feature your physical location, Google will still favor areas near that location… There’s no real way to avoid that in GMB. Google’s guidelines say that you can choose an area that’s within a 2 hours drive. However, the narrower you make it and the more specific, the more likely you are to rank high in those areas.

If you live in a rural area and the population is much smaller, you may need to choose the nearest big city or a larger range. Most likely there will be less photographers in an area with a smaller population, so it won’t be an issue going larger.

5. Dial in your Categories

When I run google my business audits, I sometimes see photographers with a wide selection of categories. Categories represent the niches you serve. The old saying, “you can’t be everything to everyone” applies here. 

If your categories include 6 different niches, it’s going to be really hard for Google to decide which niches it should rank you for. In general, Google will target the “primary category” that you choose. Try to be clear and specific here and remember that just listing other niches won’t necessarily help you show up for those results. 

You absolutely can still shoot other niches, but picking one main niche will make it clear to Google, and your ideal customers, that you are the photographer for them!

Closing Thoughts: Ranking with GMB

It’s important to point out that all of the stuff we do here takes time to take effect. Google can’t just jump ship to each new listing that pops up or the results will be too inconsistent. Instead, it works kind of like an A/B/C test. Let’s say you are showing up in position 8 for certain searches, and people keep clicking on you and none of the other positions. Google sees this sign and thinks, “this site should be ranking higher. I’ll move it up to position 5 to see if it beats the other positions.” This game is always happening through the algorithm.

Once you get higher in the results, it’s easier to hold onto the positions. A great way to find out what it’s going to take to get top 3, is by running an analysis of the top 3 positions. Check all the factors that you can see and compare. Maybe position 1 has 144 reviews, and positions 2 and 3 have 102 reviews. This would show that you need to keep building your reviews to improve. 

This all takes time, but that doesn’t mean you have to put a lot of time into it. Spend an hour or two a month reviewing your GMB, requesting reviews, and responding, and you’ll be well on your way!

One last note: Google also cares about your website when it comes to Google My Business. Keep working on your website SEO and this will also be a factor in your rankings.

Need some help understanding Search Engine Optimization (SEO) check out this article! EXPERT ADVICE: SEO TERMINOLOGY

The post 5 Google My Business SEO Tasks to Improve Your Ranks appeared first on Rocky Mountain School of Photography - Blog.

To make this topic more approachable to photographers, we’ve compiled a glossary of SEO terms. We’ll do our best to explain each one briefly, clearly, and in plain English, so you have the knowledge you need to make decisions about your digital strategy.

A

Alt text: A brief description added to images in HTML. It helps search engines understand what an image is about, and it is beneficial for visually impaired users who use screen readers. It’s a good practice to include relevant keywords in your alt text.

Anchor text: Clickable text in a hyperlink. SEO best practices dictate that anchor text be relevant to the page you’re linking to, rather than generic text like “click here”.

Average engagement time: The amount of time a user spends on a particular page or website, divided by the total number of users. A higher average engagement time indicates that visitors find the content interesting and relevant.

B

Back-end: The part of a website that users don’t see. It involves server-side development and database management. A well-developed back-end can help improve site performance and user experience.

Backlink: An incoming link from another website to a page on your website. Pages with a high number of backlinks tend to have high organic search engine rankings.

Bounce rate: The percentage of visitors who navigate away from the site after viewing only one page. A high bounce rate can indicate that users aren’t finding what they’re looking for or the page isn’t user-friendly.

C

Caching: A process where web pages store static files (like HTML, images, etc.) to help reduce server lag. It can improve load speed, offering a better user experience.

Crawler: Also known as a spider, a crawler is software search engines use to index web content by crawling and scanning websites.

CSS: Stands for Cascading Style Sheets. It’s a style sheet language used for describing the look and formatting of a document written in HTML. Good CSS implementation can help websites look good and load faster, improving user experience.

D

DA: Stands for Domain Authority. It’s a score (from 1-100) developed by Moz that predicts how well a website will rank on search engine result pages (SERPs).

Direct traffic: Website traffic that occurs when a visitor arrives directly to a website by typing the URL into their browser or clicking on a bookmark.

Do-follow links: Hyperlinks that do allow search engines to follow them and reach another website. These links can pass on ranking power to other websites.

Domain Name Registrar: A company that manages the reservation of internet domain names. A domain name is your website name and address where Internet users can access your website.

DNS: Stands for Domain Name System. It’s like the phone book of the internet, translating domain names into IP addresses so browsers can load Internet resources.

Duplicate content: Refers to substantive blocks of content within or across domains that either completely match or are appreciably similar. It’s a practice that is generally not recommended because it can result in a lower search ranking.

E

Engagement: A measure of user interaction with your website and its content. It can include actions like clicks, shares, comments, and time spent on the website.

Event: In the context of Google Analytics, an event is a user’s interaction/activity on a webpage that can be tracked like downloads, button clicks, or video views.

External links: Hyperlinks that point to any domain other than the domain the link exists on. They can improve a website’s SEO ranking because search engines use them as a recommendation system.

F

Front-end: The interactive part of a website that users see and engage with, encompassing elements like visuals, menus, and sliders. The front-end of a website is controlled by the user’s browser, and it’s shaped by HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.

G

Google Analytics: An analytics service offered by Google, designed to aggregate and evaluate data related to your website’s visitors.

Google Search Console: A tool from Google designed to assist in tracking your website’s performance in Google Search results and resolving any potential issues.

H

Header tags: HTML tags, from H1 to H6, used to identify headings and subheadings within your content. H1 is the most important and H6 is the least. They can help both readers and search engines understand your content better.

HTML: Stands for HyperText Markup Language. It’s the standard language for creating websites and web applications. It helps tell the browser how to structure the web content.

Https protocol: A protocol for secure communication over a computer network. Websites that utilize https offer security measures that can safeguard user data from unwanted intrusions.

I

Image compression: This refers to reducing an image file’s size without notably impacting its quality. It’s crucial as it helps speed up your website’s load time.

Indexing: The process of integrating web pages into the results of Google’s search engine.

Internal links: Hyperlinks that navigate from one page on a website to another page within the same website. They are useful for helping visitors navigate a website and for spreading link equity (ranking power) around websites.

J

JavaScript: This is a scripting language that allows you to implement complex features on web pages, such as interactive content and dynamic web pages.

K

Keyword: A word or phrase that describes the content on your page or post best. It’s the search term that you want to rank for with a certain page.

L

Link attribute: This is a feature in the HTML anchor tag that establishes the connection between the present document and the document it’s linked to. It can take forms like “nofollow” and “dofollow.”

Link building: The process of getting other websites to link back to your website. It’s a key SEO strategy, as these inbound links signal to search engines that your content is valuable.

Link equity: Also known as “link juice,” it refers to the value passed from one page or site to another through links. It’s a key factor in how search engines rank web pages.

Link profile: The overall composition of all the inbound links pointing to a website, including their quantity, quality, diversity, and relevance.

Loading speed: The time it takes for a webpage to load. Faster load speeds offer a better user experience and can improve your website’s SEO.

M

Metadata: This refers to data that gives information about other data. For a webpage, it could involve details about the page’s content, author, significant keywords, and copyright specifics.

Meta descriptions: These are concise summaries of a webpage that show up in search engine results, aiding users in understanding the page’s content and potentially affecting the rate at which users click on the page.

Meta titles: Also recognized as title tags, they represent a webpage’s title and are shown on search engine results pages as the clickable title for a particular result.

N

New user: A user who has not been to your site before or who has cleared their cookies recently. Google Analytics uses cookies to track this.

No-follow links: Links that do not pass on SEO benefits to other pages. They’re used when a website doesn’t want to associate itself with or endorse the webpage it’s linking to.

O

Organic traffic: Website traffic that comes from unpaid search engine results. Users find your website after using a search engine like Google.

P

PageSpeed Score: This is a rating given by Google that evaluates the speed at which your page loads. A higher score, out of 100, signifies that the page is well-optimized and loads rapidly.

Q

Query: In SEO terms, a query refers to the word or phrase a user inputs into a search engine.

R

Redirection: A method used to guide users and search engines from one URL to a different one, usually employed when a webpage has relocated to a new address.

Referral traffic: Traffic that lands on your website from sources other than a search engine, such as when someone follows a link from a social media post or blog article that directs them to your website.

Responsive design: Web design approach that makes web pages render well on a variety of devices and window or screen sizes. It’s important for user experience and SEO.

Robots.txt: A file that tells search engine spiders not to crawl certain pages or sections of a website.

S

Search engine: A software application engineered to perform web searches, producing a roster of web pages in accordance with the user’s search term.

Search engine optimization: Frequently abbreviated as SEO, it represents the systematic process of enhancing a website’s or web page’s prominence in the non-paid outcomes of a search engine’s results. This can involve improving on-page content, meta tags, and backlink profile.

SEO audit: A process of analyzing how well a web presence relates to best practices. It’s the first step to creating an implementation plan with measurable results.

SERP: An acronym for Search Engine Results Page. This is the dedicated page that presents the outcomes of a query performed on a search engine.

Session duration: Refers to the cumulative duration a visitor spends on your website within a single engagement session.

Sitemap: A systematically arranged document that enumerates all the web pages present on your website, offering Google and other search engines a structured understanding of your site’s content.

Spam score: A measure created by Moz to forecast the probability of a particular URL facing penalties from Google. A score of 1%-30% is considered a Low Spam Score. A score of 31%-60% is considered a Medium Spam Score. A score of 61%-100% is considered a High Spam Score.

SSL certificate: A digital certificate that provides authentication for a website and enables an encrypted connection. Websites with SSL have “https://” in their URL.

Structured data: A standardized format for providing information about a page and classifying the page content. It helps search engines understand your website’s content.

T

Traffic acquisition: In Google Analytics, the Traffic Acquisition report is crafted to give insights into the origins of your website and app visitors.

U

URL: Short for Uniform Resource Locator, this is effectively the web page’s address, marking the precise spot of a web page on the Internet.

User: Refers to an individual who has begun at least one session within a specific period on Google Analytics. A single user can hold several sessions.

Written by:

Josip Hotovec

The post EXPERT ADVICE: SEO TERMINOLOGY appeared first on Rocky Mountain School of Photography - Blog.

Table of Contents

• Instagram Bio Tips
• Twitter Bio Tips
• Facebook Bio Tips
• LinkedIn Bio Tips
• Website Bio
• Professional Photographer Bio Dos and Don’ts
• Photographer Bio Examples
• Pictures for Your Photographer Bio

A photographer’s bio should be compelling, thoughtful, and clear. Depending on where your bio will be placed, you may need several versions. In this article, we will cover bios for photographers on the main social media platforms, before dissecting website bios in detail. 

Instagram Bio Tips

For professional photographers, perhaps the most important social media in recent times is Instagram, and the first thing users see when they check out someone’s Instagram profile is the bio. Since the bio, in particular, can lead users to follow you, you’ll want to make it effective.

So, what is a good way to write an Instagram bio for photographers?

• Start with your Instagram handle (a maximum of 30 characters). Treat your handle on Instagram as the title of your bio. Besides your name or the name of your business, consider including your niche or specialty. This practice helps people find you on Instagram and quickly discern what it is you do.
• Be concise. You only have 150 characters to play with, so be economical. 
• Specify your location. Be sure to include your location in the bio. This enables potential clients to locate and contact you for local projects quickly. 
• Get creative with your copy. Make your bio succinct but take advantage of the 150-character limit and include your credentials. Keep in mind that you might not have enough space for everything, so focus on your strongest points. We also recommend adding emojis to your Instagram bio. They add visual interest and serve to convey a more casual tone.
• Include a call to action. This can be whatever you want, but usually, it is simply a direct link to your website.

Below is a photographer’s Instagram bio example that shows all of this in action.

Read Wonderful Machine’s article on Instagram for Photographers for a more thorough breakdown of the platform. 

Twitter Bio Tips

It can be misconstrued as a platform for writers, but Twitter has increasingly become a home for visual content. While the social media mainstay is currently experiencing some turbulent times via rebranding, it’s still used by millions of people worldwide, making it a great avenue to showcase your photography.

You have 160 characters to work with in the Twitter Bio. It’s a marginal gain compared to Instagram, which means that the practices we suggest for Instagram are relevant here, too. 

• Start with your Twitter handle (a maximum of 15 characters). This is half of what Instagram offers, but you are able to capitalize certain letters if you want. 
• Be economical, just as you are with your Instagram bio. 
• Specify your location. 
• Get creative with your copy. What works on Instagram works here, too. Use emojis, hashtags, and keywords to maximize visibility. 
• Capitalize on the header image. Turn it into a mini portfolio, giving followers a preview of your style and specialty. 
• Include a call to action. It can be your website, or a link to a more recent assignment you handled. 

For much more on the ins and outs, Wonderful Machine’s article on Twitter for Photographers has you covered. 

Facebook Bio Tips

Yes. Facebook is still around. While pop culture will have you believe it’s only a place for Boomers and Generation X, the reality is quite different. Parent company Meta reported that the platform had close to 3 billion monthly active users in March 2023, and it’s highly unlikely that all of them belong to those two generations. Either way, the point is that Facebook is still here, and still relevant. Because of that, maintaining a Facebook page for your photography business is always a good idea, and the About section on your page can help you connect with other photographers and potential clients. 

• Expand on your IG or Twitter bio. This time, you can utilize 101 characters in your Page intro, and expand much further in the About section (there doesn’t seem to be a character limit). 
• Include key details. Stress your location and specialty. 

Strike a balance of professionalism and personality. While it’s important to convey your expertise and experience, don’t be afraid to let your personality shine through. A bit of humor or a fun fact about your photography journey can make your About section more engaging and memorable.

Still unsure if Facebook is worth it? Check out Wonderful Machine’s article Expert Advice: Facebook for Photographers, and you may change your mind.

LinkedIn Bio Tips

Unlike Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter, LinkedIn requires a much more professional tone. You can list your skills, educational qualifications, and work experience on the platform, effectively turning it into your online resume.

• Dive into the details. Unlike the others, you have a maximum of 2,600 characters for your LinkedIn About section. Tell your story, highlight your skills and accomplishments, and define your approach to photography. Inserting a personal anecdote can also make you more engaging and relatable. 
• Include your goals or mission statement. Give potential clients a sense of your values and professional aspirations. 
• Mention your achievements. These could be awards won, exhibitions participated in, or notable clients you’ve worked with. This adds credibility to your photographer profile and showcases your success in the field.

Head over to our article on LinkedIn for Photographers to gain insights into the fundamentals of a photographer profile on the platform. 

Website Bio

Similar to an emailer, a bio can act as a potential client’s “first impression” of you, meaning it needs to leave them with a sense of who you are, how you work, and why your personality and approach are a natural fit for their commission — and brand as a whole. 

You’re probably not sending out your bio in an email blast to the masses, but the “About Me” page on your site is one of the first places clients go when making hiring decisions (aside from your gallery, of course). Your portfolio may be curated to perfection, but it needs to be accompanied by an equally engaging bio to give the client an ideal first impression. As a way to get started, we’ve come up with a few Dos and Don’ts.

Professional Photographer Bio Dos and Don’ts

Dos:

• Do have a photo. One of the first things I do when viewing a photographer’s website is look for a picture of them, and I’m sure I’m not alone. This is one of the reasons we at Wonderful Machine like to have headshots for all our Wonderful Machine member photographers. It’s nice to put a face to a name!
  • While you can never go wrong with a traditional headshot/portrait, there are other approaches you can take as well, examples of which are toward the end of the article.
• Do keep our interest. If you’re more of a dreamer, an imaginative biography that keeps the reader engaged might be right up your alley.
• Do have fun. To catch a prospective client’s attention, show creativity in your photography bio and have fun with your writing.

Don’ts:

• Don’t be pompous. or take yourself too seriously. Unless you’re Duane Michals, Sally Mann, or the like, refrain from overly self-important remarks. You don’t want creatives to think you’re a prima donna who’s difficult to work with or doesn’t take directions well.
• Don’t be careless. Avoid typos, bad translations, grammatical errors, and spelling mistakes. If you’re not the best writer — or aren’t writing in your native language — think about hiring someone to help you craft your thoughts. Regardless of whether or not you pursue outside help, always have someone else read over your work. No good impressions come from cringe-worthy grammar or semicolon misuses. Also, steer clear of online translators to rewrite your bio in another language.

Alright, enough negativity. We could come up with more bio “Don’ts,” but let’s shift our focus to some standout bios and “About Me” photographer examples of varying lengths — and what makes each of them work.

Photographer Bio Examples

Short Bio

Why it Works: Short and Sweet

All photographers write their bios with clients in mind, but Inti St. Clair cuts out the middleman by addressing her clients directly: “Hire her. You’ll have a blast working with her.” Inti also includes a smiling photo of herself, which reinforces how pleasant she is to work with. She is assuaging every client’s biggest fear, that of bringing on a disagreeable and incompetent photographer. Inti’s photographer bio is full of conversation starters as well, a refreshing way for someone to show their personality without falling into the cliche of listing likes and dislikes.

I also want to shout out bullet points. Inti uses them to make the information easier to digest and quicker to scan through, an ideal setup for the busy, perhaps passively attentive creative. 

You can use bullet points in your bio — or anywhere you write, for that matter — to highlight information, such as:

• Your specialties
• Past clients
• Celebrities you’ve photographed
• The languages you speak

Bonus Short Bio

Why it Works: Leans into The Humor 

Boulder-based Matt Trappe’s photographer bio runs with an old-school aesthetic with its classic design, extending to everything from the photos to the fonts. The text doesn’t beat around the bush, highlighting the different hats he wears in the top-right corner, while the body of the text condenses his professional journey with humor. His target audience includes experienced marketing and creative executives who would easily appreciate his aesthetic choices. 

Matt also makes an interesting choice by having his bio appear first thing on the homepage, opting not to hide it in the corners and crevices of websites as some photographers do. It operates as a firm handshake and a 30-second elevator pitch so that potential clients know exactly who he is and what he’s about from the get-go. 

Medium Length Bio

Why it Works: A Focus on Identity and Purpose

Diana Zeyneb Alhindawi’s bio effectively communicates her professional journey and personal background. It starts by establishing her focus on exploring the human condition through photography, immediately giving readers a sense of her work’s thematic core. The bio then delves into her international work in conflict and emergency zones, bolstered by a list of reputable media outlets and organizations that have published or showcased her work. This not only highlights her credibility but also provides a context for the stories she captures.

Her accolades are neatly woven into the narrative, further cementing her expertise and recognition in the field. The bio then transitions into a personal narrative, linking her multicultural upbringing and experiences as a refugee to her pursuit of work for humanitarian causes. This personal touch allows readers to understand the motivations behind her work.

Her transition to photography is clearly marked, providing a timeline of her career progression. The mention of her academic qualifications and language skills rounds off the bio, offering a comprehensive view of her capabilities. Through it all, there’s no mistaking the kind of person Diana is, personally and professionally.

Long Bio

Why it Works: Strikes a Balance

Having a healthy mix of personal and professional information in your bio is key, and you can get into both with a longer bio. The goal is to remind clients that you’re human (and a capable one, at that). Matt Odom has a nice balance; he first lists his specialties, his hometown, and how he started out in his career. Matt then gets to the fun stuff, where his personality shines through. 

Although Matt uses a third-person perspective, the writing feels very personable, as if his friend is telling us that, “he’s a people person,” or confirming, “yes, he’s a huge Arsenal FC fan.”

Who wouldn’t trust Matt to show up on time, get the job done, and produce timeless images? And perhaps shoot the breeze about the latest Premier League news?

If it’s difficult to keep track of the various guidelines for your professional photographer bio, we have an infographic to simplify things.

Pictures for Your Photographer Bio

Bio Pic 1: The Traditional Headshot

Can’t go wrong with a straightforward portrait in your photographer bio, be it of your head, your whole body, or something in between. Lynsey Weatherspoon has the right idea, and the fact that she’s so close to the camera allows us to see her eyes. As viewers, we’re drawn to people’s eyes first, which is why so many advertisements feature close-ups of smiling faces — making eye contact with an individual in a photo adds a layer of personability to the proceedings. You feel like you’re interacting with them, in a sense.

Bio Pic 2: With Loved Ones

This is a favorite of many photographers who use the bio space to show themselves with family members. Maybe you’re the parent of some adorable young children, like Tiffany Luong, or maybe you’re a proud dog owner like Sean F. Boggs:

Whatever the case, people can’t help but smile when they see you and your loved ones together. It’s a nice window into your personal life and an easy type of image to track down. After all, who doesn’t have a plethora of pictures with their loved ones?

Bio Pic 3: On Assignment

Some photographers want to give off the impression that they live and breathe their craft, and an easy way to convey this message is to get a shot of you on the job. Kris Cheng has quite a few assignments in the outdoors, but you don’t need me to tell you that once you get a look at his bio picture.

Bio Pic 4: The GIF 

Geneva-based Aurélien Bergot introduces himself with a GIF, revealing his workflow in the studio as a product photographer. By doing so, he gives potential clients a sneak peek into future collaborations with him, whether it involves a case of Dior lipstick or not.

Though none of the above lists are exhaustive, they do give a good sense of the various options you can utilize to craft a professional photographer bio. There is no shortage of ways to give off that ideal first impression and, ultimately, your bio should feel right for you. Don’t get tripped up by the rules, but don’t try to copy someone else’s style. Just be you. A grammatically correct, typo-free you — with a nice photo to boot!

The post EXPERT ADVICE: WRITING A PHOTOGRAPHER BIO appeared first on Rocky Mountain School of Photography - Blog.

Step 1: Sing that Frozen anthem you’ve heard a million timesand “Let it goooooooo.” Let go of the urge to make everything perfect and “just so.” Let go of the vision in your mind of what your perfect family photo looks like. Find the best light, then find the best background. Start there, take a deep breath, and one more time, “let it go.”

© Mary Brunst

Step 2: Once you’ve positioned your client(s) in the best light you can find, in front of the best background available, give them action steps to interact with each other. Resist the urge to pose them immediately, instead first encourage them to connect with one another, whether that be a family group hug, or a short walk while holding hands, dad throwing his two year old daughter in the air and catching her, etc. I’m not saying not to pose at all; however, I am suggesting that you don’t start the photo session with a pose. Begin the photo session as a friend, then become their photographer. Giving action steps, rather than posing, gives your clients the opportunity to relax and be themselves. It gives you the opportunity to photograph them, not anyone, but who they are. Observe how they naturally interact with each other, then let that dictate how you interact with them and how you pose them. They will naturally hug how they’ve hugged a million times before, they will hold hands how they are comfortable doing so, mom and dad will know how to get their child to smile by just being themselves.

© Mary Brunst

Step 3: Everyone likes to know that they are heard, noticed, and appreciated; children are no different. Take any extra time needed to draw them out and take time to play with them. My philosophy when photographing families with kids is that you have “on time” and “off time,” meaning that as soon as they do something I have asked to get the photo that I wanted, I put the camera down and we do something that they wanted to do. When photographing kids especially allow yourself space to step back and observe life as it unfolds, because those are often the moments that provide the best photo opportunities!

© Mary Brunst

Step 4: Repeat Step 1 and let it go. Have more patience than you think you’ll need, let go of that creative vision, and wait for something even more magical to happen in front of you. Embrace the mess and chaos, because when you do you will truly capture the personality of a family in a photo, as well as the individual personalities in your photo! Go out and have fun photographing families!

Mary Brunst is a full-time professional portrait photographer based in Maryland. She is a 2010 Graduate of RMSP’s former Career Training Program and worked as a Summer Intensive teaching assistant in 2011; now she works as an instructor in RMSP’s Professional Intensive program. Mary finds sharing her passion for photography with others both fun and rewarding. Her work has been featured on: The Knot, Grey Likes Weddings, United with Love, Mountainside Bride, Charm City Wed, Bayside Bride and other wedding blogs & publications. Check out more of Mary’s family photos below!

See more of Mary’s photography on her website and instagram.

The post 4 Tips For Photographing Families with Young Kids appeared first on Rocky Mountain School of Photography - Blog.

But how do we craft a “good” critique? The truth is it takes both sides. Both the creator whose work is being reviewed and the reviewer who’s evaluating it can contribute to how “good” or “bad” a critique is. In this article, I’ll share some important tips for both creator and reviewer, and I’ll share some critique examples to demonstrate the language of critiques.

Important Tips for Creators & Reviewers

Creator Tip 1: Know what you want from the photography critique. Is it just a reaction, they like it or they don’t? Do you want feedback on a particular element, such as the composition or the lighting or a subject’s pose? Do you want feedback on whether or not you achieved a particular feeling or conveyed a particular message? Do you simply want to know anything and everything that could make your work stronger? A critique is a chance to learn and grow, so own your learning and growth!

Reviewer Tip 1: Ask the creator what they want from the critique / what kind of feedback they’re looking for / what their goals for the photo or body of work might be OR be clear about the perspective you’ll provide. It is perfectly okay for you to critique it from your own particular perspective, but let the reviewer know what that is.

Why is this important?

Here’s why this can make or break the photography critique experience: When you’re both on the same page about the feedback that’s coming, it frames the whole critique in a more helpful way. For example, if the creator wants feedback on composition but the reviewer is focusing purely on lighting, the critique might not feel like a valuable exercise to the creator. Or if the creator is expecting a simple reaction but the reviewer provides an in-depth critique on a bunch of edits that would make the image stronger, that great advice might fall on deaf ears and the creator might walk away deflated and frustrated. But if you’re both on the same page, the reviewer can provide the feedback that’s most valuable to the creator or, at the very least, it avoids the situation where the reviewer gives objectively great feedback but that’s not what the creator was ready to hear.

Reviewer Tip 2: Unless the creator has said they want a simple reaction, try to be specific about what’s “working” and what’s not. If you have photographic knowledge and language, use it to explain why the strong elements are successful and the weaker elements aren’t. And even if you don’t have the knowledge and language to be specific, you can still point out what you’re drawn to in the image, what distracts you, what you like or don’t like, or how it makes you feel. It is also 100% okay to be honest about what you can and can’t provide; I am giving you permission to say, “I can’t really speak to that” and then move on. (Bonus tip: If you know someone who can provide what the creator is looking for, recommend them!)

Creator Tip 2: If you don’t understand feedback, ask questions. If you don’t know how to address a problem, ask questions. If the format of the critique doesn’t allow you to ask your reviewer, or if the reviewer doesn’t have the requisite knowledge to answer, then ask your questions somewhere else. There are so many ways to find answers (friends and forums and Google and YouTube and workshops and courses and mentors, oh my!). Earlier I said that a critique is a great way to learn and grow, but it’s more accurate to say it’s a great starting point for learning and growing. 

That brings me to an important note if you’re receiving a critique:

Keep in mind that critiques are opportunities to learn what to do better or differently, but don’t assume it’s also a lesson in how to do it. A reviewer’s main job is providing feedback; they may or may not be in a position to also teach. So if you feel yourself getting frustrated because you want the detailed lesson, too, remember that it’s not always possible – perhaps because of time or format or even who the reviewer is. Getting the what is the primary purpose, getting the how is a bonus.

A secret that all the BEST photographers know …

Mastering your camera (and becoming “technically” proficient) may be THE most important step to becoming a better photographer … but it’s also the most challenging. 

Camera settings are almost intentionally confusing, and wrangling out a good image without the camera’s help can feel like trying to solve a theoretical trigonometry problem.

If that sounds like you, Summer Intensive can help. 

Summer Intensive is our in person, hands-on summer photography program for passionate enthusiast photographers. It’s perfect for you if you want to master your camera, get better at your craft, and indulge your creativity.

Not only will you learn a complete, “A-Z” system to help you finally move past AUTO mode … you’ll also get numerous chances to simply create incredible photographs! 

It all happens over 6 action-packed summer weeks alongside other like-minded creatives in beautiful Missoula, Montana. 

Want to join? Spaces are filling up — if you’re interested in joining, click here to learn more! 

Critique Examples

Let’s look at a few critique examples from members of the RMSP Community who graciously submitted images for this article. (And because I’m also an instructor, a few bits of how might sneak their way into these critiques, as well.)

Critique 1: Amanda Brent (amandabrentphotography.com) asked for a photography critique on anything and everything but also mentioned that she’s working on focusing and stopping motion. So, as reviewer, I want to make a point to address anything related to focus and sharpness, along with any other elements that are working well or that I think could be improved.  

Here is my critique:

I think the shutter speed, depth of field, and focus look great! The shallow depth of field blurs that busy background, which helps us focus on the dog. Sure, the shallow DOF means his tail and parts of his body are soft, too, but I think that works for this image. Because his face is sharp — in focus and no motion blur — that tells me that’s what you want me to pay attention to (and I definitely do). Two notes that could make this even stronger: 1) The edit still looks a bit raw, so more contrast and nuanced edits with highlights / shadows / blacks – especially on the dog himself — could help his wonderfully goofy face pop even more. And 2) Consider playing with the crop. On the one hand I love that he’s near that right edge; it’s like he’s so full of energy he’s almost leaving the frame. But there’s so much bright, negative space on the left side of that photo (and that one tree trunk that’s closer than the others has enough contrast that it’s a bit distracting) that I’m getting pulled away from the subject. Plus, his goofy expression is just so much fun. Since your focus and exposure choices suggest that’s where our attention should be, bring us in closer.

Critique 2: Catherine Cussaguet (pathstooneworld.com/photography) didn’t ask for any particular feedback, which is perfectly okay because I, as the reviewer, still have my own perspective to pull from. However, she did mention that she liked the “serenity of the creek, the leaning of the trees, and the little dipper right in the middle.” That tells me as reviewer to pay attention to those elements, which also fits the way I tend to critique: I focus a lot on composition, design, and mood / feeling / message. So, Catherine, that’s how I’ll review this image!

Here’s my critique: 

This is such a lovely scene and moment, but the dipper gets lost in it for me. Knowing that the bird is an important subject to you in this image, I think the composition could be improved. Those leaning trees in the background provide some nice lines that point us to the bird, and the leaning trees on the left help to hold our eye in the frame and contribute to that sense of serenity, almost like they’re protecting the scene and the bird. But the bottom third of the image isn’t contributing to the subject or the feeling; in fact, it just makes the dipper feel farther away and waters down the strength of those trees within the composition. I suggest a crop, not only to eliminate that bottom third but also to bring the bird a little closer to a power point. In the original composition, it wasn’t *quite* centered so it didn’t feel as balanced as it does in this crop. And that balance brings even more serenity to the moment.

Critique 3: Marcin Rychlewski (instagram.com/marcin.rychlewski.photography) submitted an objectively strong photo. If I was reviewing this without following my #1 tip, I would have zero notes for him. I could point out what’s working well using the language of photography (good exposure, intentional composition, nothing distracting my eye, etc.) but then what is Marcin getting from the critique? Not much. Luckily, Marcin and I both followed the #1 tips and this is what he said: “I hoped the juxtaposition of the natural and synthetic worlds might convey a sense of ambiguity and uncertainty about the future. Is it a pause in the storm or will it continue? In what ways was I successful or unsuccessful in conveying this intent?”

Here’s my critique:

I do love that juxtaposition, and I think the fact that you took this after it rained makes the image even more compelling because we get the puddles. The manmade elements are such straight, hard lines while the clouds and the puddles have curved, organic, soft lines. That balance and tension is really interesting, and there wouldn’t be as much of that balance without the puddles. Also, the more I look, the more I see examples of almost a blurring of the worlds, too. The horizon line of the sea in the left half is straight and sharp. That’s balanced by the round instrument and the curved painted shape on the deck on the right side of the frame. And your DOF choice means everything is sharp so our eye explores everything; another way of blending the worlds, so to speak. In other words, in all those ways, I think you were successful. However, I personally don’t get a sense of uncertainty; in fact, this image almost feels hopeful. It feels like the end of the storm when the clouds have parted and the sun has come out. I think 3 things are contributing to that: the bright daylight whites, the warm and bright yellow, and that strong diagonal line from the corner, leading us forward. If you want to bring in more uncertainty, perhaps you can play with some masks to adjust exposure on different elements, or crop up from the bottom some so the line isn’t out of the corner and quite so strong. But I say all of that with a grain of salt because I do think the image is strong and interesting and compelling as it is. The juxtaposition is absolutely there, and maybe that’s all this image needs to do. 

Closing Thoughts

Amanda, Catherine, and Marcin can now do whatever they want with that feedback. They might agree with my suggestions – or not. They may decide to make changes – or not. And they might know exactly how to adjust something based on my feedback – or not. But if they don’t have a particular skill or piece of knowledge in their back pocket, they can start asking and exploring. Remember: a photography critique is a great starting point for learning and growing. 

And I hope this article has been a great starting point for getting you more comfortable with critiques! Now I encourage you to take the next step: submit images to an open critique, sign up for a course or workshop with critiques, or join a critique group with fellow photographers. That last one is extra wonderful because it lets you be both creator and reviewer and you’ll get double the benefit. 

Happy creating and critiquing! 

P.S. If you’d like to join a virtual critique group, check out the Peer Image Critique space in the RMSP Community. All are welcome!

The post The Art of Critique: Tips for Creators and Reviewers appeared first on Rocky Mountain School of Photography - Blog.

Tough luck! The truth is, if you’re not getting jobs, the answer isn’t to sit there wondering why – it’s to fix it. This article will discuss in-depth SEO for commercial photographers. 

For most commercial photographers, SEO can be optimized in only a few hours, and then maintained and improved in around 5-10 additional hours per month. 

Note 1: I am going to be speaking to small/medium business commercial photographers in this article (where most people start). If you are already an established commercial photographer working for big businesses, this won’t really apply to you. 

Note 2: Many people have misconceptions about what commercial photography is. My simple definition is “any photographer that creates images (or video) for another business.” This could be product, lifestyle, headshots, architecture, catalog, or really anything else so long as another business is paying you for your work. 

What is Search Engine Optimization (SEO)?

Put simply, SEO is your website’s ability to position itself near the top of a search engine results page (like Google). If you rank higher on the search page, your website will yield more organic visitors who are already looking for the specific service you offer. 

I’m a firm believer that good SEO is the single best thing you can do for your business over the long-term. Paid advertising can get you through slumps in business, but good, organic search traffic is unbeatable. 

In this article we are going to discuss Search Engine Optimization (SEO) best practices for commercial photographers and how you can optimize your website to capture organic traffic most effectively. 

Before we begin, there are a few important disclaimers I want to get out of the way: 

1. Most experts agree that it takes about six months for SEO changes to result in any increase in website traffic. Be patient! I also recommend setting up a reminder for six months from now so you can check your analytics and (hopefully) start to see some results! I like to perform an “SEO Audit” on the RMSP website every six months to ensure we are always headed in the right direction.
2. There are no SEO tricks anymore. Back in the day, you could “trick” the search engine into thinking your pages were better than the rest by keyword stuffing, increasing keyword density, or generally just putting low quality content on your pages. These days, many of these “tricks” will actually result in a lower ranking for your website. If you find anyone out there in the marketing industry selling a product that will “result in a quick boost to SEO,” proceed with caution!
3. I’m going to use Google as our example search engine throughout this article; most search engines (like Yahoo) follow these same principles. 
4. We are going to be focusing on “local” SEO in this article. Local SEO is the ability for your website to rank high on searches in your area vs. the country or world. Global SEO is much less important in commercial photography, as larger, global companies generally will find you through your network of connections as opposed to organic search. (see Note 1 above). 

Next, let’s define a few terms that are important to understand before we proceed: 

• Ranking: When someone searches for a term relevant to your business, how close to the top of the search results is your website?
• Search Engine Results Page (SERP): The page someone sees after running a search. You want to be on page one of these search results. Think about it, how many times have you searched for something on Google and scrolled past the first ten or so results? 
• Organic Traffic: Website traffic that found your website without the aid of paid advertisements or marketing efforts. 
• Keyword: A search term that someone might type into their search engine and you might want rank on SERP 1 for. 

Step 1: Set up tracking!

It’s important to know how much average organic traffic your website is getting right now so that we can see how our SEO improvements help. My recommendation is to set up Google Analytics, as it’s the most robust analytics tracking tool available for SEO and offers far more features than the built-in analytics tools in Squarespace, Pixpa, etc. 

How to link your website with Google Analytics:

To link Google Analytics with most website platforms, begin by logging into your Google Analytics account. Locate the Admin section and select the desired account and property/URL. Then, under Property or Data Collection, click on “Tracking Info,” “Tracking Code,” or “Data Streams.” Here, you’ll find the tracking code (called a “measurement ID”) provided by Google Analytics. It appears like this: G-XXXXXXXXXX. Copy this measurement ID code. 

Then, within your website platform’s account dashboard, access the settings related to analytics or tracking. On most sites, you can find where to put your measurement ID under a section under settings labeled “Integrations,” “Analytics,” or “External API keys.” Paste the Google Analytics tracking code into the designated area. Save the changes, and ensure the code is applied across all pages of your website. 

After this integration, Google Analytics will start capturing data from your website. Always remember to follow any platform-specific instructions provided for accurate implementation. Most website platforms provide exceptional, specialized help articles that walk through this process in detail.

Once you have Analytics set up, head over to https://analytics.google.com

Next, we want to create a report that will show you your organic search traffic and how it compares to a time one year earlier. This will get pretty detailed, so stick with me!

In the upper-left corner, click on “Reports,” then “User Acquisition.” This will show you how your website users originally found your website. Next, in the upper-right corner you can set the date range you would like to see information for. I recommend setting that to either “Last 7 days” or “Last 28 days” depending on how much daily traffic your website gets (if it gets a lot, go with 7, if not, then go with 28). 

Finally, if we look at the “Organic Search” row, we can see the following information:

Note: I’ve skipped some of the columns to focus more on the ones that I find most important. 

• New users: The number of new people who accessed your website over that 7- or 28-day span. 
• Engagement rate: The percentage of all sessions (one user visiting your website twice would count as two sessions) who spent longer than 10 seconds on your website or visited two or more of your pages. Think of these as the percentage of people who were interested enough in your business to spend some time reading/browsing. We want to see this percentage increase over time – you should also see that the engagement rate of “Organic Search” traffic is much higher than the other acquisition types as people who find content organically are much more likely to spend time on the pages they find. Hooray for SEO! 
• Average engagement time: This is simply the average amount of time a user spends on your website. We really want to see this grow over time as we add more content to our websites and give our potential customers more to read and learn about our businesses. As Google sees users spending more time on your website, your overall SEO ranking will increase – keeping people on your pages longer will bring more people to your pages!

If this all sounds a bit intimidating and you would like help with every single part of building a thriving photography business, check out our 1-year Professional Intensive program here: https://pi.rmsp.com

Now that we understand the data, let’s customize this a bit. Click back up on the date range that we set earlier, scroll down on the left, and turn on “Compare.” Set the compare period to either “Same period last year” which will compare the last 7/28 days to the same 7/28 days the previous year, or “Preceding period” which will compare the last 7/28 days to the 7/28 days that happened right before. 

To track the effectiveness of your SEO changes and tweaks, I recommend the “Same period last year” option as many SEO changes take 6-months to a year to fully manifest. 

Lastly, click “Apply” in the bottom-right of the date range box. 

Now we can see how our traffic compares to the set comparison range. What we are looking for here is green percentages indicating an increase in traffic, users, and engagement. Again, this will not happen overnight. You want to do this on a timescale of at least one month, but a year is even better. Don’t get discouraged!

ADVANCED PRO TIP – To limit this report to only showing organic search traffic, click the pencil in the upper-right and add a filter with the following options: 

• Dimension: First user default channel group
• Match Type: Exactly matches
• Value: Organic Search

You can also save this report for future use by clicking the “Save…” button in the upper-right corner. 

Step 2: Write, write, write.

Unfortunately, most photographers don’t love to write (me included). With that said, Google (at least right now) doesn’t look at our pictures, so having 200+ portfolio product photos on your website with no industry-specific text does literally nothing for your search ranking. Instead, we need to write a lot of relevant, useful text about our business, services, pricing, etc. to teach Google and our customers what our business is all about. 

I would start this process by thinking about what kinds of searches you would like to rank for in your area. These search terms are called keywords and should be the backbone of every bit of writing on your website. You want to think about what someone looking for your commercial photography business might search for. Try your best to not think like a photographer here. We all use a bit of jargon that might not be too familiar to non-photographers. 

Try to think of locations, types of services, and anything else you can think of that someone might search for. I recommend making a nice chart that helps you get all of your search ideas on paper. Here’s an example. 

Next, start to string these search keywords together into long-form search terms that someone might actually type into Google. Also remember that many people won’t type locations when searching anymore since Google knows where someone is searching for and will show relevant content. (But, that doesn’t mean you don’t still need to include location-based text on your website!) 

Examples include:

• Restaurant menu photography (your city)
• Business headshots in (your city)
• Small business website images (your city)
• (Your budget range) branding images
• Social media photographer in (your location)

Once you have some examples, start to think about how you can incorporate these into the text on your website. I would aim to include each of the keywords in your chart at least 3-5 times somewhere on your website, and use keywords that have to do with “your location + main sub-genre“ at least 10 times on your website. 

One other note is to be specific. Think about how many other photographers there are in your area targeting the same set of words. The more specific you can get to exactly what your potential client might type, the better off you will be. 

To give an example – let’s look at headshot photography. In the photography world, we might classify a headshot photographer as a “portrait photographer” but very few potential clients are going to search for that when looking for business headshots. Instead, like I use in the examples above, a better option would be “business headshot photographer,” or to be even more specific a “small business website headshot photographer.” Again, the more specific we can get with our keywords, the more likely we won’t have any competition ranking for those search terms. 

Disclaimer – Google knows if you are just putting words on the page for the sake of having words on the page. The idea is to write good copy that makes sense, informs your customers, and helps them decide if you are the right person to hire for the job. This probably means building a website with at least five pages and trying to have each page have between 500 and 1000 words, minimum. Just putting random words on the page will hurt your overall page ranking, but putting words on the page that are there intentionally will help you rank on page one of search results!

Google’s number one goal is that someone who clicks on your website is happy with what they found. The only way to do this is provide accurate, relevant information to your prospective customers. Remember too, your number one goal should be to solve a problem for your customer, ensure that problem is clearly listed on each page. For many photographers the “problem” they aim to solve, and keywords listed above will be very similar to one another!

Step 3: Page Load Speed

Have you ever clicked an ad for a product on social media, waited maybe two seconds for the webpage to load, then closed the window because the page took too long? It’s not a good experience and Google knows this. Google will prioritize pages in search results that load fast and provide users with a good experience. The faster your pages load, the better your website will do! I’ve noticed that most photographers put far too little time and effort into page loading time and lose business because of it. 

The best tool I’ve found to test this is the Google “PageSpeed Insights” tool. Enter your URL into the box, click “Analyze” and let’s break it down! 

In the Google PageSpeed Insights tool, you’ll notice that at the top you can choose between “Mobile” and “Desktop.” I recommend a “Performance” of over 40 for Mobile, and over 90 for Desktop. The higher you can get that number, the better! 

So, how do we make our pages load quicker and improve our score? The simple answer is PROPERLY SIZE YOUR IMAGES. 

Images that are too large (in dimension or quality) contain too much data and will slow down your page dramatically. Exporting each image separately, using the Photoshop “File -> Export -> Export As…” tool is my go-to option. Inside of the export box, you can set the dimensions, compression, color space, and see a live preview of what those settings are doing to your exported image. It’s all a balancing act between good quality and fast load time! 

To learn the exact process of exporting images for the web, here’s a useful video:

If you go through the process of properly sizing your images, and still aren’t getting the load times you’re happy with, look below the score and see what other recommendations Google has to improve your loading time. Some of these things you will have control over, others you won’t. Luckily, Google has a nice “Learn How” button next to each recommendation. Do note however that some of these are only controllable by your website platform, and not you as the end-user. Some web platforms are just faster and more optimized than others. 

Seriously. Take the time to export each image for your website separately, and eek out every bit of load speed you can.

Step 4: Build a (good) Google Business Profile

This is so important. Google search results rely heavily on Google Business listings and creating a full, accurate Google Business profile can do so much to help you rank higher. Yes, once you have a large list of business relationships and clients, this will become much less important. The fact is that many small businesses use Google to find people to create images for them and their business. We want our business to be near the top! 

The single most important thing you can do is ensure that your business phone number (yes, you need one of these), email address, and physical address/service area exactly match what’s on your website. Google will cross-reference this information and rank you higher if it sees the same information in both places. 

The second thing to focus on is getting (and responding to) reviews. I recommend adding a “Please leave me a review” button on the bottom of every email you send, especially those emails that contain links to your final image deliverables. The absolute best time to get a review is the moment a client first sees the images you created for them. The easier you can make the process of them leaving a review at that moment in time, the better! 

Another thing to consider is adding an incentive to leave you a review! Something like “Save $50 off your next headshot session by leaving me a review.” Just be sure to never tie these incentives to a “positive” review – we want our clients to be honest when reviewing our business. 

If this feel too “salesey” to you, that’s okay, too! Maybe give someone an incentive first, and then ask for the review, that way the two are disconnected. A simple email like “Thanks for working with me, here’s a $15 coffee gift card, I’d also love a review if you have a minute,” could be an excellent way to do this.   

When someone does leave a review, respond! If the review is negative, be respectful, thank them for their feedback, and offer to remedy the situation (if possible). Just remember that all reviews and responses are public! 

PRO TIP: Develop an email mailing list of all potential, current, and past clients with a way to segment between the different groups. This makes it super easy to send reminders to all past clients asking them to please leave you a review! 

I would also recommend adding some images to your Google Business profile. They really help potential customers see what types of images you create. I would advise a 50/50 mix of deliverable images and behind-the-scenes images showing you in action! If you have a studio or storefront, I would absolutely include images of those as well. 

Finally, post updates on your Google Business profile. This shows the world (and Google) that you are active, and your business is alive and well. This should include photos, BTS, business updates like discounts, availability, or even the photos you just shot for another client!

Step 5: Get some backlinks! 

Here’s the big one – the one that also takes a lot of work. Google will rank you higher if other websites link back to your website. For example, me putting a link to https://sarahchaput.com/ in this blog article helps Sarah’s website rank higher! That’s awesome. 

To sweeten the deal, the more popular the website that links back to you, the better it is for your ranking. For example, a backlink from The New York Times will have way more impact than a backlink from a local mom-and-pop magazine.

There are a few ways to get quality back links, but my favorite for local SEO is to partner with local businesses in related industries and share backlinks. For example, if you develop a relationship with a local video production studio (assuming you don’t offer video), ask them if they would be willing to link your website on their website in return for you doing the same! It should be noted that there are a few services out there that you can pay for that will provide paid backlinks, but I would much rather spend that money on some paid advertising and work to get my backlinks manually. 

Another thing to consider is if you have a friend who owns another photo business that doesn’t compete with your own, feel free to put links to each other’s websites! A great way to do this is have them take your headshot and vice versa and hyperlink the photos. You can refer clients to one another, link to each other’s website, and help one another grow. It’s a win-win. 

If you’re wondering where to put all of these links, text, and content, consider adding a blog to your website! Blogs can be a fantastic way to build SEO as they give you a platform to put a ton of text on your website. I see a lot of photographers mostly just putting images on their blogs, which is pretty, but it’s not the best use of that feature. If you want to maximize your ranking, aim to have at least 500 words on each blog post (2500 words is a good goal to really get traffic). 

Conclusion:

Ranking on Google’s search page one won’t happen overnight. It takes time. Think of SEO like a tree – you plant it now and in 5 years it will have deep roots. 

My recommendation is to try and complete all these tasks in the next couple of weeks, set a reminder for a year from now and check back in on your Analytics then. Hopefully, you will see some nice growth in your organic traffic. If not, maybe rethink your keywords, try to get some better backlinks, or even consider pivoting the business in a slightly different (and hopefully less competitive) direction. 

Finally, under no circumstances should you ever take your website down and replace it with an “under construction” notice. Doing so for too long can destroy any ranking you have built and cause this entire process to restart. If you are unhappy with your website shortly after publishing it, welcome to the club! Remember, we get bored with our own website way faster than our customers do. Keep the text on the page, add more if you can, stay the course, and the organic traffic will come. If you’re short on work, consider running a paid advertising campaign on Instagram or Facebook – we show our students exactly how to do that in our Professional Intensive program. 

You can learn more here: https://pi.rmsp.com/ 

The post SEO for Commercial Photographers appeared first on Rocky Mountain School of Photography - Blog.

The intent of this article, in all honesty, is to point you to our RMSP YouTube video on how to photograph the eclipse.  Our very own Forest Chaput de Saintonge covers all the good stuff on how to photograph the Solar Eclipse successfully. He discusses when and where you need to be, what a Solar Eclipse is and the different types, along with a lot of interesting terminology. And of course, he explains the equipment you need and the process of photographing all phases of the Solar Eclipse.

Here is the video! Enjoy!

But, maybe you don’t want to spend the time watching a video.  If that’s the case, read on! This is the short version. But, you should really go watch it!

When and Where to Photograph the Solar Eclipse

Knowing where and when to go are crucial pieces of information you need if you want to successfully capture the Solar Eclipse. This is especially important if you have your heart set on capturing Totality, when the Moon completely covers the Sun as seen in the photograph below.

Unfortunately, the Total Eclipse (Totality) will not be visible to everyone everywhere. Generally speaking, the Solar Eclipse will be visible in parts of Mexico, United States, and Canada on April 8th, 2024. NASA was kind enough to publish a map of exactly where you need to be if you want to photograph the Solar Eclipse and capture Totality.

Again, if you want to experience or photograph the Solar Eclipse in Totality you need to place yourself somewhere along that dark gray band that runs from southwest Texas to northeast Maine. If you are not along that band you will not see the Sun completely occluded by the Moon. Anything outside of that band will experience a partial Solar Eclipse.

Disclaimer

I feel obligated to include this disclaimer.  Photographing the Solar Eclipse is serious business.  If all the precautions are not taken there is a real likelihood of damaging not only your camera equipment, but you also risking permanently damaging your eyesight.  After all, we are talking about pointing our cameras with long lenses DIRECTLY at the Sun!

With that said, don’t let this article or this YouTube video be your only source of information.  You want to have multiple solid resources that back each other up. It is so important that you know what you are doing anytime you attempt to photograph the Sun.

What to Expect the Day of the Solar Eclipse

The day of the Solar Eclipse is an exciting time and there is a lot that happens.  There are multiple phases of the Solar Eclipse and all of them are fun to photograph.  You can plan on the entire photographic ordeal lasting maybe 2-3 hours starting from the time of equipment setup.

Here is what you can expect to see so you can be prepared.

First Contact

First Contact is the first stage of the Solar Eclipse.  This is the point where the Moon just starts to move in front of the Sun.  It is very important to note, that when photographing the partial eclipse, which starts to happen at First Contact, you MUST use a filter on your lens.  You must also wear special glasses to observe this phase of the eclipse.  The Sun is still as bright as any other non-eclipse time during First Contact.  Filters are discussed in the Equipment section of this article.

Second Contact

Second Contact is the second phase of the Solar Eclipse.  This is essentially the beginning of Totality where the Sun is completely blocked by the Moon.  Again, when photographing this stage of the Solar Eclipse you must have a solar filter on your lens to protect your gear and solar glasses on your face to protect your eyesight.  Second Contact WILL NOT happen for you if you are not in the swath of Totality shown on the map.

Second contact is when you can capture the Diamond Ring Effect as seen below.  This happens the moment before the Sun is completely occluded by the Moon.

Totality

Totality is the moment we’ve all been waiting for!  This is the third stage of the Solar Eclipse.  At this point the Moon fully occludes the Sun.  We are able to see the Sun’s corona during totality. 

Day turns to night.  The birds, the livestock, and everything else out in the wild perceive this time as nightfall.  We are even able to see the stars during Totality!  Aside from the photographic opportunity, Totality is an absolute epic experience. The photos are important, but don’t forget to take it all in!

Photography-wise things change for us during Totality.  We no longer need solar filters on our cameras. Keep in mind, though, Totality only lasts about 2 minutes and 30 seconds (depending where you are) for this event.  As soon as it is over you need to put the filters back on the camera and the glasses back on your face!  

Third Contact

Third Contact is the 4th stage of the Solar Eclipse. The Moon has moved passed the Sun and Totality ends. We need to make very sure the solar filters are put back on our lenses and we go back to the safety of our Solar Eclipse glasses.

Equipment

Of course, the equipment is crucial when it comes to photographing the Solar Eclipse. Before I get into the specifics, it is important to know that if you need to order anything like Solar Filters you should do that almost immediately. Solar filters were very hard to come by during the 2017 Total Solar Eclipse. Order them now!

Lenses

The biggest thing with lenses when it comes to photographing a Solar Eclipse is how much cropping you want to end up doing. The longer the focal length the larger the eclipse will appear in the image and in turn, the less cropping you will need to do in post-processing.

To get a good idea of how effective focal length affects the relative size of the eclipse in the frame check out Mr. Eclipse. This page does an excellent job of showing how focal length affects the image size.

For the 2017 Total Solar Eclipse I used a 100-400mm and it worked great. You could easily get away with using something like a 70-200mm as well. It would just require more cropping.

Another option, if you don’t have a longer lens is to use a telescope. Telescopes are typically much cheaper by millimeter than a camera lens. So, definitely something to consider.

Cameras

The camera is probably the least important piece of equipment for photographing the Solar Eclipse, as crazy as that sounds. The thing is, most of the time during the eclipse there is plenty of light so there is no need to use a higher ISO and therefore there is less risk of digital noise.

Use whatever camera or cameras you have. Just make sure you use a camera you are very comfortable with. The moment of Totality goes fast so you don’t have a lot of time to mess around with equipment you are unfamiliar with.

Solar Filters

If you are wondering if you actually need a Solar Filter, there is a very simple answer.  If you are looking to photograph any stage of the eclipse OTHER than Totality you will absolutely need a Solar Filter.  Keep in mind, you can use a Solar Filter anytime, not just during eclipses to photograph the Sun!  

There a couple options as far as Solar Filters. It really is a matter of how much of an investment you want to make.

At the basic level you can use what’s called a Mylar Solar Film Filter. This is a non-glass filter solution that is inexpensive, but still works great. This is what I used for both the 2017 and 2023 Solar Eclipses. As the name implies, the filter itself is made from a Mylar film and is held in place by a cardboard shell that is typically customizable to the size of the diameter of your lens.

Mylar solar filter (visual and photographic): https://bhpho.to/3OH2Ito

If you want to step it up because you think you may want to use this filter more in the future, you can invest in a Glass ND Filter. These are very dense neutral density filters. The one you want to get is usually labeled as an ND100000 or a 16-Stop ND filter. A word of warning about the ND100000 filter! These filters are only for photographic use. Meaning, if you have a DSLR camera and you want to look through the optical viewfinder, the ND100000 will not provide enough protection to keep your eyes safe. If you are using an optical viewfinder as found in a DSLR camera you probably want to pickup a Mylar Solar Filter instead. Mylar Solar Filters are absolutely safe for your eyes.

Glass solar filter (photographic only): https://bhpho.to/3uoiYZD

Check out the video if you want to take it even further and use a H-alpha Solar Filter!

H-alpha solar filter (photographic only): https://bhpho.to/48oWd5K

Solar Glasses

Don’t forget to pickup a pair of Solar Glasses! These things are cheap and well worth it. It’s really impossible to watch the eclipse happen without solar glasses, and they tend to sell out quickly.

Solar glasses: https://bhpho.to/49Bt8EP

Exposure Settings for Photographing the Solar Eclipse

Getting the exposure correct is the most challenging task. Everything else is pretty straightforward when photographing the Solar Eclipse.

Really, there are two situations we need to be prepared for. The first is when the Sun is still really bright and we need to use a filter. When photographing the Solar Eclipse from First Contact to Second Contact and Third Contact to Fourth Contact the Sun is just as bright as it is during any other non-eclipse time. So, in order to photograph the Solar Eclipse during these stages you absolutely have to have a filter on your lens.

The second situation we need to be prepared for when photographing the Solar Eclipse is during Diamond Ring and Totality. During these times you should not be using a filter on your lens. With that said, you need to be extremely careful to not push the Diamond Ring too long in either direction. You can take a couple shots real quick while the Sun is still just barely peaking out.

In both situations I would highly recommend using the auto-bracketing feature on your camera. Meaning, take multiple shots at different exposures. You can set your camera so when you hit the shutter button once it will then take all the shots defined in the bracket. Set your camera to what your consider proper exposure and then the camera take a shot at 3 stops under, a shot at proper exposure, and a shot at 3 stops over. Or whatever you feel sufficient to capture all the levels of exposure you need. The idea here is that you will either be off a bit with what you are setting for proper exposure so this is a safety net. The other consideration is that you can combine these photographs as an HDR blend in post-processing after the shoot.

Below are the exposure setting recommendations for both situations. With the filter (1st to 2nd Contact, and 3rd to 4th Contact) and without the filter (Totality and Diamond Ring). And just a reminder, when I say “filter” I’m talking about either the Mylar Solar Filter OR the ND100000 (16-Stop) glass filter.

Just to be clear, these exposure settings are just GUIDELINES! This is what worked for us in 2017.

The settings below for Totality and Diamond Ring give parameters for the darkest exposure and the brightest exposure. These are the darkest images and brightest images you should need for your bracketed exposure. I would recommend taking all the shots in between these settings at one stop increments to make sure you captured everything you need for a complete bracketed final image as seen below.

Practice

As the saying goes, practice makes perfect! For everything EXCEPT Totality and Diamond Ring you can absolutely practice ahead of time. And you should! You can take photographs USING YOUR FILTER of the Sun anytime. Get your exposure settings down ahead of time. Practice bracketing. Again, taking photos of 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th Contact are exactly the same as if you were taking photographs of the Sun during non-eclipse times.

Conclusion

I would like to just reiterate that it is extremely important to do your research before the big day of the Solar Eclipse. You need to do everything you can to keep yourself and your camera gear safe.

I also strongly urge you to watch the RMSP YouTube VIDEO! Forest does an amazing job of going into way more detail than I covered here in this short article. He talks in-depth about eclipses in general, filters, tracking mounts, workflows, etc. And PLEASE don’t let us be your only source of information. Check multiple sources before putting your own plan together.

One last thing…a Total Solar Eclipse is a very special event. DO NOT forget to take the time and just look up and enjoy the moment. Yes, the photographs are important…but, I would say the experience is just as if not more.

Go chase the darkness!

The post How to Photograph the Solar Eclipse appeared first on Rocky Mountain School of Photography - Blog.

Macro is all about getting extremely close to your subject and focusing on tiny details that would otherwise be overlooked. Small subjects can become larger than life.

It’s a fun way to see the world differently while creating truly unique and unexpected images.

The Challenge of Macro

Macro photography opens up a whole new, beautiful world. But this genre of photography comes with its own particular challenges.

Half the battle with macro is learning how to pick out the best subjects. You could easily be standing next to the perfect subject and not even realize it!

As photographers, we previsualize what a photograph will look like as we choose our scenes. With macro, we have to learn how to previsualize on a smaller scale.

At the macro level, everything looks completely different. The best way to get a sense of this is to experiment with different subjects. Over time, you will develop an eye and an intuition for it.

Beyond choosing a subject, macro also has plenty of technical challenges. Things like focus, depth of field, and controlling your light are all crucial.

Any technical issue or flaw in the photo will be magnified by a macro lens. That’s why this is one of the best genres of photography to practice both composition and camera skills. More on this in a moment. First, let’s look at the tools we need to get started in macro.

Macro Photography Lenses

Why invest in a macro lens? True macro photography allows us to explore our subjects at a 1:1 or greater magnification ratio, depending on the lens you use. A 1:1 ratio means that the size of the subject in real life is the same size as it’s captured on the camera’s image sensor. A 2:1 ratio would capture a subject at twice life size, and so forth.

Macro lenses also allow for closer focusing distances than normal lenses. This lets you get quite close to your subject, bringing out an incredible level of detail. These types of lenses are specifically designed to photograph objects at life size or greater.

A common focal length for a macro lens is around 100mm, so it can also double as a terrific portrait lens. In general, the optical clarity of a macro lens is tough to beat. Whether you focus on something super close or farther away, they are known for having stellar image quality with little distortion.

They also produce beautiful bokeh which is the blur that happens as depth of field drops off from the point of focus. This is another reason they are popular for both macro and portrait subjects.

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Alternatives to a Macro Lens

What if you don’t have a macro lens? That’s ok. High quality macro lenses can be a bit pricey, but the good news is that you can do “macro style,” close-up photos with a variety of lenses. Odds are you already own a lens that will do just fine.

The key is to get as close to your subject as your lens will allow. The minimum focusing distance is often printed right on the lens barrel. It’s helpful to know roughly how close you can get to your subject and still be able to achieve sharp focus.

If you want to dabble with macro photography before committing to purchasing a specialized lens, there are also less expensive accessories, which can help.

The least expensive option is a reversal ring. This accessory lets you mount your lens on your camera backwards. Lenses act as magnifiers when reversed. Also, choosing a lens with a manual aperture ring will work best so you can stop down your aperture as needed even though the lens and camera can’t communicate with each other.

A close-up filter is a magnifying lens that screws onto the front of your lens like any other filter would. Just like reversal rings, you’ll want to be sure to stop down your lens to a small aperture opening in order to increase depth of field.

A third option are extension tubes. This accessory is designed to attach between the lens and the camera. By adding distance between the rear element of the lens and the camera’s image sensor, the lens is able to focus closer than normal. When using extension tubes there is some loss of light, so expect to use longer exposure times to compensate.

Although these accessories are good for dabbling in macro photography, nothing beats a dedicated macro lens for image quality. You could consider renting a macro lens if you want to try one out before committing to a purchase.

Tripods for Macro

A tripod or some way to stabilize your camera is essential for macro photography. Carbon fiber tripods are a great choice as they offer stability while still being relatively lightweight. Depending on your subject, a tabletop tripod could also be a great option. One example is the Joby GorillaPod 3K flexible mini tripod. The legs are highly adjustable, allowing you to get close to the ground or adapt to uneven surfaces to get the perfect angle on your subject.

Some type of macro lens (or close-up accessory) and a tripod are really the essentials for getting started. There are plenty of other gadgets for more advanced macro techniques, such as focusing rails, which allow you to make precise adjustments to your focus point. If you end up loving macro, this is worth considering down the road. For now, let’s dive into some helpful tips for macro photography.

Tips & Techniques for Macro

Close-up photography can be a little frustrating at first, but here are some ways to make it easier. This genre will hone both your technical skills and your creativity. It’s really a great way to practice and become a better photographer overall.

Tip #1: Look for interesting patterns, shapes, and texture.

So many things become interesting if you get close enough. The hard part is learning to see the potential in the mundane objects all around you.

For example, it would be easy to overlook these keys in a junk drawer, but they are actually a very interesting design when photographed at the right angle.

Tip #2: Avoid camera shake.

Getting close will really magnify any little camera movement, resulting in blurry images unless you stabilize your camera. That’s why a tripod is an essential piece of macro gear. 

You may also want to use a remote trigger or two second self-timer so that you don’t accidentally shake your camera when you take the shot.

For the same reason you don’t want your camera moving, you also want to make sure that your subject remains perfectly still. For example, I don’t recommend trying to photograph macro flowers outside in the wind. Starting indoors in a controlled environment is much easier. There are many styles of clamps that macro photographers use to hold plants and other subjects still.

Tip #3: Watch your edges and background.

Make sure there are no distractions creeping in along the edges or in the background of your frame. Try to create simple compositions and fill the frame with your subject as much as possible.

Think about where you want the viewer’s attention when they look at the photograph. What is the most important part of your subject or scene? Thinking this through will help as you fine tune your composition.

After you take a shot, spend a moment studying it, looking for any distractions you may have missed.

Tip #4: Manually focus.

With your camera on a tripod, it’s best to switch your lens to manual focus so that you can choose exactly where you want your point of focus to be. It’s incredibly important to nail your focus in macro. With everything magnified, even the smallest adjustment to focus can be the difference between a sharp image and a blurry one.

If you’re photographing with a DSLR, try switching to live view mode in your camera to help you see what you’re focusing on as you slowly turn the manual focus ring on your lens. If you’re shooting with a mirrorless camera, the focus peaking feature could be a big help.

Another advantage of manually focusing is that you can set the lens to its minimum focusing distance and then carefully move your subject towards the lens until it looks tack sharp on the LCD screen. This way, you will ensure that your subject is as close as physically possible to the lens.

Tip #5: Close down your aperture. 

It’s important to know that depth of field will be minimal when working at close distances to your subject. For example, if you only want a thin sliver of a flower petal in sharp focus, that will be easy to achieve with macro.

However, if you want more of your subject in focus, you’ll need to stop your lens down to a small aperture opening such as f/11. Even then, you may be surprised at how much of your subject is still soft. Depending on the photo you’re trying to create, this may or may not be what you want.

One way around this is to pick an angle in which your entire subject is on the same focus plane. This works well for flat subjects that you can photograph straight on. 

Another solution is to use a technique called focus stacking. This is where a series of photos taken with different focus points are combined together using software such as Adobe Photoshop. It’s an advanced technique for getting greater depth of field in a macro situation.

Put these tips to work and give it a try! Next, let’s look at some fun project ideas to get you started…

Project Ideas & Macro Inspiration

There are endless possibilities when it comes to macro photography. If you aren’t sure where to begin, pick a project from this list and give it a shot:

Idea #1: Look around your home.

The great thing about macro is that you can make creative photos right at home using everyday objects. Everything from the veggies in your fridge to the junk in your garage has artistic potential. Pick any mundane object and find interesting lines, texture, or detail you can focus on. This is a great way to practice observing.

For example, here is what a macro lens can do for a cheese grater and food funnel from my kitchen:

Here is a look behind the scene for the above photo:

Idea #2: Same subject, 10 different photos. 

Pick any subject that interests you. Now, create 10 unique images from the same subject. Really push yourself to make the photos different by changing your angle, the lighting, or other aspects of your composition. Small changes in your perspective can make a very big difference with close-up photography.

Idea #3: Go for an abstract.

Try to create a photo that is primarily about line, color, texture, or pattern. Even better if the viewer has no idea what the original subject was. The point of this exercise is to practice getting as close to your subject as possible and to work on the fundamental elements of design such as shape, line, texture, and color. Try to keep your composition as simple as possible.

Here is another example which I photographed with a macro lens in my kitchen:

Check out the behind the scene image below. All it took was a little cooking oil floating in a glass of water positioned over a colorful apron.

Idea #4: Change your point of focus.

Pick a three dimensional subject such as a flower and set up your camera on a tripod. Next, put your focus point on the front of your subject and take a photo. Then take a series of images in which you move your focus point further and further towards the back of your subject. I recommend using manual focus for this exercise.

Look through each photo and notice how the image changes as you move the plane of focus. This is a great way to understand depth of field and practice being intentional with selecting your point of focus.

Idea #5: Play with bokeh.

Macro lenses are known for producing beautiful bokeh, which is the out of focus area in an image. If the area that is out of focus also contains points of light, such as reflections or Christmas lights, these will become lovely soft orbs in your image. It’s a very dreamy, ethereal effect. It works best if you open up your aperture as wide as possible, such as f/2.8.

You can easily create this effect by adding a string of holiday lights to your background, or include something shiny with reflected highlights behind your subject. Leaves or other foliage on a sunny day or with raindrops work well for this experiment. Put your focus on your subject, and let everything else blur out.

Lighting for Macro

Last but not least, no matter what macro projects you take on, don’t forget about the light! You should strive to match the quality of the light to the mood you’re trying to create in your photo.

A lot of macro subjects, such as flowers, look beautiful with soft and even lighting such as window light or a shaded spot outdoors.

If you do include strong highlights or shadows, be sure to use those as an intentional part of your composition. As mentioned earlier, remember that points of light can also become beautiful backdrops for your scene. 

In addition to the quality of light, you also want to pay attention to the direction of light in relation to your subject. Whether your light source is coming from the front, back, or side of your subject can really change your photo. Macro is the perfect chance to observe and experiment with both the quality and direction of light.

The beauty of photographing small scenes is that it’s usually pretty easy to alter the light with a diffuser, a reflector, or even a flashlight. For indoor macro photography, you can easily set up a little tabletop studio using natural window light, white foam board, a reflector, and/or a flash.

Ring lights are also popular for macro work. These are LED lights that usually fit on the end of a lens and provide an even, continuous glow. They are easy to use, but be aware that if you are photographing something reflective, the shape of the ring itself can show up on your subject.

We’ve covered a lot of ground in this article, but the best advice for macro is to play and have fun. Macro offers the opportunity to slow down, notice the smallest of details, and be very intentional with your photography.

Exploring the world through a close-up lens opens up magical perspectives and unexpected surprises. Give it a try. Macro can become quite addicting once you get the hang of it! 

Want to learn about other types of lenses? Check out this article on wide vs. telephoto lenses!

The post The Magic of Macro Photography appeared first on Rocky Mountain School of Photography - Blog.

Maybe you’ve experienced this yourself.  You take a photograph of a beautiful, snowy scene and you are disappointed by the flat gray results.  It looks NOTHING like the tapestry of glistening snow laid out before you.  This can be somewhat frustrating, but it may be comforting to know that it might not be entirely your fault.  In this article I will explain why photos come out the way they do and some things we can do to ensure the white snow actually comes out white!

Understanding the Winter Exposure Challenge

The Problem

The typical problem we run into with winter photography is under exposed photographs.  Meaning, they come out too dark.  The snow looks more like a flat gray than the beautiful white we are trying to capture.  

It is quite usual to see a bright wintery scene under exposed by 2 or more stops.  If you are not familiar with the term “stop” as it relates to photography, a stop is the halving or doubling of the amount of light.  A photograph that is 2 stops underexposed means it has received four times less light than what would be considered appropriate for a correctly exposed image.

The reason this happens is because of how the camera’s meter is programmed to behave.  It is literally programmed to make that white snow gray!  This is exactly why winter photography can be a challenge.  In order to understand this struggle, it is important to know how the camera’s meter works.

How the Meter Works

The camera’s light meter measures tones.  It ignores all the color information in the scene and only “sees” brightness values.  The light meter uses 18% gray, which is sometimes referred to as “middle gray,” as its base of reference.  This means the light meter measures the average tone of the scene and compares it to 18% gray.   

If the average tone of the scene is brighter than 18% gray, the camera thinks the image will be over exposed.  If the average tone of the scene is darker than 18% gray, the camera thinks the image will be under exposed.  And of course, if the scene metered has an average tone similar to 18% gray, the camera thinks it will be properly exposed.  So, in essence, the camera’s meter is trying to convince us to create an average toned image.  Or at least one that is similar to 18% gray.

Of course, this is an oversimplification of the entire exposure metering process.  There is a lot more that plays into it including Exposure Modes and Metering Modes.  If we are using Manual Exposure modes we use the meter as our guide for setting ISO, Aperture, and Shutter Speed manually.  If we are using one of the more automatic modes like Aperture Priority, we set the camera’s Aperture, and the camera uses the meter to automatically set the Shutter Speed.   

The different Metering Modes determine how the meter functions.  Meaning, how much of the frame the meter is using and where it’s placing its emphasis when evaluating light.  For example, the Spot Meter only evaluates the light in a very small precise area of the frame.  Center-weighted places its emphasis in the center of the frame.  Again, the camera’s meter uses 18% gray as its base of reference no matter which Metering Mode is being used.

Why the Meter Gets Fooled

Bright white winter snow has a tone much brighter than 18% gray.  If the light measured is brighter than middle gray, the camera thinks the image will be over exposed.  So, what the meter wants us to do then, is to make our image darker.  It wants us to stop down, but if we follow the meter’s misguided advice we end up with an under exposed photograph.  Thus, gray snow.

The meter is being fooled by the bright tones of the snow.  We want to end up with a bright white image, one that actually has an average tone brighter than middle gray.  However, the meter doesn’t know that.  It thinks this winter scene, like most scenes, should just be average.  This is exactly why winter photography is tricky.  Our camera’s meter is pushing for a result we really don’t want.

Below is an example of what it looks like if we follow our camera’s advice.  We end up with a nice average gray looking winter wonderland.  Not exactly what we want.

To recap, the meter is trying to produce an exposure that has the same average tone as middle gray.  When we try to photograph a bright white wintery scene, the meter tries to get us to stop down (make darker) because it thinks our image will be too bright.

Outsmarting the Meter

So what do we do about it?  Well, we need to outsmart the meter!  It wants us to under expose our snowy images, so we must do the exact opposite and intentionally OVER expose!  This can be a tricky thing for us to wrap our brains around.  It can be especially difficult if we’ve programmed ourselves to zero out the meter (to make average) before we take a photograph.

What I mean by zeroing out the meter is simple.  I’ll explain it in terms of Manual Exposure Mode.  When we meter the scene, the meter tells us if it thinks our exposure will be over exposed, under exposed, or properly exposed.  It does this by giving us a readout in our viewfinder.  

The readout is typically in the form of a scale, depending on the camera brand/model. It tells us if we are over/under exposed and by how many stops.  If the arrow on the scale is over the 1 on the positive side, it means we are over exposed by 1 stop.  If it is over the 2 on the negative side of the scale it means we are 2 stops under exposed.  And of course, if it is highlighting the “0”, that means it thinks we are properly exposed.  

Remember, the meter is using 18% gray as its base of reference.  That’s how it knows if the exposure produced will be too bright or too dark.

The “0” is where the term “zeroed out” comes from.  We adjust our exposure settings (ISO, Aperture, Shutter Speed) until the meter reads “0”.  Typically, “0” will give us a decent exposure on an average lit scene.

BUT, in winter photography we have to change our thinking a bit.  If the scene is bright white with snow, and we meter in an area that is bright with snow, we have to open up instead of zero out.  If we zero out we’ll be under exposed.  We have to open up (make brighter) to get a better exposure.

So, the way we “outsmart” our meter is by intentionally opening up or over exposing. We know it is going to be fooled by the bright tones of the scene so we need to compensate.  The big question now is, how much do we over expose?  Or to put it another way, how many stops do we open up to get a better exposure?

A general rule of thumb is that bright white is 2 stops brighter than middle gray.  So, if we open up 2 stops from middle gray, we will capture the white and still have detail.   Meaning, we are not going to blow out the highlights.  Of course, the only way we really know if we are in fact capturing a true white is to check the histogram.  

The histogram tells us if we in fact are capturing true whites.  It will also tell us if we are blowing out the highlights, also known as “clipping.”  Understanding how to read and use the histogram can be very important in winter photography.  More accurately, the histogram is very important in ANY kind of photography.

Mastering the Histogram: Push to the Right!

The histogram is the most important tool we have to evaluate an exposure.  We can view the histogram after we take a photograph or if we are using a mirrorless camera we can see a live histogram before we even hit the shutter button.

The way to read a histogram is simple.  The histogram is just a bar chart of all the tones in the image.  The darker pixels appear on the left side of the chart and the brighter tones appear on the right side.  The extreme far left of the histogram is pure black and the extreme right side of the histogram is pure white.  The very center of the histogram is middle gray.

In winter photography we are concerned with the highlights and whites on the histogram.  For the most part we are talking about photographing a bright white wintery scene.  If this is the case, there needs to be a part of the histogram that appears on the very right side of the chart.  Remember, the right side is where the highlights and whites reside.

If we followed the misguided advice of the light meter our image would turn out flat and gray just as we discussed earlier.  The meter wants our image to have the same tone as middle gray.  

For this image our histogram would like something like this.  There are a lot of pixels in the middle of the chart, which is middle gray.  But there is nothing on the very right side where we should be seeing pixels.  If there is truly white snow in the photograph we should be seeing pixels in the highlights and the whites of the histogram as shown below.

In order for us to get the “correct” exposure for a winter scene like this, we need to push the histogram to the right.  You will hear this phrase on occasion as “expose to the right”.  That’s what we are talking about here.  We expose to the right, so we capture the highlights and the whites in the photograph.  As a bonus, when we do this, we are also making sure to get a good capture in the shadows.    

When we push the histogram all the way to the right, we are ensuring there are actually whites in the photograph.

If we take our snowy winter photograph and the histogram doesn’t have any pixels over on the right that means we have under exposed.  We need to push the histogram to the right by opening up (making brighter) our exposure.  Just be careful not to go too far!  If there are pixels in the histogram that are all the way up against that right wall you may be clipping the highlights.

Clipping the highlights means that we’ve lost detail in that area.  It’s OVER exposed.  We blew out the highlights so to speak.  We do get a little bit of latitude if we are shooting in raw file format to bring those highlights back in post-processing, but don’t count on it!  The ideal snowy wintery photograph should be pushed all the way to the right on the histogram and not clip.  

Let’s discuss the strategy on how to do that!

Metering Strategies for Snowy Success!

How do we actually do it?  Here are a couple strategies for having more exposure success for winter photography.  I’ll give you my recommendation for doing it in Manual Exposure Mode and Aperture Priority Mode.

Manual Exposure Mode

First things first.  Manual Exposure means we are setting our exposure controls ourselves.  We meter the scene and based on what the meter tells us we are setting the ISO, Aperture, and Shutter Speed manually.  And typically, for an average lit scene, we zero out the meter manually using these exposure controls.

I highly recommend when photographing a winter scene in Manual Exposure Mode to also use the Spot Metering Mode.  The Spot Meter allows us to measure the light in a very small specific area.  In winter photography, that small precise area we want to meter is SNOW!  The snow is what we want to make sure is white so this is the area we should meter.

A good starting point is to put the spot meter right on the brightest part of the snow and set our exposure until the meter reads +2. This means our exposure for that small specific area will be 2 stops brighter than middle gray.  Think of 2 stops brighter than middle gray as white with detail.

We then check our histogram to see if in fact we do have white in the photograph.  If not, we can open up accordingly.  I like to push the histogram as far to the right as possible while making sure not to clip.  We just need to keep an eye on our Shutter Speed to make sure it doesn’t get too slow.  We don’t want to introduce any unwanted camera shake if we are hand-holding the shot.

Again, we place our spot meter in the brightest part of the snow.  Set our exposure so the meter reads +2.  If we have a mirrorless camera with a live histogram, we can watch it in the viewfinder to make sure we are getting white tones in the photograph before taking the picture.  If we are using a DSLR or a camera that doesn’t have a live histogram, we can check it after we take the photograph to make sure we get the exposure and adjust accordingly for the next shot.

Aperture Priority

What is it?

Aperture Priority is more of a semi-automatic Exposure Mode.  The way it works is that we choose the Aperture and then the camera chooses the Shutter Speed for us.  

The Shutter Speed is set based on the light metered in the scene.  It says “Ok, based on the chosen aperture and the light in the scene, this is the Shutter Speed that will produce an image with an average tone the same as 18% gray.”  It essentially zero’s out the meter for us by choosing the “correct” Shutter Speed.

When using Aperture Priority I would highly recommend using the Evaluative/Multi-Segment Metering Mode. Unlike the Spot Meter, the Evaluative meter uses the majority of the frame to evaluate light.  Keep in mind the Evaluative meter goes by different names depending on the Camera brand.  Canon calls it Evaluative, Nikon calls it Matrix, and most everyone else calls it Multi (or something similar).

So, here’s a question…if when in Aperture Priority mode the Shutter Speed is set automatically, how do we then “outsmart” the meter?  It’s doing all the decision making for us, right?  How do we tell it to intentionally over expose?  

This is where Exposure Compensation comes in.

Exposure Compensation is essentially an override.  Meaning, it is a way for us to manually override the camera’s exposure settings and make the image brighter or darker.   The camera will automatically choose the Shutter Speed based on the set Aperture and the light in the scene.  Then we can decide to disagree with it and use the Exposure Compensation to adjust brighter or darker.

Typically, the Exposure Compensation is just a dial on the camera with +/- symbols to indicate increasing or decreasing exposure.  It gives us the ability to open up or stop down in increments of partial or full stops.

Using Aperture Priority in Wintery Conditions

The process for using Aperture Priority in bright white snowy conditions is simple.  We first set the Aperture based on how much depth of field we want.  We use the Evaluative Metering mode to meter the scene.  Remember, the Evaluative Meter is evaluating light in the majority of the frame.  If in fact, the scene is mostly bright white, we simply use the Exposure Compensation to intentionally over expose the image.

How much we increase the exposure using Exposure Compensation depends on the brightness of the scene.  If the majority of the frame is bright white, I would increase by 2 stops and then check the histogram.  The histogram tells us what we need to know about the exposure.  If there are pixels on the histogram over on the far right side, then we know we have white in our photograph.

Conclusion

That’s all there’s to it!  To overcome the winter photography blahs, we can intentionally over expose by a couple stops.  Keep it simple and know you can’t trust your camera’s meter in these wintery situations.  Know that you know more and compensate for its shortfalls.  

To recap; here is a quick rundown on how to meter for winter photography:

If you want to learn more about Exposure check out this in-depth article on ISO!

The post Mastering Exposure for Stunning Winter Photography appeared first on Rocky Mountain School of Photography - Blog.

Click here for the TLDR, if you want to understand why, keep reading!

Unfortunately, that can make a photographer’s images look quite different on Instagram than what they saw in Lightroom.

In this article I want to teach you not just how, but why we set our Lightroom settings the way we do when exporting for Instagram. Let’s dive in! 

**Note: this article is going to focus on Lightroom (cloud version), if you are looking for the instructions for Lightroom Classic, click here. **

First, we need to decide where on Instagram we are trying to post content. Feed posts have very different export requirements than stories / reels. The main difference between the two is something called an Aspect Ratio. 

Aspect Ratios

An aspect ratio is simply the comparison between a photo’s width and height. For example, a square image would have an aspect ratio of 1:1, a vertical image from most DSLR or Mirrorless cameras would have an aspect of 2:3 (width of 2, height of 3) and horizontal would have an aspect of 3:2 (width of 3, height of 2).

Instagram Feed posts need to have an aspect between 1.91:1 (the most “panoramic” option) and 4:5 (the most vertical option). 

Instagram Stories need to have an aspect ratio of 9:19 (vertical).

Many of our common photographic aspects fall into this range, such as:

1:1 (square)

2:3 (horizontal)

4:3 (horizontal)

4:5 (horizontal)

4:5 (vertical)

If the aspect ratio of the image you want to upload to the Instagram isn’t in the range of 1.91:1 – 4:5 (for feed posts), or 9:16 (for story posts), Instagram will just crop your image how it sees fit. Because of this, our first step is to use the crop tool in Lightroom to ensure that our image aspect ratio will be accepted and uncropped by Instagram upon upload. 

In Lightroom, we can set our aspect ratio by locking the small padlock in the Crop tool options and choosing an aspect ratio in the dropdown menu. You can also set up your own custom aspect like 1.91:1 if you want to see just how panoramic of a horizontal image Instagram will allow for. I also like to use 4:5 to see just how vertical I can make an image without any extra forced cropping from Instagram. 

**Important: Instagram will let you upload an image of any aspect ratio, it will just automatically crop those images that don’t fit between 1.91:1 and 4:5 (for feed) or 9:16 (for stories)**

You might also find it useful to make a duplicate of the image you are cropping for Instagram to allow you to keep the uncropped version as a separate file in Lightroom. You can do this by right clicking on the image in the Grid video (“G” on the keyboard) and choosing “Duplicate Photo.” That second file can now be edited and cropped without affecting the other file.

Now that we have our image properly cropped, let’s click the Export button in the upper-right and choose “Custom Settings…,” (Shift-E is the shortcut) and have a look at our options. 

A secret that all the BEST photographers know …

Mastering your camera (and becoming “technically” proficient) may be THE most important step to becoming a better photographer … but it’s also the most challenging. 

Camera settings are almost intentionally confusing, and wrangling out a good image without the camera’s help can feel like trying to solve a theoretical trigonometry problem.

If that sounds like you, Summer Intensive can help. 

Summer Intensive is our in person, hands-on summer photography program for passionate enthusiast photographers. It’s perfect for you if you want to master your camera, get better at your craft, and indulge your creativity.

Not only will you learn a complete, “A-Z” system to help you finally move past AUTO mode … you’ll also get numerous chances to simply create incredible photographs! 

It all happens over 6 action-packed summer weeks alongside other like-minded creatives in beautiful Missoula, Montana. 

Want to join? Spaces are filling up — if you’re interested in joining, click here to learn more! 

Image Type and Dimensions

Let’s start with “Image Type.” Set this to JPG for Instagram export (stories or feed posts). JPEG files are the most widely used file type are built perfectly for use on Instagram, Facebook, email, or almost any other use case.  

When it comes to Dimensions, let’s choose “Custom,” with the dimension below (based on a vertical or horizontal photo). 

Vertical Images (feed or stories): Short Side = 1080 pixels

Horizontal Images: Long Side = 1080 pixels

The quality dropdown should also be set to 100. Quality is the level of compression you want to apply to the image. One thing I need to say right away is that quality does not affect the image size (image dimensions in pixels); it does however affect the file size (amount of space the image takes up on your hard drive). More compression (lower quality) is going to give you a smaller file size – but at the cost of image quality. Over-compression is not very fun to look at! It will look like “banding”, i.e., smoothness or even jagged edges where there should be smooth gradations of tones.

Lastly, let’s uncheck the “Include Watermark” box to complete this section. 

In summary, use JPG, 1080 pixels on long edge for horizontals, and short edge for verticals, a quality of 100, and “Include Watermark” unchecked. 

Metadata

This setting is only important if you want to limit the information that goes with the image. Metadata is the information about your images that is not the actual colored pixel information. Examples of metadata info include shutter speed, aperture, capture date, creator, and a lot more! 

I usually choose “Copyright Only,” to ensure that Lightroom will only include the minimum copyright information metadata on export. 

File Naming

When exporting for Instagram I prefer to not rename on export. Simply set the “File Naming” dropdown to “Original.” The other options can be a useful feature when exporting images for a client, but in the case of Instagram I think it adds unnecessary complexity. 

Output Sharpening

This one is easy. Sharpening will help make your images look a bit crisper. This won’t help you if you took a blurry image, but it will help make a sharp image look a bit sharper.

I recommend turning it on and setting it to “Sharpen For: Screen” with an amount of “Low.”

This will allow Lightroom to apply a bit of extra sharpening on Export giving your images a bit more pop and help make up for any blurriness from viewing it on a low pixel density phone screen. 

Color Space

This one is simple but has a huge effect on the colors of your exported images. The correct choice here is sRGB which is the standard color space for screen display. If you choose one of the other options, you run the risk of your colors looking vastly different on Instagram than then do in Lightroom.

Once you click export, it will ask you where you would like the exported images to be saved. If you are on your phone, simply choose “Camera Roll” or “Photo Library.” If you are on your computer, simply choose the Desktop (I recommend making an “images for Instagram” folder on the Desktop) and export the files. Do remember that exported images are always copies of the originals in Lightroom so you are always safe to delete the exports off of the desktop/camera roll after you’ve posted them on Instagram. If you ever need them again, just re-export from Lightroom. 

TLDR Export Settings

The post Exporting for Instagram with Lightroom (Cloud) in 2024 appeared first on Rocky Mountain School of Photography - Blog.

Click here for the TLDR. If you want to understand why, keep reading!

**Note: this article is going to focus on Lightroom Classic; if you are looking for the instructions for Lightroom (cloud, non-classic version), click here. **

First, we need to decide where on Instagram we are trying to post content. Feed posts have very different export requirements than stories / reels. The main difference between the two is something called an Aspect Ratio. 

Aspect Ratios

An aspect ratio is simply the comparison between a photo’s width and height. For example, a square image would have an aspect ratio of 1:1, a vertical image from most DSLR or Mirrorless cameras would have an aspect of 2:3 (width of 2, height of 3) and horizontal would have an aspect of 3:2 (width of 3, height of 2).

Instagram Feed posts need to have an aspect between 1.91:1 (the most “panoramic” option) and 4:5 (the most vertical option). 

Instagram Stories need to have an aspect ratio of 9:19 (vertical).

Many of our common photographic aspects fall into this range, such as:

1:1 (square)

2:3 (horizontal)

4:3 (horizontal)

4:5 (horizontal)

4:5 (vertical)

If the aspect ratio of the image you want to upload to the Instagram isn’t in the range of 1.91:1 – 4:5 (for feed posts), or 9:16 (for story posts), that image must be cropped. Because of this, our first step is to use the crop tool in Lightroom Classic to ensure that our image aspect ratio will be accepted and uncropped by Instagram upon upload. 

In Lightroom Classic, we can set our aspect ratio by locking the small padlock in the Crop tool options and choosing a ratio from the dropdown menu. You can also set up your own custom aspect like 1.91:1 if you want to see just how panoramic of a horizontal image Instagram will allow. I also like to use 4:5 to see just how vertical I can make an image without any extra forced cropping from Instagram. 

**Important: Instagram will let you upload an image of any aspect ratio; it will just automatically crop those images that don’t fit between 1.91:1 and 4:5 (for feed) or 9:16 (for stories)**

You might also find it useful to make a Virtual Copy of the image you are cropping for Instagram to allow you to keep the uncropped version as a separate file in Lightroom. You can do this by right clicking on the image in the Grid video (“G” on the keyboard) and choosing “Create Virtual Copy.” That second file can now be edited and cropped without affecting the other file. 

Now that we have our image properly cropped, let’s click the Export button and look at our options. 

A secret that all the BEST photographers know …

Mastering your camera (and becoming “technically” proficient) may be THE most important step to becoming a better photographer … but it’s also the most challenging. 

Camera settings are almost intentionally confusing, and wrangling out a good image without the camera’s help can feel like trying to solve a theoretical trigonometry problem.

If that sounds like you, Summer Intensive can help. 

Summer Intensive is our in person, hands-on summer photography program for passionate enthusiast photographers. It’s perfect for you if you want to master your camera, get better at your craft, and indulge your creativity.

Not only will you learn a complete, “A-Z” system to help you finally move past AUTO mode … you’ll also get numerous chances to simply create incredible photographs! 

It all happens over 6 action-packed summer weeks alongside other like-minded creatives in beautiful Missoula, Montana. 

Want to join? Spaces are filling up — if you’re interested in joining, click here to learn more! 

Export Location

This step is one of the most important, but it’s also one of those things that I rarely change. I prefer to always export to my Desktop. From there I’m able to easily access my files, do what I want to do with them, then delete them. 

**One key thing to remember is that all exported images are copies of the originals in your Lightroom Classic catalog. Because of this, you are always able to delete the exported images after they’ve served their purpose without causing trouble inside your Lightroom Classic catalog.**

To set this up, ensure that the “Export To” at the top is set to go to a “Hard Drive.” This doesn’t just mean the internal or external hard drive. This applies to all devices attached to the computer, both internal and external. If you want files on the Desktop, that’s technically a location on the internal hard drive so that’s the option we want to choose. 

Once that’s set, move down to the “Export Location” section, and set “Export To” to Desktop. From here, I would recommend checking “Put in Subfolder” and naming it “Images for Instagram” or something similar. This will make it much easier for you to find and delete these images when you are done with them.

File Naming

When exporting for Instagram I prefer to not rename on export. Simply uncheck the “Rename To:” checkbox and you’ll be all set. This can be a useful feature when exporting images for a client, but in the case of Instagram I think it adds unnecessary complexity. Nobody can see the filename on Instagram.

Video

Skip it. If you are trying to make a Reel to post to Instagram, use something like Adobe Premiere Pro, not Lightroom Classic. 

File Settings

THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT STEP! 

Let’s start with “Image Format.” This is the most important step of the most important step. Set this to JPEG for Instagram export (stories or feed posts). 

The next option in the File Settings box is “Color Space.” We have a few options here. For Instagram export, always use sRGB, because it is the color space that Instagram uses. Setting this to any of the other settings will cause the colors in Lightroom Classic to look very different than the colors you see once the image is uploaded to Instagram.

The quality slider should also be set to 100 with the “Limit File Size To:” box unchecked. Quality is the level of compression you want to apply to the image. One thing I need to say right away is that quality does not affect the image size (image dimensions in pixels); it does, however, affect the file size (amount of space the image takes up on your hard drive). More compression (lower quality) is going to give you a smaller file size – but at the cost of image quality. Over-compression is not very fun to look at! It will look like “banding”, i.e., non-smoothness or even jagged edges where there should be smooth gradations of tones.

To summarize this section, use JPEG, sRGB, and a quality of 100 with “Limit File Size To” unchecked. 

Image Sizing

Every image you see has a width and height measured in pixels. This size determines what’s possible for that file. If you are hoping to print something big, you need way more pixels than if you are just planning to email the image to a friend or client. This is where we make that determination. 

This one is simple. Instagram has a maximum pixel width of 1080, so I would recommend turning on “Resize to Fit:” and setting it to “Width & Height.”

Next, set the “W:” to 1080 and the “H:” to 1920 pixels. It’s important to pause here and fully understand what we are doing. We learned earlier that Instagram can only accept certain aspect ratios for feed and story posts (1.91:1 for horizontal feed, 4:5 for vertical feed, and 9:16 for stories). The one constant is that Instagram likes the width of any of these posts to be 1080 pixels. 

By setting the width and height to 1080 x 1920, we are telling Lightroom Classic to keep our images as large as possible within those constraints. Lightroom Classic will never stretch our images on export, instead it will make them as large as possible while still fitting those constraints. Here are a couple of examples. 

Example 1: We crop an image to a 4:5 aspect ratio to make the most vertical feed post we can. 

When we export this 4:5 aspect ratio image with the Image Sizing set to 1080 x 1920px, we will get an exported image with the pixel dimensions of 1080 x 1350px, or as large as Lightroom Classic can make it without any stretching, while still keeping it smaller than 1080 x 1920. 

Example 2: we crop an image to a 1.91:1 aspect ratio to make the most horizontal feed post we can. 

When we export this 1.91:1 aspect ratio image with the Image Sizing set to 1080 x 1920px we will get an exported image with the pixel dimensions of 1080 x 565px, or as large as Lightroom Classic can make it without any stretching, while still keeping it smaller than 1080 x 1920.

Example 3: we crop an image to a 1:1 aspect ratio. 

When we export this 1:1 aspect ratio image with the Image Sizing set to 1080 x 1920px, we will get an exported image with the pixel dimensions of 1080 x 1080px, or as large as Lightroom Classic can make it without any stretching, while still keeping it smaller than 1080 x 1920.

This allows us to “set and forget” these settings and not have to worry about changing them regardless of whether we are exporting horizontal, vertical, or square images. 

Feel free to check “Don’t Enlarge,” although it will rarely have an effect unless you have a very low resolution camera and/or do significant cropping to your images. 

As for Resolution, it doesn’t matter. Since we are exporting for a screen display, we can completely disregard this setting. Resolution allows us to set a scaling factor between pixels and inches and is sometimes useful for printing. In this case, leave it at the default of 300 and call it a day. In fact it could be set to 1, 100, 1000, or anything else and it wouldn’t make a difference at all. 

To summarize this section, turn on “Resize to Fit:,” set the Width and Height to 1080 and 1920 pixels respectively, check “Don’t Enlarge,” and leave the Resolution at the default value. 

Output Sharpening

This one is easy. Sharpening will help make your images look a bit crisper. This won’t help you if you took a blurry image, but it will help make a sharp image look a bit sharper.

I recommend turning it on and setting it to “Sharpen For: Screen” with an amount of “Low.”

This will allow Lightroom Classic to apply a bit of extra sharpening on Export giving your images a bit more pop and help make up for any blurriness from viewing it on a low pixel density phone screen. 

Metadata

This setting is only important if you want to limit the information that goes with the image. Metadata is the information about your images that is not the actual colored pixel information. Examples of metadata info include shutter speed, aperture, capture date, creator, and a lot more! 

Lightroom gives you the option to strip some of the metadata from the files on export. For example, if the location where an image was taken is in the metadata, you might want to strip that from the files before you upload them to the web. 

I usually choose “Copyright Only.” (Side note: You can input the copyright information under the IPTC section of the metadata of your file, which you can find and change in the Library module righthand panel.)

Also, if you just want to remove location information, there is a checkbox for specifically that information. You may choose to include all metadata except for location! Or you might not need to limit at all! 

Watermarking

Skip it! 

Post Processing

Not much to see or do here. Just set it to “Do Nothing” and move along. You can configure Lightroom to do things after it’s done with the exporting process. I’ve never really seen a use for this unless you are a very advanced Lightroom user with some niche situation.

Make a Preset – Save Your Lightroom Settings for Instagram!

When you have everything set up the way you want it, save your work! Click the “Add” button in the lower left corner and save your settings as a preset. That way you can access them more quickly in the future. I have a lot of export presets in my main Lightroom catalog! 

TLDR Export Settings

Looking for even MORE information on Exporting from LrC?

Join our online community for access to our Ultimate Exporting Guide and many more helpful, free e-books. Click here to join!

The post Exporting for Instagram with Lightroom Classic in 2024 appeared first on Rocky Mountain School of Photography - Blog.

Though most commercial photographers live in secondary markets around the world, nearly every photographer at some point in their career considers whether they should move to the big city. When advertising photography took off in the 80s and 90s with large budgets and a global outlook, agencies would dispatch their favorite photographers worldwide, often with models and support staff in tow. Budgets were huge, and many assignments were extremely lavish.

Big media centers like New York and London still draw a lot of work, and many photographers cut their teeth there. However, budgets have tightened, people are more aware of their carbon footprint, the internet makes it easy to find photographers and crew anywhere in the world, and the backlash against parachuting photographers in from far away are a few of the factors that have resulted in a trend towards hiring local photographers, crew, and talent. And of course, the travel restrictions of the pandemic have only accelerated this trend.

But how far has this trend percolated through the industry? We surveyed some of their photographers and clients to see how they make their locations work for them.

Table of Contents

• The Clients’ Perspective on a Photographer’s Location
• The Photographers’ Perspective
• Trends
• A Photographer’s Location through 1st Person Accounts
• The Future

The Clients’ Perspective on a Photographer’s Location

Daniella Nilva Cunningham, a freelance producer and director of photography, confirmed that budgets often decide if a photographer is flown somewhere or whether somebody local is hired. 

Della Rollins is a freelance photo editor and video producer. Her stance is similar to Daniella’s. 

Crossing over to the side of advertising agencies, Julie Rosenoff, a senior art producer and consultant, dug into scenarios where a photographer’s location could be considered and others where it might not. 

It depends on the type of project. For example, if it’s a piggyback photo shoot (adding on to a TVC production), we would focus on local photographers without flying someone in. This is mostly due to the photographers’ knowledge of the area and shoot location, but also the impact on the budget.

The Photographers’ Perspective

With climate change on everyone’s mind, a production’s carbon footprint is becoming a factor in more decisions. For example, avoiding unnecessary flights is becoming a priority as it is becoming increasingly socially unacceptable. It’s driven by individuals who think reducing carbon emissions is the right thing to do and companies who feel that minimizing their carbon footprint is a good way to demonstrate corporate social responsibility.

The pandemic seemed to accelerate this trend: with restricted travel, shoots had to be done by locals. It also normalized remote working. Entire assignments were done remotely with the photographer in a different location, directing the shoot via video call, and using their laptop or phone camera. Chris Crisman, a Philadelphia-based advertising photographer, expanded on this latest shift. 

With remote work becoming more accepted, photographers are managing studio photography in less traditional ways, with St Louis-based Mark Katzman being one of them. 

Trends 

Talking to photographers and their clients, these points came up again and again.

• Generally, clients are happier than they used to be hiring a local photographer rather than flying one in.
• At the top end of advertising photography, companies still “parachute” their photographers and models to any location globally.
• Photographers are still drawn to big cities like NYC or London to establish themselves. 
• Many photographers market themselves as being based in one of the media hotspots, and live one or two hours away, where the cost of living is cheaper or the quality of life is better.
• Some photographers describe themselves as living in more than one major market – like New York and Los Angeles.
• Increasingly, photographers can thrive in locations outside the big media centers, but they have to factor their location into their marketing strategy.

When Specialization Influences a Photographer’s Location

For many photographers, their location is often dictated by their specialty. For example, to work in high fashion, you may feel the need to be in New York, Paris, or London. To be an outdoor/adventure photographer, it might pay to be close to the Rocky Mountains. Jim Wright is a photographer steeped in the country music scene. He works all over the US, but many of his assignments take him to Nashville, the country music capital of the world. 

The Big Cities

The big cities may be the best cities for photographers. Metropoles such as New York City, San Francisco, London, and Paris are still a magnet for the biggest clients and photographers, with a lot of publishing, advertising, and media produced there. No doubt, there is a buzz working in these places, and the diversity and different influences are second to none in fostering creativity. It often helps photographers who are starting to develop their style. We also found that many of the most prestigious and highest-paid jobs are still commissioned and produced there. On the downside, photographers face steep competition and high living costs, often making it unsustainable in the long run. 

Within Reach of Big Cities

Moving a drive away from these centers often gives photographers cheaper rents and living costs while still allowing them to work in the city. Chris reiterated this point. 

However, he shared that some clients may view Philadelphia as less glamorous or prestigious than larger cities like New York. 

Photographers outside America experience a similar reality, as Australia-based James Horan explained. Being just outside a major city provides cost benefits and improves his quality of life. 

I now live in Terrigal, a small coastal town on the Central Coast of NSW. It’s about 80km from Sydney’s CBD. I moved here with my family a few years ago as Sydney house prices are out of my league. We now own a large house with a big back garden near the beach. The highlight of my week is taking the kids to the beach after school to hang out with their friends. The trade-off is that most of my clients are in Sydney, so I now have a long commute of about 1.5 hrs each way. But it makes no difference to my clients. Lots of them are still working remotely and will come to the city a few days a week. I think the pandemic has changed the mindset of where we base ourselves. For me, it’s better to live where I am now than near a busy city.

Secondary Cities

Being based in one of these, or within easy driving distance, used to work well for photographers. They had many prestigious clients, and there are still plenty of Fortune 500 companies in these locations where photographers face less competition. However, photographers reported that over the last decade, there has been a trend of many services, such as advertising, becoming more centralized. In particular, the trend for small advertising agencies is to cut back on the expense of having offices in secondary markets and consolidate their operations in their biggest cities, even as they continue to hire photographers locally.

Remote Areas

The pros and cons for photographers living in remote areas depend on their specialization. Generally, there are fewer assignments available locally, and they tend to be less prestigious and with small budgets. However, the cost of living is considerably lower (and for some photographers, the quality of life is higher) as well. Ultimately, it requires a thorough analysis of potential clients and the market to decide what works best for you. Here are a few points to consider:

• What kinds of businesses are in the area?
• Which major clients may shoot locally, and how can a photographer reach them?
• How can photographers reach national clients who may pay them to travel to locations?

A Photographer’s Location Through 1st Person Accounts

Case Study 1: St. Louis-based Lifestyle Photographer Mark Katzman

I attribute many of my early successes in the industry to being located in St. Louis. It was an affordable place to live while building my first portfolio. Still, more than that, it was far away from the big markets when national magazines like Forbes, Time, and Business Week were beginning to rely on stringers rather than staffers for their shoots. 

Case Study 2: Vietnam-based Hospitality and Lifestyle Photographer Tim Gerard Barker 

Most of my clients are international, with a presence in Vietnam or Asia. The majority are from either the US or Europe/UK, but I also have Australian, Dubai, and Singaporean clients. I have some Vietnamese clients as well, but many of them are connected to international hotel brands. On these shoots, the cost is often shared between the corporate office (located internationally) and the local hotel owner.

The advantage of being based in Vietnam is that it’s fairly simple to rank on the first page of Google via an English language search for a photographer or videographer in Vietnam; this is how most of my clients find me.

A disadvantage is that it is harder to specialize as I get a variety of requests. Many of my international clients only hire me for one-off shoots, so there is little repeat business. On occasion, though, I’ve worked with global clients in Vietnam that felt my style was a perfect match for their brand, so they commissioned me for shoots in Australia and Europe.

For most clients, the cost savings on international travel is the main reason they look for a Vietnam or Asian-based photographer or videographer, as well as trying to reduce the environmental impact of international travel, compared to sending their photographer.

Case Study 3: Miami-based Corporate and Portrait Photographer Steve Boxall

I have been based in Miami for over 20 years. For a long time, when people asked me where I lived, I said “on a plane,” as there was not much work for me locally. I used to work a lot for Zero-G, which does zero gravity flights, and a transport group, which meant traveling all over the country.

In Miami itself, work was limited to fashion and any shoot that needed a tropical background. However, it was very seasonal, as it’s too hot to do location shoots in summer.

This changed during the pandemic when it became a much more mature market for photography. Obviously, the center of photography in the US is New York, but during Covid, many creatives decided to move out of NY, and Miami was a popular destination. The city grew and had a big uptick in economic activity since then, leading to a lot more large advertising agencies being based here, and with it, more work for photographers.

The Future

Over the last few decades, much of the creative work has been centered in big media cities like New York and London, where the most prominent and influential agencies and publishers are located. However, the pandemic, digital technology, and a growing trend toward remote work may be dismantling the status quo. In general, clients are now happier to work remotely and hire locally instead of flying someone in.

As with everything, there are always trends and uncertainties, and much of the local work depends on the local economy, which can expand or contract. Photographers have always been exposed to trends and have had to adapt, whether due to technological changes such as the rise of smartphone photography and, more recently, AI-generated images, or precarious economic conditions. Consequently, it’s easy to envision scenarios where a photographer’s location may change multiple times throughout their career. 

But the freelance nature of photographers’ work, the fact that they are constantly adapting to new trends, technology, and clients, makes them very resilient and able not just to weather these changes, but use them as new opportunities to thrive.

Further Reading
DIY Photography: Photo Industry is Coming Back to Life After Covid-19
Lindsay Kreighbaum: 5 Reasons to Hire a Local Photographer
Expert Advice: Remote Photo Shoots Using Zoom

Check out this article on the different roles in the photography industry!

The post EXPERT ADVICE: HOW IMPORTANT IS A PHOTOGRAPHER’S LOCATION TO THEIR CAREER? appeared first on Rocky Mountain School of Photography - Blog.