Photographers – when was the last time that you were in front of the camera? No, not for a quick snapshot with Grandma by the Christmas tree, but an actual photoshoot. Doing photoshoots is like 2nd nature to us because we do them all the time, but we often forget what it’s like actually being
Archives for 2010
How to Use Photoshop to Get Your Blog Images Ready- FAST!
Everyone knows how a regularly updated blog can be great for your business. Everyone also knows how time consuming writing blog posts and exporting images can be. I created this quick tutorial and Photoshop action to get you thinking about ways you can expedite that process. One thing that used to take us a considerable
Photosynthesis: A Simple Guide to the Magic of Photography
There’s one thing we all need more of: less. Great gear is good; marketing is important; networking is necessary. Now, strip all of that stuff away. Vision‚ your singular vision, is the bedrock of your photography business. Vision is the cornerstone of marketing, it turns networking into relationship building and it transcends gear and gadgets.
Questions to Ask When Developing an Associate Photography Brand
Though our wedding photography business has always been a boutique studio, over the last two years, we made a decision to build and develop associate photographers. We looked at this as a market opportunity as we continued to grow our business – especially in our home market. We wanted to offer a service line that
How We Educate Our Wedding Clients on the First Look
In my last article here on the Pictage blog, I walked everyone through The Youngrens perfect wedding day schedule, which is built on the couple seeing each other before the ceremony. Not surprisingly, there were questions about how we get our couples to do a First Look. These days, most couples come to us already
Nailing the Correct Focus- Servo Mode vs. One Shot
Have you ever been shooting your client and they start moving or running and all of a sudden all your images start coming out blurry? Or, on the other hand, have you ever been shooting your client and you press the shutter half-way to focus on their face, and when you recompose the shot the
Pricing and Packaging- Determining Your Start Price
Pricing and Packaging. It’s no one’s favorite topic, but it’s so very important. There is a science to pricing yourself as a photographer, and getting it right can make a huge difference in your bookings and revenue! The first decision every photographer should consider is whether to price based on a Package method or an
Mastering Reception Lighting, Forever.
I’ve had this problem for years when it comes to an entire wedding collection I would post on my website. Great getting ready, great portraits, beautiful ceremony, and the light is sweet, then we grab the stellar sunset shots and then the reception hits and I’m left with horrible lighting when the DJ turns the
My $430 Blender: A Lesson in Running My Photography Business
Life lessons come in all forms and usually when you least expect them, and this was the case when I was, oddly enough, shopping for a Vitamix blender. How does a blender have anything to do with business and photography? I’ll get to that. After going through an unexpected cancer experience in 2009 I decided
An Outsider’s Perspective: Tips for Developing Your Brand
Early in 2008, I was introduced to the photography world by my good friend, Justine Ungaro. Upon hearing that I was a brand designer and seeing my work she exclaimed, “You should do this for photographers.” To which I responded, “How many photographers can there be?” Two years later, after attending a few conventions, I