Photographer Robyn McIsaac is a Tennessee-based professional who won our image contest entitled, “Your Best Shot of the Summer.” For her creativity and efforts, Robyn won some sweet ShootQ prizes! But more important, she won the hearts of many viewers who saw her winning image, entitled “Little Miss America.” The Photo Life team was eager to hear more about Robyn’s heartfelt image, including how she created it and what it means to her clients. Here’s a glimpse into Robyn’s creative process: “When this tiny one arrived for her ‘welcome to the world’ photo shoot, her parents came in carrying this vest that weighed a ton more than she would have soaking wet.” Immediately interested in the story behind the vest, Robyn inquired. Her client opened up,
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The Value Professional Photographers Offer Boudoir Clients
I believe every woman is beautiful and should have images that showcase her beauty. It’s all about finding an artist who can pose them and photograph them in the most flattering ways. Most women have dreamed of being a glamorous movie star, or even a magazine centerfold. But what are we all waiting for? Maybe until that moment when we feel like we’ll look in the mirror and say, “I am beautiful!” Stop waiting. We are beautiful NOW. Today, we’re inundated with images of beautiful women – in magazines, on TV, and in print campaigns. Everywhere we turn, we see “sexy” photos. And these images often lead to negative body image issues, and make us believe that we cannot be as beautiful as the ads
5 Ways Blogging Beats Traditional Advertising
Considering dumping dollars into traditional advertising? Think again. Try blogging instead. Of course, blogging isn’t a new concept, but you may be surprised to find out that it can be even more effective for your business than traditional advertising tactics. If you’re strategic in your approach, your blog may be your best source of advertising – and save you lots of money in the long term. Here’s why… 1. Blog posts help you reach other networks through social media channels. By adding social sharing buttons for Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, etc to your blog posts, it’s easy for readers to share your blog content with their own networks. This is a free way you can extend your reach beyond your own network. Traditional online advertising
3 Keys to Effectively Monitoring Social Media (without losing your mind)!
Let’s face it: social media is an essential part of doing business today. But if you don’t want to waste hours on Facebook and Twitter, scheduling social media messages in advance is a smart practice for staying active on social media channels. But if you’re trying to build real relationships with your audience of prospective clients, simply scheduling messages in advance isn’t enough. You’re not a robot after all and you’ll miss out on real time communication! Therefore, it’s also important to monitor your social channels for timely, relevant conversations. But monitoring social media doesn’t have to be a full-time job. Start by setting aside thirty minutes at the beginning and end of your work day to monitor and respond to social media conversations. You might
Quantity of Light is not the same as Quality of Light: Part 2
I’m here to dispel a myth. Quantity of light isn’t the same as quality of light. There’s a common misconception that the more light you have, the better your photo will be. But an accomplished photographer knows the difference between ‘quantity of light’ and ‘quality of light’. In my first post in this series, I shared some tips on using reflectors on your shoots. In this post, we’re going to talk about when to use flash. Get ready to break out your strobes. Here we go… I once worked with a photographer who told me, “I never use flash!” His way of dealing with low light situations was to crank up his ISO and open his aperture as wide as he could – usually f/1.2 or
Quantity of Light is not the same as Quality of Light: Part 1
I’m here to dispel a myth. Quantity of light isn’t the same as quality of light. There’s a common misconception that the more light you have, the better your photo will be. But an accomplished photographer knows the difference between ‘quantity of light’ and ‘quality of light’. Here’s a great example of this myth in action: a client calls you to schedule a portrait session. Immediately, they think (out loud), “Let’s do our portrait session at NOON because that’s when there’s a lot of light!” Of course, this is actually one of the worst times of day for portraits, because the direct overhead light is very harsh. Early morning and late afternoon (the ‘golden hours’) are much better, because the light is more complimentary and
The Professional Photographer’s Guide to Content Marketing
Does your blog bring you real job leads, ideal clients and incredible shooting opportunities? Well, it should! When you started your photography business, you heard that your blog could serve as a valuable marketing tool. So you’ve been putting yourself out there, and have been spending enormous amounts of time and energy to keep your blog active. But building your blog and posting consistently isn’t enough. It takes more than authenticity and consistency to convert blog readers to paying clients; you need a disciplined process and approach. This guide will help you successfully use your blog as an effective marketing tool. It’s a three step process: 1. Creating and freely sharing valuable content 2. Building authentic and relevant relationships 3. Guiding potential clients toward the
How to Avoid Burning out on Photography
This is what the last 30 days have looked like for me. The collage above is representative of: • 4 weddings • 5 engagement sessions • 2 bridal fashion shows • 1 fashion/catalogue shoot • 6 museum exhibits photographed • 4 days photographing the Frieze New York Art Fair • Approximately 120 hours taking pictures • Approximately 8975 photos (after editing) Sure, it’s good to be busy. I’m not complaining about that. However, it’s a heavy workload, which made me think: it’s time to address the subject of ‘burnout.’ Being ‘burnt out’ can take many forms – feeling tired (physically and emotionally), lacking enthusiasm about your work, experiencing apathy, irritability, and frustration. None of those things are good for your pictures, your business, or your life! And you don’t have
How to Take the Pain out of Album Design
Album design is the one task that I absolutely dread. And when I say dread, I mean loathe. I bet many of you can relate. I avoid album design like the plague. Before we joined Pictage, I spent hours laying wedding photos out on blank pages, nudging them a little bit to the left or right, cropping a tad here or there. It was tedious; it was a massive time suck! I knew something had to change. Then, I heard about Pictage’s free album design service from a friend. I was intrigued, but skeptical. First I thought, “Is this for real? For $49 per month, I get unlimited album designs and access to purchase directly through national album companies?” Immediately, I thought, “No way!” But