The problem with most websites isn’t that they don’t look good. It’s that they don’t work well. Sure, you can see the portfolio, you can find the information – that’s all there. But being professional and fulfilling the basic functions of a site are the worst standards imaginable. These things should be the bare minimum a site needs to work, not the measure of success. The real question is how photographers can take their sites from functional to unforgettable. The most important question is, “How well you are connecting with your potential clients. When it comes down to it, if you’re going to run a business, you’ve gotta do the legwork. Period. It’s all about going beyond where others have gone. In a competitive marketplace,
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How ShootQ’s Latest Updates Streamline Your Photography Business
What’s new with ShootQ? That’s right – there’s a new a batch of updates to ShootQ that will help you streamline your photography business. There are a few features we think everyone will appreciate, but Portrait Photographers will find these updates especially useful. This release is the first of two phases, so be on the lookout for more improvements in the near future! Here are a few highlights: • More Customization: We created a slew of new variables for Contracts, Emails, and Invoice Templates to give you more flexibility & customization. Check ’em out today and let us know what you think! • Creating a Shoot Just Got Faster: We added a button to every Relationship so you can load a Quick Lead and create a Shoot in
Meeting Client Expectations You Didn’t Know Existed: Part 1
Most small businesses realize the importance of meeting and exceeding client expectations. But when we strive to do this, it’s based on the expectation that we, as a business, have established. How do you react to clients who have expectations that you weren’t aware of, or expectations that seem unreasonable? Where do clients get these expectations? In my experience, these types of client expectations come from four sources: The market norm The client’s first exposure to the type of product or service you offer Confusion caused by your business’ complicated structures Poor communication between you and the client During my next series of blog posts, I will share these sources with you, show you how to contend with unknown expectations, and outline how you can
The Most Valuable Skill a Mentor Can Teach You
A few months back, Drake (@drake) tweeted: The first million is the hardest. Moments later, T.Boone Pickens (@boonepickens) replied with: The first billion is a helluva lot harder. To which draked responded: @boonepickens just stunted on me heavy. This recent event reminds me of a classic quote: “A mentor is someone whose hindsight can become your foresight.” I’m fortunate to have many mentors in my life. Through the years, 1 insight about mentorship stands out above all the rest. Surprisingly, very few people talk about it. Before we dive in, please know that I’m assuming the following sentence is true for you: There is this problem or fear or challenge or concern or simply, you want to make sure you’re doing “it” right. If I’m
4 Tips to Creating a Successful Photobooth
While the life of a photobooth photographer may seem glamorous, I assure you – it is. With that said, here’s your guide to creating a successful kick-ass photobooth. 1. Supplies Backdrop – either a 5 ft or a 9 ft backdrop can be bought at your local camera store (serious camera store, folks, not Ritz) for $25-$50. I’ve tried patterned backdrops, as clients have suggested them – the result? Follow your heart. Sometimes less is more, and this is a time when that’s exactly the case! A simple, subtle backdrop makes the subjects more prominent, and much “less” like they’re posing for Santa! (This booth below seemed more like a ‘magic eye’ than anything!) Lights – I use two White Lightning x1600′s, and bring along one backup just in case. I like
The Merits of Mobile Photography Part 3
An Instagram image is definitely worth more than 140 words. In August, Instagram officially passed Twitter in daily active users on mobile for the first time, according to new comScore data provided to Mashable. Instagram had 7.3 million daily mobile users for the month, while Twitter had 6.9 million. The merits of mobile photography are clear. The data reveals that the average Instagram user spent 257 minutes accessing the site via mobile devices in August, while the average Twitter user over the same period only spent 170 minutes viewing. That’s a lot of connected, photo-sharing users coming back to the site often! Unlike Twitter which maintains a website, Instagram is mobile-first and mobile-only. This enables easy access to sharing features. That’s exactly why many media savvy companies have used Instagram
So You Want a Photography Studio?
So you want a studio? I have rarely met a photographer who owns his or her own business and can happily sit back and say, “I’m satisfied.” It doesn’t matter what your business is – business owners are driven and ambitious, passionate and a purposeful. And that’s what keeps them moving. Our Studio Story About seven years ago my wife Joy and I were traveling from Chattanooga, Tennessee, back home to Orlando, Florida. She was working as a nurse and I was working as a corporate communications executive at a healthcare management company. On the side, our part-time wedding photography business was growing. We stopped north of Atlanta to visit a friend who had just opened a photography studio. After a couple hours visiting with
Dramatic Dusk Shots: How To Create Them
Shooting photos at dusk can be tricky, but understanding a few things about lighting will give your images depth and a 3-dimensional quality. The main goal is to bring the brightness of your subjects in the foreground close to the brightness of the background. This is best accomplished by using a dedicated strobe, since they are able to output high-level light from a small, portable package. Step 1: Set Your Background Exposure. It’s best to use the manual exposure settings on your camera because any auto modes will attempt to balance the lightest and darkest areas of the image. Meter off the brighter part of the scene and leave the shutter set. Start with an ISO of 400. Step 2: Add light to your subjects.
Three Business Publications Every Photographer Should Read
It’s time to put down our cameras. Step away from photography forums. Press pause on software tutorials. We need to exercise another part of our minds – our business acumen. In order to build successful and sustainable businesses, we must venture beyond f-stops, shutter speeds and gadget gossip. Of course, those are important pieces of the photographic puzzle. They’re just not enough to carry our studios through lulls in bookings, losses of key staff or unexpected economic hardships. To ride out those storms, you need to fill your mental fuel tank with wisdom from proven business resources. To kickstart strategic thinking, here are are three business publications every photographer should read. 1. Fast Company – it’s not just an airport newsstand standard. Although they have a printed
Starting Your Own Portrait Business: Advice for New Photographers
Starting your own portrait business is overwhelming. There are many things to consider, from equipment purchases to choosing a company name, and everything in between. The best advice I can share (that I wish someone shared with me) is simply, don’t walk this path alone. Being a small business owner can be isolating. As a portrait photographer, you may only ever see another person when you are actually doing a photo session. During my first year in business, I spent countless hours figuring out basic business questions on my own. What lab should I use? Where should I get albums and other products? How much should I charge for a session, or for prints? Should I just sell digital files? AM I DOING IT RIGHT?