When it comes to selling canvases and albums, bigger can be better. A large canvas – or a collection – makes a great statement piece. When a client wants to fill their home with personal art, there is no better way to go than large canvases hung in predominant locations. Imagine a pair of 20×30’s hung side by side in an entry foyer, for example! “Planting Sales Seeds” Pre-Shoot I always plant the seed for this concept prior to the sales session so your client has time to consider a large-scale piece in her home and the investment involved. A planning session prior to the shoot is the perfect time to make product suggestions. In addition to discussing the session itself, you can let the
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5 Ways to Keep Portraiture Natural on the Wedding Day
One of the best compliments I receive from potential clients is that my photographs feel natural and aren’t forced. That’s music to my ears because I consider myself a storyteller first and foremost. Probably 90% of my wedding photography days are spent covering the action in a photojournalist manner. At the end of the day, however, I gravitate towards portraits. It has always given me great pleasure to have clients who tell me “we’re so unphotogenic,” and then deliver images that truly wow them! Let’s face it, if you can make someone look good, you’ve just earned another advocate for your work. Seriously, who doesn’t want to look amazing on their wedding day? How do you keep things natural? How do you make people feel
What Wedding Photographers Can Learn from Documentarians – Part 2
Do you remember a time when photography was your way of experiencing and explaining the world? This week’s series was inspired by Annie Leibovitz and the FSA Photographers of the Great Depression. The articled asked some challenging questions. Is it possible to do the work that we are moved to create while we are doing commissioned work? What if we started looking at lists and schedules and the routine of shooting wedding after wedding as an opportunity rather than a hindrance to creativity? What if the shooting script expanded our creative options rather than limiting them? The FSA required its photographers “to be more than an artist, more than an adequate mechanic. He must be something of a sociologist, something of an economist; he must be a good
What Wedding Photographers Can Learn from the Farm Security Administration – Part 1
I recently attended the Graduate Symposium on Creativity at the Corcoran Gallery of Art. Annie Leibovitz was the Keynote Speaker, followed by a panel discussion with creative professionals in the fields of art education, interior design, book arts, exhibition design and photojournalism. During her keynote, Leibovitz talked about pushing the creative envelope even when you are doing commissioned work. Largely, Leibovitz’s work is commissioned, although her most recent project, Pilgrimage, is a personal project and as she says in the book, “For me, it meant going back to taking pictures when I was moved to take a picture. When there wasn’t an agenda…To be in a situation where I took a picture just because I saw it.” Leibovitz commented that this personal project directly fed
Making the Most of Senior Portrait Season – Part 3
They’re tuned into trends, they’re savvy social media players and they’ve got their parents’ pocketbooks! Ok, so there’s more to this unique market than those traits, but nobody can dispute this fact: Senior Portraits continue to grow in popularity. The Senior market is expanding as teenagers continue to connect with photographers who can create unique portraits of them and their friends. Since Spring is Senior Portrait Season, we’re sharing a series of posts from photographers who specialize in Seniors. Get to know these talented photographers and learn tips and tricks! This week’s featured Senior Portrait Pro is South Carolina-based photographer Ruth Rackley. What got you started photographing seniors? Since the start of my business, I have always dabbled in Senior Photography. Until recently, my main product line has
Making the Move from Second Photographer to Primary Photographer
I am an earnest beginner. Just starting out. A weekend warrior. A never-been-to-art-or-journalism-school-photographer. A business owner who never imagined owning a business. As I wade more deeply into the wedding photography world, I am making the switch from second shooting to shooting weddings as a primary photographer. Along the way, I’ve focused on three things: craft, confidence, and clients. 1) Craft I don’t know about you, but I got into this business because I wanted to make beautiful, meaningful images for couples in love. If I can’t consistently deliver those, then I have no basis for being in business. Given this belief, my first step was to build a technical and artistic foundation for my business honing the craft of photography. Read. There are so many
Making the Most of Senior Portrait Season – Part 2
They’re tuned into trends, they’re savvy social media players and they’ve got their parents’ pocketbooks! Ok, so there’s more to this unique market than those traits, but nobody can dispute this fact: Senior Portraits continue to grow in popularity. The Senior market is expanding as teenagers continue to connect with photographers who can create unique portraits of them and their friends. Since Spring is Senior Portrait Season, we’re sharing a series of posts from photographers who specialize in Seniors. Get to know these talented photographers and learn tips and tricks! This week’s featured Senior Portrait Pro is California-based photographer Steph Villa Davis. Q. How do you educate seniors about what to wear for their session? A. I have a pre-session consultation with all my senior clients and their parents. Depending
The Sequoia 2 – A Photographer’s Personal Review
Meet Emily Harris, owner and chief photographer at Intimate Bridal Portraits, serving South Florida clients. The Photo Life team asked Emily to share her album design process with us and review the brand new Sequoia2 Album. Q. What’s your sales process for getting clients to purchase albums? Most of my photography packages include a wedding album. I offer my clients Printed Press Books and Sequoia Books. They always prefer to buy complete photography packages that include an album. Q. What’s your favorite features about the Sequoia 2 album? The small gutter line! Also, the eco-leather is really soft. Q. How does your design process work for albums your studio offers? I allow my clients to select the images that they would like to feature in their album.
Senior Portraits are HOT, but Should Seniors Look “HOT?”
They’re tuned into trends, they’re savvy social media players and they’ve got their parents’ pocketbooks! Ok, so there’s more to this unique market than those traits, but nobody can dispute this fact: Senior Portraits continue to grow in popularity. The Senior market is expanding as teenagers continue to connect with photographers who can create unique portraits of them and their friends. Since Spring is officially Senior Portrait Season, we’re sharing a series of posts about this growing genre of photography. In this case, the topic may stir up some strong opinions. The above images depict a senior portrait from the 1950s and a senior portrait of Sydney Spies, the Colorado student who sparked national debate. Her image appeared in media ranging from broadcast news to
Making the Most of Senior Portrait Season – Part I
They’re tuned into trends, they’re savvy social media players and they’ve got their parents’ pocketbooks! Ok, so there’s more to this unique market than those traits, but nobody can dispute this fact: Senior Portraits continue to grow in popularity. The Senior market is expanding as teenagers continue to connect with photographers who can create unique portraits of them and their friends. Since Spring is officially Senior Portrait Season, we’re sharing a series of posts from photographers who specialize in Seniors. Get to know these talented photographers and learn their tips and tricks! This week’s featured Senior Portrait photographer is a self-proclaimed troublemaker. Tracy Moore is a Montana-based photographer who loves photographing senior girls because she has fun with them, befriends them and helps them create images full