Why shouldn’t I shoot my family and friends for class?

Just finishing up my Portraiture class and I must say its been the toughest one yet. Not tough because the assignments where hard but tough in the fact that each assignment required a new person. In total I needed to photograph 25 different people in 6 weeks. It was hard to find all these different people and keep them to your schedule. Everyone has family they could always use but the problem with that is your family wont end up as a paying customer later on.  They will always expect you to shoot them for free. It seems pretty sad but that is the way it works.

In all of my assignment this past 6 weeks the hardest was to find 8 people to photograph together. To accomplish this I put some feelers out weeks in advanced but most of those options fell through. My last and final option was to ask a friend if she knew of anyone that I could get to photograph. I figured since she has 3 kids and herself that would kill off half of my requirements right there. However this particular week none of her kids could show up for the event. I was lucky though because she know a lot of other people and found me the 8 I needed in the nick of time. By the end of my shooting I had people asking for a card, wondering if I could shoot an up coming event.

I was grateful that these people who I didn’t know was asking me if could do other work and that they would be contacting me in the future. Without shooting these strangers I would have never got my name or my information out there like I did. I learned the in the end it might pay off to shoot people you don’t know because they may want your services in the future. The event that I was asked about is for the republicans in town so they will probably want a hand out, however it might be one of those handouts that gets your name out there for paying work. These politicians might need head shots or things like that. While doing the event for free might make them think you will do everything for free, you can quickly let them know what you charge for those types of services.

So I recommend getting yourself out there and looking for ways to network and find potential future clients. You obviously wont get paid to shoot them for your class assignments but if they can see the quality of work you can provide them, then you might very well have made a connection to turn them into a client.

Here is my funny face shot of my 8 people. In the end this probably was my best assignment. 

TBT

Thursday Ambassador

Your Editing Style: What Would You Do?

The settings you choose in camera and the lighting you incorporate make up one part of your photographic style. What you do with the out-of-camera images is another. Have you found your editing style, or are you still trying to figure it out? This week, I want to see what you would do with the straight-out-of-camera image. My edit appears on the left, and you'll see that I love a simple, clean edit with slightly saturated colors. Grab the image on the right and make your tweaks to show your editing style, then share your edited image in the PSPN Google+ group. Make it your own, but please, leave the watermark in tact - you can add an "edited by ____" notation on the image to show your part of the work!

Happy editing,

Friday Ambassador

Master the Maternity Session

Working with engaged couples and new parents is a blast because it means seeing people at their happiest. Emotions run high and the images captured serve as valuable reminders of important life events, from weddings to first birthdays. An event that is quite different from those is the pregnancy itself. Maternity sessions are exciting in their own right, but instead of the high-energy images captured at weddings and family portraits, there is an underlying sense of serenity mixed with anxious anticipation at a maternity session. Capturing this is so worthwhile - if you know anyone who is expecting, see if they'll let you try your hand at maternity photography to see if it's something you want to add to your repertoire!

Typically taken after the 30-week mark (I find 32 weeks to be ideal), maternity photographs should show off a mom-to-be's connection with her child and make her feel beautiful even though she's likely quite uncomfortable and ready for baby to come out! Selecting a location that is special to the couple, encouraging her to bring a few outfits that make her feel great, and shooting a variety of angles and poses will make for a successful maternity session. Incorporate props from baby's nursery or the other parent into the session for extra special images. Not only will the parents love having reminders of how they felt while waiting on their little one to arrive, but the child will get to see how loved he or she was even before taking a first breath!

-Friday Ambassador

When Pro Bono Becomes a Problem

Hand-in-hand with the pricing puzzle ("what am I worth?") is the pro bono problem ("when should I shoot for free?"). When people find out you are studying photography, they will often volunteer their children, families, or even events to act as your subject matter. Early in your studies this can be a great boon, but eventually it may very well become a burden. As you gain knowledge and experience you need to charge for your work so you can make a living doing what you love. Of course, there will always be opportunities to share your skills with worthy causes and good friends.

Some professional photographers choose to offer big discounts for friends and family, others charge full price, and still others don't charge a thing. It's important to have an idea of where you need to fall in that spectrum in order to feel good about helping your friends while still making a living. In my case, my friends and family members get a much better rate but only a small number get my services for free. Make sure that when you start charging for your services, people are well aware. Someone whom you've photographed for school projects in the past may not realize that you've gotten to the point in your career that you need to start charging, and that can end up in an awkward situation for both of you.

Something I still find difficult is passing on shoots for non-profit organizations. I dedicate time to giving rescue dogs photo shoots to help them find homes and also shoot certain events for organizations I've built a relationship with over the past few years. If I agreed to provide my services for free every time I was asked, though, I would soon go bankrupt. If you face a similar situation and aren't sure how to say no, I find it best to be totally honest and state that you are honored to be asked but provide your services pro bono to select groups already and cannot afford to assist this time. I'll usually point the person asking in the direction of a local photography school where I know students are looking for event experience as well.

If you want to do what you love full-time, you will need to continually reassess your value and how much pro bono work you can commit to in your schedule. It also helps to have your break-even point in the back of your mind so you can charge a "friend rate" accordingly. Keep those Business worksheets handy!

Successful Shooting - Family Photography

A while back I wrote about the challenges of photographing children. While some of my favorite images are of big-eyed, smiling babies, it is definitely not easy to get the perfect shot. Something babies and young kids have that adults and teenagers often don’t, though, is a carefree attitude in front of the camera. As we age, many of us (myself included) learn to be camera shy and self-conscious, making it tougher for a photographer to bring out real emotion in family photographs. I have a few tips to share about what works for me during a family shoot, and would love to hear your advice as well! If you notice any great tips missing from the following, leave a comment so we can all learn from one another.

Make Everyone Comfortable

By the time a family gets to your studio or chosen location, they may have been stressed about their appearance or the fact that they have to spend an hour or two taking photographs in the first place. Being personable and assessing the moods of the various family members will help you determine if cracking a joke, asking questions about school, or chatting about current events will best break the ice and get everyone to relax. 

Start Formal
If you're shooting outside, starting with the formal photographs will ensure the parents that the outfits they picked out so carefully will stay nice and clean for the traditional images. By the end of the session, they won't mind if everyone gets a little messy with more fun compositions, because the shots they think are most important have already been taken care of. It's likely, though, that their favorite images will be those messy ones in the end!

Embrace Imperfection

Kids may cry, teenagers may be sassy, and siblings may fight. Sometimes the moments that are more raw and real make for the best, unexpectedly honest images. Those fighting siblings? Get them to act out their frustrations for the camera and they'll end up laughing together instead of coming to blows.

Pose Naturally

Allowing your clients to fall into a pose that feels natural will make for a better-looking image. If they look a bit stiff, ask them to bend their limbs slightly to add more shape to the composition. Get them to laugh, smile at each other, and forget about the camera when possible.

Take a Break

Smiles can feel stiff and forced after a while. I encourage portrait clients to bring a change of clothes, because putting on a new outfit and having a few minutes to refresh physically will also help them refresh mentally.  

Have FUN!
When you enjoy yourself, your clients will enjoy themselves too. Smile, laugh, and be enthusiastic about the images and the experience.

Making the Most of Holiday Visits

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!  Now that the holiday season is upon us, it seems like the perfect time to talk about shooting what has become one of my favorite subjects: kids!  While child photography was not that appealing to me when I started pursuing my degree, I happened to use some toddlers as subjects in classes early on in the program.  It was more fun than I expected, and now child and family photography has become a regular part of my life.  With nieces, nephews, grandchildren, and friends’ children around for holiday get-togethers, it is a great time to take advantage of having little ones in front of your camera to find out if you enjoy it as well.  That said, there are some important things to remember when shooting a child session.  I hope this list of “do” and “don’t” tips encourages you to make the most of holiday visits, taking the opportunity to learn and expand your portfolio while also enjoying time with family and friends.  

1. DO start your session where the child feels comfortable.  This image was shot in the family’s home in a room with a solid wall color and comfortable blanket on which the baby was able to play:

2. DON’T be afraid to head outside.  Starting in a child’s home allows the child to become comfortable with you and your camera, but outdoor images bring variety in backdrops and encourage the child to explore new surroundings.  You'll be amazed at the sweet expressions a child makes when she touches soft grass (little Addison, right, couldn't get enough!).

3. DO ensure the temperature is warm.  Babies get cold quickly!

4. DON'T flash light in a baby's eyes.  If you have to use a flash, bounce it away from the baby to brighten the room.  It is best to avoid flashes altogether, opting for an LED panel or continuous lights to supplement the ambient light if needed.

5. DO allow time for plenty of breaks.  Babies and young children have short attention spans and will likely need a snack break before they get frustrated.

6. DON’T put down your camera.  Breaks from posing may make for great opportunities for lifestyle images!   

7. DO ask for a parent or family member to help you get the child’s attention.  Interesting sounds and facial expressions are key to getting a great expression, and that can be hard to pull off with a camera in front of your eye.  Having a helper right behind you is a necessity.

8. DON’T allow more than one person to help you get the child’s attention, though.  Having too many people making crazy sounds and jumping around behind you is confusing to the child, not to mention distracting to you as photographer!  If you find ten people making monkey noises behind you (this happened to me), pause and politely single out one person to take on the role of "attention getter."  It's best, of course, to do this at the start of the session.

9. DO remember to capture the details.  Parents want to remember all the traits that make their child unique, and will appreciate that you see beauty in the small things.

10. DO have fun!  If you enjoy the session, so will the child. 

Do you have any other suggestions for a successful child or baby session?  Leave a comment with tips that have helped you!

-Friday Ambassador

Where are the Models?

Hello everyone, and welcome again to another edition of Terrific Tuesday blog, I am your Ambassador today and every Tuesday!

If you are in the field of photography, there will be times that you are going to need a model to complete an assignment or homework from one of your classes.  If you are in your first year and have not have the pleasure to have living subjects in your compositions, well, just wait it is around the corner.  Courses such as Lighting, Portraiture, Portraiture II, Advertising Photography 1 & 2, Creative Concepts, Advanced Studio Techniques, will have the need for living subjects.  So by know you might be wondering; where do I find models to help me with school?

The answer is simple: everywhere and anywhere!

Let me share how some of my models came out to be part of my experience with the school, you might find that you are in the same position as I was when I first started.

The first area that you might explore will be family and friends.  That is great, they might say that they don’t have experience, you could say that you don’t have the experience working with models either.  I started with pictures using my wife as a model, she was very shy at the start and now she helps me by giving me opinions about my ideas and serves as someone that I can share my vision, after all, she knows me better than anyone else.

That followed by using my daughters who have modeled for me for fun and for classes.  Once their friends saw some of the pictures I took of them, some of them asked if I could take pictures of them too!  Ok, so now I have more people that I can use for assignments, which brings me back to one important statement: don’t let the models run YOUR show, the object is for them to have images for themselves but you also need to do your work at school!

http://www.modelmayhem.com/411651 Ajani Photography

Once my co-workers saw the images that I was creating, some of them decided that they would help me too (see the pattern?).  I have now taken images of co-workers, families and friends, and it all started with creating great images that were admired by others.

Ok, you might be wondering how to coordinate all the people that I have mentioned here.  Well, remember that every course is 5.5 weeks long so you do not need to use all your resources at once, look forward to what you need in the next classes (if you can) and figure out who in your pool would work for what you have to do. It is not always going to work out with a limited pool of people and that is when you need to branch out and seek new models.

Once you are comfortable with your skill directing others and you have a better understanding of how your vision, your brand and your concept can work together, you might want to venture out and become a member of Model Mayhem.  This website provides an area where you can search for photographers, models, stylist and other professionals that can help you with your work.  Becoming a member is free and the process takes about a week to complete.  If you want to look more into this website and what it has to offer, here is a link for you to follow.

http://www.modelmayhem.com/

So, there you go, finding models is not as hard as it sounds as when you began your studies.  The more people you photograph, the better you will get.  The more new people you photograph the better the chances that your vision and work will be seen around the world!

Just keep shooting and don't be afraid to ask new people to pose for you, who knows you might be taking images of the next supermodel!

Drop me a line and share any of your experiences with models, we all can share and learn from each other. Until then, this is your Tuesday Ambassador signing off for now.  You all have a great and wonderful day!

Tuesday Ambassador