Tips for portrait clients to prepare for a photoshoot

There are people who love the camera and immediately shine for it. And others who find it awkward and are uncomfortable with the thought of it, LOL. Many people just don’t think they are photogenic. But I think everyone is in their own way, and perfect looks are not even relevant. Anyone can be an interesting photo subject, with the right photographer who has the right skills. It’s up to the photographer to use the right lighting, angle, lens, composition, etc. to flatter each unique subject. There are many factors that come into play with headshots especially. The shape of the subject’s face, nose, tall or short forehead, hair or lack thereof, and exactly what we want that photograph to say. Whether business or corporate portrait or an individual portrait or headshot, or even family portraits. The fact that there is more that goes into it than aiming and shooting, is exactly why I never understood why some just look for the cheapest person. A well done photograph can also build peoples’ self esteem.

 

One tip I can offer the client, is to take a few minutes each day and practice in the mirror, different expressions, and spell out the vowels with their mouths, saying A E I O U, this works the face muscles and brings out some different energy and expressions. That’s one way to loosen up by the time you get to the studio. In the meantime, it’s good to communicate with your photographer about wardrobe options, etc. Look at the photographer’s work. Is there something about their work that inspires you, and do you see moods you want brought out in your own photos? All things to think about. It’s amazing how sometimes other people notice something unique about a person, more than they even notice it in themselves. Your face can tell a story. Period.

A different spin on maternity photos

There are many ways to do them, but so many I see have been done the same exact way, and that bores me. Many women are anxious to capture this look, with their child in their womb, while others are self conscious about their belly, but it’s a beautiful thing to capture if they can find a photographer to capture the intimate mood and feel that they imagined. When I think of a well done intimate and artistic maternity photo, I think of shadow play and low key lighting, with some brush light to accent the outline of the subject, and a candid mood. Not so much posed or smile for the camera expression. But more rather some implied vanity almost, vulnerability, the husband’s admiration and anticipation, or in this case, the older sibling’s anticipation and excitement.

 

In this particular shoot, it was very candid and a slice of life, as if the mother and daughter were discussing how pregnancy works, etc. And this photo showed the bond between mother and daughter, and it was all about me not leaving a footprint. Natural / reflected window light, and all natural feel. The in home setting and the use of the natural elements to me made this something unique, and beautiful.

What I look for in wedding clients

As clients have to qualify vendors, we also have to do the same to some extent. I can’t speak for every photographer, but for me, this is how I process things. For me, it’s not all about clients with large budgets. It’s more about working with organized clients with realistic budgets, I find they are the best to work with and truly value the services I provide for them. I have gotten a decent amount of wedding photography inquiries lately which is great, but it’s a similar process to looking at a used car you’re selling on Craigslist. You may get many calls or email inquiries, but unless they come look at it and make an offer, they aren’t serious buyers.  The first thing many clients have to do is make sure that photographer is able to suit their needs, as well as work within their budget within reason, so that may be part of the initial qualifying process for them. In which case I will respond by email and explain how my packages work, and ask them further details about their event and set up a time to talk in greater detail, so I can finalize my quote to them. I am always cordial and inviting to everyone, and try to provide them the necessary information they need to get the ball rolling, but it’s only the preliminary.

 

Just like the Craigslist analogy, not everyone is a fit to do business with everyone else. My package pricing is reasonable, but I’m not the cheapest by any means, nor the most expensive. But I believe in my heart that I will provide a great product to prospective clients, and will take good care of them. If price is someone’s only concern, the chances of them doing business with me are approaching slim. Because there are a slew of people doing all day $500.00 weddings, however, the informed client can see the value in hiring a professional photographer when they compare, as there are no do overs for wedding photography. Jumping through hoops for those price point people has proven to be less fruitful, mainly not even because of their budget, but because of them not being willing to put work and communication into anything, and not being organized. Therefore, I’d likely have underbid a wedding I was not happy with, and the client isn’t happy either because they wanted a Mercedes for the price of a Kia, or their own disorganization made the event a catastrophe. Not fair for anyone involved.

 

Ask any bride who had a successful wedding, she will tell you that there was hours of communication with the photographer before and after the event, so the during time could run as smooth as a Rolex watch. Shortcuts do not create favorable results. The questions more informed and organized clients ask before selecting a wedding vendor / photographer are of course what can be offered in their price range, etc. but it doesn’t end there, is my point. By then they have already established that they feel a connection between my work and their wedding. They generally want to know how much time I have spent in my field, if I am insured, if I will be there for them years from now, if God forbid anything happen to their wedding photos in a fire or flood, etc. (well, no one knows this, but from a business solidarity standpoint I mean). Also that I understand their needs, and am flexible, and easy to get a hold of. It’s the accountability that also separates the professionals from the hobbyists who are charging people to photograph them. I’ll take someone who knows and trusts my work, yet is clear about their needs, even if borderline demanding, that’s fine, I know where I stand and know what I have to do. Generally people like that have no problem establishing what they can spend for what coverage, and make additions or sacrifices to suit. And have a better organized wedding and a product they are pleased with, as opposed to those with tunnel vision or hire the first person who gives them a price they like. No one likes to lose business, I sure don’t. But successful business creates more successful business, and that makes for a successful business. It’s about the big picture :)

 

 

Patience is key when choosing wedding vendors.

Of course for any sizable wedding, a good planner is a sound investment, and I don’t mean a bride turned planner. I specify this because they already know reputable vendors who they have experience working with. But if you are not using a planner, I do have these very important tips for selecting any wedding vendors, whether officiants, DJ’s, wedding photographers, florists, venues, etc. I know it’s a lot of work, but start early enough to secure your date, don’t wait until the final 3 months and expect to get your picks and have it organized. Also, avoid contacting random vendors for a quick response, and going with the first person who tells you what you want to hear. Asking others for recommendations is always a good plan. Now I will move this towards selecting photographers, although the same techniques still apply. If searching Google, look carefully at their website, and quality of work and overall style and how the style of your wedding corresponds with the style of that photographer’s work. Take time to read any info sections, and only if you are interested in that photographer, bookmark the site. This way you have more information before you even contact them. And the list is narrowed down as opposed to blasting the contact forms of many photographers. If you were browsing sites of photographers’ sites you didn’t feel a connection to, there’s no need to bookmark that site or contact them. This way it streamlines the process. Rather than typing out mass contact inquiries as you go, this is a better organized way to go, and you remember who you are talking to when they respond, because you went with quality over quantity. In the end, it’s far less work than not taking time to research them with a closer look before contacting them.

 

Think of that person you know who wandered into a car dealership who was anxious to get a car. Sometimes the worse you want it, the worse you get it. If that person took a little more time to research the dealer, and the type of vehicle they want, as well as financial aspects of the transaction, they are far less likely to engage in a deal that they’ll regret, like too high a payment or interest rate, etc. Some people just can’t get past the fact that looking more carefully before they discuss business takes more time up front, and they compartmentalize how much they have to do, well that’s a mistake. If you look more up front, contact fewer, and make one informed decision, two positive things will happen. The quality of their vendor is generally better, and they save time and aggravation in the end. Also, involve your future spouse in these decisions, as well as get opinions of those you know and trust, when narrowing down your selections. Overall it’s about making a better decision, because of being patient and diligent. This also means that the initial conversation has to go beyond price. More to come about how I, as a vendor, qualify my clients as they would qualify me.

Camera capturing what the eye sees?

A while back, I did some mentoring to a student photographer who asked me in frustration, why can’t I bring out in camera what my eye sees? I don’t really have an answer for that, because the more I do it, the more my eye becomes like the camera. And I told her this is where you have to be patient and endure plateaus as well as growth. If it were that easy, everyone would be doing it. Wait…..everyone IS doing it, LOL! But not everyone sticks with it when they realize it’s more work and expense than they thought. This is the crossroads, where you are in it and make a commitment to yourself, or take the easy road and give up. There is no fence to straddle.

She stuck with the conversation. The camera is a mirror and the lens is the eye. So you have every opportunity to capture something in a way you want the audience to see it. The human eye doesn’t have depth of field and focus points, or even apertures the same way the camera does. If you are inside a room, and shoot out the window, the room in the foreground will be underexposed if the outside view is exposed correctly, assuming you use no flash. Or if you use ambient light to meter the exposure for the room, the backlighting will be harsh if you use it in that photo. Fstops are lens openings, the further it opens, the more light it lets in, and you also get shallower depth of field. Also, your eyes have a greater field of view, and what you see with them, you don’t have to control your compositions, as you do when photographing. As a photographer, I see light differently than the average person. I see people differently. Everything I see is how I see the photo being, not the other way around. Trying to get the camera to see things the same way the naked eye does will only bring you frustration. Think like your camera, and the better you can represent your subject matter how you desire.

How and why wedding photographers arrive at their rates

I met with a couple not too long ago, and when I showed them my package options and prices, the bride seemed to be pleased with what she saw. The groom raised an eyebrow a little bit, and said, wow, I am in the wrong business. I’m just curious, how do you arrive at the prices charged in your packages? Well, I’d much rather be asked this while they are there and listening, so it’s not a bad thing at all, and hopefully my explanation helped educate the client. I definitely don’t claim to be the cheapest, but I’m not the most expensive either. As an industry standard, I am pretty modest in my pricing, but am in no way out to compete with the lowball price point shooters. I can keep my cost down some by not having high commercial studio rent.

Part of the prices commanded are based on how often we work, as well as cost of doing business. And I made it clear to them that I was not explaining this to get sympathy because it was my choice to get into this field, and I don’t regret it. First came countless hours developing my craft and gathering the necessary equipment and skill to start a studio, as well as assisting and second shooting for another photographer for a much lower rate than shooting them for myself. But that’s the responsible way to get into wedding photographer. I bring 15-20 thousand dollars worth of equipment to weddings. I have backup everything should there be any equipment failure. Backup camera body, several lenses, backup flashes, memory cards, radio slaves, etc. I also bring studio lighting for group formal portraits, to ensure there will be enough light to fill a dark church or overpower daytime sunlight. I am also hiring an assistant during weddings to help things stay moving and organized. Liability insurance is also an expense I incur, but it’s required by many venues, and it’s crazy to photograph any wedding or events without it. Not to mention professional organization memberships, marketing and advertising expense, time networking. How ever much time I spend photographing your wedding, on average, 3 times amount that time is spent behind the computer getting the images retouched and ready for the client. Not even counting time cropping or printing, or album design. Also not including the time I spend with each couple prior to the wedding. So however much per hour it looks like we make on the surface, with all the equations to consider, that gets watered down considerably, but it’s all worth it if the referral business kicks in and it’s enjoyable for all.

Sure, there are price point hobbyist photographers out there who will do it cheaper than me. I am not out to compete with them because they don’t offer the same product, or accountability to the client. Kindof like hiring the kid who mows your lawn to trim a 40 foot high tree. Maybe he can get it done…..but maybe if he trims a limb wrong will cause a limb to fall on the roof of your house and damage it, or crush a gutter. Or he falls out of the tree and breaks his arm. And if the homeowners’ insurance policy finds out you didn’t hire a licensed and insured contractor, they may not cover the damage. Nor would that kid have the insurance to cover damage to your house, as a professional tree specialist would. It may mean the difference between paying $200 and $600, but saving that money on an unqualified person can be much much more costly. And a wedding is an event with no do overs. There are probably 3 thousand Nashville area wedding photographers. Out of that number there might be 300-400 who fit the professional criteria listed above, and offer that accountability to the customer. Price and budget is a factor for sure, but cutting corners is not saving. Worth thinking about :)

Tips for grooms, making photos more bearable

I’m a guy myself, and have definitely gone through my own camera shy periods. I get it. Things like engagement photos, wedding photos, bride and groom photos and wedding group portraits aren’t most mens’ cup of tea. The wise man realizes how much the wedding means to his future wife, and tried his best to be interactive in the process, rather than dumping it all on her. And tries his best to put his game face on. One thing I have seen is that the brides think ahead when they think of the lifelong importance of photos and album, etc. even for future generations. The guys are usually like, ok, whatever she says, LOL! But then later on they appreciate it, but by then if they hadn’t done it, it would be too late, it’s just how the genders are wired most of the time :)

 

It’s ok not to be totally into it deep down inside, but the best tips I can offer you are to discuss with your future bride about the themes that are important to the both of you, and discuss any camera shy fears you have with one another. This is win win, as vulnerability strengthens trust. And that way you can work together to alleviate camera shyness. Practice in the mirror, even just making different expressions and relaxing your face muscles from time to time, just make sure friends and co workers aren’t watching, LOL! If you’ve packed on a few pounds over the Winter and the wedding is in 2 months, just do what you can in the meantime. Even one month of eating right and hitting the gym and doing some cardio 3 times a week can produce some noticeable results. Even if you want to lose 20 pounds, and can effectively do the first 1o, that does wonders for self esteem and comfort on camera, as well as seeing your guests. Showing your bride you are willing to put forth some effort is a great way to start your lives together, it’s about give and take. Hey, if you can hang out with your friend’s date’s friend who you aren’t attracted to, in order to be wing man for your best friend, this seems easy in comparison. A good wedding photographer can help ease the process and help make everyone comfortable and enjoy the process.

December engagement session, fun and colorful!

I don’t know what’s going on lately……I still love my black and white photography, no worries. But the farm wedding, and the last 2 engagement sessions I did, were all so rich and colorful, I just could not bring myself to make any of them black and white. But each photo has to speak to us as artists as presented a certain way, which is why the retouching and selection process is worth spending enough time on. I met this nice couple through the last bridal show, so we went with a nice December engagement photo session. It was nice to have an interactive couple, the bride had even brought paintings she made to incorporate into the shoot, as well as a bag of confetti. It all worked out so well. The paintings even matched the color scheme of the first building we shot at, per the bride’s suggestion.

 

We then moved onto downtown Nashville, and found some cool old buildings and alleyways to use, one of which had Christmas decorations. I was thrilled with the result. Nice journalistic style engagement photos, on the streets of Nashville, like a day out and about on the town together. They were very connected and the colors in the locations and their clothing all gelled nicely. I really like a candid feel, it feels less forced, posed and awkward, and shows how happy the couple really is, as people may see, but it’s never captured that way. Something like an engagement photo should be special and different. Anyone can shoot snapshots of them in a bar next to each other, or doing the prom pose. To capture a slice of life and showcase the love the couple has for one another is what it’s really about. Another good reason the photographer shooting engagement photos should be doing the wedding as well, to finish telling the story as it’s continued.  This couple is now finalizing their wedding details, congratulations Dale and Valerie!

Photographing boudoir sessions

This article will tell you that anyone can take a picture, but how the mood is captured, and how connected the subject is in the photo is very telling, especially with a more intimate style, otherwise known as boudoir photograph. This is why someone who doesn’t know what they are doing can create discomfort not only within themselves, but also the subject and affect her self confidence. Part of creating a successful photoshoot of any kind is establishing comfort and trust with your subjects, and it can be done quickly. Using light, angle, composition, and capturing strong features the subject has are a large part of the equation. I have discussed this subject with other Nashville area photographer friends, and these are all things we can agree on.

Keeping the mood positive and relaxed is part of it, without being TOO complimentary or vague alike. Keep direction about how they are to move or turn simple and easy to understand. In my opinion, it’s not ok to touch subjects, unless asking first. And even then it’s to help position a shoulder or hand, something that will improve the dynamic of the photograph. I usually only resort to that if I am having difficulty explaining what I want them to do, and it’s better that, than have them frustrated for communication barriers, it keeps the shoot moving. It’s the details that their significant other will love, and that they will treasure themselves. Many people are nervous about photoshoots, and boudoir shoots maybe even more so. Consideration of the client and skill of the photographer can make it a fun experience for them rather than an apprehensive mess. Here, the small of the back and curves into the upper back created an interesting line as the light followed the contours of her body. And the upper vertebrae was a nice touch as the light hit it, and thinking about the overall composition, the presence of her shoulder in that shot made the context better understood in my opinion.

Artistic and natural headshot, how and why

I recently enjoyed an artistic / boudoir photo session with Iggy, a 20 year old art model and fellow artist. The whole concept of this photoshoot was all granola, natural light and little makeup. No muss no fuss. Yet show the beauty of the woman, in all simplicity. Later I will cover the bodyscapes, but now it’s the how’s and why’s of the headshot, and what made it all work as a photograph. We were on her back screened porch working with natural light, was a semi overcast day which was perfect for this type of shoot! I chose this angle and composition to capture her jawline and eyes, and lips in it’s most flattering form. What I was seeing with my eyes was nice soft skin and hair, and so much natural, unabashed beauty in it’s purest, most natural and vulnerable form. Now the challenge was to make the viewer see that, and have their interpretation create the story in their minds. The negative space on the right works for several reasons. The composition plane, it lets her jawline and features be the dominant force in the photo…..and this way, the texture of the background enhances the photo without it being a distraction.

When it comes to texture working with a photo, especially a headshot, subtlety and / or shallow depth of field can be your best ally. The natural light also can work for or against you, which is why I used a reflector, to prevent abrupt light falloff and to provide fill. Also that allowed me to expose the subject without having to overexpose the background to expose the subject properly. My metering point would then be the subject area with reflected light. F2.8, 1/160 shutter and 400 iso, with center point focus between the eyes are the technical end of it. As discussed before in this blog about headshots…..the cropping off the top of her head was not an accident. And it wouldn’t fit in every photograph. But I shot it this way in camera, because my eye was drawn to her facial features. Doing so can help the facial features stand out more.