Virtual Photography Studio - Resources for photographers
Virutual Photography Studio, Guide To Resources, Products and Information
Looking for a way to add your photographs to your website or blog? Check out Slide.
In a matter of minutes, you can create a new gallery, and post it onto your site. It’s a fun way to add movement to your posts, and gives you a creative way to showcase a bunch of your images at one time.
This past holiday weekend, we ended up in Colorado Springs to photograph the balloon festival that takes place there every Labor Day weekend. It’s rough getting up at 5 [just ask my 13 year old daughter] but it is so worth it.
As you stand in the middle of dozens of balloons being filled and launched, you are awe struck by how something so fragile can lift you sky high.
And just like any event we photograph, we shoot it from many different perspectives.
When you’re out on an event [it doesn't have to be paid - just practice at a fun event you're attending] see how many different angles you can capture.
The first balloon to launch
The balloons being filled
The balloons taking off above the trees
Shadows
Looking up at the basket
A sky full of balloons
No matter what you event, the idea is to tell the story. Use your camera to take more than a few photos – tell the story of the entire day. What did you do? What did you see?
If you think in “book” perspective, your photography will take on a whole new look.
I’ve been noticing a trend lately on the stock sites.
Shutterstock just announced a new subscription plan with higher payouts – meaning as a photographer you can ultimately earn more money for each time your photograph is downloaded. 
[And it's not just Shutterstock that's raising their payouts.]
According to their latest newsletter, their payout fees have gone up anywhere from 3.25 to 7.5 times over previous numbers, ultimately paying you even more for your images.
As you earn more with these stock sites, you make more for each download. For a large file once you reach the $10k plus level, you would receive $2.85 per download. Imagine how quickly that would add up if you have a following of people that like your photography, and you continually add a few photographs each month!
I know people go back and forth with the benefits of putting images onto stock sites. I always look at it for future growth. With just a little bit of work each month, your potential is huge. Just like any other business endeavor, you have to work the system.
Want to learn more about earning a healthy income from stock photography? My stock photography program was created especially for you. I’ll show you exactly how to build up your portfolio, and create an income that will continually come in month after month.
What a great weekend – Labor Day is one of our favorite holidays (minus the fact that it means summers is coming to an end). It’s usually beautiful outside, and we play all weekend long.
This weekend was amazing. So we spent much of it outdoors. Sitting around after dinner Saturday night, Andrew took out our camera and photographed a few family shots. Since we were going to Costco the next day, he sent an im
age over of our daughter to give out to the family.
At Costco the next day, we had an interesting conversation with the head of Costco’s photo department (we did her wedding years ago – so we always stop by to say hi).
Even just a year ago, Costco was developing 300-400 rolls of film per day at this particular store. That is down to 8 to 20 rolls per day. The rest is all coming through as digital files.
The newest Costco in our area doesn’t even have the capability to process film anymore – everything must be digital.
If consumers love digital and have adjusted, how about you? I’m always amazed at the number of professionals who still use film.
If you use film, why? What makes you stick with film over digital? Do you use both, or do you stick with film because you’re sure of it? What would make you change?
