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When you’re out photographing a client, how do you photograph them?

Is it always from eye level? Or with a child, do you bend down and get at their eye level?

Now let’s add the wow factor.

What can you do to get an entirely different perspective?

What if you shot from above? Or lie down on the floor and shot up?

In our wedding photography, we always photographed the bride and groom for their first dance. And then we moved. If there’s a stage, jump up on it and shoot down. Why not lay on the floor and shoot up? [Plus you'll love the attention YOU get when you do these amazing things - people love it!]

Why not photograph the mom and dad watching the bride?

Why not photograph the band as they’re playing?

I just created 10 pages in an album - guaranteed sellers if you sell it the right way.

Are you getting these 10 pages into each of your albums? I’ll show you how…

What’s the first thing you hear when fires ravage an area, or an earthquake destroys a town?

I’ve lost all of my photos.

All of their memories gone in a fraction of time. Take a look at this amazing sequence of photographs as reported in the New York Times. A wedding photographer actually captured the earthquake in China as it was happening. You can see the before/after results on the church.

Images are so powerful.

Have you every looked at you images and wonder how can I update the style? One quick way is to change your angle. Next wedding that you photograph, see if you can shoot some images from a higher viewpoint; a balcony or up on an elevated area can alter the look of any image and provide a fresh viewpoint. Lets look at a dance floor during the reception, if you have an elevated viewpoint; the subject is instantly separated from the other on the dance floor. By modifying simple points of interest, your photography will always keep updating itself.

Providing new ideas to your photography business and information on how to start a photography business. Stay up to date with our photography newsletter which provides tips on your photography studio.

Is technology missing in your photography sales? Do you have a way to create photographic print sales 24/7? Time to take a look at ways that increase your print sales from each portrait or wedding your studio photographs.

Online sales are not new, they have been around for many years, but the ease of using photography print systems have changed. With a quick upload of your prints files, you could have your clients, family members and friends purchasing prints and enlargements today.

Several systems are in place today for great photographic print and enlargement sales experiences. Pictage and Collages.net are easy to understand and simple for your clients to navigate. Some systems even send out reminder emails about prints and specials. Some labs like Millers and Burrell offer systems that enhance your current photography studio business. Take a few moments and see if adding online photography print sales could increase profit to your bottom line quickly.

Helping your photography business, how to start a digital wedding photography business and wedding photography business visit virtualphotographystudio.com and keep up-to-date with all of the photography happenings via our free newsletter.

The holidays are just around the corner. Are you ready? What are your plans to take care of your best clients and referral sources?

One of the best ways to keep referral sources sending you weddings and portrait clients to your photography studio are with gifts, cards or a certificate to a elegant restaurant show that you respect them. Wedding coordinators, wedding reception locations and caterers have always been on of the best supplier of quality potential clients for our studio. Keep them happy and show your appreciation for them this coming holiday.

Helping your photography business, how to start a digital wedding photography business and wedding photography business visit virtualphotographystudio.com and keep up-to-date with all of the photography happenings via our free newsletter.

Wedding photography is a wonderful service that we offer our clients. Providing this once in a lifetime memory of a blissful event. I know many photographers face the same issue when photographing weddings, loud receptions. Seems that the party needs to be loud and ground thumping to be enjoyable. Sounds like a great time if you only attend one event every few years. What if you capture events every weekend or multiple events during a weekend? The extreme sound can take its toll on your hearing. Do you know how well your hearing is? Found a very cool site that has exact frequency to show your hearing ability.

Helping your photography business, how to start a digital wedding photography business and wedding photography business visit virtualphotographystudio.com and keep up-to-date with all of the photography happenings via our free newsletter.

Set your goals to grow your photography business.

Once you see your future, it’s easier to put it into place. Start out by writing your general goals on a piece of paper. For example, if one year from now you see yourself with 20 portrait or wedding clients, each spending $10,000 USD, write that goal down.

These are your large goals. But large goals are hard to achieve because they are so large. 20 portrait or wedding clients at $10,000 each sounds great, but if you are having trouble getting one client through our doors, these 20 can be a monumental goal.

Underneath this large goal, start breaking it down into more manageable tasks.

• Attend a networking function in and out of the photography field.
• Increase my prices.
• Offer bigger packages - Alway keep them want the largest.

Write down as many tasks as you can think of that will help you achieve your goal. Do this for every goal you have.Helping your photography business, how to start a digital wedding photography business and wedding photography business visit virtualphotographystudio.com and keep up-to-date with all of the photography happenings via our free newsletter.

Producing quality lighting within your photography is key to increased sales. While it is not always advantageous to setup studio light and umbrellas or a softbox that would instantly gain better, softer light, searching for other solutions might help.

On camera flash allow an instant light source for your subject, but the results can be a less than appealing. Many images might provide acceptable results; the majority share the same results, dark background and flat lighting on the subject. While capturing events, I found that bounced flash provided excellent results by increasing light surrounding areas of the portrait and added softness between highlights and shadows. Using a straight bare bulb flash provided soft even light but distance to the subject was extraordinarily restricted. In researching alternative way to use on camera flash, I ran into some interesting attachments that Gary Fong offered. I have known Gary for well over a decade and he has continued to bring new and inventive products to market. His latest, called the Gary Fong WhaleTail, is an attachment to your on camera flash. This WhaleTale Diffuser  and WhaleTale Reporter are great accessories to use for more flattering light.

Helping your photography business, how to start a digital wedding photography business and wedding photography business visit virtualphotographystudio.com and keep up-to-date with all of the photography happenings via our free newsletter.

Photographing weddings can be rewarding, challenging and stressful all the same time. While most events conclude with little fanfare, some precautions should be taken to prevent disaster.  After photographing weddings and high-end social events for over 18 years, few surprises followed me.  I was very prepared.  My equipment (which included cameras, lenses, flashes, memory cards and battery packs) needed to be in great working order.  With every wedding I wanted to have a pre-wedding checklist on my equipment.  To ensure my inventory was complete and in them great working order. 

Just like a pilot about to take off for a long journey, they have a checklist to follow.  There are so many items to worry about; a checklist is imperative to ensure success.  My pre-wedding list included every piece of equipment needed for the job and if service was needed to be completed. 

One important check for me was to ensure that my camera body’s internal clocks were synchronized with each other.  Imagine what a headache it would be to reconstruct images taken at the same event, on two separate cameras and the order and out of sync. For example, using two cameras during the bridal procession taken from you and your assistant.  Every image was perfect, sharp and exposed correctly. Perfect, but you discover that your clocks were out of sync. After the event you return to your studio and download your masterpieces into a common folder on your computer, sorted by date or time and realize that the timestamp was not correct.  Every file would be off! What a headache it would be to correct this.  All of these issues could be avoided by one simple task. This new task is listed on your new checklist. 

We had a pre-event checklist to ensure that everything was set up correctly.  This is how my checklist was born to cover every aspect of the event and, every piece of equipment.  All listed inventory was included; each camera body, each lens and ensure that all of the memory cards were accounted for and formatted prior to the event.  Battery packs are charged and ready. Flashes and sync cords are in working order. Cameras opened and checked for dust and stray hairs.  Yes, I once had a dust particles show up during a wedding and produced a white line in the many images, which created lots of additional Photoshop work for me.

The key to creating a worry free event is to have all your tools in place in the checklist is imperative.  Let your next event to become profitable easy workflow and uneventful, through good planning. 

Helping your photography business, how to start a digital wedding photography business and wedding photography business visit virtualphotographystudio.com and keep up-to-date with all of the photography happenings via our free newsletter.

We just put together an easy to follow movie tutorial on colorizing a black and white image. This tutorial will walk you through the steps of using Adobe Photoshop and your favorite image. Check out this show: Colorize a Black and White Image

Helping your photography business, how to start a digital wedding photography business and wedding photography business visit virtualphotographystudio.com and keep up-to-date with all of the photography happenings via our free newsletter.

 

If you are contemplating opening a wedding photography studio, use these guidelines to help you understand what equipment is needed for a photography business.

To start, spend a few minutes thinking about the type of photography you will be offering your clients.  Will you be photographing commercial work? Are you in your studio, photographing portraiture? Are you out on location photographing weddings, and traveling to many different states and countries? Will you be offering your clients a combination of these services?

Once you have a goal in mind for your business, then you can begin gathering the proper equipment.

To give you an idea of what I consider to be the minimum amount of equipment needed, I’ve created the following list.

Equipment needed for photography business
 
*At least 2 camera bodies. At all times, under any circumstance, you should always have at least 2 camera bodies. Not only is it important to have an extra in case one shuts down or quits working, but it’s also nice to be able to have two cameras ready with different lenses – so you are ready to capture anything at any time.

* Flash cards. Most photographers are now shooting with digital cameras. Having a variety of flash cards handy is a must. I recommend having several available for each of your camera bodies. I don’t recommend buying large cards with capacity to do an entire shoot. If you have an error in your card (low chance, but you never now), you’re better off using a variety of cards for different portions of your shoot.

* Laptop computer. And shoot can be better managed if you can place your flash cards into your laptop at the time of the shoot, download the images, and save them to one or more sources. You can view the images, and begin organizing them immediately.

* Lenses. I feel lenses are a personal choice, depending on the type of photography you will offering. Have a variety to use in many circumstances. Fast shutters are great for low light situations. Telephoto lenses are great for working event photography.

* Flash units. Depending on your photography specialization, you will need to have at least one on-camera flash unit, and at least one stand alone flash unit for a more controlled light source.

* Internet access. This is a must for any business, old or new. With Internet access, you should monitor your own website to market your business, and should have the ability to connect with your lab for quick results.

With these basic pieces, your photography studio will be off and running in no time at all. The better prepared you are at the beginning, the easier it will be to grow along the way.

Helping your photography business, how to start a photography business and wedding photography business visit virtualphotographystudio.com and keep up-to-date with all of the photography happenings via our free newsletter.

Have you ever wanted an easy form to use when you book you wedding photography clients? To make your life a little easier and your business run a little smoother, we put together a brides worksheet. You can get your copy of this pdf by clicking here for the wedding photography brides worksheet. Easy to fill out and all of the information is listed for your event.

Helping your photography business, how to start a photography business and wedding photography business visit virtualphotographystudio.com and keep up-to-date with all of the photography happenings via our free newsletter.

Does your site need a redesign? Start with one of our photography business web templates, and see your site magically change before your eyes.

You see, it all comes down to having a great website. When a prospect finds your site and decides to click over, they form an impression within just a few seconds. If it looks professional, they’ll start reading your text. If the text is informative, they’ll continue to look around.

And if it isn’t, they’ll disappear, forever.

A successful website starts with a professional template design. And from there, your website is a work in progress - something that you should work on week after week. To start you off, here are 3 ideas that you should incorporate into your photography business web template.

1. Create a professional site.

This is probably the first thing you see in any list talking about how to build up an Internet presence. Yet it’s amazing how many sites are out there that still have a homemade appearance.

Your website is an extension of your business. Not only should it be informative, it should be entertaining, and provide people with exactly what they are looking for. You are a photographer. Show people your work. Make them feel the emotion of your photography, and the service you provide to your customers. A gallery of a dozen images that each take seconds to load is not emotional. Professionalism comes from knowing what your customers want, and giving them more than they expect. 

If you can’t create a professional website by yourself, hire it done. Because you earn your money through photography, don’t expect yourself to be good at all forms of creative graphics. Websites are a marketing tool, not a creative extension of your business. Foremost, your website is a sales tool that can bring in unimaginable profits to your business – but only if you use it as such.

2. Creating a purpose.

What is the overall purpose of your website? Is it to get a potential customer to contact you? Is it to drive your existing customers to a place to purchase your photographs? Before your website can be successful, you have to discover your number one purpose. Then use every page to motivate people towards your purpose.

Again, your website is more than a brochure. It is a member of your sales team that ‘talks’ to your potential customer. When you talk with a person in person, or on the phone, your ultimate goal is to get them to make some type of commitment. Your website should have the same goal.

3. Use motivating text.

Are you writing to your customer in a professional manner? Does your website use the same language you use when meeting with a person face to face? Your website is your sales tool. Treat it as if it were a 24/7 sales person, and let your website do the talking for you.

On the Internet, the one thing you can’t do is hide. Depending on how a person searches, every website is a potential find. Because someone from New York, or California, or even India may pull up your site, how are you talking to him or her? Instead of writing your text from your perspective, write as if you are a person in a far away country that knows nothing about your industry. Her sole purpose is to find out more information on wedding photography. Are you educating her? Are you telling her what she wants to know AND what she cares about? (Most people don’t care what type of cameras you use; they only want to know how they benefit.)

Helping your photography business, how to start a photography business and wedding photography business visit virtualphotographystudio.com and keep up-to-date with all of the photography happenings via our free newsletter.

Photoshop tutorials

Since wedding photography and portrait photography has pushed the digital photography limits, we all have been stretched to learn Photoshop. Always searching the Internet to make my life much easier, I found some great resources to use for training yourself in Photoshop.

Photoshop tutorials

Digital Photoshop resources

Photoshop training

Photoshop tips

Helping your photography business, how to start a photography business and wedding photography business visit virtualphotographystudio.com and keep up-to-date with all of the photography happenings via our free newsletter.

What is the number one thing visitors come to your website for? If you said photographs, you’re correct.

You are a photographer; people want to see your photographs before they ever consider hiring you. That’s why it’s so important to have a variety of images online. Add photo gallery to current website.

Not just a dozen or so in a fancy gallery. I’m talking about dozens of photos in multiple galleries. Enough photographs to give your client the opportunity to understand the type of photography you create, not just the highlights.

Many photographers invest hundreds (even thousands) of dollars building a fancy website, filled with Flash programming that showcases a few images . Guess what? This isn’t bringing in business – in fact, its hurting your business. You see, the search engines don’t recognize Flash. A search engine will bypass your website completely when people search for photography, because they don’t recognize Flash. See more about this subject - photo gallery for website.

I hear this question or concern again and again with the wedding photography industry:

With all of the digital cameras at the wedding, the bride and groom receive 100’s of digital files from their guests that they limit the amount of images from me after the event.

Yes, the couple will receive many images from many of their guests and if you were in the same situation, wouldn’t you do the same. The goal is to pre-sell your client and not worry about additional sales after the event. Everyone will be happy and you won’t have to depend on extra sales to keep your studio’s cash flow going. Another item to conceder is the use of your artistic wedding album design. Use your latest software package, Adobe Photoshop, Macromedia Fireworks or ACDsee to create works of art that the couple can’t live without. One last item is never ever allow images take by others into your design.

Become great salesmen in your studio and figure way to enhance the bottom line instead of becoming frustrated with all of the additional competition at each event.

Helping your photography business, how to start a photography business and wedding photography business visit virtualphotographystudio.com and keep up-to-date with all of the photography happenings via our free newsletter.

Our first few years in business brough with it incredible amounts of stress around this time of year.

You have people that get their orders in to you in plenty of time, and can complete them in November.

Then you have the procrastinators. The people that place an order on December 24th, hoping to have it back by the 25th for a present.

The only way to control the procrastinators is for you to take charge. Set your deadlines - AND STICK WITH THEM.

Don’t take orders after your set deadline with any type of a promise. If a customer places an order after your deadline, they are the one’s at fault.

Use your ordering date as your policy - adhere to it - and make your customer in charge of getting the order to you on time!

Helping your photography business, how to start a photography business and wedding photography business visit virtualphotographystudio.com

I just received a new product supplement from Tap. They have a compact disc folio insert, that comes in a 5×5/single size, and a double which contains 2 5×5’s plus 2 CD’s. Both of these folios allow you to place a CD on one side of the folio, and a photograph on the other.

After the final sale is placed, why not offer a folio to your client at a reduced cost? You can place a selection of images on the CD that fade in and out, and are choreographed to music. Mom’s love this product, especially for babies and seniors.

Make sure you use only copyright free, or royalty free music if you are selling anything to your customer. Do a search on the internet to find the music that suits your style.

I’m hearing similar comments from photographers all over, sales are slow.

First of all, what type of photography are you in? Have you ever thought of expanding in to another type to fill in the holes?

We photograph weddings. In Colorado, wedding season is May-October. If we remained slow from November-April, times would definitely be tight. Instead we have found other sources of income to fill in those wholes.

One way was to link up with a studio in Arizona. We both have connections in each other’s state, and love to travel back and forth. Arizona’s busy season is November-April. By connecting and booking for each other, we have potential to remain busy year round.

Another solution? How do you feel about corporate or commercial work? Catalogs and advertisements are produced year round. Approach a few ad agencies or companies and find out how you can help produce their photographs.

As a wedding photographer, our clients are from a broad spectrum of industries. Just by talking and staying in touch, we gained a major corporate account with a floral business, producing all of their images for their advertisements. The best thing is it’s easy work, and it comes in every month.

Open up your mind to other types of business you can get into. And put out the word for what you’re looking for.

Lori

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