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Photography Props for Studio Portrait Photographers
Photography Props for Studio Portrait Photographers
Photography Props for Studio Portrait Photographers
Photography Props for Studio Portrait Photographers
Photography Props for Studio Portrait Photographers

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Business of Photography Part I Print E-mail

From Marathon Press 


Given the unprecedented number of photographers entering the portrait/wedding industry each year, the increased level of competition makes it even more important for both new and experienced photographers to master the fundamentals of business management if they expect to achieve financial success. These key success strategies are outlined in the industry's first Financial Benchmark Survey published by Professional Photographers of America in 2006. Here are some important highlights:

Gain experience before you quit your day job.
Learn about the business of photography by operating a part-time business while still drawing a salary from stable employment. Don't go out on your own until you can:

  • Develop a following among your target market, so that you can gain client referrals.
  • Develop consistent cash flow from your part-time business. Most experts agree that a photographer should be grossing between $50,000 and $100,000 annually before it is wise to consider a full-time business in a home studio and at least $150,000 before considering a move to a retail location.
  • Create an efficient workflow that will allow you to deliver orders on time.
  • Bank enough cash to live on until your business becomes profitable. This can take from two to five years.

Control your start-up overhead.
Starting a home-based business will help you to control operating costs and provide the additional benefit of writing off some home expenses as legitimate business deductions. Not every home lends itself to business operations because of zoning and/or image considerations. So if you must start a business outside the home, search for a low-rent location such as a community-based business incubator until your business can afford costlier facilities.

Understand financial and operational requirements.
Don't go into business until you understand the financial requirements of doing business. Vital areas of concern are:

  • Being fully aware of all business costs, from investment capital to monthly expenses and product production costs.
  • Knowing how many sessions or events you must photograph to cover these costs and earn a profit.
  • Learning how to price your photography according to industry standards that assure profitability.

PPA's Studio Management Services covers these issues at their Business Basics Workshops PPA Headquarters in Atlanta. The next Portrait-Wedding Basics workshop is scheduled for July 19-20. A Business Basics Workshop for Wedding Photography is scheduled for August 10-11. You can learn more about these workshops by clicking here.

 

Budget your capital investments very carefully.  
Too much debt will doom a business from the start. Remember: Your business must be able to generate enough revenue to pay you (or the bank) back for the capital investments you make. Even if you have the cash to invest in capital items and don't have to go into debt, that cash might be needed to help you survive the early business years when most studios do not generate enough revenue for the owner to draw a salary. Once you have the business start-up essentials, a good rule of thumb is to purchase only those extras that you can pay for within 12 months.

Once you do take the plunge into a fulltime business, build business volume as fast as you can, doing whatever it takes to get clients in the door.  
PPA's Benchmark Survey confirms what business authorities know: The difference between financial success and failure often turns on the ability of a new business to build sales volume quickly. That's why many recommend not starting a full-time business until you already have a loyal following from running a part-time business. Even so, a full-time business will require additional strategies for building sales. Get the word out any way you can: through networking with other businesses; hosting a series of open house events for different community segments; get involved with charitable organizations by donating photography to their fund-raisers; look for "marketing partners" to help spread the word; get displays of your work on the walls of retail businesses and/or professional offices; and even offer "invitational sessions" for the purpose of "expanding your advertising portfolio" or making samples. Building your business base early will establish sales levels high enough to sustain your business over the long term.

Develop a clear business focus that

consumers can easily understand. 

Don't expect prospects to be attracted to your business if you fail to create a business concept that is easily understood by consumers or one that lacks compelling products to excite their fancy. Sometimes it pays to direct your new business to only one or two niches, such as family and children's portraiture or wedding photography. Limiting your business in this way will help you to develop a strong focus that consumers can readily understand, and it will greatly simplify your marketing efforts.

Study effective marketing methods.

Learn how to create year-round marketing strategies designed to:

  • Attract new clients.
  • Market back to existing clients, finding ways to reward them for their loyalty.

 An excellent resource for learning about marketing methods as well as helping you to create a marketing plan is the Marketing Resource & Activity Planner for the Professional Photographer, available from Marathon Press at MarathonPress.com or call 800/228.0629.

 

 

 
A few interesting photography links Print E-mail

Interesting photography links January 5, 2008

Along the way for the past several, I have seen a few interesting photography links ranging from history of photography to composition and lighting:

Photogrophy related blog http://invertebrate.ws/archives/category/photographytips/

Hints, tricks, beginner's advice http://www.88.com/exposure/

Hisotry of photography http://www.artlex.com/ArtLex/p/photography.html

 
Tips Taking Great Pet Photos Print E-mail

Taking Great Pet Photos January 3, 2008

Copyright 2006 Francesca Black

Capturing photos of a pet is as much about capturing their unique markings as it is about capturing their personality. When taking a picture of your pet, take a photograph that you believe displays their personality. While slightly more challenging than landscape photographs, pet photos can store precious memories of man’s best friends.

Eye Level:

When you are taking a photograph of a small pet, be sure to get on their level. Sit on the grass, lie on the floor, whatever it takes. This is especially important for full body shots, which generally look significantly better from the side rather than above. The same is true for large pets, if you are photographing a horse you might find you need to use a step ladder to take full body shots. Try to avoide having the pet looking up at you, unless that is the specific image you wish to record.

Pet Position:

If the pet will not sit still, have someone hold them in position. If the photographs are solely for the portrait, then hands and arms in the frame do not matter and can easily be removed as long as they do not cover important markings. Pets are most amniacable when you go to where they are most comfortable; it is crucial you don’t make the pets come to you.

Capture The Pet’s Personality:

Capture the most characteristic expression and pose of the pet. If the pet is generally happy, capture their version of a smile. Lighting: The best possible lighting is achieved outside, in natural light. Try to take all photos in natural light, even if the pet is an indoor only pet. The sun and natural light will enhance the pet’s coat and bring out any natural highlights, that may not show up in photos taken with poor lighting. Using a flash when photographing pets will often cause red eye.

A flash can also distort the true coloring and shades of the pets coat. The exception to this unwritten rule is if you are photographing a black pet, if that is the case a flash can actually bring out shading and texture which may be lost in photos taken under other lighting conditions.

Photography Props for Pets:

A good idea is to have the pet’s favorite treats or toys handy. Hold them up near the camera to catch the pet’s interest. In fact, photographing pets is often not very different from photographing young children, don’t be afraid to be silly. Sometimes making funny and unusual noises or movements will capture the pets attention and focus.

Some great Horse Photos - http://www.horse-supplies.org/funny-horse-pictures.htm

Pets have a special place in their owner’s hearts. Capturing their true personality can be a challenge, but a good pet photo will last along with the memories of a furry loved one forever.

Francesca Black enjoys photography as a hobby and manages content at Future Photo www.future-photo.com and Digital Photo Tips www.digital-photo-tips.com/

 
Why Photography Props Are a Must Print E-mail

Why Photography Props Are An Absolute Must In Professional PhotoShooting                               

by Muna wa Wanjiru at 3isource.com  December 31, 2007

There are all sorts of reasons for which photography props are an absolute must in professional photo shooting, but very often a lot depends on the type of perception the viewer has on things. On the one hand we can talk about the objective props that are considered must-haves for picture taking in general: here we include the backdrop, the lights, the possible prints and so on. As for the subjective photography props, we could say that they are related to the photographer's vision of a certain scene or picture pose. Photography is not simply about the truthful rendering of reality but more about seeing a certain touch of emotion on a model's face for instance.

Photography props are ideal for creating a picture atmosphere: in the setting both the model and the photographer are co-participants in a concept-design process that can be shaped and influenced by mood, attitude, flexibility and good communication. Let's take for instance the use of the backdrop to create whatever type of effect one has in mind. One thing is for sure here, such an item should not be more interesting than the focal part of the picture: no photography props could actually be as fascinating as the model.

Consequently, make sure that the photography props used in the proces are all having a proper quality level to ensure the correct picture outcome. We should probably mention the fact that photography props are different according to the place where the shooting session is set: you'll need one type of items for outdoors photos and a completely different one for indoors shooting. Moreover, in case you are using a digital camera, the photography props used can be virtual. The latter type of concept is representative for the modern tendencies of taking the picture and adjusting the background and the setting on the computer by means of special software.

Thus, we could actually speak of an absence of photography props when digital cameras are used; most often the choice belongs to the photographer. The quality and the nature of the props is highly influenced by the type of photos one wants to make; amateurs will not bother too much about setting the background correctly, whereas professional photographers will keep arranging and rearranging the setting for hours. The finality of the photos is also important in the choice of photography props, this means that for exquisite glamor pictures, a more special background in required.

Muna wa Wanjiru Has Been Researching and Reporting on Photography for Years. For More Information on Photography Props, Visit His Site at PHOTOGRAPHY PROPS

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Newborn Posing Set Print E-mail
Newborn Poing Set to be online soon November 26, 2007

In collaboration with photographer Jennifer Turner, a newborn imaging specialist, we offer the Newborn Posing Set.  The Set includes a large oval pillow in white or black vinyl with a hole in the middle; a small pillow to fill this hole when necessary; and a four small beanbags which are strategically placed to lift, support or highlight various parts of the baby's body.  Click to see images of the prop being used.

Large posing pilllow and inner pillow measure 25x21x6"; Accessory beanbags include two small cloth beanbags and two small vinyl beangags.  This piece is available now for $149.00 plus $15.00 for shipping.  The basic large pillow can be purchased by itself for $89.00. The Newborn Posing set is now available in the photography props catalog.   If you have questions about this new photography prop (see image below), please email us at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or call 800-731-6666. 

Newborn Posing Set

 

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