by Guest Contributor Sandy Summers Russell

Photographers are born story tellers. We want our images to pull on emotions in a way that goes beyond a simple snap shot. We want our pictures to have meaning.

Like many of you, I shoot all of my portrait sessions on location. Often, if it’s at a client’s home, I’ve never been there before. Sure, I bring many of my own props, but truthfully, my little station wagon only has so much room. Besides, using the same props over and over again gets old. So what’s my solution? I use what I find when I get there. Not only does it add variety to my work, but a client’s own pieces add infinitely more significance to the picture than any prop I could bring.

So how do you walk into a location cold, find what you need to create a meaningful image, and use it in a creative and fresh way?

1) Do your homework. Talk with your client before the session date to discuss the details of the shoot. Besides the typical what to wear and what to expect at the session spiel, ask them if there are any items that have a particular sentiment to them. It could be a simple hand-knit baby blanket, a parent’s childhood toy, or a cradle that’s been passed down for generations in the family.

2) Ask for a tour. When you get to the client’s home, ask them to show you around. You never know what you might discover. I found this stack of vintage luggage in the client’s guest bedroom. It was perfect for posing their newborn baby boy on.

3) Find an interesting way to use it. This basket was first used for laundry by the baby’s great, great grandmother. It was later turned into a bassinet, and the boy’s mom slept in it herself as a baby. Photographed as a bassinet, it would have eclipsed the tiny newborn, but turn it on its side, and now it frames the baby beautifully. Plus, with the blanket spilling out, it kind of looks like the laundry basket it once was.

4) Don’t be afraid to use the same piece at a later time. Parents love pictures that show how much their baby has grown. Six months later, the little boy is sitting all by himself, and he now nearly fills the basket that once dwarfed him.

5) Get the story behind the family piece, so you know what details to capture. This trunk belonged to the baby’s great grandfather from when he was in the U.S. Coast Guard, and his name is printed on the front. The baby is the first great grandson to be born, so not only will he be passing on the family’s last name, but he also shares a middle name with his great grandfather and grandfather.

6) Keep it simple. If the prop you’re using has beautiful flowing lines, or interesting patterns and textures, don’t add anything that distracts you from appreciating these details. This antique chair is gorgeous all on its own. It doesn’t need any embellishment.

7) Use the location to reveal different layers of the story. This little boy’s dad is taking over the vineyard that has been in their family for generations. They recently pulled out table grapes to make room for wine grapes. The land hasn’t been this bare in decades, and at this moment, probably looks much like it did when the family first started farming here. Combine that with the grandmother’s vintage suitcases and a little boy who may carry on the family’s farming tradition, and you have a picture that represents both the past and the future.

8) Make the background unique to the client. The parents of this little newborn are avid readers and book collectors. The entire wall as you first enter the house is covered in book shelves. The light streaming in from the front door there was beautiful, so I added a reflector to bounce light back at the baby and chose one of their antique chairs that allowed you to see the books behind it. The final result is a sweet little picture of their baby book worm.

9) Safety first. As soon as I saw the grandmother’s wash basin and stand, I knew I had to use it for a photo. But no matter how stunning the final image can be, make sure you only use the prop if it can be done safely. In the case of this baby girl, I didn’t place her in the basin until she was deeply asleep. Plus, I had two baby spotters on either side of her. If you have to, have someone keep a hand on the child, and edit out their hand later.

10) Create history. A photography instructor of mine in college was fond of saying that you need three things to make an exceptional photo: lighting, composition, and emotion. Missing one of those might give you a nice photo, but if you want to have an extraordinary photo, you need them all. Using an heirloom that has sentimental value to your client automatically means you have the emotional part covered. The lighting and composition are up to you, so let your inner story teller free, and create an image for them that will be passed along to future generations; just like the piece that inspired you.

About the Author: Sandy Summers Russell is a former metro newspaper photojournalist who fell in love with a small-town farm boy. She married him, moved to the middle of nowhere, became a mom, and started Summerland Photography in exactly that order. Now, instead of shooting breaking news, professional sporting events, and heartrending human interest features, she photographs brand new babies, fleet-footed toddlers, and jubilant weddings.

Visit Sandy at her WEBSITE, BLOG, and FACEBOOK PAGE

Photo taken by:  Molly VanWagner

As small business owners, we wear a lot of hats. When we start out we are the creator, the CEO, the accountant, the sales manager, the staff, the receptionist….everything. But it doesn’t make sense to keep things this way! There is no way that our companies can grow the way we dream by trying to do everything ourselves. There is no need to be embarrassed if you need to ask for help. Everyone gets to the point that they can’t do it all and you are so much stronger if you can accept that fact before you get too overwhelmed!

But how do you find someone to help? And when you do find someone to help you out, what do you have them do? When you find that person to help, how do you justify the expense?

Once the decision has been made to seek assistance, before you try and find that person or company to help you, you’ll need to figure out what they can do. The easiest way to discover this is to make a list. I’m a huge fan of lists. Writing things down has always been a great way for me to process things and it becomes real if it’s written down. Your goal with this exercise is to separate out every single part of the business you do currently. I want you to write down EVERYTHING. Just like when making a budget where you account for every penny, I want you to account for ever minute of your business. If it is too overwhelming to just sit down and do it, try keeping a log throughout the day of everything you do. It can be as specific or detailed as you need it to be, but make sure everything you do is outlined. Once you’ve made that list and discovered every step, you’ll be ready to figure out which pieces you need to do, which ones you like to do, the parts that you can’t do and those that you hate to do. Chances are, there is someone in the world that loves doing what you hate.

You can also take into account the non-business related items you do. It’s very rare that anyone likes cleaning house (I say rare, because my Mother-in-Law loves cleaning) so why not get that task outsourced to someone else? Having a weekly housekeeper come in and do the deep cleaning can give a huge chunk of time back on your plate.

Now, I know what you’re thinking. “Only rich people hire housekeepers. How can I afford it?” Well, this is where a different mindset can really help. If you add up the amount of time it takes you to clean your house, to really get that deep down cleaning done throughout the week (making sure to account for the moments of “I should go scrub the toilets”) and then think about suddenly having that many hours added to your work week. What could you get done with 3 or 4 extra hours in a day? If you play your cards right, you can utilize those extra hours to more than pay for themselves. You can suddenly have time to have one or two more sessions. Or finally set up doing In-Person Ordering sessions (which will easily add money into your business).

Finding someone to help out in your company can be more difficult than getting someone to clean your house. This is your baby. You’ve built it and seen it grow but sometimes, it needs a boost. An injection of someone else with skills that you don’t have can make an overwhelming difference to your business. And since you’ve gone through and made a list of things you hate, you have a more localized search for someone to help you out.

It can be scary to take that first step after accepting that you need help. You are busy and chances are you are thinking you aren’t in a financial position to hire someone else. But getting someone to help you out will free up time for you to do the things that only you can do. If you are the creative mind, you can’t outsource that creativity. By taking tasks off of your list though, you’ll be able to put more time into growing your business, thereby bringing in more money which in turn will allow you to discover more ways to get more time for your side of things. You can’t add more than 24 hours in a day, but you can portion out those hours differently.

For the past year and a half, I’ve been helping photographers grow their business by taking things off their plate and guiding them in marketing choices. Sometimes, all I need to do is listen. Do you need someone to listen to you?

I offer a free consultation with all inquiries. My goal is to make you happier with your business which in turn will make you more profitable. Contact me to see about outsourcing part of your life. You won’t regret it!

About the Author:  Kathy is a wife and mother as well as a photographer. She’s been helping photographers with their businesses since 2010 and loves being able to help people all over the world.  She enjoys reading fantasy books and spending mornings snuggled with her 2 year old little girl and husband. Every moment is precious and, by golly, she will enjoy them all!

Visit Kathy at her WEBSITE and on her FACEBOOK PAGE

by Guest Contributor Shannan Painter

Accounting for photographers was founded based on the concept that photographers are, by nature, creative, right-brain-dominated individuals.  Photographers are incredibly gifted at making portraits into a work of art, but would rather clean the bathroom, get a root canal and sit at the DMV before dealing with the accounting and tax portions of running a business.

As much as we wish this part of our business would just do itself (just like we wish we could wave a magic wand & have the laundry done).  It is important to understand this aspect, and have a method for keeping track of income and expenses.  There are a lot of choices in accounting software that are available, but most are quite complicated, expensive, and require some basic understanding of accounting. At the end of the year, you – as a business owner – simply need to know how much revenue you generated and what you spent money on that qualifies as a business tax deduction.

One of my first suggestions would be to go out and buy an accordion file with at least 12 dividers. Make a tab for each month, and file away copies of invoices you give to clients along with receipts for anything you spent money on that was business-related. Once a month, you can pull out the receipts and enter them into something like my SNAPSHOT spreadsheet.  This spreadsheet is designed specifically for photographers. With this spreadsheet you will have a better understanding of where your money is going in one organized place.  I also include tips for tax treatment of business use of home, large purchases and vehicle use.

If you haven’t done so already, it is important to open a bank account dedicated solely to your business. The less your personal & business finances mix, the better!

About the Author: I graduated Magna Cum Laude with an Accounting Degree from the University of Montana. Instead of pursuing a career in public accounting and being stuck behind a desk for 70 hours a week, I turned down jobs at big accounting firms to pursue a different love. I chose instead to work from home where I live with my husband, two boys and a puppy named Growler. I live a glamorous, exciting life working from my living room in my pajamas, cleaning crayon off the walls, driving kids to school, playing superheros and taking care of a little dog that likes to refinish furniture with his teeth. I get to work with fun, creative & artistic photographers and help them understand that numbers can be our friends!

Visit Shannan at her website Accounting for Photographers and on her Facebook Page

by Guest Contributor Kim Drury of Madilu Designs

Let’s say you’ve decided to have a logo designed and not sure where to start. You check around and ask rates, availability and obviously look at a designer’s style and portfolio. What are other good questions for your potential designer? How about file format?

It’s not terribly exciting dinner table conversation, but the difference between vector and raster is very important when it comes to your logo. When it comes down to it, you want a logo that can fit on your thumbnail or be resized to a billboard. Even if you think a billboard is overkill, you want it to be crisp when it’s used as studio signage, vehicle decals and more.

Vector files will allow you to have a logo that is crisp and clean no matter what the size. Take off your creative hat for a sec and let’s get technical. Vector graphics are actually based on mathematical formulas. Think paths, points plotted and formulas. For the most part, vector graphics are created with software such as Adobe Illustrator. Common file extensions are .ai and .eps. If you don’t have or use Illustrator, your designer can place the vector file in a Photoshop file for you and still maintain vector quality. You won’t be able to edit directly in Photoshop, but you’ll have this as a source file to give to your vendors as needed.

Raster graphics are basically pixels arranged in rows and columns. The more pixels in an inch, the clearer the graphic will be. Start stretching and you start to lose quality. If your logo is provided in raster format, you are going to be limited by the size. There are some instances where you might need to use this particular format. It’s best to discuss with your designer so they can provide the best quality for the application.

That’s it in a nutshell! If you’re looking around for a designer and aren’t really sure what all to ask, definitely keep in mind vector and raster!

Check out some of the AMAZING logos Kim has created for her clients:

About the Author: Kim of MadiLu Designs specializes in custom marketing materials for photographers.  She has 15 years experience in the design and printing industry, and has been self employed for the past five years.  Kim is a mom two boys and two girls.  A few of her favorite things…  sunshine, hot chocolate, running and helping others.

Visit her website at Madilu Designs.

by Guest Contributor Elizabeth Halford

I hope you didn’t lose sleep wondering what the answer to last week’s post was! Last week, I posted about The Death of the online gallery and sneak peeks. And today, I give you the good news! What other option is there?

In-person proofing sessions

The in-person proofing session is the anti-gallery and these are the reasons I think they work better:

• As they are viewing their photos, ooohing and aaaahing over each new one that pops up, there’s no mistaking that they LOVED their photos. When everything is through email, you don’t know their reaction as they were looking through their photos. It hurts you feelings because you have no idea what they were thinking when they saw them and it makes it easier for them to not buy because it’s not like they made a big deal in front of you. Some of my most surprising no-buy sessions have left  me baffled and asking “did they even LIKE them?” I have no idea why these sessions ended the way they did when I count them among my best work. So, yeah…being there to see them fall in love is a definite perk to the proofing session. For both you and them.
• Because we’ve murdered the proofing gallery, this is their one and only opportunity to see those heart-melting photos. And if they want to own them? Well, they’ll have to buy.
• You (or your sales person) will actually be in their home, viewing their living space and they don’t even know yet how much they will value your opinion and help in how to display their most loved shots. People might not realise just how stunning a giant canvas would look over their sofa but which sofa? The one that can be seen through the front window or the one only they can see? They might not know it, but they NEED you help!
• …in addition, you wouldn’t want them to buy a giant canvas from their white seamless studio session and then put it on their stark white wall. People don’t always think about this stuff.

How to do one

So how do you actually DO an in-person viewing/proofing session?

• I like to do this exactly one week after the session. The memory is still fresh and exciting and they’ve waited just long enough to be excited but not so long that now they’re ticked off. The viewing session is scheduled at the same time as scheduling the photo session. No surprises!
• Make sure you aren’t overloaded with too many images. Seriously…try to narrow a whole session down to 20-30 max or you will be there all night.
• Create a beautiful slideshow with iMovie, iPhoto or Lightroom. Resist the temptation to use music. It’s cheesy and distracting.
• Get the show ready to go on your laptop before you leave your place. Then when it’s time, you can just open and press play.
• If you do enough business to warrant it (or you just darn well deserve one!), buy something glossy and oooh-la-la like an iPad so they can hold their images in their very own hands. But then they have to hand them back to you and thus creates the sense of urgency to actually purchase the images if they want to have them in their possession forever. I’ve also found that the iPad almost always impresses the dad which is great.
• For image selection and narrowing down, you can open up the session in Lightroom and have the clients rate their photos. You could have them flag the faves with a ‘p’ for pick. Then, out of those you can help them compile their order.

What about asking for the money?

Let me get an ‘amen’ if asking for the money is the hardest part of what we do? At what point do you hand over a list of prices? What do you say if they gasp?

• Let them view their gallery and pick their faves. Start asking “so where do you think you might like to display (this one) and (that one)?” Then when they ask about frames vs canvas you can casually start talking about money.
• NEVER APOLOGISE FOR YOUR PRICES. Never. EVER. I never ‘do a deal’. Sometimes, I will add a gift at the end but never because I was asked for it. Just because you don’t own a store where the prices are set in stone (even thought they’re just little stickers) doesn’t mean you need to haggle.
• If someone complains about price, I will then mention my 50/50 plan. 50% on ordering, 50% on collection which can be up to a month later if desired. Then you can move on with “well let’s just put together what you really want and see where we go from there.”
• I know this all seems like a really in-your-face way of making the sale. But it doesn’t have to be. I don’t appreciate a hard-sell and I can smell one a million miles away. This is why, if a couple wants to discuss their options in private or you just can’t seem to get a decision, you can have your business card ready with a URL to a 24 HOUR ONLY online gallery. Suggest that they continue to view after you’ve gone so they don’t lose track of time. Let them know that if they want their gallery extended, it will cost $____ per 24 hours.
• On the subject of money, don’t make the session about taking their money. Emphasise that the photos are art featuring their family and not merely paper & ink and try to make the cost a sidenote. It might help you to read what I said to this client who complained about my prices.
• Overall, talking about money should be easy if you have some prices on your website. In my prices list and in my initial booking email, all clients know that prints start at £30 and collections start at £350. If they hired you, they’re already willing to pay at least that.

What if you just can’t bring yourself to do it?

This is the category I fall into. First, I don’t have the time. Second, I neither want to sell my own art nor am I particularly good at sales. And I hate talking about money. And when you’re not good at something, pay someone who is. Do you have a mommy friend who was an amazing sales person before retiring to be full time in the world’s hardest line of work? Do you have a friend who really believes in you and always sends you love for you most recent work? Why not her? The next best thing to myself is someone else who really believes in me. When you find someone willing to take your iPad around town for cups of tea and home decor talk, pay her a normal hourly wage and add a generous commission on top. The personal touch will add SO much to your sales potential that you won’t even notice the commission.

In conclusion…

The proof is in the pudding. My online proofing and ordering galleries were selling under £100. If they even ordered, that is. And my first in home ordering session surprised me with a whopping 600% increase. And so did the next. And the next. Try it – you’ll never go back!

About the Author:  Elizabeth Halford is a professional photographer and blogger in Hampshire, England. She owns Glacier Cake Photography and a blog for photographers. Elizabeth is a second generation home educator and is, regrettably, quite addicted to Facebook.