The Pro Photo Business Forum

At the very VERY basic level of professional photography, we must provide “photos that don’t suck.” From there we can move to good photos, then great photos, then ground-breaking earth-shattering photos. But first, we must make sure that EACH photo we provide doesn’t suck.

For example, I’ve recently had several weddings/receptions held in venues with high, dark ceilings. It’s relatively easy to take great pictures when the venue is conducisve to photography, but more of a challenge when conditions aren’t great. So, I have adopted the following mantra: “Grainy” is acceptable, “blurry” is not. Direct-flash is acceptable, washed-out is not.

Now don’t get me wrong, I absolutely do NOT want to provide my clients with grainy photos, and I want to use lighting techniques that make folks say “wow.” I want every shot to be technically sound as well as artistic. But you could spend half a reception trying to set up and balance lights without really helping yourself. At the very VERY least you have got to end the evening with a card full of DECENT shots. If the client complains about high ISO or direct flash, you can explain the situation. How will you explain hundreds of blurry or severely underexposed shots? It may not be perfect, but get the shot.

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Spray and Pray
by: Bryan Lindsey
Visit us on the web: Houston Wedding Photographer
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We have all probably heard the term “spray and pray.” It refers to the setting of the camera on an automatic mode and then taking as many pictures as possible in the hopes than some of the images will be good. As amateurs, this may be how we got our start – while taking pictures of this and that, every roll of 24 exposures had one or two images that made our friends and family say “wow.”

I cannot think of a worse strategy when it comes to photographing the biggest day in someone’s life. When the big moments arrive we need to be meticulous, steady and sure of ourselves and our equipment.

But can we deploy the “spray and pray” model in other areas of our photography? I argue that we can. Consider these two scenarios: First, we walk into a bridal session. The bride is stunning, the dress is perfect, the light is good, but…the location is terrible. As a pro, we should be able to make this work – we should be able to create art, especially with all the variables that we have going for us. But it just doesn’t come out spectacularly. Maybe we couldn’t connect well with the bride, maybe we couldn’t get creative enough, maybe we got rushed out of the venue, or whatever. The shoot is good, but not the greatness we were hoping for. The second scenario is a thrown together engagement shoot (maybe even a TFC with friends). Two folks show up, not particularly nicely dressed but very much in love. You walk out the front door to go play around, and you come back with portfolio-worthy images.

I’ve experienced both of these scenarios, maybe you have too. The point is that we don’t always know where those killer shots are going to come from. So if we can rein in the “spray and pray” process and make it mean “shoot several different poses” or “shoot several different locations” or “shoot several different sessions,” we can’t help but increase our chance of taking great photos. I honestly believe that every time I bring the camera up to my eye, I have the chance to take the greatest photo that I have ever taken – and I bring that attitude to my sessions and weddings.

So don’t spray and pray in the sense of randomly snapping away without applying photographic principles. But you might be pleasantly surprised at the images you “stumble upon” while you increase the quantity and quality of your shooting.

Who is Bryan, and why should I care?: Houston Wedding Photographer

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Arts and Crafts
by: Bryan Lindsey
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Most people are familar with the term “arts and crafts.” It usually brings up images of cutting and pasting construction paper, painting ceramics, or sewing a quilt. But “art” and “craft” fit photography perfectly.

First, we MUST get the “craft” piece. To craft something means to make it and then modify it, to make concious decisions to get the form that you want. Kind of like molding a clay pot or cutting a pattern out of fabric. You can look at what you’ve crafted and discern if it is acceptable – Are the edges straight? Is it the right size? Is it the right shape? Texture?

Similarly, we must always mind the “craft” of photography: exposure. We need to get the best exposure possible in ever-changing situations. Inside, outside, daytime, nighttime, tungsten, fluorescent – this is a challenge, to be sure. We must familiarize ourselves with all of the tools available to help us repeatedly, effectively, and efficiently get the right exposure. And, just as a carpenter needs to know the right tool to use and when to use it, we need to be well-versed in how our camera sees the world and how it makes decisions. We need to practice, and we need to talk with individuals who do understand these principles forward and backward. Regardless of the subject being photographed, there is good exposure and bad exposure.

Second comes the “art” – composition, color, posing, facial expressions, etc. Just as we might paint a clay pot or “bedazzle” our t-shirt, we put our own stamp on our photos by the composition, background, and lighting of our image. Some of these stylistic elements are fairly subjective, and not everyone will “get” everyone else’s art. But this is the piece that makes things fun and interesting.

So go out there, hone your craft, and create some art!

Who is Bryan, and why should I care about what he has to say?: Houston Wedding Photographer

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Black and White – The Tone Zone, Part 2
by: Bryan Lindsey

So, here are a couple tips for converting your color images to black and white (using Lightroom software). First, look at the tonal histogram (aka “tone curve”) – this shows you how much of your image is “highlight,” “light,” “dark,” and “shadow.” When you first convert your image to Grayscale, you probably won’t have the best contrast possible. By playing with these sliders, you can adjust overall tones to give your images the contrast that you want.

We can get even more fancy and play with color channels. Say that you have a brilliant black-and-white image, except the subject is wearing dark blue pants against a dark brown background. Not very contrasty. You can lighten the blue channel only, bringing up the blue tones (just be careful that you’re not unintentionally lightening other blue pieces of the image, like the sky). By using these sliders, you can fine-tune your tones even further.

Meticulously editing your black and white images does take time, but it’s worth it to get those portfolio images JUST right!

Does Bryan know what he’s talking about? See his work at: Houston Wedding Photographer

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Black and White – The Tone Zone, Part 1
by: Bryan Lindsey
Visit us on the web: Houston Wedding Photographer
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Ever see a really cool black and white shot? What makes it cool? First, it’s a bit of a novelty since we are inundated with color photos taken from our cameras, our phones, in magazines, on billboards, etc. We are used to seeing the world in color, so black-and-white causes us to pause and take notice.

There’s more to it than that, though. A sharp black and white image usually has excellent contrast between the light and dark areas of the photo. Or, if the artist is going for a more moody look, the contrast can be dull, giving the image a soft, dreamy appearance. In either case, the contrast is not necessarily between colors, but between tones. Tones refer to the “lightness” or “darkness” of a an image or pieces of an image regardless of color. You can think of each pixel of your image as having a color value (a mix of red, green, and blue) and a tonal value (on a scale from 0 to 255 with zero = pure black, 255 = pure white). It’s these tonal values that make all the difference when you go to convert a color image to black-and-white. Next time you see a great B&W shot that you like, take notice of the tones – the “lights” and “darks” of the image. When viewing your own color images, notice, not just the colors, but the tones. I’ll bet you find a couple potential B&W gems yourself.

Bryan Lindsey: Houston Wedding Photographer

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Wedding Day Game Plan
by: Bryan Lindsey
Visit us on the web: Houston Wedding Photographer
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Some brides are super organized and come up with an itinerary for their wedding day. We like those brides. Those brides show up on time. They don’t leave early. They know who is going to be where, and when. Some brides have a wedding planner who has an itinerary – even better.

But what about those brides who don’t seem as organized? What about the ones who don’t have a plan? What about the ones unconcerned about when things have to start and end? It is a very good idea to establish a few things before the wedding day. Of course our contract stipulates our start and end times, but we also want to know (1) When will the bride arrive? (2) When will the groom arrive? (3) Will there be opportunity to shoot groups before the wedding, either formal or informal? (4) How much time is there to shoot formals after the ceremony, and can formals reasonably be completed in that time frame? (5) How long does it take to get from the ceremony to the reception? (6) What is the game plan for the reception? Eat first? Dance first? (7) Are there any special events or “surprises” planned? When? Bouquet, garter, and cake-cut don’t need to be planned to the minute, but (8) will there be a big send-off, and does it look like it will happen before our contracted stop-time?

Hopefully the bride has designated someone to help run the show and we can ask THAT person these questions if there is a need for clarity. I’ve never been a bride myself, but I imagine that I would not be too happy with a photographer who asked me all 8 questions above, regardless of the circumstances.

If we know “the plan,” we can make sure that we fit perfectly into that plan and we can tactfully speak up if we see any time constraints that we will be unable to work with. Of course, the time for this is BEFORE the wedding, not during. It may help to contact the bride a week before the wedding (I do this anyway to triple-check the time/place) and include some of these questions. Not all brides will appreciate the need for this type of planning, so we may need to take it upon ourselves to bring up the subject. Believe me, it will be a lot easier on us if we do.

Bryan Lindsey: Houston Wedding Photographer

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Have Fun! (whether you like it or not…)
by: Bryan Lindsey
Visit us on the web: Houston Wedding Photographer
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Ah, the roller coaster ride that is professional photography. One day you are on top of the world, taking the best images you ever have – the next you are buried under a pile of editing, phone calls, and general business un-fun-ness.

It’s a common business goal to make as much money/profit as possible. Allow me to propose another goal: To have as much fun as possible. Now, these two goals are sometimes opposed to each other, and our “have as much fun as possible” goal cannot exist in a vacuum. So how do we maximize our fun while staying within the bounds of profitability?

The answer will be different for each person since we are each turned on by different aspects of photography. So take a moment of self-introspection and ask yourself – what do I enjoy doing? What do I love about photography? If I were independently wealthy, what would I be doing simply for the love of doing it? I’ll go first: I love (1) the interaction with people as I photograph them, and (2) the personal gratification of viewing a picture that I took, that I love, and that the client loves. So, knowing this, how do I maximize my fun?

1. Interaction: I need to be more confident in my interactions with people. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a person who lacks confidence, but I think I often come across as very go-with-the-flow as opposed to someone capable of directing the creation of fine art. So I believe that I can have more fun if I bring more “focused enthusiasm” to my shoots. That is, I want to set the tone of the shoot regardless of the initial enthusiasm of the subject(s). You know the rapport that’s there by the end of the shoot? I want to get to there as soon as possible. Maximize fun time.

2. Take great pictures: My strategy for this is to lean more toward KISS (keep it simple, stupid). Lately I’ve been hung up on creating stuff that is cool and different to me (sometimes it works, sometimes not). I need to get back to basics and create images that the clients love. Sure, I’VE seen the wedding-party-jump pose a million times, I’M not a fan of the “shoes” shot, etc. But it’s not about me trying new stuff all the time. I’ve got to keep in mind that some of these standard images have great value to the client, and making them happy makes me happy – it’s fun. However, I need to stay balanced and fresh because, as Scott brought out earlier, you don’t want to get stale either. Fresh also equals fun.

There will be plenty of boring stuff to do later. Remind yourself of why you enjoy photography and HAVE FUN!

Bryan Lindsey: Houston Wedding Photographer

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F/8 and Be There
by: Bryan Lindsey
BCL Photography – Houston Wedding Photographer
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Photojournalists have an expression, “f/8 and be there,” meaning that getting the shot is more important than dialing in the absolute correct exposure.

This is great to keep in mind for photographers who are shooting outside of a studio. Lighting conditions change, and we are constantly checking and re-checking our cameras, looking at test shots, and waiting for great moments to materialize so that we can capture them in the best way possible. But throughout all of this mental processing, we MUST be keeping our eye out for great shots. A perfect example of this my most recent engagement shoot – I was doing my best to keep things loose while still structuring the posing, composition and lighting that I wanted. The couple’s smiles were ok, but you could tell they were forced. At one point the guy said something to the girl, and she broke into a beautiful, natural smile. I was in the middle of something else, but I immediately turned and snapped few of just her, and those images are going to come out great.

So when you see that golden smile, when a romantic couple leans in for a kiss, when people are at their best, capture the moment – don’t worry about it being perfect. Chances are that the photo will be cherished and any technical imperfections will never even be noticed. F/8 and Be There.

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“Shoot Manual”
Bryan Lindsey
BCL Photography – Houston Wedding Photographer
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I used to balk when photographers said they only shot on manual mode (as opposed to “A”, “S”, or “P”). Moving all of those variables around just seemed too difficult. Why make all the decisions yourself, when your camera can make some of them for you?

Last week I shot my first wedding almost entirely on manual mode, and I LOVED it! Sure, it look a little longer (and a few more test shots) to get what I wanted, but I didn’t feel dependent on the camera. I told the CAMERA what I wanted to see, instead of the camera telling ME what was there.

So how does one get to the point of shooting entirely on manual? Practice! It’s ok to start out shooting on “P” (programmed auto). But if your goal is to take better pictures and you are still shooting on “P” 6 months later, then it may be time to begin honing your skills and begin operating outside of your comfort zone.

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Photography – Hobby or Profession?
Bryan Lindsey
BCL Photography – Houston Wedding Photographer
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I have loved photography for many years, and chances are that you have too. Not many objective entrepreneurs wake up one day and say “I think professional photography would be the greatest return on my investment” and pursue it like any other business. It is almost always quite the opposite – what starts as a hobby becomes intriguing as a business. And that may be why you are here in this forum in the first place – to expand your hobby into a business.

When asked the question “should I pursue professional photography,” I like to compare some of my other hobbies. For example, I like to sing. Lots of people like to sing. But how many professional singers do you know? I like to play the guitar. Lots of people play the guitar. But how many professional guitar players do you know?

The point is that parlaying a hobby into a business is difficult. It involves work that is unrelated to actual photography, such as accounting, marketing, and selling. Anyone can take a picture. A smaller percentage of people can take a GOOD picture. And an even smaller percentage can SELL a good picture. So, if your desire is to be part of the latter group, just go into this thing realizing that it will be a lot of work. The good news is that by being part of the PPBF, you’ve picked a great place to start!

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