Pro Photo Business Forum

“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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How Traditional Portraiture Can Help You
by Bryan Lindsey
BCL Photography, Houston Wedding Photographer

Do you like traditional portraiture? Does the thought of moving four lights around in a studio get you revved up? If so, that makes one of us. In the past I have shied away from studio portraiture because I consider it boring. I would much rather get outside and shoot an awesome e-session, or go to a high-class venue and capture some great moments of the wedding day.

Recently, though, I found myself in-studio, now face-to-face with all the photographic principles I’ve read about and loosely applied outside of the studio. All the crutches were gone – the light, the pose, and the composition were all on me. I don’t mind telling you, I was quite intimidated. I think we did reasonably well that day, although the biggest lesson I learned is how much more I need to learn! (the more I know, the more I know I don’t know anything…)

There are at least five things wrong with this photo. Can you spot them?

The big benefit to studio portraiture (in my mind, anyway), is that it helps to quantify aspects of photography that may already come naturally to you. So when that outdoor scene unfolds, you can make the small adjustments in lighting and posing that make the difference between a good photo and a great photo. I’m learning “the rules” of traditional portraiture, and I invite you to do the same.

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Maintain Your Own Vision
by Bryan Lindsey
BCL Photography – Houston Wedding Photographer

On your journey through photography (for fun and profit), you are going to get a lot of advice. That’s a good thing – it’s why you here on the Pro Photo Business Forum. But I would caution you against losing your vision.

What do we mean by that – “losing our vision?” Well, as you solicit opinions from others, do not necessarily take them at face value – consider the background of the person providing you with the opinion. We should ask ourselves why we care about their opinion in the first place: Are they a professional photographer from whom we are trying to learn? Are they a potential client? An existing client? Your average Joe? We can learn many things by soliciting the opinions of all these individuals – but should we let them dictate our photographic style? Our vision?

For example, I recently submitted some photos for review to a West-Coast photographer I admire, and some of his feedback included “too dark” and “too traditional.” Well, his work is sometimes a little “bright” for my taste, and he occasionally throws out some shots that seem…well, just weird (to me, at least). So, understanding his style and preferences helps me to interpret his feedback. Now I have the choice of (a) heeding his advice and modifying my style and artistic vision to be like his, or (b) take that specific feedback with a grain of salt and realize that not everyone will dig my style as much as I do.

This is not to say that we should discount ALL advice that we don’t agree with. When we ask for an opinion, we should be prepared to accept it – perhaps not agree with it, but understand it. And we must always be open to technical critique (as opposed to artistic critique). But don’t necssarily let other people dictate your style, your vision.

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Downtime? Shoot something!
by Bryan Lindsey
BCL Photography – Houston Wedding Photographer

On our desk is a list of ten principles that we adhere to in the operation of our business. Number 8 is “Downtime? Shoot something!” When starting a business and building a portfolio, it means not taking your foot off the gas. There are two benefits to this.

First, by keeping our blog current we show potential clients that we are active photographers. Many modern clients want to see blogs and, more specifically, CURRENT blogs. By continually showing fresh images, potential clients see that we are moving forward (well, hopefully forward…) and passionate about our work. Think about it – if we come across, say, two car dealerships selling the exact same cars at the exact same prices. One dealership is devoid of customers, with salespeople hanging out at the entrance. The second dealership is buzzing with chatter and full of people moving here and there. Whose front door are we more likely to walk through?

Second, we build your skills and body of work. Our potential clients don’t know which shoots we were paid for and which were TFC. And if our quality is good enough, they’ll assume we are booking. It’s all part of “paying our dues” to build a portfolio that will attract people to our business and make them want us to take their picture (and pay us for it!).

So, do you have some downtime? Instead of flipping on the TV, consider finding a halfway attractive person and GO SHOOT!

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Things That Will Ruin a Great Photo
Bryan Lindsey
BCL Photography – Houston Wedding Photographer

You see the image in your head. You see it through the viewfinder. Time is of the essence. You actuate the shutter. Got it! Afterwards you get the image in post-processing and…crap! No, you didn’t get it. Below are three things to look out for as potential image-crashers. Simple reminders for the vets, pointers for the newbies.

Facial expression: Mainly for posed shots, smiles can look unnatural and your subject(s) can get tired. I have found the best way to keep people relaxed is to talk to them. Crack jokes. Reassure them that they look great. Positive positive positive. Do whatever you can to help them to act/interact naturally. Sometimes this can be very difficult if the subject is nervous or has something else on their mind. I like to use the old “close your eyes and imagine *pleasant experience*.” For unnatural-looking smiles, it often helps to have them look at a spot off-camera or, in the case of two people, at each other.

Over or under exposure: You’re on-location and you get done rattling off a set of 100 shots using 10 different poses, later to find that the images are all under-exposed or over-exposed. The easiest way to avoid this is to always chimp after the first shot (chimp = look at the image on the LCD and say “Ooooh! Ooooh!”). Once you’re confident of your camera settings, continue at that spot. I know this seems simple, but I personally tend to get in a groove and sometimes forget to chimp; this negates the LCD screen as one of the biggest advantages of digital photography.

Blur: Blur usually becomes a factor when you’re trying to catch an action shot or trying to shoot as wide open as possible. Knowledge of appropriate aperture/shutter/ISO/flash combinations is key. Blur can be tricky though, because it doesn’t always show up on the LCD screen – it is sometimes an unpleasant surprise when you get the image on the computer. Of course, the goal is always to get a well-exposed image, but my philosophy is that a slightly-dark-image is better than a slightly-blurry image. So I try to err on the side of a faster shutter speed.

No real revelations here, just some common sense to bear in mind and help keep our fingers off of the “delete” button in post-processing.

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How Much is an Idea Worth?
Bryan Lindsey
BCL Photography – Houston Wedding Photographer

How much is an idea worth? An idea can be revolutionary, such as the idea of the wheel, or the light bulb. Ideas come to us while we’re in the shower, in the board room, or over a beer with a friend. But what keeps all our great ideas from materializing? Most often it is our lack of commitment to the idea – we are unable or unwilling to spend the resources necessary to make that idea into a reality. The idea sounds good at the time and the end results seem appealing, but when it is time to start putting the pieces in place, to roll up the sleeves, it is just too much work. So, the idea is abandoned. In this first instance, the idea itself is worthless.

But what if we follow through? What if we take that idea and ride it out, put a plan in place, and follow that plan toward the ultimate goal? The worst that can happen is that we fail. I contend that it is far better to try and then fail than to never try at all. Because we walk away from the experience with knowledge – what worked, what didn’t work, and why. In this second instance, the idea is worth the knowledge gained.

And what if we succeed? What if that simple idea blossoms into so much more? What if we see tangible results and meet our goals? Then, in this third instance, that original idea may become worth hundreds, thousands, or millions of dollars, perhaps even priceless.

There are tons of great ideas on The Pro Photo Business Forum. If we had 40 hours per week to study and implement all the collective knowledge that is located here, we would have an extremely high chance of succeeding. And what is the cost? $5 per month. $50 per year. What if we come across ONE idea that leads to ONE booking? Was that piece of information worth $5? Was it worth $50? Of course! And it will be worth more and more as our business grows. Would we pay $50 for a lead that you knew would turn into a booking? Of course! So why not spend $50 to arm yourself with the knowledge of highly successful professional photographers? Would you pay $50 to avoid a catastrophic business decision? Of course! We could go on and on.

If you are a photography professional at any level, or if you are trying to break into professional photography, this forum is for you. $5 a month has never been such a bargain.

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Technology vs. Skills
by Bryan Lindsey
BCL Photography

One of the first basic principles to learn about photography is its two parts – art and science. It is the mix of these two elements that draws so many of us towards photography. Artistic elements include composition and lighting. “Scientific” elements include metering and exposure. And of course, there is a great deal of overlap between the two. Technology has made these scientific elements much easier to deal with, which in turn makes it easier to take a “good” photo. This is the main reason for the proliferation of “professional” photographers these days.

The trap that many fall into though, is putting technology ahead of skills. While it is true that a better tool will do a better job, it is incumbent upon the user of the tool to know when and how to use the tool most effectively. Similarly, anyone can start out with thousands of dollars worth of cameras, lenses, and lights, but without the skills and experience that come with knowing and using those tools, they will have limited value. And we can go a step further and say that if sales and marketing skills are lacking, no amount of equipment will make a photographer into a salesman. But we’ll focus on just one limit for now – equipment.

Someone once told me not to upgrade equipment until I was limited by it. All of us are limited by something – equipment, skills, time, marketing/sales ability, etc. We may fall into the trap of thinking “if only I had the XXX body,” or “if only I had the XXX lens.” Well, are we maximizing the equipment we have now? I’m not a photographic giant like some others here, but I can offer this experience: I began with a Nikon D80 and almost immediately thought about upgrading. It was at this time that I received the advice not to upgrade equipment until I was limited by it. I learned that D80 inside and out. I finally felt that I was limited by the camera body and upgraded to a D300. Now I am no longer limited by the camera body, I am limited by my knowledge of that tool. When I master it, I will upgrade again.

In conclusion, we are all limited by something. If you want to move forward, find out what is holding you back, and start working on it.

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PHOTOGRAPHY IS NOT A COMMODITY
by Bryan Lindsey
BCL Photography

A commodity is something that can be obtained from several sources, and as a result, no single seller can control the price. The quality of products is either similar or identical from seller to seller.

It used to be that there were limited products that could be sold as commodities. Groceries, gasoline, anything in town where there was more than one seller of the product (and where there was little variation between the quality of the products from different sellers). The Internet has changed that. Now, via ebay, Amazon, Nextag, and hundreds of other sites, we can compare prices around the world for the exact same product in different locations. The Internet has made products like digital cameras, designer clothing, and automobiles into commodities – we can easily compare similar/identical products from multiple sellers.

Photography is not a commodity. The ‘quality’ of photography varies from person to person, and this makes it difficult to compare photographers and make a decision on who to hire. A person may choose to take the commodity approach to photography – solicit quotes from multiple photographers and then choose the lowest one. This person has every right to do that, it is their choice to make, and sometimes budgets are very tight. Just realize that in the photography business, you get what you pay for. Bargain hunting is not clear cut and limited to price, a photography ‘bargain’ involves getting RELATIVELY high quality at a RELATIVELY low price. If you can help the potential client to understand this, you may have a better shot at closing the sale.

So in conclusion, it would be great if we were able to compare apples to apples when comparing photographers. The decision is a little more complicated when we consider that photography is not a commodity.

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By Bryan Lindsey
BCL Photography

Everyone seems to be describing their wedding style as ‘photojournalistic.’ What does that mean? Wikipedia’s (condensed) definition of photojournalism is: “The collecting, editing, and presenting of material for publication that creates images in order to tell a story.” So what does that mean in the context of a wedding ceremony and reception? That’s the thing – a ‘photojournalistic style’ of wedding photography is open to interpretation.

I like to contrast a photojournalistic style with a formal style. If you look at wedding albums from 20 or 30 years ago, you’ll find that they are very similar – shots of the ceremony like the bride walking down the aisle, vows, rings, kiss, etc. Then formal shots of the bride and groom with their families, wedding party, etc. And finally some reception events like the first dance, cutting the cake, etc. Very predictable, very standard – that’s a formal style.

Photojournalism (or more specifically, GOOD photojournalism) requires more creativity and experience than the formal style. I believe that it means capturing real emotions and moments as opposed to “look at the camera and smile.” It means visualizing great images and getting into a position to capture a great image without interfering with the scene. When someone sits down and looks at the resulting album, they should feel like they are being led through the wedding day – that the images are telling them a story, not just recording events. This may be a good time to note why many professional photojournalist photographers feel superior to professional wedding photographers – “formal” wedding photography is not that hard if the wedding photographer is only going for a handful of “must-get” shots.

I also feel that the term ‘photojournalistic’ is overused. For instance, a photo of the bride putting on makeup can be extremely artistic, or it can look like it was taken by a 10-year old – either way, it can accurately be described as “photojournalistic.” The same applies with the common image of a pair of shoes on a chair/coffee table. Some are great, some are not so great. Either way, photojournalistic. So it’s not a magic word that automatically implies high quality.

What is MY style? It’s a mix of formal and photojournalistic. Those scripted shots of the ceremony, family, and reception are important – a lot of work has gone into making things just right, and these moments deserve to be captured and treasured. But these images alone do not tell the whole story – they don’t communicate the bride’s preparation (which is an event in itself!), the full emotions of the parents, the joy felt by all at the reception. That’s where photojournalism kicks in and the magic happens.

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