The Pro Photo Business Forum

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Welcome to the Pro Photo Business Forum. We are a friendly community of business conscious portrait and wedding photographers. Our goal is to help amateur photographers transition into professional photographers by providing a safe environment to ask pressing business questions and receive honest, straight forward critiques of your photography.

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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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Reach for the Summit as Never Before

Recently I was reading a post from a fellow photographer stating that she was now becoming a weekend warrior. That times were tough and she needed to take a day job to make ends meet. She stated that she had worked to hard to lower her prices and adjust to the current economic climate. She didn’t want to compete with the people who were under cutting her. As a single mom she needed to have more security for her kids. A tough decision for sure, but we are living in the worst economy since the great depression and at times like this you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do. But should you just give up and go back to the 9 to 5?

This got me to thinking. Why is it that some photographers are flourishing while others are struggling and still others are holding steady? I don’t think that there is an easy, one line, black and white answer to that question, but perhaps there is an under lying principle that we can learn from. A while back I wrote an article entitled “The Size of the Rat.” Therein I addressed the reasons why one mountain climber would reach the summit and the other would fail, even though they were of equal ability. And while determination seemed logical enough, is it still true today?

A change in the weather or economy can sometimes move in and cloud the summit before us. When you lose sight of your goals you may lose the determination necessary to accomplish them. You start to look down at base camp and think, “I could be down in less then an hour drinking hot coffee and eating warm stew.” Then you look back up and the summit is shrouded in clouds. You become unsure of yourself and begin to question your reasons for climbing in the first place. You’re cold and tired, your fingers and toes are numb, and honestly like that stew, a 9 to 5 is sounding really good right now.

You are at a critical junction in you’re life and the decision you make will ultimately lead to your goal or lead to failure. If you’ve lost sight of the finish line, how can you see yourself crossing it? And remember, those who are continually looking back while climbing will eventually slip.

Even in this economy you can succeed. You simply need to keep your goals before you, each and every day. Work towards them, seek out ways to attain them and be ready to make the sacrifices that will no doubt be demanded of you. We’ve all heard the saying, “No pain no gain.” If it were easy everyone would be doing it. Now is the time to refocus on what your goals are and find ways to attain them. Now’s the time to remember what the summit looked like before the clouds set in, now’s the time to reach for the summit and succeed. And remember, if you can succeed in this economy just imagine the rewards you’ll have when the weather moves out and you reach the summit.

Posted by Houston Wedding Photographer | Scott Villalobos

Do you find yourself overwhelmed with ideas and thoughts about how to market, promote, organize, run, or otherwise manage your business?  Have you struggled to find a way to keep track of your thoughts or creative ideas because you forget about them?  If so, you may be a lot like me, and I’d like to share how I handle my overactive stream of consciousness thinking.

Several years ago, I was walking through an office store and I noticed that whiteboards were on sale.  At the time, I was a full-time student and saw the value of having my own whiteboard to work on while during homework and such.

So, fast forward a few years.  We move into our new studio last year and in December I decided to bring out the ‘ol whiteboard.  I cannot say enough about how much that little action of hanging a whiteboard has provided for us.

Here’s how I work it:
So, I’ll be sitting in my office working on something when I get an idea. Or, let’s say I’ve got something business related troubling me.  Or, I’m looking for a new idea for this years bridal shows.   I start by writing the subject of the exploration at the top of the whiteboard: whether it be a topic, or a question.  I then proceed to dump everything in my head onto that board.  I pace. I talk to myself. I write stuff on the board.  I have a 36″ x 48″ whiteboard to fill… so what do I do when it fills? Well, I take a picture of it.

One important note on the way my system works:  I never erase anything from the whiteboard until its been photographed. Including ideas that have been discounted.  I’ll indicate with an “x” or a strikethrough that its not a good idea. But, when I go back to review what we have discussed I want to be able to see the good ideas & the bad ones.  I have a visual memory of our discussion.

On my computer, I have a folder labeled “whiteboard” where I keep the pictures of our whiteboard sessions organized by date and subject. I have pulled them up and reviewed them several times, whenever a topic or discussion was rehashed.  Or, if I needed to simply reference something we had explored.

In the photograph I’ve included, the topic was: “What to we have & how are we using it?”  In other words, I wanted to explore how we were promoting our business,  where we could do better, and what was missing.  You can see that it is very stream of consciousness writing.  I scribble as I think.  Some of the things we use regularly, some we deemed to be ineffective.

All in all, the best thing about having a whiteboard is being able to explore concepts and new ideas from beginning to end and having a way to document them.  I call it “Whiteboard Marketing” because some of our greatest and most successful marketing ideas have been products of whiteboard thought sessions. It has saved us thousands in costly marketing errors and created thousands in the ability to see an idea all the way through.  I would encourage everyone to go forth and scribble!

The Photographer’s Tool Box (also known as a Pelican case)

In my last post I mentioned a recent addition to my camera bag or box – the Control TL system from Pocket Wizard. The system is made up of two separate components – the Mini TT1 and the Flex TT5. The TT1 is a transmitter only, and sells for about $200.00 while the Flex TT5 is a transceiver and sells for $220.00 give or take a couple bucks depending on where you buy. This wireless triggering system has a distinct advantage over the traditional forerunners – the Pocket Wizard Plus II and the PW Multi Max. These puppies are ETTL capable, meaning that it’s like their sitting on your hot shoe.

Currently available only for Canon, I’m told that the Nikon units are due out soon. The technology behind these little buggers is also quiet impressive, but I must admit that these are not as simple to use as plug and play USB devices we are accustomed to, or as some might have you believe. In fact it has been my experience that unless you take the time to get to know them you could end up quiet frustrated, and this is especially true if you’re shooting with a new camera model like the 7D. The biggest problem that I’ve run in to is understanding the little things that cause the units to malfunction or not function at all, things like your 580EX II won’t fire if it’s set to Master mode while atop the TT5. So if for some reason your strobes won’t fire, check that they’re NOT set to Master or Slave.

Another problem that I’ve run into is flash sync, however if you go into the PW software you can configure your units not to switch to rear curtain sync. An easy fix to be sure, but if you’re on a shoot and don’t have your laptop handy you’re out of luck. Any and all changes must be made using a computer via the PW software.

I have to take my hat off to Pocket Wizard for their customer service department though, every time I called a human answered the phone and I was transferred to a tech rep that would walk me through the problem or tell me how to work around it. Try doing that with your bank…  Anyways, it seems to me that these guys are intensely interested in this product working for their customers and they’re more then happy to give you the time of day when you’re up against a wall or just need a sympathetic shoulder to cry on. Not only that, but I was contacted by another rep who was also shooting with the 7D and he assured me there would be a firmware update out soon that addressed the issues I was having.

On the upside, the possibilities are endless. Wear I was limited to a range of approximately 35ft. using Canon’s infrared system – when set up correctly using the AC5 RF Shield in conjunction with the instructions found on PW’s website – I was able to get consistent results at 200ft., and the line of sight issues inherent in the infrared system have evaporated. I’m now free to set my lights where ever I want, and this means greater creativity. You can also use the ST-E2 transmitter atop the TT1 or TT5 for greater creative freedom. By doing so you can set your lights up in groups and adjust the lighting ratios with out touching the strobes themselves – a EUREKA! moment for sure.

Pocket Wizard is so sure that you’re going to love these little gems that they currently come with a 30-day money back guarantee. I’m really excited to press the boundaries of my new radio triggers and you can bet I’ll be posting more info on these as I break them into my toolbox.

To learn more or see some videos of this product in action visit www.pocketwizard.com

Posted by Houston Wedding Photographer | Scott Villalobos

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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