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Using a Reflector in Photography
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I 'm a huge fan of finding natural reflectors. In fact, I find myself noting them as I walk down the street even if I'm not shooting. I suppose you never stop thinking like a photographer. Anyway, 99% of the time I use natural reflectors (I've talked about this in detail here, here, and here, but I pack a 5-in-1 reflector on wedding days...just to be prepared. A few weeks ago, I captured wedding photos along the beach in La Jolla and a few questions were asked about how I illuminated the bride and groom.
The sun was behind the subjects so the sand in front of them was reflecting a bit of light back onto them. In this case, the sand was my natural reflector, but since they were standing under a pier, lessened it's effect. Here's a photo without using a reflector... |
| Nothing is wrong with the photo, but it is strongly backlit and I prefer a little more pop to the skin when possible. My assistant Kendra immediately opened the reflector (I use the Westcott 5-in-1) and pushed light back onto their faces using the white side of the reflector. These are a few results... |
| The reflector remains packed in our gear backpack during a wedding, but JD will attach it to his sidebag during portraits in case we need to pull it out in a pinch. This is the only time we may use a reflector during a wedding and I prefer to use it only when necessary. Why?
1. I don't want to be noticed. The more attention I bring to myself as a professional shooting in a public location, the higher likelihood I could be asked to leave. Unless I have a permit to shoot in public spaces (like the beach or a state park), I want to be as discreet as possible. 2. I like photos that look like the moment. Don't get me wrong, lighting tricks are cool and I appreciate the time photographers spend detailing their craft, but it's just not my aesthetic preference. I want to document the world the way my eyes naturally see it...and I don't see the world in flash when I'm walking down the beach. 3. If I mixed various lighting techniques at different times, I'd worry my clients wouldn't know what, specifically, they'd get when their day came around (natural light, fill flash, off-camera flash, reflected light, diffused light, etc). The rule for me is to leverage natural light 99% of the time...and if I use reflected light, it's juuuuuust noticeable. I want my clients to know that what they see on a regular basis is what they'll get. In case you're wondering, no, I do not take a reflector with me on engagement sessions. I shoot alone during these shoots, so I leverage natural reflectors and have the latitude and time to carefully choose my location. On a wedding day, I'm pressed for time and sometimes in an unforgiving location, so I must take what I have and make it work. I hope this offers a bit of insight into my lighting philosophy, but if you have any questions, feel free to ask in the blog comment box and I'll respond later today. Happy Wednesday! |
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The Best Things I've Done for My Business
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| Not too long ago, I blogged about the Top 5 Mistakes I Made When I Started My Business, but I thought I should probably highlight some of the Best Things I've Done for My Business. I'm sure loving capital letters, right? Today I'm taking a moment to share things that've helped my photography business in hopes of shedding light into my mangled path to becoming a full time photographer. |
| 7. Having hobbies outside of photography.
I'm an avid reader and yogi. When I have free time, you'll likely find me in Downward Dog...or just laying down. With a bag of Skittles. And a good book. My husband and I are huge movie lovers, so we make it a point to see at least one movie a week. We usually have to rotate our movie choices because JD likes brawny, guy movies, but I prefer foreign films. Reading and cinema rolled into one?! Sign me up! Allowing my brain to fill with elements outside my craft/work really pushes me to think differently and create in new ways. 6. Finding photographers who inspire me. This list is growing and ever-changing, but I can say that the photographer who sits squarely on top right now is Vivian Maier. Sometime last year, I came across her street photography and fell in love...JD even surprised me and took me to her exhibit when it was in Los Angeles. Known her entire life as a nanny, Maier took hundreds and hundreds of photos without showing a single person. The photos are truly amazing and show city life in America in a post-war glow. It wasn't until a local historian purchased a box of negatives from an auction and curated her work that the world has become to know who she was. Maier existed entirely in terms of what she saw and it wasn't until years after her death did her work become her legacy. 5. Working with my husband. I'm sure there are couples who couldn't imagine working/eating/sleeping/dreaming/hoping with their spouse every waking moment, but I love it. I feel incredibly blessed to be supported by one of the most amazing men I've ever met. No, really, JD is mind-blowingly awesome and I have no idea why he married me. I totally married up and increased my business worth having him as part of my team. 4. Working with an amazing graphic designer. I met Promise Tangeman three years ago and it was love at first site (pun intended). Seriously, the first site I saw designed by her left me smitten. Promise is amazing at taking my ideas and making them come to life in unimaginable ways. 3. Creating a schedule. I have strict office hours and this allows me to live the life I want. I crave freedom and living life without boundaries, so by adhering to a schedule outlining my work, I know where I can skimp and splurge on life's special moments. Yes, I take long lunches on occasion and watch midday matinees with my husband, but it's only because I've planned my schedule and know what needs to be done and by when. Here's a peek at what an average work day looks like for me. 2. Hanging out with people smarter than me. I've met brilliant people as I've built my business and they've given me the most amazing gift: friendship. Being able to see success unfold for people around me offers a blueprint how I can emulate it in my life and business. They paint vibrant pictures with the same brushes I have, so I'm challenged to color the horizon the way I imagine. 1. Asking my parents for advice. My parents immigrated to the United States with nothing, so it's easy for an outsider to hear their accents or judge the color of their skin, but they are incredibly insightful and savvy though neither of them went to college. They provide emotional and spiritual insight which has laid the foundation to the core of who I am, as well as my personal brand. Everything I am is because of their sacrifice, love and devotion. Hope this helps shed light into my process, but I'd love to hear about yours...if you'd like to share, feel free to holler back in the comment box! |
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Shooting Star : Making a Same Day Wedding Slideshow
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I n the past I've spoken about producing a same-day slideshow at a wedding. The slideshow is a sneak peek of the wedding day through the ceremony recessional. While guests are eating dinner during the reception, I quickly grab 30-40 of my favorite images of the wedding day and put together a slideshow to be displayed on my laptop (the how, location, and FAQs are discussed in the video). I love putting together a slideshow because it acts as a conversation piece on the wedding day and encourages guests to have a discussion about the bride and groom (as seen through my lens).
The results of these conversations are priceless. When guests see the photos displayed the same day, most often they respond by complimenting the newly married couple on how beautiful their day was and/or how lovely they look together. With technology being as quick as it is, the first wedding photos the bride sees are those she's been tagged in Facebook. And let's be real...dancing photos sometimes aren't the best reflection of a beaming bride. I, instead, offer the opportunity for her to see photos the night of her wedding and know everything came together the way it was supposed to. Even if the bride doesn't see the slideshow directly, her guests have complimented her, assured her of the day's beauty, and (as an awesome byproduct) reassured her decision to hire me to document her day. In this installment of Shooting Star, I demonstrated how I made a same day slideshow at a wedding... CLICK HERE to view the tutorial! Hope you enjoyed the video and if you have questions, feel free to leave them in the comment box! In case you're interested in the stuff I used to make the slideshow, here are a few links: Sandisk CF memory cards Lowepro memory card wallet Sandisk Imagemate Reader (similar) MacBook Pro Notebook (iPhoto slideshow software included) iView Media Pro |
| Oh, don't mind me...just adding a photo to this post...that flute-playing screen capture needs to be balanced out with some flower girl cuteness. |
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FAQ : How to Avoid Procrastination
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I 've been meaning to write this post for a while, but I let other things get in the way...which is ironic considering I'm offering tips on how to avoid procrastination. But, hey, at least I can say I'm a work in process, right? One of the hardest things about owning your own business is setting work hours (especially since I imagined the minute I became self-employed I'd work by a pool and have a cabana boy nearby by to hoist frosty beverages into an umbrella'd glass).
The issue wasn't the inability to work, per say, it was the inability to get things done. There's a big difference. Huge. I'd find myself doing a million things, but at the end of the day I couldn't pinpoint, precisely, what I had accomplished for the business. I mean, it was as if filing my nails, surfing Facebook, or scrubbing my bathroom sink became the utmost important thing at the moment when I was supposed to actually work. |
| Through the years, I've noticed a few things that've helped me trim the social fat and be productive...
1. Set a Schedule Not having a set schedule is one of the main reasons why people procrastinate. It may help to use a day planner or an online app to stay organized, but it's easy to forget to do something, or to avoid doing something if you're not holding yourself accountable at the end of the day. Continuously look at your schedule throughout the day to ensure you're on track. *Tip: Plan for full work days. For example, the Monday following a wedding is always blocked on my calendar. I don't plan meetings, shoots, or social events because it's a day dedicated to cull, back up, and begin the edit. Allocating a full day to work in my yoga pants, blare music, and plow through organization is extraordinarily helpful in my work/life balance. *Tip: Set attainable goals. If you try to cram too much into one day, you'll immediately find a myriad of reasons to procrastinate. On your busiest days, set big goals, but also schedule time to relax as well. 2. Break Apart Your Tasks Sometimes procrastination rears her ugly head because the task at hand seems too large. An example would be culling images from a wedding day. You may have thousands of images to comb through and just the mere though of going through them all is too daunting (particularly if it was a difficult wedding to shoot). In this situation, tell yourself you'll sort through the images in sections of 300, then move onto another small task. By breaking a big edit into smaller sections, the job will get done little by little, with a fresh set of eyes and less frustration. However, set a timeframe in which you must complete this task to hold yourself accountable. (I'm a huge fan of To Do Lists, but you can also see HERE how I divide my tasks on a daily basis) 3. Take Breaks Taking a break has been the hardest lesson for me to learn. I discovered that instead of being a productive locomotive, I turned into a runaway freight train if I didn't take brief pauses in my day. Because I was determined to get things done, I wasn't doing them at my best...and my work suffered as a result. After you accomplish each small task, give some time to yourself. I habitually give myself a few 15-minutes breaks during the day, during which I walk my dog, waste time on social media, or read a book. This helps keep my sanity in tact. 4. Do It Now When it comes to little things, simply take care of them at the beginning of each work day. All those little things can add up to serious stress if you continue to procrastinate. If this means paying a bill, go online and pay it. If this means addressing an album redesign you're dreading, do it. Set time aside each day to do the small things that add drama and unnecessary stress in your life. 5. Give Yourself Firm Deadlines When you have a particular task you must accomplish, don't leave anything up in the air. Give yourself a firm deadline that you must adhere to in the end. When I give myself deadlines, I find myself prioritizing my day around each goal and not focusing on other things I can be doing. On my busiest days, I create an hour-by-hour schedule to ensure I can accomplish everything I need to in a single day. In this schedule, I make time for lunch, dog walks, checking Twitter, and/or learning a new dance routine in my office. Sure, this may sound ridiculous, but my productivity has increased, my clients are happier, and I turn off my computer at a designated hour every night. I hope this helps and if you have tips for me, I'd love to hear them! |
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Can a Photographer Price His Worth?
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| Dear Jasmine,
After having what I thought was a good meeting with a wedding planner and her client (and then hearing nothing but the sound of crickets afterward), I have started to question my pricing. I have heard you and other wedding pros talk how they started at $1,000 and worked up from there. I have seen other photographers charge quite a bit in my affluent area for work that is less than par. So, I came out of the gate charging $2,950 for a basic package including two photographers, 8 hours of coverage. I shot my first wedding on my own this past summer and I have since booked a couple more and was a 2nd shooter for another photographer. I feel like I deliver great service and have had happy clients. Given these factors and the work I put out, I felt like what I charge is a good deal in this area. That said, I also know I have my work cut out for me given the fact that my portfolio is so small. $1,000 just seemed too little for me to start at. I'm wondering if I may need to bite the bullet and drop my prices to get more action rolling out of the gate, but I also think you should charge what you feel you are worth. Sincerely, Shooting For The Moon Dear Shooting For The Moon, Oh, the woes of pricing...it's pretty much the bane of every photographer's existence. Really. Almost seven years into my business and there are still moments I grapple with my pricing structure. You're not alone. However, the thing I'm going to address is your perspective on pricing, not the pricing itself. I could get into the many layers of why I started my business charging $1,000 per wedding, but it'll miss the point (however, you can get the story here and more in depth in Exposed Magazine). I'm going to break your letter into three sections and explain why I think you need to recalibrate your perception of pricing. "I have seen other photographers charge quite a bit in my affluent area for work that is less than par." Word to the wise, don't look to other photographers to measure your worth...you'll be misled. Sure, you can establish your work on an artistic totem pole (My work isn't as good as his, but definitely better than hers!), but there isn't an established standard. You might think someone else's work is subpar, but you're not the one purchasing it, so--truthfully--your opinion doesn't matter. If a plethora of brides find a photographer's work appealing and are willing to pay a stated price, then that photographer is spot on. |
| "Given these factors and the work I put out, I felt like what I charge is a good deal in this area."
Here again, you're using yourself as a barometer to gauge what a "good deal" is, when the only person who can confirm this is a prospective bride. If in fact your services were a bonafide deal, you'd have inquiry after inquiry for your photography...that's simply how bargains work. The better the deal, the more it sells. If the coordinator and the bride you met with didn't respond, one might guess you're not as much as a deal as you hoped you were. And the key here isn't to necessarily be the best deal in town, it's to focus on a price that will allow you to run a profitable business, but at the same time grow a profitable business. You want brides talking about your amazing services, but first you need to book them. "I also think you should charge what you feel you are worth." Sweet, Shooting For The Moon, I thought the same thing. And then I was struck with the realization that this just isn't how it works in the real world. At the end of the day, the client is the one dictating a photographer's worth. Let me explain: One might feel compelled to charge $10,000 for his services because he thinks he's worth it...if he doesn't book any clients, they've--essentially--said his work isn't worth that much. If on the other hand a photographer charges $1,000 and he books wedding after wedding, chances are he can charge a bit more because of the simple economic rule of Supply and Demand (the more the demand on a limited supply, the more one can charge). You can say your work is great, you offer great service, and you're a great deal...but if brides aren't booking you, there's a good chance your pricing is amiss. Do I think you're worth every penny? Sure! Do you think you're worth every penny? Sure! But it doesn't matter what we think because the client is the one booking you. Shooting For The Moon, you may or may not have to change your prices...only you can decide what's best for your business (like I aforementioned, my goal today was to recalibrate your pricing perspective). However, what I can tell you is getting busy the first year of business (having clients publicly endorse your work, building your portfolio, and meeting other industry professionals) is something that doesn't necessarily come with a price tag. Weigh these things carefully because they might be worth their weight in gold. Stay Fabulous, j* |
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