My friend Sarah Petty has introduced her Photography Selling System to overcome these fears and develop a very effective system to sell your product.  Check it out and let me know what you think!

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Sarah is a guru at overcoming objections in her photography business so I asked her to put together this short article for you and I hope it helps you the next time you hear your client say “I don’t have room on my walls for large portraits.”

What to Say To a Client Who Doesn’t Have Room On Their Wall For Wall Portraits

By Sarah Petty

If you aren’t getting objections, then either you’ve already closed the sale, or the clients want to leave without buying anything.

Objections are not bad. In fact, they are opportunities for you to get to know what your clients are looking for and overcome any hesitations they may have. After owning my photography studio over ten years, I’ve come to expect some common objections when I sell to my clients. One of these objections is “I don’t hang photos in my home.”

For those of you who live in metropolitan areas where there just isn’t much wall space, this can be a very real objection you come across.  Here’s a strategy I use to handle this objection in my photography business.

Create products.  If you get this objection early in the process and your client legitimately does not have the wall space to hang your art, bring up album or book creation, so that you know to shoot the session using multiple backdrops, with several outfit changes, etc.

For example: “That’s right. You live on the lake in the gorgeous home with glass windows so you don’t have wall space. I had forgotten. No problem at all. I have some really incredible new products you have to see. Not only do I have custom books, but I also have custom designed albums that you can have on your coffee table to flip through or display on your mantle over your fireplace.  They don’t take up much space but are so cool! We also have some really cool metal tiles with images printed on them that come with their own stand. Also, an interior decorator I know has the coolest resource for easels to display larger portraits. I’ll pull some that I think would look great with the style of your home.”

Through talking with your clients and getting to know them prior to you even picking up the camera, you can bring this objection out in the open early on, so that you can handle it and move on and you’re not in an awkward position during the sales appointment. Remember, objections are positive opportunities for you to conquer any worries your client has, and ensure that they leave feeling thrilled with their buying decision.

To Learn more about Sarah’s Selling System, check it out here!

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Sarah Petty is the owner of Sarah Petty Photography in Springfield, IL, one of the most profitable photography studios in the country according to Professional Photographers of America. Petty began her career in the marketing department at the world’s largest brand, Coca-Cola Enterprises, and went on to direct the marketing campaigns of many small businesses at a top regional advertising agency. After earning her MBA, Petty opened her boutique photography studio in 2001. She teaches photographers how to make a living doing what they love at her company The Joy of Marketing, www.thejoyofmarketing.com and is the co-author of the New York Times Best Selling Book, Worth Every Penny: Build A Business That Thrills Your Customers and Still Charge What You’re Worth.

I’ll give you an example: when I asked Lori if she would share a personal story for the Coffee Break, she told me,  “We just experienced a favorite family memory recently! It revolved around my Grandmother passing away, but was a great weekend of getting together with extended family and old friends.

My Grandma lived a great, long life and while I’ll miss her, I know she’s out of her broken body and dancing with the angels! That makes me smile. After we got together to celebrate and honor her life (I suppose some call that a funeral), my brother and niece and my son Jaxon and I all went to spend the day at Cedar Point.  We rode every ride and had such a fun day together.”

I love how even in a sad situation, Lori sees the bright side of it and celebrates life.

As a PPA Master, Craftsman, CPP, & ABI (approved business instructor), you can find Lori all over the globe teaching photography workshops and classes… she recently traveled from Texas School straight to Canada for Image Explorations.

Lori started in photography about 10 years ago by photographing her kids, and absolutely fell in love with hand-painting black and white photos.   When you check out Lori’s work at the end of this article, you’ll see that she has clear knack for this art–I love the subtle way she brings out details in her images through the use of color.  Lori has had retail studios, home studios, been completely “on location” and now lives above her retail space in what she calls her “studio home.”

Not only is Lori an amazing photographer and instructor, she’s also an inventor/designer!  I’m thrilled to share this months’ contest prize with you… Lori’s very cool camera straps. Do you need a little Spice in your Camera? Try Pepper! Lori has designed super cute camera straps in a variety of colors and patterns to spice up your shooting style!  Pepper was born out of Lori’s desire to break free from the ordinary and create a completely fresh new look for photographers.  For years, Lori searched for a camera strap that would be as individual as the person wearing it.  Not finding it, she did what we all want to do:  She went out and designed one herself.  Designed with quality and stability in mind, this camera strap is easy to change and can suit any mood.  I’m so excited to get mine!

I think you’ll find Lori’s take on our Learn Grow Share questions very interesting.  Lori says you can plan all day long, but the only way we grow is by actually taking the steps: by doing something.  Well said, Lori!  She’s got some great tips on marketing, and something thought-provoking to say about measuring the quality of your life.  Now grab your coffee and settle in for some wisdom from my new favorite bundle of energy.

What’s something that you feel like you’d like to learn more about, something you are continually learning?

A: I want to learn something new every day! I love to read and really try to stay saturated in business, sales, marketing and personal growth books. I want to learn more about people and why and how they tick! People fascinate me – learning about habits, needs and motivators. I’m continually learning to nurture the relationships in my life. Tony Robbins says that the quality of our lives is in direct proportion to the
quality of our relationships.

What is something that you wish someone would have told you before you had to learn it the hard way?

A: When I began my business as a photographer, it was after owning a hair salon for 10 years. I thought I was a good business person because I loved sales and I loved marketing. What I found out (the hard way) was that being a good business person is all in the numbers. Learning to schedule every part of my workflow was also something that certainly came the “hard way” for me. We all want to “find balance”. And, really, the only way to find any sort of balance, is to have every part of the workflow completely scheduled.

How have you grown in the past five years in your business, in your own personal quest for growth, in your awareness of the world around you?
A: I’ve learned that the only way I can grow is to give. By giving and sharing and letting go of things, we make room for new.

How would you recommend others grow?
A: We grow by doing. I can read, plan, etc but the only way to move forward is to take the steps.

Do you have a favorite marketing tip?
A: We are all marketing all the time! Know who your target client is, know what motivates her and know what her priorities are. How is your target client spending her time and spending her money? Larry Winget (Pitbull of Personal Development) says “your time and money always follow your priorities”. When we know more about our client and what motivates her, what her needs are, we know how to market to her, talk to her and match
the right products and services to her. Help your client design her space (based on needs, priorities and motivators) before the sales appointment. I could go on and on! Marketing your personal brand is something I love to talk about!

Do you have a workshop suggestion, or convention to attend?
A: I love networking with other photographers. Join your state associations and get involved. There are some fabulous workshops out there – too many to mention! Find photographers you connect with and make a list. Set priorities to study with one photographer on your list each year. I recently started www.phototalkforum.com It has been such a great way to connect with other photographers and get to share something every day!

How do you feel that you contribute to the industry?
A: I love this industry and the people in it. I’m so thankful for the opportunity to teach and share with other photographers, and always leave inspired and fulfilled.
This business gets rough! So many that begin from a hobby and something that they love, and it turns into this ugly monster and crying in front of the computer at night! I talk to so many women who’s families are hurting and I have been there!

When you have the opportunity to teach/share there is sometimes the facade that comes along with that… “You make this look so easy!” is something I hear so often. Well, I’m here to tell you, it’s NOT easy! I love getting to share what I’ve been through (the good, the bad and the ugly) with others in the business, especially young women.

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Lori, your answers were so helpful and thought provoking… I appreciated your advice to find photographers you admire and “follow one a year”… just enough to make it not so overwhelming!

Lori didn’t mention her charitable contribution to the industry, so I wanted to add it here:  Now in its 6th year running, Lori devised a “Little Angels” Calendar that contributes to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.    All images from the “little angels” portrait sessions she offers are considered for the Little Angels Calendar, and all proceeds from the calendars go to the LLS.  Its a truly creative way to give back and “celebrate life with photography.”  Thank you, Lori.

www.nordstromphoto.com
www.spiceupyourcamera.com
www.phototalkforum.com

Some of Lori’s gorgeous and very unique images…

Jeff and his wife, Allison, opened Allison Rodgers Photography in 2004, and in four short years their business has exploded!  Their growth has forced them to move four times, and they presently occupy a 3600 square foot building with six people on staff.  Since opening their studio, they have managed to double their sales each year and are presently regarded as one of the most profitable studios in the United States due to their design skills and marketing strategies.

After years as an Art Director/Web Designer for several agencies in Memphis, Tennessee, Jeff  took his vast computer knowledge to ARP.  Now he oversees all post-processing, file management, orders, quality control, online marketing via twitter, Facebook, and the ARPblog.  Of note, Type Pad, the largest commercial blogging software company, has featured Allison Rodgers Photography on its home page and has listed their blog as one of its Top 10 sites.

Because of his commitment to the idea of creating buzz with viral marketing, clients and peers really get to know ARP before they ever step in the door.  And they do create a buzz!  Just today Allison Rodgers Photography was featured on the front of Marathan Press blog for their work on the show Extreme Makeover Home Edition.

Now YOU can get to know Jeff a little bit more.  Jeff, thank you so much for taking the time to answer these questions, and I really loved what you had to say.   Oh, and thanks for the pennies (you’ll see when you read further).  We start off the interview with some critical insights:

Since you are a superhero in your mind you have to answer this:  Would you rather be able to fly, turn invisible or have the ability to read people’s minds and why?

Good question and an important one. If I turned invisible I suspect that would lead to way too much trouble on my part. Does the invisibility extend to my clothes? Might be awkward in cold climates. Reading peoples minds? That would be very cool but I don’t think my ego could withstand that level of brutal honesty. I would rather live in my fantasy world where my wife actually thinks I am a cutey and comic books are cool. Flying is definitely the best way to go. What better way of getting around than to fly?

LEARN:  What’s something that you feel like you’d like to learn more about, something you are continually learning?

Something I want to learn more about? Photography, videography, bookkeeping, running a business, teaching, speaking, social media, being a better husband and father, God, and maybe one day poetry. These are all things I want to always be improving on. Well, all of them except the poetry.  I can’t really back that one up.

I view photography from a Graphic Design perspective so the things that intrigue me are the more artistic design driven works–surreal photo illustrations, unique lighting techniques, innovative uses of composition and color. This is just what I am personally drawn to. When I was in art school the thing that influenced me the most was seeing the opening credits to the movie Se7en. Kyle Cooper (Imaginary Forces) designed them, and I remember sitting there in awe! It changed the way I looked at design. I have been thinking about this recently because of the hype over the 5D markII and all the talk about the merging of photo/video. I have a lot of photography friends who laugh when someone says “fusion.”(If you listen closely, you can here them laughing right now! )  I think that there is a way to make video more integrated with photography. You just have to be open to new technology and not dismiss new notions because it pushes you out of the little bubble of what is comfortable to you. I don’t know what the future holds for this. I believe it is something everyone needs to be at least familiar with even if it is partnering with someone knowledgeable who can offer this skill set.

What is something that you wish someone would have told you before you had to learn it the hard way?

A happy wife equals a happy life.

Oh, you probably mean photography related. OK!  Get software to track your business. It should be something that tracks your cost of sales, invoices, billing, client database, and some type of scheduling calendar. I don’t care how good you are at Excel spread sheets– that just does not cut it. Maybe it will work for the first six months, but the system you start out with needs to be flexible and able to be easily scaled up to accommodate your growth.  There are a lot of nice apps for this out there. We have been using Successware at the studio for 4 years and are happy with it.

GROW:  How have you grown in the past five years in your business, in your own personal quest for growth, in your awareness of the world around you?

We have grown a LOT over the last 5 years. People tend to get caught up in only focusing on shooting and not even thinking about all the other things you have to do in order to have a successful business. If you want to have a serious viable business that will be around for a long time, then you should join PPA and attend the IUSA pre-con meetings, as well as going to hear the platform speakers during the convention. This is the most cost-effective way of hearing all the big workshop speakers for a fraction of what it would cost to see them at workshops outside the convention. Shooting pictures is maybe 25% what is involved in running a business. Allison and I will be speaking at IUSA2010 in Nashville. I would love to meet all your readers there.

How would you recommend others grow—do you have a favorite marketing tip, workshop suggestion, or convention to attend?

My marketing tip is to get a free twitter account and put a twitter badge on your blog where your clients can choose to read what you are doing.  This tends to add more personality to your blog. You can even carry it a step further and make your twitter feed replace your Facebook status which again spreads your name around. Social media is a broad term, and people HAVE to understand it. Do you want your competitor knowing more about what the “kids” are up to than you?

SHARE:  How do you feel that you contribute to the industry?

I don’t know if anyone has noticed this or not, but I have been going around putting a penny on your front doorstep every Monday morning–just my attempt at getting all my photography buddies excited about the often maligned Mondays.  Beside the Monday morning penny treats, I enjoy speaking on Webinars, speaking at IUSA, and next year’s super secret multi city tour thing for a large non-profit photographer organization that I like a lot but I can’t really talk about that yet. I have been really pushing the whole social media thing for the past year. I feel it is just something that is here to stay, and it IS reshaping the old ways of marketing everyday. Investigate it.

Allison and I offer one on one phone consultations. It is called “He Said : She Said, The Creative Consult”. Consultation time is offered in 1 hour increments. Consults can be weekly appointments with screen share. Topics we cover: Viral Marketing, Shooting, Sales, Marketing, Post-processing and Studio Management.

What is something you would like to share with your follow colleagues?

Sort of playing one tune here BUT get on Facebook and twitter. Seriously, if you have a question, you ask it and in real time get answers. It’s really that easy. I was in a store the other day and ”twittered” a question about an off-brand battery for Canon. I immediately started getting friends’ opinions and ideas about cheaper places to buy them.

How can they turn around and do the same for others?

When you do get a twitter account, don’t just lurk around. Join the conversation, make it your own. This really applies to any of your favorite forums or online communities. Don’t be afraid of getting involved. Your opinion does matter.

Here are a few twitter playground rules to remember: Be nice, treat others how you want to be treated, use appropriate language, and don’t always be negative. Now, for my pet peeve.  When you reply to someone make a complete sentence out of your reply. I mean stop with the one word replies. How is that helpful for me to read?

Favorite charitable contribution?

A television producer friend of mine, Billy Roberts, has a charity that I am wanting to get more involved in. It’s called 5multiplied.

http://www.dropinthebucket.org/5multiplied

Excelsior!

Thank you Jeff!  I am already addicted to twitter and facebook, so I concur with everything you’ve said!  Join the conversation, people.   If you are looking for some help with your studio and want to bump it up to the next level, check out their consulting work here!

I really love Jeff’s perspective and the way that he sees life through his photography.  Check it out for yourself:

That’s the lens with hood attached. It’s a two piece hood which helps with packing, some. I’ll get to that.

Who is this lens for? Someone who:

• Has decent strength (it weighs about 6lbs/2.7kg)
• Has room in their bag (it’s big, see stats)
• Wants an awesome range of zoom
• Is thinking of going on safari in Africa
• Has a tripod or monopod
• Shoots sports in ample light

Specifications

From Sigma’s site

• Lens Construction – 22 Elements in 6 Groups
• APO Tele Converter  -1.4X MF 2X MF
• Angle of View – 46.8-5.0
• Number of Diaphragm Blades -9
• Minimum Aperture -f22
• Minimum Focusing Distance – 50-180 cm / 19.7-70.9 in
• Filter Size (mm) – 95
• Maximum Magnifications – 1:3.1
• Dimensions -(Diameter x Length) 104.4×219 mm/4.1×8.6 in
• Weight – 1970g / 69.5oz.
• Fits Canon, Nikon, Sony, Pentax

In Real Life

So the lens is big an impressive on the outside, but what is it like to use? First, the lens is big, have I mentioned that? Using a tripod or monopod will be advisable for most. I was silly and used the lens mostly handheld except for a few shots from a tripod. I often braced myself against something. Thankfully the lens comes with Optical Stabilization (the OS in the name) and it works fairly well.

The lens is not cluttered with a lot that isn’t needed. On the side are switches for automatic/manual focus, different Optical Stabilization modes and one more switch to lock the barrel so it will not creep forward while being pointed down, such as when walking with the lens. The two rings control manual focus and focal length. The lens has a rear focusing element, meaning the barrel will not rotate when focusing. This helps when attaching filters to the long end of this monster. Speaking of filters, you will need a 95mm filter, although a step-down adapter to 86mm is available.

The lens comes with an attached lens mount which can be removed when the lens only when the lens is not attached to a camera. Otherwise, the mount can be rotated to a position above the lens and the formed top of the mount actually makes a decent carry handle (see image on left). While the collar moves easily and locks tightly, I would have liked a detent or two to know the lens is dead-on with a 90 degree angle.

As you can see from the image above, the lens is intimidating when looking straight down the barrel. The lens has 22 elements in 6 groups and that creates a lot of the weight. I was able to hand-hold the lens and camera (tested on a Canon 7D) for only short periods without bracing. I’m not a body builder, but I regularly hefty a Canon 28-300mm L lens and am used to shooting for hours with it. This lens is a step above in weight and was found on my shoulder often.

I found the focus speed to be adequate and once within range, it was fast. But with the range involved, it would often take a ‘while’ to get a lock. ‘While’ means there were a couple of times when I took over focus to speed up the process, especially if it missed the mark and then hunted all the way in the wrong direction. I was satisfied with the speed with which it locked on elk and other large targets and the rate at which it held focus on flying birds and planes.

Chromatic Aberration was present in what I found to be acceptable limits. It could be improved but I also know with this many elements and the range it covers, that is part of the compromise. Take a look at the samples below to judge for yourself. I was overall satisfied with the results. While I am not comparing it to a 500mm prime lens (which would be unfair) it is a lens I would like to own and I was not happy having to send it back to BorrowLenses.com.

The zoom function was quite smooth and my lens seemed to be fairly new, which would certainly have an influence. Along the barrel are minimum focus distance listings as well as magnification ratings. These are both useful to take guesswork out of certain aspects of shooting in a controlled manner. The manner in which they are laid out is also uncluttered.

On the downside for this lens are its size and weight. I have covered the weight but the size is also important. I use a f-stop Satori EXP as my main pack and for carting around this lens I used the large insert. Along with my Canon 7D with the Canon 28-300mm L lens attached, this lens was not the easiest to fit in along side this setup. The main reason was the diameter of the lens. It is wide and takes up just a bit more than normal space in a camera bag. It’s not a lot, but if a bag had two spaces, side by side, and you placed two of these lenses in, there would be friction. If your bag space is limited, see if you can borrow a copy to make sure it fits in with your set, so you know what you’re getting yourself into.

Samples

All sample shots were shot handheld, except as noted. I have not edited the images to give an accurate representation of what came out of the camera. Click on each image to download a full size JPEG version (all images are Creative Commons Non-Commercial Copyright Peter West Carey). Photos were taken in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico; Langley, Washington; Everett, Washington and Point Reyes National Seashore, California.

ISO 500, 413mm, f/6.3, 1/800

ISO 100, 500mm, f/7.1, 1/800

ISO 100, 500mm, f/7.1, 1/160

ISO 100, 500mm, f/7.1, 1/500

ISO 100, 413mm, f/10, 1/125

ISO 100, 203mm, f/29, 1/8

ISO 100, 287mm, f/32, 1/6

ISO 100, 500mm, f/6.3, 1/200

ISO 100, 500mm, f/20, 1/10

ISO 100, 75mm, f/11, 1/250

ISO 100, 500m, f/13, 1/40

ISO 100, 50mm, f/8, 1/800

ISO 100, 203mm, f/14, 1/1000

ISO 100, 500mm, f/14, 1/1000

ISO 100, 500mm, f/6.3, 1/100

ISO 100, 203mm, f/13, 1/200

ISO 320, 373mm, f/6.3, 1/3200

ISO 100, 50mm, f/5.6, 1/2000

ISO 640, 500mm, f/9, 1/800 (Tripod used)

ISO 100, 500mm, f/10, 1/200 (Tripod used)

Conclusion

The Sigma 50-500mm F4.5-6.3 APO DG OS HSM is a capable lens that fits a niche. It’s not for everyone but if you shoot outside and are looking for a longer lens to capture wildlife or distant subjects, this lens is well worth your consideration. I enjoyed using the lens even when it was a drag on my shoulder. Life is compromise and I would gladly carry this lens if I knew I had the subjects to shoot with it.

My copy of the Sigma 50-500mm F4.5-6.3 APO DG OS HSM was lent to me from BorrowLenses.com for the purpose of writing this review.

Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.

Check out our more Photography Tips at Photography Tips for Beginners, Portrait Photography Tips and Wedding Photography Tips.

Sigma 50-500mm F4.5-6.3 APO DG OS HSM [REVIEW]

This content from: Duct Tape Marketing

In yesterday’s post I listed what I called The Hierarchy of Getting the Important Stuff Done. Truthfully, I wasn’t prepared for the immediate and passionate response from my readers.

It seems that staying focused on priorities is one of the toughest jobs we all have.

Several readers correctly identified that while I had outlined the path for staying focused, I hadn’t addressed just how you stay on that path. So, that’s what I want to address today.

By dividing my week into specific kinds of work I get more done

There are lots of time management systems out there and I don’t profess to claim that my adopted method is anything more than the cobbling together of systems from some terribly genuine and creative people like Dan Sullivan of Strategic Coach and David Allen of GTD. I’ve had the pleasure of spending time with both and credit them with a great deal of my thinking on managing myself.

I will say that, like any good hack, I have my own take and it starts with a focus on managing energy and the whole person over managing time. I wrote specifically about energy here.

People constantly remark that they have no idea how I get so much done. While it does involve mirrors and an incredible spouse, a great deal has to do with an organic system that I’ve used for years and have only recently been able to articulate.

The basic unit of my time and energy management tool and the thing that allows me to stay on important stuff done path is the week.

I divide each week up into days with a specific type of work plan. Each type of day plan has a unique emphasis that is biased towards a certain type of work. I have Intention Days, Attention Days and Ascension Days.

Intention Days are set aside to concentrate on my big ideas, my own personal growth and in some cases renewal. I take my higher purpose into these days and allow myself the luxury of dreaming.

At the risk of getting too personal, these are days where I often spend a lot of time alone and reassess meetings and feelings and words I’ve used wisely and unwisely. These are days when I forgive myself and forgive others. This type of renewal allows me to tap that little flicker of creativity that I so often attempt to extinguish.

While I intentionally protect my thoughts and actions on these days I don’t go as far as banning all digital activity, I simply make certain that I witness my thoughts and spend time doing things I wouldn’t normally do. I go to art museums and read books about architecture and geometry.

Attention Days are set aside to spend as much time as possible making money. Now, this may sound a little too focused for some, but what I really do is spend time doing my three or four highest payoff activities. The kind of stuff that either makes me money now or lays the foundation for meeting objectives down the road.

For me that’s writing, creating products or courses, working with sponsors and customers or writing an email that entices people to sign up for a workshop.

I typically plan these days with my staff during our weekly all hands meeting and take them outside of the office to limit the temptation to stray from full attention.

These days are easy to plan as I limit them to just a few items. In some cases I may only get to creating a PowerPoint Deck and writing one article, but I know it’s the right work and I know it’s time well spent.

Ascension Days are days spent climbing the hill. It’s when I get to those meetings, interviews, WordPress plugin tweaks, accounting reviews, inbox emptying parties and pretty much everything else screaming in my ear.

Maybe one day I’ll get to the point where I never have these kinds of days, but I doubt it. Ascension Days are like physical therapy, you’ve got to do this work so you can grow and get to the high payoff work.

All of these types of days, in fact, all of this type of work, is important, but my experience tells me that if you don’t carve out and make time and space to dream and create and focus on priorities, every day will turn into a climb the hill day of stirring the noise.

My pattern for these days can change depending upon what’s going on around me, but I typically try to take one Intention and two Attention Days a week and it’s the thing that keeps me most sane.

I don’t consider myself to be a blogger, but I’ve found that my business blogs are my most powerful marketing tools. This may be quite a strange concept in the digital world, with the likes of real-time website analytics, visitor tracking and such, but in my business we don’t measure the success of our web presence by the number of page views we receive or the number of comments posted. Instead, I measure its success by the type of clients that we book and how educated they are about our products and services when they approach us.

About Us

I own and operate two successful Melbourne-based photographic businesses. The specialty of both businesses is photographing people in a relaxed manner, which illustrates their own personality and style. Lizzy C Photography primarily shoots weddings, while Commercial Focus was established to serve the commercial and corporate photography market.

Educating the Client

With two busy photographic studios, it can be hard to stay on top of the constant stream of enquiries. Our blogs help to illustrate our photographic style and show potential customers the type of clients with whom we typically work. As a result, most potential clients are already educated as to our products and services before they ever contact us directly. We don’t need to do a hard sell; they’ve seen the images and heard the story. They contact us because they know that we are right for them and, in many cases, know exactly what they want and how we can help them achieve it. A result of this we do not need to spend time that we don’t have responding to tyre-kickers.

The blog helps us to attract like minded clients

It’s Hard to find the Time – But it’s Worth it!

As a photographer, it can be difficult to find the right words to accompany the images; however the overwhelming positive feedback I get from my clients, both current and future, tells me that it is all worth it. Even potential clients love hearing the inside story, so much so that they often feel like they know them and mention them by name when they come in to meet us!

How it Works:

Lizzy C Photography

After we have finished photographing a wedding, we publish a selection of the best images in a story format on the blog as a special sneak preview for the couple, their friends and their family.
As many as a 100 images are carefully selected to both represent our style of photography and to tell the story of the day. I assemble this collection of images and write the accompanying words, which tend to be my thoughts and personal insight into the couple and the wedding itself. This is one job that I don’t feel that I can outsource, because I feel that it’s the personal touch of someone who was there on the day that makes it so effective. (That doesn’t mean that I don’t want to hand it off sometimes; some posts can take a whole day of work to put together!)

We find storyboarding the images in a blog post illustrates to our clients what we do much more effectively than one hero image in a web gallery.

It Helps get the Word Out

I encourage couples to send the blog post to their family and friends. We often receive heartfelt comments from people close to our clients.

The following lovely comment was posted on our blog by a family member:

As Jessie’s aunt living in England viewing these very special photos was as good as being there with all the family and friends for a very unique day. The photos capture a real sense of the day’s fun and beauty with everybody looking happy and relaxed.

It Helps with Sales

When the couple eventually visits my studio for a viewing session to see all the images from their wedding day, the images featured on the blog tend to be their favourites because they’ve had time to develop a connection to them, and because they are usually the images that best capture all the highlights of their special day. As a result, the blog images are often the ones that make it to the wedding album. As an added bonus for us, many wedding suppliers such as venues, florists, caterers, and so on, send the blog post to their client base to showcase their involvement in the wedding. This leads to a strong referral base for our business and has been a big part of our success.

We have found that many of our clients spent time browsing through the weddings featured on our blog before making contact with us. This is good for us, because helps us to attract new clients that are similar to our past clients. (In other words, clients that we enjoy working with!)

Commercial Focus

Our blog for Commercial Focus isn’t actually called a blog anywhere on the site. We refer to it as our featured clients or client showcase to fit with the style of language used throughout the site. In spite of this, it works pretty much the same way as the Lizzy C Photography blog. Potential clients get the opportunity to see what we’ve done for other clients. We typically display multiple images from the same client job, along with a short written brief and feedback from the client, to provide a detailed overview of the shoot and the finished product. Most of our current clients are excited at the idea of being featured on our site. (It certainly doesn’t hurt their brand awareness!)

We encourage clients to visit the “featured client” post throughout the site with thumbnails and descriptions on the front page and the gallery page.

Elizabeth Bull has established and built two successful Melbourne photography brands through her unique shooting style for her wedding and commercial/corporate clients. Connect on with Elizabeth on Facebook and Twitter.

Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.

Check out our more Photography Tips at Photography Tips for Beginners, Portrait Photography Tips and Wedding Photography Tips.

I Don’t Do any Advertising; All I have is a Blog

Photo by Scott Bourne – Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs Creative Commons

One of the most enduring themes in art is the concept of harmonious balance. Balance is something the human eye just naturally gravitates to. It’s something that is automatically pleasing to most people.

When you’re composing a shot, look for ways to introduce this concept. It can be done using many of the traditional “rules” of photography such as iteration, repetition, rule of thirds etc.

In the image above, I introduced simple balance into my composition by shooting the two birds perfectly juxtaposed against each other – side-by-side but facing away from each other.

It’s no Pulitzer-prize winning photo, but for the purpose of this brief tutorial, it should give you some ideas on how you might introduce balance into your next image.

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With the comeback of film over the last few years, many digital photographers are questioning whether or not to make the switch.  This is a decision I had to ponder myself as well.  Is it worth adding a Contax 645 to the arsenal and shooting weddings on film?

I would like to present my honest view of film vs. digital within my own field of expertise as a pro digital and hobbyist film photographer.  I own a Nikon D700 plus 2 film cameras, a vintage Nikon FM2 and a Nikon F100 – on these, I have shot both Kodak Portra 400NC and Fujifilm Pro 400H.  I have not had a fabulously great lab develop any of my film work, only a local lab (with mixed results).  I have never shot film for any of my professional work, only my personal projects.  But I am an ardent admirer of a few great pro film photographers and a continuous student of photography – both in the film and digital arenas. 

Film | Nikon FM2 | Nikkor 50mm 1.2 @ f/1.2 | Fujifilm Pro 400H

I realize that there are different camps within the film vs. digital debate.  There is Camp A who only shoot film and claim that you simply can’t reproduce the look, feel and colors of film on any digital camera.  Then there is Camp B who only shoot digital and claim that film simply isn’t worth all the hassle and expense.  Then Camp C who use (or at least tolerate) both, and admit that both formats have strengths and weaknesses.  Speaking in terms of my professional work, I would define myself somewhere between Camp B and C.  After playing around with film a bit myself and studying the work of other photographers, I can definitely acknowledge that film has several advantages over digital – mainly, the dynamic range (or, ability to retain details in highlights and shadows over a wide range of stops), and also the forgiving nature of film when you overexpose it.  It’s very difficult to blow out film even with overexposing by 2-3 stops – and the highlights with film roll off beautifully.  In that regard, you can relax a bit when you’re shooting film (especially if you have a great photo lab to develop and scan it, but that’s another topic altogether.)

Film | Nikon FM2 | Nikkor 50mm 1.2 @ f/1.2 | Kodak Portra 400NC

However, there are weaknesses with film, too.  One is the ongoing expense of the film itself and the time and expense of developing/scanning.  Another is the availability of your favorite film (look what happened to Portra 400NC…)  And you simply can’t take as many images if you have to continuously change rolls of film as you can when you have a 32GB CF card in your camera.  Another disadvantage?  You can’t back up film; if something happens to your rolls between shooting and developing, that makes for a very unhappy photographer – and an even unhappier client.

Then there’s the issue of the lab.  These beautiful colors that many people see in professional photographers’ film work are often simply the result of a very good lab developing their film and applying specific color profiles in the scanning process.  If you cannot afford a good lab or don’t live near one (and are too nervous to mail 50 rolls of film of a client’s wedding), you may find yourself frustrated that you cannot reproduce these results even with the exact same camera, lens and film combination that your favorite pro uses.  

In my opinion, I think digital has only one major weakness when compared to film, and that is dynamic range.  Your digital camera simply will not handle light as well as film does, and the light will not look as soft and even as it does with film.  But I think this problem will improve over time with digital cameras, as newer models with better sensors are developed.  You can already compensate this weakness by shooting in RAW format to maximize the recovery of details in highlights and shadows, and by working on improving yourself technically so that you achieve more consistently precise exposure.  I always shoot in manual/RAW and spot meter, which is a huge help.  I know before I press the shutter if I still have enough details in my highlights and shadows where it’s important to have detail.  This is the result of lots of practice – and I’m still always working on improving my exposure.

Digital | Nikon D700 | Nikkor 24-70mm 2.8 @ f/2.8

Exposing properly, and shooting in RAW, already has you well on your way to better results (and let’s hope that digital camera manufacturers will pay attention and give us better dynamic range in the near future!).  But what about those beautiful filmy colors?

This is where post-processing comes in, and where I personally found my tipping point that made me stick with digital.  

Digital | Nikon D700 | Nikkor 24-70mm 2.8 @ f/2.8

First, it’s important to understand that digital images need to be developed just like film images do.  Many people confuse a film “sooc” for being truly unprocessed, but that is not the case.  Every film image is processed by the lab that develops it, and is color corrected during the scanning process – and sometimes also in the initial developing process (for example, push or pull processing, or cross processing).  Digital images need developing work too, in order to get optimal results.

Digital | Nikon D700 | Nikkor 24-70mm 2.8 @f/2.8

I love the colors and soft, “matte” feel of film.  But for me, it isn’t about the look of any one film – I’m not stuck on replicating one particular set of tones, like the tones in pushed Fujifilm Pro 400H for example (which are indeed beautiful!).  I simply love this overall “filmy” look – the bright, clean colors, the pastels, the soft muted tones, the subdued highlights, the grain – all of it.  And with a bit of post processing, I find that I can replicate or interpret this vision with some of my digital work, where it suits.  It might not look identical to one particular film (although, I can get it pretty close if that’s the goal).  But with a bit of Lightroom or Photoshop I can capture the essence of what I love about the looks of film in general, with my own artistic stamp.  And for me, that’s a very important part of how I express my work – through my post process.  I enjoy having creative control over how I want my colors to look for each individual session that I shoot, rather than handing that control to a lab.

One of the most important steps in post-processing a digital image to replicate film is to carefully control the light and the highlights.  In my normal workflow, I first develop my RAW file in Lightroom, either with a preset or with individual tweaks (such as highlight recovery and exposure correction).  I usually finish my images in Photoshop with actions.  Overall, filmy looks should have lower contrast, reduced saturation, softened and controlled light, subtle creamy highlights, and a matte finish.  If you know your way around Photoshop and can produce these effects, you can put together interesting combinations to give your images a filmy finish.  If you need a hand with achieving those effects, there are a good many professional products that can help.  Many of my own presets and actions are specifically designed to create this look.

If you are interested in how I achieve some of my film-inspired looks for my digital images, I share some of my post-processing recipes on my website, www.rebeccalily.com, under the “Tutorials” section.  

Digital | Nikon D700 | Nikkor 24-70mm 2.8 @ f/2.8

So, what’s the conclusion?  I think that’s up to you.  Film will always have its place in the world of photography, and so will digital.  What you decide for yourself depends upon what’s important to you. 

Or maybe, like me, you’ll find that there is a place for both.

Digital | Nikon D700 | Nikkor 24-70mm 2.8 @ f/2.8

Rebecca Lily is a professional wedding and commercial photographer under Bondshots, which she founded with her husband, Johnny Patience. She is also a designer of Lightroom presets and Photoshop actions, which can be found on her website. Johnny and Rebecca make their home in beautiful West Cork, Ireland.

Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.

Check out our more Photography Tips at Photography Tips for Beginners, Portrait Photography Tips and Wedding Photography Tips.

Film vs. Digital

I’ve fallen in love with many women, a dozen or so cities, and innumerable moments in time. But I’ve only ever fallen in love with one camera – the Leica S2.

By love I mean that irrational exuberance that can overcome any obstacle. That encounter with such beauty, intelligence, or elegance that compels me to rethink, even abandon, the way I do everything. That compulsion that allows me to gladly sacrifice almost anything to feel it once more, or prolong it just a little. Of course, love is also many other things, like the ability to overlook glaring faults. Some might say I’m actually describing infatuation, but they would be wrong – it’s love!

I’ve claimed to be in love with this camera since I saw the press-release images of it, admittedly that might be more like infatuation, or like saying I love Keira Knightley because I saw her in a beautiful film. Spending time with her might be a totally different experience. Thanks to a very kind person at Leica, I was loaned an S2 for a week. I proceeded to have an all-too-brief affair with it in New York City. I’ve never had my world so uprooted by a mere piece of technology.

After I sent one too many text messages describing my elation with this camera, I was asked to stop talking about it, and write a proper review. [Full disclosure: Leica had no idea I would be writing about the camera, nor did I, for that matter].

The Object of Desire

There are plenty of technical articles that can tell you the Leica S2 has 37.5 megapixels, a 56 percent larger sensor area than full-frame 35mm DSLRs, and the price tag of an entry-level BMW. However, to discuss those things is not only redundant, but almost completely misses the point of the S2. This is an object, a machine, a force so compelling that no matter what logic may tell you, you will adapt in any way necessary so that you can use it! As a physical object the Leica S2 is exquisitely refined and understated. If Jonathan Ive, Eero Saarinen, and Mies van der Rohe designed a camera together, this would be it.

This camera is like a fundamentalist religion. Once I adapted to its ways everyone else’s seemed retrograde. For example, the buttons are all unlabeled and the photographer selects what function each button serves. After I got used to this, all the labels and icons on my Nikon cameras suddenly seemed very amateurish. Why should they be labeled? I should know instinctively what each does. And why are there so many buttons on my Nikon in the first place? As it turns out, four programmable buttons on the back of the camera is actually all I ever need. The Leica S2 has a grand total of 10 buttons, switches, dials or levers. My Nikon D3s has 32!

This is representative of the type of thought that went into designing the S2. I had the distinct impression that the return distance of every button, and the tension in every dial were calibrated to some secret resonance with the human body that only Leica is privy to. It is why, at the end of the day, using a Leica S2 is such a sublime experience. It is also why you’ll overlook glaring faults, like the fact that many point and shoot cameras have better LCD screens than the S2. Even Leica’s own, and very beautiful, M9 seems a little crude when compared to the beauty of the S2, and any other camera is absolutely beastly.

Sensual Shadows

Everyone kept asking me about the quality of the files. This is the rational side trying to justify the S2’s price tag. I was traveling during this affair, and no laptop screen is going to display these files with enough accuracy to answer that question, so I used it for 5 days without having any idea what the files looked like. Even if they had resembled those of first generation digital cameras I still would have figured out how to make that lack of quality part of my style. Fortunately, that wasn’t the case.

At it’s native ISO (160) the files are a photographer’s dream. Skin tones are smooth and exact. Highlights cease being a troublesome part of the spectrum requiring special treatment and simply look like any other part of the file. In fact, the Leica S2’s sensor makes the very concept obsolete. The shadows are deep, full of detail.  I can’t even show their depth because most calibrated monitors don’t have a wide enough color gamut to display the subtleties of these richly-textured shadows. And yes, 37 million pixels behind a Leica lens translate into an astonishing amount of detail! In one portrait I made, the catchlight not only revealed windows in the studio, but individual buildings in the skyline. In short, the quality of these files exceeds the web technologies we use to commonly view and discuss them.

Enduring Allure

As I’ve mentioned, trying to talk about practical considerations is almost impossible when it comes to the Leica S2. It’s like trying to discuss the trunk space in a Ferrari. Once you’ve driven one, you simply reduce the amount of groceries you buy until they fit snugly in it’s diminutive storage compartment (or so I’m told). Not only does my rational side completely capitulate to the sensual allure of this camera, but it’s re-employed and put to work in finding ways to justify any objections that might be made. Only one-center AF point? No problem, I don’t need to shoot non-centered moving objects anyway! Can’t really shoot above ISO 160? I’ll just buy a studio! Can only afford one lens? Great, I’ll just relish the simplicity and creative strictures of only having one lens!

In theory, these factors may appear to make it an extremely limiting tool outside of a very controlled environment. In practice, it’s such a joy to use in the field that limitations and obstacles don’t really feel like either.

Paradise Lost

Now with all this perfection comes an unexpected problem. As soon as I deviated slightly from a perfect exposure, or dared bump the ISO up just one stop to 320, paradise was lost. It’s not that the file becomes unusable, or even problematic. I could deliver files to clients shot at the maximum ISO of 1250 without any problem. It’s that the file is no longer perfect. That deviation from perfection generates a sense of loss that I haven’t experienced with any other camera’s files. It is like the one stain on my favorite white shirt. It’s still perfectly usable, but now all I can see is that it is no longer perfect. Once I tasted the milk and honey from a correctly exposed S2 file at ISO 160, I don’t ever want anything else from it.

A Costly Affair

I would be remiss if I didn’t address the price, and more importantly the cost of using this camera. It straddles two different markets, for a medium format camera it is a remarkably good deal. Compared to a 35mm system it is astronomically expensive. And then there are the more intangible costs. Like any peak experience, once you know that apex of engineering and artistic sophistication, your eyes are opened to what the world could be, and you wonder why everyone else falls so short? I literally did not want to pick up any other camera after having used it.

The true value of the Leica S2 is the energy and vigor it brought to my work. Ordinarily, I have a pretty narrow focus in what I shoot. I’ve never been a photographer who shoots whatever is in front of them. I don’t take vacation pictures, I don’t document daily life, I don’t really photograph anything that isn’t in the 4 or 5 areas that have interested me for the past 20 years. But I never wanted to let go of the Leica S2. It made me want to make images – of everything! It compelled me to shoot things it was built for: like landscapes, and studio portraits, and then with equal force, genres it had no business in, like: street photography, or wildlife. It energized me. It fueled and pushed the boundaries of my creativity. It made me want to photograph anything – all the time. I realized that $27,500 doesn’t just buy me the most beautiful camera ever made, it buys me a muse, and then it suddenly seems like an irresistible deal.

David Wittig is an art and wedding photographer based in Chicago. He’s just leased a studio in preparation for his S2 and is hoping 27,500 people will give him $1 so he can buy one.