I wanna take a minute just sittin right here to tell all of you about the super-fine contest that we have going on at the moment in partnership with ViewBug.com. It’s called the “Puddle Reflections Photo Contest,” and anyone can enter. This means YOU. That’s right…you sitting there…reading this right now. You. It’s unbelievably easy and highly enjoyable. It takes Continue Reading
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Let’s just say it. Now that we got that out of the way and we all agree that transitioning from being a hobbyist or a part-timer, into a full fledged professional photographer isn’t easy, let’s talk about how to do it.
Let me start off by saying, YOU CAN DO THIS! It will be hard work but it’s NOT IMPOSSIBLE. Suspend disbelief for once in your life and let’s focus on how you can take the steps forward to going pro already!
I know this is going to be hard to believe, but I will ACTUALLY tell you what you need to do, right now. This guide will get you started properly and I’ll leave you with the next steps as well. I’m not going to waste your time telling you who I am, or giving you a typical backstory. I’m going to just give you the goods and then you can thank me later. Crazy right? Let’s jump right into it.
Do you know how to compose a shot decently? Do you understand the concept of exposure and basic lighting? Are your shots in focus? If you answered YES to all three questions, then your skills are far ahead of most people that attempt to take a photo with a camera. That makes what you do, worth money. Granted, your skills are beyond this level but the point is you don’t need to be Chase Jarvis to start charging for your skills. You just need to be better than who’s hiring you.
Many people don’t ever go pro because they never feel they’re good enough to charge money for their skills. At the very least, your time doing any kind of work, is worth money. There are all kinds of budgets out there. Just get started. We’ll talk about your rates later on but if you haven’t charged for your skills as a photographer yet, DO IT NOW. I’m serious. Go to your local pizzeria and tell them you will shoot and edit 10 photos of them tossing pizzas, or whatever, for their website or Facebook page for 50 bucks. Just get it out of your system. That’s the last time you’ll charge $ 50 bucks by the way.
I live in New York City and pro photographers are everywhere. Want to hear something funny? Many of them don’t even own a camera. And you were worried about not having that Nikon Nikkor 200-400mm lens you might need for the odd chance you’ll need to shoot wildebeest migrating in Tanzania? As they say; it’s not the paintbrush, it’s the painter.
If you have great gear, awesome! If you don’t, it’s not a huge deal. You can always rent equipment and factor that cost into your prices. Got a great camera, but only have the kit lens? RENT. It’s not a problem. My partner and I shoot video for big clients and we have lots of gear but we still rent because we always need something different given the shoot.
Stop worrying that your gear isn’t “pro enough” and remember they are going to pay you on how well you capture moments – not how much gear you own.
Having an effective website is critical when going pro. The keyword here is EFFECTIVE. You need to clearly communicate who you are and what value you offer quickly and concisely. The most important thing about any website is the content – what and how you communicate to your audience. The job of design is to augment that message.
Make sure your opening headline on your website captures your visitor’s attention. If you are someone that is great with kids as a photographer say something like “Getting a decent photo of your kid can be torture. Let me put you out of your misery.”
If you are confused about the tech or the design side things and you’re on a limited budget, just go with a Squarespace site. Pick a clean and simple theme and start building.
If you already have a website, the above advice goes for you too. Take another look at your site and see if you are communicating effectively.
On your website, you need to offer something your audience will enjoy and find valuable. That’s where your blog comes in.
Remember your visitors will be people who need photography services and the best way to show you are good at what you do is to share your experiences. Share a story about how you were able to capture a great graduation party even though the guest of honor was camera-shy.
Share tips on how you can hang great photos in your home or office. Explain the rational behind your advice.
By creating great content and sharing stories and tips, your visitors get to know you, like you and start to find reasons to hire you. If you’re worried about people finding you on the web, writing useful posts will also help you rank well on Google and other search engines, as others may be searching for topics you write about.
At first, if you have no work to display on your portfolio, you will need to approach 5-6 potential clients and offer your services for a heavily discounted price or even for free, to build your portfolio. This is also an opportunity to get feedback from clients on your process of working with them and how to improve it.
You can ask these clients for testimonials in exchange for this incredible deal. They can be written or even video testimonials which you can display on your website. Cool huh? This is just to get you started, you’ll get more testimonials as you take on more clients.
If you already have work to display, you’re good to go, but make sure you have some testimonials. If that means contacting previous clients, go ahead and do that.
There are two basic ways to set your rates.
Look at another business that has similar services and experience and use a similar rate. A rate can be an hourly rate or prices for service packages. List three businesses similar to yours and note down their rates.
First, how many hours can you dedicate to your service-business every week? Divide that by 2. Half of your time will be spent on actually running, marketing and building your business. The other half will be dedicated to your actual service work. This may come as a shock to some – “half the time?!” But yes, you need to factor this in so that you are not setting your rates too low.
Second, how much money do you need to make a week to cover your personal expenses? Everyone is different. Your weekly number may be $ 1000, $ 800 or $ 700.
Third and finally, take your weekly amount of money needed and divide it by the number of service work hours a week. That’s your hourly rate. For Example: $ 1000 / 25 hours = $ 40 per hour
Client work is just like any relationship in life. After your first conversation, each party will have already formed an opinion about the other. The client already has imagined what working with you will be like, that’s just human nature.
The good news is that you are in control of how that all happens. The bad news is that YOU are in control of how it all happens – not a typo. Here are your FOUR MUST DO’s when dealing with clients:
Sometimes clients forget when they hire you, that they are not your boss, and you are not their employee. You are a business owner offering a service they need.
Let me state that again. They need you. That’s why they are speaking with you. They are not a photographer, you are. That’s why they took the time to find out about you, and contact you. Whether they actually state it or not, they probably need you badly.
Setting the tone of the nature of your relationship doesn’t have to be mean or condescending but it does need to be done. Here is an example conversation:
The point of this whole conversation is to do a few things:
At some point in your first conversation you have to talk about money. You may prefer to save that until the end of the conversation but it needs to be done. Delaying this will not only potentially waste your time, it also conveys to your potential client, your not sought after and you have no real qualifiers.
If you’re a photographer that will work on any project, of any size, for any given amount of time, for any price, it basically means that you are cool with slavery. I’m not trying to be dramatic here but even Ralph, the $ 10 barber down my street has rates clearly stated. Ever hired anyone and not know how much they cost?
It’s only fair to both parties. Some clients will try to milk you, and try to get 2-3 meetings out of you. They will attempt to discuss their plans for dominating their market and the world in the near future (writing this out of experience) before even discussing money. You are in the services business. Your time IS money. It’s your responsibility to have this conversation with them. State your rates or decide on a budget they are OK with before you move on to meeting number two.
Unless you have worked with a client in the past and you had a great experience with them, you have no evidence they are committed to you in anyway without a deposit. That’s just reality speaking, not me. A deposit can be whatever you agree on – 25, 50, 60 percent, whatever. Some money needs be put on the table before you roll up your sleeves. Beginning work without a deposit is just flat out asking for trouble. TRUST ME! I didn’t get my grey hair for nothing. A deposit is standard and it’s what professionals do.
You are running a service-based business so time is money for you. So agreeing on a timeline early on is essential. They are looking to you for guidance on this one, so propose a timeline. This timeline includes any payment schedules as well as any given revision cycles if applicable.
Make sure you frame this conversation in a way they know you are doing this to make sure everything is transparent and they know when, and what to expect. This also makes things a whole lot easier for you. This is especially important when it comes to work that needs approval during the process. Make sure clients know there is a deadline for that too.
Another benefit of setting a timeline is it lets your clients know, you’ve got other clients and you’re not just working with them. You are happy to be working with each other but you are a sought after talent.
In the beginning you just need to get the ball rolling. Here are some tips to get your first regular clients:
1. Make sure everyone and their cat knows you are now offering professional photography services. Contact everyone on your contact list and in your social media circles. You can even offer a referral fee for friends and family.
2. Go to some local shops you frequent and tell them what you can offer them. Let them know their photos will be displayed on your website and their business’s website or Yelp link will be hyperlinked. What business doesn’t like free marketing?
3. You can also use some freelance online services like these to get some clients:
4. Team up with someone that shares your audience and agree to have them refer clients to you. For example, you may want to approach a web designer. They’ll have clients that need great photos to showcase on the new website.
5. Go where the action is! Go on Eventbrite or sites like it and find out what local events are going on in your area and email the organizer of the event to see if they need a solid photographer to capture their event. If it’s a regular event, they’ll need great photos to market next year’s event.
I’m here to say your art, your craft, can be your business. Your actual livelihood. With that said, understanding and doing business properly is probably going to be the defining factor in your success in going pro. That’s just the truth. But just like you’ve learned how to capture an image properly, you can learn how to run your business properly as well. This guide doesn’t cover every single aspect of building your business, but these are ultimately, the essentials to get you started. You can learn the rest as you build. The point is to start TODAY.
Wow! You made it to end of this post. You are obviously serious about going pro and starting a business around your love for photography so I don’t want your learning to end here. You can click here to get free access to our Building a Service-Based Business course and workbook inside The $ 100 MBA. It’s my way of saying thank you for letting me share what I love, showing others that business is not rocket science and that you can do this!
The post The Ultimate Guide to Going Pro as a Photographer by Omar Zenhom appeared first on Digital Photography School.
Day 3 of the 12 Days of Christmas sale is all about inspiring and equipping people keen to turn pro. Secretly wish you could be a full-time photographer? Not sure where to start? No problem – Digital Photography Santa has all the answers in these mega-special Day 3 deals.
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Commercial photography is one of highest paid areas in the industry. It’s true; rates can run $ 1000, $ 2000, and even $ 5000 per day plus expenses.
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The post Day 3 Deals – Turn your Dreams of Going Pro into Reality by Darren Rowse appeared first on Digital Photography School.
[ By Delana in Global & Urbex & Parkour. ]
Parkour isn’t quite the sensation it used to be, but there are plenty of urban athletes all over the world still exploring cities by free running, jumping, flipping and climbing. One of England’s parkour champs is James Kingston, a talented expert who films thrilling point-of-view (or POV) videos of his parkour adventures.
Just in case his incredible videos entice any amateurs to try his death-defying style, we’ll just put this cliche saying out there: if you don’t have proper training, don’t try this at home. Or anywhere else. You can get most of the same thrill by watching Kingston’s heart-stopping POV adventures.
Wearing a helmet camera, Kingston takes his viewers on thrilling rides through rooftops, neighborhoods, and beautiful locations. Although he’s been criticized for glamorizing this dangerous sport, Kingston has also received accolades from people who aren’t able to try it out on their own. He gives his viewers a way to fly through the air and perform daring tricks without ever stepping foot away from their computers.
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It’s done. You survived it. It was the longest day of your photography career, you’re exhausted, and all you can think about is how right I was (it’s cool—I get that a lot). But…….You. Did. It. And chances are you didn’t get locked in a bathroom, or miss the kiss, or have a complete equipment failure, or faint face-first into the cake. You shot a wedding. What’s next?
As no-brainer as this is, when I shoot portraits, I’m not a diligent about it as I should be. I’m more of a “cross my fingers/hope for the best/fly by the seat of my pants” kind of gal in most areas of my life. But a wedding is different. Good luck explaining to a new bride that your laptop played a vanishing act with the images and you need her to re-do the whole wedding for photographic purposes. It’s my greatest fear. My greatest fear used to be a complete equipment failure at a wedding, but then I had that happen a few weeks ago and somehow survived it, so I’ve graduated my fear list a bit. As soon as I get home from a wedding, no matter that I can barely see straight, I upload everything to my computer, and then back-up everything to an external drive or disc. Additionally I don’t erase my memory cards until I need them again and I have cloud storage. Because I’m neurotic like that. Weddings are often thousands of images and this takes both time and space. Having both of those things is yet another factor in the expense of wedding photography (see: never shoot a wedding for free). In most other areas of my life, I am totally okay with just hoping for the best and surrounding it with good thoughts. But this isn’t one of them.
These images are going to take you a long time to go through, edit, and deliver. Unless you have some sort of crazy amazing one day editing process, which if you do, I’m going to need you to email that to me immediately. While everyone is anxious to see pictures, no one is more anxious than a still-glowing bride. Give them a little taste and buy yourself some time to ice your camera-strap-indented neck and regain clear vision. Social media is a fabulous option for this if it’s available to you. That way everyone can see them and fawn over how great the images are, giving you a little boost of confidence and the newly minted couple a little attention—both of which work in your favor for the long editing road ahead. (Oh friend, it’s a long road.)
Every wedding I have ever shot has led to at least one referral. In general, I don’t photograph weddings. Yet, there I am, every summer, finding myself wanting to pass out from heatstroke with a 10 pound black box in front of my face. Why? Because I’m a sucker. I suppose I could tell you that it’s because I love weddings and true love and all that, but the truth is: I’m a sucker. Throw a few compliments at me and I’ll do about anything that doesn’t involve roller coasters. I hate roller coasters. (I also hate those rides where you spin on something that’s spinning. I’d like to have a long talk with the guy who thought that was a good idea for your internal organs.) Even if you didn’t hand out a single business card……even if you don’t have a single business card…..they will find you. Unless you were a miserable human being to be around (I don’t judge—I’ve been there), you will get a call about another wedding. Decide right now if this is something you ever want to do again so you can handle that call that will come later. There is nothing wrong with saying no, thank you. It might not be your cup of tea. Or quad carmel latte (I’m becoming a really expensive coffee date lately). There is also nothing wrong with having loved it. The point is that you need to decide quickly because there is literally a barista of sorts waiting on your order and she has a whole line of impatient people behind you and a smoke break coming up.
The last wedding I shot came in at just shy of two thousand images. There were 26 guests, and that’s including the dog ring bearer. I shot for less than 4 hours. I’m an over-shooter. I know this. In my defense: WHAT IF I MISS SOMETHING??? For this said wedding I have no less than 40 images of “the kiss”. Truth? They all look the same. Don’t get me wrong—it was an amazing kiss. Record books, in fact. But, those 40 images I shot in probably 30 seconds of time all look pretty much the same. Yet I want them to see every one!!! What if they love one that’s slightly different than another?? What if the clouds moved just a bit and it makes for the best of forty? I don’t know. What I do know is that to the average person, all 40 of those images look exactly the same. Pick one, edit it to loveliness, and move on. No one knows you have forty of them. And likely, no one cares.
I personally don’t do any printing; if you book a session or a wedding with me, your flat fee includes my time, the finished (edited) high resolution images on a disc, and a full printing and usage release. This is how I have been doing it for years and I find that not having to mess with an 8×10 print of this one or a 5×7 of that one or marking-up my printing costs to cover everything is a much easier way of doing things. And easy works best for me because I am a terrible insomniac (see numerous references to coffee above) and when I get overwhelmed with work (which is often), I go lock myself in my closet and cry a little. However, just handing over a disc feels like a near let-down when I’ve been editing for weeks and, as previously mentioned, spent an extremely long and tiring day just shooting the images. I like a little fanfair, and because wedding photography is such an investment, I think my clients should get a little ribbon and bow. Or maybe a horn section. Depends on what I have access to at the time. I like to put together a “highlight” slideshow of 50 or so of the images that the couple can send to their friends and family to watch online. Additionally, I usually put together a little gift of sorts to give along with the disc—maybe a large print that I put in a readymade frame or for a smaller wedding, I might print off 4×6 prints of each image and put these in a pretty box so theycan make awedding album easily. It honestly just depends on the couple and what I charged. My goal here is only to hand them over something more lovely than a cold silver flat circle.
Wedding photography was never my goal, nor do I consider myself a wedding photographer. I have never advertised or marketed for it, though I have shot about 70 of them in the last decade. It’s tough—I’m not set-up to be a wedding photographer, both from an equipment and time perspective, yet I find myself doing several a year even still. All joking aside, I don’t EVER take on a wedding just for the money or just out of wanting to do something wonderful for a loved one. Every wedding I have ever shot I only ended up there because I truly felt that I was the best person for the job. Many times I was right (this isn’t a time to be humble), but a couple times I was wrong and it makes for a painfully long event day and editing process.
The reason wedding photography is met with such passion by veterans and hobbyist alike is because it’s a big deal; there are no re-dos, no second chances. It’s a type of photography that is all it’s own. So only shoot the weddings where you feel confident that you and the couple feel similar about the end vision. Only shoot the weddings where you genuinely like the couple; if you wouldn’t want to have a beer with them, you’re not going to want to spend a 10 hour day with them. Only shoot the weddings that will give you more than a paycheck, whether that be experience, a day of fun, or that good feeling of doing something wonderful for someone else and knowing you did a good job. It doesn’t matter if you believe in true love or soul mates, it doesn’t matter if you feel like weddings are too over-the-top and unnecessary, it doesn’t matter if one of the biggest highlights was the free piece of cake (I’m a big fan of cake), what matters is that you went in there knowing that you were the person for the job, that you stayed there feeling like you were doing a great job, and you left there happy to have done it.
Tired and glad for it to be over, but happy to have done it.
Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.
Check out our more Photography Tips at Photography Tips for Beginners, Portrait Photography Tips and Wedding Photography Tips.
So You’re Going to Shoot A Wedding: Part 3 of 3 [editing, etc.]
The good news: I just landed what will almost certainly turn out to be the coolest gig of my career. It's a dream project, and I could not be happier nor more excited about it.
The bad news: It will be very time-intensive, so it will have an impact on my life going forward. Which my upcoming seminars in London and Baltimore/Washington are probably gonna be my last. If not ever, then certainly for a long time.
So let's sweeten the pot a little bit for the last go-round…
Read more »
Strobist
If you want to know how to photograph a wedding, there are ton of books on the subject but the truth is nothing is going to be a greater lesson than just doing it. This series is not about what shots to take or how to shoot. It’s about being a lone ranger vendor with no roadmap. Read Part 1 on the topic of Preparation here.
It’s Game Day folks. Your pockets are jammed packed with spare batteries, CF cards, and gum. You’re rested and ready. You’re a vision of both professionalism and cool comfort. You’re terrified out of your mind that you’re going to mess up, but no one else can even sense that.
Now what?
This is the finest line you will walk all day: staying out of the way, but being right in the middle of everything. One of the first things I do when I get started at the ceremony site is to chat with the officiant. At that point, I have (hopefully) already met with the bride and groom and have a feel for if they are the type that want great pictures even if it means me shoving my way in, or if they would prefer that it’s a fun night for all of their people and no one even noticed that they had a photographer there.
The officiant may have some very specific thoughts on this too. Either they don’t care a bit and feel the couple are in charge, or they may ask you to stay out of the center isle, refrain from obviously standing during seated moments, and similar during the ceremony. It’s the hardest part of the whole day—you are there to do a job, but you also don’t want to be known as the pushy portfolio-building photographer who couldn’t take a hint.
At least 50 times a wedding I have to silently ask myself if the potential shot is amazing enough to risk being intrusive. Sometimes the answer is yes and sometimes it’s no. And sometimes I make a bad choice and I find myself obnoxiously close or I miss a great shot. The sun still always rises the next day though.
I’m a huge flirt. And I don’t discriminate with this at all—men, women, kids, babies, dogs, whatever. And while it maybe hasn’t made my dating life simple, it’s been great for my career and getting people to feel comfortable and look happy quickly and easily.
When this baby started making eyes at me with drool dripping, I forgot where I was for a second and thought, how fun is this shot—this baby oblivious to the union of souls happening mere yards away and instead diggin’ on me. The problem with this shot is that, cute as it may be, there is nothing the couple—my clients—are likely to do with it. They may not even know for sure who that baby is for all I know. They hired me for pictures of them, important moments, and candid situations. Not evidence of me flirting with a baby.
Stay true to your style—it’s what you were hired for. But always in the back of your mind remember that the end result will be what the couple didn’t get to see, what they didn’t remember, and what they will treasure for a lifetime.
This is the greatest fear of every wedding photographer; that something will happen and they will miss the kiss. Or the moment when the groom sees his bride for the first time. Or the entire first dance because they somehow got locked in the bathroom and no one could hear them banging on the door, screaming to be let out. (That last one is maybe just my own fear.)
Worrying won’t get you anywhere. Odds are, you’re not going to miss the big moments. What is more possible though is that by being on high alert every second for hours on end, you’ll miss some sweet little situations that could be an image no one expected, yet a perfect capture. Try to be there as an observer that isn’t stressed about seeing every little thing happen. You’re going to miss some stuff. But you’re going to see a lot more than anyone else there. It’s the most interesting backstage pass—enjoy the VIP status and use it wisely.
Often couples in an attempt to cut costs, will push back the arrival time of the photographer or ask for ceremony and portrait shots and nothing else. This is understandable: wedding photography is expensive. I personally feel it’s the worst corner to cut with the exception maybe of tossing a giant cubic zirconium in platinum, but this is tough to explain to cost-conscience couples.
If this is a wedding you are shooting that in any way will become a part of your wedding portfolio, go above and beyond and shoot even what’s not asked of you. To only shoot the ceremony or portraits, leaves you with little to show for your effort and nothing that’s enough to impress the next couple you may try to book. This may cost you time you didn’t account for or aren’t getting paid for, but it will come back to you in the long run when you have a wedding in it’s entirety as part of your portfolio. It’s also just plain ol’ good experience.
I am convinced that those bouquet shots that photographers go to so much trouble to shoot at every possible different angle go completely to waste and I’m staying convinced of that until the day I walk into someone’s home and see a 16×24 gallery wrap canvas featuring a rose bouquet, laying casually on the alter as if by magic. Flowers are expensive—I get that. And every bride has likely been putting the occasionally thought into what color daisies her bridal bouquet is going to include since she was in the 4th grade. But there’s better stuff to document, I promise. Sure, take a pretty flower picture—why not.
Digital is cheap and you likely will have a little down time while people are shoving chicken picatta into their faces (because, promise me, you will never, ever shoot people eating. Don’t be that photographer.) But look for the details that are meaningful. Instead of putting the rings somewhere weird and artsy, zoom in close and shoot that shiny new ring on their hand when they aren’t looking. When it’s casually on their grooms face and they are enjoy a small moment. Photograph the details that will be important years later.
And if you do get locked in the bathroom, don’t panic. I have to hold on to the belief that a missing wedding photographer isn’t something that goes unnoticed for long.
Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.
Check out our more Photography Tips at Photography Tips for Beginners, Portrait Photography Tips and Wedding Photography Tips.
So You’re Going to Shoot A Wedding: Part 2 of 3 [Day Of]
On a recent outing to Yankee Stadium, the only lens I had on my 5D Mark III was the Canon 8-15mm fisheye zoom. I love a fisheye for a situation like this- great foreground, great sky, and an obvious subject. Most fans go to the game hoping to zoom in on their favorite player. Knowing I would never be close enough, I went the other direction and wanted to get everything.
I used to think I’d never want to shoot with a fisheye lens. My objections were the same as most others who’ve ever shot with one: “All the shots end up looking the same,” or “there’s too much distortion.” Then I actually got to use one. And my first results were much as I expected- too much distortion, and a lot of shots that all looked the same. But the more I started working with it, the more I fell in love with using the fisheye. It’s a lot more versatile than I gave it credit for.
A fisheye lens has become a staple in my bag for shooting weddings. I’ve found it useful in the church for taking an overall scene, as well as on the dance floor for shots like this, of the bride and groom surrounded by their guests. Simply pop the flash at the same time and put them in the spotlight.
St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City is a prime place to shoot with a fisheye. It can get crowded, and the shooting area can be tight. In addition, the architecture is incredible, so emphasizing those lines with the extreme wide angel makes a lot of sense. EOS 60D with EF 8-15mm Fisheye zoom.
I’ve found fisheye lenses to be useful in many situations. The secret to using a fisheye is to know it’s limitations, as well as it’s strengths, which is true for all lenses. You can use them for portraits, but you need to be aware of subject placement in the frame, as well as how close you plan to get. The closer you get, the more caricature like the image will be. Stand back a bit, and don’t put your subject too close to the edge, and you can use the surroundings to put your subjects as the main focus. Add a pop of the flash with the head zoomed slightly, and it will create a spotlit effect. I’ve found a fisheye is a great way to get a group shot without simply lining the subjects up.
Another great use for fisheyes- a fairly obvious one- is tight spaces. You don’t always have room to step back, and you might want to include most of the scene in front of you in one shot. In many cases, that’s not possible without a fisheye. You need to be prepared to deal with the inherent distortion, but that can be used creatively to really draw the viewers eye. Use the lines of the image, try an extreme point of view by getting the camera higher or lower.
Fisheyes are great for landscapes as well. They emphasize the foreground and make it possible to include both foreground and sky. Distortion is less of an issue here, unless the horizon is prominent. In that case, it’s essential to either embrace the distortion, or be sure to place the horizon in the center to minimize the distortion. If the horizon can be obscured, this point becomes moot. I love to use fisheyes as the “anti-macro”. I get close up to a flower, or even underneath them, placing them prominently in the frame.
Finally, architecture is an excellent use for a fisheye lens. While it’s traditionally not used for architecture due to the distortion, the way a fisheye can emphasize the lines of a beautifully designed building opens it up to a variety of uses, especially interiors of large cavernous buildings like cathedrals and churches, or sports arenas.
I’m still finding new ways to use my fisheye lens. What are yours?
By getting close to this daisy, it is easily emphasized in the foreground, while the other daisies just behind it get pushed back. EOS 5D Mark III with EF 8-15mm Fisheye Zoom
Fisheyes are great for portraits of kids. The extreme wide angle emphasizes the expressions and movements, creating a cartoon-like effect. EOS 5D Mark III with EF 8-15mm Fisheye zoom.
Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.
Check out our more Photography Tips at Photography Tips for Beginners, Portrait Photography Tips and Wedding Photography Tips.
Going Fishing! Fun With Fisheye Lenses
About 5 seconds after I purchased my first professional camera, long before I hung a shingle or had any idea of what I was doing, the requests to shoot weddings came flooding in. Because let’s face it; someone’s always getting married. And your cousin’s dentist’s cleaning lady’s daughter would love a deal. And you are maybe just the photographer to give her one.
There are thousands of opinions regarding if non-wedding photographers should ever even consider taking a stab at shooting a wedding– free, favor, or otherwise. For the purpose of this article (and my sanity) we aren’t going to touch the politics of that with a 10 foot pole. Instead, we are going to assume that for whatever reason, you are shooting your first or near first wedding, like, tomorrow and you need a little reassurance that going ahead and shooting it as planned is a better idea than attempting to break your leg on purpose so you can be hospitalized and therefore legitimately unable to work. (The recovery time for this is longer than you would think. I’ve looked into it.) Here are 5 tips for the preparation of said wedding/non-purpose-leg-breaking.
Never, ever, ever shoot a wedding for free. I know it’s tempting. Maybe you’ve never shot one before and you feel awkward about charging. Or maybe it’s your brother/sister/neighbor/dry-cleaner’s wedding. Still, absolutely no.
Here’s why: these pictures, even if they aren’t of the caliber of work you hope to produce in the future, have worth. Great, amazing worth. A worth that is only increased when they aren’t just handed over for nothing in exchange. Now, in the right situation, I do a TON of work for cheap or trade and always have. But there has to be an energy exchange of some kind.
Work for trade, work for the slightest possible fee to cover your time and equipment rental or wear, but don’t work for free. Never, ever.
You don’t want to work with people who would expect you to and they don’t want to work with someone who doesn’t value their abilities. No matter how new you are to photography, you are right now reading an article on a website all about photography. That says that you have enough interest to research it, and I’m willing to bet, enough skill to pull it off.
I’m pretty high energy. I inhale coffee like it’s air and have to constantly remember to slow down when I talk. And walk. And drive. (Though that one probably doesn’t have much to do with caffeine.) Even so nothing lays me out like shooting a wedding. I don’t care if I have two assistants and the kindest, easiest, and most photogenic couple on the planet; it’s still exhausting.
Plan nothing the day before, and nothing the day after. The night before, sleep like it’s your job. Ice your eyeballs. If you’re into that kind of thing. You will likely be carrying twice as much equipment as normal, working five times as long, and running around like a toddler that mistook Red Bull for apple juice. No matter if you accepted actual compensation for this job or not—you owe yourself and the resulting images the best possible set-up. Day of, that set-up is comfortable shoes, a shirt that gives you renewed faith in human kind, and your lucky underwear. Or whatever.
Most brides have been told by wedding planners, magazines, and overzealous soon-to-be mother-in-laws that they need to provide their photographer with a “shot list”. If you can avoid this upfront, do. Instead tell them that you plan on taking all the typical and expected shots you can and if they want to provide you with a short list of requested special shots that you may not think of on your own, they are welcome to. You may not know that it’s very important to the bride that all of her uncles fifth removed on her father’s side get a picture together.
But you darn well know that she wants a shot of the kiss, a shot of the wedding party, a shot of cute flower girls doing cute flower girl things, and all the other standard shots that these lists tell brides they need to ask for. If they have a few simple unusual requests, this list goes in your pocket and is all you need. Everything else will happen as it’s supposed to, when it’s supposed to, and if you worry about it, you’ll just miss the cute flower girls doing cute flower girl things.
Pack a lunch, water, and easy to eat snacks. I’m not even kidding. I know what you are thinking right now—but they will have food there! Yes, they will. But the logistics of you and said food meeting up for a little break time rendezvous are extremely complicated. Trust me.
Also, you’ll want gum, Advil, and safety pins.
Correction: someone will want these things. It may be you. It may not be. But everyone will assume you are packing minty freshness, pain relief, and an emergency dress fix, so you may as well pleasantly surprise them.
Finally, and this may seem a bit excessive to some but I am nothing if not a bit excessive; I bring an entire change of clothes. A lesson learned after a waitress carrying a tray of full wine glasses and I collided at the very beginning of a reception. I got to spend the rest of the evening smelling like a winery and everyone else got to wonder why the photographer had already hit the free bar when they hadn’t even gotten to the front of the buffet line yet.
Whether you have an assistant or not, you need a friend. A go-to. A pal. A person on the inside. A free Girl Friday, if you will. I don’t know who that person is. Right now, you don’t know who that person is. But it will be obvious who it’s supposed to be and you will find them early on. And you will latch on to them in a way that will have you trading BFF necklace halves by the end of the night.
This person is going to explain who is who to you. Help you out when cousin Johnny is begging for your number and you still have 3 hours of dodging him while trying to remain professional.
This person knows who is giving the toast, every bridesmaid’s name, and will happily fetch you bouquets when you have everything set-up for the perfect shot but everyone forgot their bouquets in the bathroom. It’s a bridesmaid, an aunt, an unofficial wedding planner, a step-sister, or maybe just a knowledgeable family member that is only there for the free food.
And to help you, it turns out.
Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.
Check out our more Photography Tips at Photography Tips for Beginners, Portrait Photography Tips and Wedding Photography Tips.
So You’re Going to Shoot A Wedding: Part 1 of 3 [Preparation]
[ By Steve in Abandoned Places & Architecture. ]
These dozen doomed ski resorts, like most seasonal winter businesses, can fall off the financial cliff by something as ironically simple as a lack of snow.
(images via: Don’t Look Now)
Northeastern Missouri might not be the ideal location to set up a ski resort but in 1982 the operators of Rainbow Basin went ahead anyway, and were relatively successful for a while. Just like a favorite downhill run, however, all good things come to an end and for Rainbow Basin, the end came in 1991 when a flood of red ink put a permanent damper on the popular winter recreation spot. “It all came down to weather,” stated former owner Jack Pickett. “It wouldn’t cooperate.”
(image via: Don’t Look Now)
Foreclosed upon in 1993, Rainbow Basin hasn’t been maintained, renovated, sold, salvaged or re-purposed in the intervening 20 years yet intrepid skiers still find their way onto the un-manicured slopes when weather permits. The chair lifts are inoperable, of course, so getting to the top of the runs has to be an adventure in itself.
(images via: Panoramio/Wanderlust_biker)
Just off Highway 88 close by the Mormon Emigrant Trail lie the gently deteriorating remains of a formerly attractive ski lodge. Though the lodge is rather large and the operation must have been well-funded at its start, time and the weather will not be denied. At this point not even Mitt Romney could resurrect this little piece of Switzerland in the California mountains. To view more images of this abandoned ski resort, check out Wanderlust_biker‘s photo set at Panoramio.
(images via: Urban Exploration)
The Club Alpino Guadarrama opened in 1947 and was originally named Club Alpino Romate. Situated in the scenic Guadarrama mountains north of Madrid, it was one of Spain’s first alpine resorts and due to its easy access from the Spanish capitol, enjoyed years of popularity.
(image via: Urban Exploration)
It’s not certain exactly when Club Alpino Guadarrama closed but it can’t be too long ago as it’s listed as a going concern on at least one travel website. As for the “easy access”, as always that’s a double-edged sword: convenience that once appealed to skiers and snowboarders now serves only looters, vandals and graffiti artists.
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