Happy Memorial Day, all!!
Ever hear of Privity of Contract? Check out our guest blog post on Rachel Brenke Photography discussing how it comes into play in your photography business!
http://rachelbrenke.com/blog/make-your-biz-monday-contracts-102/
This week’s Featured Photog is Sari Underwood Photography!
Welcome, Sari! Tell us a little bit about yourself.
A. Thank you! I have lived in Florida almost my whole life. Graduated from UCF and have been here in Orlando since then. I live here with my husband and 2 children (7 and 3). I am thankful that I’ve been able to stay home with my kids and do something I love to help support my family. I love to scrapbook (although I don’t do it nearly as often as I used to). I am an Apple fangirl. Love sweet tea, chocolate and spend way too much money at Starbucks!
Q. How and when did you get into photography?
A. Through scrapbooking. I was an avid scrapbooker and because of that, I became more interested in taking better photos for my pages. I bought a DSLR after my daughter was born and learned to shoot in manual. Everything progressed from there!
Q. How long have you been in business and what do you specialize in?
A. Going on 3 years now. In the last year or so I have found myself mainly specializing in newborns although I also photograph kids and families.
Q. Natural light v. studio light?
A. Both. Love natural light for outdoors and use studio lighting for newborns.
Q. Tell us about your camera gear. Any gear on your wish list?
A. I shoot with a Canon 5D MarkII, 35mm 1.4L, 85mm 1.8 and 50mm 1.4. I love my prime lenses! On my wish list…the new 5D MarkIII.
Q. How would you describe your style of shooting; your style of editing?
A. Oh, this is always tough for me to answer! Most of my sessions are newborns, so I will say that while I love using headbands, hats, fabrics and various props…I also like to keep it simple. Less is more with tiny little babies and you really want to showcase the newness of the baby first and foremost. My style of editing is soft and a little bit hazy.
Q. What’s your best marketing tool? Where do most of your clients come from?
A. Google! Learning to work on my SEO has been the best thing for marketing myself. Most of my clients were finding me through Google searches and now it’s a mix of Google and referrals.
Q. What has been the best advice you have received on your photography journey?
A. Remember it’s a business. It’s 10% photography and 90% business.
Q. What’s something you wish you knew when you first started out?
A. Keep it simple. It’s so easy to get caught up on all the latest props, backdrops, actions, templates, etc. Just keep it simple. You don’t need everything and you don’t need it right now.
Q. Who or what are your photography inspirations?
A. There is inspiration everywhere! I love to just follow some of my favorite photographers on Facebook (Baby as Art, Laura Brett, Pastel Photography), browse Pinterest, read magazines and I get inspiration from my kids!
Q. Any parting words of inspiration or tips for those starting out?
A. Focus on shooting and really knowing your camera in and out before jumping into business. That’s the fun part! The business stuff can quickly take the joy out of shooting, so take your time!
Thank you so much, Sari! Be sure to like Sari’s Facebook page so you can follow her beautiful work! Her website is found HERE.
Want to win a FREE Portrait Bundle ($169 value!)?? Check out Keri Meyers Photography‘s blog post for details. Click HERE to learn how to enter. Hurry, the giveaway ends on May 26th!!
We’re thrilled to be this week’s featured vendor at Keri Meyers Photography!
We’re giving away a Portrait Bundle!! Head on over HERE for the details on how to enter and win!!
Good Luck!!
How about some seriously amazing high school senior photography to get you inspired for the weekend?? I chose Kathleen Frank Photography for this week’s Featured Photog Friday because, truth be told, I’m slightly obsessed with her. The ethereal quality to her light, the movement, the intimacy of her subjects eyes and emotions, all wrapped up in gorgeous locations and tied with a bow of artistic vision. She is a true artist. And I just love her for that. Enjoy!!
Q. Welcome, Katie! Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I am a Midwestern girl who has been living on the beach in Melbourne, Florida for the last five years with her amazing husband and also amazing puppy.
Q. How and when did you get into photography?
I’m not sure I can remember a time when I wasn’t drawn to a camera. As a kid, I played with Polaroids and plastic film cameras that I discovered around the house, but it was high school when I took my first photography class, borrowing my father’s Canon FT QL, that I really fell in love.
Q. How long have you been in business and what do you specialize in?
I started my business about a year and a half ago, specializing in senior portraits.
Q. Natural light v. studio light?
Natural light. I love me some sun flare and those golden afternoon rays. I would love to conquer studio lighting one of these days, but I am drawn to a simple system with minimal gear, which is why natural light and I get along so well.
Q. Tell us about your camera gear. Any gear on your wish list?
I shoot with a 5D Mark II and an 85mm1.8 lens. I also have the 50mm1.4, but the 85 never leaves my camera. I told you I was a simple girl! I also have a slew of film cameras that I use for personal projects and occasionally with clients: Yashica D, Canon FT QL, a Holga, the instax mini, and the instax mini wide.
The wish list??? A 45mm Tilt Shift is at the top of the list, and right along with it is the SX-70 Polaroid Land Camera.
Q. How would you describe your style of shooting; your style of editing?
I strive to create photographs that are artistic, modern, and unique, incorporating a sense of beauty and simplicity. I keep my editing clean with a sense of vibrancy. Honestly, when I am editing, I am always looking for that clean, strong edit that has that little bit of magic thrown in. I can’t exactly describe that magic, but I know when I’ve reached it!
Q. What’s your best marketing tool? Where do most of your clients come from?
Marketing has definitely been my greatest challenge, and I am far from on expert on it. Working with charities that I am passionate about, connecting with businesses that relate to my target market, and not being afraid to let people know who I am and what I do have all been helpful ways to encourage word of mouth and help seniors find me.
I also think that working and shooting even when I didn’t have paying clients was so, so helpful in building my business. It allowed me to practice and hone my skills so I was ready when clients started calling, and it allowed me to constantly show new work on my blog, increasing my SEO and showing my clients that I was busy. And… it helped me figure out exactly what I love to photograph without the stress of producing a product for a paying client.
Q. What has been the best advice you have received on your photography journey?
Advice that I wish I would have heard (and listened to!) earlier is to slow down. Have fun with your camera and your art before jumping into business. Learn your camera inside and out before jumping into business. I am still trying to focus on enjoying the journey and balancing all parts of my life instead of always being so focused on the end goal.
Q. Who or what are your photography inspirations?
Where do I start!?! I am a hoarder of beautiful images. I swear, Pinterest was made just for me… But Julia Trotti, Trevor Hoehne, and Lou Mora are some of my favorites.
Q. What secret power do you wish you had? (For example, I wish I could stop time so I could catch up on my to-do list 
)
A testament to where I am in my life right now, I just want the power to live without sleep. I am sure there are better and cooler things, but I can’t think of anything that would be more helpful right now! :)
Q. Any parting words of inspiration or tips for those starting out?
You can do this. Dreams are hard but they are never impossible. So, even when you doubt yourself and want to throw in the towel and are just so exhausted, if you keep putting one front in front of the other, you will get there!
Kathleen Frank Photography
Today is the LAST DAY to get our Portrait Bundle and Wedding Bundle at a huge discount on Photo Dough!
Portrait Bundle is $79 (save $90!!). Click HERE.
Wedding Bundle is $69 (save $80!!). Click HERE.
You can also purchase the Portrait Agreement ($35) individually and the Wedding Agreement ($50) individually. Just go to the links above and click on “BUY!” and it gives you the option to choose the bundle or the individual agreement.
Don’t miss it!!
Don’t miss this one time opportunity to get CreatePro Legal Forms at a special discounted price through Photo Dough!
The Portrait Bundle is ONLY $79!! You get the Portrait Agreement, Birth Agreement, High School Senior Agreement, Print Release, and Model Release. Amazing deal! Click HERE.
OR, you can buy just the Portrait Agreement without the bundle for $35, you save $24!
The Wedding Bundle is ONLY $69!! You get the Wedding Agreement, Event Photography Agreement, Second Shooter Agreement, Print Release, and Model Release. Again, another amazing deal!! Click HERE.
OR, you can buy just the Wedding Agreement without the bundle for $50, you save $39!
Happy Shopping!
Today’s Featured Photog Friday is Bonnie of CB Portraits!! I just adore her newborn work and I know you will too. So classy, elegant, and dreamy. Bonnie recently had her 4th child (congratulations, Bonnie!!), and the images she’s been posting of her new sweet little one are just divine.
Q. Welcome, Bonnie! Tell us a little bit about yourself.
Thanks Rebecca!
My family and I live in Lancaster County, PA. My husband and I have 4 kids, ages 8, 6, 2, and 3 weeks old! We are once again adjusting to life with a newborn, so I am going to blame any typos you find on lack of sleep! :) Here’s a picture of my kiddos…
Q. How and when did you get into photography?
Good question! If someone had told me years ago that I would be a photographer one day, I would never have believed them! It was never something I imagined myself doing – and I still find it hard to believe sometimes. J When I was younger, I enjoyed taking pictures, but mostly I loved the feelings of nostalgia, and happiness they brought back as I looked through them. I remember thinking, “It’s a good thing we have these pictures, or I would never have remembered this happened!”
Because that was back in the days of film, I never put much thought into the technical aspects of photography (ha! I didn’t even know there were technical aspects to photography!). One day, a good friend asked me to help her take pictures of a wedding. I hesitantly agreed, thinking that it couldn’t be too hard – you just point the camera at smiling people and click, right? Well, it was that experience that showed me how much more there was to photography than I ever thought possible. I decided I would never do something like that again until I knew what I was doing.
So, I spent the next year or so scouring the internet for information, joining online photography forums and posting questions, and practicing. I was determined that if I was going to do this photography thing, I was going to do it well!
Q. How long have you been in business and what do you specialize in?
I’ve been in business about 4 years. In the beginning I did everything – families, kids, seniors, weddings, newborns. But, in the past couple of years, I developed a passion for newborn photography. About 75% of my clients last year were newborns. It is challenging; it requires a lot of patience, and a completely different skill set than any other type of photography. But, I am in love with capturing the miracle and beauty of brand new babies.
Q. Natural light v. studio light?
I use natural light. Newborn and baby sessions are done in my home studio, and all other sessions are done outdoors. However, my goal is to learn to also use studio light. I love the consistency and predictability of it.
Q. Tell us about your camera gear.
I use a Canon 5D, and the 50mm 1.4 lens is on my camera 90% of the time. I just got a macro lens, and that has been fun to use on newborns!
Q. How would you describe your style of shooting; your style of editing?
Hmmm….I would say my style of shooting depends on my subject. I spend a lot of time preparing ahead of time for newborn sessions so that each one is unique. Some of my favorite things to do are knit hats, make headbands, and go to our local outdoor auction to find old buckets, carriages, boxes etc.
However, when I do a family or child session, I let the personality of the individuals dictate the session. I love to capture emotions and connections between people. My main goal is for the session to be fun and relaxing. I want to show parents that custom photography is nothing like experiences they’ve had in the chain stores.
As far as editing – I like a clean edit. I love peachy skin tones, and images that show depth. I’ve found when the light and exposure in an image are perfect, there is very little editing that needs to be done.
Q. What’s your best marketing tool? Where do most of your clients come from?
I really don’t do any marketing. Most all of my clients are from word of mouth (referrals), and a few have found me through internet searches. My main priority is that every client has a great experience from start to finish.
Q. How do you balance family and work life?
As best I can. 
That’s a tough subject for me. I’m also a stay-at-home-mom, so I tend to do my work in random chunks of time throughout the day. My work computer is in our family room, so it is constantly ‘calling’ to me. My goal for this year is to get more organized so that I spend less time in front of my computer, and more time with my family.
Q. Who or what are your photography inspirations?
Oh goodness – there are many. Baby As Art and Kelley & Tracy Ryden are my main newborn inspirations. They truly make art, and they make it look so easy!
Q. Any parting words of inspiration or tips for those starting out?
I believe that you can do pretty much anything you set your mind to. But, loving photography, and running a business are two completely different things. Learn what it takes to run a legitimate and profitable business before you start charging. If you don’t, you will find yourself working for pennies. You and your family are worth more than that!
Thank you so much for joining and sharing with us, Bonnie!! It was such a pleasure!
Bonnie can be found here at CB Portraits and on Facebook. Go like her page and leave her some love!!
Q. Welcome, Dawn! Tell us a little bit about yourself.
A. Let’s see, I am 38 yrs old, married for 12 years and have a beautiful son named Jamie (who just happened to become a teenager a few months ago!) It seems they just grow when you’re not looking. I live in Louisville, Ky (where all the derby festivities are in full swing right now) and have lived here my entire life. Louisville is a wonderful city.
Q. How and when did you get into photography?
A. Photography was something that just sort of fell into my lap one day. Unlike many others who had a lifelong passion for it, this was not really the case with me (although I did snap many, many pics of my son just like any other mom). My husband gave me a little Canon Elph film camera when our son was just a baby. I pretty much wore that camera out, but never even had a digital camera until my son was 8 years old. My husband bought me a little 4 megapixel Pentax digital P&S for Christmas (December 2007) and that is where it all began. I spent the next year taking pics of anyone who would sit still long enough for it- OH, and I found Flickr! I also found a couple of free online editing programs….and away I went-lol. I created some truly horrible “masterpieces” in that first year and a half, that is for sure.
I got my first DSLR (A Nikon D60 w/ kit lens) in mid 2009.…and still I snapped away and still I created a lot of horrible images, but slowly it started to sink in that I was missing something, until that light bulb went off.
Q. How long have you been in business and what do you specialize in?
A. I officially started in the business in fall of 2009 (taking my first paying client in October that year.)
I specialize in children (older children & babies 6 months & up) and high school seniors. Right now I am marketing heavily towards seniors as that is probably my favorite type of session next to children. However, I also do engagements and weddings as well. I DO NOT do newborns, but have many friends on Flickr and FB who are super talented and just blow me away with their beautiful newborn work.
Q. Natural light v. studio light?
A. I am mainly a natural light shooter, but do own and use flash equipment. It is very necessary when shooting weddings, but I almost never use flash with regular outdoor sessions.
Q. Tell us about your camera gear. Any gear on your wish list?
A. My current camera is a Nikon D700. I have all Nikon lenses- 24-70 2.8, 50 1.4G, and the 85 1.4G. The 85 is my favorite lens for portrait sessions right now.
On my wish list is the Nikon D3S (NO- not the D800!) and the 135 F2 (you can never have too many primes in my opinion.) I am looking at adding the 70 -200 for weddings though….. Still have to think practical sometimes. 
Q. How would you describe your style of shooting; your style of editing?
A. My style of shooting is definitely well thought out. I always try to plan my shoots around nice weather, and as close to the golden hour as possible. I pick my locations with this same thing in mind…where can I get the best light? Once I start shooting, I find that I get into a “zone” and I move smoothly from one shot to the next. Of course this not always the case since we can’t control weather, and I just did a session a few weeks ago while it poured rain most of the time. Luckily, we had a big barn there to help us out but the lighting was very much less than ideal. My style of editing is bold, bright, vibrant and colorful yet clean. I am not into a lot of vintage tones & textures, but will on occasion play with a few ’whimsical’ edits or add a texture if it suits the image.
Q. I know you’re a LR guru, when and how did you learn it?
A. I’m not sure if I am actually a Light room “guru,” but I do know my way around LR pretty well and can use it for just about ALL of my editing needs. I believe I downloaded my first LR trial in 2009 and been hooked ever since. I have converted many others over to LR and have taught over 40 LR classes with photographers in every phase- from those just starting out to seasoned pros looking to use LR to improve their workflow. I have helped each and every one in a different way and always had great feedback on my teaching methods.
Q. What I find most fascinating about your work is the connection you make with the subject, be it a child or a high school senior, and I feel like you can see into their souls through the camera; their eyes are always so intense. Any insight on how you accomplish this?
A. I believe that connecting with our subjects is the most important part of our job as photographers. After all, if you are not connecting with them, then your camera will not connect either…and I truly believe that. This is especially true with young children that you are meeting for the first time. Some may be outgoing and love the attention, while others are more quiet and shy. I will do whatever it takes to pull them out of that shell and gain their trust. Usually with the shy types it just takes a bit of talking, coaxing, and finding something you have in common. Find out what they are interested in and let them tell you all about it, and act like it is the most interesting thing you have ever heard. It may be soccer, a favorite TV show, a trip they took to Disney World, etc., just LISTEN and say ‘Wow, really!? That sounds so cool, I hope I can do that one day, and how did that make you feel?” All children love to have a grown up hang on their every word.
I use these same methods with teens. They simply love to talk about them and what is going on in their lives, their interests, college choices, etc. I have yet to have a teen that was hard to work with. The girls are always up for anything and excited to be there. That is why I simply love doing senior sessions.
Q. How do you approach each session? Any tips on how you communicate with the client, pick out a location, etc.?
A. My first initial contact with the client is always through email (as I am sure it is with most photographers.) I first thank them for inquiring about my services, tell them a bit about my shooting style, and then link them directly to my pricing and session info page. I feel this is so very important because I hear so many stories about clients not knowing fully what they are getting into when they book sessions as far as session fees, print pricing, etc. and I want to avoid that as much as possible. Manage expectations! I know that some photographers choose not to put all of their pricing, session information on their sites, but for me I feel like it helps avoid any confusion. It is all there for them- from clothing suggestions, cancellation and no show policies, right down to individual print and package costs, as well as how many proofs they should expect to see as final images.
I have several locations that I use all the time. We have great urban areas downtown and just a short drive on the expressway will take you to some beautiful rural areas and state parks. I do location scouting a couple of times per year and always manage to find a couple of new gems out there. Things I look for in a location are: Urban- colors, textures, graffiti, old buildings & warehouses. Rural- blooming trees and flowers, old barns, flower fields, and lots of greenery. Of course, great LIGHT is the most important ingredient in any location.
Q. Who or what are your photography inspirations?
A. Photography inspirations? Wow, this will be a tough one (just because I could name so many!) But here it goes-
Audrey Woulard, Mika Beth Edwards, Jaki Good, Brooke Beasley, and Krystle Ipsen and Alicia Marie Mick (Mick Luvin Photography)
Like I said, I could add many more names, but these were the first to come to mind. I look at their work a lot and have found inspiration through each of them in some way.
Q. Any parting words of inspiration or tips for those starting out?
A. The best tips/advice I can offer to new photographers is to not be in a hurry. Take the time to hone your skills. If you truly are in this to be a professional one day, then you will understand that nothing worth having ever comes easy or happens overnight. Take pride in your work and set the bar high.
Always remember that a great image comes out of your camera…NOT Photoshop or Lightroom. Last bit of advice? If in doubt, toss it out. Don’t show blurry, underexposed, or out of focus images, even if you just adore it and it’s the only one you got like that. Shots like that may be fine for snapshots of your own child for the family photo album, but not for someone who is PAYING you to give them professional results.
Thank you so much, Dawn, for sharing with us!! Dawn can be found at Dawn Gordon Photography and on Facebook. Go like her page and tell her we sent you!!
