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Well, not really…but sort of!

Newborn photography is one of my absolutely FAVORITE types of sessions.  I know, I know,  I know…..you have heard it before, but I will say it again!  I just can’t get enough of those teeny tiny little people!  I love their smell.  I love the way you can just tuck them in your arms like a little tiny package.  I love their noses and toeses and everything in between!  I love how we want to kiss their toes and take photos of their squishy back-ends.  I mean, there aren’t many times in most of our lives that those are one of our most attractive features!  HA!

But newborn photography is hard.  It really is.  I can spend almost 6  hours on the session itself – between travel and the actual session.  Newborns have no schedule whatsoever.  There is no way to make a newborn happy when they aren’t, other than feedings, changing or cuddlings.  So each session has a LOT of down time.  And that doesn’t include the time it takes me to prepare for the session, pack up for the session (they need lots of STUFF!) and then, of course, culling and editing and more!  But that is part of the gig, and I still love it just the same.

The other thing some people (including some photographers) don’t realize is that many of the more creative “poses” and props in newborn photography are really a lot of smoke and mirrors.  That doesn’t mean their work is fake or less impressive.  In fact, I find it extremely impressive!  What it means is that many of the poses and props, if done incorrectly or by someone who does not know what they are doing, can be very dangerous because there is really is MUCH more going on behind the scenes than some individuals realize.

Oh yes, did you catch what I said?  Some poses can be DANGEROUS if done incorrectly or by someone not experienced or trained.

Let me give you an example – those poses, where the baby is hanging in a sling?  Or hanging from a branch?  Or hanging pretty much anywhere?  Well folks, hate to burst your bubble but those babies aren’t  literally “hanging” anywhere.  At least they never should be!  Those amazing photographers such as Carrie Sandoval and Kelley Ryden and Keri Myers – just to name a few – are extremely safe because they actually aren’t letting any of their babies “hang”.  They are using assistants and often lots of photoshop to give their photos the impression of hanging while not actually letting your baby hang at ALL.

Oh, and sadly (and scarily!), I have actually seen photographers who are HANGING BABIES!!!!  AWK!!!!!!!  If that baby falls?  If that baby gets injured?   Well, I don’t even want to think about it.

Another example – those photos with babies  posed – sometimes almost teetering –  on props such as rocking horses, or benches, or tables or chairs or anything that has the potential for a fall. Those babies are NOT actually teetering on anything.  They are either being held or spotted by at least one if not more assistants or the photographers are creating a composite (combining two or more photos) photo in Photoshop to give the appearance of a baby teetering on an object while never actually putting them ON the object.

Please, PLEASE –  NEVER let a photographer take a photo of your baby on anything where the baby can quickly stretch and fall to the ground.  Those poses are ONLY safe if there is an assistant (or two!) with their hands ON THE BABY at all times.  And if they try?  Grab your little one and run for the hills!

This is an example composite photo.

Obviously, newborns can’t hold up their heads with their hands.  If you try, they will droop and look awkward.  The only way to achieve this type of pose is by having an assistant holding the head and then the arms and then combining the photos in photoshop and erasing out the assistant hands.

So, you see, there is SO much more to newborn photography than many people realize.  Some photographers do an amazing job at creating these types of images.  Some photographers tend towards more natural poses and less props.  I use a few props, but I will never be hanging a baby.  It is just not my thing.

When choosing a newborn photographer, not only choose someone whose style you love, but also make sure if they are going to try any of these types of poses, that your baby is, first and foremost , SAFE!

If you want to see an interesting tutorial in doing a hanging baby on a scale pose – check out this article on Inspire Me Baby.

Another great resource for newborn photography is You Tube!  There are tons of newborn posing videos.

Oh – and lastly – did you hear about my New Year, New Baby Promotion?!!  NO???  Well, if you or someone you know is having a baby in the next couple months – please CLICK HERE to read about an amazing deal!!!! Hurry!  Time is running out!!!

Until Next Time!!

XOXO!!

As I photographer, I love visiting other photographer’s blogs.  Sometimes they inspire me, sometimes they educate me, sometimes they just amuse me and sometimes they want to make me give up because I will NEVER be that amazing!  LOL!

But one of my favorite posts to read are the ones where the photographer shares a peek at their “behind the scenes” stuff.  You know, what’s in their bag, what programs they use for editing etc etc.  I like getting a glimpse into their secret stash, and hear why they use what they use and why they love what they love.

So here’s my STUFF!

Camera – Nikon D700 (with D90 backup)

Yes, I am a Nikon girl.  But honestly, the only reason is that my first DSLR camera was a Nikon D40 that I found at a great price.  And since I knew Nikon, and I was getting an arsenal of Nikon lenses,  I just stayed with the Nikon line.  I think Canon’s are amazing cameras too.  I loved my D40, but quickly upgraded to a D80 and then a D90.  When I started doing weddings, I finally took the plunge and upgraded to the D700.

And what can I say about the D700?  Simply amazing.

The D700 has a full frame sensor.  There are so many reasons why I love it, but the main reason I upgraded was that its performance in low light is beautiful.  I have been at many weddings where flash during the ceremony is prohibited.  And many churches can be quite dark even on the brightest day.  My D700 lets me crank up that ISO and still only see negligible noise.

(ISO 3200 baby!!)

I also just find the D700′s overall image quality to be amazing.   And my images have a more three dimensional look to them.  I am no techie, so I can’t give you any educated explanation as to what exactly is different and why, but just suffice it to say I am a very happy D700 owner and I have no plans to upgrade any time soon.

Lenses

As I mentioned, my first DSLR was the D40.  I had the 18 – 55 kit lens and quickly added the 55 – 200 telephoto lens.  These lenses are great if you are just using the camera for personal use.  But they aren’t considered professional lenses, and they definitely have serious limitations in regards to image quality in low light situations.  However, these lenses were wonderful starter lenses.  I used them for many of my favorite photos of my kiddos.  And I absolutely think they are perfect for anyone starting out in photography.  But when you are ready to call yourself a professional, it is time to invest in professional quality lenses.

Sigma 50 1.4: This is my baby – my [by far] most used – most loved lens. As you will see, I am a prime girl.  Prime lenses have a fixed focal length. If you want to zoom in – you walk closer.  If you want to zoom out, you walk further away.  Prime lenses are known to be a higher quality than a zoom lens (one that you can zoom in and out without moving your feet).  And that is one reason why I invested in prime lenses.

The other reason is that a prime lens (usually) has a much larger aperture.  Without going into a long and technical explanation, the larger your aperture (in this case, the Sigma can open to 1.4 (small number = big aperture), the more light your lens will let onto the sensor and the better quality your images will be in low light situations.  And take my Sigma 1.4 and attach it to my D700 and you have a pretty amazing set up for the most challenging lighting situation.

The 50 mm focal length is considered a “normal” lens, which really just means it sees things the way we see them in real life.  Which just makes it a great all-purpose lens for so many situations.

Nikon 35. 2.0: This is a great lens.  It is a wider angle lens and works great for indoor shoots when I don’t have a lot of room to back up – such as newborns.  The aperture isn’t as large as my 50mm, but it usually is just fine for my application.

Nikon 85 1.8: This lens is a wonderful portrait lens.  It has a longer focal length, and is often hard to use indoors when you are in tight quarters.  The aperture isn’t as large as my 50mm, but at 1.8 it is pretty darn close.  This is a wonderful lens when you actually want to be a bit further away.  I often use it during engagement sessions.  I like to let couples to interact between themselves like I am not there.  With the 85, I can add some physical distance to me subject.  And this often is great way to make subjects feel a little more comfortable and, therefore, be a little more themselves.  Although I love the 85 1.8, I have rented the 85 1.4 and have to say it is simply incredible.   If I ever decide to upgrade to this lens, I most likely will be using this focal length a lot more than I do now.

Tokina 100 2.8: This is my macro lens.  It is just a fun lens to play with.  It works great for ring shots or shooting teeny tiny newborn toes.  And the 100mm focal length is great for a little more reach when needed.   It does have some trouble focusing sometimes, but it is quite sharp and beautiful when it does!

I use this lens the least.  It is “fun”, but not as practical as I had hoped.  I have been considering selling it to get a wider angle lens.  We’ll see, the jury is still out on this one……

Lighting -

SB 900: I use an SB900 flash when necessary.  I do not do a lot of off-camera flash, I usually use this lens for indoor sessions when necessary.  I try to bounce it to the side to give some more natural directional light.

Reflector: I also have a 42″ 5 in 1 reflector that I use ALL THE TIME.  I almost always use the white side.  It is wonderful for creating those gorgeous catchlights or just for bouncing a little extra light onto the subject so you can actually SEE the subject’s eyes (no more black holes where the eyes should be!).  It works great in backlighting situations!

Bags

I use a Domke F2 to carry all my stuff – all my lenses, flash, batteries, CF cards even a snack or two and a bottle of water.  It isn’t huge, but it works for me and is easy to get stuff in and out of.   However, I don’t usually carry this bag with me AS I am shooting.  It is just too cumbersome.  I usually leave it in the car and put the essentials in my Shootsac.

Software/Computer

I do all my importing/culling and initial editing with Lightroom 3.  It is a program designed for photographers.  I have been using it for a couple years now and I still have so much to learn but I love it and definitely recommend it.

I do my final editing with Photoshop CS5.  This program was just a TAD overwhelming at first….but somehow I muddled through and now feel quite proficient.  As with Lightroom, I know I also have much to learn.

I recently upgraded my computer to a 27″ iMac.  Yeah baby!!!  The iMac is amazing.  I did a LOT of research before taking the plunge, but from everything I have read, the Mac is just a better system for photographers.  And it IS!!!  It runs LR and CS5 like a charm.  I can open multiple images in a snap.  I have never gotten a “not responding” warning (which happened ALL. THE. TIME with my pc).  I am still have a hitch here and there as I try to muddle through some of differences between it and a pc, but I think I am a convert.

And then there are back-ups.  I learned this one the HARD way when my pc AND my external hard drive died on me 2 years ago smack dab in the middle of senior portrait season!  The pc was a goner.  LUCKILY, the external hard drive was able to be fixed and I recovered my lost data.  I did lose lots of edited jpegs, but THANK GOD, I still had the original RAW files.  I also had all my past sessions backed up on DVDs so I never lost everything.  But it was a huge pain to re-edit sessions over and I had [just a few] tearful moments of frustration.

Now I have my 1 TB iMac with two 1TB external hard drives.  I still back up completed sessions onto DVD.  I also have a subscription to Backblaze.  Backblaze is an online backup service that continually backs up my data to their storage site.  Should I have a catastrophe and lose my files here, I can just contact them and they will restore EVERYTHING!  Definitely wonderful for the peace of mind.  And at $50/yr it really is a great bargain.

Education

Lastly, I wanted to just give some great places to go if you want to learn or improve on your own photography:

Digital Photography School:  This is probably where I learned the most when I started out.  There is a plethora of articles about everything and anything related to photography – from understanding the basics of the exposure triangle, to tips on how to handle different types of photo shoots.

Flickr:  There are forums on Flickr for pretty much anything you can possible imagine – from gear, to business, to flowers, to water drops.

My favorite forum probably is “Starting a Wedding Photography Business”.  There are photographers in this group that that are some of the most amazing photographers you can imagine.  Although it is technically called “Starting” a wedding photography business, it actually has become geared towards more established photographers.  I am not kidding when I say this group is definitely a “who’s who” in wedding photography.  Some of the active participants are literally the most sought after wedding photographers in the WORLD.  It is a closed group, so you need to apply and show you are an actual working wedding photographer, to be accepted, but it is definitely worth your time.

I Love Photography:  When you really want to improve the quality of your children/family/newborn images, THIS is the site to visit.  It is also a “who’s who”, but in child/family/newborn photography as it has some of the most amazing photographers in the world actively participating.  And if you take the time to not only read the volumes of information available in their archives, but also start posting your own images for honest critique, you will definitely be on the road to taking your images from a standard “snapshot” to a true professional portrait.

I also love that this forum prohibits any business discussions unless you have applied, and been accepted, into their pro forums.  The group strongly believes you should not be charging for your work until you can turn out professional quality work.  The pro standards are high, but once you are accepted, you know you have access to a community of amazing and experienced photographers.

Understanding Exposure:  This is a book that I recommend to anyone who says – I want to learn how to use my camera!  It does a wonderful job of explaining the basics of the exposure triangle.  And before you know it, you will have your camera off your auto settings and into full manual!

Phew!!!  Well, I think that is about it.  Hope you found this interesting and/or helpful!  Any questions please don’t hesitate to ask!!!  I LOVE talking photography!!!!!

Until next time! XOXO!

I had some questions and comments this week regarding the photos I took of my girls on the beach regarding -  how did you process that?

What I responded, and what I thought may be interesting to show, is that the processing of the photos is really one of the least important elements.  Well, yes, how a photographer processes their photos is very important and reflects their style.  But the true key to capturing an amazing shot is finding the most beautiful light and knowing how to compose your image and set your camera to capture that image almost perfectly right off the bat.

And part of the beauty of these shots were just dumb luck.

Well, sort of.

I know that the most beautiful light of the day is the hour before sunset or the hour after sunrise.  So late evening was when I planned the shoot.  The dumb luck came in with the fact that the light that particular evening was just stunning.  I wish I could say I picked that night for photos because of the light, but no, it was just the last night and my last opportunity.  I was lucky.

I always use manual settings on my camera -  the Nikon D700.  I used my 50 1.4 Sigma lens  – definitely my most used, most loved lens.  I made sure the sun was in front of me (behind my subject) and I used spot metering to exposure for the faces.  I have also found that my D700′s meter way overexposes so I need to underexpose by at least 2 stops to get a properly exposed image.  My final settings for this particular shot were ISO 400, F 4.5, 1/500.  This is the shot completely SOOC:

I had my girls walk towards me and away from me a few times.  I composed the photo so I showed plenty of the gorgeous beach and so I could capture their reflections in the surf.

I imported the photo to LR3 where I cropped a bit, straightened up the skyline and bumped up the vibrance.  I think I cooled down the photo just a touch and upped the exposure just a tad.  I then exported to CS4 where all I ran a quick action at low opacity for just a touch of warmth and glow.  I used “Morning Glory” from Florabella actions.  After that, I sharpened via Kubota’s Magic Sharp and that was it!

You can see that the beauty of the shot is not the processing, but the light, the settings and the composition (and, for me, the adorable subjects!).

Until next time!!!!

This is probably the absolute hardest part of being a business owner.  It is something I have wrestled with (and continue to wrestle with) since I decided to start my business.  How much should I charge?

There are a plethora of articles on pricing photography and why custom photography costs so much more than getting portraits at your average chain studio.   But here is my sorted pricing story…..

When I started out, I charged nothing.  I was working on improving my work and gaining experience.  So I took photos for free, gave a CD and was absolutely thrilled when my “clients” loved my pictures.  I was even more thrilled when more inquiries for free pictures came in.  I couldn’t believe someone thought I did a good enough job that they would ask me to photograph their family.

After about 6 months, I decided I needed to start charging something.   I love taking photos, but I obviously can’t continue to do it for nothing.  So I charged $50 and included the CD of images.  And I still continued to get inquiries!  I was thrilled and honored to photograph all these clients.  And all these clients provided me with invaluable experience.  And they were paying me!!!  Whoo Hoo!!!!

After another 6 months, I realized I needed to get serious.  My current pricing was actually causing me to lose money.  At $50 per client, I was definitely not profitable.

I started adding it all up to see exactly how much time and money do I invest in every client.  Really sitting down to evaluate the exact time and money that actually goes into running your business can be eye opening.

First there is the actual session.  I spent about 2 hrs photographing my clients.  But then there is the travel time (maybe another 30 minutes, often more).  And my culling and editing time – another 3 – 5 hrs.   So that can total  up to 10 hrs per client, at $50 per client, results in a $5/hr job.  Less than minimum wage.  Hmm.  Not so great anymore.

But then you need to remember that running a business requires many hours of just generating business – marketing to new clients, emailing clients, answering questions, meeting with clients in person etc.  So my $5/hr estimate is still a bit of a overestimate.

But of course, it isn’t just my time, it is more. A LOT more.

There are my direct costs for each client – gas and wear and tear on vehicles to travel to each session,  all the office supplies and the postage.    And, of course, there are obviously the product costs – the actual cost of the product and the time to order the products and package the products and deliver or mail the final products.

I also want to use high quality equipment so my final images can be much more than just “snapshots”.   I started out with an entry level SLR camera.  Which was fine for starting out.  But when I started taking on weddings, I realized I can’t agree to capture someone’s most important moments of their life with a camera that can’t handle the low light and fast action of a ceremony and reception.   And I upgraded to a professional SLR camera with high quality lenses.  Not cheap.  Actually a little more costly than our last [well-used] car.  And you can’t shoot a wedding without backup equipment.  At least, you really REALLY shouldn’t.  So I have backups of EVERYTHING – extra camera, extra lenses, flashes, batteries……

So my fees need to cover not only my time and my direct costs, but the costs for my cameras and lenses and all the other items needed to produce professional photos -  CF cards, flashes, batteries, props, backdrops.  And then, of course, my “darkroom” which consists of my computer, and all my computer programs.  Again, not cheap.

And then I need a website.  I had a free one for a while, but I feel that if you want to be a professional, you need to present your images in the most professional way possible.  There are definitely some photographers who do a great job in designing their free website or blog.  I’m definitely not one of them.  So I purchased a website and a blog and pay monthly fees for hosting.

Oh – there is also continuing education.  I want to be the best photographer I can.  I refuse to stop learning and improving.  EVER.  So I spend countless hours studying and practicing my techniques.  And I have attended and will continue to attend workshops and seminars that are invaluable in improving my skills and confidence.   And this year I have plans to do much more of the same.

And last, but not least, there are taxes.  Yes, if you are running a business, you better have a tax ID number and you better be paying Uncle Sam.  So if I am charging $50 per session, I can just take 1/3 of that off the top for taxes.  That leaves me with about $35 for way more than 10 hrs of work and not even close to being able to cover any of my costs.

Oops – one last item – insurance.  Yup, you need that too.

You also need to take into consideration the photographer’s talent and style and what goes into developing your own style and improving your techniques.  But to keep things a little more simple, I am not going to go into that facet and just keep my discussion on just time and money.

It is funny, when you are 15 and want some extra money, you babysit.  You never would think of offering to babysit for free because you haven’t done it before and you want the ‘experience’.  And, honestly, most teenage babysitters are bringing in way more $ per hour than your average “portfolio building” photographer.    I am not why photographers feel their time is worth so little, but it happens all the time. I did it.  Many others will do it too.  And you will never be short of clients thrilled with you and your bargain basement prices.  Unfortunately, those photographers are showing that they place little value on their work and their product when they don’t charge a price that even enables them earn minimum wage.

With the proliferation of lower cost, higher quality digital cameras, and the ability to set up a free Facebook business page, it is very easy to start your business.   But as we all know, having a great camera does not mean you will create beautiful images.  Just as having a great paintbrush won’t make you an artist, or having the best set of golf clubs isn’t going turn you into Tiger Woods.  (OK, maybe bad example….but you get the drift.)  It takes way more than the right equipment.  It takes talent, and lots of hard work and a good business sense.

It is nice to have lots of clients.  It is wonderful to feel the love.  But the real test is whether your clients will still love you when you start charging a fair price.  A price where you can continue to deliver the best product and the best service and a price where you have a much better chance of being able to stay in business for years to come.  Because, the #1 reason why photographers fail is lack of business sense.  Eighty-five percent of all photography businesses fail after the first couple years.  You have to admit,  THAT is a scary statistic.

And, the point of this post?  Well, I guess I offer some explanation of why my sessions require more than just a $50 investment.  And maybe to encourage other photographers to have a bit more courage to charge what they are worth and to have a bit more respect for what they do.   Or to at least charge more than the local babysitter.

And if you want to read other articles or guidelines on pricing:

For clients, there is this article -  Why does custom photography cost more? A great website explaining exactly what goes into custom photography (as opposed to chain studio photography, e.g. Olan Mills, Sears etc etc).

And for photographers, there are tons of pricing articles and guides like THIS ONE or THIS ONE .  Both articles were features on MCP Actions blog which is is a wonderful resource for any photographer.  Jodi has great articles, great actions available for purchase (and a few free ones) and just a plethora of tips and advice.

If you want to invest in a really great pricing guide, you can purchase Easy As Pie.   I did and I absolutely LOVE this guide and have read and re-read it countless times.  It is a bit pricey, but worth every penny.  If you are a wedding photographer, Stacey Reeves has an incredible pricing guide HERE that is free to download!

And the wonderful Zack Arias wrote THIS article late last year about his journey in pricing.  Definitely a must read for photographers.

And who wants a post on a photography blog without a photo? So here is are some views of my beloved Presque Isle Beach – in the depths of winter. And here’s hoping that we will be seeing some blue water soon!!!!

Until next time!