Tips of the Trade: Combat photography fears and insecurities

I was immediately drawn to this essay on the Take Great Photos this week when the newsletter showed up in my email. Photographer Catherine Hall offers tips to help combat fear on the road to developing a photographic style and identity. Looking at Hall's work, it's almost crazy to imagine that this extremely talented wedding photographer would ever have a moment of doubt.

But it's something that I cope with often, as do many of my photography friends. Insecurity and fear, like other emotions, are neither good or bad...they just are. Acknowledge them, master a new skill to help you cope with whatever that fear is, and move on. The only time that I get worried is when those emotions paralyze me and stop me from advancing, and I know you should never let that happen -- for too long anyway. ;)



Perhaps these tips from Hall will be of some help. They appeared in a great issue of TakeGreatPictures.com:

1. Don't be afraid to laugh and make fun of yourself.

People are often painfully conscious of being in front of the camera, especially at weddings. They get stiff and uncomfortable. I find that if I misdirect the attention from them to myself, they worry less about how they look. So don't take yourself too seriously. Don't be afraid to laugh at or make fun of yourself, because inevitably that's going to put people at ease.

2. Don't be afraid to experiment.

Photographers often ask me for advice on finding a personal style. My feeling is that you don't find your style; your style finds you. Be receptive to ideas that come to you as a photographer. You are never going to develop a unique style if you stick to what you know works and you’re too scared to let yourself experiment. “What you know works,' is basically what other people have already done.”

3. Don't be afraid to charge what you're worth.

This is a huge tip for new photographers. We all have difficulty with this because we love what we do. It’s uncomfortable, but my advice is just to start off charging what you're worth and eventually you'll get used to it. Ultimately we're selling something that's unique and that gives it demand, so we should charge for it.

4. Don't be afraid to make a mistake.

Your clients don't expect you to be perfect, but you don't want to waste their time, either. If something isn’t working during a shoot, you'll get more respect by admitting it and moving on than trying to save face and taking bad pictures.

5. Don't be afraid to succeed.

Fortunately, I've never felt that I don't deserve to succeed in business, and because of that many wonderful things have come my way. But we all have fears. I see a lot of selfsabotage that goes on, a lot of excuses people make that get in the way of their success. This is not something that changes overnight, but its important to think about that and how it might be putting up roadblocks.

6. Don't be afraid of challenges.

This is for new photographers in particular. A lot of times you will be offered jobs that you think you can't do, and you just have to put faith in the fact that if the person offering you the job thinks you can do it, you probably can. Never turn down an opportunity!

7. Don't be afraid to be vulnerable.

If you have the desire to succeed and be exceptional, you will inevitably be exposed to criticism and rejection. Don't be afraid to put yourself at risk and express yourself in a way that will allow you to grow. People are not going to pay a lot of money for a mediocre photographer. There are a million of them out there. You have to distinguish yourself, and in order to do that you have to make yourself vulnerable.

8.Don't be afraid to play in post-production.

Have fun. With weddings you have to be careful because the images should be timeless and you can't do crazy special effects, but just as you experiment when you’re shooting, allow yourself to experiment in post. Allow yourself to be creative when you're working on the images in the same way that you are when you're making them.

9. Don't be afraid to grow

It’s really important to constantly be challenging yourself in order to avoid getting stuck in a routine. Have fun with growing as an artist. I am continually reinventing myself, which has allowed both me and my work to grow.

10. Fear is the darkroom where all negatives are developed.

Tips of the Trade: How to stay sane during wedding season

While exploring some of the news items on photoclique.com, I came across this great list of "rules" about surviving wedding season from photographer Susan Centineo of Studio C Photography. I love Centineo's candor and transparency. especially her willingness to share how to maintains good relationships with her clients through communication. Here is a sample of one of her letter's to a client to summarize the events of the wedding day as was originally discussed when the wedding was booked, serves as the reminder for any balance due, and assures that the photographers will have their break during the meal. Here is a sample letter:



Dear Lauren and Aaron,

This is Rickilynn Dyer, your Coordinator of Services at STUDIO C Photography. As you know, we are coming up the big day, and I’d like to summarize a few things to assure that on your wedding day there will be smooth sailing. CAREFULLY READ THE FOLLOWING and contact me if there are any discrepancies.

Your photographers will meet you at Morningside Inn at 4 PM, approximately 1 hour prior to the ceremony. We will take pictures of you separately, with your wedding party, family, and friends. We will photograph the ceremony, and continue through approximately 10 PM, or until all key points of the reception are completed. The photographers usually stay through all but the last hour, by which time all key points are covered.
We understand that you are requesting both traditional and candid shots, which is typical of most weddings, and your photographers will capture images in both styles. Your photographers are prepared for both outdoor and indoor shots.
Please ask your officiant to make a short announcement right after the ceremony about immediate family and the wedding party remaining for photos.
Your photographers will take their break while everyone is eating the meal. Please remind your catering/venue director to provide a separate table for the photographers to take their meal, and to check camera gear, etc.
After the wedding, please allow a full twenty-one days, at least, for a proof gallery. The editing process is lengthy and time-consuming, and thus it is often closer to four weeks. Please be patient – you don’t want to rush the editing! This is what makes the difference between great STUDIO C images and awesome STUDIO C images.
Once you have your proofs, take all the time you need to view them and decide on your favorites. Your photographers are available to review them with you in our Studios if you need guidance choosing album photos, or if you would like to see our latest products. According to our records, your balance has been paid in full.
In the meantime … Enjoy your Wedding Day, Honeymoon, and the beautiful life that we are sure you will have together in the years to come.:)

Sincerely,

Rickilynn Dyer
Service Coordinator



The tips that spoke the most to me:
1) THE JOYS OF POST-EDITING – JUST DO IT! – Weddings are really two-day events, the wedding itself, and then the day of editing. No matter how good your images are, there is always a certain amount of cropping and general enhancement that must be done, not to mention the special effects that we always add to at least a handful of images (about 25 – 30) to really ‘wow’ the bride and groom. With 800 – 1000 or more images to wade through, narrow down, and edit, this takes a full four to six hours on a really good day. Rule of thumb: Edit the entire thing before the next wedding. Now, if Wedding A is on Friday evening and Wedding B is Saturday morning, you aren’t going to have time to squeeze in your editing unless you choose to forego getting any sleep, which of course we do not recommend. The key is to schedule a full day on Monday or Tuesday to knock out both weddings, and be thus ready for the next. If you don’t, you’re going to find yourself backed up on three weddings, and this is when we start to sweat, forging a stressful path for ourselves to be sure. Treat it like an appointment: Schedule it, be there, be on time, and leave when the appointment is over, and not before. Too many photographers leave editing for that vague and indeterminate future date, ‘when we have time.’ We never have time – you know this – and before you know it, you’re backed into a corner. Forcing yourself to edit before the next gig with be worth it’s weight in gold – and your sanity – later on.

2) STAY IN TOUCH AFTER THE FACT- OK, you’ve gotten all their images and products to them, signed, sealed, and delivered, and a big check-mark on the file. Now what? Stay in touch, that’s what! Your past clients are rich sources of future referral business, and by maintaining a system of regular contact you will stay fresh in their minds. We start by sending a feedback form in a thank-you card about 2 weeks after the products are delivered. The letter starts like this: “A penny for your thoughts … how about a dollar?” A crisp new one dollar bill is in the envelope, along with a self-addressed, stamped envelope, as inducements to complete the form. We get about 95% of them back. Next, we send Christmas cards, a one-year anniversary card, and two or three emails over the course of the year sharing a gallery here, a special there. No overkill, just a system of occasional communications. If we receive a referral and the client books, we send our referring clients a gift certificate to a good restaurant, or a general Mall certificate, which they can use in any store there. Always reward referrals, and make each reward better than the last for multiples.

That last one is filled with great ideas to make your wedding clients repeat customers through occasional communications. I definitely need to work on this.

Tips of the Trade: Husband and wife team share tips for great wedding photographs

Yesterday morning while yelling at -- er, I mean, having a disagreement with -- my Kodak All-in-One printer, I happened upon this amazing set of tips on the Kodak "Tips & Projects Center" webpage.

Isabel Lawrence Photographers are a husband and wife team based in Los Angeles, California. Their work has appeared in publications like People, In Style, Town & Country as well as on WE TV's Platinum Weddings and the Oprah Show. Isabel's photographs have appeared in several galleries and museums including the Ventura Museum of Art and the Latin Art Museum. Her photographs were also featured at Photokina in the Kodak pavilion in 2006. I immediately recognized Lawrence candid style as that achieved from his award winning photojournalism at the Los Angeles Times and LA Weekly. All photos in this post were shot by Isabel Lawrence Photographers. Check out their tips and try to incorporate them into your wedding day coverage. I know I will be!

INTERACTION
To ensure natural, relaxed expressions that illustrate your subject's true feelings, encourage lots of interaction. Just be sure to keep shooting because you are sure to get some priceless moments.



CAMERA SHY
When dealing with a camera shy subject, place her where the light is good and where you have a pleasing background, then have her engage with a friend off camera. The pressure of being photographed is off because she is distracted by the conversation and you will be able to capture a wonderful, fun moment.



SURPRISE HIM
As a photographer interested in expanding my boudoir gallery, I loved this idea! For the more daring bride, suggest setting aside some extra time during the "getting ready" portion of the day for some boudoir shots. Ask her to pickup some special lingerie or envelope her in the bridal veil. Present these photos to the bride privately after the wedding so that she can surprise her groom at a later date. This is a great opportunity to create more sales for your studio. Recommend that such special photos deserve to be displayed in a special album or portfolio box.



EXPERIMENT
Pickup an old Rollieflex or Holga camera at a flea market and load it with TMax 120 film. You'll stretch yourself creatively and deliver something unique and unexpected to your clients. While I won't be doing this, I will enjoy being able to experiment with lighting up the church and reception area with strobes.



INSPIRATION
Find inspiration in obvious places. For instance, with so many couples requesting wedding images that have a photo journalistic quality, take a look at the masters of photojournalism. Photographers like Eugene Smith and Elliott Erwitt were master storytellers whose photographs are relevant to this day. Study their compositions and camera angles. If you submerge yourself in classic, well made images, you will start to see the story telling opportunities in every wedding.



KEEP IT FRESH
Approach each wedding with the mind set that it is your first. It can be easy to fall into a rut when shooting the same type of event every week. It is so important for the photographer to be open to each couple's story and try his best to depict it in a new and fresh way.



EQUAL OPPORTUNITY
I definitely agree with this one, as I believe the groom is often overlooked in the day coverage. I have at least one photographer dedicated to concentrating on him and his family. Give the groom just as much attention as the bride. The groom's dressing room is usually overlooked but rich in photographic opportunity. Make time to check in and take some photos of the groom and his friends getting ready. The guys will appreciate the attention and the bride will love seeing that aspect of the day.



KIDS
When photographing the smaller, younger members of the bridal party, kneel down and look them in the eye. Introduce yourself and explain that you are there to take lots of nice shots of them. Sometimes, in order to break the ice with some of the shyer children, I let them take a photo of me first. If possible try to choose a location that is within the parents' vision but far enough away that Mom won't be trying to coax the typical "photo smile" out of her child.



EVERY LITTLE THING
Focus on the little things during the wedding. The bride and groom have spent a tremendous amount of time picking out the favors, programs and food but because the day is such a blur for them, they are rarely able to take it all in. Take the time to photograph each element as beautifully as you can. Not only will your clients be appreciative but so will the florist and other wedding professionals who are in a position to refer more work to you.



DRAG IT
Using a slow shutter speed (1⁄15th or slower) and a pop of flash can be a dynamic way to show movement and energy. This is especially effective during the reception.



PORTRAITS
A portrait doesn’t always have to have a face in it. Be aware of your subject's body language and look for ways to depict emotion that are not obvious.

Growing Pains: Successful Client Consultation

On Sunday, I had a lunch/consultation with Julie H., a young woman whose wedding I will be shooting next month. Every opportunity I've had to speak with Julie has been wonderful and the excitement for her upcoming event is definitely building. I think the goal of a consultation is not just to impart information about services and coordinate schedules; it's an opportunity to really delve into a client's desires. It's the photographer's chance to let the client dream and share so plans can be made to make those ideals come true. Plus, the more I know about what she wants, the better instructions I can give to my assistants to get those kinds of shots.

I asked Julie to collect images she saw online or in magazines to give me a better idea of what kind of imagery she was looking for. There is absolutely nothing wrong with gaining inspiration from other photographer's work. I was able to see that she loves wide aperture shots with blurred bokeh in the background as well as detailed shots, such as ribbons in the flower girl's hair. Her style is a mixture of classic poses in contemporary imagery.



Julie, her fiance Joe and I are on the same page about having a preference for candid and artistic wedding photography. Julie said she doesn't want "weird magazine unrealistic poses," although we spoke about what she wants from the formal portraits we will be shooting of the family and wedding parties. She wants the unobtrusive, documentary type images, such as this one I took at a previous wedding event:



Of course we spoke about the must-have shots with family members who will be making special trips to attend the ceremony. The couple both have amazing eyes, Julie's large and green and Joe's a deep, drowning brown with lashes most women would die to have. I've been requested to shoot several images emphasizing their eyes. And what was the main reason why the couple hired me? Because they loved Teri's Rose and similar selective coloring shots such as this one:



I loved talking to Julie about how her romance with her fiance Joe developed because it gives me a better sense of the kind of photos they might appreciate as a couple. This lovely pair have known each other since they were in high school; they weren't sweethearts, but their lives have always been intwined with mutual friends and experiences that helped build the foundation for their friendship and later their love. She mentioned that it will be two whole days before the bride and groom get to see each other right before the wedding, so the moment they finally lay eyes on each other when she walks into the church will definitely be something that I and my assistants will focus on (one person focusing on Julie and the other capturing Joe's reaction).

I'm very excited that Julie has allowed me to shoot her final bridal fitting and a special "pedicure and wine" party for her bridal party. I think these two events will make their wedding a more complete story and will yield some great timeless, fun shots that will be more relaxed and filled real personality without the added stress of the BIG EVENT. I will also be shooting the rehearsal -- all wonderful chances for the clients to begin to see me as their advocate for capturing the best memories possible.

Tips of the Trade: Commercial Photographer David X. Tejada

On Sunday, I was one of about 30 photographers who got the chance to meet commercial David X. Tejada, one of Colorado's most highly sought after location corporate photographers. The Colorado Strobist Flickr group hosted the event at the North Denver Photography Studio, and it was well worth the $10 we each paid for the studio rental time. All images in this post were taken by Tejada.

I love any opportunity I get to pick the brain of a professional photographer. It amazes me that anyone would be able to make a living solely from their photography business, so Tejada's willingness to share some of his secrets of success was greatly appreciated. Tejada presented a body of work from various corporate assignments and discussed how many of those images where created. He shared some tips and tricks about lighting and answered questions regarding business practices. I will be blogging about some of those practices on Sunday's "Growing Pains" post and explaining how I will incorporate some of his ideas in my own business. I also hope to sign up for his "Small Strobes, Big Results" workshop so I can see some hands-on instruction in use of off-camera lighting.


Tejada even joined a group of photographers for dinner, allowing us to spend more time with him and his assistants getting coveted tricks of the trade. He is a location specialists and doesn't do much studio work anymore. This Nikon shooter spent the majority of his discussion explaining how to achieve big lighting results with a small travel size outfit of strobes (usually SB800s) that's easy to carry, especially since he's already had two back surgeries! His corporate photography and annual report shots often call for him to shoot "guys with ties" and "gals in skirts," so he explained what he does to make what might be boring subjects stand out:

1) He looks for an interesting background first and then puts his subject in it. His process starts with asking himself "what's my background," and "what's my depth of field." Then he applies the light that's needed to get the effect he wants. He figures out what f-stop he wants to shoot at and then sets up lights so he can shoot at that depth.

2) He uses people in his photos to show a sense of scale. He doesn't care who he has to grab, whether it's his own assistants or factory crews, to add a human element his photos showcasing advertising, architecture, editorial, healthcare, industrial, international, mining, oil & gas, portrait, still life and workplace or environmental imagery.


3) He uses foreground elements to create a sense of depth in images.



4) He rarely uses more than 1/30th to 1/60th of power on his SB800s, and he generally starts with only one light source. The area is lit before the subject comes in.

5) He aims to create believable and sellable images. Most of his work is staged, and he acts out every position he wants his subjects to take. He doesn't shoot photos, he "makes" photos. "Be an art director with a camera. People don't know what to do. You need to direct them." To this end, his most useful photographic tools are walkie talkies to direct subjects and primary color jackets to add interest and contrast to images.

"Nothing will happen uneless you make that shot happen. You will never get a shot unless you put it together," Tejada says.

6) He recommends collecting favorite images from magazines and annual reports so photographers can get creative inspiration. "I see nothing wrong with doing a rendention of someone's work," Tejada says.

7) He blogs to keep a written journal of his assignments. He does so much he tends to forget what his assignments are.

8) He makes clients pay for liability insurance and cleaning his gear in dirty, dingy and hazardous shooting environments.

9) The key to his small strobe usage is to let the ambient light do all the "heavy lifting" and he uses the strobes to light up the subject.

10) If you see something you want to shoot, STOP NOW and get it because there is no guarantee the circumstance will be the same when you come back.

11) Get yourself a mentor if you want to be successful.

12) He direct's a viewers eyes by placing a stronger light source on his subjects. He often has one person making direct eye contact with the camera in his images.

13) He loves DIY-photography projects. His other favorite tools are tripods for sharp images, Lightroom, light breaks to project pattern into a background, HMI movie lights, CTO/CTB filters, scissor clamps, barn doors and nothing larger than 4 GB on a memory card.

14) Use open doorways as an available light source. "Just because you have a strobe doesn't mean you have to use it. Find the light." On the other hand, it's sometimes fun to try putting a strobe in a shot. "Have fun playing with light and see what you can do. Practice all the time."

15) His biggest No-Nos: Don't have models standing or leaning on walls, and don't have a subject point a finger in a photograph.