Get the Job Done: First Wedding Assignment Complete and Successful!

My presentation with bride Tolisa was a success, and I can't tell you how relieved I am to finally be done with this assignment. Tolisa (seen above) is very pleased with her photos and she took a handful of my business cards and new postcards to give to all her friends and relatives. For her presentation, I chose to display all the images in a slideshow on my MacBook Pro. To hear Tolisa react so positively to the images was a great confidence booster.



I wasn't able to complete the photo album in time as it was a very difficult process and would have required about two hours putting it together. So instead, I went back to my original idea of blowing up this fabulous shot Mike Haley took of the couple walking out of the church and into their new life together. I printed an 11x14 of this, framed and matted it. Turns out this was one of Tolisa's favorites (mine too!) and she plans to purchase it as well as several CDs that have 4x6 print versions of select images taken throughout the day. Tolisa, Jordan and their friends and relatives will purchase larger prints directly from my website.

I managed to cull 3,000 shots taken from three very different photographers to about 600 cohesive "Picture Your World Photography" images. All of those images were then separated into six galleries. I wanted to thank Mike Haley...



and Jason Peckovitch again for a fabulous job! Love you guys!



Now, I wait to see if I will get some print sales from the website. Tolisa mentioned that the first photographer she considered hiring was going to charge her $3,500, so she recognized that my charge for $500 was an incredible steal (and she will be the ONLY bride to ever get my services at that discounted price!). She promised to keep that between us, and she intends to push her guests to buy prints to help me make up those lost sales. Plus, I think I may have secured a new client for life, as she is already making plans for numerous sessions, including a glamour/boudoir set and Christmas shots to be taken later this year. Her brother is graduating this year and needs senior shots. Her god daughter's family needs portraits done. And I hope to be their chosen maternity photographer when the couple gets pregnant. Here's hoping for many more opportunities to work together in the future. Besides, Tolisa and Jordan just moved into a house right up the street from my house....why should they go to anyone else when I'm so close by. ;)

Get Out There: Images Submitted for Public Gallery Showing

On Saturday, I submitted four images to possibly be included in a public gallery showing. The Denver Darkroom where I took my first digital photography course not only teaches people how to create pieces of art, but it's also very instrumental in finding ways to showcase and sell students' work throughout the community. I blogged about the school's first student exhibit at a local restaurant. Students' photographs will be displayed and sold again during an exhibit being held at Arts on 7th complex next month.

One entire section will be devoted to Denver Darkroom students, and since this is a one-night showing, everything will be priced to sell. Jeffrey Rupp, the Darkroom's exhibits director, said the pieces I chose to enter were daring and he can't wait to see how people are going to react. I have to admit, the images I chose showcase a new side of my photographic talents, namely those artistic nude and boudoir shots that my clients have been clamouring for. Rupp said that if I ever wanted to take a risk in my photography, now is the time to do it in these less formal exhibits.

So I went BIG....meaning I printed out huge 20x30 poster sizes of the images you see throughout this post. The photos caused quite a stir when they were printed at Wolf Camera, as the staff and customers stopped whatever they were doing to see them as they came fresh and hot off the printer. "I love printing good photos!" said the head print technician. She actually came out of her office and helped me frame them. I'm hoping that initial response will bode well for potential sales. And since I got to submit four, I went ahead and added my signature shot of Teri and her daughter Avery because it is one of my personal favs.

As usual, I had problems deciding how to price the photos, so I went with a friend's suggestion to multiply the cost of the print and frame and multiply it by 3 (to cover the costs, make a profit for printing and framing a third image, and put money away for savings). I decided to charge $150 (the $30 for the poster-size print plus the $20 for the frame multiplied by 3) for each one. I feel comfortable with that, since the suggested pricing range for the exhibit was $75 to $250. Maybe it's still too low, but I'm hoping for a quick sale. I need some cash for more classes!