Are you ready to start your photography business?

So we have the holidays quickly approaching with Thanksgiving right around the corner and Christmas closing in after that. These are the times of the year EVERYONE wants pictures. Mostly family pictures to send to distant relatives and of course share on the all the social media sites. Some of us, it's our goal to photograph families, some of us we do it for the money as our passion in photography is else where, however the demand in family portraiture around this time is high.

Luckily despite your skill level, there is a client for you! So if you have only recently picked up a camera and still consider yourself a novice, you may offer a shoot for free. I want to offer you a fair warning about doing free shoots. Some people may tell you to NEVER shoot for free, while others will tell you to charge an arm and leg right out the gates. These are both poor suggestions. Being a beginner doesn't mean your time and little experience is worthless. What does suffer as a beginner is the lack of experience, perhaps you want to build up your portfolio. Talk to friends who have families. Offering a friend a free shoot is fine for establishing those portfolios and websites. You may want to even toss in the idea of bartering just so your time and effort doesn't go unrecognized. If you go this route, your friend gets a "free" shoot and you also get some photos into your portfolio. If you start out approaching people with full prices but have ZERO photos to show your skill, you will more than likely get no clients. Just like any job, start from the beginning and as you gain experience, you can raise your prices, just you would get raises at a regular day-job.

Are you getting comfortable shooting or rate yourself higher than novice? Approach others about family shoots, scout out what photographers in your area charge, see the quality they put out? Try to price yourself accordingly. Some families don't have a ton of cash to throw on family photos and can't afford the photographer who has been shooting for 20 + years and charging $500/hr. So this is were we can charge less, but still offer them quality work. It's a win-win. :) As you continue to shoot, you will see what your time is worth and will adjust your pricing to what works best for you and for your clientele.

So take advantage of the great opportunity to do some shooting, gaining experience, and most importantly learning! Each shoot you do, you will gain more knowledge and that becomes priceless as you follow your dream. Use these opportunities to build up your portfolio, landing clients through out the year and by this time next year, start booking up your schedule! Great times are ahead of you! Happy Thanksgiving!

"The only stupid question is the one never asked" (answering photography questions)

I did a little poll a few months back asking what people struggled with or found difficult when taking pictures. The responses I had received were mostly from entry level shooters. Some with DSLRs, some just using camera phones. The questions are good though, sometimes we are afraid to ask because we are concerned how we will be viewed. Don't be. "The only stupid question is the one never asked". I want to always encourage you to ask questions and learn from others. We also need to read our manuals, read forums, read/listen to interviews with other photographers. There is a ton of information out there and so much to learn. I want to also encourage you to experiment with your camera, learn by trial and error. Learn what happens if the shutter speed is too slow, or if your ISO is too high. Hands on learning is the best way to learn. So lets gets to a couple questions ----

"How do I avoid having people close their eyes in a photograph?"
-First thing, we need to think why they are closing their eyes. If your camera has the setting "red eye reduction", this option actually sets off multiple "pre-flashes" prior to actually taking the photo. This confuses your subject into thinking the picture has already been taken, then they blink during the actual shot. I recommend disabling that setting. Let me guess, your worried about "red eyes" now. So option number two is; Take several pictures consecutively. Let's say you take 3-4 pictures back to back, you may have people who blink in one, but another will be less likely to have the same results. Option three is; mislead people. For example your taking a group shot, say "on the count of three", when you count ONE, TWO then click the shutter catching the people off guard. Sometimes people anticipate the flash and blink prior. The image below was a our photobooth for my wedding, Our box has a timer and one single flash. Rarely does it have people blinking, and never has red eyes. I do want to add we lost focus toward the front of the image as the camera was manual focused to a further distance. We simply overcrowded the area and therefor I was out of focus. Just an FYI.

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"How do I take better pictures with my phone?"
-This was asked multiple times. Our phones aren't the best cameras, but more recently, they are some really capable cameras! BUT we still need to know a few things, like exposure. First thing I notice when a cellphone picture is blurry, it's usually the lens is dirty. Think about it, you are using your phone for texting, facebook-ing etc, your hands are touching that lens all the time. So wipe off the lens with a cotton cloth (your t-shirt). This will help drastically. Getting back to exposure, The easiest way to get an evenly lit photo is having the sun to your back (not directly above you). Maybe you want to back light your subject, you can still do that too. you just have to change your exposure. On most smart phones, this is done by touching the subject on your screen and adjusting the slider up or down (if back lit, you would scroll up). I have shared several photos on Instagram that are taken with my camera phone and people always ask "How?". We just need to learn the limitations of the camera phones we have, because cellphones do have their limits. The picture below was on my lunch break at mid day (usually worst time to take a picture). But I was able to find an area where the sun wasn't brutal, than manually adjust the exposure. This was taken on my phone.

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"How do I edit pictures?"
-Editing can be a very complex question. Many photographers rely on Adobe Light Room and Photoshop. I personally recommend Light Room as it cheap to buy ($99USD) or $10USD/month for the Creative Cloud that include both Light Room AND Photoshop. Lightroom is a very easy to use software and comes with some basic presets (like filters). It is easy to manipulate your photos, change settings for a batch of photos, resize them and watermark them. There are countless resources online that offer free presets that you can load on Lightroom to get the desired effects. Photoshop is a bit more in depth, so you really need to know what your goal is with editing. It maybe truly unnecessary if your only adjusting saturation and contrast. If your on your cellphone, there are tons of amazing apps to simplify the process of editing (Instagram being probably the most common). BUT HOW DO I EDIT? It's all about what effect you are looking for. Do you want to convert your photo to black and white? Do you want to make your photo vibrant? Or are you trying to even out the exposure due to harsh shadows? There are countless scenarios. We must begin to learn these powerful tools we have at our finger tips (the software). Learning our tools will help us fix what ever issue we see. So this being such a broad question, I would have to recommend finding a filter/preset you like, apply it the photo of your choice, then modify it to work for that photo. Filters and presets by themselves can make your photos look generic as everyone single handedly uses them, BUT you can make it original by adding your creative touch.

Thanks again for reading! I really hope these quick questions were of help. If you have any questions of your own, please comment below and I'll respond soon. Now have a great weekend!!!!

Best Camera to Buy and Where to Buy

Outside of learning the fundamentals of shooting, I think the most common question I get is "Which camera is best?". That question is relative. I mean the BEST camera probably cost more than a decently equipped luxury vehicle (Check out the Hasselblads!) So let's think about budget and your skill level. If you are just getting involved in photography, just get your feet wet. I'll always

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recommend an entry level DSLR preferably a few models prior to the current version. Entry level DSLRs, even a few years old are still very capable cameras, more importantly you can find them used and very affordable. Get that with a kit lens (typically 18-55mm focal length or a 50mm). This is a great setup to start learning on. Shoot with this setup and see what you find yourself really needing. I'm willing to bet you will have a stronger desire for better lenses before you start looking for a new camera body. The main point is everyone who finds an interest in photography is that they may not always pursue it. So if it doesn't work out, the bank account isn't empty. Learn to use your equipment then learn what you really need.

The next big question is "Canon or Nikon?" Well those are the

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biggest names in the photography world. If one was better than the other, you probably wouldn't even have to ask. They both have pros and cons. Plenty of professionals represent both sides. discussing which is best is almost like arguing Republican vs Democrat. It's best to not discuss the topic LOL. I prefer Canon for its ergonomics and easy to navigate menus. I shot with Nikon a few times, but we didn't "click". Canon and Nikon run the market, both offer great glass, a huge variety of focal lengths with varying prices. Also keep in mind, tons of third parties make lenses for them as well, such as Sigma, Tokina and Tamron. Third party lenses are usually 1/3rd cheaper than Canon or Nikon options. Some people bash third party lenses, but there are some amazing pieces out there, but you do have to do your homework, read reviews and try them out. Canon and Nikon have their fair share of bad glass too, so again, research!

Now that you are all amped to buy a camera, money burning a hole in your pocket, you know you need a camera NOW, but your money is hard earned and you want to get the MOST for your money. I understand this. I want to warn you as you scour the internet for the best deals, there are a lot of people and companies waiting for you, to take advantage of you, to steal your money or perhaps pull a "bait and switch" move on you. So when you buy, PLEASE buy from a reputable dealer. Some dealers maybe a bit pricier than another and that is normal. What is not normal, when you search the internet for a $1000 camera and a website has it for "sale" for $399. Too good to be true? Absolutely! I fell for this trap when I first fell in love with photography. I found a website that sounded cheesy something like "reallyreallycheapcameras.com". It was well built site, located in New York, must be legit, right? Wrong was I! I got an email a few days later about my order being on hold because of something, this is when they prompted to switch my lenses for some low end outdated cheaper lenses, then to find out I was going to have to buy the battery and charger separately, and not to mention it was gray market (warranty wouldn't be valid). After talking through all this, my bill had tripled far beyond any reputable dealer. I had try to cancel but they refused. I fought long and hard, contacted the BBB who saved my life. I got my money back, but still was camera-less.

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Some people look all over eBay hoping to pick up that great deal. It will take one search to find a ton of stores selling "packaged kits" which are NOT worth it. They throw in tripods, filters, generic flashes, wide angle, lens adapters and knock off memory cards etc. The quality of these accessories are very cheap and over priced, not to mention, unnecessary. Please refer back to a legitimate dealer. The image to the right is a prime example of what not to buy.




I swear I'm not trying to scare you away from shopping!! Here in the US, We have two very awesome, very competitive businesses. Those are Adorama and B&H Photo. They also have great customer service and people who are very knowledgeable if you have questions. Of course there are other companies and even local shops that are wonderful, just be extremely careful out there with your hard earned cash.

So I know this post was all business, but I really want you all to be 100% satisfied with what ever you buy, I also do not want to see anyone get scammed as that was a bad experience for me.  So that being said, get a camera, take a picture and share it with the world! :) Or share it here!