Month: January 2016

Creating the promotional poster for a theater production

by Stanley LearyNikon D4
 
Nikon D4, Sigma 24-105mm f/4 DG OS HSM Art Lens, ISO 1250, ƒ/8, 1/50

Just the other week, I teased you with some test shots. These are some of the final images from our shoot.

Editorial Note: Due to the contract signed to put on the play we cannot promote the name of the play until February 23rd. Another theater company is putting it on right now and has rights to PR and Advertising in our market.

Now to give you a feel for the before and after, here is a shot my wife took on her phone.

 

Yes, we are shooting during daylight. So you cannot get this photo with your smartphone or, for that matter, any camera.

Photography like this is about lighting and controlling it.

I set up 3 Alienbees B1600 flashes with CTO gels on the lights earlier. The camera is white balanced for tungsten. This white balance adjustment means wherever the flashes of orange light hit will be neutral and give good skin tones. However, all the available daylight will now be blue.

Nikon D4, Sigma 24-105mm f/4 DG OS HSM Art Lens, ISO 2500, ƒ/6.3, 1/8000

For the individual cast member shots, I just used one flash off to the side about 45º right of the camera and about 45º above the cast member’s head.

You should notice that the shutter speed is 1/8000. To make this work, I am using the PocketWizard TT5 on the flash with an AC-9 adapter plugging into the phone cord connection on the Alienbee B1600. This gear will let me shoot at any shutter speed. We call this high-speed sync.

I have the PocketWizard TT1 transmitter with the AC-3, which lets me remotely control the flashes’ power from the camera. For example, I turn up or down the power from -3 to +3 in 1/3 increments.

There are three groups, A, B, and C, and two Channels, 1 & 2. Each flash was on a different group setting, and all were simultaneously on the same channel to fire.

Nikon D4, Sigma 24-105mm f/4 DG OS HSM Art Lens, ISO 2500, ƒ/5.6, 1/5000
Nikon D4, Sigma 24-105mm f/4 DG OS HSM Art Lens, ISO 2500, ƒ/7.1, 1/5000
Nikon D4, Sigma 24-105mm f/4 DG OS HSM Art Lens, ISO 2500, ƒ/6.3, 1/8000
Nikon D4, Sigma 24-105mm f/4 DG OS HSM Art Lens, ISO 2500, ƒ/6.3, 1/8000
Nikon D4, Sigma 24-105mm f/4 DG OS HSM Art Lens, ISO 2500, ƒ/6.3, 1/8000

We moved the group around in our backyard, trying different locations and lighting.

Nikon D4, Sigma 24-105mm f/4 DG OS HSM Art Lens, ISO 1600, ƒ/5, 1/8000

The most significant changes from my test shots, which you can see in the earlier blog post, were 1) Costumes, 2) Makeup & 3) smoke machine.

As you can see, we had to work to get the right shot with the smoke. So often, it overpowers the photo.

Here is a view of the photo without the strobes going off.

Now you know how sometimes they film those nighttime scenes in so many movies.

Shooting wireless tethered for headshots

by Stanley LearyAdobe Lightroom / Nikon D4
 
Nikon D4, Nikon 85mm ƒ/1.8G, ISO 50, ƒ/4.5, 1/160

Yesterday I did headshots for my daughter’s theater. I used a straightforward setup that I have shown here before.

As I was shooting, you can also see the setup with my wife helping with putting the names into the metadata fields.

Now I was shooting wireless tethered by using the CamRanger system.

You can look at my earlier blog post on the system to see how to use this system. I shot all these as RAW this time and didn’t shoot JPEGs.

There is a delay from the time shot is taken to the time it pops up on the computer.

Here is the workflow outlined for you:

You can see the screenshot of adding the subject’s names to the caption field using PhotoMechanic.

The client can download with a password I provided or order prints online.

Here you can see the screen when they add it to their cart:

A Director of Photography is your organizations parachute and/or translator

by Stanley LearyNikon D3s
 
Nikon D3S, AF-S NIKKOR 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR, ISO 400, ƒ/5.6, 1/2000

You don’t jump out of a plane without a parachute unless you want to die. It is pretty self-explanatory as to why you need support, or you will crash to the ground.

The parachute is a device used to slow the motion of an object through an atmosphere by creating drag. For example, when jumping out of a plane, it is more important that you are alive when you land than how fast it took you to get to the ground.

Nikon D3S, AF-S NIKKOR 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR, ISO 450, ƒ/5.6, 1/2000

Our son Nelson is on the left in this photo. He had just finished his first jump at the Army’s Airborne School in Fort Benning, Georgia. After they land, each soldier is required to repack their parachute.

They will use the same parachute again and again during school. So you don’t use the parachute once to help you navigate the jump and abandon it later.

The Director of Photography is like a parachute to the organization that hires photographers. They help protect the organization and the photographers so that the mission is safely accomplished.

Here Patrick Murphy-Racey talks with Lily Wang the way sometimes a director of photography does with their photographers. Sometimes they coach their photographers about things they need to do for the organization.

Another metaphor is to think of the Director of Photography as a translator. They handle the details to ensure the project is done correctly and completely.

To be a translator, you cannot just speak both languages. You have to take tests and prove that you understand the nuances of the wording, or you get those translations we call Chinglish.

Cecil B. De Mille wrote:

“The Director of Photography is the custodian of the heart of film making… as the writers are of its soul… his tool is a box with a glass window, lifeless until he breathes into it his creative spirit and injects into its steel veins, the plasma of his imagination… the product of his camera, and therefore of his  magic, means many things to many persons – fulfillment of an ambition… realization of dreams.”

The Director of Photography for a movie has a similar role as a Director of Photography for still photography projects.

Here are some things that a Director of Photographer should do for your organization:

  • It is in the meetings that projects are created to help determine if photography is a good solution
    • Generates ideas for the organization
    • Helps refine ideas by suggesting different treatments for projects
    • Continues to remind the team to remember visuals in their projects
  • Finds the best photographer for the job
  • Communicates with the photographer all the needs and expectations of the project
  • Negotiates rates based on
    • The difficulty of the job
    • Rights management
    • Scope of the project
  • Insures metadata is embedded properly into all images
    • Proper caption information
    • Keywording
    • Rights are spelled out
    • Model/Property Release
    • Filename
  • Works with the photographer to get all model and property releases as needed and that they are also digitally filed with the photos into the image database
 
James Dockery works as a lead video editor for ESPN and is here talking with students about their projects during our workshop last year in Romania. So often, the director of photography wears this hat where they are helping the photographer flesh out an idea or treatment of the story.
 
They serve as a sounding board for the organization’s communications staff and the photographers.
 
Maybe from your experience, you can add other aspects that I might have left out in the comments section.

Make your family photos more valuable for future generations

by Stanley LearyNikon D4 / Nikon D750
 
Nikon D750, Sigma 24-105mm f/4 DG OS HSM Art Lens, ISO 200, ƒ/6.3, 1/160–Neewer T850, Neewer 433MHz Wireless 16 Channel Radio system

This past weekend our family flew down to Jupiter, Florida, to surprise my wife’s oldest sister for her 80th birthday.

We met some of the family for the first time and others my wife hadn’t seen in 39 years.

After taking this photo, I didn’t wait till I got home to work on it on the computer. I wanted to be sure to make this photo the most valuable asset it can be to our family from now on.

Here is a video to help you know how to do this in Adobe Lightroom:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45_zCZnqmqU]
After I had the photo in Adobe Lightroom editing software, I used Face Recognition technology to help identify every person in all the photos I took this weekend. Now the software, while not perfect, did a great job. However, I did have to force it to tag some of the faces.

The good thing is now inside the metadata of the image is everyone’s name in this photograph.

Metadata is “data that provides information about other data”. Two types of metadata exist: structural metadata and descriptive metadata. Structural metadata is data about the containers of data. Descriptive metadata uses individual instances of application data or the data content.

Metadata was traditionally in the card catalogs of libraries. As information has become increasingly digital, metadata is also used to describe digital data using metadata standards specific to a particular discipline. Describing the contents and context of data or data files increases their usefulness. For example, a web page may include metadata specifying what language the page is written in, what tools were used to create it, and where to find more information about the subject; this metadata can automatically improve the reader’s experience.

The main purpose of metadata is to facilitate in the discovery of relevant information, more often classified as resource discovery. Metadata also helps organize electronic resources, provide digital identification, and helps support archiving and preservation of the resource. Metadata assists in resource discovery by “allowing resources to be found by relevant criteria, identifying resources, bringing similar resources together, distinguishing dissimilar resources, and giving location information.”

This photo is from my dad’s side of the family. I know the man on the far left (even though this is sketchy) is my great grandfather, who owned the blacksmith. He is H. P. Sewell.

Who are the rest of the people? We don’t know.

Make your photos from your family more valuable. Take the time to identify who is in the picture.

Nikon D750, Sigma 24-105mm f/4 DG OS HSM Art Lens, ISO 100, ƒ/4, 1/200

This photo is of the three sisters from the weekend and my wife’s great niece. Just imagine a few generations later where they tell their children stories about who their ancestors were.

In the past, people put the names of people on the back of the print. Today embedding that information using metadata is even better.

In PhotoShop, go to the menu item File>File Info.

Under the primary table in the description box, put the people’s names in the photo. You can even put them from left to right and row 1, 2, and so on to help people in the future who will not know who anyone is in the photograph.

This screenshot is the Spotlight search on a Mac, but you can do a text search on a PC and get the same results. Because the names are embedded in a photo, you can now search and find those people. Here I put the last name in for Teubner. I didn’t even have to finish spelling it before the photos started listing for me in the search box.

I set up two umbrellas with hot-shoe flashes to make the group photos this past weekend. Once I had them set up, we had one of our family members take a picture of our family, which rarely happens. Like the cobbler, we have a few photos of us as a family.

Nikon D750, Sigma 24-105mm f/4 DG OS HSM Art Lens, ISO 180, ƒ/4, 1/250–fill flash.

While we set up and took some posed photos, we enjoyed those moments, capturing the family having fun.

Nikon D4, Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 EX DG APO OS HSM, ISO 1250, ƒ/2.8, 1/2000
Nikon D750, Sigma 24-105mm f/4 DG OS HSM Art Lens, ISO 12800, ƒ/5.6, 1/60

I feel great about this past weekend. I not only got to meet family members I didn’t know we had, but I can now look back at the photos, tell my family who is who, and help them know what a wonderful family heritage we have.

Think of Social Media as another publication

by Stanley LearySocial Media
 

If you grew up in the industry shooting and writing for a printed newspaper, magazine, or even for a website, you need to see Social Media as another publication.

Too many editors, journalists, and photojournalists are too consumed by the story and not enough about the audience. In most traditional places, for news media to contribute the way it worked was somewhat of a mystery for the content providers.

The content was the carrot to get advertisers. But unfortunately, most journalists didn’t understand how their pay was created and concentrated on creating content.

Great content is useless if audiences don’t know that it exists. Today the audience is more accessible to reach than ever before. You don’t need publishers and large conglomerates to help you to get them.

Today when you post onto a social media outlet like Instagram, you show your portfolio. You have gone not to one photo editor but around them to their audience and asking them to respond.

Instead of leaving your business card, you leave them a link to your channel. They can then decide to follow you or not. If they don’t, then your content isn’t relevant to them. You search for an audience interested in your content or write content for your audience.

Now even though you are posting, say, on Instagram or Twitter, you are not really in front of your audience until you start using #hastags. #Sports will put you in front of Twitter #Sports or on Instagram. Think of Instagram as your cable company and the #hastags as a channel.

Twitter even shows you on your page the trending #hastags

I used to work for a Missionary Agency that had its magazine and used state papers to distribute their stories for years. However, their audience stopped looking at their content. Those audiences were, for the most part, local churches.

My church’s Facebook page

Today, those local churches have their own Facebook groups, Twitter accounts, and Instagram accounts. So now, if you know their #hashtags, you can, in essence, produce content and drop it right into their publication.

Take a moment and first Google an organization using hashtags like #firstBaptistHendersonville to see if you can uncover their audience. I found that they are using the acronym #fbchnc. If I want them to see my content, I tweet a sentence with their hashtag and then be sure there is a link to where I put the content. Wa-la, now I have just published on their pages.

If you have Facebook, search for those organizations and audiences you are interested in joining. See if they will let you join their group. If they let you join, you can post your content in the group. Again, just like a publication as a way to reach that audience. Now, as long as your content is valuable, they will continue to allow you to be a part of their group. However, if your content isn’t well received, they will block you and remove you from their group.

Now, if you are creating all that great content like the great journalist or photojournalist that you think you are, then you are on the way to becoming a household name.

Now, after a while, you may not need to go and publish as often on these social media outlets because you have so many “followers” of your own, and people are referring people to your content.

You can quickly get advertisers at this point.

For example, if you create video content and post it on Youtube, their top content creators earn millions. Check out the article on Forbes about the top earners in 2015 here http://www.forbes.com/sites/maddieberg/2015/10/14/the-worlds-highest-paid-youtube-stars-2015/#2715e4857a0b16cdcf7f542c

For those who don’t want to do all this and want to create content, you need to hook up with someone who is doing this and get them to let you help them create more content. Doing this ensures you will make less money than if you did it yourself.

Expression is often the key element to great photos

by Stanley LearyNikon D3 / Nikon D4
 
Nikon D4, Sigma 120-300mm ƒ/2.8 DG OS HSM | S, Sigma TC-2001 2x, ISO 12800, ƒ/5.6, 1/1250
Key elements of the sports photo often include the ball and the competition. Here you can see the player’s expression and the valiant effort of the receiver to catch the ball. He is fully extended, running full speed, and keeping his eyes on the ball. Also, the defensive player can see the catch and his concentration on the ball.
 
Nikon D4, Sigma 120-300mm ƒ/2.8 DG OS HSM | S, Sigma TC-2001 2x, ISO 12800, ƒ/5.6, 1/2000
Here you can see the runner extending for all he can and also see a defensive player’s look of concern that he is still moving ahead.
Nikon D4, Sigma 120-300mm ƒ/2.8 DG OS HSM | S, Sigma TC-2001 2x, ISO 5000, ƒ/5.6, 1/2000

The key to almost all good to great photos of people is EXPRESSION. In sports, it can be the one thing that helps tell you more about the game.

The closer crop of the top photo shows how intense the defensive player is playing.

Nikon D4, Sigma 120-300mm ƒ/2.8 DG OS HSM | S, Sigma TC-2001 2x, ISO 12800, ƒ/5.6, 1/2000

In this photo, you can see the defensive players reacting to the quarterback starting to pass the ball on the left and right.

Sometimes sports photographers tend to crop tight to ensure that you need to see. However, sometimes pulling back and including more of the action helps to communicate more about the play. For example, you miss that two players’ faces are reacting, and you forget how close the sack of the quarterback is on the play by being a little looser on the space.

Sports enthusiasts like to see the game elements, whereas those who are just a photographer will tend to crop tight for impact.

As one who played sports, I can tell you that we like to see more play. Seeing the player’s feet during basketball is how players decide which way to drive, for example. It is why the crossover is such a big deal.

While this cropped version helps you see the player’s faces, the looser shot gives you the perspective of the play development.

Nikon D4, Sigma 120-300mm ƒ/2.8 DG OS HSM | S, Sigma TC-2001 2x, ISO 12800, ƒ/5.6, 1/400

When you have very little space to use a photo, it is better to go tight, but this is why so many sports enthusiasts love getting Sports Illustrated. Those photos that filled two pages didn’t need to be tight as the photo in the newspaper’s sports section. Instead, they had the space, which helped those who play sports better understand the play.

Nikon D4, Sigma 120-300mm ƒ/2.8 DG OS HSM | S, Sigma TC-2001 2x, ISO 4000, ƒ/5.6, 1/2000

In a high school game, the quarterback concentrates more on the execution, which shows in the face. However, they are moving so much quicker in the pros that it must be an instinct that kicks in for the quarterback to make the handoff.

Nikon D4, Sigma 120-300mm ƒ/2.8 DG OS HSM | S, Sigma TC-2001 2x, ISO 7200, ƒ/5.6, 1/2000

Expression is more than just in the face. Here you see the bodies all twisting to adjust to the play that just went by them. You also see the ball carrier looking more downfield and missing the defensive player to his left.

Nikon D4, Sigma 120-300mm ƒ/2.8 DG OS HSM | S, Sigma TC-2001 2x, ISO 6400, ƒ/5.6, 1/2000

This photo is a split second later when his forward advance is stopped.

Which photo here is the best picture? You will see photo editors studying an image for the nuances of the expression of the bodies in motion.

Nikon D4, Sigma 120-300mm ƒ/2.8 DG OS HSM | S, Sigma TC-2001 2x, ISO 6400, ƒ/5.6, 1/2000

 This first one looks like the defensive player is about to give up.

Nikon D4, Sigma 120-300mm ƒ/2.8 DG OS HSM | S, Sigma TC-2001 2x, ISO 6400, ƒ/5.6, 1/2000

 In the second photo, the defensive player looks like he is matching his stride, and you wonder if he will catch him.

Nikon D4, Sigma 120-300mm ƒ/2.8 DG OS HSM | S, Sigma TC-2001 2x, ISO 6400, ƒ/5.6, 1/2000

In the last photo, you can see the offensive player pulling away, and the defensive player is giving his previous diving effort to stop the touchdown.

Which photo is best? Well, which one not only tells the outcome of the play, but it often needs to be the moment that communicates the game. Unfortunately, most media outlets do not have unlimited space and must choose the moments they use to communicate.

Nikon D4, Sigma 120-300mm ƒ/2.8 DG OS HSM | S, Sigma TC-2001 2x, ISO 5000, ƒ/5.6, 1/2000

You have to pick the right moment to capture the intensity of the play.

Returning to the photo above, compare it to the previous split second.

Nikon D4, Sigma 120-300mm ƒ/2.8 DG OS HSM | S, Sigma TC-2001 2x, ISO 12800, ƒ/5.6, 1/400

See how the defensive player’s head is down, and you don’t see the eyes?

Now, look at the photo from the split second later of the same play.

Nikon D4, Sigma 120-300mm ƒ/2.8 DG OS HSM | S, Sigma TC-2001 2x, ISO 12800, ƒ/5.6, 1/400

The most significant difference between the two photos is being able to see the expression.

Order of importance:

  1. Expression
  2. Composition
  3. Exposure
The difference between the genuinely great photos and the rest is that all three are well executed. But the sign of the technician photographer is often those who concentrate more on the last two elements of composition and exposure and not enough on expression.
 
Nikon D3, AF-S NIKKOR 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR, ISO 280, ƒ/7.1, 1/200
The expression can also be in the form of light, which helps to create a mood.
 
Nikon D3, AF-S NIKKOR 14-24mm f/2.8G ED, ISO 200, ƒ/7.1, 1/100
 

The terrorist attack in Ouagadougou had me remembering my time there

by Stanley Learyphotojournalism

This weekend there was a horrible attack where 32 people lost their lives in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. Above is a quick slide show I did back in 2005 of my visit to Burkina Faso & Ghana.

Here some of the news reports:

Story image for burkina faso from Newsweek
Newsweek

Burkina Faso Capital Security Tightens After Jihadi Attack

New York Times-3 hours agoOUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso — In the wake of a weekend attack that killed up to 32 people, The state beefed up security across Burkina Faso’s Burkina Faso and Mali to Collaborate Against Militancy
Newsweek-1 hour ago, Missionary killed in the Burkina Faso attack was mourned by family in the South. 
Sun Sentinel-6 hours ago Burkina Faso attack: Al-Qaeda’ names’ hotel attackers.
BBC News-2 hours ago, the US condemned attacks in Burkina Faso
Opinion-Jerusalem Post Israel News-22 hours ago Burkina Faso kidnapping: children’s despair for Ken and Joceyln Elliott
Blog-The Australian (blog)-5 hours ago
Media image for burkina faso from Sun Sentinel
Sun SentinelMedia image for burkina faso from BBC News
BBC NewsMedia image for burkina faso from The Guardian

The GuardianMedia image for burkina faso from The Economist

The EconomistMedia image for burkina faso from The Australian (blog)The Australian (blog)Media image for burkina faso from U.S. News & World Report US News & World ReportExplore in depth

(1,223 more articles)

I thought I would take this blog to give you some of what I learned while in Burkina Faso.

I was there just ten years ago. I don’t think I know any of those killed directly, but I do know many of those I worked with that month in 2005 were most likely affected by this terrorist attack.


One of the oldest Mosques in Burkina Faso which is located in the downtown of Bobo-Dioulasso. Believed to have been built in the early 1880s. Religions in Burkina Faso are Muslim 61.6%, Catholic 23.2%, traditional/animist 7.3%, Protestant 6.7%, other/no answer 0.2%, none 0.9% (2010 est.)


Coffee is almost exclusively instant coffee (Nescafe is the usual brand). One of the region’s finest institutions (found mainly in French-speaking countries) are the coffee stalls where clients sit on small benches around a table and drink glasses of Nescafe mixed with sweetened condensed milk.


Burkina Faso is a poor, landlocked country that depends on adequate rainfall. About 80% of the population is engaged in subsistence farming, and cotton is the main cash crop. The country has few natural resources and a weak industrial base. As a result, cotton and gold are Burkina Faso’s key exports, and Burkina Faso’s economic growth and revenue depend on global prices for the two commodities.


In 2014 Burkina Faso was ranked 124th in the world economy, right behind Chad and just above Equatorial Guinea.


Ethnic Groups are Mossi 52.5%, Fulani 8.4%, Gurma 6.8%, Bobo 4.8%, Gurunsi 4.5%, Senufo 4.4%, Bissa 3.9%, Lobi 2.5%, Dagara 2.4%, Tuareg/Bella 1.9%, Dioula 0.8%, unspecified/no answer 0.1%, other 7% (2010 est.)


Most of the shepherds herding cattle are Fulani as this young boy is above.


I am about a mile from the Ivory Coast border, and those swimming here are the Senara tribe.

Creating Nighttime during the Daytime

by Stanley LearyNikon D4
 
 
Nikon D4, Sigma 35mm ƒ/1.4 DG Art, ISO 200, ƒ/1.4, 1/640–Alienbee B1600 with CTO +1 triggered with Pocketwizard TT1 and TT5 system.

If you need to create a nighttime scene, the easiest way is to turn your color temperature to 3200º Kelvin or even lower. Then the daylight will appear blue.

Next, warm up your subject with a Color Temperature Orange filter over your flash. Correcting for custom white balance will make their skin appear more neutral in color.

Nikon D4, Sigma 35mm ƒ/1.4 DG Art, ISO 200, ƒ/1.4, 1/400–Alienbee B1600 with CTO +1 triggered with Pocketwizard TT1 and TT5 system.

How bright it is outside is controlled by your shutter speed. The proper exposure for the subject is more about ISO and Aperture.

Nikon D4, Sigma 35mm ƒ/1.4 DG Art, ISO 200, ƒ/1.4, 1/1000–Alienbee B1600 with CTO +1 triggered with Pocketwizard TT1 and TT5 system.

As you can see, the 1/1000th of a second darkens the available light compared to the 1/400th exposure.

Just experiment and see what you like the best. By the way, you need to be able to shoot with High Shutter Speed Sync to make this work with a wide aperture of ƒ/1.4 like I did here.

To do this, I am shooting with the Pocketwizard Flex TT5 system and using the AC9 plugged into the Pocketwizard and then plugged into the telephone cord slot of my Alienbees B1600 flash. So I can shoot HSS and also control the flash from the camera. Very cool!

These are all test shots. I will later add a smoke machine and have the people in costume–so stay tuned for more photos outside during the daytime that look like nighttime.

2016 business tips for the freelancer to grow their business

by Stanley Learybusiness

These are some business tips for the freelancer to grow their business. You will need to do things as simple as contacting people through email and more this year.

Here is one blog post for those who have yet to take the plunge – 9 things you need to do before going freelance full-time.

Some tips will link you to past blog posts to help you explore each piece of information more in-depth.

  • Solve a problem, and then start the business – Your business is to solve a problem for another company. Ask yourself what business problems I am solving for my clients.
  • Photographer, are you Liked or Loved – You need table food and soul food. The best way to get both is the personal project that shows your business solution through a photo project, for example, that shows how you solved this problem for someone.
  • How much can you make as a photographer? – You need a good understanding of the cost of doing business. One key element is your family budget as well. If you don’t know your bills, how much you bring in, and the difference, you will probably fail in business.
  • When it comes to marketing: Act like a first-year student and not a senior – No one knows you, or what you do, so you will have to tell them and communicate how your services will benefit their bottom line.
  • Create a calendar with actions for you to do. Here are some things that should be on your list:
    1. People to contact by phone [weekly] – These are your clients and prospects.
    2. Targeted marketing campaign – this is where you write a letter that targets people in your database in a particular industry.
      1. Education Market
      2. Editorial Market
      3. Sports
      4. Medical
    3. Blog – this is where you share something that continues to build your reputation as an expert. I recommend three times a week.
    4.  E-Newsletter – I send one out monthly to my clients. The newsletter is just a way to reconnect with your audience. Remember to consider why they want to get this, not that you want them to hire you.
    5. Snail mail – you can send handwritten thank you cards to all your recently hired clients. Do this after each job. Maybe create a postcard or some other mailing. Remember, they have to physically touch this before it goes in the mail, whereas emails will get automatically deleted and never seen.
  • Networking events – You need to be out and meeting new people. I call this fishing with a big net.
  • Workshops – You need to continue to grow in knowledge, so plan to attend meetings throughout the year to help you expand your skills.

You may think of more things, but be sure you have a plan and are working on it.

Software recommendations for the freelancer starting out

by Stanley Learybusiness

As we start a new year, many are making resolutions. This is because we want to start on a good foot in the future.

I want to recommend to any photographer thinking of doing freelance to make it a goal of yours to manage the business side of photography as well, if not better than the photography side of the business.

fotoBiz X is the best way to manage your business in combination with Quickbooks, which I recommend. I recommend it highly because of a few things someone is starting needs more than anyone. It costs $299 and is worth the investment.

Probably the number one best-selling aspect of the software is the templates that are built into the software. No problem if you don’t know how to write a contract; there are some boilerplate templates. All of these templates have explanations and help support built into the software. Then if this isn’t enough, all those who use the software can also go to the online community forum to ask those unique questions and see if others have had experience.

The software helps you manage your contacts with your clients and prospects. I think the email templates are one of the best modules of the program.

When starting, you have no idea how to write a cover letter for anything you may need to do with your business. You can find an email template letter, and then after reading the letter, you will get a better handle on the topics you need to address. Then after reading the letter, the software lets you edit it and then save it as a template that you use going forward.

The wording in these letters is so professional and will help you get paid on time, thus improving your business’s cash flow.

Their series of collection letters helps you navigate the steps to getting paid from a bad client. Too many young photographers make mistakes of taking a collection to a level five threatening letter when a gentle reminder is sometimes all that is needed.

It also comes with fotoQuote, which will help you understand licensing of images and how to price them.

Using fotoQuote with Quickbooks is a great combination. Here is the explanation for the integration:

The difference between QuickBooks and fotoBiz is that fotoBiz is explicitly written for the independent freelance photographer and handles your business and image management in ways specific to the industry. 

With fotoBiz, your invoicing includes language protecting your intellectual property rights, which a generic program like QuickBooks doesn’t do. While fotoBiz helps you to track and run many types of sales reports, it is not intended to be a bookkeeping program. FotoBiz X is designed to be used in conjunction with QuickBooks. You can export a group of invoices (for example, by invoice date) or export individual invoice data. The export will create a file in a .iif format for import into QuickBooks.

I can honestly say that my biggest mistake running my freelance business for so many years was not buying this software earlier. I am positive that had I bought this and then dedicated some time to studying all that it can do, I would have been much more profitable earlier in my career.

Here are a few videos explaining the software that I recommend you watch.

fotoBiz X Overview

Duplicating Documents in fotoBiz X

Image License Tracking in fotoBiz X

3 Light High Key Headshot

by Stanley LearyNikon D750
 
Nikon D750, Nikon 85mm ƒ/1.8G, ISO 100, ƒ/5.6, 1/80

Keeping your setup simple and concentrating on expressions is my suggestion. For example, here is my setup for this photo above.

 
 

Here is the gear that I am using for the photo.

  • 3 – Alienbee B1600
  • Paul Buff – White High Output Beauty Dish
  • Lastolite Triflector kit silver/gold
  • Collapsible Background – 5 x 7′ (Black/White)
  • Nikon D750
  • Nikon 85mm ƒ/1.8G

In my basement, I have a similar setup; the only difference is that I have a hair light mounted on the ceiling.

I am shooting on the lowest power setting possible for all the lights.

This setup works well for men as well.

Where are your photos displayed?

by Stanley LearyNikon D4
 
Nikon D4, Sigma 35mm ƒ/1.4 DG Art, ISO 12800, ƒ/4, 1/125

Celebrate your family and your photography by displaying it on your walls at home. My mother had prints made last year and put those up around her house.

When people visit, they will not go onto their smartphones to look at your family photos. Most people are not waiting for you to post your family photos so they can appreciate all your family.

Take the time to celebrate those you love by honoring them with a place in your home.

Fujifilm X-E2, FUJINON XF 18-55mm, ISO 6400, ƒ/2.8, 1/200–fill flash -1 EV

We have put up portraits of each of our children. We also have photos throughout the house of places we have visited.

If your photos are just on digital devices, get them printed and celebrate your photography on the walls of your home. Your friends and family that visit will then see what you value.