As I searched, my thoughts tended to go something like this: “Well, there’s a red and white scarf, but no, that’s not waldo. A red hat with a white tassel rests on the ground over there… here’s a pair of blue pants… and oh look! It’s a mermaid helping a sailor from drowning, and there’s an ice cream cone with 15 scoops piled up. Mmmm ice cream. I want some ice cream. Wait! I’m looking for Waldo! Let’s try over here in this corner.”

And thus would the minutes tick away, and I would peruse my way through the book. Upon reaching the end, I would go back and find the extras that I missed completely the first time– a broken wagon wheel, a human pyramid, or a dancing fish… and thus I lost hours of my life to my quest for finding Waldo.

Years later, I am now a photographer. The true gift I love to give people is a glimpse into the way I view the world. The way the light falls on the little bridesmaid’s hair, or the gentle smile of the grandmother looking at her only granddaughter on her wedding day. I try to make my images show the specific thing I see; tell the story I want to share.

So often our photo students will have an image they are in love with because of a certain expression on a child’s face. Yet there is so much going on in the image, that all I see is the broken boxes and telephone pole coming out of his head and the logo on the shirt that is mismatched with the plaid shorts. If the magic they want to show is the expression on the face, that is what should be the first thing I see. The way you expose the photograph, choose setting for lighting, and elements included in the frame should all work towards the end of showing that goal: the expression.

Here’s an example of something I shot of my own kids one Saturday morning during cartoons:

You see my laptop, our kitchen table, christmas tree, coffee table, mug… your eye will be most drawn to the blank floor in the middle. Yet if i take a few steps closer i can create a much different experience for you as the viewer.

You know exactly what to look at; you see what I see. I don’t have to hunt anywhere. I don’t lose my train of thought on the way to figuring out the purpose of the image.

Looking at a successful image, my only thoughts will be something like this, “Wow. I love the way this draws me in. I feel peaceful. Look at the way that wave traces the sand directly leading to their feet. They look like they are having such a good time. I want a picture of me like this.”

Your goal may not be just an expression, but a body position, or a movement or interaction between two people or the shape of a tree in a landscape. But whatever it is, your viewers should be able to know your intent immediately. You can have depth and subtleties that aren’t noticed until further exploration, but the main idea should be immediately visible.

What makes good Where’s Waldo books? Enough distractions from keeping you from finding the focal point. Choose to be bad Where’s Waldo Photographers. Focus on your goal.

Good Photography = Bad Where’s Waldo Books.

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Street Photography: Urban Landscape

When I think of landscape photography, my colleague Jess comes to mind (you should really check out his articles). You might drift off envisioning lush, green forests, surreal sunrises and sunsets, and all the little creatures that inhabit the land and plains.  Yes, it is gorgeous, soul enriching, and deep down there is an intrinsic desire most of us share for the great outdoors and wide open spaces.  However, many of us are not fortunate enough to have an abundance of access to these vistas and views.  Therefore, us city-dwellers work with what we are given, and that means taking it to the streets.  So if your, wildlife means the party crowd on a Friday night and your landscapes have a slightly more angular and “concretey” and you want to make the most of the bright lights of the big city, this next one is for you.

Big and Tall:

Often we head out into the woods and marvel at the trees; their rich foliage, how long it took for them to grow, and the creatures that inhabit them.  When we head into the city, the feeling can be eerily similar yet completely different.  We look up at the buildings that “scrape the sky“, how quickly they seem to pop up, and wonder about the beings that work within.  When going on a photo safari within the urban jungle, the mélange of cement, pavement, steel, and glass presents interesting challenges (although in many cases the cement acts as a great grey card).

Perspective:

When craning your neck to look up and capture that skyscraper, you need to realize that it may not turn out exactly the way you see it.  The top of tall buildings will converge if you are using a standard camera lens. You will want to try and go with a wide angle lens to get as much of the building in as possible. Something in the neighborhood of a 20mm lens is fairly standard for both inside and outside shots. You may also want to look into tilt-shift lenses that can help straighten the lines if you want a more “architectural” feel to your images. Keep in mind, converging lines aren’t a necessarily a bad thing and may add a dramatic feel to your photo. (For an interesting thread on lens selection for architectural photography click here.)

Repetition and Reflection:

Photography in the city can be daunting if you are not paying attention. Depending on the city, there can be a whole lot of grey and the buildings can begin to look the same. If this happens to be the case, use it to your advantage. Switch your photos to black and white in post production (or shoot with black and white film for those of you who have stuck with the original format or are going against the flow). Contrast the vast difference in the greys (light and dark, black and white) with the plainness of the subject. Using repetition can also create a pattern which creates an interest we are automatically drawn to. There are a lot of different things you can look at or focus on if you are feeling bored with buildings, buildings, and more buildings. Reflections are also very interesting as usually there is an excessive amount of glass, mirrors, and fountains available.

Shadows and Lights:

When shooting within the city limits, you will always encounter shadows. It is unavoidable. The buildings reach out to eclipse the sun and drop you into pockets of obscurity. While this may be a little dramatic, an abundance of shadows can play havoc with your camera settings. Shadows can really add to your photograph if there is contrast, but when shooting completely in the shade, colors become muted and if you have no room left to play with your settings, flash may be required. When dealing with lights in the city, remember that they have different temperatures that sunlight and you will have to adjust the white balance; use this chart for a better idea of the temperatures. Without the right white balance your pictures with come out with different tints.

Wildlife; the buildings are the florae and the people are the faunae:

Natural landscape photography sometimes will spill over into the cute woodland creatures that inhabit the area.  Chipmunks, squirrels, and bugs! Oh my! While skunks and raccoons still managed to climb my fire escape to reach the trashcan, the city streets will bring out a different kind of animal.

City folk:

Big cities are a meeting ground for different people whom all have different values, cultures, and beliefs; this will be reflected in their activities, the way they dress, and the activities the partake in.  On one of my frequent photography walks in the downtown core I passed Tibetan monks in the village, streekt punks washing car windows for change, the upper crust dressed to the nines for the opera, tourists snapping pictures of everything in sight, and an unfortunate addict who tried to attack me for walking on “his” street. (I am not making this up)  The city is full of interesting characters doing unique things and there will never be a shortage of people to photograph.

Natural Habitat:

The trick is to catch them in their element (candid).  Getting a photograph of someone in their element, doing what comes naturally to them, is a thing of beauty.  Even something simple as someone going to work, driving a cab , or going shopping, it is an event we can identify with on some level.  At the complete opposite end of the spectrum, there is also something attractive about staring into someone’s eyes as they have given a moment of themselves to the camera and by extension, you.  I have had some great moments talking with the homeless and other individuals when I have walked up and asked them if they wouldn’t mind having their picture taken.  You get as many yes’s as no’s and often the yes’s give you a great story and an opportunity to experience human interaction.

Nocturnal:

Night-time in the city is when things start to get going.  The buildings are now blackened silhouettes against a dark blue sky but the city comes alive.  Revelers are heading out to eat, drink, and be merry.  There is an energy in the air, as people are wearing their best and colorful lights call out to the passerby’s.  (For a more in depth look at night photography, check out this Fuel article by Ameena.)

Lights (white balance settings and ISO):

As with any photo op, light is your friend.  You have to become a Jedi light-meter master; whether you actually have a light meter or you are using your hard-earned experience.  Shooting in really low light conditions becomes even more important.  You will not have the warm 5200K sunlight (head back to the near beginning of this article for the temperature chart) and will have to rely on neon beer signs, car headlights, street lights, and your own flash.  However, get creative with it and play with the available light.  Try changing your focal length in mid-shot, grab a flashlight or sparkler and try some sky-writing.  Do not get frustrated with the lack of light, there are always ways to add more without taking away that magically mysterious feeling of when the sun drops out of sight.

Equipment:

In terms of equipment nothing too special is required. As previously mentioned, a wide angle lens is very helpful as you may want to capture an entire building, room, street, or crowd. If you can afford a variety of lenses, throw them (delicately) into your bag and head out; you never know what type of situation or setting you may encounter and if it will every happen again. However, make sure that you have at least one fast lens. You can throw out any hope of being versatile with your aperture unless you plan on long bulb exposures; an aperture of 2.8 or more is ideal. A tripod is recommended, but don’t feel like all shots must be nailed down. I have found a certain flexibility with your surrounding environment will allow you to get a different take on what might be an average scene. If its part of your arsenal, try a Gorillapod. Adding to the effectiveness of whatever type of tripod you chose, throw in a shutter release cable or get used to the built in self-timer on your camera; you will need every little bit of steadiness available to you.

Night time activities:

While people are heading out to the clubs, clinking glasses (of the beer, shot, wine, or champagne variety), or just driving home, your main activity will be manual focusing.  That’s right, if you haven’t practiced you will be getting your practice in now!  If you leave your camera on the AF setting, you know that it will focus for you simply by holding your trigger halfway.  Your camera’s brain will use it’s built-in focus points and go all that work for you.  While this is quite helpful, it can be particularly frustrating in some circumstances; one circumstance in particular is night time street photography.  Since it is so dark, your camera will not be able to focus for you and will quickly give up.  Another activity you will be doing is ignoring your camera’s recommendations?  Huh?  Really?  Oh yes!  Your camera’s ideal parameters are certainly not low-light situations.  You are trying to create art by manipulating the light to create moods and feelings.  When shooting light in the dark, get a reading for the high light and the low light.  (You camera will pick one or the other depending on where it thinks your focus is.)  Then be prepared to take at least a couple of shots with different settings (look up bracketing)  and look at them, if you are shooting digital.

So get out there, look both ways, stay safe, and have fun.  I think you will be pleasantly surprised with any venture out into the streets whether it be the warmth of the day or the coolness of the night.  When you get those awesome shots, please post them to the FYP Flickr pool and tag them with fypstreet.  Look for mine and I will look for yours!

Photo Credits from top to bottom:

1. © Philipp Klinger

2. © Philipp Klinger

3. © Philipp Klinger

4. © zelnunes

5. © zelnunes

6. © strkyer66

7. © Ben Heine

8. © Photo-Fenix.com

9. © Dreamer 7112

10. © Photo-Fenix.com

11. © Philipp Klinger

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You may ask yourself, ‘Am I right? Am I wrong?’
You may say to yourself, ‘My God! What have I done?!’
– Talking Heads, “Once In A Lifetime”

You ever get one of those moments when you’re looking for a sign to figure out what to do next, and then it hits you? Well, I had a ton of them while I was trying to find my way through a pretty rough time when I was in Providence, and practically being homeless was one, to which I was grateful an amazing friend of mine would let me stay at his place while I was trying to buy a house. He’s an unassuming Filipino scenester dude who I met through his girlfriend at the time, whom I worked with. He’s certainly a jack of all trades – he writes music, paints, and shoots photography in his spare time when he’s not working. His name is Richard Inonog, and I didn’t realize it when we met, but he would be the catalyst to why I made a career change and help me discover my creative voice.

It was in that span that he and I became better friends, and I noticed he was working on photos from a shoot he had just done when he and I got into a discussion about photography and art, which lead him to say something that ended up sticking with me. Richard talked about how he never truly felt happy unless he was creating something – whether it was music or his mosaics or photography. As long as he had a creative outlet, he felt at peace. I saw what he was shooting and thought, “I could do that!” I had always had an interest in photography, but up until that moment, didn’t think I was capable of doing it that well. What he said really had an impact, though; I was miserable, and realized it was because I didn’t have an outlet for myself. I’ve played instruments and enjoy music, but didn’t think what I created was any good, and I certainly couldn’t paint, but something about watching him work made me realize how accessible creating art really was. Could this be the sort of creative outlet I needed, too? Maybe I really could do this?

Finding your creative voice is the challenge photographers face every time they pick up a camera, and it’s a never ending search.  Trying to define your style and discover who you are as a photographer is one of the hardest achievements to accomplish.  We, as photographers, find an inner happiness when we’re photographing our subjects – which is why we do it – but trying to take that image nobody else has conceived of is always difficult.  So, how does one do it?  Besides the subject matter, what differentiates Chase Jarvis from Zack Arias and Joe McNally from Todd Owyoung?

You May Ask Yourself, ‘Well, How Did I Get Here?’”

The first place to look is inside yourself.  That sounds like a hippie statement, but you really must find out what you want to shoot and what you want to say through the lens in order to even hear your creative voice.  What inspires you?  What do you enjoy doing?  For me, I love food.  You wouldn’t know it from my skinny physique, but everything about food inspires me, and photographing beautiful food puts a big smile on my face.  When you talk to Jasmine Star, she loves weddings and capturing a couple’s special day to create the first set of memories through images.  Zack Arias and Todd and Chris Owyoung love shooting musicians and capturing their aura, whether it’s band portraits or live concerts.  These people have found what they love to shoot and have gone out to make it happen.  There are people that specifically shoot cars, aircraft, children, landscapes – it’s what they find interesting, so they photograph it.  Once you find something that inspires you, bring your camera along and take a photo or two.

“You May Find Yourself In Another Part of the World…”

The next step is to see what’s out there.  Inundate yourself with the works of other photographers in the field you want to shoot and see what they’re doing, what techniques they’re using, how they’re lighting their subject, etc.  Check out other photographers that inspire you and look at their work.  Then, go out and do it.  The idea is not to merely copy their work – that’s plagiarism – but more as a learning tool to see what they’re doing to achieve their images so you have a better understanding on what techniques they’re using.  And then, don’t.  Don’t copy them.  Once you figure out how they got that image, challenge yourself to find a way to take it one step further.  You’re going to fail at this in the beginning, but as you grow as a photographer, things will start to make better sense and click, and you’ll start taking better images than you thought you ever could.  Before you know it, the creativity and inspiration will be right in your face, and you’ll start to hear the creative voices speaking to you (hopefully, those are the voices speaking to you – otherwise, seek help).

“Letting the Days Go By…”

365 Projects are also a good way to find your creative voice.  By forcing yourself to shoot every day, you start to look at things in a different way and play with your camera to discover new and interesting techniques.  I know of friends that challenge themselves to only use a specific lens or camera setting, which helps them learn their camera and how to shoot under certain conditions.  The important part is to keep shooting.  Always.  If you’re militant about keeping up with this project, it can really help you develop as a photographer.  Fuel Your Photography has a great article that can start you in the right direction, seen here.

“Once In A Lifetime…”

It’s almost been a year since I embarked on becoming a professional photographer, and to see what I’ve done before and where I’m at now, I know that where I want to be is certainly obtainable.  It’s fun to see what Richard shoots and see what I shoot, and how different our styles are.  We continue to push and force each other to take our images to the next level.  Every time I pick up a camera – even if it’s a commercial shoot or something I never imagined I’d ever shoot – I challenge myself to find a way to put my stamp on an image, and as a result, I find I’m overwhelmed with joy. Whether it’s a hobby or a career, make sure you photograph what you love and what makes you happy – the rest will fall into place.

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My first set of examples provides several excellent opportunities to illustrate elements that make the difference between mere snapshot and great photograph.  The setting: my family was preparing to leave on a week long vacation, and my youngest sister was hugging the pets goodbye.  Sensing a photo opportunity, I grabbed my camera and quickly learned a lesson that has since served me well.  Until that point I was a rigid purist.  I had to take a picture exactly as I found it.  Pictures of people had to be perfectly candid, and pictures of nature couldn’t be altered in any way.  By the time I returned to the scene of the goodbyes the moment had passed, but I really wanted that shot.  So I asked her to hug the pets again, just as she had been doing a few moments earlier.  As the final result will show, it paid off, and I never forgot it.

My first attempt should have a lot going for it, but it falls average at best.  And average is boring.  There’s enough happening in the picture that should draw the viewer in, but it falls flat.  Never allow sentimentality over an event or the circumstances of a shot to overshadow your artistic judgment when choosing your best work to display.  If you hear yourself saying, “But it was such a great/cute/memorable moment…” chances are you know that no matter how amazing the moment was, the photograph just doesn’t measure up.  Listen to that inner voice.  If the shot isn’t working for you, I promise it’s not going to do anything for your viewers.

Continuing my quest for the sculpture locked within the scene, I zoomed in closer.  This is most often the key to getting great shots.  My general rule of thumb is, “less is more.”  In this example the second cat has left the frame, and the photo is already better for it.  I’ve also eliminated some distracting background elements, which help make this a stronger photograph than the first.  We begin to see a subject emerge that is more than just a girl with her cats.  Now we see the well meaning but uncomfortable love a child lavishes on her pet.  This picture is much better than the first, but it still falls comfortably within the category of average snapshot.  So we continue to delve and chisel, looking for that sculpture within the scene.

"A Child's Affection" by Jesse Conklin

This was the final photograph that I took during this shoot, and it continues to bring me satisfaction years after taking it.  Following the “less is more” guideline, I’ve isolated the subject of a child’s affection to its barest element.  Compositionally we have the rule of thirds working on several levels, and that adds to the strength of the photograph.  All extraneous information is gone, and all that remains is the cat, and the love.  It was there all the time; like Michelangelo’s marble slab, I just had to extract it.

I really don’t have a theme when I start a sculpture. The rock guides me to the final sculpture. I think that is true for many creative sculpture artists. –Jimmy Carl Black

I chose the next set of photographs because the draw is universal for all nature photographers.  No matter how many dew-laden flowers we’ve seen and photographed, the urge is irresistible after every rain to take the camera outside and shoot those gorgeous dripping petals.  The problem often becomes how to capture that beauty in new and interesting ways.

Over the years, I’ve developed my “less is more” rule into a personal style.  Most of the time, I start shooting much closer to the subject than would many other photographers.  That is the case with this Parrot Tulip.  In this first example I’ve already cropped in closely, capturing only a portion of the flower.  It provides wonderful shapes, textures and colors, but still strikes me as merely ordinary.

In this second example, I’ve zoomed in a bit and lowered the camera angle, eliminating most of the background around the top and filling the frame with the petals.  I like this frame much more than the first; it seems to have better balance to it, and it’s beginning to attain an abstract quality.  At this point, it’s a judgment call.  Other photographers may be thrilled with a picture like this, but I expect more.  As beautiful as this shot is, it still presents too much information for me.  So I continued chiseling away.

"Parrot Tulip" by Jesse Conklin

I zoomed in even farther, isolating the lower petal against what is now abstract background.  I always try to capture the essence of the thing, which is usually far different from capturing the thing itself.  In this case the whole photograph becomes an abstract of something familiar yet different.  That’s when I know I’ve achieved my goal.  I hope these examples of my shooting and selection process provide some inspiration and guidance to those of you who may still be developing your eye and your style.  When you’re composing your shot, think of it not only as a painting—look for the sculpture locked in the scene before you, and extract it.  It’s always there; you just have to find it.

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U-turn ©Photo-Fenix.com

Now that the World Cup is over, and I don’t know what to do with myself for the next four years, I have had a huge hankering for some action shots.  While the tournament had their own political and economical issues surrounding them, one thing that was not an issue was the photography and videography; with thousands of photographers/journalists/videographers in attendance, we are getting and should be getting some grandiose shots.

Action shots can be anything moving; while the majority of the time when we hear “action shots”, we think “sporting events”, there are other subjects that move quite quickly: concert photography (mosh pits, crowd surfing, the lead singer gyrating to thousands of fans), animal photography (the wings of a hummingbird, butterflies in a haphazard flight, a cheetah pouncing on a gazelle), and even the everyday things (dancing at a wedding, your toddler playing in puddles, macro shots of flowers in the wind).  Your kids keep getting faster, cars have more horsepower, and the world will not slow down because your lens cap is still on.

So before life passes us by, let’s go over some of the basics:

Challenges:

I love a good challenge.  I just moved a week ago and getting a sofa to fit in a space too small for it, definitely posed a doozey of a challenge (solution: power tools followed by a staple gun).  Besides the speed of your subject, you may run into one or all of the following obstacles:

Distance

Chances are you will not be allowed on the court, on the track, or in the middle of an animalistic struggle for survival.  Unless you are pro or hired to shoot the particular event, you will be further away than you like.  You must get a telephoto lens.  YOU MUST GET A TELEPHOTO LENS!  I made the font bigger to show you how much more impact things have when they seem to be closer, like with a telephoto lens!  Chances are if you are shooting action, there is some sort of risk involved to your person and insurance companies or your common sense will ensure you are way back.  For example, the Red Bull Crashed Ice downhill skating event in Quebec City would not let me stand on the track, but thanks to my zoom lens I got close to the action with a nice look at the skyline as well.  The activity you are shooting will determine what level of zoom you need.  If you are shooting indoor sports you might be able to get by with a 200mm.  This is really the lower end and I would encourage looking at a “bigger” lens.  For outdoor sports and nature photography, you will want to go up to 300mm, preferably 400mm.  If this is not in your price range, you may have to use your feet and get closer.  High school sports will allow you to get closer and practice your craft and can open up a few doors for you later.

Lighting

If you are shooting indoor sports you will have to deal with poor lighting.  As much as they want athletes to be able to see what they are doing, the lighting is rarely conducive to photography.  You will definitely be looking to bring “fast” lens (it’s all about the f stops).  Flash may also be another option, but chances are you will not be close enough to use it with any frequency and your shot may ruin the game winning layup at the buzzer.  Flash could have been an option on the shot above, but downhill longboarding at night tends to draw enough attention.  Though grainy, we get the feeing of movement in spite of hardly any available light.  Shooting outside during the day poses a different set of challenges as the lighting may be sufficient, but it also may be too much and constantly changing if it is partially cloudy.  It definitely would not hurt to take a couple of test shots and be very aware of the cloud cover.  You do not want poor exposure!

Accessibility

Point-and-shoot and iPhone users rejoice!  Many arenas or indoor venues will not allow you in with a “professional” looking camera.  There is no real way around this.  If you take good shots, that is money the arena or event could have made.  They don’t want you blowing their profit margin.  If this is an issue, invest in a non-professional looking model that is the crème de la crème; this will help you get the shots you need and not having to lose your memory card or dignity as they escort you out kicking and screaming.

Skills:

Anticipation

This is so important because you will be in the right position when the time comes.  If you know nothing about football and the concept of the line of scrimmage is too complicated, chances are you will miss big chunks of the action.  Take the time to study your event, be it wild animals or wild hockey players.  If you can accurately predict where they will be when something interesting happens you will get the shot you want.

Panning/Blur

If something is blurry you are either a poor photographer or something is going really fast.  Panning is following your subject with the camera as it moves, which creates a crisp, clean shot of your subject while blurring out the background giving the illusion of great speed.  The ability to pan is ridiculously important when it comes to action photography.  When panning, try and just rotate your body from the waist and limit the movement of your arms and therefore, your camera.  Keep as steady as possible in order to ensure your subject stays crisp and the background is nicely blurred (remember not all blur is bad); this will  make you a much happier photographer.

The photograph to the left is interesting as the pan comes at a 45 degree angle.  The backgroud is blurred, showing the speed of the subject, but his legs are also blurry, which shows his legs are moving faster than the rest of him.

The break dancer to the right is interesting because his shirt is catching up with the rest of his dance step, and the blurred shirt gives interest to the shot (in addition to disguising the message on his shirt).

Positioning

Finding the best place to shoot is tough as many other photographers may be trying to do the same thing.  If you are unsure of where to go, check out sporting events on TV to get an idea (Look for the photographers and not the cheerleaders.  This will help immensely.)  If you are shooting nature photography, finding a place where animals come to drink or cross bodies of water is a great place to start.  This requires a lot of patience as the wild is not governed by commercial sponsorships.  Remember to try and keep the sun at your back whenever possible so as to not have your subject in the dark.  Also don’t forget that you definitely don’t have to shoot straight on.  Try changing your level to create a more dramatic perspective.  You may even end up with shots that you never meant to take, but end up becoming favourites.  When taking a picture  (with a sufficient shutter speed) of someone coming straight on, there will not be a blurred background; different elements of the shot may show motion, but in general you will be freezing the action.

Like the athletes you may be shooting, it’s all about practice.  You won’t get it right the first time or maybe even the thousandth time.  But the harder you work, the better you get, the more you learn, and the more opportunities will fall into your lap.  Keep shooting, we have digital cameras for a reason.

On your marks, get set, Shoot!

Ed.Notes

Unmarked Photo Credits from top to bottom: Photo-Fenix

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About two years ago, a good friend of mine needed a change a pace and a change of perspective.  At the time I worked for an airline and I had won two free passes to anywhere they flew.  We looked at the flights and decided on a four day trip to Lima, Peru.  I know passable Spanish (Cerveza, por favor) and figured it would be different enough from my French Canadian joie de vivre. My friend is an avid photographer and we basically carried more camera gear than changes of clothes. We had a great time going to different parts of town, sleeping on a new found friend’s couch (thanks Couch Surfer!), and enjoy

the “occasional” pisco sour.  However, on one of our jaunts our cab driver got hopelessly lost and whether it was my poor communication skills or his lack of direction, we were zipping through the part of town we were told to avoid.  We were excited as we had decided to avoid this part of town because we would not likely come out with all our gear; so of course, out come our cameras as we discreetly as possible tried to shoot our environment.  Our taxi driver just about had a heart attack.  He told us to put the cameras away as he wagged his fingers feverishly.  And although I can’t be completely sure, I am sure he was indicating we were being followed.  For the first time during this perfect trip, I was concerned for my well being.  (Kindly note, Lima is one of my favourite cities in the world because of that trip and would move there in a heartbeat given the opportunity. Te amo, Lima!)

The camera gear between the two of us was probably worth at least 10 times the value of the car we were in.  The average monthly salary in Peru is $200 USD.  For the few people out there looking to improve their situation in a dishonest fashion, we would have been an easy mark.  I got to thinking about the privileged life I was born into.  While I am not sipping champagne on craving caviar, I might as well be compared to a large population of the world.   For example, I could work one wedding and clear the average yearly salary in Peru and still be giving a great deal.  We have an expensive hobby/passion/job and are fortunate to be able to partake in it.  And though it is a fictional web slinger’s who says, “With great power, comes great responsibility.” it is most certainly a truth that we consider in a non-fictional way.

So what can you do?  Glad you let me ask that for you.

Being aware

While we are just one in 7 billion humans to inhabit this planet, there are certainly things we can do.  I understand that it is a lot easier to care about what piece of equipment to buy or which cable package suits your needs best, than to think about oil spills, earthquakes, and floods.  If things don’t happen here and now, it’s hard to give it priority; there is a bigger world out there and it is even more beautiful than our small piece of it.  Photography is a huge vessel to bring awareness of the good and bad out there.  To see the pain of a family who have lost loved ones due to an earthquake helps us get one step closer to action.  To see the victory of a young child rescued from tons of rubble brought a worldwide smile and tears of joy.  Organizations such as Focus for Humanity’s mission entail “providing financial support, resources, and training for professional and amateur photographers who capture these stories of our shared humanity and to help fund their work with NGO’s.”  On a smaller scale Child Labor Photo Project focuses on “photographing individual children in their worlds – their families, communities, countries – hoping to see behind the child labor label.”  There are issues and problems that need to be addressed in your neighbourhoods and towns and using your gifts, talents, and equipment you can bring attention and draw others to a cause they may not know existed.  That’s the first step.

Take action

We know there are issues out there, globally and locally.  If you don’t you may as well continue on to another site for some celebrity gossip.  However, some aren’t necessarily issues, but ways that you can take action yourself.  There are probably friends and/or family in your circle that could never afford for a professional photo session for a pregnant mom, a newborn baby, or family portraits.  I know I couldn’t.  No matter what your level or equipment is have you thought of offering to spend an afternoon, an hour even, and giving them a red carpet treatment?  If you want an idea of professional already doing this, check out Help-Portrait; they are a “movement of photographers who are using their time, equipment and expertise to give back to those who are less fortunate.”  Make sure you check out their videos.

It only gets bigger from there.  There are community groups, beginning artists, actors, and musicians trying to get a leg up and a head start; some great photos for a portfolio or website would be really handy!  There are probably festivals, churches, community events that would welcome a willing photographer with open arms.  Do you know how animated kids can get when in front of a camera?  Think of the schools with sports, arts, and other extra-curricular activities that could benefit from photographic encouragement.

You’re in need

Do you know that there are programs all over the world the puts cameras into the hands of kids, of the disabled, the less fortunate to boost their creativity, to further their development, and to give hope?  Do you know that there is an emerging field within art therapy that encourages participants to take pictures as a way of expressing themselves and confronting their issues?  There is another side of it where clients look at pictures as part of their healing process? Now imagine, we get to do this all the time.  We can pick up our camera and express ourselves.  We can delve into a feeling, emotion, or subject like no other medium out there.  I can promise you, you will grow.  You will grow as a person and as a photographer.  Check out “Born into Brothels.” Get your creative juices going.

©Photo-Fenix.com

The tone of this post may seem aggressive at spots, but that’s only because I am wrestling with this personally.  I have to go out and do this.  I can make people aware of important issues; I can help.  I have friends and family I can serve by doing a free shoot.  If you have other ideas, I and others would love to hear them.   If you have given of your photography share your stories with us.  Let’s help each other out.  I look forward to hearing from you.

Ed.Notes

Photo Credits from top to bottom

Photo 2: Photo-Fenix

Photo 5: Danny C. Jackson

Photo 6: Nyúl Dániel’s

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I’m not ashamed to admit: I’m a huge fan of Project Runway (there, I said it).  Something about watching people putting fabrics and materials together to create amazing pieces of clothing intrigues me.  I blame it on my culinary background, where throwing semi-random ingredients together to create an amazing dish fascinates me.  So, when I was approached to do a fashion shoot, I wasn’t sure what to expect – it’s not like the food or product photography I’m accustomed to.  I did my homework and made sure I read every bit of literature to get my head around what I was in for.  With this being the first kind of shoot I’ve ever done to this magnitude, it was nerve-wracking, but through the challenges I experienced, I learned valuable lessons and experienced an end result I am beyond pleased about.

I met the Tranquilista, Kimberly Wilson, after doing a previous shoot for a company that is releasing a DC guidebook that will be coming out TBD, and after reuniting at an event that was being hosted by this company, she discussed the photography for a book launch fête she was hosting (yes, she also writes books) and we talked about the possibility of also working on her upcoming clothing line launch.  It wasn’t something I’ve done before, but I certainly wasn’t opposed to the idea!  She always has a sweet disposition, and every time I’ve left her vicinity, I’ve felt at peace and, well, tranquil.  The model, Allison, works out in San Francisco (I’m jealous) and met Kimberly on a yoga retreat.  She blew my mind in how natural of a model she was – she had never done modeling before!  I was completely spoiled to have a model like her to work with!  Kimberly’s assistant was a fellow yogi, Eden, who was also a great pair of eyes to have around, as she noticed certain things before I even got to them and made my workflow easy.  I figured her clothing line would be a great step in the right direction for my business, and one step closer to shooting Michael Kors… err, I mean Heidi Klum.

You can read all the articles and publications you can get your hands on, but nothing prepares you for the challenges you face in your first clothing shoot!  Especially when you’re starting out, it’s hard to obtain some of the things you need to get going, and one of my biggest challenges is studio space.  Simply put, I don’t have any.  There are a few photographers that rent out their studio space, but trying to coordinate your schedule with theirs gets hairy, and I wasn’t able to get anything concrete on such a limited timeline (as in, only one day to shoot).  Fortunately for me, the designer is a do-it-all, and not only does she design clothing and publish books, she also runs her own yoga studio.  She had a room that wasn’t being occupied, so we converted it for the shoot with my portable seamless.  Another challenge was trying to properly light the subject.  The lights in the studio were adequate, but my single umbrella was going to make lighting tricky.  Plus, lighting products or food is completely different from lighting people!  I have used it before this shoot, so I understood how the lighting was going to work along with natural light from outdoors.  The biggest challenge was post-production: it SUCKED!  Because of my lighting, the white background turned almost a pinkish-gray.  This required a LOT of converting the background to white, which was excruciatingly painful.  Add to that the numerous photos I had to work on, it was an enormous headache!  However, now I’ve got the rhythm and technique down to make future shoots not so tedious.

I was certainly glad for the experience, but more so, for the lessons that resulted from this shoot.  I now understand the amount of time that results in these kinds of shoots, and that all of the time spent editing what was only a four-hour shoot needs to be compensated for.  With that, you must make sure that all of the terms of the agreement for the shoot are established well in advance, so there isn’t any confusion for future shoots and everything gets handled in a timely manner.  Luckily for me, she and I have worked together previously and were able to come to a mutual understanding relatively quickly, so nothing got dragged out, and we have already established terms for the next shoot months in advance.  Aside from that, more equipment is always helpful, especially to get the images that you want, so don’t be afraid to rent or borrow from a photographer buddy.  I was still starting out, so I didn’t have the connections or the equipment back then like I do now, and I know that I’ll be better equipped for my next shoot.  I’ve upgraded my camera and speed light since the previous shoot, which should make things noticeably better.  I’m still dreaming about better strobes and a Pocket Wizard, which are still out of my budget (for now – if I starve myself long enough, I’ll be able to get them), but thankfully I’ve made friends and have the hook-ups.  It’s all about networking!

The shoot was fantastic, and thanks to Eden for the help and Allison for being such a natural and wonderful model.  Because of them, the shoot went without a hitch, and we were extremely productive with a lot of great shots.  Most of all, thanks to Kimberly Wilson, who has been such a great client of mine for these past months.  I’ve had a lot of great work as a result of her, and she’s always such a pleasure to work with!  You can view her yoga and lifestyle clothing line, as well as other photos of the resulting shoot at her website: tranquilit.com. I am always surprised when I have a shoot involving something I never believed I’d get into and enjoy it beyond belief – it didn’t involve photographing food, yet was one of the most fun shoots I’ve had to date!

Next stop: Vanity Fair.

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Your camera hates you. Well… maybe that is a little extreme but, he/she severely dislikes you.  Your wond rous machine is doing all the work for you and your photos are losing their creative flavor.   Your manual focus toggle is gathering dust and you have yet to venture out from the comfort of your camera’s “pre-sets.”  You have a nasty habit and in order to break it you are going to have to make it a point to grow a few more skill sets.

First things first:

If your setting knob/button/doohickey is set to a some sort of graphic or icon on the little wheel thing, change it right now.  Even if you are not taking pictures at this very moment or plan to in the near future, change it from the flower, mountain, or portrait silhouette!  What you are really looking at using are the M, Av, or Tv settings.  Here is a quick run-down of when you would use them.

Tv: if for Shutter Speed

This means the camera’s priority is the speed at which your photo is being taken, also known as shutter speed.  Once you have manually set the speed of at which you will be taking pictures, you camera will calculate the remainder of the variables needed for “correct exposure” (please take this with a grain of salt as your camera’s correct exposure may not necessarily be what you are looking for).  This setting is most effectively used when you are trying to freeze a particular motion and making sure your subject stays sharp.  When Tv is selected as your priority, you won’t have to worry about your camera switching the settings on you if there is a shadow.

Av: is for Aperture Prioity

The camera is now focusing on the aperture, or how much light you are letting into your picture.  As in Tv, your camera will adjust everything based on the aperture value you set.  I like using this setting for shooting street scenes inconspicuously; I remove the camera from my face and I shoot at chest level pretending that I am playing with the settings.  Since I am not looking at my subject, I can’t be sure what is in focus and what will be blurry.  So, the smaller the aperture (the bigger the number on the camera) creates a greater depth of field, which increases the chances my photo will not be a huge blur.

M: is for Manual

Manual mode is my favourite setting but, unfortunately, requires the most work.  This means you are in complete control of what is coming in through the lens.  You are going to have to adjust both of the previous variables.  I tend to use this setting when I have enough time to compose the shot and the lighting is not likely to change.  If you are shooting a wedding on a partially cloudy day and the clouds are constantly changing your natural light (this is as close to photographer’s hell as I can possibly think of), you will be forced to carry a light meter or be able to predict which settings will lead to the most eye-catching photograph (which is really the ideal way to capture images).

Secondly, you have to be comfortable with adjusting your ISO.  Your ISO, in both film and digital mediums, adjusts the sensitivity to the amount of light being presented to your camera.  You cannot just leave it on whatever setting it was on when you bought it.  When I first started taking pictures, I was working with a film camera and always bought 800 ISO film.  I never understood why my photos captured those night scenes better than everyone else’s but my pictures always seemed to be grainiest.  When you are outside in bright daylight, you want to keep your ISO levels between 100 and 200 (anything higher is too much for outdoor sunlight and you risk washing out your picture).  For lower light situations you probably don’t want to drop below 400 and avoid going over 1000.  Once over 1000, on most entry level and some prosumer models your pictures will start to get pixelated, also known as noise.

Third thing: it is essential you free yourself of the auto-focus on your lens(es).  Most lenses auto-focus work quickly and well however, you are an aspiring artist and want to perfect your craft.  While your hand should be used to the zooming in and zooming out, your fine motor skills often need to go into overdrive for the minor adjustments needed for perfect focus.  There are many times when the autofocus does not zoom in on the area thatyou wish to highlight.  The last thing you want is to have a shot lined up only to be delayed or ruined as the camera tries to guess what you want to shoot.  Go on.  Move the button-thing to MF.  I dare you.

Finally, a great first step towards mastering your craft is being able to adjust the white balance.  Your camera is smart, but only to a certain point.  Like a clueless guy trying to figure out how he angered his girlfriend and how to fix it, your camera can be quite clueless and will not be able to figure out the light as you see it.  Neon lights have a different temperature from regular light bulbs.  Daylight at 8am has a different temperature than at noon and again at 6pm.  Each one of these lights will photograph differently and will have an impact of the outcome on your photo; that’s the reason when taking a picture of a candle you will get a soft yellowish glow.  Remember that in order to change the white balance on your camera, you usually have to be in manual mode, otherwise your camera takes on the decision making for you.

Hopefully, you are looking at continuing growth as a photographer and these Fuel Your Photography tips point you in the right direction.  One thing is for sure, your camera thanks you.  From what it tells me, a new found respect, love, and admiration are currently being nurtured and encouraged.  Your camera appreciates you pulling your weight and making use of all the buttons and features available to you; they hate it when they don’t live up to your potential.

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The Passive Client

​​The Passive Client says they’re interested in your services, but when the time comes to schedule or obtain details about the shoot, you’ve aged twenty years. Then, when you try to gain their input, they hardly contribute anything, taking a completely hands-off approach and leaving you without a concrete direction to take the shoot. The kicker comes when it’s time to collect payment – you probably won’t receive it in a timely manner. Fun!

The Solution: Patience is the key, since you’re going to want to violently shake anything coherent out of them. Do your best to look for the positives – if they’re not going to give you any direction, take it upon yourself to let the creative juices flow. That’s why we’re in this business, right? Most importantly, make sure contracts and check are in hand before you proceed. Based on your interactions with the Passive Client on the phone/via e-mail, you should be able to spot this type and take the proper precautions.

The Overly-Controlling Client

​To the creative types, the Overly-Controlling Client are the ones to suffocate the creative process. Any idea you come up with gets shot down and they only want to do it their way. They know better than you do about the image they want, so you’ll take a back seat. You’ll probably spend a good portion of your time envisioning yourself strangling these people.

The Solution: Remember how your mother would ask you if you’d like carrots or peas as a vegetable for your dinner? You felt so empowered because you got to choose (even though you’d rather have ice cream), but in reality, your parents created the illusion of “choice” – you were going to eat vegetables whether you wanted to or not! The same applies here – come up with a few creative ideas and let the client choose one of the ideas “you can do”. If the client doesn’t buy into this, it’s time to swallow your pride and smile and nod.

The Worrywart

​Everything has a doomsday scenario attached. They don’t look “right”, the shoot is running too long, the sky is falling, etc. Anytime you ask for their input, thinking you’re going to put them to ease, it only brings out their insecurity more. On top of that, they always schedule reshoots because they didn’t like some small detail about the last shoot, delaying the payment and wasting your time and theirs.

The Solution: These Debbie Downers will suck the life out of you, but a little ego stroking goes a long way with these people. They will need a lot of reassurance, and once they get a little confidence, the shoot will run much smoother. It’s important to stay calm, positive, and patient, since they will be feeding off of your attitude – if you’re upset, they’ll take it personally, and the insecurities will only get worse.

The Stingy Client

​To any photographer in the business, these are the worst types. They try to take any shortcut they can to “speed the process up”, and will always try to barter for a cheaper price – after all, you’re just “pushing a button”, right? This can result in not receiving payment in a timely manner and wanting to bash your head against the wall.

The Solution: Stand your ground and realize that your best friend is the word “no”. Don’t settle for a lesser price – you know how much it costs to do this shoot effectively, so anything that will make the photo what you want needs to be in there. They might continue to gripe about money, to which you can pass on the job and wait for the client that appreciates your services. If they’re “on such a tight budget”, maybe they shouldn’t have hired a professional in the first place?

The Dream Client

​These people are the rare gems you need to hold onto for dear life! They understand what you and your business are about, contribute positively to every shoot, and the two of you can bounce ideas off one another with ease. When it’s time for payment, they send it in a timely manner and talk non-stop about how great it was to work with you to friends and colleagues. They are the rays of hope in the world that you’d wish every client was like!

The Solution: Sit back and enjoy the ride! They’re like-minded and help the creative process with everything they say and do because they have such a clear and creative vision, as well as a “let’s get this done ASAP” attitude, knowing that your time is just as important as their own. I love these people, and I will go out of my way to spread the good word about their business just as they do about mine. Try to work something out with them about tweeting/talking them up on Facebook and make sure to stay in touch with them often.

You’re going to meet a wide variety of people during your line of work, and patience is vital in all of these interactions. By looking at each case individually, you can be more effective in how you work with these clients, and they’ll be more than appreciative that you worked so well with their needs, possibly earning you repeat business.

What other kinds of clients have you worked with that I haven’t mentioned here? And what did you find was the best approach in working with them?

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So you’ve graduated. You walked up on stage and got that important piece of paper that certifies that you are filled with pure photo awesomeness. With a degree in hand, you are probably preparing for crowd control. After all, starting tomorrow, thousands of people will be banging down your door to hire you as their photographer. You may have already purchased parking cones, road flares, and a megaphone, and hired a slew of security guards in orange vests. Your road to fame starts tomorrow….or maybe after the weekend…..ok so maybe after this month…hmmmm……maybe when school starts up? Ok….so maybe after January when wedding planning starts. And yet, your phone is silent.

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So your Flickr pics are getting tons of hits and you are being asked to add your photos to every group out there.  Your friends ask you if you ever took any photography classes.  You have been drafted to shoot your cousin’s wedding. You decide that now is the time to take the leap, go for broke and try your luck by taking your hobby one step further and making it a side business.  You have a vague business plan, a catchy mission statement, and your trusty point and shoot!  What’s next?  SHOPPING for gear!  While it’s always fun to spend money on the gadgets you need, this can be a stress-inducing time as some of your choices can influence your photography future.

CHECK OUT THAT BODY

Let’s face it; your point and shoot will not cut it.  You may be a photography prodigy but if you show up to a paying job and pull a camera out of your back pocket, you will not be taken seriously.  You need a solid DSLR and you need one quick!  The good news is that now is the best time in photography history to get an advanced DSLR for an un-advanced price.  These new types of entry level cameras come loaded with all the features and then some; some of these even include the ability to record movies.  Do not be swayed by the number of megapixels, the sirens of digital camera world.  Unless you plan on making poster sized prints from the get-go, completely ignore this temptation.  You should be interested in things like RAW vs JPEG, frames per second, how quickly the autofocus works, the camera start up speed, noise levels at higher ISO levels, and the list goes on (it really does, I am not just saying that).  Most entry level DSLR’s nowadays have more than enough megapixels.  People write small books and/or really long articles on the subject of selecting a camera I won’t cover it all here.  I would recommend asking friends who already own DSLR’s and use them extensively.  They will have a better idea of what you need, what you are looking for, and will be a great resource when you have questions about your upcoming purchase! (www.fuelyourphotography.com will also continue to be a great source of inspiration and knowledge)  If you need a head-start look at Canon’s EOS series, T2i is a solid starter camera, and on the Nikon side, the D90 is a probably the best machine currently out there for your first DSLR but, will run you a couple hundred dollars more than its Canon counterpart.  All this being said, don’t throw out your point and shoot just yet.  It is still a great tool when you are going somewhere and a big SLR is not allowed or an option.

LENS ENVY

After the actual camera itself, your lens selection is the next important thing; many people will tell you that your lens selection is even more important than the camera itself.  The quality of your lens affects the quality of your pictures.  A good lens will be a blessing in poor conditions and will only enhance your natural eye and talent in ideal settings.  I can safely say that you will most likely sink more money into lenses than anything else; try not to be a scrooge when it comes to this purchase.  My first lens I bought was a 100-300mm telephoto because it was cheap.  In order to take the most basic of shots I had to stand at the back of a room or across the street; it was not ideal.   Normally when you buy a Canon or Nikon DSLR you will get a standard or “kit” lens as part of a package.  These are a good bet even though they are not the greatest lens.  Their resale value is higher than lesser-known brand are designed to work with the camera you are buying and you run less of a risk of complications in the future.  I recommend getting a wide-angled lens; 28mm – 70mm or 105mm.  This is not a dedicated wide angle lens and you will not get that fisheye effect, but you will be able to take some good shots in tight situations.  I love cranking my kit lens down to 18mm and shooting at crazy angles without even looking through the view finder.  I have gotten some great results and nice surprises!  Then you will want to get a telephoto lens to zoom in on the subjects just out of your reach.  Do not waste your time with a “telephoto” lens that only goes up to 200mm.  You just can’t get close enough to things in the distance and it will frustrate you; 300mm is the standard.  Once you have the basics covered, you can branch out to different lens for specific purposes based on your field of photography.  I highly recommend getting a fixed 50mm lens with an aperture of f1.8 or f1.4.  This is a life saver for portrait photography and is small, light, and easy to carry.

ACCESSORIZE

My wife tells me that it’s all about the accessories;  besides my yellow rubber  “LIVESTRONG” bracelet and my fondness for brightly colored footwear, I don’t accessorize.  However when it comes to extra for my camera, the sky is the limit (aka how much money is in my bank account).  Here is a quick list of what I consider to be the essentials for a good shot at success.

PHOTO EDITING PROGRAM

Photoshop is the standard, but there are a whole host of options.  If you don’t want to pay the big bucks for the latest version of Photoshop (drool), you have free online options.  Take a look, because after camera and lenses, your budget may be a bit short.

TRIPOD

I have owned some cheap tripods.  Imagine taking a picture in an old church during mass and then having a piece of metal slide out and clatter to the floor.  Purgatory, here I come!  Start with something simple, but you are looking to spend at least $75 for a cheap no-name brand at your local camera store.  There are some really fun table top models which are portable and practical.

EXTERNAL FLASH

This is a must.  You will come to curse that built in flash as it is not the friendliest feature on your camera; professional DSLR’s do not even offer it.  If it’s out of your budget, most camera stores will have some sort of flash diffuser which will dramatically increase you built-in flash flexibility until you can put aside some money.

CAMERA BAG

Your camera will spend quite a bit of time in here (hopefully not too much), so do not get a cheap bag.  Get one with comfortable and easily-adjustable straps and one that is waterproof or has a waterproof liner.

Other things you need to throw into your camera bag is extra memory cards, extra batteries, a bean bag (makes a great tripod you can use almost anywhere), a micro fiber lens cloth, and patch cords to link your camera to a tv or computer.

Once you have this taken care of, make sure you get involved in some sort of photo community.  Flickr is a good place to start as it is worldwide with countless numbers of groups where you can post and get critiqued and learn from some really inspiring artists.  Their price is reasonable, but make sure you check out a photo sharing site that works for you.

Happy shooting and make sure you remember me when you are shooting for National Geographic or Vogue; I’ll hold your light reflectors or something.

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The internet is a world of information, and accessing the right information you seek is an overwhelming task.  There are numerous articles and blog posts that ask, “So, You Want To Become A Photographer?”  And most either frighten you away of give you very generic information, which doesn’t steer you in any particular direction except in circles.  Instead of using scare tactics, I’ve compiled a list of items aspiring photographers should be on the lookout for.

Despite claiming I don’t want to scare you away, there are some common misconceptions future photography businessmen should be conscious of.  First and foremost, many do not realize a very important point: photography is a business – it’s not simply taking pretty pictures.  You must be very business-oriented and realize the picture taking is the fun, albeit the brief, part of the job.  Also, many are not aware of the financial stability they must be in to take on the costs of starting the business, since you won’t be profitable right out of the gate and obtaining the proper equipment gets pretty expensive.  Another false impression is not having a formal business plan or not researching into the business.  They merely see what the big money makers, like wedding photography, and just go for it, not realizing the challenges they will ultimately face.  Because of all these misconceptions, the statistic that 85% of photography businesses fail within the first three years of starting, and 40% fail in the first year, holds true.  In order to make sure your dream of creating a photography business is set up for success, you need to establish a business plan, identify your brand, and make sure your business is a legal business.

The Plan

Before you do anything, you must plan.  Without a formal business plan, you won’t have anything to guide you in your endeavors.  First, you must identify your target market.  Who or what will you be shooting, and what kind of photography are they seeking?  Also, what kind of tools and equipment are necessary to provide the service to your market?  Identifying these things are essential to figuring out what type of business you’re going to run.  Next, you must identify your costs of doing business.  There are numerous things to consider: Equipment, supplies, and repair costs.  Rent and studio costs.  Business and health insurance.  Utilities.  Vehicle expenses, such as lease, insurance, maintenance.  Travel expenses.  Phone and internet fees.  Even your desired annual income to do the fun things (and be reasonable in your assessment, guys!).  All of these things need to be accounted for when deciding your costs of doing business, since you and only you are providing the income to sustain all of these things.  This can easily be done by using the CoDB Calculator. Finally, it’s time to put all of this together in generating a business plan.  After calculating your costs and figuring out your target market, you need to put it all on paper.  Writing a company description and mission statement will help visualize the goals of your business and where you want to go with it.  Also, write where you want to see your business in 3, 5, and 10 years, which will give you the foresight to see how your business should develop.  For assistance on writing a formal business plan, check out Start a Photography Business.

The Brand & The Network

After you’ve established a business plan, you must create your brand.  Your brand is the perceived corporate image your consumer has of your business – it’s more than creating a flashy logo.  Write a short description of what your business is about and how you want your clients to think of you.  Spelling it out helps visualize what you need to do to appeal to your target market.  For example, if it’s infant photography, brand yourself to appeal to parents.  Then, you can create a logo that ties in your brand, business plan, and target market.

The next step is the getting the word out.  You are your own marketing department, so make it work!  Having a website is a MUST for any photographer!  It’s the easiest way for potential clients to access your portfolio from anywhere and see what you’ve got.  You must make sure all your contact info is visible, and links to other social media accounts is helpful, too – how else will they get in touch to hire you?  Sites like Photobiz, Photo Shelter, FolioLink, and Graph Paper Press do amazing work, offering templates that make it easy to create your website quickly and for a reasonable price and make your work stand out above the rest.  If money is tight, starting out with Flickr, Tumblr, or WordPress are great alternatives.  Another major step in marketing is using all available social media networking tools that are at your disposal, especially since they’re all free, for the most part.  You must be accessible to your potential clients, so creating pages on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google Buzz, RSS feeds, and blogs help get the information about your business out there and easy for all to see.  Also posting ads on free sites like craigslist will help, though they tend to get over-saturated with budding photographer and clients who don’t pay well.  Think outside of the box; if you’re trying to get into concert photography, try creating flyers and leaving them at concert venues.  Providing head shots?  Try leaving flyers at theaters or acting troupes.  There are countless possibilities!

The Entity

The last step to kick-start your business, and the most overlooked, is making your business legal.  Most don’t realize that a lot of your photos can be infringed, and though you technically own all intellectual property, it’s much more difficult to protect your work without taking the legal means necessary.  One step is to choose the correct legal entity.  Many make the mistake of choosing sole proprietorship, which isn’t completely bad because there is no legal distinction between the owner an the business.  However, it means unlimited personal liability for actions of the business, including staff & interns, many of which will be out of your control and leaves you unprotected.  A better idea is to go the LLC route.  With it, you have a distinction between actions of the business and personal actions of the employees.  Also, there are smaller legal fees and the paperwork is a lot more straight-forward, especially when dealing with the IRS, leaving you a lot less confused than you would be otherwise.  The corporation entity is OK, since it allows net losses to carry over to the following year and  has a longer track record of liability protection, but there are additional legal complexities can cause more harm than good.

One more thing to consider is purchasing liability insurance.  It’s easy to find policies with low premiums and covers you, your employees, and volunteers adequately.  The most important thing to note: DON’T TIE IN PLANS WITH HOMEOWNERS INSURANCE! It could result in multiple failures, should your business go under, and leave you in financial ruin.  You should also consider insuring your equipment, since your camera is your money maker.  Should anything happen to it, your means of making money no longer exist!  The best policy would be a commercial policy, since it covers things like theft and accidental damage.  It is slightly more expensive than personal equipment policies, but covers more in the policy leaving you adequately protected.

I understand this is a very general guide, but hopefully this shows the budding photographer all of the things one needs to consider when creating your own business.  Undoubtedly in future posts, I will get more descriptive about some of these subjects, which will provide a better scope of the steps that need to be taken.  In the meantime, additional resources to consider are Best Business Practices For Photographers by John Harrington, 2010 Photographer’s Market, and Photographer’s Market Guide to Building Your Photography Business by Vik Orenstein.

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As the story goes, Robert Johnson sold his soul to the devil at the crossroads in return for fortune and fame. As a photographer, you might have taken pictures of the very same crossroads, however, we do not have to sell our souls to make a few bucks. In this article, I am going to share my top five resources to showcase your work, and possibly make a living doing what you enjoy.

Knowledge

The first and most crucial resource to any photographer is the Photographer’s Market Guide, which is published every year. This book is the holy grail of whom, what, where, and how to market your work without losing your shirt, or in Mr.Robert Johnson’s case, your soul. The best part about this book is the amount of research that is done so you don’t have to, which in turn provides piece of mind that the resources are legitimate.  From interviews with up and coming photographers to release forms, websites, galleries, contests, and more, you cannot afford not to have this on your bookshelf.

Organization

Keeping your work organized is next, and just as important, if not more important than the Market Guide. There are many resources to accomplish this, however, I am only going to touch on a few. Adobe Lightroom is my number one choice, as it is an excellent organization tool, and more. Lightroom allows tagging your photos, embedding  metadata, and works flawlessly with Adobe Photoshop for some of the heavier work. One of my favorite features is the vast amount of plug-ins, from simple color correction to exporting directly to your favorite social media or photo hosting site like Flickr or Facebook with the click of a button. I suggest downloading a trial version and playing with some of the features, as I have only touched on the possibilities. If your wallet has cobwebs, as most do in these tough economic times, I suggest downloading Picasa from Google. It is free, and allows you to organize and manipulate your photos similar to Lightroom, and also upload directly to Picaso to share your masterpieces with friends and family.

Socialize

I mentioned the ability for Lightroom to export to your favorite sites, so lets review a few of the  photographer based social sites. Two social sites that I use are Flickr and Deviant Art. both offer free and paid subscriptions as well as the opportunity to sell your work. I tend to lean more towards Deviant Art as they house some of the most creative driven photographers I have ever come across. I consider myself to be both a traditional and creative photographer, and Deviant Art delivers. Flickr is great if you are into the “group-based” site. Fuel Your Photography is a perfect example, as they have their own “pool” as it is called. The local photography club I belong to also has a pool where members can critique and comment on each others work. Flickr also offers the “social” aspect of finding like minded photographers, and joining other groups or “pools.” If I were to put Deviant Art and Flickr next to each other, neither would win. Deviant Art offers less social networking, however, it is very open to new ideas and caters to the “artist.” Flickr is more social and has an open “touchy-feely” aura for lack of better words. In the end, both are great for photographers to get their work in front of a large audience, and I highly suggest using both.

Selling

If you are not interested in the “social-circles,” and just want to get your work online and start making a few bucks, I suggest Zenfolio and Wordpress. If you are newbie to the world of e-commerce or online sales, then Zenfolio is the perfect choice. They handle all of the sales, tax, and shipping; all you have to worry about is your photography and site layout. Like everyone else they offer both paid and free membership plans, however, if you are serious about selling your work, do not bother with the free membership. The paid membership allows you to customize the page with your logo, and even offers the ability to point a domain name via a few simple changes to your host’ DNS records. Don’t let the jargon scare you off as Zenfolio provides detaled instructions on how to accomplish this with ease. The actual photo processing, framing, and shipping is done by MPIX, and as someone who has used their services, you cannot go wrong.  Lastly, the paid premium membership allows you to set custom pricing and profit via an extremely user friendly interface.

There are a few other services I would like to mention, and although I am not as familiar with them, they are used by some big name photographers. Photobiz.com, an online host similar to Zenfolio, sports a slick Flash or HTML-based viewer, and if you do not have the funds to sign up for a year, you can choose from numerous monthly plans starting as low as $15.00. For alternatives to MPIX, check out Miller Labs and WHCC for supreme quality printing services.

The other option, which I am about to embark on, is setting up and designing your own site using Wordpress. If you are looking to do very minimal upkeep, I would stick with Zenfolio, however, if you are willing to learn a few new tricks and would like total control over very aspect of your site, then Wordpress is the way to go. There is a bit of a learning curve, and you will need to put time aside to keep up with your site, but in the end it is all about sitting in the drivers seat. Many books and videos have been sold covering the robust features Wordpress has to offer, so if you are new to this technology, I suggest wordpress.tv, wordpress.org, and a wonderful ebook entitled “Digging Into WordPress” for a solid starting point.

Networking

Lastly, and just as important as the previous four resources, is networking. You may have THE photo that will go into the archives along side Ansel Adams or Julia Margaret Cameron , but if no one ever has the opportunity to view your work, you may just miss the open door. I covered a few sites to showcase your work, and they are good resources, however, you still need people to come to your site which brings us to creating a buzz. Create new accounts on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Tumblr, and any other social media network that you feel comfortable with that focus on your photography, and that is key; if they focus on anything else other than your passion, you are defeating the purpose and wasting precious time.

Whenever you post a new photo to your gallery, be it Zenfolio, Flickr, or whichever service you decide to use, make sure to tell the world! If you keep this up and put in the time, others will begin to pay attention and start communicating about their latest photo or technique. Eventually,  you will experience the “snowball effect,” and more photographers, along with those who appreciate photography, will adore you and worship the very ground you walk on! OK, I may be pushing it, but you get the point. Monetary benefits aside, if you don’t put yourself in front of as many people possible, you will inevitably have no visits to your site, no interest in your photography, which can ultimately lead to no incentive; The Creative Killer.

Robert Johnson had to sell his soul to secure his future, however, with the proper tools and an unconquerable passion, you have the power to create your own crossroads, and ultimately, your success.

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If you are an amateur photographer or professional photographer, Flickr is the largest community of photos online.  Sure, there is Picassa and Smugmug, but they do not have the ability to connect with others like Flickr.  In this article, I am going to cover how to get the most out of your photos in the Flickr community.

Getting started

Uploading photos is a little tricky, that’s why I am covering it. If you know this, scroll down to Getting Exposed.

To upload photos in Flickr, go to You -> Upload photos.  Since you can now batch upload photos, pick a whole bunch and then press on upload.  Let Flickr do its magic.  It will then ask you, “Next:  add a description, perhaps?.”  Click on the link and you arrive at all the newly uploaded photos.

Now is it the time to organize it.  I admit, it’s tedious and even I avoid this task (only later to regret it).

Add Tags -  This allows you add tags that will be all the photos in the set.  If you took a bunch of photos of San Francisco, you should add “San Francisco,” SF, Bay Area.

Add to a a Set – All the photos can be added to a preexisting set or you can create a new set.

Title, Description, Tags – Add personal titles, descriptions, and tags to each photo.  If you know anything about search engine optimization, this is like adding meta data.  If you want anyone to click on your photo in a search engine search, add this data. And add lots of tags, don’t be afraid. Of course, be on topic but if the photo is of a rabbit (like the sample above) use general tags like “rabbit, bunny, fuzzy, furry”, etc to ensure that people would stumble upon a photo when searching.

Once done with this… save!

Getting Exposed

Groups
The awesome part of Flickr comes in with Flickr groups.  There are thousands of groups on Flickr from locations (Stockholm) to camera reviews and equipment (Nikon Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 VR) to random goodness (Purple Flowers).

You want to add your best photos to groups. The more groups you join, the greater the amount of photos you can add to groups. Okay, some groups do put limits so no one person spams the group.

Make sure to visit Flickr on regular basis to submit photos to groups so that your photos don’t get entirely buried in the deluge.

Interact with others
Like any social community, chatting/interacting with other people is the way it survives. In Flickr, photos gain popularity and exposure through commenting and favoriting them.

The more comments a photo receives, the more popular it becomes and higher it will rank on searches. Give feedback and constructive comments because you are demonstrating the ability to be a good contributor. Plus, by commenting on another person’s photo, chances are, they will visit your page. Just think of this like blog commenting.

Same goes for making a photo a favorite by clicking on the pink star. The cool bit is that you can look through any user’s favorites’ photos and see what inspires them. The photos you favorite will then appear in your favorites folder so that you can see them at any time.

You can also chat with others through threads and question groups. Some groups are entirely off topic from photography while others are ‘meet and shoot’ clubs where people decide where to meet and go off to take photos together. Yet, another great way to become more well known in the community.

Figuring out Your Activity

Your home page on Flickr is the second most important page (you’ll find out about the second in a bit).

The left side shows recent activities within your network. The Photostream shows any comments made on your photos, favorites, and any replies on comments you made on other photos. The Contacts section shows latest uploaded photos by your contacts. And, you can guess, the Groups sections shows the latest uploaded photos in some of your groups.

On the right side, is the latest from the Flickr blog. And below is an advertisement for many of Flickr’s third party applications (Moo, etc).

Now it is time to go to the most important page: Stats. See the graph to the right of “Your Photostream?” Pro account users can see statistics on all their photos. You can see number of photo views, favorites, and comments. You can also track the domain referrers. Because you can see the domain referrer, it’s easy to learn how your photo was used. If possible, comment on the post or article where the author used your photo, you can get more exposure again.

What does this all lead to? If you tag your photos well, write good descriptions, participate in community by favoriting and commenting, join groups, then you stand a chance of getting good exposure. Many photographers, especially amateurs are approached to license their photos or even do real shooting. I licensed my photos through people who emailed me via Flickr.

Don’t stand in the dark(room) anymore. Even if you have a professional site, put up your best stuff on Flickr. Chances are people are looking both via the search engines AND in the Flickr community for their next photographer or photo to buy.

About the Author:
Preeti loves taking photos even though she can be lazy at tagging them. She enjoys writing, traveling, and of course taking photos. Her blog, Lost in Stockholm, is about living in Sweden. You can see her favorites photos from Grand Canyon to Narvik, Norway on her blog.

Got questions or comments about using Flickr? Send her a tweet.

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Have you ever gone on set after prepping for a photo shoot, only to get there and draw a big blank? You have forgotten your vision of what you imagined these pictures would turn out to be. You look at your client and have no idea what to do with them. This is a common occurrence among beginner photographers. Usually once you start and get your creative juices flowing, you’ll get to a point where you are in the moment and tailoring the shoot to the style and feel of the environment. However, sometimes it is good to have a starting point so as not to get stuck in a rut. Below I have listed 5 different elements that can help you add variety to your photo shoots.

1. Lighting (sun)

front lit, back lit, side lit

2. Background

sky, grass, landscape, architecture

3. Perspective/angles

above, below, straight on, behind, side

4. Poses/emotion

laughing, smiling, turning to side, serious

5. Props/Wardrobe

personalize to each individual (football, umbrella, flowers, scarf, cowboy etc.)

Now mix and match these elements. If you do this, you will find that you have endless opportunities to get a variety of shots that will showcase your client in a new and exciting way. Jot down this list and keep it in your camera bag so when you have that moment of What Do I Do Now???, you will be prepared. If you have other go-to ideas that you always use, please feel free to share them.

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