Category Archives: For Photographers
You guys – exciting news – I am a featured photographer in this month’s issue of Inspired Magazine – a magazine put together by one of my favorite professional photography forums – National Association of Professional Children Photographers! As a professional family photographer most important thing for me is having my clients be happy with my work but I gotta say that getting recognition from industry peers is pretty amazing! NAPCP is a great organization – I am proud to be a member of it – and being selected from thousands of other members for this feature is amazing!!
You can read the whole feature here
My girls think they are famous now – we are all ready to give out autographs:)
Summer is here and that means that a lot of families are taking their annual vacations. We go onfamily vacations in the spring and every summer we go to Ocean City, NJ but this year was an exception and we took the girls to Iceland and Paris in July instead. It was very crowded (think 1+ hour wait even with ‘fast track’ tickets) and made me remember the reason why we don’t travel in July (all those people!) but we did have a lovely time:)
I wanted to do something a bit different on this trip in terms of photos – I wanted to create images that captured stories, images that felt natural and fresh – even more so than images I usually create; I wanted to produce pictures that were attention grabbing and different.
I decided not to use my old trusted Canon (I LOVE that camera but it is so heavy to be lugging around all over the place) and instead brought my new favorite – Fujifilm Xt-20. I brought 3 lenses with me but ended up using the kit lens (18-55) most of the time. This in itself made me think a bit more creatively because usually I travel with at least two lenses and I was limited by what this lens allowed me to do.
So how do you stay ‘fresh’ on vacation and make images that are still ‘you’ and capture your family, but that are different and creative? I looked through the images I took and put together a list – my Top Ten Tips on how to produce creative images on vacation. And I illustrated it with pictures from our trip – because who would not want to see pictures of my adorable kids, right? 🙂 By the way – check back in a few weeks for more pictures and details about what we did while in Iceland and France.
And now without further ado I present to you (in no particular order) my Top Ten Tops for Staying Creative While on Vacation!
Tip 1: Do a Shutter Drag
Shutter drag is always fun to do! It might be a bit challenging doing it on vacation without a tripod but can definitely be managed – you either need to find a surface to hold your camera or take a deep break and hold very very still. You also need to instruct your subjects to hold as still as they can. We were at The Musée d’Orsay in Paris (it is one of my top 3 favorite museums in the world – that’s why you will see a few more images from this museum here) and I wanted to capture the chaos and craziness of what it felt like being there at the height of tourist season in July. I asked my girls to ‘freeze’, closed down my aperture, set shutter speed to 1/2 of a second, steadied myself, took a deep breath (I’ve read that it taking a deep breath before pressing your shutter helps to hold the camera steady) and took this image.
Tip 2: Shoot from Unusual Angles
Instead of taking pictures straight on or from above try shooting from below. Here I got down on the ground (white pants I was wearing that day were not happy about that!) and took a picture of my girls being ‘a bit’ excited about going to Eiffel Tower – with the tower in the background.
Tip 3: Shoot Through Stuff
I’ve always loved photographing through things – it is super easy to do, frames your subject nicely (and I LOVE framing my subjects) and makes your images more interesting. Try it!
Tip 4: Use Reflections
Can I just say how much I love reflections? I think they always make images just a tiny bit more interesting. So look for reflections wherever you are – be in a reflection in a mirror, window or a puddle! We were waiting in a cafe for the rain to pass and the girls standing by a glass door. I asked Alexa to stick her head out .. she did and I captured this image. I love her expression, being able to see both of them in a reflection and at the same time seeing busy waiters inside – I think it captures Paris cafe culture pretty well.
Tip 5: Use Leading Lines
Using leading lines is not terribly creative or inventive but you should try to look for leading lines in a new way. Here we were going up a spiral staircase to the top of Arch de Triumph; I waited till the staircase was relatively empty and asked Mia to peek at me from the top.
Tip 6: Look for Light
Always always always be on a lookout for beautiful light. We were heading out of Sacré-Cœur, after a long long day of sightseeing and I put my camera down.. Just then Victor turned around and pointed out to this amazing stream of light coming through the window.. No matter how tired I was I could not go past it without taking a picture so I asked Alexa to try to ‘catch’ that beam of light light.
Tip 7: Shoot Through Glass
Shooting through class can provide very interesting images. We were looking at the statue of ‘Small Dancer Aged 14‘ at The Musée d’Orsay; this statue is enclosed in a glass case and I asked my girls to go on the side of the case opposite of me. I thought that seeing them through the glass with the statue in the foreground would create an interesting image.
Tip 8: Play around with Framing
I love to frame my subjects in unusual ways. In this image one of my girls was reading to my husband a few interesting facts about Paris and my other girl (a.k.a little monkey) was running around. I thought it would be fun to have her ‘frame’ them and the result of that is this image:
But then again – I like any types of ‘frames’ and doorways always work very well!
Tip 9: Create Silhouettes
Do you know that you can create beautiful silhouette any time of the day – not just at sunrise and sunset? We were inside The Musée d’Orsay (in case you are wondering – we did other stuff than just spent all other time at this museum) looking at Paris through this giant clock and I asked my girls to standing by the clock. I thought it would be interesting to ‘frame’ the city by the clock and create silhouette of my girls against the background of the city.
Tip 10: Let Go of Perfection
And sometimes you need to let go of perfection to be able to capture a perfect moment. This image is not technically perfect – the top of the horse is cut off and the other one is peaking through behind my daughter’s head. But for me it is imperfectly perfect because it captures this amazing moment of Alexa interacting with an Icelandic horse – messy hair and all!
Hope you found this article useful and are ready now to go out and photograph your kids in creative ways! And if you are a photographer reading this and want to check out other business tutorials I wrote you can see them all here.
I’ve been mentoring fellow photographers and writing for great photography forums and magazines for a while but somehow I very rarely share photography business advice on my own blog. I decided to change that so moving forward I will be posting business articles here as well. So if you are an aspiring photographer or a working professional looking to get better at the business end of running a photography business (after all, who does NOT want to get better?!) check out this blog from time to time for useful articles on everything – from pricing to workflow and lots of stuff in between!
I love photography. And I also love the business side of running a photography business. Having had my business since 2008 I’ve developed a number of business habits that made me efficient and (knock on wood!) successful.
1. Set financial goals, a budget and track expenses
I am sure most of us got into this business because we love photography, because it is our passion. However, photography business is still a business and as such, it should make money. To make money (and more importantly to keep it) you should have: 1) financial goals: so you know what you’re working toward, 2) budgets: so that you know how much you’re planning to spend, and 3) expense tracking to know how you’re actually doing. I recommend tracking your expenses on a monthly basis. Then if there’s an issue (e.g. your actual expenses are higher than planned, etc.) you can address it immediately.
2. Delegate
I am pretty sure most of us started our photo businesses as a one-person show. We wear many different hats; we are photographer, editor, PR, graphic designer, admin, packager, etc., and sometimes it’s hard to give up that control. But there are only so many hours in the day and your time is best used in the area crucial to your business growth. It may be hard to pay someone to do the work you know you can do but you should think about how much time it will save you and in return how much time you can invest back in your business. (Examples include admin activities, bookkeeping, photo editing, even selling!)
3. Send out an e-newsletter
This is one of the easiest and best things I think you can do for your business. Think about it as free advertising. It allows you to share anything you want with your clients: specials you may have going on, new product offerings, calls to action (e.g. time to start booking fall sessions is now), etc. It’s a great way to showcase your recent sessions so your clients remember just how awesome you are. Start with quarterly newsletter and when you get more comfortable with them, consider moving to a monthly basis.
4. Create and follow a business workflow
A standard business workflow is a great tool; it guides you through what needs to be done for each client and ensures each client gets the best customer service. It helps you make sure you’re not reinventing the wheel for every client or missing any important steps.
To create a workflow, use a word document, a whiteboard or even a notepad to keep track of your steps. Here’s a list you may want to include:
- Send out initial email (and follow)
- Send out contract and invoice
- Once session is booked, mail session packet (digital or physical)
- Confirm session details a week prior to a session
- Post a sneak peek after a session
- Edit images
- Send out email about a viewing session (for in-person sales) or online gallery
- Once the order is placed send out an order confirmation emails with timeline for the order/next steps
- Deliver/mail order
- Send out final follow up email
5. Use standard email responses
If you look at your emails to/from clients you will notice that a lot of them are similar. How many times do you find yourself sending the same (or very similar) emails over and over again? Emails that provide info for sessions, gallery availability, order summaries, etc. are pretty standard and writing these from scratch takes a lot of time. It makes sense to write them once (create a template) and then modify when necessary. Note that I love my standard emails but I also make sure to start and finish each email with a personalized note specific to a client.
6. Set business hours
When you own your business you want to provide the best customer service possible and that can feel like you’re on call all the time. Just because you can answer an email or edit images at any hour does not mean you should do it. Having set business hours, even if you don’t have a physical store-front, is a great way to get more efficient and create boundaries between your work and home life. What those hours are depends on you and your situation. If photography is your full time business and you plan to work 40 hours a week then 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. may be great hours for you. If you are a primary caregiver to your children and work around their schedule then hours when the kids are in school (or down for a nap or asleep) are good hours for you. Within these business hours set time to edit, answer emails, work on your marketing, blog, etc. And then do your best not to work and be present in your life.
7. Create and follow a marketing plan
A marketing plan is your high-level plan for a year. It helps you map out all your promotions in advance so you’re not scrambling at the last minute. Creating a marketing plan may sound complex but in reality it is pretty straightforward. Simply list all the campaigns and specials you want to do, plan out when you want to do them and what tasks that are needed to get them done! I recommend creating a marketing plan in January, when things generally tend to slow down. It’s a great time to plan out your year.
At our last meeting one of the photographers that I mentor was telling me that she was thinking about opening a photography studio. Opening a studio location is a big step for any photographer and should be done for the right reasons. Our discussion made me think of an article I wrote for the Clickin Moms blog a while ago on this exact subject. I have not shared it here till now so here it is – better late than never, right? So if you are a professional photographer and are contemplating whether or not you should open a brick and mortar location check out what I’ve got to say on the subject:
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Before you call real estate agents and start checking out listings I want you to sit down and think about WHY you want a studio. I am a bit ashamed to admit it, but I remember that when I was just starting out in this business over 5 years ago I felt that all photographers who had retail studio space had ‘made’ it in this business and that was THE reason why I wanted a studio. Having a studio was ‘cool’ and I really wanted it because well, I WANTED it!
I am the first to admit that was NOT a good reason to go and sign a lease for a retail space.
You need a reason other than ‘because I want it’. I hope this article will help you decide whether or not now is the right time for you to get a retail space and if the time is right – how to go about doing it.
1. List your OBJECTIVES for having a studio
Okay, we’ve established that you want a studio – after all, show me a photographer who doesn’t, right? But why do you need it? And keep in mind that ‘just because’ is not a good reason. A good way to figure out whether or not you actually need it is to list out objectives for having a studio.
- Will having a studio space allow you to take on more clients?
- Do you need a place to meet prospective clients?
- Are you considering to moving to an in-person ordering sales model, need a place to meet with clients and feel that meeting at a local coffee shop does not go with your brand?
- Do you want to expand to another market – such as head-shots, boudoir and need a dedicated space to do that?
- Do you feel that having a retail presence will open up more opportunities and separate you from your local competition?
Either one of these may work for you or you have a completely different list of objectives for having a studio space. Whatever it is, you need to make sure that you have valid reasons for getting a space.
2. List Criteria for your Studio
Based on the why you need a studio you should write down criteria for the studio and rank them in order of importance. For example:
- Location: Do you want to be in a retail location that gets a lot of foot traffic. If one of the objectives for having a retail space is to get more clientele and to establish yourself as a high-end boutique studio then having a central location should definitely be on the top of your list. Do you need to be at street level or would a higher floor be fine? Which neighborhoods or towns would you consider given your clientele?
- Price: How price sensitive are you and what can you afford? If you find a perfect place outside of your set budget would you be OK to up your budget? You should make sure your studio becomes and asset and not a liability, so plan carefully within your budget.
- Light: Are you planning to use your studio for natural light photography only? Or are you planning to use studio lights, in which case natural light is not as important? If natural light is important make sure you view the space at a couple of different times of the day and I recommend actually bringing your camera to try it out.
- Size: Do you need something large or you can make do with a small studio. Now bear in mind that the definition of ‘large’ or ‘small’ varies greatly depending where you are located. I am in the NYC area and I consider a 1000 sq foot studio large. But somewhere where space comes at less of a premium a 1000 sq ft studio may be considered very small. So see what works in your market.
- Look and feel: What feeling do you get from the studio? Do you want an ‘industrial’ look or something more ‘homey’? Are you looking for high ceilings and wood floors? You should make sure that your space reflects your brand. Keep in mind that there are some things that you can change once you rent the place – with the permission of your landlord of course. Wood paneled walls can be replaced with dry wall and painted, carpet floors can be ripped out and replaced with hard woods but all of that costs money and you would need to account for that in your budget.
3. Budget for Everything
- On-Going Expenses: Besides rent you also need to account for on-going expenses: utilities, cleaning crew, supplies, snacks, beverages, etc.
- One-time Expenses: Setting up a studio takes a lot of effort and can take a lot of $$$ as well. Here are examples of one-time expenses: remodeling (if any), furniture, equipment, samples, Grand Opening and advertising/marketing.
- Paying for it: Do you have enough money saved up to pay for one-time set up expenses? Or will you need to go into debt because of it?
4. Decide on a Budget
Think about how much you can afford to spend on a studio space each month. Where will those $$$ come from? Will you be able to take on more clients, or do you need to raise your prices to cover the rent? You want to make sure that having a retail space will help you add to your bottom line, not subtract from it. Come up with a budget and see whether or not you can afford to space for a retail space and if so – how much. And make sure you take into account ‘slow’ season – because you need to pay rent no matter how few sessions you have. I recommend you to put your ‘rent’ money away for a few months while you are conducting your search. This way you will know what impact paying rent every month will have on your finances.
5. Keep an Open Mind and Look at the Big Picture
When my real estate agent first showed me the space that would eventually become my studio I turned it down right away. It was small, had outdated dropped ceiling with industrial lights and wood-paneled walls that did not go with my high-end contemporary brand. But after seeing a few more spaces and not finding anything I loved I kept going back to it because it fit most of my criteria. It was in a great location, had amazing light, and fit into my budget. And after remodeling it to make it fit my brand I ended up with a studio space that I absolutely LOVE.
So keep an open mind – don’t discard a place that does not look perfect. Instead think about how it fits into your criteria and whether you can do anything to it in order to make it your perfect space.
Having a retail space is great. But like most great things, it also comes responsibility – you need to pay rent EVERY SINGLE MONTH – no matter how many or how few clients you have. But if you get the studio for the right reasons and get the right studio FOR YOU, you will absolutely love it. I still get butterflies in my stomach every time I come to mine.
Pricing is a topic of many threads on many different photography forums – it seems that every day new questions about it pop up, invariably followed with a plea for help. I get it: we capture priceless memories and moments – so how do you put a price on something priceless? At the end of the day, you can be an amazing photographer who captures beautiful images, but if you don’t set up your pricing in a way to ensure you are compensated properly for your time you will never have a successful and profitable photography business. And while all of us love photography and many have left stable high-paying jobs to pursue our dream to run a photography business, it is a business and a goal of any business is to be profitable.
Business Model
So where do we start? Before you dive into figuring out how much your session fee and 8×10 prints should be, I recommend you take a step back and think about your business model. Are you a JCPenny or Sears Photos type of business – or so called ‘shoot-and-burners’ – say a Wendy’s of the photography industry? Are you a high-end boutique business – a 3 Michelin Star rated restaurant equivalent? Or do you fit somewhere in between? There are pros and cons for each model and you need to find which one is right for you.
I am a foodie and have spent more than I care to admit eating out at some of the top rated places. I love going to restaurants that require reservations weeks (if not months!) in advance, places with crisp white linens, fancy stemware, impeccable service, creative dishes (and very small portions!); I know all of that comes at a premium and I don’t mind paying extra for it. For my 30th birthday my husband and I flew to Paris to celebrate this occasion (that was before we had kids!) and for dinner our concierge recommended La Tour D’Argent – a ‘Paris institution’. The dinner was absolutely incredible – views of Notre Dame at night, amazing food, great company – I do love spending time with my handsome husband. And long after that outrageously expensive bill has been paid, I still remember what a wonderful evening it was.
Then there are the Wendy’s of the world – and they thrive as well. If I need a quick lunch for my girls between their school and ballet classes and only have 30 min to spare – Wendy’s, here we come! Have you tried to go to one during a lunch hour rush – you have to wait in line for a good 5-10 minutes before they take your order! And while eating at Wendy’s is nothing to write home about, we will leave it with our hunger satisfied, money left in my wallet and very happy kids.
‘Shoot-and-burn’ businesses get a lot of bad rep, but this business model works really well for some people, and is what a segment of the clientele is looking for. If a photographer shoots a session in an hour, hands over to the client a CD of all unedited images and charges $300 for it – she is getting paid $300/hour. But remember to make this model profitable, this photographer will need to be shooting a LOT of sessions. Just like Wendy’s needs to sell a lot of chicken sandwiches to make a profit similar to one meal at a fancy restaurant.
A Boutique Photography approach is the one a lot of people aspire to but it does come at a price – both to you and your clients. As a photographer you need to spend a lot more time building and nurturing relationships with each client – from meeting with them before a session, to the session itself, editing images, helping them decide what to order, etc. You will need to research and invest in product samples, beautiful packaging and stationary, client gifts, etc. You will have fewer clients than shoot-and-burners but you will really be able to get to know each one of them and provide beautiful heirloom pieces of art for them. And clients who choose a boutique photographer do appreciate that and don’t mind paying a premium for it.
Different photography models have different expectations from their clients, they provide very different services and experiences and therefore command very different prices. So think about what model is right for you – depending on how many sessions you want to have each week, how much time you can dedicate to each session and what level of experience you can offer to your clients. Just remember – whatever model you decide to follow be absolutely clear about it to your clients.
Session Fee
Once you’ve figured out what your business model is, we can talk about other items that affect your pricing, starting with a Session Fee. Independent of the business model you use, your session fee should cover your time to prep for a session, shoot it and get the images ready for your client. If you follow a boutique model then you spend a lot more time on each session and therefore your session fee should reflect that. For the majority of boutique businesses, a session fee includes only time and talent of the photographer and does not include any products. However, some include a print credit in their session fee.
If you follow a ‘shoot-and-burn’ model, you spend less time on a session (no editing of images!) and therefore your session fee would be lower than that for a boutique model in your area. Another option for a ‘shoot-and-burn’ model is to bundle up a session with the cost of a CD – e.g. to charge X for a hour long session and a CD of all images. Keeping it simple will make it easier for your clients to understand what they are getting and the price for it.
Minimum Order
The next thing to consider is the minimum order size. To do a min order or not to do it? That’s the question that’s been plaguing many photographers and they seem to be divided on it. There are pros and cons of each approach. Clients may feel more inclined to book a session with you if they don’t feel that they have to spend a certain amount; your images will do the work for you and if the clients love them you will have a great order. But having a minimum order in place helps you guarantee that you will walk away with a certain profit from each session.
So which approach is right for you? If you don’t know, try answering this question: would you like to book a session if you know that all a client will be ordering is just three 8×10 prints? If, let’s say, you dedicate 1.5 hours to a session and schedule 10 sessions a week, an order of three 8×10 prints per session may provide you with a desired income. If, however, you follow a boutique approach, dedicate, let’s say, 6 hours to each session and only schedule 2 sessions a week then an order of three 8×10 prints may not be sufficient to make a living.
If you decide to put a minimum order requirement in place, the next step is to identify what that amount should be. The answer is simple: it should be an absolute minimum you are willing to make from each session. Keep in mind that this amount is separate from your session fee, which covers all session related activities.
You should keep in mind that the order amount is not equivalent to your profit. Part it of goes towards COGS (cost of good sold) and therefore is dependent on what your clients order. And although you don’t know what exactly your clients will be ordering, you will be able to ballpark your profit based on the cost of products with highest and lowest COGS. For example, item with the lowest COGS are digital files – let’s say that your cost between printing a custom CD and packaging is around $10. If your client gets $350 worth of digital images you will make $340 profit.
Now let’s assume a product with the highest COGS is a framed print – it costs you $150 to print and frame an 11×14 image. If you sell it for $400 then you will make $250 profit from that product.
So when you calculate your minimum order amount you need to make sure that even if a client only orders the minimum and purchases an item with the highest COGS you will still be left with enough profit.
How to get your own pricing
So how to you come up with your pricing? If you want to run a successful business – and if you are reading this article, chances are that you would – you need to make sure you are priced for profit. If you are not priced for profit you will never be able to turn your photography hobby into a successful career.
In the photography business, just like in any other business, there are fixed expenses and flexible expenses and you want to make sure that both of them are covered and you have profit left over.
Fixed Expenses – cost of running a business
Fixed expenses are the cost of running a business and they are independent on how many client sessions you have – i.e. they will remain the same if you have 15 or 150 clients a year. And since these costs are fixed, you can budget then at the beginning of the year. Fixed expenses include the cost of new equipment and maintenance of existing equipment, software, templates for your products (think Holiday Cards!), business and liability insurance, hosting and maintenance of your website and/or blog, memberships at professional associations and forums, marketing, education such as workshops, online classes and books, training, etc. While it is hard to estimate this expense at the beginning of the year down to a penny, you can do a ball-park estimate based on what you’ve spent in the past; or if you are just starting out, research to find out what these costs are. Are you thinking about upgrading to a brand new camera (Canon Mark III anyone?) or lenses? Include that in your estimate. Want to join Clickin Moms’ photography forum or take one (or many) of their awesome photography courses – add that in as well.
Variable Expenses – Cost of Client Orders
Your variable expenses are costs related to client orders. They consist of COGS (cost of goods sold), packaging, shipping, traveling to client sessions, etc. And since variable expenses are directly related to the number of sessions you have – the more sessions you have the higher these expenses will be. The good thing is that clients’ orders cover them!
Number of Sessions a Year
Next you need to estimate how many sessions a year you can expect to have. Your business model plays an important role here. If you are a high-end boutique studio you will have fewer sessions – as a client pool for high end boutique photography is limited. But you will be able to spend more time with each client and make more profit from each session. If you follow a mall photo studio equivalent approach then you will be able to have a lot more sessions a year but you will also make less profit from each session.
Be realistic with your expectations: if you are just starting out and are following a boutique model it is unlikely that you will have 5 sessions a week, every week. Think about how much time a week you have available (if you have other obligations such as kids to take care of, a full time job, etc. take that into account) and how much time you are planning to dedicate to each session. Also remember to account for the slow times of the year when you will have fewer sessions.
Competitor Analysis
The last step is to do research on your local competition – be sure to check out photographers of different styles and levels of experience. By no means do I suggest that you should copy prices of your competitors but they will give you a good starting point (and that’s all it is – a starting point) that you can build you prices on.
Make sure to research your local area, and research photographers in the same market segment. Photography prices vary greatly depending on the location. A boutique photographer with an established business may be charging $1500 for a CD of all edited images and that may be as high as her local market can support. Or a middle of the road photographer in an area with a higher cost of living may be charging $2500 for the same CD. So make sure you are comparing apples to apples.
Don’t use your competitor analysis to undercut your competition. Thinking that if your local competitor charges X for a session, and to get more clients you should charge ½ X does disservice to you, your customer and eventually the whole industry by driving the prices down and devaluing photography services.
If you are portfolio building and don’t feel that your skill level allows you to command the prices you would like to do later on, set your prices to what you want them to be once you are officially ‘in business’ and offer a portfolio building discount. The key with offering a discount is to offer it for a limited amount of time –enough to get experience shooting and get a variety of images for your portfolio/website.
Calculate
Now that you have all the pieces of the puzzle – i.e. your fixed and variable expenses, your business model, planned number of sessions a year, competitor research, you can calculate what your session fee, minimum purchase and a la carte/collection prices should be!
Conclusion
So independent of what your business model is and what your personal financial goals are, if you want to make it in the business of photography, make sure you think thoroughly about your pricing! And while defining a pricing structure is time consuming and not one of the easiest things in the world, once you have it done, you will be well on your way to making your dream of a successful photography career into a reality!