Let's Play! Children's Photography With Tamara Lackey (Part 3)

[Photo by Tamara Lackey]

Noted children's photographer Tamara Lackey hosted a creativeLive workshop giving us all of her tips on how to photograph children successfully.

In this last part of the 3-part series. Tamara talks about the business side of photography and ways to achieve a work/life balance.

VIEWER QUESTIONS

Styling: Tamara give suggestions about clothing that photograph better, but she lets child to choose clothing that's distinctive to the child. For families, it's good they coordinate so they look like a group. But choose styles that are timeless.

In her studio: Tamara keeps a variety of products that she wants to show and sell: framed pieces, canvas wrap. She wants to give examples of how finished prints look.

Gold reflectors: Tamara uses a gold reflector only in a cold environment when she wants to warm up the pictures.

THE BUSINESS SIDE OF CHILDREN'S PHOTOGRAPHY

What is involved:

• Marketing (Photographers must track; ask customers how they found out about you so that you know what is working and what isn't.)
• Brand building
• Website development
• Gathering information
• Responding to inquiries
• Developing Pricing
• Shooting
• Editing/Post-processing
• Backup/Disaster recovery (minimum 3)
• Selling
• Packaging
• Delivery
• Customer Management System (tracking customers throughout each stage)
• Financial Systems (invoicing, sales tax, reporting, quarterly federal/state taxes, expense tracking, bank reconciliation - Tamara recommends Successware)
• Insurance, licenses

Developing Pricing: 
Photographers must consider the cost of sales and time and whether you're going for high volume/low cost or low volume/high cost. Factor in your time per hour, as well as markup (e.g. 33%).

Don't waste your time justifying your pricing — a customer like that is not qualified. Spend your time with customers who value your work.

Set expectations on pricing with your website, the look and feel of your online storefront. A luxurious and elegant website will tell customers that your worth and value is higher. Tamara spends the most money on her website.

Also, in a sales consultation, show your portfolio and explain how an image was produced: how the child was during the shoot, why you composed it the way you did, etc. so they understand how much work went into the image. This further explains the value of your work.

If you set expectations, it will be rare for them to think that your pricing is too expensive.

[Photo by Tamara Lackey]

Ideas For Marketing:

• Guerrilla marketing: do it yourself or pay a marketing agency
• Word of mouth referrals
• Donate photography packages to an auction (i.e. waived session fee (Tamara normally charges $500) and an 8x10). Tip: showcase an image that sets you apart from other photographers.
• Credit towards purchase: people don't like leaving money on the table so they're more likely to use it
• Hold a raffle where everyone gives you their contact info
• Gift certificates for any holidays. Put an expiration date to get people to act.
• Picture sales for friends and family through an external photo printing company with shopping cart
• Create gift registry

Product Design

Tamara designs herself or sometimes outsources.

Taxes

Find out what your state taxes are for services and products, or you will be spending a ton of time and possibly money fixing the problem

Figure out your perfect client

Figure out your perfect client: what do they watch, what do they listen to, what activities do they do, where do they shop, etc. This will help you figure out where to target your perfect client.

Don't copy what other photographers are doing and how they're running their business. Focus on your own business.

[Photo by Tamara Lackey]

THE SALES CONSULTATION

Tamara didn't always do a sales consultation, but this is where she makes most of her sales. In her consultations, she educates clients. She gives a lot of ideas so that clients can picture in their minds having the images in their homes.


Limit your product options for customers. Don't overwhelm them with choices. Tamara's pricing list is small. The fewer decisions you require your customers to make, the more sales you will get.

She also moves away from just price and order process. So she does not take orders at the sales consult. She'll just take notes for later.

Parents may have differing opinions on the same image, so it's just a matter of finding other images that suit each of them.

In general, Tamara is consulting with the clients to put together the best package for them.

WORK/LIFE BALANCE

Balance = Mind, Spirit, Body Heart

+

Peace, Connections, Schedule, Fulfillment

Tamara says she does feel guilty for not being able to keep up.

The typical feelings are guilt, shame, and blame.

Anna Quindlen: "You cannot be really first rate at your work if your work is all you are."

If you feel stuck, take a break. To get inspired, take a pause. Inspiration doesn't come when you're busy with work.

There is a myth of a zen-like balance and that it is somehow achievable. 

If you put yourself out there, other people may be critical of your work, but be confident of who you are. 

"Are you afraid of failing?" 

"Everybody fails. I'm afraid not to try."

The 80/20 rule: 80% of your business/income comes from 20% of your clients.

Don't check your email until 10am. If you start your day checking email you'll get caught up with the minutiae.

Focus on the major things you need to do. Do not multitask; prioritize.

Keys to success: hard work and willingness to fail.

It's not balance if you're trying to do everything at the same time: work and kids. Pay someone to watch your kids for a few hours so you can get some work done efficiently, and then when you spend time with your kids, spend quality time with them.

Let's Play! Children's Photography With Tamara Lackey (Part 2)

Noted children's photographer Tamara Lackey hosted a creativeLive workshop giving us all of her tips on how to photograph children successfully.

[Photo by Tamara Lackey]

In Part 2 of this workshop, Tamara discusses the dynamics of photographing families. She also talks about lighting, both studio and outdoor.

VIEWER QUESTIONS

How does someone go from amateur to creating dynamic pictures?
Both education and practice. Education gives you the background knowledge. Practice gives you experience.

What's in her camera bag?
Canon 5D Mark II and 1D Mark II
Lenses:
85mm 1.2 (though she say 85mm 1.8 is faster)
35mm 1.4
24-70 2.8
70-200 (for weddings)
16-35 (for weddings)
Metz 54 flash

FAMILY PORTRAITS

Family portraits are technically more difficult since you have to see where each person in relation to others.

A necessary skill in dealing with family dynamics is how to get everyone to "buy in" and be involved in the photo shoot process. Tamara says that sometimes it is helpful to talk to the kids and get them interested.

Try to talk to the more resistant members first and show them that you can do something different and that you value their input.

Tamara adjusts lighting for different skin tones, using reflectors for darker tones to even out exposure. With most lighting, however, expose for the middle tones and the exposure will turn out fine.

[Photo by Tamara Lackey]

For family members of different height: bring them down to the same level. But you do what some variance in height for interest. Just keep them on the same plane (i.e. no one 5 feet behind the rest).

Having the family conversation: Tamara emphasizes that the photo shoot is no time for discipline, that she wants to get the authentic shots, so if kids aren't behaving, parents should let it go.

She also talks to parents about letting her and kids have the shoot without stepping in and being a distraction unless she specifically asks for their help. She really emphasizes this point to parents, not for them to step in and direct. After this conversation, Tamara says it is very unlikely that parents will interfere.

To get some nice lighting indoors, Tamara positions the family in front of an open front door, so all of the natural daylight comes in. She also uses large wall of windows and and the back door.

Tamara regularly shoots pictures in bathrooms because they typically have white walls and windows, so there is a lot of light.

She also has family members interact with each other to get candids.

Tamara does not instruct people to "smile" because she doesn't want their pre-conditioned response.

In low lighting she can use 2500 ISO, but if your camera is not as high-end, then she suggests getting more light with a fill light.

If you're using a really wide-angle lens, get everyone into the middle or else the people on the edges will look distorted.

Tamara also only uses a single focus point, and she focuses on the eyes. If she moves camera away from her face, she uses enough MP to crop if her composition is not exact.

Sometimes she will use two cameras at the same time to avoid changing lenses.

[Photo by Tamara Lackey]

LIGHTING

A simple studio setup:

Main light (biggest one)

Fill light

Hair/Rim light

Ambient light (overhead or strong side lighting)

With children, because they are always moving, Tamara aims for a nice even lighting that still gives contour and shape.

On location:

You will get natural outdoor lighting on location. Tamara still thinks about the 4 types of lighting but the sources are different. For example, the main light is the sun.

If the sun is on the right side of the subject and the left side is in the shadows, she uses a reflector to bounce the light on the left side to fill in the shadow.

If sun is directly overhead, you'll get shadows on the face, so you need to figure out how the reflector will fill in the shadows.

If subject is backlit, she uses a large reflector to bounce the light onto the front of the subject. So the background is brightly lit but the subject is correctly exposed.

Tamara either uses partial metering (when focusing on specific subjects) or evaluative metering (when she wants the entire background correctly exposed).

She also uses auto white balance so she gets a consistent look when she goes into post-processing.

Don't forget that DISTANCE also affects how the photos turn out, not just ISO, aperture, and speed.

BUDGET DESIGN

If you have a small budget and you need props in your studio, try picking up these items:

carpet remnants
unfinished mirror and frame it yourself
duct tape
WD-40
insulation boards for backdrops
fabric glued to plywood for backdrops

In Part 3, Tamara talks about the business of kids photography and image critiquing.

Let's Play! Children's Photography With Tamara Lackey (Part 1)

Noted children's photographer Tamara Lackey hosted a creativeLive workshop giving us all of her tips on how to photograph children successfully.

In Part 1, she describes the most common personality types of children and how she interacts with each type to build a connection and get great photos.

When Tamara Lackey first started out, she focused on building her skills and taking quality pictures first before marketing for clients.

In general, her main tips are:

1. Master technical settings
2. Master post-processing
3. Slow down, interact with people, and engage with children and parents

[Photo by Tamara Lackey]

Working With Kids

"Kids are also trying to figure you out."
If you're nervous or uncomfortable, kids know that and it's off-putting to them. Don't be intimidated or show fear!

If you're interacting with the child and the child finds it interesting, you'll still be able to take good pictures.

"Respond to WHO they are, regardless of the type of expression you want."
Meet kids' energy levels. If they're bouncing off the walls, don't bring them down with a mellow attitude. If they're shy and mellow, don't scare them with high energy.

Physically come down to their level by kneeling to create a connection and get them to trust you.

"Babies and Young Toddlers: Complete and Utter Fearlessness"
Babies and young toddlers are not lens aware; they'll keep doing whatever they're doing.

Older kids are lens aware and are likely to give you the self-conscious "cheese smile."

Most kids fall into one of these categories during the photo shoot:

[Photo by Tamara Lackey]

• The Super Star
• you get high energy shots
• The Shy One
• introspective shots
• must spend time getting them to warm up to you
• shoot farther away with a long lens
• give them space
• The Interactive One
• keep the dialog going to keep the connection
• they are very malleable and will do what you tell them
• Tamara keeps the camera away from her face a lot with these types of kids
• break up the intensity with games
• you'll get a lot of great candids
• The One Who Just Needs to Warm Up
• Tamara finds that most children are in this category
• They start out shy and then warm up
• The Too Cool For School One
• This personality type is showing up younger and younger
• These kids are actually very self-conscious
• Acknowledge that they feel forced into the photo shoot
• Countdowns - let them know how soon it will be over
• Typically by the end, they've warmed up
• The Spirited One; Sick, Tired, Trantrum-y
• more intense, energetic, perceptive, sensitive, more easily irritated
• very attuned to their feelings
• very immediate reactions
• be empathetic
• give them whatever they want when they want it during the photo shoot
• In general, feel what they're feeling to build a connection

At the beginning of every shoot, Tamara spends time getting to know the child and getting him/her comfortable before taking any photos.

She will also give casual instructions on posing and will explain everything every time she moves into a new situation. Ideally you find out the children's personalities beforehand so you know what they like or don't like during the shoot.

Tamara does not use a set pose list, she just goes with what the child wants. When the child starts to disengage, get Mom involved in the photos to get some smiles.

The photographer's personality comes into play when interacting with the kids. Do what is natural and the photos will become your own style.

[Photo by Tamara Lackey]

Equipment specifics

• Tamara shoots everything manual and JPEG format (because she finds that her work flows faster with JPEG).
• She uses a higher f-stop so if she moves the camera away from her face to keep the connection with the child she can still get the child in focus.
• A higher f-stop is also important when shooting multiple kids or families on different planes.
• She also uses a wide angle lens (24mm or 35mm) to get more things captured in focus.
• Minimum speed is never below 100 because child is always moving.
• Tamara will occasionally use on-camera flash but will always use the reflector.
• In a dark environment, she's using the silver reflector and 3200 ISO.

In Part 2, Tamara talks about photographing families and lighting. Coming next week!

Perfect the Art of Posing (Sue Bryce - Glamour Photography Part 3)

[Photo by Sue Bryce]

"At some point the thinking must stop and the action must start." Sue Bryce

In our 3rd and final post of the Sue Bryce Glamour Photography workshop on creativeLive, Sue talks about her Photoshop techniques and running a photography business. There were so many great snippets that I just summarized as best I could.

Photoshop - Two Minute Makeover

Sue's general philosophy on using Photoshop is to speed up the process so that it doesn't take up a lot of time. The goal is producing sellable images, not spending 2 hours on retouching each photo.

Some tips:

• Work in button mode
• Out of the 60-90 images you shoot in a session, choose 25-30. Spend 2 minutes retouching them, 1 hour for the entire batch.
• Portraiture plugin ($200) for Photoshop smooths skin in a second
• Erase layer to sharpen the eyes, hairline, and lips so that it looks natural
• Adjust color curves
• Use Clone tool to feather away fine lines and dark shadows under eyes
• Use Lasso, copy/paste, Free Transform, and Warp tools to slim arms and tummy or boost bustlines and hair. To slim arm: using lasso tool, circle around most of the arm, leaving a small segment on the left side, copy/paste, which creates another layer. Ctrl (or Cmd) T for Free Transform, then right click and select Warp. Slightly drag in to slim arm. Then use erase tool at 10% to blend the edges. Flatten layer to finish (to save space). 
• Use green color to tone down redness in the eyes.
• Sue prefers Warp tool over Liquefy because it's much faster.
• She also prefers Clone over Healing because it's faster.
• She uses the same tools over and over and aims for speed, nothing fancy.

Running Your Photography Business

• "Attitude of gratitude."
  
• "What we vividly imagine, ardently design, & enthusiastically act upon must inevitably come to pass."
  
• "Marketing should be the most creative part of your business."
  
• What it comes down to is "talkability and story telling."
  
• "My pictures had to tell a story."
  
• "Prepare yourself for constant evolution. The one who survives is the one most adaptable to change."
  
• "You cannot market a shit product. So if you're not yet at a sellable level, practice and build your portfolio."
  

[Photo by Sue Bryce]

What is your brand saying?

Find out what your product looks like to the outside world. Get a clear idea.

If you're not open to feedback and deem it as criticism, then you're not open to hearing what other people are thinking about your brand.

If you blog, blog to your clients, not other photographers. Blog about things your clients are interested in. The more you give away, the more you will build your community, and then will build your business.

Blog etiquette: 40% knowledge, 40% positive opinion, 10% personality, 10% self promotion. Blog twice a week.

Who are you clients and what do they want?

Sue answers the question of what women want: to look younger, gorgeous, and slimmer. They want to feel beautiful inside and out, respected, important. She knows why they are buying.

"Who are you trying to attract as a client?" Are you talking to one type of person or client? That's who you're speaking to. Then start expanding your brand to open it up to more clients using your original target market as a jumping off point.

Sue educates her clients and her market to come to her and buy from her. She creates stories and sells the experience.

She didn't put any babies or families on her website. She only portrayed the work that she wanted to attract.

How Sue Started

Eight years ago, Sue only made $400 a week. She didn't have a wealth mentality. She created a wage limit in her mind and was stuck. She learned that she never showed anyone her work because she didn't want to hear rejection. If they rejected her work then they rejected her, she thought.

However, she realized that there is no fear when she has nothing. Nothing can be be taken away because she had nothing.

So if she didn't show her work then nobody would ever know, and they're never going to like her and they're never going to pay her.

Sue sent letters and photographs to 10 local businesses. She asked them to give her services to their clients, but after they experienced her work for themselves. Five responded, all were women. One spent over $4000 because she brought her mom and sister. She learned women liked experiences and that giving away something will bring you back a reward. She gained recommendations from these 5 women and she ultimately gained 1200 clients.

Within one week she found 2 makeup artists to trained and gained a business partner. They set a goal to earn $4,000-6,000 a week, which they achieved in the first week. Five weeks later they were earning $12,000 a week.

After 1 year, she could no longer work in her garage studio and built one for $70,000. Her first year she grossed $480,000.

[Photo by Sue Bryce]

"Talent will get you far but not as far as ambition."

According to Sue, it didn't matter how much work she had in the first 4 months if she didn't learn how to make money and save it.

Businesses that survived the economic downturn had good marketing and money in the bank. As far as she's concerned, money is still there for you. Wealth does not go away, it just shifts.
Pricing and Creating Value

"Price is only an issue in the absence of value."

There are two types of photographers: one sets priced sitting fee with little or no photo sales, the other sets low sitting fees and a la carte pricing. The problem with #1 is that if you set a price, your client hears the cheapest of the packages. There is no value there. Sue herself changed her pricing to a la carte with a free shoot.

"A confused mind says no!"

She sees a la carte photographers list prices for all items, but there are too many numbers confuse people. Also, they neglect to sell the experience. Right from the start her sales pitch is to sell the entire package: do they have sisters? Families? Do they want to do a girls day out and get their makeup done and portraits taken?

Sue has also minimized her product options. She sells wall portraits that start at $275, folio boxes that start at $1200, and a 9 gallery frame. She simplified her products and cost, and clients are no longer confused.

"It does not matter which of these you choose. No client will spend...if they are not EDUCATED."

Many photographers after spending a day shooting have clients say, "I didn't know it was going to be that expensive."

Uneducated clients shouldn't have been there in the first place. "If you're afraid of saying what you cost, then you don't believe you're worth it. Until you change that mentality then you won't attract anyone into your business that believes the same."

"EDUCATE-->SELL"

From the moment someone calls she sells herself and experience. For example at a trade show she won't pitch. She'll talk to them like a woman: "I love your scarf." or "Tell me about your wedding." Practice your pitch; write it out. Then always work to book clients for the shoot.

She tells people what she loves doing. People are drawn to you when you're excited about what you do. They know it's not bullshit. Consumers know when something is fake.

You must also love what you do: "Do whatever spins your wheels. Until you're not spinning your wheels you are not actively participating in your own life. Being miserable is not a way of life. Change it anytime you want."

[Photo by Sue Bryce]

BUSINESS GOALS

"Make goals for work, not money. The more you worry about not having money, the less you will manifest it. If you make a goal of money, then you'll cap yourself."

Instead, create a goal of a minimum number of shoots a week. Write it down and actively work towards your goal.

Sue's goal was to book 12 shoots a week. 48 shoots a month = 480 target audience monthly. Sue figured she would need to put her business in front of 480 people a month in order to fully book her studio. In her 2nd year she made $700,000; 3rd year $880,000.

On a scale of 1 to 10, rate your business on these factors:

• brand
• marketing
• Photoshop
• production (turnover)
• shooting (skills)
• sales
• staff
• money (management)
  

"Don't limit yourself. Opportunity is everywhere. If you don't see it you're going to let it go by."

Figure out average sale. Include the no- and low-sales to get an accurate figure.  Raise your average goal and figure out how to do that: create a product worth that price, speak to target market, offer sales and service that comes with that price.

If your client doesn't buy anything, you made one of these mistakes: 1) you didn't give her what she wanted 2) you didn't ask her what she wanted 3) you didn't listen to her when she told you what she wanted 4) you didn't educate her as to how much it was going to cost

"Shift your idea on value. Believe that you're worth it."

Marketing

Stop looking at other people's websites and wondering why you're struggling. Go out actively market your business.

Stop trying to yell out your message to strangers. Start bringing in friends. Create any situation where you can talk to people about what you do

"Your network is your net worth." Tim Ferriss
You must have a database of customers that you can call up anytime and see if they want to schedule another shoot.

"It is not fear that is the problem but fear of taking action. Action counters stagnation. Take one brave step. As soon as you take a step forward the fear falls away and you are left with a feeling of power."

"At some point the thinking must stop and the action must start."

Educating your clients will sell your service.

Shut up and get out of the way. Don't down-sell. Stop talking and let client decide. If client goes quiet, it doesn't necessarily mean they are objecting. Don't jump into the silence and revise your price.
"The people who value their time and work make money."

Part 2 can be found here.

Perfect the Art of Posing (Sue Bryce - Glamour Photography Part 2)

[Photo by Sue Bryce]

For Part 2 of the Sue Bryce workshop on creativeLive, we'll recap her tips on wardrobe, hair, and makeup. She also had additional tips on posing to create curves. Sue Bryce is a master portrait photographer who makes everyday women feel glamorous. (For Part 1, see this post.)

Wardrobe

Sue instructs clients to bring several of their own outfits to the shoots. But she also keeps a shooting wardrobe, such as scarves, cardigan sweaters, black dresses, and white and nude slips.

A sash is key because it's very flexible. It can be used as a scarf, draped over the shoulders, or tied around the waist to add definition and make them look slimmer.

She doesn't use boxy tops or dresses; her goal is to create an hourglass. Many curvy girls bring loose clothes to the shoot, but ironically loose clothes add weight on camera. Fitted clothes make clients look slimmer.

Sue also does not let clients wear white because white does not accentuate curves. She avoid patterns, which also adds weight on camera.

[Photo by Sue Bryce]

Hair and Makeup

Some basics on Sue's requirements for makeup:

• No contouring with bronzer, which looks like bruising that she then needs to remove in Photoshop.
• Light blush on apples of cheeks, no heavy blush.
• Matte eyeshadows with the exception of dark skin. 

To create loose, sexy waves in hair: hold a small flat iron horizontally, wind a piece of hair once inside the flat iron, then slowly drag it down the length of the hair.

In general, she listens to clients' preferences when it comes to hair and makeup because she still wants them to look like themselves in the photos.

More posing tips

Freestyling and movement
In her studio, Sue would do entire shoot around one corner that has a good light source. She also picks the mood and style of the outfit around the image she's going to take. For example, for a freestyle and moving shot, she'll select a flowy skirt or dress.

Most clients are awkward and stiff so they need specific directions. Ask for one movement at a time:

• swing around in a circle holding your skirt
• swing around and trail your arm
• swing around, trail your arm, arch your back
• swing around, trail arm, arch back, connect with the front shoulder and look at the camera 

And that's when she takes the picture.

Create curves in a shoot
Sue has a client lay down on her belly, propped up on their elbows, on an ottoman at a 45 degree angle to the camera. She instructs them to keep their elbows in and scoot their lower body down to create length. Then she tells them to lift up in the core through the neck and shoulders, chin forward and down.

This slims the entire waistline and lengthens and slims the arms. Create space in the body: don't let client hunch down into her neck or arms.

Cover Girl
For a cover girl pose, Sue has the client stand facing the camera with feet apart. Rock hips to one side and put hands on waist, but move hands in closer together, with one hand slightly higher than the other to create a faux (and slim) waist. This creates the hourglass shape and slims the waistline.

[Photo by Sue Bryce]

Selling the experience

Sue sells the entire experience. She prepares clients on what to bring and has them get their hair trimmed, get a manicure and pedicure, or get a facial. This makes clients more invested in the process and photos turn out much better.

She also suggests that clients can have a night out on the town after the shoot, which extends the experience beyond the photo shoot itself. This adds even more value to her services.

In general, Sue sells the entire experience in marketing her business, which is why she has become so successful.

In Part 3, we will give you Sue Bryce's insider secrets to building and marketing her glamour photography business. Stay tuned!

Part 1 can be found here.

Perfect the Art of Posing (Sue Bryce - Glamour Photography Part 1)

[Photo by Sue Bryce]

Master portrait photographer Sue Bryce, who makes everyday people look like professional models, recently hosted a workshop on creativeLIVE. The 3-day workshop contained a wealth of information. Sue discussed posing techniques, hair and makeup, Photoshop, and the business side of photography.

Since there was so much information, we decided to discuss some of her techniques from this workshop in separate posts. In this first post, we'll talk about her posing techniques.

Sue Bryce's Posing Rules

Chin

Sue instructs all of her clients to push their chin forward, away from the neck, and down. This elongates the neck, defines the jawline, makes the eyes look bigger, and takes off 10 pounds from the face.

She says that many photographers make the mistake of instructing their clients to lift their chin. What happens is that there is no definition in the chin line and it also makes the eyes smaller.

When people look down, their eyes open wider to look up at the camera.

Sue also uses a "chin pan" -- she holds out her hand flat, palm facing up -- to direct a client's chin.

Shoulder

In all of Sue's images, her model connects to the front shoulder. She demonstrated by standing sideways to the camera, turning her face to the camera, and then lifting the shoulder closest to the camera. She calls this "connecting to the front shoulder" and is a key aspect of body language.

Hands

There are typically three types of hands in an image: fist, claw (imagine hands like a claw), and thunderbird (hands flat and rigid). However, Sue breaks these rules a bit. For example, she shows the back of the hands. 

It's also important to sit the hands after sitting the pose because hands have a mind of their own. People can be in a great pose but their hands will be rigid. Sue instructs her models to form "ballet hands" and automatically people relax their hands.

[Note by Alica Jeva from Beba Photography]

Hourglass

This is the most desired shape on a woman is the hourglass. Sue always tries to create shape in her photos by having her clients move their hips to one side. To do that, she has her clients bring one foot forward, bending the knee. This automatically shifts the hips to opposite side.

She also has clients cross one knee in front of the other to create the hourglass shape.

Body Language

When women flirt, they touch different parts of their body that they want to draw attention to. This is body language. According to Sue, a great photograph uses body language in the same way. 

Women don't do this naturally in front of a camera, however, so she needs to coach them. She tells them to touch their neck and their hair.

One no-no is to never cross the arm in front of the chest because it blocks the person. Sue demonstrated a diamond shape, from the top of the head to the shoulders to the point under the chest, and said to keep this area open. Pose around the diamond.

Asymmetry

The rule here is that if one side is up, the other side is down. Never should the posing be symmetrical. For example, the client shifts her hips to one side. Or one hand is up by her hair and the other is on her waist.

She directs her clients to touch various parts of the body around the diamond, such as the hair, neck, waist, and hips.

Connection

You have nothing if you don't have a connection from the model to the camera. Sue says it's important to create a connection through the eyes. 

The problem is that most people lose the connection when she picks up the camera, so she first sets the pose. Then she directs her clients to look down so it "resets" their facial expression and relaxes their mouths. When she finally tells them to look up at the camera, she looks for a twinkle in the eye before she takes the shot. 

To get this look, Sue instructs clients to smile through their eyes. She likens the look to how women look at themselves with a "mirror face" when no one is watching. Their face is completely relaxed, they are smiling very slightly, and they have a twinkle in their eyes. Sue always looks for people's mirror faces.

[Photo by Sue Bryce]

Next Post...

In our next post, we'll go over Sue Bryce's tips on styling, hair, and makeup for gorgeous portrait photographs. Check back next week!

How To Take Magazine-Worthy Photos

Can you become an expert photographer if you practice?

According to Anders Ericsson, you can. All you have to do is practice for 10,000 hours.

Which means that if you devote 4 hours a day to practicing, you can become an expert in just under 7 years.

But if you, you know, have to work for a living, or have a family to take care of, then maybe you'll just have to set your goals a bit lower.

Still, even if you don't become an expert photographer, you can improve your photography skills by following the tips below.

First, Know Your Tools 

The manuals that come with your camera equipment are not just there to keep them from shifting around in the box. You will actually learn a lot from reading them.

In fact, our resident photographer, Kelvin, says that every time he re-reads the manuals, he learns something new. So is this works for a pro, this technique should definitely work for you.

For some high-end cameras like the Nikon D700, you can even find books focused solely on each camera that will teach you the advanced functions, like this one


Learn, Then Learn Some More

To take magazine-worthy photos — or at least photos you'd be proud to show people other than your mom — you must learn photography technique.

And the more you learn, the more you realize what you don't know.

But you can still learn a lot to make you a very good photographer.

Take classes (like this one) to learn basic techniques and advanced tricks and see a pro photographer live in action.

There are also great books about photography; everything from digital vs. film, composition, lighting, black and white, fashion, weddings, nature, and photojournalism.

And, of course, don't forget the great resource that is the Internet. You'll find tons of websites and video tutorials — like YouTube — to teach you great tips. You can even take online courses, like at Creativelive.com, which hosts live classroom events about everything photography.


Study Great Photos — Then Study Bad Ones

Keep your eyes peeled for great photos. If they're online, do a web-clipping or screen capture and keep them in a file. If you see a great photo in a magazine, tear out the page.

Analyze the photos and figure out what makes them great and why they caught your eye.

Then study bad photos (maybe your own!). Is there not enough lighting? Is it over- or under-exposed? Could the photo have been composed differently? You will learn a lot by comparing the so-so to the great photos.

Go to museums and study portrait paintings. You wouldn't think that paintings that are centuries old could teach you anything about photography, but these painters have perfected the art of lighting and posing.

For example, a lighting technique used in portrait photography is named after the famous painter Rembrandt, whose paintings are characterized by light and shadow effects.


Take Pictures — a LOT Of Pictures

Practice, practice, practice.

Take a camera with you everywhere and take photos of everything and everyone. Pixels are cheap. If you can't carry your DSLR everywhere, use your iPhone camera. If you don't even have that, use your eyes and brain to envision the perfect shot.

Look for photo opportunities in places you wouldn't normally consider. Experiment with composition and lighting. Take tons of photos and study them to find out what works and what doesn't.


Last But Not Least, Share Your Work

No longer do you need to get your photos published or hung in a gallery for people to see them.

Show off your work online. Instagr.am, 500px, Flickr, Facebook, Twitter, and a number of other online resources let you show off your best photos to hundreds, or even thousands, of people.

Of course, don't just upload 200 pictures that you just took. Even your best friend won't want to look at all of them. Pick only your best photos to share.


You May Not Reach 10,000 Hours...

But if you shoot for that goal, you'll be well on your way to taking magazine-worthy photos.


What have you done to improve your skills? Comment below!

My Little Sister Mira

Hi, I'm Cleo. It's been a REALLY exciting week. I am now a big sister! Finally! 

Ever since Mommy and Daddy told me that I was going to be a big sister, I've been waiting on pins and needles. It felt like FOREVER. Mommy told me it was "only 9 months." But in my short life, 9 months is a VERY long time. 

Besides, I'm just a kid. Kids aren't known for their patience.

When Mommy and Daddy said I was going to have a little sister, I said, "YES!!" I had really, really hoped that I would have a little sister. Then I could braid her hair (if Mommy lets me, maybe I can even cut it...), dress her up in my doll clothes, and teach her everything there is to know about being a kid.

• I will pick her up every time she cries
• If she gets hurt, I will hug her and kiss her boo-boos
• I will read funny stories to her every night
• I will teach her how to use chopsticks
• I will let her play with my toys (sometimes)

When Mommy and Daddy went to the hospital and told me that they were bringing Mira home, I could not sleep for 2 days. 

Then they finally brought her home. I wanted to run up and give her a big hug. But I tried to be careful because she was so small. And she was asleep. Mommy said Mira would be sleeping a lot. I'm kinda bummed since I don't get to play with her yet.

Uncle Kelvin also came over to take some pictures of Mira. She cried a lot. I think she was tired.

So I wanted to hold her since that is one of my big-sister goals, but Mommy and Daddy wouldn't let me at first.

I pestered them until they finally let me, and Mira stopped crying! 

I know I'm going to the best big sister ever!

Warning: Being a Baby is NOT Fun

(courtesy of Aislynn)

Well, today was a trying day.

I was feeling perfectly happy after I woke up from my nap, but then for some odd reason, my mommy and daddy insisted on changing me out of my clothes into a DRESS. Why, you ask? Beats me. The clothes I was wearing were perfectly clean, with only a little spit-up. But they insisted on putting a dress on me, and my arms kept getting stuck.

I kept yelling at them, "The dress doesn't fit! Stop trying to put it on me!" But they wouldn't stop. Finally they got the dress on me.

But they still wouldn't pick me up. I was tired of laying down on the bed so I kept yelling at them. They finally got the hint and picked me up. For adults, they sure are slow.

To add insult to injury, they tried to stuff my feet into a pair of shoes that were obviously too small. I mean, my feet are chubby and really not made to wear shoes. Besides the fact that I can't even walk. But since my daddy was carrying me, I cooperated and let them put the shoes on, knowing they wouldn't stay on for long anyway.

My mommy then took me outside, which I was thrilled about. I hate being stuck inside. She laid me down on my tummy on top of a blanket on the grass. She said that I was going to be a "baby model," whatever that means. My uncle held up this black thing in front of his face. He called it a "camera." He also kept waving a red doll with big eyes and an orange nose. Every once in a while the doll would make a squeaking noise. I was really confused about what he was doing.

My mommy and grandma stood next to my uncle and kept saying, "Smile! Smile!" I laughed because they looked pretty funny. Why do adults act like that? Anyway, after a while I started to get annoyed. I had managed to push myself up on my arms but other than that I couldn't move. Plus my dress was scratchy and I couldn't reach the itch. (Whoever makes clothes for babies obviously do not have a baby's comfort in mind.)

At first I tried to tell them, "Ok, I've had enough of this. Can someone please pick me up?" But my mommy and grandma still kept saying, "Smile!" and ignored what I was trying to say. So I said it louder: "Pick me up!" They still ignored me. I finally had enough and started crying. Would you believe that they STILL wouldn't pick me up? The nerve of them.

They must have had enough of my crying because my mommy sat me down next to some big pillows. I was not happy about this at all, but my mommy waved my favorite toy and I stopped crying, thinking I was going to get to play with it. But instead of giving it to me, she started making funny faces at me. I smiled and reached my hands out to see if she would give me my toy. No luck.

After a few minutes, I got tired of sitting on my butt and again tried to tell them to pick me up. As usual, they ignored me and kept squeezing the red doll. I finally had enough and started yelling as loud as I could. I mean, are other babies ignored as much as I am?

My mommy finally picked me up and thankfully took me inside to take off the dress. But amazingly, she started putting on ANOTHER dress on me. I couldn't believe it. I yelled as loud as I could but to no avail. She took me back outside and thankfully did not put me down again. My daddy held me and tried to get me to smile too, but I was tired of smiling.

After the ordeal was over, my mommy and daddy took me on a walk in my stroller. I was so exhausted I slept for a really long time.

So fellow babies out there: if your mommy and daddy tell you that you're "getting your picture taken," put up the biggest fight you can. Or you'll be stuck laying or sitting for a really long time and everybody keeps telling you what to do.

These are the pictures everybody thought were cute. I don't remember smiling this much. My uncle must have done a lot of Photoshopping.

They made Scooby pose too.

 Even he was tired at the end of it.

Aislynn

Happy new year. Aislynn was 7 days old when these images were created. Enjoy.

New Technique: ND filter + Flash for Portrait

Usually, photographers use a Neutral Density (ND) Filter to shoot landscape, so they can use a lower shutter speed to show the motion in the subject. For example, those silky water fall images you see often.

We can also use it to shoot people portrait. I read about this technique from Joe L. Basically, the idea is to use a Neutral Density (ND) Filter to cut down the ambient light and then use a flash to light the subject for correct exposure. Now the background is darker, so the subject stands out for the image.

I got a chance to try out this technique last week. The images in this post were taken around 4pm in a sunny Calforina afternoon. The Sun was not hitting the pool but the ambient is still very bright. I think it was around f8 at 1/250. I used a ND8 filter to cut down 3 stops of the light. To compensate it, I had a Nikon SB-800 Speedlight attached to a Lastolite Ezybox 24" Softbox. I think the flash was set at 1/2 power. The light was held on top the model on camera right by an assistant.

Camera was set at ISO200, f2.8 at 1/250 and the pool was nice and warm.