Creative Live: Jasmine Star Business Course Day 2
It’s been a couple of weeks since Jasmine Star hosted her creative live workshop. I’ve been slacking on posting, but here it is: a wealth of knowledge all stored in one place.
Day two was about about finding your style of photography, and how to deal with clients. Thank you again to Creative Live and the rest of the team, and ofcourse Jasmine herself. Thank you for being so completely transparent about what you do and how you do it. So many up and coming, and professional photographers appreciate it! :)
DAY 2
if you do not stand by that image, you should not give out the picture!
you want pictures on your website, that future clients can relate to and want to be like
you want pictures, of the types of shoots you want to move towards
if your website doesn’t ooze you.. you’re doing it wrong
Finding a photographic Style, Aesthetic + Voice
Use a process of dissection:
Figuring out the how:
* what kind of photos do you like?
* how are they processed?
Figuring out the why: (why do you like these photos)
* the use of natural light
* natural poses instead of high fashion poses
** IF … THEN :
* if you like natural light.. you need to pose outdoors
* if you like natural poses, you need to figure out how to get people into those poses
STYLE + VOICE BUILD A BRAND
* a brand is an experiance
* clients know what to expect ( you have told them over and over what to expect on your blog) and how to expect it ( tag in facebook)
You will get fabulous photos by:
* creating confident subjects
* educating them
* teaching them how to pose
* giving them a good time
* showing up and performing
let the client choose the location. let them have a part of the shoot, it shares the onus. Ask questions like: what do you do on the weekends? where do you enjoy going? THE ART OF CONFIDENCE
* i needed to create a photo that possessed the power to have the subjects and viewers see past insecurities
* if someone is uncomfy with their nose, your not going to take a profile shot of them kissing, you will take a 3/4 of them laughing, because it’s about the emotion
* it is your job to squash what clients are not comfortable with about their bodies, and highlight the parts that they are comfortable with
* it is your job to get good photos. if the client looks awkward.. that is your fault. you need to create confidence! you need to put them at ease!
* create a conversation – isn’t it a great day? how was traffic?
* release them from responsibility – you just have fun, and enjoy, it’s my job to make you look beautiful
* manage expectations – yes we can shoot on this bright sunny log, but it might not turn out.
* take suggestions – i shoot digital, if you have ideas, great, if not, its not me wasting film
* previsualization – have ideas for poses that you want to try
HOW TO PREVIUALIZE
* think of ideas in advance
* sketch on a notepad
* collect magazine ads
* create actions for your clients
* tell a story to narrate ideas – ppl are throwing rice, and your running out of the church holding hands
WEDDINGS:
* being in control is tantamount to being succesful on the wedding day
Communication
* 5-6 weeks before wedding get timeline
* first look : tell the bride to get ready 30 min before. Something always goes wrong. There are 10 thousand buttons etc
25 min to shoot bridal party
fam photos 25min
Promo codes: GETSHOWIT.COM/JSTARLIVE – one month free – 48 hours
SHOWITFAST.COM/#/SLIDESHOW/ – $50 discount – promo code: JSTARLIVE
THEBSCHOOL.COM – 25% discount – promo code: JSTAR25
PHOTOGRAPHERSEDIT.COM – 20% discount on first order – promo code: JSTAR2011
THE PERMISSION TO FEEL BEAUTIFUL: you are gorgeous, you’re beautiful, bring it on! let me see it!
Easter: Chocolate overloads, and sugar crashes.
I know… I know..
I am horribly late in posting. Easter was last month. Suffice it to say that I am a part time blogger.. at best. I would say that I have had personal things to deal with lately.. but even that argument doesn’t hold water. I didn’t post all that regularly when my private life was peachy keen.
Either way.. we managed to get the whole family together for Easter, and I was pretty excited! :) My sister Mel and her wonderful daughter Gracie came up for the holdiay, and we even managed to sneek in a Belly Shoot for her! ( More on that another post).
When easter finally rolled around, we had quite the gathering. My parents, Brian and I, Mel and Gracie, and my other sister Miriam and her family.
There were six children in total. Seven if you count me! :) I’m a big kid at heart.. and always make sure the easter bunny knows that I will be participating in the egg hunt! :) Might as well get to feed my sweet tooth on official occassions so I don’t feel quite as guilty about it the next day! hehe
Here’s a few pics that I managed to snap during the day. Hope you like them, and that they make up for being a month late. I hope everyone else had as great of a holiday as I did! Hopefully you spent it with loved ones!
My Nephew Jayson was waiting anxiously by the window for the easter egg hunt to begin! I love how this shot turned out. All thanks to the gorgeous window lighting! :) 
The Easter bunny is cruel at my house! He color matches!
Or he hides things above eye level ;) 
Gracie had to empty her basket a couple of times throughout the search.. there were WAY to many eggs for such little baskets!
This.. is my darling niece Kaitlyn! She is adorable.. and I love her. Oh .. and I also love backlighting! :) 
Creative Live: Jasmine Star Business Course
Once again, Jasmine Star got together with the Creative Live team and delivered an exceptional 2 days of learning.
I’ve had the opportunity to take part in 2 of these classes in the past. One, was another Jasmine Star event, where she did a 5 day course and shot a LIVE wedding. Another, was children’s photographer Tamara Lackey letting us in on her secrets. Both.. were amazing! You can view J*’s event here, and Tamara Lackey’s here and here.
As always… I took copious amounts of notes. Hundreds and hundreds of notes.. anything I can do to remember even a sliver of the information that was taught. Creative Live is an online community, that offers free learning to Artists. Chase Jarvis, who launched CL is amazing, anyone who wants to share knowledge with those less fortunate deserves an A+ i n my book. :) . Anything and everything is taught here, and they stream the courses online for free! If you want to buy the courses afterwards, you can. You can visit creative live here: http://www.creativelive.com/
Anyways… that’s enough of my thoughts.. Here are the infamous Jasmine Stars thoughts :) These are my notes from day 1:
- “ I would rather you fail at something you love, than succeed at something you hate”
- Know who you is. – be comfortable with who you are. People will say crap about you, but their not booking you. We create something that is subjective, there will always be those that don’t like it
- David Jay – used a video intro introducing himself. He created an emotional connection using slide shows (music), 4-5 minutes in length, unique bio section, let people get to know the real you
- We’re trying to sell an educated service to an uneducated customer. good is good to a client. 5 years for a cx is just as good as a 1 year photog with a good action set
- On Pricing: If you are taking classes, you are smarter, and richer, have to recoup those costs to have a profitable business. RAISE YOUR PRICES
- On Pricing: you need to know your prices. Yes an album costs $500. but if it takes you 10 hours to edit, and create the album, you might as well be a barista at Starbucks
- Facebook: you want your photos on Facebook. The clients mom isn’t going to book you for a wedding, the friend from 4th grade on Facebook, is a potential client.
- On outsourcing: anything I don’t want to do.. I don’t
- On my blog I am castro and it is cuba.. I’m not paying for you to talk trash about me or my clients. – talking about the haters ( AMEN.. I so agree with this comment! Don’t waste your time on people who don’t like you, or your work)
- money should never be an issue where dreams are concerned.
- help others, do not be jealous or hateful. so many ppl in the world don’t have shoes. so what if you don’t have a 5d mk2
- if you’re not uncomfortable, you’re not working hard enough
- luck is when preparation meets opportunity
- put yourself out there, it’s the only way you will grow. GET UNCOMFORTABLE
- you don’t get to third base without running to first. shoot the pb&j bride before the whole foods bride, and make her look like whole foods.
- take more risks! Jump in and play the game, you can’t win standing on the side lines. it’s like playing double dutch, are you going to jump? or not?
- Have a mental checklist before each shoot. Check ISO, choose an aperture.
- Learn how to interact with clients before a paid shoot. Revisit magazine clippings for inspiration
- About your website: You are selling the idea of a wedding day. not you or your photos, cx’s are thinking of them on the day, not the bride you shot
- at the shoot: make your client comfortable. Tell them “my goal from this session is for you (the client) to have a good time it’s my job to make you look good”
- On contracts: it is the bride and groom’s job to advise all guests that there is a chance that the guests pic or likeness could be online. If there is an issue with this, it is up to the couple to advise the photographer
- On contracts: A deposit is refundable.. a retainers fee is not!
- On contracts: you will have back up copies of pictures for 1 year, after that you are no longer responsible. You have the rights to pictures, you may publish them to blogs, online, advertising etc.
Gettings the type of clients that you want:
- posing and shooting attracts the type of client
- look through magazines, work backwards from the picture that you like. The pose gives you the picture, that you can then market towards getting client that you want
- dissecting the how:
how is the photo illuminated
how was the photo captured
how was the subject posed?
how did the photographer get them into that pose?
how was the story told?
how was the emotion conveyed?
The name brand raisin brand theory:
It’s about the brand!! get the del monte raisins . Your brand defines you.
rent until you own
2.8 16-35 70-200
get a business licence tax id
sole proprietor
paying taxes
get insurance on yourself
creating a profitable business – you have to know your numbers
understanding my fixed costs:
outsourcing – $200 photo editing 1000 pics x.20
$45 average price per wedding for bookkeeping
$40 gas per wedding
$35 average price per online proofing gallery
$32 shipping hard drive – editing
$2 disc stationary, postage etc for client
total $372 per wedding
wedding price 1500 per wedding ( including cd)
take home per wedding: 1128
how do you differentiate yourself from other bloggers?
1. i don’t say I’m a mold breaker. don’t be high and mighty
2. find your skill set, and rock it.
ABOUT SECOND SHOOTERS
When you are the main shooter:
- make sure to get the photos that your second shooter plans on blogging. You want to get those to your clients.
- create clearly defined roles between you and the 2nd shooter, assign to your strengths
- set clearly defined goals
- if shooting with a spouse: set a schedule and have family time scheduled
When you are the second shooter:
- care about the person, not the photographer – make friends with the main photog.
second shooter faux pas – remember you are a division of that person’s brand
the only thing you have is your credibility
don’t tag clients in Facebook. they’re not your clients
don’t blog before the 1st photog.
don’t say you would do things differently
don’t be above schlepping bags
don’t stand behind the photog
how to get a second shooting gig –
engage in forums
comment on blogs – ppl want to know that you like them not the opportunity they create for you
write on Facebook fan page
talkback on twitter
leverage your assets – shake what your mama gave you
Jasmine’s initial photography investment in Feb 2006
$3000 : canon 20d, 24-70 2.8, business cards
LINKS
- osp forum – www.opensourcephoto.net/forum
- the b school – thebschool.com 25% discount jstar25promo
- Stephanie Fay from Arizona second shot for Bianca’s wedding. (J*’s sister)
- the war of art – Stephen Pressfield – book
Styled Winter Wedding Shoot
DISCLAIMER: This is a LONG post.. so grab a cup of coffee and donut and be prepared!
A little while ago I wrote a post about my first attempt at a styled shoot. You can read more about my thoughts behind it here. This is just the post where I tell you all about the venue, phenomenal model, and show you the pictures. :)
We decided to shoot at Okanagan Serenity Gardens, an up and coming wedding venue in Kelowna. The land and orchards are gorgeous, nestled in among the apple orchards that overlook the city. I rented quite a bit of furniture from a local vintage shop, including a hutch, some chairs, and a few birdcages, and with the help of some friends and Brian, we managed to lug it all up to the orchard. Having scoped out the scene the night before, I knew exactly where I wanted everything to go, and I got the scene staged by around 10 am.
I then photographed all my detail shots until around 1 in the afternoon, when Amy, the model arrived. The fabulous Nicci Mohr, and Tahnee Collin did makeup and hair (respectively), and they did an amazing job!! The two of them understood exactly what look I was going for, and had some great input as well.
The idea for the shoot was a ‘Rock Winter Wedding’. I wanted to showcase something a little different… when you google wedding inspiration, or check out most blogs, you see white, frilly, fru fru weddings. Nothing to inspire an alternative couple. I wanted to show that different is beautiful.. You can wear black lace gloves, and have black lipstick.. and still be sexy! Nicci and Tahnee took my thoughts and ideas and brought them to life. It was an amazing feeling, and I couldn’t be happier with the outcome! And Amy.. she rocked it! If it hadn’t been for Amy, this whole thing would have fallen apart. She was the glue.. and I thank her! :)
The pictures of Amy are what pull this whole setup together (and when you see her pictures further down in the post you will understand).
I hand stamped these invitations at about 2am the night before. (Yes.. I know I leave things to the last minute.)
The lovely brooch below was lent to me by my dear friend Kristna.
She has a fantastic Vintage Etsy site that you should check out! :)
http://www.etsy.com/shop/gathersalot?ref=top_trail
Sun, Sand and Surf, and some awesome Landscape Photography :)
I’m back from Kauai, 10 days in Hawaii wasn’t nearly enough, and yet, it was just enough! I feel refreshed, and relaxed. Ready to organize my life. My plan of attack: organize the office, get my paperwork in order, and potentially clean out the fridge and freezer and start eating healthy. But I’m not getting my hopes up! hehe
Brian and I got home at midnight last night, and one of the first things I noticed was that the freezer door was wide open. So needless to say we have to clean out the fridge anyways. I couldn’t stop laughing! This is just the kind of thing that happens to us.
Along with no food, Brian also got his prescription glasses stolen at the pool ( along with his shirt and flip flops). Which means he was floundering around like a blind man for the last 2 days of our vacation. Yet again, this is just the kind of thing that happens to us!
Either way, besides the few issues, the vacation was awesome! Plenty of sunshine, lots of beaches and time to spend with family. We stayed at the Waipouli Beach Resort, in Kapaa. The condo’s were gorgeous, and we ate almost every meal outside on the veranda. My sister Melanie and her husband made us some awesome healthy salads. Which goes back to inspiring Brian and I to eat some more leafy greens. Maybe!
We went sight-seeing every day. A new beach sometimes twice a day. Mornings were spent by the pool, lunches at a local cafe, and then a new beach. Everywhere you go, there is something beautiful to look at.
We went for a day trip out to Waimea Canyon. It’s apparently the Grand Canyon of the Pacific. Which meant that I desperately wanted to see it and take lots and lots of pictures.
Unfortunately… what we got instead, was massive amounts of fog. Instead of seeing Canyons, and rolling hills. We saw white.. and lots of it.
But just before we left.. a slight breeze kicked in. And we got to see a teensy bit of great green canyon. It was worth it!
ps: All of these photo’s were taken from my i-phone. I love that thing! I took a lot more photos with my actual gear, but plan on posting those another day. Also.. my sister is pregnant and we did a few pictures with her as well.. so keep an eye out.
Aloha!
In less than 12 hours Brian and I will be well on our way to Hawaii! We are going on a 10 day desperately needed vacation…. and I”m blogging to tell you that I’m not going to be keeping up with emails as well as I would like.
My wonderful sister invited us to come to Hawaii with her family just before Christmas. Her and her family had rented a condo for two weeks, and we were more than welcome to tag along. SOLD! :D Did I mention that I love my sister?
I’ve gone once, just after high school graduation.. but Brian has never been, so I’m hoping to introduce him to lots of new experiences. Snorkeling, whale watching.. and most importantly.. I’m hoping to get him to like the Ocean! Last time ( and his first time) Brian went swimming in the ocean, he dunked his head under and came up sputtering for air muttering “Yuck, Salt water”. Yes.. I realize that it will be hard to get this landlocked city boy to love nature and the outdoors ( he won’t go camping), but.. I’m going to give it my best shot.
Either way.. back to business. I will not be checking my emails quite as frequently, but do know that I will be responding just as soon as I find a free wifi connection.
I’m obviously bringing my camera, and am planning on taking a million and one pictures to keep you apprised of what is going on, and the beauty that is Hawaii. Although I don’t have any jobs lined up… my sister is pregnant (YAY!) so I’m hoping to convince her to do a couple photoshoots.
Also, a friend of mine said that I should take a bunch of business cards and just volunteer to take pictures of all the other tourists. Then I can hook them with my card and a promise of some pictures or prints.. and voila! new fans in a different country! This aforementioned friend obviously read my last blog post about trying to find creative ways to advertise!
Anyways.. it’s 1:30 Am.. and I am still not fully packed! Yes… I know that I leave things until the last minute.
So Aloha and goodnight to anyone who’s listening Have a great week wherever you are! :)
The picture is from my last Hawaii Trip.
Self Promotion + Styled Shoots
For the last few months, I’ve realized that I really need to get the word out there about me. About my photography business. How am I supposed to get paying clients.. if people don’t even know I exist?
I love the photography side of this business.. but if there’s anything I’ve learned watching my entrepreneur boyfriend of 6 years.. being a business owner is no fun. There’s the banking, the taxes, the organizing. the filing.. the general upkeep of finances. There are Budgets, and Business Plans, and meetings with Accountants, and the list goes on and on.
Either way.. if I could just photograph, and let the rest fall away and still somehow have a successful business.. That would be just my cup of tea. :) Sadly.. I first need paying clients to know I exist.. which get’s me back to the original point of this post. Advertising!
I could take out an ad in a magazine.. which costs zillions of dollars and probably won’t get me very far. I could post an ad in the local classifieds.. but I don’t know the first thing about them or go about getting one, plus it’s not really what I was going for with this idea. Or there are always Facebook ads, which would still cost money that I don’t have.
So.. after much thought and pondering. I decided to do what I like…. TAKE PHOTOS! I planned a styled photo shoot, which I plan on submitting to numerous online blogs, and hopefully one of them will publish my shoot.
Online wedding blogs are huge! Brides are going to wedding blogs almost 70% of the time now for inspiration for their weddings. Blogs like GreyLikesWeddings or StyleMePretty need new and fresh ideas to publish in order to cater to these brides. Which is where photographers come in :)
If I could get published on one of these blogs.. all of those potential clients.. would see my work! And hopefully visit my site. The relationship between wedding blogs and photographers is mutually beneficial. Bloggers need new material, and photographers get free advertising.
Free advertising is my kind of advertising!! :)
I decided to do a Winter Wonderland theme.. but I want something a little darker.. a bit edgy. I rented some furniture from a local vintage shop, and had friends help me with the setup. We shot on a freezing cold day in january, and I have to give HUGE props to Amy, my model, for not complaining once. ( it was COLD!!! )
So far.. I’ve submitted to two blogs, and both have turned me down, but, who says things happen right away. Trial and error right? I’m going to keep submitting it to other blogs and see what happens, but even if I don’t end up getting this session published.. it will have been worth it. I learned soo much, gained about 20 new fans on my facebook page (Amy is a popular girl hehe). And generally.. for my first run at this, I’m pretty proud of my self.
And because posts without pictures are so boring.. here’s a sneak peak:
Christmas Spirit
In years past Brian and I haven’t exactly been the Christmas decorating type.. infact, we were acting more like Scrooge than anything else. We don’t get a Christmas Tree ( the needles leave way to much of a mess), and forget about hanging lights, ( we might fall of the ladder we don’t even own).
But.. I don’t know what got into me this year… Maybe it’s the Spring cleaning that I did earlier this month ( I’m ahead of the game!! NOT BEHIND!! hehe) or the fact that I have some spare time… but lately, I’ve been in the decorating mood! My house is clean.. so now I can decorate!
I hung a beautiful Christmas Star in the front window. (My mother would be proud, as she gave it to me 2 years ago) I dug out some of our old Christmas Ornaments from the shed, collected Pine Cones for a craft project I’m working on… and even unpacked my dusty box of vases and candles.
The following few shots, are me spreading some Christmas Cheer :)
Season’s Greetings Internet!
Below is my Christmas DIY Project.
I collected a bunch of pine cones in the woods, and in a friends backyard, and I plan on spray painting them white, or glittery.
Check back for updates on how it turns out!
Another mini-project. I dug out one of my many many vases, and put in these long wooden sticks. Then I used our little disco ball ornaments to decorate.
This odd shaped corner by the Kitchen has always been the bane of my existence. But now.. I have to say, I’m quite happy with it! ( It might even stay there after the Holidays!)
Creativelive Live: Tamara Lackey Day 2 & 3
So, I’ve had a week to recuperate from my “3 day stuck to a chair, not leave the house Tamara Lackey experience” weekend. In between Christmas parties, and Birthday parties, and just generally working, I’ve managed to finish putting together my notes on Day 2 and 3. If you missed Day 1, here is a link.
Day 2 was all about the business side of photography. How to set up a business, a budget challenge to set up a studio, and work/life balance. It was amazing all the things that we got through, but Tamara easily could have filled up another week just in the business side of things!
Thank you thank you again! To Creative Live and team… and Tamara, for sharing your experience, and not hoarding your knowledge. So many up and coming, and professional photographers appreciate it! :)
DAY 2
Links and Companies to check out:
check out proselect
check out photofocus
kubota actions - http://www.kubotaimagetools.com/
lens rentals - http://www.borrowlenses.com/
animoto slidshows - http://animoto.com/
ALBUMS:
http://asukabook.com/index.html
http://www.modernalbumdesigns.com/
BLOGS . FORUMS:
tina wilson – tennesse photographer - http://www.tinawilsonphotoblog.com/
Little Blog of Big Ideas – http://lbobi.com/
http://www.digital-photography-school.com/
On youtube, check out the Chase Jarvis workflow video
Read the book: Duct Tape Marketing
PHOTO-BUSINESS SOFTWARE
Succesware
ShootQ: subscription
web-based quickbooks
studio cloud: free
Rescuetime
direct email blasts: http://myemma.com/, http://madmimi.com/
pick pic - you can have a giftregestry- online site where family can log in and order pics
pictage – registry
Tamara’s favorite lenses:
24-70
85 1.2
35 1.4
Notes
- f stop should be similar to the amount of people
- family is not always mom dad kids, family is what you make it.
- when seating families. have different heights. different variences keep it interesting. if you sit everyone at the exact same height, its boring
- when shooting wide angle… the edges distort. Make sure to keep your subjects in the middle. Otherwise they will stretch at the edges
- You are the artist, you make the call on color, or black and white
- on lighting – you want a main light, fill light, hair light, and you’ll have some sort of ambient light
- if client has glasses, tilt head slightly down, have lights at angles
- switch up your compositions to get variation. tight crop. vertical, horizontal
- on mood – You only need micro seconds to capture a micro expression.
- they don’t need to be happy the entire time, we just need 1 expression
- there’s no such thing as a bad photographer, we just don’t all have the experience yet.
- 1 of the most natural pictures you can have, is at the childs level.
- infants and newborns… shoot around their sleep schedule
- photoshop edit free transform select the area that you want be longer and pull it out.
SETTING UP A STUDIO FOR UNDER $250
- At a home depot store: insulation boards – paint for a cool backdrop
- foam core- backdrop large reflector fiy do not paint. will warp
- on getting a studio- get one when it becomes very apparent that you need one. When not having one, is holding you back.
DAY 3
- on clients clothing – Wear timeless clothes so pics last. No logos or brands
- Only raise your pricing 1 a year, otherwise it get’s confusing for you and your clients
- Have some sort of disaster recovery, have a safe. Upload your pics to a cloud
- Backup 3x before you delete from your card
- Track your expenses
- on having a store front – I would rather put all my money into my online brand. More people will view your online site.
- Have a portfolio to show clients
- on taxes, and legalities – GET EVERYTHIGN IN WRITING
- model releases – clients understand that images are the photogs. and the artist can do whatever they want with them. advertisers, blog etc
- You’re not being fair to you as an artists, if you copying everyone else. You’re not giving yourself a chance to grow and develop as an artist
- on edits b/w or color etc – Decision making is one of the most anxiety ridden things for humans. The more choices you make for your clients, the happier they will be
- on enlargements – You have more grace with a canvas than a print, because of the bleed
- There’s a confusion between people critiquing your work, and people critiquing who you are. Do not let it get to you.
- you could be climbing up to the top rung of the ladder.. but is your ladder leaning up against the right wall? - regarding personal vs business life
- Make the best world for yourself, so you can have the best world for others
- Don’t check your email until 10 AM! It will only stress you out, and suck you in.
- Know what your good at, and outsource the rest!
- Think of the 80/20 rule, 20% of the people you work with, are paying your bills! Why are you wasting your time with the other 80? The 80% are the most complicated, and want to most.
- Everyone fails, I’m afraid not to try!
- Narrow the gap between what really matters to you, and how you are actually living your life.
- The expectation is for women to bring home the bacon, and fry it to. – on work/life balance
- There’s a lot of behind the scenes when it comes to a photography business. It’s not just about taking pictures. Shooting, Saving, Editing, Selling, Delivery, Marketing, Gathering inquiries, Branding, Developing pricing, Updating pricing and products the list goes on and on.
Quotes:
- “You’re not paying for the day… you’re paying for the knowledge of the last 30 years to get me to today. – Scott Mackey – on pricing
- “You are the average of the 5 ppl you hang out with. Look at them and decide if that’s where you want to be.”
- “You cannot be really first rate at your work if your work is all you are” – Anna Quindlen
- “Instead of photographing a pose I want to photograph a moment. I want to shoot with more empathy.” Jerry Ghionis
Creativelive Live: Tamara Lackey
I’m currently 2 day’s into my 3 day CreativeLive experience. And… just like last the last time, my butt.. is getting sore hehe.
But.. it’s completely worth it!!
CreativeLive is an online community for artists. They provide free education via an online streaming feed. You can then purchase an edited version for a very reasonable cost afterwards. They offer anything from Photography, Painting, How to’s on Photoshop or Lightroom etc etc. I’ve watched 2 now, Jasmine Star’s teach back in August, and this one by Tamara Lackey.
This time around, the CreativeLive team brought in the ever talented child photographer Tamara Lackey. Tamara has been shooting for 8 years now.. and definitely knows her stuff! She’s even had the pleasure of shooting the current US President Barack Obama! ( You know you’re legit when…)
Either way.. just like the last creative live teach.. I plopped my butt in front of the computer and took copious amounts of notes. Here are my notes for Day 1 :
- New Photographers think ” I have a camera, I can shoot anything.” Instead of finding your emotional value, and finding a specialty
- Shoot until you get the shot. Some shoots take a long time, but until you’re happy, you should stay.
- Be more concerned about getting better photographs, instead of getting more clients
- Read your manual, three times. and do everything. It will click. it’s all written there
- 3 top things to study at the beginning :
- master your technical settings
- post-processing
- slow down and think about the intereactions youhave with clients. have fun, don’t tell them what to do
- workflow is incredibly important. its all about time management
- Have an active blog, keeping it up to date goes a long way to having people coming back.
- In terms of personal information: ”Your website is like your street address. Your blog is where you live. And Twitter is your bathroom. People tweet things that are much more revealing.”
- You want everything to be driven to 1 central location. You want all your fan comments in 1 place so future clients can think “wow she’s popular”. Consider just posting pics to your blog, and linking facebook instead of posting pics to both. you are splitting the amounts of places people leave you messages
- Websites always take 20 times longer than you think
- Only show images that you love on your website. Your website defines you. and your style.
- Different children respond ( to the exact same situation) DIFFERENTLY. What works for 1 child 1 day, might not work the same the next day.
- While doing a consult - get the basics from parents. name birthday etc.. what does your child get excited about? Are they dreamy? Spacey? Do they get excited easily? Are they snuggly? Do they need their space? What do they think is funny? or stupid?
- Mood is a big big deal! the mood is more important than location, clothing, etc.
- You need to open up to children, in order for them to open up to you.
- You only need to very much know them for their next hour or two. Look for a non-verbal hint on how they feel. Children can’t talk yet, so they are still very non-verbal. Body language is everything. If they are smiling or laughing, they are comfortable and are inviting you in.
- Practice empathetic listening. repeat back to them how they are feeling. Children are really good at recognizing if you are fake. They will classify you as phony, and not connect with you
- It’s not just about taking pictures, but about capturing the connection
- Crouch down to the child’s level, make them feel “seen” and heard
- Hand out “sneak peaks” of pictures as treats. as a reward so children will stay engaged.
- If they are shy, show them how awesome their pics are. They will feel more comfortable. If they are always asking. Set a limit. ” you only get 10 shots, are you sure you want to waste it on this one”
- Regardless of the type of expression you want. mimic the child’s emotions. If they are quiet, you should be too.
- Adjust your personality to the child, if they are quiet and reserved, you should not be loud and frantic.
- Try taking pictures with the camera off to the side. This means you do not break eye contact and kids are more comfy.
- If a child is shy, do not put the camera to your face and take a picture at the first sign of a smile. The child will get frightened and revert back to being uncomfortable. Be confident that this won’t be the only smile you see during the day.
- Kids are conditioned to smile when a camera comes out. They give you a CHEESE smile. It is your job to make them less lens aware.
CHILD PERSONALITY TYPES:
- the super star: performer, up for anything, show you everything ” did you see that? how did I look?” they always want to see the pictures. You will have to work to pull out the quiet thoughtful side
-the shy one: reserved, very standoffish. shy children are used to being left alone, and its not always their choice. You need time to pull out the happy outgoing parts. Pictures are best done in their house where they feel comfortable. Shoot with a long lens so your not in their face
- the interactive one: they are very pliable as long as you continue to talk to them and keep them engaged. They will do almost anything you ask.
- the one who just needs to warm up: just give it time!! Most kids are in this category
- to cool for school: they are self conscious, they are coming into a new awareness of themselves.”this is embarrassing, or i’m not into this”. Let them know that you understand they got forced into this. Empathize!!! I know how you feel! 40 minutes and were done! Your this much closer to freedom!
- spirited one: emotional! cry 1 min, laugh the next
- sick, tired and just having a tantrum:
- I allott 2 hours for a shoot, but i give 4 hours in case they take time to warm up
- We are not raising moral human beings, we’re just doing a photo shoot. You can lead them on, to get what you want. and then say JUST KIDDING!
- Direct your subject towards the light source
- Your lightsource rules the way you pose your subject
- Watch for your lightsource. Know where it is at all times
- Beware of distracting elements in the picture. (trees growing out of the head)
- Instead of having a floppy newborn… have parents hold the baby, and then crop in really close. This way it’s not a flat lying down shot. ( look into a baby poser. ie bean bag)
- On an indoor photoshoot – have kids warm up by letting them jump on the bed. They will relax and realize you’re not all bad.
- Let the subjects eyes flow into the picture. They should not look out of the shot
- When shooting newborns: the earlier the better. They sleep more, and they are more move-able.
- Milestones to cover: newborn, 6 weeks, sitting up, and crawling
- Take the time to get to know the kids. They will not be naturally comfortable. Don’t take pictures right away, give them time to warm up.
- Talk to your subject… ALL THE TIME!
- Wide angle lenses give you more focus grace, telephoto or zooms have a greater drop off point.
- MOM’S LOVE EYELASHES
- Don’t rapidly move locations and expect to start shooting, kids need to feel comfortable in their environment. Give them a few minutes to look around
- Moms are good to have around. Children are comfortable with their parents, this translates to being comfortable around you.
- It’s ok to take a break, if the kids are starting to have a tough time.
- Let the child take the lead, choose the pose, have a toy etc
- Get away from the “cheese” face. Make them laugh. Tell a joke. Show them what you want
Inspirational Quotes
- “To avoid criticism, do nothing, say nothing, be nothing.”- Elbert Hubbard
- “There isn’t a single one of us who has overcome the human condition of self doubt” – Leo Babauta
- “Being heard is so close to being loved that, for the average person they are almost indistinguishable.” – David Augsburger
- “I believe everyone in the world loves me, they just don’t know it yet” – unknown
“Do you know what you are?
You are a marvel
You are unique
In all the years that have passed
there has never been another child like you”
Pablo Cosals
Phew, that’s it for me tonight, more to come later on this week :)
Thank you
It’s taken me 3 weeks to design thank you cards. 3 gut-wrenching weeks, of borrowing my sisters scrapbooking supplies, cutting, glueing, stamping, cutting, and more glueing!
I decided that I want to handmake my cards. I don’t want store bought, everyday thank you’s. I wanted something.. special. Something of me.
I’m hoping that people will recognize this touch, and appreciate it…. but ofcourse, I know.. some people really won’t care lol. All they want is the cd.
Either way… this is a part of my soul, thank you … for choosing me! super kitchy I know! hehe I’m not normally this sappy I swear!!
I’ve just dropped the first batch in the mail!
Trash the Dress : Workshop
Wikipedia describes trash the dress as:
“Trash the dress, also known as fearless bridal or rock the frock, is a style of wedding photography that contrasts elegant clothing with an environment in which it is out of place. It is generally shot in the style of fashion and glamour photography. Usually brides decide to have pictures taken on a beach, but other locations include city streets, rooftops, garbage dumps, fields, and abandoned buildings. “
“Trash the Dress” was started by Las Vegas photographer John Michael Cooper. At the time.. he called it, Anti-Bridal. Something different from the elegant, formal portraits everyone was seeing.
This is the shot that started everything:
Now: Don’t get freaked out!! Not all ‘Trash the Dress’ shoots are this extreme. As the wiki entry said.. most shots are on a beach, frolicking in the surf. You might get it a little wet ( or a lot a wet), and a little dirty. 95% of dresses, are in ‘just-as-new’ shape after a quick dryclean session. It just depends on how far you want to take this.
On Sunday, I registered for a Trash the Dress workshop with a local photographer Kyle Perison. Kyle’s style is amazing! Definitely not my own, but amazing none-the-less. Couples come to him just to trash the dress. That is what he is known for locally. He is uber-creative, and has the coolest vision.
But enough gushing.
We met at ‘The Wedding Cafe’ , and Kyle gave us an in-depth look at his vision. How he creates an ‘Extreme Bridal Portrait’ as he calls them. ( Trash the dress kinda scares some people off). We got to see his brainstorming session for a new idea, how he implements them, and even his post-processing.
He brought along a wonderful model ( Thanks Carolyn- you rocked it! ) If I learned anything.. it’s that I have to get a handle on Photoshop. hehe Currently, I open the darn thing, freak out at all the buttons and just close it again.
Seriously though, the thing that hit me most was: Capture vs. Create On a wedding day, you are hired to capture the bride and grooms vision. This is not about you. You are the photojournalist, the paparazzi. On a trash the dress shoot. You are in control, you are able to Create your vision. You are an artist, a visionary.
The thought intrigues me… although I could never BURN a dress, or a-la Kyle, throw buckets of paint at a Bride. But, frolicking in the surf… climbing some trees, getting a little dirty. Or even standing in a dingy alley.. Now that I think I could ROCK!
Who’s with me?
Creative Live Workshop: Jasmine Star
I have had my butt planted in front of my computer screen for the last 4 days. All day! Every day! I’ts getting sore.. but I’m loving every minute of it! lol
Let me explain: Jasmine Star, a wedding photographer who I adore, agreed to shoot a wedding and have an online course on how she does things. It’s a 5 day workshop, with questions and answers… and she shot a LIVE wedding! how insane is that! A couple actually volunteered to have their special day.. filmed.. photographed, and streamed on the world-wide web! INSANE!
Chase Jarvis from Creative Live, is the mastermind behind this idea. CreativeLive is a website which offers free advice (in the form of streaming video) to artists… wether it be wedding photography ( Go Jasmine :) ) How to use Photoshop, or even how to paint watercolor.
It’s all up to you, what you watch, and it’s all free. so thanks Chase. :) This was amazing! There were people watching this stream from all over the world, Denmark, Trinidad and Tobago, someone even mentioned they were up at 3 am watching from Brazil! Crazy! It’s amazing the freedom that technology gives us!
I learned sooo much from this last 4 days. All of the little tips and tricks were a godsend. and I know everyone does things differently… but if I can become even half as good as her. I’ll be happy
Here’s a list of things she said that inspired me over the last few days, or at least things I want to be reminded of on this journey:
- “Your website is your handshake and your blog is your voice.” she means that your website should be you, the professional.. you’re blog, should be you the person. Let people get to know, and like you for you, not just your photography.
- “Take the Ghetto out and shoot the fabulous!” – when shooting a crappy location
- “The tongs cheapen the pictures” Remove Remove Remove, if it doesn’t add to the shot, remove
- “Take 5 seconds out of your time to move things. Remove. Always.” – when setting up a shot
- tell a story in a photo, not everything needs to be cropped - get a shot of the brides feet, with her purse and shoes.. get the dress in the back.
- “You can rent a camera, you can borrow your sisters computer, but you cannot rent or borrow your brand.” – your brand is everything
- “I’m a photographer. Not a Lightroom or Photoshop expert.” I out-source my life because I want a life.
- “You’re either connecting or repelling.” – getting clients, you want people to like you , or dislike you, you want them to feel something, the worst thing is indifference
- “Nobody ever sees life in flash.” – on using flash
- Say yes to all of the clients request, this is their day. You are a guest. Make their day!
- “Brides are booking out of emotion.”
- “It is OK to be absolutely breath-taking and feel beautiful.” give the bride permission to feel beautiful, in today’s society.. that is hard. “Make it fun, fresh, and fierce.”
- “Know your style, get your clients posing to the image you want, and use those images on blog to pitch your style!”
- “It’s not their fault that you put them in that dumb pose.” – speaking about posing, Dont let them know it’s not working, shoot a couple frames and move on, otherwise the couple will get nervous about their performance
- “Make him look cool. Make her beautiful, and everyone is happy.”
- “You have to give them an action to move into that.” Walk up to him and swing your arm around him like you’re seeing an old friend from summer camp
- If you’re stuck, you just need to take a step back and take a look at the situation.
- “When you talk behind your camera, you keep the client engaged.” They will be more comfortable
- “You have to show them what they don’t know they want.” speaking about *the first look*
- If it’s special to them, I want to photograph it
- Anything that makes the wedding unique, that’s what I will be photographing.”
- “We make images of emotional moments people (would normally) forget.”
- Same day slide shows are a way for the client to see my pictures first! I want them to see my professional pictures before Uncle Bobs. “Yours probably is better but it’s not new.”
- “If you want something to grow, you want to start the conversation early on.” – about slide shows
- “It’s my job as an artist to choose the strongest picture”
- Shoot for the client, but also take pictures for yourself, pictures that you know the bride might not necessarily like, but something that drives you.
- shoot the name cards, every magazine will publish the name cards
- turn your subject to face the light, people naturally face away from the light and then you have a blown out back because you’re metering for the face
- “When you wake up for the rest of your life and could choose every day what to do, what would it be?”
- “I’d rather see you fail at something you love than to succeed at something you hate.”
Top 10 words of advice for a second shooter.
1. Leave your Ego at the Door
2. NEVER PASS OUT YOUR BUSINESS CARD
3. Find New Angles – there’s no point getting the same picture as the main photog, that’s not why you’re hired
4. Smile
5. Get Water – the main photog will appreciate this!
6. Offer to Carry Bags – you are there to make the main photogs life easier. you don’t have to carry bags, just offer! the thought is appreciated
7. Taking Care of Vendors – help move things, put things away, ppl remember this, and you will probably work with them again in the future
8. Gather the Family
9. Same Day Slideshow – find a place for the photog to create it, and to display it.
10. Dress Appropriately
One of the bigger things she discussed, is finding your own style: “What are the three words that describe you, and you’re style?”
“Are those three words describing you now? Or are those words describing what you want to be? If it’s the latter, you need to take a step back.”
I think I still need to figure this out! but that’s a whole other ball game!
test test
Hello Internet world…. anyone listening?
So my friend Fraser bought me a webpage for my birthday… over a month ago *cringe*
For all my talk… I’m really not very techno savvy. I own a cell phone.. but don’t text, bbm etc…. I barely remember to bring it with me when I leave the house lol
I don’t have/ understand twitter.
and when I opened up this blog for the first time… I looked at all the buttons.. and just went ahead and closed it again. hehe
So when Fras finally has a free moment to teach me how to use this thing… I went pedal to the metal.
4 pages later… this is my first official blog post.
Expect a lot more from me in the next few days : D
