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!
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
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:
