Friday 5





1. Can you explain a little bit more as to what you mean by "RAW" files?

RAW files are a file saving option withing your digital SLR camera. The RAW file format is digital photography's equivalent of a negative in film photography. RAW files are your negatives, where a JPEG is your developed picture. Just as with film negatives, RAW files give you the flexibility to change settings after an image has been taken (such as white balance, exposure, sharpening, etc). RAW files are certainly more forgiving, but they aren't without drawbacks. The file sizes are much larger than a JPEG because they record so much extra data, they cannot easily be viewed outside a photo editor (which is why I shoot in RAW+JPEG) and take more time to transfer from camera to computer. That being said, I believe RAW files trump JPEGs in every way. =)

2. How do you react when potential clients tell you (or their friends) that you are "too expensive"?

I believe there is a difference between being out of budget for a potential client and someone not valuing me for what my time and talent is worth. I believe every potential client should shop around - not only to understand the varying rate for professional photography, but also for the style and personality of a photographer. Clients will find that my prices are extremely competitive and any experienced photographer is going to charge what they need to in order to cover their expenses, taxes, time, and their talent.

3. What would you do if you dropped your camera or it broke?

Cry.

No really, I'd probably cry. It's my 2nd child! Even though my equipment is insured, I would be devastated. While I was waiting for the legalities of getting it replaced, I do have my previous camera model to use as a backup. I carry it with me at all the weddings I just shoot because of all places, that is NOT where you want to be without a camera. =)

4. Where does most of your business come from?

I work mostly through referrals, so I usually know clients through other clients. Facebook has also been a great tool for advertising.

5. Will your prices change next year?

They will, yes. I'm simplifying and compensating for my growing business' growing business expenses! I don't think clients have anything too much to worry about - I'm ironing out the details, but there will only be a slight increase overall and clients will actually get more images and more prints with my new pricing plan. Stay tuned!



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Friday 5


1. How long does it take for you to edit images and prepare a blog post?

I am usually pretty excited to get the preview posts up for clients shortly after their sessions, so it is not uncommon for me to come straight home and download the images to my computer and get to work. As I am starting to sort through the images from their session, I'll pick the few that stick out to me and edit those. Since every session is different, the first few edits are a bit slower as I learn what needs to be corrected or boosted to complete an image. Once I've edited and web-resized my images for the blog post, it only take about half an hour to write and post the entry. From the time I sit down and get around to posting the blog, it can take about 4 hours. All while watching Parks and Rec on the monitor next to me - that may distract me a bit =)

2. What is the reasoning behind putting your logo on the images on your blog and Facebook?

There are a few reasons I do this - the biggest reason is so that clients don't attempt to print these images without my consent or without paying for them. We could get into all the legal hoopla, but just because you pay a photographer to take your images does not mean you own the images they take. Believe it or not, people will try and print these low-resolution files - I have colleagues that have had this problem and I wanted to prevent it as best I could. Another reason I add my logo to my images is advertising! Clients often share my images on Facebook (a great, awesome marketing tool!) which leads people to my blog or professional Facebook page. Lastly, there are some sad people that take images from other photographers and try to pass them off as their own or images they've taken. With my logo embedded onto each file, I try to make it harder for any of these things to happen.

3. Do you think it is better to specialize in one area of photography? What do you consider your specialization?

I think that is a personal decision of a photographer. A decision that can be based on natural talent in one area, an ability to be fulfilled in one area of photography, a market for a narrow field/artistic vision... A lot of variables. I don't know what I specialize in - I feel like I am one of those photographers that can do a little bit of everything. Weddings are just engagements on crack. Family portraits are engagements with kids... They're all related so I find it easy to flip between session types and it keeps my creativity evolving.


I will be honest however and say I do not think my specialty is infant/newborn photography! Much of the infant photography you see out there right now is full of backdrops, blankets, props, cute little hats, and contortionist like poses. I find it very difficult to set up these shots and have them come out the way I'd like. Me <---- Perfectionist. I would get very down on myself looking at other photographers amazing studio work.

Because of that, I decided to give up "prop newborn photography" and focus on a more candid lifestyle approach. No props, no fancy bean bags - just the baby on a bed on a soft blanket. Mom and Dad snuggling with baby on the sofa. I've given up trying to be like the photographers I see on Facebook and instead just being me - a natural-light, lifestyle documentary photographer.

4. What happens to your business in the winter months?

Like bears, photographers also hibernate for the winter. Well, that was my cute way of saying it, but it's not too far off. Since I work completely outdoors with the exception of newborn/children work, most of my winter is quiet. Clients don't usually want to shoot in the winter because of the cold and the unpredictability of the weather. It's hard to schedule and commit to dates when snow and sleet enters the equation! Until things resume in the spring when it warms up, I enjoy a break and focus on indoor sessions.

5. You said you have a big announcement or something on your Facebook. Are you pregnant? Are you going international? Are you going to be on Ellen? What's the deal?

I know! I didn't mean to keep you in suspense, but I have to make sure all my ducks are in a row before I let everyone else in on something new coming to Kelli Brewer Photography - and no, it's not another baby. =)



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Friday 5


1. How much direction do you give your clients?

This is a tough one. Some clients don't need a lot of direction - they seem to forget I am there and are really comfortable in front of the camera. Other clients need a lot of direction - where to put their hands, how to sit, what to do with their legs. You never know what to expect going into a session and sometimes it can take a while for me to identify the types of clients I'm working with for each session. The biggest thing to remember is to not over direct a session - you don't want subjects looking uncomfortable or overly posed. The more fluid and natural, the better. It's always something I'm working on.

2. Aside from newborns, what is the most difficult age to photograph?

It varies from child to child, but ages 1 to 4 can be tricky. The younger they are the more difficult it is to get them to look directly at the camera. They're also wanting to exercise more independence, so being held or sitting for a setup can be difficult. When they start to round out about the age of 4, you run into difficulties getting a natural smile. I'm still trying to figure out how to get a natural smile and avoiding saying "cheese!". Boys this age can also totally be turned off by photographs. Kids are a challenge for any photographer, even seasoned ones. It just takes work and practice - something I'm working on all the time.

3. How long do you spend processing a single image?

It varies from shot to shot and session to session. Now that I have a more streamlined workflow, it goes really fast. I usually spend just a few minutes on each image once a client has made their selections.

4. Do you do in-person proofing? Do you help guide clients through their images?

I conduct all of my proofing online so that clients can take as long as they need to sort through the proofs of their session. I don't want clients to feel obligated to buy more images or certain shots because I am sitting there - I don't want them to have any regrets at the end of our working together. Plus, I am always surprised at the images clients select. Photography is so interpretive and subjective!

5. Has a client ever questioned your work or been unhappy with your work?

A few weeks ago I had a client reference some of my previous work and requested I shoot a bit differently - at first, it really rattled my confidence. However, I chose to take it constructively instead of beating myself up or being angry that someone questioned my style. The more I thought about what had been said, the more I acknowledged they were right. I've applied it to my new work and I definitely see a change and an improvement in my compositions and creativity.

As far as I know, a client has never been unhappy with their session. I go out of my way to make sure clients are happy with my work. I think the biggest thing for anyone working with a photographer to remember is that the outcome of a session does not rest solely on the shoulders of the photographer. It's important to work together and have open communication to get the best results from each other you can!



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Friday 5


1. What works the best for you in getting children and family groups to all be looking at you?

As long as Mom and Dad are looking at the camera, I am bound to eventually get one shot of the whole family looking at the camera at the same time. With children, they'll look at me for a few seconds and then check out the squirrel to my right. I usually just regroup and ask, "Oh - look right here at the camera! Oh, perfect! That's great!" I try to be friendly and encouraging to keep their spirits up.

With babies and infants, I have found that shaking my car keys works great. The sound is what I think does it. However, when I was just being photographed by my friend Melanie Rice, she used balloons and party blowout noise makers (those things you blow into and unravel). They really got my little girls attention!

If I'm not able to get "the shot", I am usually able to piece together different faces and smiles from multiple photographs into one keeper. It takes more work, but I'm there to get the shot, and by dang I'll get it!

2. How do your techniques differ when serving a client that is totally unfamiliar to you...ie. some person who found your blog and loved your work and called you up and hired you for a session. How do you cope with nerves in these situations? It's one thing to do photography for someone you know or at least someone who knows someone vs. total stranger :)

The very first session I conducted with someone I'd never met before or that was not a friend was nerve wracking... How would I know who they were? Will it be awkward? What if it's a murderer luring me into some crazy location to get me alone! Seriously - all things I fretted about the night before.

I'm seasoned now to the point where I don't even think about it. I love meeting new clients for the first time. I cultivate a relationship with my clients through numerous emails prior to the session that when it finally arrives and we meet for the first time, I feel like they're old friends. I consider myself fairly personable and always find something to talk about. Getting to know the family and learning more about their story helps them open up to me and really comes through their photographs.

3. Do you use a battery pack or grip when shooting?

I do not. At this point I don't have a need for one. My battery life on my D7000 is amazing - I can shoot a whole wedding (8+ hours) and not even use half my battery.

4. Are you nervous to show clients straight out of the camera images?

If I were to process or even soft-edit all of a client's images before showing them, that would severely delay how soon their galleries would be available given the number of clients I am working with. More importantly, editing images a client will not purchase is poor time management and would result in a higher cost to the client. I've done it both ways, and my currently workflow process is much more time efficient and enables clients to see more of their images, faster. 


By providing edited previews on the blog prior to the release of their proofing gallery, I give clients an opportunity to see what the finished products will look like and allow them to make selections based solely on poses and composition of each photograph. This is just simply what works for me!

5. Where did you learn to use Photoshop? Can you recommend any online courses?

I am self taught! I have been using Adobe Photoshop since version 4, and we're now on CS5! It's been years of practice and experimenting. I also find I benefit from my training as a graphic designer as well. 


As for online courses, there are a number of photographers who offer Photoshop mentoring and blogs with more tutorials that are specifically photography related. I highly suggest MCP Actions - they offer a lot of classes and articles that are beneficial to all skill levels!



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Behind the Scenes

With the onset of Fall, my wedding season has officially come to a close. I am still in disbelief I had a wedding season at all! I had originally begun my business as a portrait photographer with no intention of venturing into weddings again - too much pressure! However, the offers kept coming and I couldn't resist. Flattery is a girls best friend. While weddings are an imense amount of pressure and a one shot deal, I love the rush and more importantly I love behing behind the scenes. I love spending so much time with the couple on their day, watching the reception hall get decorated and staying until the very end of the night after most of the guests have left.


It's a lot of pressure to photograph the wedding parties. By the wedding day, I've worked with the bride and groom already for engagements and gotten to know them better through various calls and emails. However, it's rare I know the bridesmaids and groomsmen. Getting them to open up for the formals can be tough and intimidating. It helps though when they're not shy in front of the camera. Or shy around the groom...

Photo by Chance Hammock


Planking. When we were out shooting the formals prior to the ceremony, my groom said, "Kelli! Get a picture of this!" In my old age (27 years young) I had no idea what planking was at the time. I thought to myself, this? Really? They told me it was some fad from England or somewhere in Europe. I took the picture at the request of the client and it was months later I found out what planking really was. Heck, they even devoted the opening of an Office episode this season to the fad.

Photo by Chance Hammock
 
Photo by Chance Hammock

The Mothershead wedding party giving me some GQ sexy
I had one wedding where the groomsmen were coming up with all the ideas, one after another, and all I had to do was shoot.  Some parties need a little more help or have groomsmen that are a little camera shy. I do my best to give them direction and make it light hearted. The goal of a photographer is to engage the subject and make them comfortable. For some reason my go-to saying is "like you're modeling for the GQ cover" or something similar, maybe a "Ralph Lauren ad". I don't know if I have ever even read GQ...

There is one particular position I like my groomsmen to stand in - "protect the junk", which is essentially just the hands clasped in front. I don't know any better way to describe it and it always gets a good laugh and gets the men to let down their guard. At Kristen and Johnny's wedding I used this technique and throughout the reception the groomsmen would say, "Protect the junk!" every time they passed.

I've always found that the groomsmen are more willing to be silly and perhaps that helps the groom release any jitters he may have prior to the ceremony. I know that Paul, from Tyler and Cassie's wedding certainly made us laugh with his help. He was able to give Tyler a lot of pointers on how to take a good picture. Case in point:


My brides have all been exceptional. They're all naturals. Really, with a beautiful bride in her dress all they need to do is smile to take a great picture. Still, that's a lot of dress. I find myself doing double duty a lot - fluffing the dress, fixing the hair, re-pinning a veil. It's not everyday I get a lovely assistant but I was so happy to have Courtney to help me with Jessie's bridals. She pitched in lots of ideas, grabbed items when we needed them and helped keep the animals occupied and out of the shot when they weren't needed. Oh, and tons of comic relief - she provided me with lots of natural laughs and smiles in the Johnson's photographs!


I really enjoy the time that I get so spend one on one with my bride and groom on the wedding day. It's so amazing to see a couple on the ultimate romantic day. It's interesting to see the dynamic between a couple and why they fit together so perfectly. 

Photo by Chance Hammock

Photo by Chance Hammock
Occasionally there will be a few interruptions during our session of bridals before/after the ceremony. Last minute reception arrangements, bathroom breaks, hair/makeup adjustments. Prior to the ceremony however it's not out of the ordinary to run into guests who get a sneak peak at the couple before everyone else. At John and Lise's wedding there were 2 different ways to get to the reception hall and some guests happen to pop in while we were shooting on the road. One such guest was Lise's maid of honor and our childhood friend Liese.


She couldn't resist stopping and saying hello! I love seeing friends see the bride and groom for the first time to congratulate them. Oh - and did you notice Liese's license plate? She's a radiologist tech if that helps. 

Photo by Chance Hammock
The shot being taken above
 The day after a wedding, I am sore. When I get home late at night after the reception is over I pop some Aleve immediately. All that standing, crouching and running around can really add up to a good workout! For the first 3 weddings of the season I wore the only dressy black shoes I had that weren't heels. They were cute and went with my ensemble for each wedding. They also gave me both blisters and bruises on the sides of my feet by the end of each wedding. Is it weird I was proud of them...? They were like badges of honor for a job well done! I finally invested in a pair of "work shoes" that were comfortable, stretchy and still fashionable with my uniform.

I am always grateful to the DJs, staff, reception hall managers and even the bridal party for taking care of me during a wedding. From making sure I get a meal and even a few minutes to sit down. It was especially great to have Chance at multiple weddings where I could have a backup and assistant to help during busy times. Better yet - someone to eat with in a corner during a quick break! It is great to work with such a great friend. Not every wedding requires a 2nd shooter, but I'm beginning to think all my weddings require a Chance.


As pivotal as my job is during the day, it really is important for me to blend in and not get in the way. I try to dress comfortably and appropriate for a formal occasion, but I stay businesslike and try not to draw attention with bright colors. I avoid going into the isle as much as possible during a ceremony but when I do, I crouch and tip toe as best I can - hence the Aleve at the end of the day.

Before each ceremony begins, I always talk to the Reverend or officiant over the whole shebang. I've been told some officiants have strict rules about what you can and cannot do or some locations require you not shoot in certain areas, or even at all. That's what I've been told - so far, each officiant has said "Get as many pictures as you can!" I've later asked guests if they considered me a nuisance or distracting from the bride and groom and so far, so good. Blending is the goal.

Photo by Chance Hammock


It was a great wedding season. I learned so much from my couples and each wedding I shot. I loved the rush and feeling I had coming home late at night after a full day of work. Working on weddings also helps me to appreciate my own marriage, which is going 6 years strong. Something about being surrounded by all that love and mushy stuff, and especially by friends and family who love and are so excited for the bride and groom... it just puts you in a good mood.

I'm so grateful to all of the couples and families I worked with this year. Grateful they trusted me to get the job done and to give this rookie wedding photographer a shot. Photographing weddings has made me a better portrait photographer in all aspects of my work. I have loved working with my friends and being a part of their special days. I hope that when they look back on their photos from their wedding day that they not only cherish the memories of what a fantastic day it was, but that they remember their little photographer too.

Here's to next season!