A Photographer's Hibernation

As a photographer that shoots almost exclusively outdoors - and primarily families - the winter is a very quiet season for business. Anytime I run into friends who are checking in to see how I'm doing professionally (and let's face it, this is my life!) they ask:

"So, what exactly do you do in the winter?"

Well, I blog about random stuff. (See this blog post...)

I do my taxes for the previous year.
It's just as fun as it sounds.

I do some maintenance on my blog. Little things that I put off during my busier seasons. Instead of "spring cleaning", it's winter cleaning.

I relax. I enjoy the forced vacation! I catch up on my DVR, catch up on personal projects I've put off, and let me kids see I do in fact have a face - not just the back of Mommy's head looking at the computer screen. After the rush of fall pictures, which is my busiest season as a family photographer, it's really nice to have some time off to regroup. Who knew Private Practice was so addicting??

I drink a lot of hot chocolate. It's never too late or too early for some cocoa. I recently tried adding Nutella to my glass - it's fantastic.  

I spend time looking at my business model. What should I change? How can I improve my business? What will draw in clients? What will keep current clients happy and coming back? Does everyone hate me or am I not booking because it's cold? I mean, it is cold...

I think about the areas in my photography that I need to improve at. I'm humble enough to admit I have weaknesses and I'm constantly trying to improve. I don't want to blow highlights in the faces. I want to master white balance, once and for all! I want to stop cropping off limbs at weird places. I want to be less "conventional" with my candids... Having goals only makes me better.

I do a lot of newborn and child photography, that takes place indoors usually all year around. The sessions I do have on the books, are those. So excited to meet some new babies, especially since my "baby", is now 6 months old! Holy cow!

That being said, I catch up on taking more pictures of my own kids. Everyone thinks as a photographer I probably have thousands of pictures of my kiddos, and I don't. I try to do some sessions of them in the winter, and my Photo a Day project is definitely inspiring me to pick up the camera more at home.

When spring finally rolls around the and session inquiries start coming back in, I get the jitters! It's like riding a bike. Once I start peddling, it all comes back. The confidence returns and it's no longer like I'm seconds from tipping over. Going a few months without shooting every week is tough. That's why I love the first few sessions in a new year - I love the rush. The excitement. I hope I never grow out of that.

So, when it's cold I'm relaxing and regrouping - but my head is constantly turning. I'm thinking about you - the client, past and present. I'm anxious to see you all in a few months, or your babies in the next few weeks. According to Punxsutawney Phil, I'll be seeing you guys sooner rather than later!

Investing In and Displaying Images From Your Session

You guys know those postcards with the witty sayings on them that have kind of come and gone as a trend? Well, like you, I've started just scrolling by them on Facebook or on blogs because if you've read one, you've read them all. That was until I saw the one  to your right show up on my news feed.

I love it for a number of reasons. It was obviously created by another photographer. It so beautifully illustrates one of the biggest questions we as a photographers field when presenting our services to a client, "Do I get all of the pictures on a CD?", and why most established photographers respond with a polite "No, sorry."

I understand why you want the CD. You want to plaster them all over your blog and Facebook, e-mail them to your mother in law to show her how happy her son is (despite the fact you can't make her green beans as good as she can), put them in your digital scrapbooks, etc.

I know the real reason, however, is that you want to avoid purchasing prints from me because Costco will print them for you at less than half the cost of a professional print. Why would someone pay $15 for an 8×10 when Wal-Mart only charges $3.50?

Well, I certainly wouldn't have written this post if I didn't have an explanation for you!

• I spend hours upon hours crafting each of your images. From making the colors pop, editing out things that shouldn't be there and my goal is to make make you and every one of your images look their best. A professional printer is going to print test print after test print to assure that what I see on my screen is what you get in the mail. No funky color hues, no flat or muddy colors - exactly what you see on your screen, every time.

• What happens when you go to Costco to pick up your pictures and you realize they've goofed up the colors, it's cropped funny or it's just not the image that you paid me for? The teenager behind the counter will probably just shrug your shoulders and tell you that he's not sure what to do for you. If that happens with my product, I make sure we find the issue, correct it, and rush order it to you at no additional cost to you in any way. This is my name and my product - I'll make sure it's right and that you're happy. 

• If you invest hundreds of dollars into your session, why wouldn't you invest in the final product? Think of it this way, or in a way you can someday rationalize to your husband when you tell him you want to spend $300 on prints from your session. Let's say you give him the go-ahead to convert a space in the basement for a theater. You get 8 top of the line seats with cup holders, reclining chairs and heated blankets. An impressive wall display for your movies and speakers made of the finest Brazillian oak. You line the walls with sound proofing foam and put fresh paint on the baseboards - and then you buy a 22" flat screen TV for your "theater". Um, what?

• Lastly, just the facts - professional quality ink and paper is a better product. It's thicker, more sustainable over time and an invest for the long term.



I've been just as guilty of getting professional images done and letting them sit on a CD way too long. I spent all of that time preparing for the session, finding just the right outfits and then just letting the pictures gather dust as files on a CD. I was forgetting to plaster the images all over my walls where I see them everyday. It can be tough to decide what to do with your images or how to display them once you've invested in great prints, so I've got a few ideas. 

 

1. The Gallery Wall

The gallery wall has become insanely popular over the past few years. If you log onto Pinterest you can find a million templates to help you arrange your frames on the wall. Whether it's matching, matted frames like the ones above my office desk or multi-colored wooden and metal frames you've thrifted.

Find a space you love in your home that you see often, find a template that suits your style and have at it!

2.  The Canvas Print

One of the best things about buying canvas is that the hard part is done. You have a three dimensional piece for the wall and it's ready to hang. No need to hunt for a frame and a canvas will match the decor of every room. Big or small, a canvas makes a statement. The pictured canvas is 30x40 inches. It's huge! But so is the space in the room. My bedroom has tall cathedral ceilings and I tried a gallery wall here and it was just dwarfed by the size of the room. This canvas however make a huge impact. It fits right in with the proportions of the furniture and the corresponding architecture of the room. 

3. Tabletop Frames

I'm sure I stole this off a movie or a TV show that I love. Maybe out of a Real Simple magazine? I just remember seeing every surface covered in frames with random pictures in it. Whether it was the piano, the sofa table, a side table in the family room - it was covered in frames. It felt so "homey" and I love being able to look at and see these photos often. They're not always full of professional pictures - sometimes they're of snapshots I've taken of the kids, places we've gone on vacation or old pictures from our wedding I'll throw in there for fun. Having a collection like this enables you to show off the photos from your session that don't really belong on the mantle or as one of your most prominent pictures on the wall, but they reflect your personality or your family in the moment.

4. The Photo Ledge

This ledge display is one of the very first places I put photos when we bought our home 3 years ago. This display is proudly on the red wall of my kitchen.  Red just so happens to be my favorite decor color... Maybe it's the redhead in me? Anyway, ledges are all the rage right now. On pinterest there are all sorts of DIY ways to build them yourself and even I pondered that option for a while. That was before I realized how close I live to IKEA. (Ikea is a GREAT place for inexpensive frame options as well!) These ledges are less than $20. You do have to provide your own screws since they can't predict every surface you'll hang them on, but they are a sinch to put up.

When the changed up the photos on the ledge, it was easy to reorganize and redistribute the balance of the frames since maybe the orientation of the image reversed. No adding of holes to the wall and it was a simple fix.

I love how much dimension and interest frames and ledges give to the wall.

This post isn't meant to sell you on buying from me. This post is directed at anyone who invests in professional photography. The whole reason I got into photography is because I love the photos displayed in my home. It's what keeps me calm throughout the day. It puts me in a better mood. You never know what could happen tomorrow and I'm grateful I have any pictures - professional or snapshot - of the people I love.

Don't get stuck on the CD and let it sit in your drawer or just on Facebook. I can't think of a better way to decorate your home than with images of the people that matter to you most or of the events that made you who you are today. Big or small, there's a spot in your home for every image.

Leila's Birth Story - Woodbridge, Virginia Photographer

Words can't even begin to describe how excited I am to share this post with you. But, I suppose I shall have to try.

Back when I was still pregnant with my son Brody, Liese (also pregnant at the time) was attending my baby shower when she told me she really wanted someone to photograph her birth. I asked her who she was having do it when she said, "Well, I was kind of hoping you would." I was so on board as photographing a birth has been on my "bucket list". We had our fingers crossed it would all work out and months later everything started coming together.

I managed to make it to the hospital just as they wanted Liese to start pushing. There was so much support and love in that room. Despite rough goings between contractions, Liese gave it her all and kept us all laughing and entertained. It was so amazing to be a spectator in that room and see birth from the other side. Even though we're old friends, I still can't thank Liese and her husband Craig enough for letting me be there for such an intimate experience.

Leila Faye Walton 

(pronounced Lee-eye-luh)

December 12, 2012  

6 pounds 11 ounces

18.75 inches long

 

 

I loved this sight of Liese's brother Josh - he waited patiently while the doctors cleaned everything up and Liese was "decent" before he came in to meet his newest niece.

 

Frequently Asked 5

1. How do you compete with photographers charging $100 for a session that includes all of their images?

The answer is that I don't. Under pricing myself to compete with that not only hurts photographers as a whole, but in the end I would be losing money and working for less than minimum wage. Because I run a legitimate business, I have to pay taxes and I incur a lot of expenses a lot of new and up and coming photographers do not. Established and experienced photographers often charge more for their work because of the care, professionalism and service that comes with their experience and talent. As I've said before however, there is a photographer for every budget. The important thing is to find a photographer you trust with a style you love!

2. How do you edit or work on images where your subjects wear glasses?

This is a great question - and especially fitting since my little girl wears corrective lenses. Such a good question in fact that I think I'll save it for a full blog post - stay tuned!

3. If you could only shoot one type of session or event for the rest of your career, what would it be?

Families, hands down. I love weddings - I love the food, the romance, the dress, the paycheck and the cake, but it's a lot of pressure. You only have one chance to get it right and nothing can go wrong. That kind of pressure mixed with a gastrointestinal disorder do not mix =) Babies and newborns are way more work than you would ever expect. I love working with families because they understand direction, family photos never go out of style and everyone needs those memories and keepsakes. I know my family is my greatest treasure - I think my style and bookings reflect that. Still, I love to dip my toes into a little bit of everything to keep challenging and stretching myself creatively and professionally!

4. What do you do during the winter months when your sessions slow down?

I take a break!

Well, that's not totally true. I find myself doing a lot of indoor newborn sessions in the winter months. I also get caught up on a lot of business stuff - getting the blog caught up, writing up some more posts and tutorials, getting a head start on my business taxes for the previous year, ordering new stock of supplies and packaging... just boring business stuff =)

5. What made you move from giving clients CDs to delivering their files digitally?

I'd love to say it was to save the environment, but that would be a lie. The greatest draw for changing systems is delivery time - I can instantly send clients their digital files as soon as they've purchased them. There's no packaging involved, trips to the post office, etc. It's much easier all around and less cost to the client that way.

---------------------------------

Have a question, curiosity, business or photography question? Submit it below! (Submissions are anonymous)

Question*

Web forms generated by 123ContactForm

Colonel Bruning, USMC - Quantico, Virginia Photographer

I can't think of a more fitting post on Veteran's Day. This weekend I had the opportunity to photograph Colonel Bruning of the United States Marine Corps at the National Museum of the Marine Corps, on the 237th Birthday of the Corps! I wish I could take credit for such awesome scheduling but it was all pure coincidence how it all worked out!

Colonel Bruning is one of the nicest men you'll ever meet. However, a man in uniform is always intimidating and I had such respect and reverance while photographing him in his dress uniform in preparation for his retirement from active service. It was an absolutely beautiful day for such an occasion.

When we moved our session to the physical exterior of the museum, we began to draw quite a crowd. It being such an important day at the museum, it was busier than usual. As guests to the museum came up to shake the Colonel's hand, I whispered to his wife that he was like the characters at Disney World! I had to step aside at the end of the session so others could take photos of the man in uniform =)