It’s been almost two years since our first post for tips for a successful cake smash so we were thrilled to receive this article from Andrea Mackey Photography and the gorgeous images that accompany it. If cake smash sessions are in your future, I know these tips are going to help.
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Our frequent and beloved contributor, Chubby Cheek Photography shares some guiding, inspirational words for photographers reminding us…well, I won’t give away the lesson. ;) Read on and enjoy.
Stepping outside of the bean bag box…
thinking outside the beanbag….
I originally set out to write this post to my clients, but the more I thought about it, I was really writing it more for myself…the photographer. There is nothing more beautiful than the simplicity of a brand new, just born, newborn baby. The quite stillness of watching a mom explore the parts and pieces she has waited so long to see, the slow rise and fall of their delicate breathes, yep its truly a miracle. As photographers we all see the utter beauty of newborn photography and as moms, dads, aunts, and even someone who has never had children we understand how quickly that “newness” grows up and the moment has passed.
As a typical “beanbag” photographer , I am sometimes thrown for a loop when I arrive to a home where the baby is just not the sleepy, moldable, type. I have moved away from what I enjoy and gotten in the habit of checking boxes. Pose 1 (check), Pose 2 (check)… Having been in business for 4 years does not by any means make me a master baby whisperer and while I know so many baby whisperer-slash-baby-poser-extraordinaire’s in this industry, I have to admit I am not always one of them. And ya know what… i’m okay with that!
The point you ask? Yes, I’m getting there…well, it’s kind of, that while the stunning, perfectly-posed perfectly-lit newborn shots are just that stunning and perfect, I would like to “allow myself” to think outside the box of the beanbag and just photograph this part of that family’s life. Maybe for you it will be mixing the two, a little of this a little of that. Maybe for me it’s moving away from the bean bag completely and maybe for her it’s to keep on keepin’ on and posing that baby like a rockstar. It doesnt matter, thats not really the point here. It’s just to get you thinking about what you really want as an artist and DOING IT :) (yep I’m kinda sneaky like that at hiding the real lesson in the story, ask the cheeks girls, ha).
Just remember, while beauty often lies in the details, it can also be defined by the moments.
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Please welcome back Arden Prucha Photography, who this time shares a very detailed tutorial: Using Photoshop to achieve the illusion of a baby placed in an usual situation. Arden is known in the photography community for her generous knowledge sharing and we’re thrilled to have her back again. If you haven’t read her previous article featuring newborn pullbacks and tips, check it out and be sure to follow Arden on Facebook.
A few months ago a girl friend let me know she had this awesome scale that would be perfect for a newborn session. When she brought it over I was thrilled, but unsure exactly how to utilize it properly in a session.
One of the most important tips I can share for newborn sessions is SAFETY. When I first started out in photography and kept up with photographers, I rarely saw behind the scenes footage leaving all poses up for interpretation. Is that baby REALLY hanging from a branch? Look at the baby chillin’ in the hammock, awh it’s all an illusion with lovely Photoshop to cover up the assistant’s hands and true set up. I think it’s very important to share the tips and knowledge behind certain poses, allowing baby to be put in the safest scenario and to educate other photographers, who may be clueless – to no fault of their own.
I will preface this tutorial by saying this isn’t the ‘ideal’ set up I had in mind, but in the end it proved to work out just fine. If I had my own studio, I would tweak the way some of these things were set up. The cool thing is that it still worked for me, but Photoshop was definitely necessary to create the ‘look’ I was going for.
During this session my assistant and I were trying to figure out the best way to take this photo. Luckily my clients had a black headboard so I used this as a simple backdrop and snapped a photo of my assistant holding the scale. (I was fortunate enough to have some black fur, that I placed underneath to add some black all around the scale (proved to be very helpful in Post Processing). Then knowing that the baby weighed 8lbs 9oz at birth I had my assistant press down the scale until it matched baby’s weight and snapped another photo! We ran into a slight problem when we were trying to photograph baby boy in the scoop of the scale, with the assistance and help of my sweet assistant (Shareen Frater). Everytime we slid him in all bundled and protected, he fought it… so I ‘gave up.’ Once home and looking through the images, I decided to ‘try’ something I had never done before… so here we go – let me attempt to explain!
Unsure where to shoot, I tried different walls in the house. Fortunately my client had a black headboard. This provided me with a ‘safe’ background that would be great for post processing! -
Guest Blogger: Developing a Great Sales Strategy by Sarah Petty
Posted in: Guest Blogger, The Business Of
Please welcome Sarah Petty of The Joy of Marketing who shares a key step in developing a great sales strategy and an invitation to an online marketing education event you won’t want to miss.
Owning a small photography business is tough enough without the strains of today’s unpredictable economy. I know, because I’ve been there. I started up my own portrait photography business in 2001, about two weeks before 9/11. So as you can imagine, I’ve had to learn how to build my business to become strong and profitable even in the toughest times. Using the sales strategy I’m about to share with you, I was able to make my studio one of the most profitable in the country in just five years, as named by Professional Photographers of America.
Though I made some mistakes with past clients in how I handled the selling process, I vowed to never let them happen again and built this strong sales strategy to ensure that I will never leave any money on the table with any client.
The first step in this “chain link fence” sales strategy I’ve created is the very first phone call with the potential client. The first phone call is one of the most important parts of the sales process. With just one call, you can pre-qualify your client, make sure they are right for you, and get them excited about what you do… Read More | Comments
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Photographing Kids Birthday Parties by Chubby Cheek Photography
Posted in: Guest Blogger, The Business Of, Tips!
Shalonda from Chubby Cheek Photography is back with another insightful contribution. Her previous article on Photographing Your Own Children is one of the most popular with our readers, and I’m sure you’ll find this one on photographing kids birthday parties equally helpful and inspirational.
Shooting Some Sugar – Photographing Kids Birthday Parties
From Chubby Cheek Photography:If you have visited my blog before you know that i have a love for all things frosted and glittery…basically I LOVE KIDS BIRTHDAY PARTIES!!!! I have recently had an explosion of inquiries for birthday party shoots, and have come to the conclusion that the rest of the world must share this affection for children’s parties! While i am no wedding or event photographer, I AM a child photographer who loves capturing kids being kids and what better place to do that, than at a kids birthday party!? Birthday parties are truly fun for all and believe it or not, are a child photographer’s dream come true, I promise! Why you ask? Well it’s essentially the easiest form of lifestyle photography combined with fun because no one really notices you they are all too busy enjoying the party, so capturing real life is a piece of cake (hahaha pun intended). It’s also a great way to gain an even bigger following of possible new clients. ding ding ding!!!! Most of the people attending the party have a child near the age of the birthday boy/girl and usually at least half live nearby that child as well, isn’t that the type of client we all want?!?!
Tips for Shooting the party:
1. Capture the “before”
Make sure you arrive at least 30 min early to the party. If a client is hiring you to photograph the party then there is no doubt they have invested blood sweat and tears into making it perfect (or at least hired a party planner to do so). Therefore it is vital that you capture ALL of the little details before the guests with teeny tiny messy hands arrive. Plus you can use this opportunity to get creative with your shots, candy jars from above, bundles of balloons, etc.2. Move toward the light
Don’t be afraid to ask the client to open blinds and curtains for indoor parties or even move “main events” such as the cake eating to the shade for outdoor parties. This is another reason to arrive early to the party, you can scope out the best light, make a plan and ask to move things around if need be. Clients hired you to capture the crucial moments of this important day, therefore they will trust you, just ask!3. Follow the fun
Follow the party girl/boy! See and capture the day as they are experiencing it. Sure its necessary to get the shots with grandma and birthday party girl/boy, etc but the ones my clients always love the most are the ones that capture the moments they didn’t even see. If he/she is sneaking cookies or a lick of icing, capture it!4. Get the guests
This is where that whole “possible new clients” thing comes in to play. You don’t need to say a word to the parents they will probably ask; but, if they dont no worries…just interact, have fun and capture the children, just do your normal child photographer thang! I personally include digital files in my birthday party package and by capturing the child guests this allows for the mom of the party girl/boy to print off a pic and toss it in the thank you card for the guests. One thing leads to another and bam possible new clients’ interests have been peaked and maybe just maybe they will call you when they need a photographer next!Remember to cover your basics, such as pricing yourself right and setting up a time limit upfront…photographing child birthday parties can be a fabulously fun and heartfelt option to offer your clients that they will be happy they had!!!!
// By Chubby Cheek Photography // Follow on Facebook // Wholesale Party Supplies
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