TABLEofCONTENTS

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Introduction

Preparing For a Shoot

Pricing and Selling Portrait Photography

Marketing Your Editorial & Commercial Portrait Photography

Getting Serious About Marketing: Featuring Alexa Miller

Building Client Relationships: Featuring James Bellorini

Harnessing the Local Portrait Market: Featuring Nicolle Clemetson

Showcasing Your Portrait Photography Online: Featuring Photo Editor Andrea Maurio

Capturing Big Personalities: Featuring Jason Myers

5 Tips to Shooting Killer Portrait Photography: Featuring Jim Jordan

Secrets to Great Portrait Lighting: Featuring Brian Smith

Conclusion

Resources

3| GrowinG Your Portrait PhotoGraPhY Business Part ii: editorial and CommerCial Portrait PhotoGraPhY

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5| GrowinG Your Portrait PhotoGraPhY Business Part ii: editorial and CommerCial Portrait PhotoGraPhY

Success in the editorial or commerical portrait photography market requires a lot of busi-ness savvy, a go-getter attitude, and a real passion for people. That’s why in this second half of our two-part guide on growing your portrait photography business (see Part I, Growing Your Portrait Photography Business: Families, Kids & Senior Portrait Photog-raphy), we’ve lined up tips to expand your business prospects and ultimately improve your bottom line. Get insights to help you:

» Prepare for a shoot

» Price and sell your work

» Get serious about marketing

» Build client relationships

» Impress photo editors

» Capture big personalities

» Master great portrait lighting

Also get tips from successful editorial and commercial portrait photographers who are marketing their work and building strong relationships with clients to help maintain a steady flow of business. Learn what they’re doing right so you can implement those same strategies, encourage more word-of-mouth referrals, and profit.

Introduction

6| GrowinG Your Portrait PhotoGraPhY Business Part ii: editorial and CommerCial Portrait PhotoGraPhY

As most photography niches, editorial and commercial portrait photography are broad categories that encompass a lot stylistically and are probably best defined by their con-sumption. Editorial portraits, for example, are those images of a subject, or subjects created for an audience specific to a publication. Commercial portraits are images of a subject or subjects that may be used for personal promotion (headshots) and campaigns (advertising).

Editorial and commercial portrait clients are made up of creatives and creative depart-ments within publications and agencies. What this means for the photographer is that very often the subject, or portrait subject, is not the paying client.

With that in mind, prepping for a shoot is crucial to ensuring that you deliver what a client needs while taking time to engage with your subject.

First, you should know well in advance of a shoot what your client needs, and who your subject is—often two very different parties with potentially conflicting expectations of the photographer. Bill Cramer, founder and CEO of Wonderful Machine, a curated directory of photographers, says, “Prior to every project, it is important to ask for comps or layouts of the ad or article so that you as the photographer have clear direction for the style and scope of the project.” Having the final design in mind as well as the overarching project vision will help you style your subject, scout locations and consider things like lighting, backdrops and color contrasts that you’d like to incorporate in a sitting.This means you should be prepared with a kit that includes:

» Drop-cloth (backdrop)

» Soft box

» Flash

» Grooming kit

Preparing for a ShootTo prepare for a shoot, you should also try to learn about your subject before meeting. A general understanding of the subject’s background will help create the mood needed for the shoot and get the best shots you can.

It’s also important to manage your client’s expectations prior getting on set. Editorial clients often hire a photographer to deliver a portrait of a subject but they are expecting multiple options to consider for their publication pages, or spreads. This means you’ll need to think in advance of the options they may need. For example, do they need one studio portrait and one environmental shot? Or maybe they need multiple outfits or more blank space included in the shot leaving extra room for text. Know what your client wants (by asking them!) and prepare for these scenarios.

Before the shoot, you should also try to let your subjects in on what your client is asking for too. Or, if it’s a personal project, describe your vision clearly. Not only can this help someone relax, but the subject will be in a better position to collaborate, which is what can lead to those moments of spontaneous genius you couldn’t have planned.

Managing styling, props, make-up, hair, and lightingWhether you’re doing editorial or commercial portraits, you’re probably going to be working with a stylist. You could even be working with multiple stylists, more than one assistant, location staff, a producer, designer, and PR people. What you need to be aware of is what you have to provide when it comes to styling and grooming.

“Believe it or not, grooming is often overlooked,”says Agency Access photographer con-sultant, Andrea Maurio. “But people need to look presentable. Whether it’s an athlete, celebrity or a ‘real’ person, grooming is important. Not a makeover per se, but making sure someone’s hair is brushed—the basics—is key.”

7| GrowinG Your Portrait PhotoGraPhY Business Part ii: editorial and CommerCial Portrait PhotoGraPhY

Bill Cramer, founder and CEO of Wonderful Machine, a curated directory of photog-raphers, adds, “the level of styling can really vary based on a client’s expectations and budget.” This means that at the very least you should be prepared to provide a groomer for a shoot to handle last minute touch ups or you may need to provide a whole crew—a hair and makeup stylist plus someone to deal with wardrobe.

Your basic grooming kitRegardless of whether you’ll be working with a team or flying solo, you should always carry a basic grooming kit that includes:

» Clothes steamer

» Mirror

» Comb

» Face powder

» Hairspray

» Mousse/hairgel

» Pocketless T-shirt in black and grey

If you’re not sure where to begin when it comes to acquiring these things, you can always go to a department store and ask a makeup artist to help you out, or talk to a stylist.

Also remember to bring extra clothes. If a subject shows up with a shirt that’s just not going to work on set, you better have a backup plan. That’s why many portrait photogra-phers carry a few basic shirts.

Clothes sizing and colors will be something you’ll have to determine as you do your pre-shoot research. “Doing homework is important,” says Andrea Maurio. “Images can look like they weren’t prepared, but they should be. “For example, it could be that a photo came out so well because a photographer had that old pocketless ‘T’ in their arsenal.”

Extra clothes items to consider bringing include:

» Basic T-shirt in various colors and sizes. This will be based on what you know about your subject.

» Hats, shorts and other unbranded accessories you can swap out.

» Accessories relevant to the location and feel of the shoot.

Major questions to ask (and answer!) before a shoot: » What does your subject do for a living? What are his or her hobbies? If it’s a celeb-

rity, what have they done besides what they’re best known for?

» Will you be working in a studio or environmental setting?

» Should you bring a grooming kit or will you have a stylist on hand?

» Do you need lights? More than you own? Can you carry them yourself, or do you need an assistant? Do you need two assistants?

» Is your budget going to cover these needs or should you go back to the client and negotiate a higher fee so that you can be prepared to do their shoot right?

» How much time will you have with your subject? Is the timeframe flexible?

8| GrowinG Your Portrait PhotoGraPhY Business Part ii: editorial and CommerCial Portrait PhotoGraPhY

When you’re working in an editorial or commercial portrait market, your client inter-actions will likely be with someone who is one in a line of decision makers. What you need to keep in mind about this set of clients is that they are also working to please their higher-ups: editors in chief, brand managers, creative and marketing directors. For ex-ample, the director of photography for a publisher could be a working with a an editor or designer of a print, or a specialized branch of the media company.

Licensing in this category can be tricky and you’ll have to weigh the benefits of profit up-front versus profit from secondary sales. If you’re being hired by a publication you’ll know whether you’ve agreed to an all-rights granting license or if the publication will own the rights to the images for a certain period of time. Typically editorial clients will ask for this latter type of use, which means that you maintain the copyright to you work, can display it on your website, and can sell the image according to the permissions granted by your subject. For more on writing license agreements and what to ask from subjects, check out The Photographer’s Guide to Copyright and our blog post on working with client waivers and model releases.

Creating a fee structureCreating a fee structure can vary for editorial and commercial clients. Here’s a look at those differences:

EdiTOriAL: Often, photographers hired by editorial clients will be given a set fee for the job. Their time and images are sold together. According to Andrea Maurio, Agency Ac-cess photographer consultant with past experience as an editorial buyer and shoot pro-ducer, typical editorial fee ranges:

“It can be anywhere from a $500 flat rate to $700, or it could be $500, plus expenses. I’ve even heard as much as $600 for a regional magazine that paid for travel and retouching.

Pricing and Selling Portrait PhotographyIt’s all over the board and is based on what a magazine is willing to pay. A photographer needs to have in mind the fee they need to charge to make a profit, but expect that a magazine’s budget can greatly vary from publication to publication.”

COMMErCiAL: When it comes to structuring your fees for commercial photography, Bill Cramer says that each project a photographer works on will come with a unique set of pricing requirements (for both the production and licensing) and therefore it’s important for the photographer to know what to consider before delivering a quote.

Here are key questions to ask before sending an estimate to a portrait client:

» How many people need to be photographed?

» Will the portraits be environmental or in a studio?

» Can any of the environments be reused, or will each person need to be photo-graphed in a unique environment?

» How many people are you (the photographer) comfortable shooting in a single day? (This will of course vary based on the answers to the above questions)

» Will you be able to scout a location provided by a client? Will you need to scout and find new locations? Will a studio need to be rented?

» If the shoot is on location, will a production RV be needed?

» Do you need a wardrobe stylist to shop for clothing and return it after the shoot? How much time will that take?

For any assignment, says Bill, you should be prepared to answer questions about creative and production expectations. “Learn how a client plans to use the images, and detail all of these items in a thorough cost estimate to be delivered with a terms and conditions document,” he says.

9| GrowinG Your Portrait PhotoGraPhY Business Part ii: editorial and CommerCial Portrait PhotoGraPhY

Negotiating contracts & licensesWhen drawing up a license agreement with your editorial and corporate portrait clients, you should know first how a client wants to use the images, how many final images they’re looking to license and for what media (print, online, etc.). An understanding of how a clients’ requested use compares to their intended use, as well as an understanding of some basic licensing terminology, is crucial.

Here’s a short list of some terms you may run across and should know when licensing your portraiture:

PuBLiCiTY uSE: Publicity use refers to when the client submits photographs to an outside publication (often in the form of a press kit) for editorial use and the client (or their cli-ent) is not paying for that use. This tends to be the least valuable of the uses.

iNTErNAL COLLATErAL uSE: Internal collateral refers to when the photographs appear in a publication that the client produces, such as a newsletter, brochure, pamphlet, poster or (internal) website, and whose audience is limited to the corporation’s employees. This is also of modest value because of the limited audience (though there are some corporations with hundreds of thousands of employees) and the purpose is more informational rather than to generate revenue.

ExTErNAL COLLATErAL uSE: External collateral use refers to when the photographs appear in a publication the client produces and distributes, such as an annual report, corporate magazine, brochure or website, and whose audience is customers, shareholders or the general public. This is more valuable than internal use because of the larger audience and it’s more about building a brand to generate revenue.

AdvErTiSiNg uSE: Advertising use refers to when the corporation is paying for the place-ment of a photograph in whatever media it appears, such as in a newspaper, magazine, billboard, or website. This is the most valuable usage because of its large audience and its ability to generate revenue for the company. In addition, the media budget will make it very clear how important the photography is to the client. It’s unusual for advertising li-censing to be included in corporate assignments. Instead, it’s common to quote corporate photography by the day (for a specified use) and offer an option to use pictures in adver-tising on a per-picture basis (for a specified use). You can get a sense of what advertising photos are worth by consulting pricing guides like Blinkbid or FotoQuote.

It’s essential to learn how to negotiate fees with editorial and corporate clients. Andrea Maurio, photographer consultant for Agency Access says: “Don’t be afraid to negotiate with editorial and corporate clients.” It often happens, she explains, that photographers are excited by a quote only to run the numbers later and find out that after production costs and the time on the job they won’t break even. The next question to ask the client, says Andrea, is, “do you have any wiggle room?” And then explain the reason for asking. “The more you can explain your needs, the better. That way a photo editor can go back to his or her boss and justify why you’re asking for more money,” she says. If you’ve gone down the above list and can point to specific job requirements that the quote won’t cover, you’re much more likely to come away with what you need to do the job.

10| GrowinG Your Portrait PhotoGraPhY Business Part ii: editorial and CommerCial Portrait PhotoGraPhY

Marketing your editorial and commercial portrait photography will comprise a greater chunk of your business time than capturing subjects, almost guaranteed. “What I wish someone had really impressed on me,” says London-based portrait photographer, James Bellorini, “is once you make the leap into being a professional photographer, be prepared to take and making photographs 10 to 20 percent of the time, and spend the rest on a steep learning curve of marketing, client-relations and accounting.”

For the editorial and commercial portrait photographers, marketing can mean creat-ing printed mailers to be sent to art directors at the publications you’d like to hire you, scheduling email newsletters with your latest work or tearsheets of recent jobs, finding who in an ad agency should be receiving your portraiture e-blasts, and keeping your web presence up to date so that prospective clients can see you’re producing new work and your prospective portrait subjects can get to know you.

Here are a few key marketing tips from photographers we interviewed in this guide:

» Keep in touch with the people you’ve worked with. Stay up to date on where they’re working and who holds positions at the publications you’d like to be hired. Think critically about how your services can fit their changing needs.

» Spend time reading or flipping through the publications you want to work for, and follow campaigns that agencies are working on. Send a note to creatives who worked on the campaign with kudos on a job well done. Many photo editors actually like this.

» Send printed mailers with your portraits laid out like a campaign or magazine spread. This will show your clients how your work is a fit for their publication or brand, how your photography looks in a layout, and also that you’re following their business and know what they’re looking for.

Marketing Your Editorial & Commercial Portrait Photography » Blog about your portrait work and show behind-the-scenes look of your subjects

on shoot. “My blog, Tumblr and Instagram feed are part of the whole ‘ecosystem’ of what I do and who I am,” says James Bellorini. “I like the idea that when people take the time to check out my online presence they get a picture of me as a person as much as my business. Taking someone’s portraits can make them feel quite vul-nerable at times, so you have to give them reason to trust and like you even before you meet.”

» Ask for introductions to clients you want to work for via second or third degree connections. In any area of photography, it can be hard to get your foot in the door, so do your research among your own network and figure out what connections you might have. LinkedIn is a great resource to help you do this.

» Remember that personal projects can expand your market, so give yourself an as-signment. For example, celebrity portrait photographer Brian Smith broke into his current market by giving himself a personal project, The Legends of Burlesque, which changed the course of his career, although he did take a financial hit. “Going into debt when logic pointed against it was my leap of faith,” said Brian. “But it was a gamble that paid off—not just with new work and a whole new look to showcase, but experiences that I’ll ever forget.”

11| GrowinG Your Portrait PhotoGraPhY Business Part ii: editorial and CommerCial Portrait PhotoGraPhY

Alexa Miller is a commercial and editorial photographer based in New York whose work has appeared in Seventeen Magazine, Polaroid, Fitness and others. Her portrai-ture spans topics and her clients are a range of art buyers at ad agencies and photo edi-tors to directors at publications. Alexa shared with us how she handles a relationship with clients versus subjects, what kind of marketing helps spread the word about her business, and why she can’t get enough of Tumblr and Twitter. Who is your typical client?

My typical client is pretty evenly split between advertising and editorial. For editorial assignments the client is typically a photo edi-tor or photo director. In an ad agency, it would be the art buyer.

What is your relationship like with this kind of client?My subjects are a mix of ‘real people’ and models depending on the story and context. For magazines, I could be shooting a portrait of a celebrity, or a person who has accomplished something outstanding (and has never been professionally photographed) or a fashion story with seasoned agency models. The same is true for my advertising work. More and more often, I’m finding it important to cast real people into my shoots, to help bring out a more authentic energy and look. This is important because it helps differentiate my style and helps me stand out to the client.

My relationship with my client is also usually collaborative; we are comfortable using design and visual vocabulary, and often discuss projects in the context of a layout, theme and mood. It’s a more cerebral approach to the shoot, and the final outcome/big picture is very much a part of that discussion. A collaborative attitude is important for all photographers to have so you can show you’re a team player, open to ideas, but also have a lot to bring to the table yourself. Clients don’t like a photographer who thinks that their way is the only way.

Getting Serious About Marketing: Featuring Alexa Miller

Alexa Miller, Photographer

www.alexamiller.com

12| GrowinG Your Portrait PhotoGraPhY Business Part ii: editorial and CommerCial Portrait PhotoGraPhY

What is your relationship like with your subjects? How do you connect with them and create an atmosphere that helps people relax so you can get the best shot?

My relationship with the person I’m shooting is very different than the relationship with my client. They may or may not understand the context or the design references for the project, and for the most part, that’s not important in the moment. I’ve filed away that info into the back of my brain, and in the moment, what matters is forming a personal connection to the person I’m shooting, and then guiding the shoot into the parameters that have been already discussed.

A rapport is so important. I try to research the person in advance so we have something to talk about and can form a bond. I’m naturally a very curious person, and one of my favorite parts about being a photographer is getting into unusual situations and learning something new. I love the unexpected. I’ve found this to be essential to building that relationship. I put a concentrated effort into staying open, posi-tive and non-judgmental. Also, telling the truth and being unafraid of showing vulnerability have served me well. It quickly puts your subject’s guard down so they can open up to you. This is key because portrait shoots can be very personal experiences.

What kind of marketing helps you get the word out?I use Adbase, a service from Agency Access that helps you find new clients and send effective emails and printed promos. I also try to get to New York City at least once a year to meet with potential and regular clients, show new work, etc. For those trips, I have both a printed book and portfolio on my iPad. I have dreams of doing a very fancy elaborate promo piece someday, but so far, I’ve stuck with just postcards. Face-to-face meetings are so important because it let’s you connect with clients and leave a great impression in a way that a phone call or skype conversation can’t always do. Clients want to hire photographers they like as people, so in-person meetings give you a chance to really show how great you are and easy to work with.

You keep a Tumblr blog and have Twitter—how do these channels help you put your work in front of your target portrait clients? I love Tumblr. It helps keep me organized and lighthearted about photography. It’s almost feels like a scrapbook, like something I would have done in high school. My hope is that it feels real and gives people a true sense of who I am, what I care about, how I spend my time. I think that matters a lot to clients.

Now with all the hashtags and sharing, Pinterest and Instagram, I find that my images are ending up in front of potential clients more, and that’s really great. It feels like they can look at my work on their terms, rather than me bombarding them with email pro-mos. I am very understanding of how overwhelming that is for them. When I look at my web stats via Google Analytics, I can see that my blog often gets more hits than my actual website, so I know for a fact it’s really important.

How do you target new portrait clients?If I do a shoot, whether it’s a test shoot or a commission, I’ll create a little promo piece, and target it to some potential clients who I think might be interested. I’m very careful to be sure that it’s appropriate to that client’s needs because I know these guys are so inundated with pitches and promos from photographers. I want to be sensitive to that, and only send relevant work so clients will seriously consider me next time they’re looking to hire.

A collaborative attitude

is important. It shows

you’re a team player,

open to ideas, but also

have a lot to bring to

the table yourself.

13| GrowinG Your Portrait PhotoGraPhY Business Part ii: editorial and CommerCial Portrait PhotoGraPhY

If I have a particular dream client, I might set up some unpaid test shoots that I think would pique their interest. I love doing tests because you have total freedom to create whatever you like, and for me it’s so fun to be unbounded. I know there’s costs associated with that—costs that may have no return—but it’s important to test and see what bites you get.

What tips would pass on to other editorial/commercial portrait photographers?Be fearless on your path. Be clear about the things you love, and shoot that. Don’t worry about copying, or comparing. Shooting what you love is the key. And admitting that you love that thing by showing the world, that takes courage. So be vulnerable, sign up for a small business class from your local college or a continuing education program in your town, and get to work!

Credit: Alexa Miller Credit: Alexa Miller

Credit: Alexa Miller

14| GrowinG Your Portrait PhotoGraPhY Business Part ii: editorial and CommerCial Portrait PhotoGraPhY

James Bellorini is a documentary, commercial and editorial photographer based in London, England. James covers a wide range of subjects in his portraiture, “One day I might be shooting a performer or actor, the next it might be team members of inter-national banks or a campaign portrait for a charity,” says James. With a background in theater and an emphasis on personal storytelling, James had a lot to share with us about building relationships with his portrait subjects as well as delivering excellent customer service. How do you build rapport with your portrait subjects and clients?

If possible, I like to meet with my subjects beforehand informally to discuss what they want to say with their portrait. Or, if it’s one of my personal projects, I like to chat about what I’m trying to achieve and how they can contribute to the look and feel of the images.

I’m always looking for the story that is to be found within this person in front of the camera—character, personality, something unique. To help discover that, I look for short-cuts to subject engagement that can relax the atmosphere. I’m not that comfortable having my photo taken, so I know how much relaxation and trust help in getting good portraits particularly in a short amount of time.

In terms of my approach to subjects, it’s all about reaching out beyond the lens at all stages of the shoot: before, during, and after. I came to photography from an arts background and career as a stage actor, so I really believe in the importance of collaboration. I try to underline this with my subjects. I make it clear that it is both of us making the picture, by describing what I’m doing and asking questions throughout the shoot.

Building Client Relationships: Featuring James Bellorini

James Bellorini, Portrait Photographer

www.jamesbellorini.com

15| GrowinG Your Portrait PhotoGraPhY Business Part ii: editorial and CommerCial Portrait PhotoGraPhY

How is your relationship different with a client who is the subject versus when client is hiring you to shoot a portrait subject?The main difference in my relationship with clients and subjects is the amount of ‘business’ discussed. If I’m dealing with a company or organization directly, then I want to talk about their needs for photography in general and see if the door is open to future assignments. And my needs never come first. I’m in business to serve—I grew up in the hotel trade, so that’s a throwback to what I learned as a child.

How do you provide great customer service to your portrait clients?My goal is always to develop my relationships and provide great customer service to the client and subject. I never assume that either party has thought of everything, so I take the approach that I’m there to provide solutions—that’s a common thread through all my work. I think photographers who are proactive problem solvers are typically the ones who get rehired.

And as often as I can, I will give something extra the client isn’t expecting and I don’t charge for it—like an additional re-sized image they can use for social media avatars (if appropriate), for example. I know that might go against the grain of a lot of advice people are hearing at a time when being a photographer has been ‘cheapened’, but for me my services have to be about the experience the client is getting, so anything that might be memorable or meaningful to them is a positive in my book. It increases the chance that they will use me again, or recommend me to other potential clients in their network.

How do you price portrait work and your time? I have my ideal prices that I charge for a day’s shoot, but I also find that corporate clients in particular have fixed budgets for pho-tography that are difficult to get them to improve on. If that’s the case, I usually tell them what they would get for my full price and then work back to what I can deliver for what they are offering. If they’re happy with that then they book me and we move forward on that basis. Most companies seem amenable to this approach, and it’s been quite rare for them to go elsewhere. I find private and individual subjects as are much less likely to question my prices.

I also research pricing a lot and check what photographers I admire charge and what they offer for that. It’s a great way to see where I sit in the market and what I can aim for in the future. But I’m building my reputation at present and I have to be realistic. That said, I know how important it is to set a value on my time and work and to price accordingly.

I do have a number of price variants depending on who might approach me and what their needs might be, and I split things up into distinct brackets with sliding-scale packages depending on who I’m marketing to.

I’m testing the water with a number of ongoing promotions wherever possible too. Recently, I wanted to widen my client base, so I ran a summer portrait and headshot deal to brand-new clients aimed at individual corporate and freelance subjects throughout June, July, and August. I worked out the full cost of all my outgoings (as I have for all my pricing): travel, shooting time, post-processing time, rent, bills etc., to come to a figure that covered them and a bit of profit. Then I deliberately slashed a third off the price. Two new clients booked in less than 20 minutes!

Credit: James Bellorini

16| GrowinG Your Portrait PhotoGraPhY Business Part ii: editorial and CommerCial Portrait PhotoGraPhY

How do you market your work?I spend a lot of time updating and maintaining my new PhotoShelter Beam portfolio, my blog, and my personal work portfolio and then guide people to these via status updates, emailed links, tweets, etc. I think updating your work and social networks consistently is important because you make it clear to your followers that you are present online and have news to share.

But of equal importance is word-of-mouth, marketing, both from myself and from clients. However, when I talk about my work to others, I’m not selling myself, and I think that’s an important distinction. Photography is my passion, and I think people can see that when I talk about my work. This is a great way to build relationships.

Specifically, how do you use your online presence to connect with your prospective clients, in particular portrait clients? I really believe that when a client hires me, they aren’t just hiring my photographic skills, but they’re hiring me for my personality as well. I rarely use my blog, Tumblr or Instagram feed as direct marketing tools. My blog is for thoughts and experiences as a work-ing photographer; Tumblr I use primarily to post whatever takes my fancy photographically, usually posting images that I like but won’t necessarily make it to my website; and Instagram is very much a visual mood diary. Yes, I link them all to my website and vice versa, but that’s primarily because I want people to know what I do is a creative process as much as it is a business process, and that good photography is what I am passionate about beyond contracts, strategies and marketing. So these platforms are ‘fresh air’ spaces, without an agenda, where people and clients can get to know more about me if they have the time.

How do you target new portrait clients?I’m fortunate that some of my clients come from the industry I’ve spent the past 15 years in and that portraits and headshots go hand-in-hand with what performers (be they actors, directors, musicians, DJs etc.) need. I engage with what they are up to and in turn they (hopefully) engage with what I’m producing.

Other than that, three words: mailers, mailers, mailers. I recently discovered the joys of MailChimp, an email marketing service provider. Every month I put out a newsletter to potential clients, new clients, or clients I’ve already worked with and who have sub-scribed. It covers my recent business activities, assignments (usually with a small gallery), info about current offers and promotions, and forthcoming shoots.

Do you use other forms of social media?I do use LinkedIn and Facebook a fair bit—keeping status updates regular, links to relevant assignment galleries on my website or blog—my Twitter posts automatically post there as well.

However, there’s so much promotion by social media these days that I’m very aware of overkill, so my main focus remains direct relationship and communication as much as possible.

Credit: James Bellorini

Credit: James Bellorini

17| GrowinG Your Portrait PhotoGraPhY Business Part ii: editorial and CommerCial Portrait PhotoGraPhY

What tips do you have for the editorial/commercial portrait photographer that you wish someone had told you a long time ago?My biggest tips to pass on as a portrait photographer are: always remain open-hearted, treat every job like your dream job, love your reflectors, and look after your 85mm lens like it was gold dust.

I think updating your

work and social networks

consistently is important

because you make it clear

to your followers that you

are present online and

have news to share.

Credit: James Bellorini

18| GrowinG Your Portrait PhotoGraPhY Business Part ii: editorial and CommerCial Portrait PhotoGraPhY

Nicolle Clemetson is a Portland, Oregon based editorial and commercial photogra-pher. Though she’s only been in Portland for two years, Nicolle has built connections with the local publications and businesses that now comprise the bulk of her clien-tele. Nicolle’s portrait subjects vary—from chefs and local celebrities to musicians and models. But regardless of who she’s working with, she prides herself on bringing a great energy to the set. “After a shoot,” says Nicolle, “I have cast, crew, and clients approach me to say how fun it was to work together, and how grateful they are for my positive energy on set.” As a local portrait photographer, says Nicolle, building relationships is the key to a great business.

How have you learned to create an atmosphere that portrait subjects and crew love enough to thank you for?I’m pretty easygoing and pride myself on the rapport I have with my subjects. Putting people at ease and allowing their true person-ality to come out in the photographs, whether they are veterans in front of a camera or are having their photo professionally taken for the first time.

I went through a period back at the beginning of my career where I felt the need to posture, and not be completely myself on-set or around new potential clients. I was stuck in a rut of trying to shoot and act like what I thought others in the industry wanted to see or be around. It bored me and made me uncomfortable.

Once I took a step back and realized I was going about this the wrong way, I found that I was happiest and producing my best work when I stopped caring about what others thought. I changed gears in my attitude, and now I’m shooting the projects I want to shoot with people who have the same attitude and energy that I do.

Harnessing the Local Portrait Market Featuring Nicolle Clemetson

Nicolle Clemetson, Portrait Photographer

www.nicolleclemetson.com

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How do you price your work, and how does the editorial differ from the commercial fees? There’s really two main ways I price my work and time. It all depends on what type of client is approaching me. For instance, 95 percent of the editorial work that comes my way has flat-rate fee.This rate depends on the scope of the assignment. A full-page portrait, a fashion feature (three-plus spreads), cover shot, etc., these gigs normally do not include any budget for expenses and range anywhere from $500-$2500. And this is not a day-rate. Granted, most of these projects only take a couple hours to a full day to shoot. Sometimes there’s room for negotiating, but that can be rare.

My advertising gigs are much more involved, as this requires putting together an actual estimate and bid for the job. And chances are I’m not the only photographer bidding for it. Normally I will put together two bids: an unlimited or perpetual estimate, and a smaller, two to three year bid. I find a lot of clients don’t necessarily understand the type of usage they’re requesting, so I like to show them the pricing difference between a tighter more defined license, and a very broad one. Usually the main difference between the two is going to be my “creative fee” whereas production costs will normally remain the same.

I do all my estimating through Blinkbid, and will use their Bid Consultant as a reference point for where my fees should be for a particular type of use or license. From there it’s really just a matter of trusting my gut and trying to decide what I feel is fair to both me and my client in terms of their photography budget.

How do you market your portraiture and bring in new clients?I spent plenty of precious time and money in the past doing what I was told to do by the industry blogs and consultants, especially email blasts. None of it was working, so I decided to take a more hands-on approach. Over the last two years, my focus has been on a very select group of photo editors and art directors at national magazines, with an emphasis on the local market in Portland, Oregon. We have so many ad agencies and design firms here, not to mention Portland houses the world headquarters for the likes of Nike, Adidas, and Columbia, to name a few.

Three to four times a year I sit down to figure out what clients I want to work with and how my style can be a match for their brand. While doing my research, I check to see who the proper people are to contact within a company (art buyers, art directors, photo edi-tors), and once I know those things, I simply send off personal emails introducing myself and my work.If it’s a local business then I might ask about setting up a quick, in-person meeting to show my book (and to show off my personality). Everyone I’ve approached has been very open to this; they love meeting local photographers.

I also always follow-up from meetings with either a hand-written or email thank you note. I prefer the more organic nature of “word-of-mouth” and personal relationships turning into business. Personal referrals in this city have netted me more work than any of my previous marketing efforts in the past. As a portrait photographer my prospective clients could be anyone – ad agencies, small local business, in-house clients, restaurants, families, you-name-it. So I like to keep things open to any opportunities that feel like a good fit.

Credit: Nicolle Clemetson

Credit: Nicolle Clemetson

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How do you use social media to promote your portrait business?My Instagram and blog are mainly for fun and keeping my brand fresh in people’s minds. Art buyers who follow my Instagram for example, can get an idea of who I am as a person, not just as a photographer. Developing relationships is just as important if not more so than being a strong photographer.

Credit: Nicolle ClemetsonCredit: Nicolle Clemetson

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Andrea Maurio is a photographer consultant with Agency Access. She has spent years in the editorial photography market, as a photo editor and a shoot producer. She is distinctly aware of how a photographer can approach a client as well as a subject, and how they can impress everyone on a set enough to be asked back. She has worked for magazines including Runner’s World, Maxim, Entertainment Weekly, and New York Magazine. Andrea gave us some great insight into the minds of editorial buyers—in-cluding what they want to see in a portrait photographer’s online portfolio, her per-sonal pet-peeves, and how photographers can grow their repeat clientele. Why is variety of portrait photography in a portfolio important?

As a photo editor, there are four poses that I look for in a portfolio. First there’s the hero image. It’s a profile or a shot taken from a low-angle elevating the subject on a pedestal, looking off into the sky—it’s heroic. Then there’s the super man or woman pose, which has the subject with hands on hips (similar to the hero pose but they’re looking off into the distance); and the direct eye contact pose, where the subject is looking at the viewer. Then there’s the fly on the wall moments, candid shots where the subject is not looking at the viewer but is engaged in doing something, whether talking with their hands or maybe drinking a cup of coffee.

So it’s a variety of poses: heroic, superman, fly on the wall candids, and direct eye contact.

Showcasing Your Portrait Photography Online Featuring Photo Editor Andrea Maurio

Andrea Maurio, Photo Editor

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What does it tell you when you see all of those poses in the portfolio?As a photo editor, you’re looking to see if a photographer can give you options. Can a photographer handle setting up the subject in different scenarios: indoor, outdoor, environmental, and studio.

I want to see that a photographer could handle the hero shot, and also in the heat of the moment and with limited time, can cover these different styles. Though of course an editor might be looking for a photographer who is famous for their specific style of por-traiture. And that’s fine, too.

The arms-crossed-over-chest pose, it’s my biggest pet peeve. Photographers often don’t realize that it’s happening, but if a large majority of their work are photos of people in that pose, it sends a message to me, which is that their subjects aren’t comfortable and the photographer lacks creativity.

What type of lighting skills are important to see in a portfolio?If the photographer is creating an online gallery they should have a variety of indoor and outdoor environments, as well as studio if they deal with studio (even if the studio work is not their favorite they could include a little, just to show that they can do it). A poten-tial client will be looking at how the photographer deals with different lighting environments and how they deal with the unexpected.

If a photographer is including portrait stories in their online portfolio, should they be presented as a separate gallery from their other portraiture work?

I suggest that photographers put the images all in one gallery of 12 images. If there’s not enough room and additional images would help showcase the story better, they could send a PDF portfolio of those extra images to along with the online portfolio. It’s nice to show how you work, but a lot of that doesn’t end up on the website.

How should a portrait photographer show a narrative in an online portfolio, in a way that would appeal to an editorial client, like a magazine for example?

If the images are going to reveal a story, they should be broken down like a magazine spread. Start with the main shot, which could be a close up or full length, introducing who the subject is as well as the story. Once you’ve got the main image you’re going to need to show interaction with people, whether it’s the subject sitting down with the family to have coffee or going to the gym.

Then, add the “day in the life” or fly-on-the-wall images. Here you’re including the people involved in the subject’s life. Finally, add some detail shots. These are things that are unique to the subject, body-wise (a tattoo, a closeup of an athlete’s feet). You’re looking for something beyond the portrait setup.

How can portrait photographers attract new clients with their marketing?When I was on the receiving end of e-promos, I always wanted to see the photographer’s location in the subject line. That helped me save their work in an appropriate folder on my desktop, so that when I had an assignment that came up in that particular area, I

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knew where to find them. I also liked to know what type of photos they were sending me. Something like “environmental portrait, based in San Francisco” in the subject line was ideal.

If you’re sending a direct mail piece, put a great image on the front of a mailed promotion card. That way editors will be encouraged to nail it to their bulletin board and as a result, keep you top of mind. Make sure that your contact information is accessible on the front of the mailer, too. That way someone doesn’t have to pull it off a bulletin board in order to get in touch. Sometimes that extra step become an obstacle in itself.

Trifold mailers can come in handy for documentary photographers, because it’s like a mini magazine. Personally I’m not a fan of giant mailers; I never know what to do with them.

Do you have any tips for maintaining clients or increasing bookings?Increasing bookings comes down to marketing consistently—following up, targeting clients with printed promos using direct mail, e-promos, etc. and overall making sure that you’re staying on peoples’ radar. It’s up to the photographer to consistently, but respect-fully, keep checking in. And because email is dominant, people often forget about hand-written notes for a follow up or to say thank you. Gratitude goes a long way, that’s what helps bring in repeat business.

Should photographers get permission from their subjects to put their photos on their website? Portraiture is a particularly sensitive area of professional photography, and your subjects (public and private figures) may not want their face on your website. Be sure to ask permission to use a private portrait session subject’s images in your online portfolio, and always offer to deliver a password protected gallery that clients can see but won’t be publicly visible on your site. For information on how to create this using a PhotoShelter website, you can check out this guided tour of website features.

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Jason Myers is a portrait and sports photographer based in Palm Beach, Florida. Jason has been a full-time photographer for just over two and a half years—and his career has been anything but a slow build. His work has appeared in PDN’s The Shot, he’s photographed Emeril Lagasse, Mariano Rivera, and his clients include Forbes Magazine as well as Garden & Gun. Dream clients and subjects already in front of him, Jason has had to become an expert in getting big personalities to open up, which requires a light touch and a very efficient workflow. Here’s what Jason told us how he preps for a shoot, what he researches before he arrives on site, and the savvy business and marketing choices he’s made along the way.

How do you get subjects to open up to you, especially when they’re “big” names?The best thing you can do when photographing people is, regardless of who they are, find a commonality between each of you. It reassures someone that you’re not just a guy with a camera trying to make them look goofy, that actually you have someone’s best interest in mind. And most photographers do—they are trying to get a real moment from somebody. Celebrities and entertainers are reluctant about having photographs taken because they’re afraid of how they will be represented.

For myself, having played sports through college, having been in the corporate world and going through leadership programs, generally there’s some commonality I can find with most folks. I focus on something familiar and it allows a wall to come down a little quicker than it normally would. With athletes, for example, I can say that I’ve played football at the University of Florida. That starts a conversation.

Capturing Big Personalities Featuring Jason Myers

Jason Myers, Portrait Photographer

www.jasonmyersphoto.com

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But you don’t (and probably shouldn’t) come out of the gate telling someone you’re a huge fan. I think subjects appreciate that you’re not overly excited, especially celebrities and athletes. You’re just there doing a job and to make their experience easy and enjoyable.

What should photographers know about working with people who have very little time?Understand that someone’s time is valuable. It’s just as important as finding some commonality and doing homework on your subject.

For example, I have a photo of Emeril Lagasse holding a giant fork. I got to take two frames with him. That was a long day, he was busy, he was tired and he was on his third location of the day. By the time I saw him I literally had 15 seconds. He walked into the room where I was set up—I had a seamless and some lights—and he looked at me and told me he wasn’t sure he had the energy. I told him I understood and then I asked him if he’d mind holding a four foot fork. He gave me a look like, ok let’s do this.

I took that chance, I got one picture of him holding the fork and and the second was him walking out of the frame. I was lucky that I got one shot. And no knocks on him, he was tired, which is often a real factor you need to consider and learn how to work around.

That’s something that I understand a little better than some of my peers. Celebrities and athletes or anyone generally recognizable, have a thousand people pulling at them in different directions—managers, publicists, an entourage. They have bigger things going on in their world than letting a photographer snap photos.

As another example, I photographed Mariano Rivera, who plays for the New York Yankees, for the ad agency Doner in Detroit and their client JBL headphones. We had a white seamless backdrop and one light set up as a safety net to get nice clean shots in case he wasn’t able to give us as much time as we wanted, and then we had the art directors’ concept set up and ready to go so that we could just go from one location to the next.

You have to have your concept in mind and have everything dialed in. Preparing can take weeks or months. This shoot happened very fast, we only had about a week. We had to figure out a way to get the concept the client wanted by doing a test day and a scout day. I was very fortunate that we could do that.

My goal was to have everything set up so that it was as as easy and smooth as possible for Rivera, who was just finishing up with the first week of spring training. The first thing I did on the shoot was to tell him that I understood how he felt—tired and ready to get it all over with so he could go have supper. And I told him we’d get it over with damn quick. He chuckled and I think that broke down a wall. He knew that I didn’t want to keep him there any longer than he wanted to be there.

He gave us a solid 45 minutes and took pictures with the crew and all the extras. He was fantastic. But it could have been 10 minutes, or five minutes; 15 seconds or literally two frames. You have to prepare for that. And you have to appreciate that people are giving you their time; even though it might be a job, they still have to agree to be there.

Credit: Jason Myers

Credit: Jason Myers

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What kind of research do you do before you meet subjects?If I’m going to meet a potential client I look them up on LinkedIn the night before and see if we have any friends in common.

When Emeril came to town I was doing some digging on him, I have ten of his books and I knew about him. But I was trying to figure out how to get something different than him yelling “bam!” at the camera (Emeril’s famous catchphrase). Then I read somewhere that he almost went to music school before making the decision to go to culinary school, and that he still played the drums. So I thought that as a gesture I’d buy him some nice drum sticks to breakdown the walls. In the end I honestly think that’s why I even got those two frames, because I had presented him with that gesture for taking the time out to accommodate me. He started telling the story about doing music. But that opened the door, that little bit of research helped me take a step into his world for a second.

How do you approach a subject with a creative concept for a shoot?You know right out of the gate what someone is going to be up for. You have to listen and find out who your subjects are. For some-one like Peter Yang or Annie Leibovitz, those photographers get big personalities to do crazy wild things, and they’ve established themselves as people who can get away with that.

Any lighting tips and tricks?I think that when you’re so obsessed with lighting and gear it takes away from your creative process. I am a techie, a total gear guy—I have a real problem with gear acquisition syndrome. But the more I shoot the more I realize that with fewer options you have the more creative you get. If you have ten lights then you’re going to try to set up with ten. If you’ve only got one you’re going to make it happen with that one light.

As far as my style of lighting, I generally only use one or two lights. For portraits I always bring a couple of Elinchrom quadro packs. They’re small and light but they give me four hundred watt seconds of power so I can pretty much make a studio environment out of anything. Even if it’s just me with my arms outstretched, one light and no assistant, I can do that. I’ve done it a number of times.

I try to stay as self-sufficient as possible. Remember that you can bill your equipment expenses back to the client. It’s the industry standard, because a client isn’t not paying for the type of camera or lights you have, they’re paying for your creativity, vision and results.

How did you build your business from the ground up in just over two years?I got my first PhotoShelter website around 2009. I was starting to shoot a little bit, I was in the golf business so I had access to interesting places and people. Fast forward to a couple of years, I was just unfulfilled in the corporate world. I was a man without direction. So I called Agency Access. I hired a consultant, Amanda Sosa Stone, and she told me what to get rid of in my portfolio, and I listened to her, and so far it’s worked. She also told me it was time to redo my website. It was just a big jumbled mess with all kinds of things on there. So she helped me narrow it down and I realized that I was more of a portrait photographer—that’s what I enjoyed. She gave me a directive to take 10 portraits in the next 2 months. I shot about 50 in two weeks. I was literally grabbing

Credit: Jason Myers

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people off the street, grabbing friends of friends of friends, showing up at concerts, telling people what I was doing and most people were up for it. I created a portfolio in about two weeks.

What kind of marketing do you do?I’ve been using Campaign Manager Pro from Agency Access, which provides me with quality consulting time from a range of ex-perts. I’m a huge fan and people ask if I got work out of it, and yes I’ve gotten some jobs directly out of it. I get a lot of work from people Googling ‘West Palm Beach photographer’—I show up number one or two on the Google ranking.

I’ve put just about every dollar I’ve made back into my marketing. I’ve invested in Agency Access, which is my email blast and a database as well as direct mail, too. They will also do calls for me and try to get me appointments, because I just don’t have time to do it anymore.

I also invest in mini, leave behind books and I just got my first printed portfolio. That was an investment—that thing was expensive.

And I’m now part of Wonderful Machine, which happened after my feature in PDN. I’m also on Frank Meo’s site, the Photo Closer. I want everyone to know who the heck I am. It gives people confidence to hire you. And if people don’t know who you are they’re never going to give you a chance to work with them.

How were you able to gain access to the people you’ve photographed in such a short time?Going from zero to where I am now in just over two and a half years, I give a lot of credit to PhotoShelter and also to my consultant Amanda Sosa stone. PhotoShelter provided the platform and I then I had to go produce the results. That meant not being afraid to knock on a door. It meant not being afraid to ask to photograph someone for my portfolio.

I’ve been very fortunate that most of my subjects have been been connected to me somehow by six degrees of separation. The people in my portfolio are either a friend of a friend, or I reached out to somebody’s music label or asked somebody I know or that I have photographed before to reach out. That’s been been helpful. The more recognizable people in my portfolio came that way. Your network is vital.

Credit: Jason Myers

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5 Tips to Shooting Killer Portrait Photography Featuring Jim JordanJim Jordan is a high-end world class fashion, advertising, commercial fashion and portrait photographer based out of Los Angeles and New York City. Jim has taken portraits for major celebrities like Leonardo DiCaprio, Drew Berrymore, and Charl-ize Theron, to name a few. Some of his notable editorial clients include Vogue, Elle, J.Crew, and Mercedes Benz. We wanted to learn more about Jim’s creative process from start to finish—so we picked his brain and got his top 5 tips on how to shoot killer portrait photography. The ultimate key to Jim’s success? Building strong connection with his subjects.

HAvE A viSiON

“When I’m preparing for a shoot, I have a set vision of what I want the finished product to look like,” says Jim. “I have all these ideas in my head prior to even photographing. So when it’s time to shoot, I need to get those ideas out of my head and onto the camera.”

“Too many photographers expect all the work to come from the talent (i.e. models). They want their subject to go out on set do their ‘thing’. But the photographer needs to create the vision, communicate it to the talent, and let them fall into it—then they’ll naturally handle it from there,” he says.

To effectively communicate his vision, Jim creates story boards for each shoot. These are physical 11×14 inch foam core boards that have inspirational photos of what the shoot’s “story” should look like. Then he builds separate boards for ideas on location, poses, mood, hair, makeup, and styling. He pulls images from his archive, the Internet, magazines, old movies—anything that helps craft his vision.

Jim Jordan, Photographer

www.jimjordanphotography.com

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Then Jim shares his boards with his team so that everyone knows what the shoot is going to look like. “Once the whole team is on board with my vision,” he says, “then everyone is connected and crystal clear on what’s expected.”

That’s not to say that Jim doesn’t believe in spur of the moment changes. “Of course things will unfold naturally,” he says. “But with good direction, the model can fall into character. By telling the story prior to the shoot, the talent gets to see what I want the character to look like. Then he or she can emulate that character and get comfortable with it. That’s when some of the best work comes out.”

dO YOur rESEArCH

Putting together detailed story boards obviously takes a great deal of time and preparation, the majority of which is spent on research. Take this image (to the right) of a model in diamonds and white dress lying among white wolves.

In this case, Jim first met with the client, which was a leading diamond manufacturer. The client said that they wanted to feature natural environments and elements, so Jim started to research natural locations in the U.S. and came across White Sands, New Mexico, which he thought was perfect for a white-on-white concept that he had been envisioning to shoot a white diamond campaign. Then Jim put together a “location” board filled with stunning images of White Sands.

“Next I thought, ‘Who is this woman in diamonds on the sand dunes?’” says Jim. “She’s a goddess that lives out in the wild—she’s elegant, angelic, and lives in the sand dunes with these white wolves. So then I created the prop board with beautiful pictures of white wolves, and then a style board of white clothing because I wanted it all to be white-on-white.”

“I originally did 5 or 6 different presentations,” he says, “but this is the one they ultimately chose.” And it paid off—the client decided to not only do a print advertisement, but also a video commercial with Jim.

“Doing all the research beforehand is the most important part,” says Jim. “That’s what sets good photographers [in this field] apart. Instead of throwing in the stylist or makeup artist to do all the work, I show them what I want. The direction needs to come from the photographer so that it fits with their vision.”

SHOw THEM YOu CArE

When it comes to actually interacting with his subject or talent, Jim is all heart. Asked how he makes his subjects feel relaxed and comfortable on set, Jim says: “I give them lots of encouraging compliments, and tell them how excited I am to work with them. If it’s a model or actress, then I’ll compliment them on their work, let them know that I’m familiar with them, and thank them for coming.”

“A lot of models and other talent walk onto the set and can be anxious or intimidated,” says Jim. “So I start by telling them exactly what I have in mind for the shoot that day. I also get really personal, and tell them stories about me and my life. This helps them get to know me and become more comfortable working with me. I want them to know me like a friend.”

Credit: Jim Jordan

Credit: Jim Jordan

Credit: Jim Jordan

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Jim’s number one goal is to convey to the people that he’s photographing that he sincerely cares about them. “I want to photograph them so that they look like no one has ever seen them before,” he says. “That sentiment comes from me and my heart. I always try to make a personal connection with everyone that I work with.”

The result is that Jim’s subjects leave feeling really positive about themselves and their experience with Jim. “I do my best to let any given model know that I want to see her looking her best, and that I’m not leaving it up to other people. I’ll even get in there and touch up their hair and makeup.

gET ON THEir LEvEL

“I also just have fun with them!” laughs Jim, explaining how he gets his talent to feel at ease in front of the camera. “I’ll walk them on set and start showing them how I would do it,” he says. “I’ll pretend that I’m the model and pose for them, which always gets them laugh-ing. But ultimately it also makes the model say, ‘OK, I get this’ and emulate what they saw me doing.” From there, Jim lets his subjects transition into what they would naturally do. His purpose is just to get them started.

This is an approach that Jim takes for everyone, and it’s proven to be especially effective when working with kids, for example. Jim has worked with American Girl for over fifteen years—a company that invites everyday girls to go on location to places like Mount Hood, Oregon or the Bahamas for fun-filled shoots.

“I become a little kid,” says Jim. “I play games with the kids, get them laughing, play music and dance. It lets the kids relate to me. Photog-raphers just need to get on the same level as their subjects.”

BuiLd CONNECTiONS

Jim’s 15-year client relationship with American Girl is just one example of the long-term connections that he’s made over the years. Models that he shot when they were eight years old now come back to him in their mid twenties to reminisce about how much fun they had on set with him as a kid. Jim also uses an online database—Adbase by Agency Access—to find new potential clients. This database offers contact information for art buyers and creative directors at some of the biggest retailers and advertising agencies in North America.

“My creative process works for me,” says Jim. “I’m not saying that if you don’t do it my way then you’re wrong. I’m just saying that this has been the best way for me to execute my vision and keep me on track.”

JiM’S EquiPMENT TiPS:

Jim has been using the same equipment brands for years: California Sunbounce for his reflectors, Wind-Killer, and Sun-Scrims; Tamrac for all his camera straps and carrying bags; and Broncolor for his heavy-duty umbrellas and strobes. Another product that he can’t live without is his Wacom Intuos4 Tablet, which lets him utilize a pen tool to retouch and edit his photos on location, then immediately upload to PhotoShelter for instant client access.

Credit: Jim Jordan

Credit: Jim Jordan

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Celebrity portrait photographer Brian Smith has been fixing light and lens on his subjects for 30 years. From Richard Branson to Bill Gates to Anne Hathaway, Brian’s subjects are epic, and so are his accolades. With a start in college as a sports photographer, Brian’s career went from zero to sixty in a matter of years. Brian’s coverage of the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics earned him a Pulitzer Prize, and he has authored books on what he’s seen throughout the years, including his most recent, Secrets of Great Portrait Photography. How does Brian consistently produce amazing portraits? Besides being a dedicated people-person, a quick-thinker and above all, punc-tual, Brian knows how to make magic happen with light. That’s why we’ve gathered six tips on lighting portraits from this master of setting a mood.

LET wHAT YOu wANT TO SAY SET THE MOOd

Think aesthetically about what you want the photo to say, says Brian, then let your lighting be dictated by that. Brian doesn’t wait for the right light, nor can he always ask that his high profile subjects be available on a certain day at the golden hour just before sunset. That’s why when he walks into a shoot at any time of day, he asks himself, “what lighting do I wish I had walked into?” From the idea or the feeling that you wish your environment provided you can start to “build” your own daylight, he told an audience gathered at B&H photo.

STArT wiTH THE kEY LigHT

In an interview with Advanced Photography, Brian notes when it’s time to position the lights to create the mood, always start with the key light. “Get the key light positioned first and fill only if needed,” he told Advanced Photography. “That’s always where I start and where some people go wrong with filling bad light instead of moving or aiming the light where it looks best and sometimes this comes down to just a few inches or a few degrees. When you’ve got the key right and you still want to open the shadow—then is the time to fill. Same can be said for kickers and accent lights. Light with a purpose—have a reason for every light you use.”

dON’T BE AfrAid Of CONTrAST

Brian is a proponent of contrast, “warm and cold, dark and light; everything you can do to bring out opposites.” But he also knows how to work with what he’s got. If it’s a strong sun he might put it directly behind a subject. And he’s always looking for inspiration from nature in order to emulate what he sees.

Secrets to Great Portrait Lighting: Featuring Brian Smith

Brian Smith, Photographer

www.briansmith.com/interviews

32| GrowinG Your Portrait PhotoGraPhY Business Part ii: editorial and CommerCial Portrait PhotoGraPhY

MOvE YOur LigHTS LikE f-STOPS

You can move a light closer or farther from a subject, just like F-stops, in order to control the strength of the light you’re working with. Brian works by blending “artificial” and ambient light. He described lighting a boxer with the key light 10 feet away from the subjects and 20 from the background. “It’s just like F stops on the camera. The subject is half the distance to the background which drops the exposure like I’m burning the background two stops,” he told the audience at B&H.

CrEATE THE MOOd

In order to create the right atmosphere Brian uses gels for his strobes and adjusts the white balance to compensate for warm or cold tones he’s after. When Brian shot a photo of a football player looking like he walked off the set of Michael Jackson’s, “Thriller”—dark bluish-black sky, eerie purple blue light and heavy shadows on the subject—it was 3:00pm in the afternoon in October, in Florida. How did he do it? He found a bit of shade under a tree and then he set about completely overpowering the ambient light using strobe. His camera was set to ISO 100, 1/250, F22; and to get that bluish cast he set the white balance to tungsten.

SELL CLiENTS ON YOur viSiON

It can be very hard to describe to your subject what it is you have in mind, especially when you’re speaking from the experience of seeing what will translate to the photo. Remember to be patient, and as Brian Smith says, sell them visually—show them what it is you want to do, either by bringing an iPad with examples they can see or by asking to take a few “test” shots that you can then show to the subject. If they’re still not buying the idea, don’t push it. But never be afraid to ask and to try. Here’s what Brian’s using:Sony a99Sony RX1Sony NEX-7Sony CZ 24-70/2.8 lensSony CZ 85/1.4 lensSony CZ 135/1.8 lensSony CZ 16-35/2.8Sony G 70-400/4-5.6Voigtlander Nokton 50mm f/1.1 LensLensbaby Composer Pro with Sweet 35

Credit: Brian Smith

Credit: Brian Smith

33| GrowinG Your Portrait PhotoGraPhY Business Part ii: editorial and CommerCial Portrait PhotoGraPhY

What makes a great editorial and commercial portrait photographer? At the end of the day, it’s the ability to juggle client expectations and vision while building a rapport with subjects. And then of course, you need to deliver a high quality and consistent product on time. But the key to growing your portrait business? You need to a good people person, build great relationships, make sure your subjects feel comfortable—and then network, network, network to get the word out.

Conclusion Resources Guide: Creating a Successful Photography Portfolio Guide: The Photographer’s Guide to CopyrightGuide: Email Marketing for PhotographersBook: Best Business Practices for Photographers, 2nd EditionBlog: Model and Property ReleasesBlog: 10 Common Tax Deductions for Your Photography BusinessVideo: Demo: Stylizing Your Portrait Photography Video: Retouching Portrait Photography Using a Quick Action Consultant: Tax NinjaTool: BlinkbidTool: fotoQuoteService: Wonderful MachineService: Agency AccessService: AdbasePlatform: PhotoShelter’s Beam Portfolio Websites

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