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Personality, little lives shine through. An issue of the Professional Photographer magazine from May, 2012.
Citation preview
MAY 2012
©Kimberly Wylie
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editorial officesProfessional Photographer
229 Peachtree Street NE, Suite 2200, Atlanta, GA 30303-1608 U.S.A.404-522-8600; FAX: 404-614-6406
Professional Photographer (ISSN 1528-5286) is published monthly subscriptions
Professional Photographer P.O. Box 3606, Northbrook, IL 60065-3606; 800-742-7468;
FAX 847-291-4816; email: [email protected]; Web site: www.ppmag.commember services
PPA - Professional Photographer 800-786-6277; FAX 404-641-6400; e-mail: [email protected]; www.ppa.com
Advertising materials contact: Debbie Todd at [email protected]
Subscription rates/information: U.S. Print: $27, one year; $45, two years; $66,three years. U.S. Print and Digital Combo: $37, one year; $65, two years; $96, three
years. Canadian Print: $43, one year; $73, two years; $108, three years. CanadianPrint and Digital Combo: $53, one year; $93, two years; $138, three years.
International: $19.95 one year digital subscription.Back issue/Single copies: $10 U.S.; $15 Canada; $20 International.
PPA membership includes: Domestic $17.50, Non-Domestic $42 annual subscription. Subscription orders/changes: Send to Professional Photographer, Attn: Circulation
Dept., P.O. Box 3606, Northbrook, IL 60065-3606; 800-742-7468; FAX 847-291-4816; email: [email protected]; Web site: www.ppmag.com.
Periodicals postage paid in Atlanta, Ga., and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to Professional Photographer magazine,
P.O. Box 3606, Northbrook, IL 60065-3606Copyright 2012, PPA Publications & Events, Inc. Printed in U.S.A.
Article reprints: Contact Professional Photographer reprint coordinator at Wright’s Reprints; 1-877-652-5295.
Microfilm copies: University Microfilms International, 300 North Zeeb Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48106
Professional Photographer (ISSN 1528-5286) is published monthly for $27 per year by PPAPublica tions and Events, Inc., 229 Peachtree Street, NE, Suite 2200, International Tower, Atlanta,GA 30303-1608. Periodicals postage paid at Atlanta, Ga., and additional mailing offices.
Acceptance of advertising does not carry with it endorsement by the publisher. Opinions expressed byProfessional Photographer or any of its authors do not necessarily reflect positions of ProfessionalPhotog raphers of America, Inc. Professional Photographer, official journal of the ProfessionalPhotog raphers of America, Inc., is the oldest exclusively professional photographic publication in theWestern Hemisphere (founded 1907 by Charles Abel, Hon.M.Photog.), incorporating Abel’s Photo-graphic Weekly, St. Louis & Canadian Photographer, The Commercial Pho tog -rapher, The National Photographer, Professional Photographer, and Profes sionalPhotographer Storytellers. Circulation audited and verified by BPA Worldwide.
4 • www.ppmag.com
PROFESSIONAL
senior editorJOAN [email protected]
features editorLESLIE HUNT
editor-at-largeJEFF KENT
contributing editorsDON CHICK, LORNA GENTRY,
ROBYN L. POLLMAN, ELLIS VENER
art director/production managerDEBBIE TODD
creative services managerROBYN [email protected]
creative services coordinatorCHERYL [email protected]
circulation MOLLIE O’[email protected]
BART ENGELS847-854-8182; [email protected]
AMY WALLS404-522-8600, X279; [email protected]
publications sales staffdirector of sales & strategic alliances
BILL KELLY404-522-8600, x248; [email protected]
ad sales managers
EDITORIAL
publisherDAVID TRUST
[email protected] childhoodTHEY GROW UP IN A FLASH
What I know about children would fit in a thimble. The thing I do
know, though, is that children are both predictable and unpredict -
able. As for their parents, I know they find that those years of
childhood go by blindingly fast. The children’s photographer has
much in common with the wedding shooter—you do know what
in general to expect, but you never know what’s actually going to
happen. And every day in a child’s life is a special day.
Though each has her own way of drawing out her subject’s
personality, the children’s photographers featured in this issue of
PP have found successful ways to capture a spectrum of childhood
behavior, from displays of explosive energy to quiet introspection,
and how to allow the kid to be a kid, so that the parents can hold
onto the moment forever.
Our May cover photographer, Kimberly Wylie, photographs
children in their first year in her fine art black-and-white Classic
style, and as they grow older and their personality begins to emerge,
she deems it time to capture them in the full vibrant color of her
Exquisite style. Audrey Woulard always stays true to herself, but
she never stops exploring new avenues, like video, and finds ways
to connect with her clients that keep them coming back. Marianne
Drenthe aims to capture every angle of the child’s personality,
while Heather Lickliter has fun by introducing fantasy and
adventure to empower her multifaceted subjects.
The reward for these photographers’ efforts and artistry is the
steady success of a loyal clientele.
Individual style aside, every photographer should know the
precautions presented in this issue’s feature on child safety. And
what about protecting the photographer? Elizabeth Esser talks
about her experience with sudden, unforeseen disability at the
beginning of her career, and gives straightforward advice on
insuring against business catastrophe in case it happens to you.
There’s tons more good stuff inside, and we hope you’ll enjoy it.
Joan Sherwood
Senior Editor
Discover new products, share yourfarvorites and join the community.
PPMAG.COM/SHOP
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A SPLASH OF COLOR Kimberly Wylie diversifies her child portrait products with two distinct lines of styleBy Jeff Kent
CHICAGO DREAMERAudrey Woulard moves to downtown Chicago to photograph children and families in her all-natural, contemporary styleBy Lorna Gentry
CHILDREN: HAPPILY EVER AFTER
Heather Lickliter’s Fairyographyputs a little magic in every portraitBy Stephanie Boozer
POSING: KEEP IT SIMPLE
Learn the ways of safely posing infantsBy Robin Long
CHILDREN: HOLISTIC VIEW
A positive influence guides Marianne DrentheBy Jeff Kent
IMAGE BY: AUDREY WOULARD
86
90
98
102
110
Features
PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER MAY 2012
CONTENTS
DepartmentsCONTACT SHEET22 Tim Mantoani:
Portraits behind photographs26 Case study: Delicious marketing28 Giveaway of the month28 PP asks: Spring images30 Look back: Julia Margaret Cameron30 E-mail scam warning
signs and remedies
PROFIT CENTER33 What I think: Heather Lickliter36 Ask the experts38 Starting over: Playing fair
by Kalen Henderson40 Disability: Necessary protection
by Elizabeth Esser42 Up-selling
by Kalen Henderson46 SEO: Passive link building
by TJ McDowell
THE GOODS49 What I like: Marianne Drenthe50 Roundup: Summer-themed products
by Robyn L. Pollman56 Pro review: Leica S2
by Stan Sholik62 Pro review: Shoot Baby! Ottoman
and Backdrop Standby Betsy Finn
66 Pro review: NewerTech Guardian MAXimus Miniby Stan Sholik
70 Roundup: Metal print productsby Mark Levesque
74 Lighting: Photo breakdownby Ellis Vener
76 Web design: What you should know
ON THE COVER: Kimberly Wylie captured this imageoutdoors in natural light. She shot with a CanonEOS 5D Mark II camera with an EF 70-200mm f/4LIS USM lens at f/4.5 for 1/200 second. Wylie appliedthe hand-painted texture in Design Aglow.
8 • www.ppmag.com
14 FOLIO
121 PPA TODAY
136 SCHOOL CALENDAR
138 GOOD WORKSPROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER | MAY 2012 | WWW.PPMAG.COM
Marianne Drenthe of Marmalade Photography in Chicago
wanted to encourage repeat business from her many
clients who travel with their kids from far away for her services. She made the ordering
process much more convenient by switching from in-person sales to a limited online
viewing window of the images and an ordering session on the phone.
CONTENTS
98©
Marianne D
renthe
White House Custom Colour, Your Professional Photographic and Press Printing Partner
Our Favorite Products for Children Photography
Images for products © Little Nest Portraits
White House Custom Colour is a full service, professional photographic lab and press printer. In addition to the showcased products
on these pages, we offer a full line of products and services to make a positive impact on your goals for continued success in building
your photographic business. For more information visit our website, www.whcc.com
Accordion Mini BooksAccordion Mini Books are the must-have item for all parents and grandparents. Not only does the Mini Book display many images, its small size and magnet closure allow for easy transport in a handbag. It’s the perfect brag book to show off children session images to family and friends. The magnet also allows the Mini Book to be proudly displayed on a refrigerator.
Bound Proofs
book of their favorite images, Bound Proofs are a great upsell addition to larger print orders. Bound Proof books also make great ordering tools,
Press Printed BooksWhat mom doesn’t want her own customized book of her children? She’ll proudly display it for all to see and treasure it for years to come! Enhance the excitement and experience by packaging and presenting the Press Printed Book in a fun and colorful Boutique Bag.
Framed PrintsDecorate a family room, kids’ room, or play room with a multi-image Framed Print. Choose one of our Blue, Green, Brown, Black, or Cream mats to enhance the images and complete a look to match any décor.
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Professional Photographers of America229 Peachtree St., NE, Suite 2200Atlanta, GA 30303-1608404-522-8600; 800-786-6277FAX: 404-614-6400www.ppa.com
2012-2013 PPA boardpresident*TIMOTHY WALDENM.Photog.Cr., [email protected]
vice president*RALPH ROMAGUERA SR.M.Photog.Cr., CPP, API, [email protected]
treasurer*SUSAN MICHALM.Photog.Cr., CPP, [email protected]
chairman of the board*DON DICKSONM.Photog.Cr.,Hon.M.Photog, [email protected]
directorsDON MACGREGORM.Photog.Cr., [email protected]
MICHAEL GAN M.Photog.Cr., CPP [email protected]
LORI [email protected]
MICHAEL TIMMONSM.Photog.Cr., [email protected]
RICHARD [email protected]
STEPHEN THETFORDM.Photog.Cr., [email protected]
AUDREY L. WANCKETM.Photog.Cr., [email protected]
industry advisorKEVIN [email protected]
PPA staffDAVID TRUST, CAE Chief Executive Officer [email protected]
SCOTT KURKIAN, CPA, CAEChief Financial OfficerChief Operating [email protected]
THERESE ALEMANDirector of Marketing [email protected]
KRISTEN HARTMAN Director of MemberValue and [email protected]
BILL KELLY Director of Sales &Strategic [email protected]
SCOTT MORGAN Director of [email protected]
WILDA OKEN Director of [email protected]
DAWN ROBB Director of [email protected]
LENORE TAFFEL Director of [email protected]
CLAIRE WHITEDirector of Allied [email protected]
SANDRA LANGExecutive [email protected]
*Executive Committee
12 • www.ppmag.com
The Tuscany Album
Images courtesy of Alicia Alejo, thephotofriends.com
Ships in 4 days · Available in 9 different sizes and a variety of leather and man-made options
Images are flush to the edge of the album · Lay-flat binding make panoramas appear seamless
Discover more online at
14 • www.ppmag.com
folio| Comprising images selected from the files of the PPA Loan Collection, Folio is a monthly sample ofaward-winning photography selected from PPA’s annual International Photographic Competition (IPC),which is open to non-PPA members. The Loan Collection comprises more than 500 photographschosen for distinction by the IPC jurors. ppa.com/competitions/international.php
ANNE HUTTONAnne Hutton, M.Photog.,
of Anne HuttonPhotography in Camarillo,
Calif., found this young girlto be the perfect subject
for a photographiccompetition. With a NikonD700 camera and Nikkor
24-70mm f/2.8 G ED AF-S lens, Hutton
exposed “Gypsy Girl” for1/250 second at f/5.6, ISO
200. A Photogenic SolairPLR1000DRC and a 4x6-foot Larson soft box witha 4x6-foot Calumet softsilver reflector provided
the main lighting. Sheused a Photogenic Solair
PLR500DRC and whitetranslucent umbrella forfill. Hutton removed the
girl’s mother from theoriginal composition
in Adobe Photoshop. The image won a Kodak
Gallery Award.annehuttonphotography.com
©Anne Hutton
THE NIKON PRO LEGACY CONTINUES. INTRODUCING THE NIKON D4, A D-SLR FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS WHO DEMAND A CAMERA AS PROFESSIONAL AS THEY ARE.
11 Frames Per Second | 16.2 MP FX-Format CMOS Sensor | Full 1080P HD Video with FX, DX and 2.7 Crop Mode
ISO Range of 100–12,800 Expandable up to 204,800 | Advanced Scene Recognition System with 91,000 Pixel RGB Sensor
nikonusa.com/D4
FOR PERFECTIONISTS, AND THOSE WITH EVEN MORE EXACTING STANDARDS.
Nikon® and D4™ are registered trademarks of Nikon Corporation. ©2012 Nikon Inc.
DAN KASALLISDan Kasallis, CPP, of Lifetouch in Shakopee, Minn., created “I Do” as a promotional piece for the wedding program at Cilento Studios by Lifetouch.“I wanted to show that brides can still be photographed in the studio these days, and that it’s not a lost tradition,” he says. Kasallis captured theimage with a Canon EOS 5D Mark II camera and Canon 24-70mm f/2.8 USM EF lens. He placed a 100-watt-second Broncolor flash and a 45-inchWestcott Halo modifier in a butterfly pattern about 2 feet above the model, and a Larry Peters Eyelighter in the “bellypan” position about waisthigh and 2.5 feet away. Two 100-watt-second Photogenic Powerlights were used as accents, both with 12x16-inch Photoflex grids at the back, leftand right. He performed minor retouching with Adobe Photoshop, Imagenomic Portraiture and LucisArt 3 plug-ins. cilentophotography.com
©Dan Kasallis
ANDREA JOLIATTo celebrate a client’s grand mother’s birthday, Andrea Joliat, M.Photog., CPP, of The Family Album in Lexington, Mass.,created “Ten Cool Cousins,” featuring children ages 4 to 18. With a Canon EOS 5D camera and Canon 24-105mm f/4 L ISUSM EF lens, Joliat exposed the image for 1/125 second at f/18, ISO 400. A 400-watt-second DynaLite Uni 400monolight with a 4x6-foot Larson soft box and a white reflector provided the main lighting, and a 250-watt-secondDynaLite 2040 flash and a 9x24-inch Larson soft box with louvers provided hair light. A second Dynalite 2040 with 6-inchhoneycomb grid lit the background. Joliat combined three photographs for the final image. familyalbumphoto.com
©Andrea Joliat
16 • www.ppmag.com
SORRY, BUT YOU’RE GOING TO WANT TO RESHOOT EVERYTHING YOU’VE EVER SHOT.
INTRODUCING THE D800
36.3 MP FX-format CMOS Sensor with EXPEED 3 Image Processing
91,000 Pixel RGB Sensor with Advanced Scene Recognition System
Full HD video at 30/25/24 FPS with Full Manual Control
Wide ISO sensitivity range from 100 to 6,400; up to 25,600 in still and video
NIKKOR versatility includes: over 60 FX/DX lenses
For more, visit nikonusa.com/D800
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ikon C
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ikon Inc.
KRYSTAL RADLINSKIWhen the Darr family wanted to document a day in their busy lives, KrystalRadlinski, M.Photog.Cr., of Verve Studio in Newberry, Fla., set to work creatingan album of journalistic portraits and candids. She captured most of the imageswith a Canon EOS-1D Mark III camera, and a variety of Canon EF lenses: 50mmf/1.4 USM; 85mm f/1.2 L II USM; 70-200mm f/2.8 L USM; 16-35mm f/2.8 L IIUSM. When needed, Radlinski used an 800-watt-second Lumedyne SignatureSeries flash with a PocketWizard and a 36-inch Photek silver umbrella, and aCanon 580EX Speedlite and PocketWizard with a Sto-Fen Omni-Bounce umbrella
and a 40-inch Westcott 5-in-1 reflector.She performed minor retouching in AdobePhotoshop and assembled the images in a10x10-inch, leather-bound GraphiStudioalbum. “Often with the pressure to createthe perfect portrait, it can be easy to missthe wonderful, silly mess that captures achild’s personality,” says Radlinski. “Thiswas a great reminder for me to embracethe importance of play for both oursubjects and for us.” vervestudio.com
WILLIAM BRANSONWilliam Branson, M.Photog.Cr., F-ASP, of Durham, N.C., was
commissioned by a grandmother of 10 to create “Grace,” the ninth in aseries for this client. With a Canon EOS 5D Mark II camera and Canon 70-
200mm f/2.8 L USM EF lens, Branson exposed the main image for 1/125second at f/7.1, ISO 100. A 1,200-watt-second White Lightning Ultra 1200and a 36-inch Balcar silver umbrella lit the scene, and a second Ultra 1200
and umbrella provided fill. He used a third Ultra 1200 and 20x20-inchLarson soft box for a hair light. Branson composited several images inAdobe Photoshop and finished in Corel Painter. “Grace” won a Kodak
Gallery Award. wbranson.com
©Krystal Radlinski
©William Branson
18 • www.ppmag.com
Make the most of your creativity with Michaels. With over 480 unique mat colors and 540 frames to choose from, we have everything you need to display your photography with style. Plus, we only use state-of-the-art preservation techniques, preservation quality products and your artwork never leaves your local Michaels store. See one of our Custom Framing Experts today for a consultation, or visit michaels.com/customframing for more information.
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Limited Time OfferBring in an 11x14 portrait and we will custom frame it for $59.99, a $259 value! Total size of the piece 16 x 20 = size of portrait + mat
Includes: basic frame with grey or yellow band, 1 mat, and conservation clear glass, preservation mount and fit. Bring coupon into store to redeem offer. May not be combined with any other offers, sales or discounts in effect. Valid 4/30/12 to 5/30/12
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Accordion Books as envisioned by McClanahan StudioLearn more at www.millerslab.com/accordionbooks
M O R E I S M O R E
Feeling nostalgic for the tactile nature of film,
San Diego commercial photographer Tim
Mantoani had an idea. Over the 2006 Christ -
mas holiday, while visiting San Francisco, he
rented a Polaroid 20x24 camera and invited
a couple of photographers he knew—Jim
Marshall and Michael Zagaris—to sit for a
portrait, each holding one of his famous prints.
What started as a lark became a passion
to create an archive of portraits of the pho-
tographers behind iconic images.
Over the course of five years, Mantoani
traveled the country taking portraits. “I tried
to not put pressure on who was or wasn’t
involved,” he says. “I allowed the tide to take
me and didn’t let my own prejudice or naïveté
get in the way of opening myself to people I
wasn’t familiar with. Who was I to say who
should or shouldn’t be [included]? I just fol-
lowed the lead of people I respected and was
open to where this thing took me.”
In January Mantoani published “Behind
Photographs: Archiving Photographic
Legends” (Channel Photographics). In the gen -
erous bottom margin of each giant Polaroid
print, the subjects handwrote the story behind
their image. “It became another layer—
through their penmanship, smudges, mis-
spellings—to reveal a little more about their
personalities,” he says.
Mantoani says he learned from the pho-
tographers while taking their pictures. Both
Timothy Greenfield-Sanders and Steve
McCurry requested certain angles, but
demurred to Mantoani. “McCurry said, ‘This
is your picture, not mine,’ and I said, ‘No, it’s
our picture. If I can’t learn from you, who
[has] taken arguably one of the most
famous portraits of all time, who could I
possibly learn from?’”
To see more visit mantoani.com.
CONTACT SHEETWhat’s New, Cool Events, Interesting People, Great Ideas, Etc.
All im
ages ©T
im M
antoani Photography
Tim Mantoani archives photographic legends in a new book on the faces and stories behind iconic images
BY LORNA GENTRY
PORTRAITSB E H I N D P H O T O G R A P H S
22 • www.ppmag.com
The legacy continues. The FUJIFILM X-Pro1 Camera incorporates
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“ The X-Pro1 was a pleasure to hold and shoot with. It has a really incredible color palette, just like Fujifilm’s Pro film lineup and the low light capabilities were amazing.”
-Jose Villa
Photos By Jose Villa, 2012
Inspiration. Innovation. Perfection.
When Sacramento photographer Stephanie
Salo made the transition from portraiture
to food photography last year, she needed
a strat egy to attract prospective editorial
and agency clients, so she cooked up a
promo package that would leave them
hungry for more.
For the cuisine, Salo chose homemade
goodness. To illustrate it, she wrote a recipe
for satisfied clients that included ingre dients
like “1 1/2 cup talent sifted with originality,”
and “1 cup packed with a photographer pas-
sionate about her work.”
“I wrote the recipe to illustrate my working
style as well as my creativity,” says Salo. For the
artwork, she selected six images from her port -
folio that captured a homey, rustic appeal.
For printing, she turned to MOO, the
online printing resource she’d used for busi-
ness cards. “I was so impressed with them.
They were fantastic for the price, and they
can do small-lot quantities,” says Salo. She
ordered postcards printed with the recipe
and images, and logo stickers. She designed
and printed bellybands and gift tags herself.
Completing the package were a mini spatula
imprinted with her Web address, and the
coup de grace: a cello bag full of her home-
made snickerdoodle cookies, bearing the
label, “I dare you to eat just one!”
Salo sent the goodies to about 60 people
from a list she calls “dream clients,” targeting
those who had responded to a previous e-mail
promo by clicking through to her website.
That promo attracted the attention of
other photographers, who wanted to know
more about it, and MOO even featured the
project on its website.
The burning question, though, did any
of the prospects take the bait? Indeed, says
Salo. In follow-up phone calls, she asked
each recipient if he or she accepted her dare
to eat just one cookie, and not only netted
several meetings, but also gained new
clients. By her estimate, the project cost less
than $1,000, including priority shipping.
“I made up [the cost of the promo] in just
one job,” Salo says.
—Jessica Goldbogen Harlan
Find more of Stephanie Salo’s work atsalophotography.com and her blog, lensandladle.com.
26 • www.ppmag.com
CONTACT SHEET
CASE STUDY:
A delicious marketing idea
All images ©Stephanie Salo
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CONTACT SHEET
PP’s Giveaway of the Month PP Asks …We love hearing from all ofyou on our Facebook page.We offer up the questions,you dish the brilliantresponses. These are just afew of the ones posted on our wall. Click theLike button to join the conversation at face-book.com/ppmagazine. This month’s post:
IT’S SPRING! WHEN YOU HEADOUTSIDE WITH YOUR CAMERA ATTHIS TIME OF YEAR, WHAT REALLYCATCHES YOUR EYE?
I love the collision of the blue, blue sky withbig, cottony clouds and grass so green itdoesn’t look real. Throw in some wildflowersand it’s to die for.
—Ashley Aguillard Davidson
Light! Pretty, golden, make-you-want-to-melt light. I would probably photographgarbage if it was in pretty light.
—Jen Creed
After the snow has melted here in SouthDakota, the beautiful, neutral-toned nativegrasses catch my attention. I love pairing out-fits with spring colors against the grass.Makes everything pop.
—Newley Kartak
The snowmelt waterfalls that form up here inMaine, especially along the carriage roads inAcadia National Park.
—Brittany Bugaj
Thunderstorms and any scene that has justbeen doused with rain. I love the rich colorsthat scream out after a rainfall.
—Brenda L Bekoski-Conway
Flowers. Now if I could figure out how to getthe smell to accompany the image!
—Monica Hellem Bryant
I just took a series of photos highlightingdead and dying plants at the feet of bright,vibrant new blooms. It’s such an amazingstudy of contrasts in nature.
—Debra Russ Jacobs
I love springtime for children. The light is sopretty on their skin and hair. I also loveblooming flowers and trees, and the newspring light—beautiful for portraits.
—Kristen Montgomery Caudill
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CONTACT SHEET
Read more about the legends of photography at the International Photography Hall of Fame, iphf.org.
Portrait of a stargazerJulia Margaret Cameron photographed Victorian England’s elite
British photographer Julia Margaret
Cameron (1815-1879) instructed the revered
astronomer and photographer Sir John
Herschel (1792-1871) to wash his hair for
this 1867 portrait so that “a brilliant halo
would encircle his head,” according to the
book, “The Waking Dream: Photography’s
First Century” (Yale Univ., 2000), pub-
lished in conjunction with the 1993 exhibi-
tion of the same name at the Metropolitan
Museum of Art. Of the three por traits
Cameron took that day of Herschel in his
home, this image was his favorite because
he looked like an ordinary grandfather.
Cameron and Herschel had been friends
for many years, but she had been a photog-
rapher for only four years when she made
the portrait. She took up the craft at age 48
and turned to
Herschel for tech-
nical and artistic
advice, as she
regarded him as her
“teacher and high
priest,” she said. Unlike
other Victorian photogra-
phers, Cameron preferred soft focus for
idealized, artistic renderings. About the
many famous men who posed for her,
Cameron said, “When I have such men
before my camera, my whole soul has
endeavored to do my duty towards them
in recording faithfully the greatness of
the inner, as well as the features of the
outer, man.”
—Lorna Gentry
Portrait of astronomer Sir John Herschel, byJulia Margaret Cameron, 1867. Both imagesprinted courtesy of the InternationalPhotography Hall of Fame.
Watch for these signs to alert you thatyour dream job might hook you into afinancial nightmare.
• The client asks to pay you prior to seeing your contract, or even discussing your fees
• The client asks you to be responsible for paying other vendors
• The client says he resides in another country, frequently travels internationally, or requires you to travel on fairly short notice
• The client’s “major event” just suddenly came up
• The event is to be held at a venue that does not exist
• The client wishes to deposit payment directly into your bank account
• A check or money order arrives that’s substantially higher than the negotiated fee—the client “accidentally” overpaid and requests a cash refund or wire transfer
• The client asks you to provide your services or products without a contract in place and without paying beforehand
• The client’s e-mail address is the only way to reach him, and he cannot pro vide a valid physical address or telephone number
When you get such e-mail, immediatelynotify the e-mail provider (such asYahoo!, AOL, Google) of the offendingsender and message. The provider mightthen freeze or delete the fraudulent account.
Bottom line, never jump into anassignment without meeting or speakingwith your client by phone, and neveraccept payment of incorrect amounts orin manners outside your norm.
For detailed remedies, recourse andappropriate government agencies, readthe whole story at ppmag.com/web-exclusives/2012/04/scam.html
—Maria Matthews, PPA Copyright andGovernment Affairs
E-MAIL SCAM WARNING SIGNS AND REMEDIES
Julia Margaret Cameron
For pricing and information on Collages.net’s complete product line, visit www.collages.net/products ©2012 Collages.net Inc. All rights reserved. Photo © MyLife Photography, Studio Eleven Photography, and Nick Corona Photography.
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6.1.12:
THINK YOU HAVE THE WINNING PHOTO?
CoverContest
Start gathering your best images to submit for a chance to befeatured on the cover of Professional Photographer magazine.
May 2012 • Professional Photographer • 33
Professional Photographer P R E S E N T S Business, Marketing and Sales Strategies
What I thinkHeather Lickliter works around herintroverted nature, partners for success
What’s the greatest challenge your business has faced in recent
years? Honestly, it’s been me. I’m not the best marketer or busi-
ness woman, so the biggest thing I’ve had to overcome is my in-
troverted nature. It really helps that I have a math- and
marketing-minded business partner. She saves me!
What’s the biggest business risk you’ve ever taken? I opened dur-
ing a recession and I worried myself to bits about putting food on
the table. It’s gone pretty well so far.
What’s your deal breaker? An overbearing or abusive parent. I will
not participate in anything that causes a child to feel horrible. I’d stop
the session in a heartbeat. I make my sessions fun, not a punishment.
How do you think the business of professional photography will
evolve in the coming years? The client who shops for professional
photography will become savvier and less apt to take a “deal” over
quality photos. I think a lot of the market may turn back toward
more experienced photographers.
What’s your best advice about running a successful pho -
tography business? Do what you love, but keep your
head—or find a business partner who can help
you keep it. Just
because you
want something
doesn’t mean you
need to spend money
on it right that
moment.
IMAGE BY HEATHER LICKLITER
STYLIZEDPORTRAITURE.COM
Deidre & MpixPro Products: A Love StoryDeidre loves the ever-changing light and is inspired by the love stories and unique personalities of her clients. MpixPro’s
wide range of high-quality and unique products allow Deidre’s images to speak for themselves, loudly and clearly and make it easy to share the beauty she’s captured along the way.
Where discerning photographers belong.
Q: Another photographer and I want to mergeand change our studio name. We found another photography business in anotherstate with the name we want. What are thelaws on trademarking business names?A. It’s important to note that trademark lawsexist to protect consumers just as much asthe owner of the mark; consumers should beable to know what they’re buying. For exam-ple, when you see McDonald’s golden arches,you know you’ll be able to order a Big Mac,and exactly what it should taste like. Theseassociations are crucial in choosing your busi-ness name. You want it to be distinctive, andyou want it to be legally yours.
A trademark, like a copyright, is intellectualproperty. A trademark, or mark, could be yourbusiness name, logo or even a slogan. A trade -mark comes into existence once it is used incommerce. That means that your rights to amark can be established by being the first touse it or to register ownership of it.
Before choosing a name, we recommendyou thoroughly research its use. That includesdoing a general Internet search on the word orwords, as well as searching trademark reg-istries at state and federal levels. If you findthat someone is already using the name, findout the location of the business, the kind ofbusiness it is, how long the business has beenusing it, and whether or not it’s registered.
Trademark infringement is determined bywhether or not your use of the mark couldcause consumer confusion in the market-
place—that your business might easily beconfused with another one using the mark.So, for example, if yours is a wedding photog -raphy business and you choose a name that’ssimilar to that of a bridal boutique halfwayacross the country, the likelihood for con-sumer confusion is small. On the other hand,if you choose a name that sounds like thename of another studio located a few hours’drive away, think twice before printing upyour business cards.
Also remember that the first person to usethe mark will likely have precedence. So evenif you register your mark before another user,he or she may be allowed to continue to use iton the basis that he was already using it at thetime your registration was granted. There aresome circumstances in which the second useris the first to register the mark, and is entitledto the protections attached to such a filing.Note that only federally registered trademarkscan appear with the ® symbol alongside.
—Maria Matthews, PPA Copyright & Government Affairs manager
Q. Our contract for wedding photographystates that the second half of our packagefee is due when we deliver the retouchedimages of the wedding. We got burned in abad situation on that policy. Is it industrystandard to instead request final paymenton the day of the wedding? We’d prefer toget the payment before the couple blows alltheir money on the honeymoon.
A. We photographed our first wedding in 1989,and we’ve learned a lot since then. With eventslike weddings or bar/bat mitzvahs, like mostpros, we require a signed contract betweenthe parties. We require a $1,000 retainer tostart the contract, and then any remainingbalance must be paid one month before theevent. We used to require payment on thewedding day, but what a downer for us towalk in, see the bride looking fabulous, andthen ask her for a check. Then we started askingfor the balance two weeks before the event,but quickly found that no one remembers thattwo-week date. But every bride knows exactlywhen the wedding is one month away.
Since adopting this policy, not a singlebride has been late with payment, and every-one’s expectations have been met. Brides andeven fathers occasionally ask about the policy,but once we explain how we came to this de-cision, everyone understands. Plus, with thebalance paid, the couple doesn’t have toworry about it on the honeymoon. n
—Jeff Dachowski, M.Photog.Cr., CPP
Got a question? The SMS team wants to hearfrom you. E-mail our panel of experts c/o PPeditor Joan Sherwood at [email protected].
36 • www.ppmag.com
GURUS FROM PPA STUDIO MANAGEMENT SERVICES ANSWER YOUR BUSINESS,MARKETING AND SALES QUESTIONS. FOR INFO ON WORKSHOPS, GO TO PPA.COM.
Ask the expertsDue dates for final payment, trademarking business names
STUDIO MANAGEMENT SERVICESPROFIT CENTER
©Veer
We used to require payment on the wedding day, but what a downer
for us to walk in, see the bride looking fabulous, and then ask her for
a check. Then we started asking for the balance two weeks before the
event, but quickly found that no one remembers that two-week date.
But every bride knows exactly when the wedding is one month away.
Photoshop and Lightroom are registered trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated.
It was 25 years ago almost to the day that I
realized I needed to open a photography stu-
dio. It wasn’t a business decision. It was
spurred by months of thought and insight,
and it was a mom thing.
I was the mother of a 2-year-old daugh-
ter and a 6-month old son. Pregnant with
my third child, I was attempting to balance
motherhood and career, and trying to ignore
the “I told you so” comments from relatives
who insisted I couldn’t do both well.
I worked weekdays, and I hadn’t been able
to book my son with our nearby photog rapher
for his 6-month portrait, so I packed up the
kids and drove 25 miles to the small strip
mall in the next community, where you could
get pictures made by a chain studio, just about
any time. The experience at the photo kiosk
there wasn’t the best, but my son smiled and
I thought the images would be wonderful. To
match my portrait of my daughter at 6 months
old, I requested a black background. The pho -
tographer assured me that was no problem.
I eagerly anticipated the call saying my
order was in. I felt pretty smug about getting
a real deal; the chain advertised packages of
one 11x14, five 8x10s, 16 5x7s, 22 4x6s, 88
wallets, 172 exchanges, a coffee cup, a charm,
a set of steak knives, and a partridge in a
pear tree, all for only $9.95. But wait, there’s
more! Every additional print ordered would
cost just 99 cents. How could you go wrong?
When the call came, I packed up my preg -
nant self and the kids in the minivan and
headed to the mall. As our troupe approached
the kiosk, I imagined how proud my husband
would be of my awesome market savvy. The
attendant opened the package and drew out
images of a baby that resembled my son,
against a hideous background that might have
been Robin Hood’s forest hideaway. My son
had one eye half closed and drool conspicu-
ously dripping from the corner of his mouth.
“You don’t understand,” I began. “I wanted
the image to be on the black background.”
“This is the image we chose for your
package,” he said. “If you want a different
image, it will cost extra.”
How much extra could it possibly be with
this store’s prices? I thought. I could bury
this set in a drawer and order enough good
ones to make all our relatives happy. “Okay
then. How much will it be?” I asked.
“Eighty-five dollars per unit,” said the
attendant.
“I must have misunderstood you,” I said,
distracted by my daughter, who was trying
to shove Cheerios in her brother’s ear. “That
wasn’t $85 for each print, right?”
“Yes, that’s correct,” he nodded.
“But what about this awesome deal that
you advertised?” I tried to sound commanding.
“That special is for the pose that we
choose to print, and in order to get any other
pose, you must first purchase that package.”
I did purchase one, just one, 8x10. I
framed it and hung it on the wall. For a
month I looked at that image, thinking I
should become a professional photographer,
if only to save other moms from the scam I’d
just expe rienced. Three months later, I bor-
rowed money to purchase a studio, and the
rest is history.
The lesson I learned was to always pic-
ture myself in my clients’ shoes. I’d been
there, and now I understood why clients
keep coming back to a business and why
they do not. When you bring a customer
into your studio and give her a tremendous
experience, you don’t then hold the images
hostage. It poisons the relationship, and
once the customer ransoms at least one little
print, she will never return. In fact, it could
sour that person on having any other profes-
sional photography experience.
With bears or lions, get between a cub
and its mother and you’re going to get mauled.
No different with humans. And, as an ethi-
cal professional photographer, it’s up to you
not to let portrait seekers get “malled” as I
did. So make sure you’re upfront and honest
with moms before they take the time—and
often a great deal of effort—to bring in their
children. The moms trust us with their most
valuable property, allow us interaction with
this little person, and rely on us to deliver
the finest rendition at the prices promised.
Do that every time and those clients will
happily return to your business.
Building a relationship with a family be-
gins with the mother. Trust me, I know.
Play fair. Be nice. Oh, and always wash your
hands before you come to the table. n
38 • www.ppmag.com
Starting over: Playing fair
BY KALEN HENDERSON, M.PHOTOG.MEI.CR., CPP, APIPROFIT CENTER
Be the alternative to getting “malled” by a chain scam
Focused by whcc is the premier resource for photo related product templates in our industry. We offer an ever-growing line of high quality templates created by some of the photographic industry’s most talented and creative designers and photographers. Impress your clients with professionally designed press printed cards, books, or studio marketing pieces without having to spend all your time behind the computer. All focused templates are fully customizable Photoshop PSD files and are easy to use. Simply drag and drop your photos directly into the template.
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Three out of 10 people will become disabled
before retirement age, according to the
Social Security Administration. Are you and
your business covered for that possibility by
insurance? I wasn’t. I was 23 years old, out
of college for three years, had just signed a
lease on a commercial space, and was ready
to grow my business. Four months later I
was diagnosed with a chronic illness.
Disability is something you don’t give much
thought to until it happens to you or a fam-
ily member, and we’re often unprepared for
it. Many things can constitute a disability, and
most of them are out of your control. The
most common causes of disablement aren’t
accidents, but health-related problems such
as cancer, diabetes, heart disease, arthritis and
back impairment. Even broken bones, preg-
nancy and short-term illnesses can have serious
consequences for a small business owner.
It’s often hard, expensive, even impossible to
get insurance after you’re deemed disabled.
Having health insurance can be key in
financial security, and mine has afforded me
life-saving treatment on multiple occasions
without the added stress of paying for $30,000
hospital stays or $20,000 treatments.
Disability insurance is different from
health insurance. It pays you a percentage of
your monthly income, often from 50 to 60
percent, if you cannot work due to an illness
or injury. Each type of disability plan has
different conditions, and getting the cheap-
est may be a mistake. You should be aware
of the fine points and ask questions until
you understand them fully. I wish I had
invested in disability insurance early, but
like so many others, I figured I would have
time to look into it and understand it better.
The most common type of policy is an
income replacement insurance policy that
pays out while you cannot work but stops
payments if you start earning income in any
field. Own-occupation insurance will cover
you if you can no longer work in your chosen
occupation, even if you find another occupa-
tion you can handle. Although often the
cheapest, gainful occupation coverage allows
the insurance company to decide if you qualify
for benefits based on their own assessment
of your potential to find a job based on your
former occupation, training or education.
You’ll also need to include a residual dis-
ability aspect in your coverage that protects
against temporary or partial disability. Loss
of income residual is based on the amount of
income lost, and will continue to pay the dif-
ference between your prior income and your
current part-time income until you resume
making the former amount. Time and duties
residual usually begins coverage when you have
been out of work for a set amount of time and
discontinues when you return to work. The
loss of income residual is more suitable for a
small business owner, as you may need time
to rebuild your business after an absence,
and it covers the difference (based on your
percentage of coverage) until you are making
100 percent of your pre-disability income.
Once you find the coverage that suits
your needs, you can add protection in the
form of riders. Without riders such as
future or automatic increase, disability
insurance will be based on your income at
the time the policy is written. These riders
protect your future earnings. A cost of liv-
ing adjustment can be important for those
under retirement age, as it increases your
benefits with the rise of inflation.
The average non-permanent disability
lasts 31.2 months, with benefits periods
ranging from two-year policies to lifetime
coverage, the average period lasting through
age 65. This is the length of time your bene-
fits will continue if a claim is made.
Your elimination period is the time
between the onset of a disability and when
your benefit checks start, ranging from 30
40 • www.ppmag.com
BY ELIZABETH ESSERPROFIT CENTER
©Veer
Necessary protectionBe prepared for disability
days to over a year. Having accessible sav-
ings for emergencies is vital in planning for
your future. Ideally, your savings account
should total enough to provide three to six
months of income, which would help you
cover expenses during this period. That may
sound impossible, but any amount of sav-
ings is better than none in an emergency.
Many people assume that they will be eligi-
ble for Social Security disability insurance but
are unaware of how the system works. Social
Security benefits are based on a credit system
and are only granted if you have been paying
into the system for long enough, recently
enough and have a disability that is consid-
ered severe.
You should also have solid business con-
tracts in place with clauses that cover you in
case of an emergency or the unexpected.
One of the best things I did for my business
was have a lawyer look over my wedding con -
tract and lease agreement to ensure they would
hold up in court and that I was protected in
the event I needed to execute any clause. This
small investment saved me a huge head ache
and thousands of dollars when I fell ill.
You don’t get a warning before you
become ill or end up being hospitalized, and
if you have a family-operated studio and
something traumatic happens to one of you,
your loved one may not be emotionally ready
to shoot a wedding the following day. Include
a clause in your contract that allows you to
find a replacement or offer a refund. Build a
network of photographers you can rely on to
call in an emergency. Having these connec-
tions in place provide peace of mind to you
and your client. Trust me, the last thing you
want on your mind is to be worried if some-
one is fulfilling your contracts completely.
If you lease a studio space, consider obtain -
ing a clause that would release you from your
lease in the event of death or disability from
your chosen career, as determined by a physi -
cian. Do not base this clause on the govern-
ment’s disability definition, as it can take years
to be approved, and you may or may not meet
the criteria based on the number of credits you
have earned and the severity of your disability.
This can save you thousands of dollars and the
hassle of finding someone to take over your
lease. Sadly, this is the clause I will now be using
after my physicians have recommended I no
longer work with the public after being unable
to work due to illness for the last 7 of 12 months.
Although it seems like a lot of work to
pre-plan, it will ease your financial burden
in an emergency, be beneficial to your men-
tal and physical health, and ease the strain
on your family. n
May 2012 • Professional Photographer • 41
Would you like fries with that? There’s no
denying that this phrase, coined by one
smart sales psychologist*, gets results. Pro-
fessional photographers who do double-
duty as their own sales force can and
should learn the psychology of the up-sell.
(*Exactly who coined the phrase eluded our
Internet search.)
An up-sell takes various forms and can
occur at various strategic points throughout
one’s interactions with a customer. Some
photographers find the easiest up-sell takes
the form of a package. Believe it or not, cus-
tomers prefer the option of choosing pack-
ages over à la carte products, and they
generally choose a package that includes
items they would not have otherwise
chosen, such as framing or canvas wraps,
if they believe they’re getting greater value
for their money.
Some industries package products with
such success that it becomes their calling
card. Take, for example, Walt Disney World
in Orlando. In one recent “special” Disney
resort hotel package, in return for booking a
six-day, five-night stay, your family’s meals
would be included. Free food for a week at
Disney World—wow, that’s a valuable add-
on for consumers. As for Disney, it has filled
one of its many hotel rooms for one week,
and kept a client from spending their meal
money off-site. There’s more. Disney pro-
vides free transportation for their guests to
and from the airport. For the customer of
this all-in-one resort, that’s a huge conven-
ience and a substantial savings on taxi fare
or a rental car. For Disney, it means one
less customer with a rental car who’ll
be tempted away to other attractions. In
essence, the customer is a willing hostage
to Disney.
Yes, the hospitality industry’s business
model is different from the photographer’s,
but think about a frame as your substitute
for the dining plan. If your customer goes
with your portrait package A, a step above
package B, two steps above C, he not only
gets a beautiful 16x20-inch portrait, he gets
it matted and framed and ready to hang.
The customer gets extra value, plus a huge
convenience. Your actual costs for the addi-
tional elements in the package and for the
in-house framing are small indeed com-
42 • www.ppmag.com
Up-selling
BY KALEN HENDERSON, M.PHOTOG.MEI.CR., CPP, APIPROFIT CENTER
The buzz phrase of a generation
Regardless of the up-sell technique you use, always
consider your specific market and the economy in your
region before you develop a product line. A $100 8x10
might be a great deal in some markets, but in others it
would be looked at with the same disbelief as the $25 tuna
sandwich. Test the market, and if it works, run with it.
©Veer
pared to the money you collect and the gen-
erous profit margin. And that pleased cus-
tomer is priceless.
Compare Disney’s transport courtesy to
a complementary portrait session. A free
session can be an instant up-sell add-on.
That’s a real value for the client. For the
photographer, rarely would someone take
the time and make the effort to come to
your studio to be photographed, and then
not purchase something. That customer
wants you to offer suggestions on what to
buy. This is almost like driving that client
directly to your studio.
If you eschew the free session as a sales
leader, you could use it as a reward for
clients who pre-pay for the product or
pack age they want when they book a ses-
sion. You might feel like you’re losing your
session fee, but look at it as a way to take
advantage of the truism, money spent is
money forgotten. You get the opportunity to
guide the client to upgrade his original paid
order when he comes in for the session, and
again when he comes in to pick up the
order. The client has the opportunity to get
more of the things he wants without feeling
he’s overspending.
Similarly, you can give clients the option
of automatically paying in installments with
a credit card, making it easier to help them
get the big-ticket items they truly desire.
Now we come to up-selling face-to-face
at the actual sales session. The techniques
above are considered to be built-in up-sells.
Up-selling at the sales session is more
direct, and it requires product knowledge
and visual tools to illustrate the value of the
additional options—the upgrades. You
want the client to see the value of a mounted
print over a simple print, so you need to
show and tell him why he should spend a
little more for it. Show him a side-by-side
comparison of the two, while you discuss
the benefits of mount ing. When you talk to
clients about upgrading, always speak in
terms of what’s in it for them. For example,
the client has already made an investment
in a session and now wants to order a print.
Explain that mounting the print will protect
it from accidental bending and creasing
that could ruin it. Plus, having the print
mounted and framed at your studio or
the lab saves the effort of having that done
later by a framer, which would probably
cost more.
These up-selling techniques apply to
upgrading from paper prints to canvas,
from loose print collections to press-printed
coffee-table books, from one hanging 16x20
framed portrait to an artfully hung, multi-
image collection. When you explain added
value in terms of what’s in it for the customer,
they’re more receptive because it speaks to
their needs much more clearly than using
technical terms and the reasons that mostly
just photographers find important.
Regardless of the up-sell technique you
use, always consider your specific market
and the economy in your region before you
develop a product line. A $100 8x10 might
be a great deal in some markets, but in oth-
ers it would be looked at with the same dis-
belief as the $25 tuna sandwich. Test the
market, and if it works, run with it. n
Kalen Henderson and Kate Ridinger ownStudioK in Danville, Iowa (thestudiok.net).
INSPIRED BY LIGHTThe perfect combination for wedding and portrait photography
bronimaging.com/sunbouncedealers
May 2012 • Professional Photographer • 43
In the world of search engine optimization
(SEO), links are like gold. The more high-
quality sites with links to your website, the
higher your ranking in Web search results.
Now, link building is a long and, for most
people, boring process. There are only so
many forum and blog post comments you
can make in hopes of getting someone to
check out your site, before it becomes a time
suck that leaves you burned out. But there
are less work-intensive ways to build links.
BOOST YOUR CLIENTS’ EGO.
Posting the best images from a session to
your blog will likely earn you a link or two. If
you want to increase your chances of link-
backs, include something out of the ordinary
with your ego-builder. This year we posted
highlight videos on our senior models pages,
which we use to promote our studio during
senior season. The more exciting the con-
tent, the more likely you’ll get extra links.
SOURCE OF HELP. Some photogra-
phers post tips on looking your best for
photo shoots. We plan to add to that with a
guide to finding the right wedding photog-
rapher. Posting studio-specific content, like
upcoming promotions, contests and bridal
shows, where potential clients can meet you
in person, can motivate a customer into
linking or sharing your post, too. Consider
posting a few tips on how to take better pic-
tures. This reinforces your image as an ex-
pert, and helps your SEO at the same time.
APPRECIATE VENDORS. Some of
our highest quality links come from other
vendors. If you promote them and show
how good they are with amazing photo-
graphs from actual events, they’re going to
make a link to your site so their customers
can view them. This technique is ideal for
wedding vendors, and we’ve also used it suc-
cessfully with vendors who provide birthday
cakes for our baby’s first birthday sessions,
as well as those who supply dresses for our
high school seniors. Local vendors are the
easiest link to earn, but you can get links
from national vendors too, especially the
smaller ones. The key is making your post
about them highly positive.
ANNOUNCE YOURSELF. Once
you’ve written a great blog post, it’s impor-
tant to inform the people who might link to
your article. It’s best to e-mail or send a
Facebook message to the vendor. Make it
easy to get to your article, then make it easy
for others to share it. You’ll know they
shared the link when it shows up as a link in
your Google Webmaster Tools links list.
TRACK REFERRED TRAFFIC.
Before you see the referred traffic link in
your links list, you’ll probably see it in
Google Analytics. While you’re looking at
your referred traffic in Analytics, see if the
visitors are viewing other pages on your site
or bouncing to another website. If the visi-
tors are all bouncing, it may be time to call
your Web master for a design makeover.
Getting other people to link to your web-
site can drastically improve the ranking of
all your pages in Google. Learning to create
link-worthy pages isn’t just good for SEO,
though. Discovering how best to connect
with your customers and fellow vendors is
the key to building an all-around great pho-
tography business. n
TJ and Larissa McDowell’s studio is in St.Louis. Visit their blog for photographers atlarissaphotography.com/blog .
46 • www.ppmag.com
Share the love
BY TJ MCDOWELLPROFIT CENTER
Passive link building brings traffic to your site
Google Analytics can show you how effective your keyword and e-mail campaigns are, where your vis-itors are coming from, and what content brings you the most viewers.
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May 2012 • Professional Photographer • 49
Professional Photographer P R E S E N T S Products, Technology and Services
What I likeMarianne Drenthe says hands off my L series lenses
What makes your workflow flow? Microsoft Expres-
sion Media 2. It catalogs images like a card catalog,
referencing the images with thumbnails rather than
creating additional copies on my hard drive. It doesn’t
use up a lot of space and it’s fast.
What’s the best equipment investment you’ve ever
made? My Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II camera. I love the
dynamic range on this camera.
Little thing, big difference … For a standard family
session, I take along only a 4GB Compact Flash card
and I shoot raw format. This forces me to shoot inten-
tionally, not machine-gun it. Then I have a smaller
number of images to cull during post processing.
What hot new product are you going out of your way
to use? I’m all about my new Lensbaby Edge 80.
Has a piece of equipment ever changed the way you
approach photography? Going full frame with the
original Canon EOS 5D allowed me to use the L series
lenses the way they were intended.
What gear would they have to pry from your cold,
dead fingers? My 85mm f/1.2L and 50mm f/1.2L
lenses. I can’t give up those beautiful skin tones and
that amazing L quality in my images.
IMAGE BY MARIANNE DRENTHE
MARMALADEPHOTOGRAPHY.COM
OFFERED BY: BLACK RIVER IMAGINGMaking your own branded SUMMER EMERGENCY KIT is a great way to help your
clients beat the heat while providing some unique marketing for your studio. The kit includes
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water or lemonade bottles. Black River’s SPECIALTY SHAPED STICKERS help dress
up the bottles. PRICE: $8 for 20 stickers. blackriverimaging.com
OFFERED BY: IKEAWith the sheer LILL CURTAINS BY IKEA, turn a traditional summer photo shoot
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tents to capes to tea parties. PRICE: $4.99 per pair. ikea.com
GOODS ROUNDUP BY ROBYN L. POLLMAN
Fun props and products to put sunshine in your sessions
Summer days
When temperatures get hot, you need tocrank up your AC and your business. Invite your clients to enjoy fun in the sunwith these summer-themedproducts.
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OFFERED BY: DENNY MANUFACTURING COMPANYThe reversible Denny SURF SHACK SET provides plenty of versatility with a
full surf shack on one side and a Grecian island set on the other. Surf boards,
sign posts, Tiki god statues and other props can be purchased separately.
PRICE: Double-sided Surf Shack / Grecian Set, $2,699.96; surf boards—small,
$129.99, large, $149.99; Surf Shack Sign Post, $199.99; double-sided Tiki God /
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52 • www.ppmag.com
GOODS
OFFERED BY: POPPY TREE FRAMESPoppy Tree Frames offers 18 CUSTOM HANDMADE FRAME STYLES in 42 col-
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©Dani Antonucci Photography
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It’s not that the images you capture with the
latest Leica S2 are much more extraordinary
than those you’d capture with another top-
tier medium-format digital back. It’ the style
and comfort with which you capture those
images that sets the Leica S2 above the rest.
During the one short week I had the S2
and two lenses on loan for review, I showed
the body to several other professional photog -
raphers. Without exception, they were sur-
prised that the S2 was so light and felt so com -
fortable and natural in their hands, and the
size of those hands varied greatly. At just
over 3 pounds, the S2 body is perfectly bal-
anced with its lenses, which average just
under 3 pounds each.
Leica put thought into every aspect of the
S2 design. The front has a deep groove for a
firm grip with two fingers, while the back
has a perfectly placed, angled indent for
your thumb. When you hold it this way,
your index finger naturally falls on the re-
lease. Comfortably close to the thumb in-
dent on the rear is a multi-function
click-wheel for adjusting camera settings
and selecting and adjusting menu items.
The back of the S2 is minimalist to the
extreme, clear of the array of buttons common
to smaller-format digital SLRs. The 3-inch
monitor is surrounded by four menu selection
buttons, similar to the digital backs from
Phase One, but on the Leica the buttons are
black, nearly blending into the body itself. I
love the simplicity of this design, which al-
lows me to concentrate on photography, not
sorting out embedded camera settings.
Also on the back near your thumb is a
but ton to lock autofocus and exposure. On
the upper left of the back is the on/off
switch, with additional settings to activate
the focal plane shutter in the body or the leaf
shutter in the lens.
The top plate of the camera has a single
large dial on the right for setting shutter
speed, a small LCD display next to it that
holds a brief summary of camera settings,
and a hot shoe over the pentaprism. The
eyepiece is positively huge, and it’s rimmed
with rubber, allowing eyeglass wearers like
myself to easily read the entire view screen.
A diopter adjustment rings the eyepiece, and
although it doesn’t have a lock, it remained
on the same setting throughout my tests.
So where are the camera settings? The
four menu selection buttons surrounding
the monitor provide access to them. Press-
ing the top left button brings up the camera
control options, and the button below gives
access to image control options, such as ISO
and white balance. The top button on the
right selects playback options, and the but-
ton below gives access to the setup menus.
THE GOODS: PRO REVIEW
A camera is just a tool, right? A body and lens that allowsus to create images. Well, there are tools and then thereare tools, and there are cameras and then there are Leicas.
BY STAN SHOLIK
Craftsmanshipand designLEICA S2 The Leica S2 hand grip features a deep indent for
two fingers, making it easy to hold securely.
The back of the S2 is a clean design with onlyfour function buttons surrounding the LCD screenthat call up Camera, Image, Play and Setup menus. Amulti-function click wheel is present at the upperright next to an indent for your thumb. Also withineasy reach of your thumb is an autofocus andauto exposure lock button. To the left is theon/off switch, which you also use to select thefocal plane or leaf shutter.
Photo courtesy Leica Camera
Photo courtesy Leica Camera
56 • www.ppmag.com
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Once you’ve selected one of the four top
options, you rotate the click wheel with your
thumb to select an option, then press and
release the click wheel to visit the submenus.
Once in the submenus, you rotate the click
wheel again to select an option, press and
release it to select it, and press the exit but-
ton to return to the top menu. All very quick
and natural. There’s no lack of controls to be
sure, extending even to auto-bracketing, mak -
ing HDR captures easy to do with the S2.
Choosing exposure modes is equally logi-
cal. The top shutter speed dial has an A set-
ting for aperture priority. You adjust the aper -
ture by turning the click wheel. Pressing the
click wheel for a second and releasing it moves
you from aperture priority mode to program
mode, with the S2 in complete con trol of ex-
posure. Autoexposure is perfect in program
mode. How does Leica manage perfect auto-
exposure in every camera it’s ever made?
Moving the dial to a shutter speed—from
1/4,000 to 8 seconds—places you in shutter
priority mode. Depressing and releasing the
click wheel with your thumb for a second
switches to full manual mode. Rotate the shut -
ter speed dial to select a shutter speed and
rotate the click wheel to select an aperture.
In all modes the shutter speed and aper-
ture are displayed in the viewfinder, along
with the exposure and metering modes and
other information appropriate to the func-
tions selected. This, too, is fairly minimalist,
allowing you to concentrate on the image in
the viewfinder, undistracted by the informa-
tion displayed around it.
The image sensor is a 37.5-megapixel
Kodak chip in 3:2 format that produces
7,500x5,000-pixel images with a 12-bit
dynamic range. There’s no low pass filter
over the sensor to soften the image and
guard against moiré. Moiré is detected and
suppressed in the camera by the digital sig-
nal processing.
ISO ranges from the native 160 to 1250
in full EVs, plus ISO Pull 80 with limited
dynamic range, and an automatic ISO set-
ting as well. In my testing, ISO 1250 is fully
usable with the excellent noise reduction the
camera performs. However, shooting at ISO
1250 brought my attention to the one weak-
ness in the S2 body, the rear LCD screen.
Images on the screen simply don’t look as
good as they will when viewed on your com-
puter monitor. I noticed it first in dark areas
when shooting at ISO 1250, and the areas
looked almost solarized. Then I started see-
ing problems at other ISO settings. The mon-
itor needs work in lots of areas.
No problems with the final images, how-
ever. Image quality is simply superb. Some
credit must go to the lenses. I photographed
with the Leica Elmarit-S 30mm f/2.8 ASPH
(aspherical) and the APO Macro Summarit-
S 120mm f/2.5, both without leaf shutters.
Also available for the S2 are a Summarit-S
35mm f/2.8 ASPH, a Summarit-S 70mm
f/2.5 ASPH and an APO Elmar-S 180mm
f/3.5. Each lens is available with or without
a leaf shutter, although the availability for
purchase in the United States is still far from
universal. Other lenses are in development
and will likely be announced at Photokina.
In the studio, I used the Macro 120mm
lens for a food shoot and to copy paintings
for an artist. There’s simply nothing I can
find fault with in the lens quality or the im-
ages it delivered. Distortion, optical aberra-
tions and vignetting don’t seem to exist at
any aperture with this lens.
However, I was disappointed that it
could reach magnification of only 1:2, not
1:1, as other medium-format 120mm macro
lenses can. And I don’t like macro lenses
that extend as the magnification rises, even
though the Leica did not extend past its
quite deep lens hood. At the other end of the
distance scale, when focused on infinity, the
lens would require 72mm screw-in filters, as
the moving portion retreats back into the
outer lens barrel. You would even have trou-
ble adjusting a 72mm screw-in polarizing
58 • www.ppmag.com
THE GOODS: PRO REVIEW
The ISO range of the S2 is 80 to 1250. This image shot with the 30mm lens at ISO 1250 on fully auto-matic mode shows excellent sharpness and low noise, even in the faces that I lightened in post production.
©S
tan Sholik
filter near the infinity position of the lens.
Away from the studio, I ended up shoot-
ing most images with the S2 and the 30mm
lens, equivalent to a 24mm on a full-frame
35mm camera. There’s a slight lowering of
contrast and about 1.5 EV of vignetting at
the edges of the image at f/2.8, as you’d ex-
pect with such a wide-angle lens. But I found
no evidence of optical aberrations or color
fringing at any aperture, and barrel distortion
is barely visible even at closest focus. It is so
well balanced on the S2 body that I was con-
sistently able to capture sharp images for 1/30
second. This is definitely one of the must-have
lenses if you can afford the Leica S2 system.
And therein lies the problem with the S2,
although it’s a common one with all medium-
format digital cameras and backs. The S2
body lists for $22,995, and I’ve yet to see a
street price less than that. The 120mm
macro lists for $6,995, the 30mm for $7,495.
The other lenses are in the same range.
With battery life running 100 to 125 expo-
sures, a spare battery costs $229.95. Other
accessories are similarly priced.
While most of us can only dream of what
we could do if we owned a camera system
like the Leica S2, I’m thankful for the oppor -
tunity to create a few images with it, and to
experience the pleasure of working with such
a well-designed piece of camera equipment.
For more information on the S2 system,
visit us.leica-camera.com/photography. n
Stan Sholik is a commercial and advertisingphotographer in Santa Ana, Calif., specializingin still life and macro photography. His fifthbook, “Nik HDR Efex Pro,” is available now.
60 • www.ppmag.com
THE GOODS: PRO REVIEW
For studio still life photography up to 1:2 magni-fication, the APO Macro Summarit-S 120mmf/2.5 lens is the perfect mate to the S2 body. Ishot the S2 tethered to Lightroom 3.6 on a Win-dows 7 64-bit computer and the raw DNG filescame across quickly without a problem.
Specs Leica S2
CAMERA TYPE: Digital single-lens reflex camera for use with Leica S lenses.IMAGE SENSOR: Low-noise CCD sensor, 37.5-megapixel resolution, 45 x 30mm,12-stop dynamic rangeSENSITIVITY RANGE: Native ISO 160 to 1250, ISO Pull 80DATA STORAGE FORMAT: DNG (approx. 75MB per image); lossless compressed DNG(about 35-45MB per picture), JPEG (basic or fine); memory cards: CompactFlash (up to64GB), SD (HC). FRAME RATE: 1.5 images per second, buffer memory 1 GB (DNG: around 10 consecutiveexposures; lossless compressed DNG: around 14 consecutive exposures)CONTROL MONITOR: 3-inch TFT with 460,000 pixelsCONNECTIONS: High-speed USB 2.0 (robust connection with strain-relief, cable in-cluded), HDMI, remote release, X sync, SCA3002.EXPOSURE METERING: Multi-field metering (5 fields), center-weighted integral meter-ing, spot metering (3.5%).SHUTTER: Metal focal-plane shutter integrated in body. 1/4,000 to 125 seconds, 1/125-second flash synch; optional leaf shutter in selected lenses: 1/500 to 8 seconds, 1/500-second flash synchFLASH: TTL Metering, TTL-HSS high-speed synchronization up to 1/4,000 second with shutterVIEWFINDER: High eye-point pentaprism viewfinder, 0.86X magnification, 96-percentviewfinder fieldPRICE: $22,995, body only
©Stan Sholik
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If you’ve ever photographed a baby, you know
they tend to be a little floppy. When posing
one, it’s important to keep his trunk, limbs
and head completely supported. Before review -
ing these ingenious products by Shoot Baby!,
I relied on a run-of-the-mill beanbag that
babies tended to sink into like quicksand,
and rigged blankets across other props I
had on hand. The Shoot Baby! Ottoman
posing bean bag is wonderfully designed to
elevate the little subject and provide an al-
most firm, flat surface to pose him on.
When you use it with the Shoot Baby!
backdrop stand, you can drape a blanket or
backdrop over the stand and the ottoman
to create a seam less unity.
The ottoman is delivered flat and nicely
folded, ready to be filled with polystyrene
beads. That’s a cost-effective shipping method,
and moreover, it allows the photographer to
fill the ottoman to his or her desired degree
of firmness. I’ve filled a number of beanbags
in my time, and expected this to be messy and
painstaking, but the Shoot Baby! Otto man
was a breeze to fill. Inside the ottoman, there
are two cylindrical mesh bags to hold the
polystyrene beads, and together they are
larger than the ottoman itself—I made the
mistake of filling both to capacity, and they
wouldn’t fit into the outer cover. The inner
bags are oversized to make it easier to pour
in the beads without spilling.
The recommended fill capacity is 8.75
cubic feet in one bag and 3.5 cubic feet in
the other; thus filled, inserting both bags
into the cover was easy. That two-removable-
bag system will be useful on location, as the
fully filled ottoman is somewhat unwieldy.
The ottoman is 17 to 18 inches tall, and the
generous top surface measures 40 inches in
diameter, a comfortable fit for older babies
as well as newborns. The firmness of the ot-
toman is perfect for babies, as they won’t
sink way down as they do in a traditional
beanbag, but there’s still enough give to
form natural mounds and valleys for posing
and supporting the baby’s body.
THE GOODS: PRO REVIEW
This smart setup simplifies posing wee ones, from newborns to older babies, safely and comfortably.
BY BETSY FINN, M.PHOTOG.CR., CPP
Soft yet sturdySHOOT BABY! OTTOMAN AND BACKDROP STAND
The Shoot Baby! Ottoman is particularly useful forthe stage where babies can push up on their tum -mies but not sit up. Keep mom or dad just out ofthe frame and ask them to jump in if the babystarts to roll or get squirmy. A big plus with ba-bies—the faux leather upholstery cleans easily.
62 • www.ppmag.com
All im
ages ©B
etsy Finn
The surface area of the Shoot Baby! Ottoman pos -ing bean bag is a generous 40 inches in diameter.
We’ve all heard tales about how great those really, really expensive European lights are supposed to be – super accurate, fast, consistent color, digital controls and all that. Fact is, most mono flash units now on the market are outgrowths of Paul Buff’s game-changing 1986 White Lightning™ Ultra design. Digital controls and packaging changes were added, but the core technology is fundamentally the same.
Recently, Paul set about to create all new, next generation technology that will surely be the standard against which future mono flash units will be judged.
The core of Einstein™ lies in its IGBT flashtube control (in place of more primitive analog methods), true digital control, and tightly integrated radio remote control with full color LCD display system.
Einstein™ features plug-and-play global powering, absolutely constant color over an ex-traordinarily wide nine f-stop power variability range, ultra-fast t.1 flash durations for razor sharp action stopping, fan cooling, and a bright, voltage-regulated 250W quartz modeling lamp precisely located in a frosted Pyrex dome for smooth-as-silk lighting patterns. Adjustable in exact digital 1/10f stops, its accuracy is unsurpassed by any other light on earth.
But that’s just the start...the brilliant color LCD display is fully integrated with our 2.4GHz Cyber Commander™ to display and control virtually every aspect of the system - flash durations, color temperatures, Wattseconds, EU Numbers, model-to-flash ratios and more, either from the rear panel or from your camera. With the Cyber Commander™ (CyberSync™ system components sold separately), you can control and meter up to 16 lights, bracket in camera f-stops, create infinite groups and more. No more calculating WS and light ratios – you can do it all in actual camera f-stops and even store complete setups on the supplied Micro SD Card.
Of course, you can turn the recycle beeper and slave eye on or off, and meter, control and examine every parameter of each light (up to 16 lights) from the palm of your hand. Fast 0.08 to 1.7 second recycle and crash proof power supplies allow up to 12 fps shooting and reliable operation from our brand new 3.5lb Vagabond MiniTM Lithium battery supplies.
In short, no mono flash on earth even begins to come close to the All American Einstein™ 640. You’ll truly be singing:
“What The World Needs Now is Einstein™, Sweet Einstein™”
EINSTEIN™ E640Self-Contained Studio Flash(reflector not included) $499.95***
• 9f Variability (2.5 to 640WS)• Global Voltage• 0.08 to 1.7 Sec. Recycle• 1/1700 to 1/27000 Second
t.5 Flash Duration (1/580 to 1/13500 Sec. t.1)
• Constant 5600° Color at any power setting
• Color LCD Display• 12 fps Capability• 250W Modeling Lamp• Pyrex Diffusing Dome• Fan-Cooled• Audible Recycle Beeper• Optional CyberSync™
Plug-in Radio Remote• Ultra Compact - 4.25lbs• Rugged Lexan Housing*** Factory-Direct Price
from Paul C. Buff, Inc.
The backdrop stand is designed to be
placed behind the ottoman, providing sturdy
support for blankets or backdrops. It is ad-
justable from 37 to 79 inches high, and 44 to
80 inches wide. The crossbar can be secured
either perpendicular to the stand itself or
any other angle that works for you.
The ottoman is particularly useful when
the baby is old enough to push herself up on
her tummy, but not able to sit up on her own.
Keep in mind, though, that even with the
size and firmness of the ottoman, you should
still exercise extreme caution in posing ba-
bies. They can roll over at any time. I have
mom stand just out of the frame, and I al-
ways tell her to jump in and grab the baby
any time she feels the need to do so.
I love how the faux leather ottoman can
be used without a cover at all, and it’s easy to
wipe clean.
I went the safe route for this review, using
this setup pictured (right) to get sleep ing baby
pictures, but these products are also suitable
to help with more complex newborn poses
that require a spotter to support the baby.
Shoot Baby’s website has a section on newborn
safety that shows how to get stylistic images
without endangering the child.
Both the ottoman and backdrop stand
helped simplify my newborn and baby pos-
ing. With the baby elevated securely, I didn’t
have to lie prone to get my shots or drop my
soft box all the way to the floor. The beanbag
material has a nice insulation factor, so it’s
no trouble to warm the surface and keep it
warm. Draping blankets across chairs never
looks the way you hope it will, and the back-
drop stand allowed me to get both a seam-
less effect and lovely, defined folds.
The Shoot Baby! Ottoman retails for $95.
Polystyrene beans are available at fabric or
craft stores; I spent about $40 on filler. A
Shoot Baby! three-pack of washable water-
proof pads for the ottoman sells for $36.
The backdrop stand retails for $195, and
comes with a carrying case. Visit shoot-
baby.com. n
Betsy Finn, M.Photog.Cr.,CPP, owns a portrait studio in Michigan (bphotoart.com)and blogs about business and life at learnwithbetsy.com.
64 • www.ppmag.com
THE GOODS: PRO REVIEW
The backdrop stand and ottoman combination make it easy to get beautiful seamless drapes of fabricand a comfortable, well-supported little subject.
I draped an off-white blanket over the ottoman, and secured it to the backdrop stand with clamps.
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USA 4 Year Service Protection
Safely storing image files is seldom given
much thought by location photographers,
and that goes for wedding, sports and event
photographers—that is, until a disastrous
data loss occurs. At that point, it’s too late.
Studio photographers have lots of solu-
tions for minimizing the risk of data loss, the
best of which is saving images to a RAID 1 or
RAID 5 enclosure. Unfortunately for loca-
tion shooters, these devices tend to be bulky
and heavy, and they have greater capacity
than needed for a typical shoot.
Location photographers need to travel
light, but they need the same protection against
data loss. Transferring photos from the camera
to a laptop, even backing up the images to
an external drive, isn’t as secure as storing them
in a RAID 1 array of two identical drives. Then
if one of those drives should fail, the data
can be totally rebuilt from the other drive.
NewerTech has a solution for location pho-
tographers that provides RAID 1 protection
in an enclosure not much larger than two
bare 2.5-inch hard drives stacked, weigh ing
in at just 1.5 pounds. The solution is the
Guardian MAXimus Mini, and it ships with
drives for mat ted for Mac OSX computers;
the drives can be reformatted for Windows
or older Mac systems.
The MAXimus Mini holds two 2.5-inch
hard drives of the type commonly found in
lap tops. The unit I reviewed arrived with two
320GB Hitachi 7200rpm SATA drives, which
are solid drives that are a reasonable choice
of price and performance level for this prod-
uct test. Personally, I prefer the more expen-
sive but faster Seagate Momentus or Western
Digital Scorpio drives that are pretty much
state of the art among 2.5-inch spinning hard
drives. NewerTech sells the enclosure for
$114.99, sans hard drives. For Windows users,
I recommend purchasing the bare enclosure
and installing your own drives, since the
drives would have to be formatted anyway.
The MAXimus Mini is also available
with 2.5-inch solid state drives, which
would be preferable, as these drives are
even more shock and vibration resistant
than spinning drives. The price, however,
is significantly greater.
Unscrew the cover plate and the drives
mount into trays that slide into the back of
the metal enclosure. The trays fit snugly with -
out screws, and the drives are held by screws
in the trays. This all seems quite secure and
vibration resistant. The read/write heads of
the hard drives I’ve mentioned all lock down
when switched off, and turned on, they even
sense when the drive is falling. If your
MAXimus Mini drops toward the floor, the
heads instantly swing out of the way and lock
down in an attempt to prevent drive damage.
The data connectors and power connec-
tor are on the back of the unit, along with
the access door. Data ports include two
FireWire 800, one eSATA and one USB 2.0,
and the appropriate cables are supplied.
If you use the FireWire 800 port, you can
even leave the power adapter at home. If you
use the eSATA port, you can also power the unit
with a FireWire 800 cable, without the power
adapter. The eSATA provided the faster trans-
fer by far when I tested it on my Windows
THE GOODS: PRO REVIEW
Now location shooters can have RAID security that’s small enough to carry along.
BY STAN SHOLIK
Location safetyNEWERTECH GUARDIAN MAXIMUS MINI
The NewerTech Guardian MAXimus Mini is a com-pact RAID enclosure not much larger than a Mac-intosh mouse designed for location photographersand videographers.
66 • www.ppmag.com
©NewerTech
computer using the same file set I tested on
my FireWire 800 Mac.
The front of the MAXimus Mini features
a backlit LCD that displays the RAID config -
uration. You also use it to view the menu
options, which you navigate by pressing the
menu button and a second button on the other
side of the LCD. There are enough menu
choices to satisfy any need, but I looked at them
out of curiosity only. The MAXimus Mini
really is plug-and-play for the Mac, and needs
formatting only for Windows systems. LEDs
below the LCD glow green during read and
write, and red if a drive is damaged or missing.
Configured as I received it with two
320GB drives, the MSRP is about $219.99.
A CD with backup software and data cables
are also included. Additional information on
the MAXimus Mini enclosure and the hard
drive options is available at NewerTech.com.
The NewerTech MAXimus Mini is an
excellent choice for location photographers who
like a good night’s sleep without worrying if
their data will be there in the morning. n
THE GOODS: PRO REVIEW
The rear of the MAXimus Mini incorporates two FireWire 800 ports, an eSATA port and a USB 2.0 portalong with the power connection if needed. The hard drives reside behind the panel above these.
Perfect Portrait is the completely new product for simple yet powerful portrait
retouching that works directly with Lightroom, Aperture and Photoshop – or even on
its own. Automatic face detection helps you quickly get to the critical work of retouching
images so no time is wasted on complicated steps to locate your subject’s eyes, nose
or mouth. The smart retouching tools in Perfect Portrait provide just the right controls
to reduce blemishes, smooth skin and enhance eyes.
Try Perfect Portrait today to experience how easily you can create stunning portraits.
DOWNLOAD PERFECT PORTRAIT TODAY AT onOneSoftware.com
© 2011 onOne Software, Inc. All rights reserved. onOne Software is a registered trademark of onOne Software, Inc. The onOne Software logo and Perfect Portrait are trademarks of onOne Software. Adobe, Photoshop and Lightroom are either registered trademarks or trademarks for Adobe Systems Incorporated in the United States and/or other countries. Aperture is a trademark of Apple. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Perfect Portrait 1New from onOne Software
Aluminum print products are widely available
in two finishes—a white base that preserves
original colors, and a lightly brushed finish
that makes the image look iridescent. A broad
selection of mounting options are available.
H&H COLOR LAB
Beyond the rectangle is the concept behind
the H&H Color Lab Designer Metals series.
They come in four shapes, as well as two-
level float frames. Chain link hanging kits
and marketing display kits are also available.
PRICE: Available to registered customers.
hhcolorlab.com
ACIAmerican Color Imaging has a variety of
metal products, from giant murals to tiny
wallet tins. Rectangular metal prints come
with three mounting options: mounting posts,
floating mount and a floating frame. Other
shapes are available in the Artistry Metals
series. PRICE: 2x2-foot murals start at $105;
sizes up to 5x5 feet. Rectangular 16x20–inch
metal prints are $60, float mount included.
Artistry Metals start at $31 for an 8x8-inch
print in the style shown.
acilab.com
SIMPLY COLORThe new Simply Metal Print line from Simply
Color Lab ranges from tiny 4x6 prints up to
30x40-inch panels. Circle prints are avail-
able in sizes from 8 to 20 inches. Metal posts
are the only supported mounting method;
you can also order the prints without posts
or holes. PRICE: 16x20 inches, $65.
simplycolorlab.com
FULL COLOR
Unique to Full Color are tabletop products
such as standUP Flex, angled metal with
a 2-inch base; standUP Curve, curved
horizontal prints designed to be free-
standing; and the two-sided standUP Base
with an acrylic base. Regular and Artistic
Edge metal prints are available, as are the
standOUT metals, a small metal print
mounted on a larger metal print. PRICE:
8x10-inch standUP Flex and standUP
Curve, $20; 8x10 standUP Base, $26;
16x20 panels, $58.
fullcolor.com
IMAGE WIZARDSThe AluminArte metal prints produced by
Image Wizards are distinguished by both
their size and finished sides, not to mention
stunning image quality. Since the company
uses no pre-cut stock, prints can be any size,
from 12x18 inches up to 48x96 on a single
piece, and multi-piece murals can be much
larger than that. With a choice of four sur-
THE GOODS: ROUNDUP
Metal prints are hot attention getters that come in all shapes and sizes, and in glossy or matte.
BY MARK LEVESQUE, M.PHOTOG.CR., CPP
Ooh! Shiny!METAL PRINTS
70 • www.ppmag.com
©P
icsee Studio
©C
hris Drew
Photography
©A
MR
Photography
©M
ac Brow
n Photographers
©C. P
helps
©Full Color
faces, you’re bound to find one that suits
your image. PRICE: 16x20-inch panels with
float mount, $130; 16x20 inches with flush-
framed sides, $199.
http://imagewizards.net
METAL MURAL
Metal Mural pioneered the modular metal
design genre in which your image is printed
on a set of square or rectangular metal plates
to form the mural. PRICE: $25 per 12-inch
square. The 4-inch square mini-murals are
$5 per square. Rectangular prints can be cut
in any size up to 23x34 inches for $137.
metalmural.com
WHITE HOUSE CUSTOM COLOURWHCC now offers rectangular metal prints
with float mounts or metal posts. The differ-
entiator for White House is the availability
of an acrylic overlay (1/4- or 1/2-inch thick)
for an even more upscale look. PRICE:
16x20-inch prints, $60; 16x20 with 1/4-
inch acrylic and posts, $118.
whcc.com
BLACK RIVER IMAGINGBlack River Imaging metal prints include
rectangular, specialty cut metals, orna-
ments and split-image metal prints. The
metal ornaments are a 2012 Hot One
winner. PRICE: 16x20-inch prints,
$53; split-image prints start at $180
(30 inches wide). n
blackriverimaging.com
May 2012 • Professional Photographer • 73
THE GOODS: ROUNDUP
©Dawn Shields
©S
arah Petty P
hotography
I scouted this location a week before the
shoot: small room, blank walls, acoustic tile
drop ceiling. In other words, not very exciting;
on the other hand, it was a blank canvas.
To get the shot, the camera needed to be
as far back and high up as I could get it. The
Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II lens on my
EOS-1Ds Mark III camera allowed me to
frame the image precisely, and get a high-
definition, high-resolution photo. I needed
good depth of field, and that mandated a
moderately small aperture, which in turn
drove the length of exposure to 4 seconds so
that the crosshair pattern of the imaging
unit’s laser would burn in well.
To support the camera, I removed one of
the ceiling tiles and placed a tripod in the space
above, spreading its legs to the flat position,
using the frame around the opening to sup port
it. With the tripod’s center column inverted,
I used an Arca-Swiss Z1 Monoball tripod
head and hung the camera upside down. To
avoid any chance of blur, I kept the camera in
live view mode to lock up the mirror. To
keep from bumping the camera with every poke
at the shutter release, I used a PocketWizard
MultiMAX system to remotely trigger the cam-
era, even though I was standing right beside it.
The cramped room mandated my using
small battery-powered lights. I hung the main
lights, a Canon Speedlite 580EX II and a
430EX II, from the ceiling and placed a second
430EX II behind the Hologic Discovery table.
I varied the beam angle and the direction of
the lights to restrict the area each would
mainly illuminate. I fitted the light behind
the table with a large Rogue FlashBender
reflector bent into a shell-like shape, the
more open side near est the nurse’s work-
station. Cinematographers call this sub-
tractive lighting—shaping the light to go
only where you want it to go. The floor light
also had a Rosco Plus Green gel on it. Green
would create contrast with the soothing
bluish tones I wanted for the room, and
would also imply the presence of radiation.
Even though the camera was in manual
mode, I set the Canon Speedlites to e-TTL con -
THE GOODS: LIGHTING
How to overcome clinical blandness
BY ELLIS VENER
Radiology PHOTO BREAKDOWN
74 • www.ppmag.com
©Ellis Vener
trol mode. Each Speedlite was on a Pocket -
Wizard ControlTL FlexTT5 transceiver set to a
separate channel. With a PocketWizard AC3
Zone Controller piggybacked on the MiniTT1
Control TL transmitter on the camera, I could
quickly fine-tune the balance of light between
the key, fill and accent lights, while the overall
brightness of the flashes was controlled with
the camera’s flash exposure compensation
(FEC) +/- biasing.
After testing with various blue gels on
the key and fill lights, I decided to forgo the
gels. I wanted an overall blue feel, but the
gels weren’t doing it for me. I decided to
risk waiting to set the color with Adobe
Lightroom’s white balance controls when I
processed the raw files.
That proved to be a wise choice. I didn’t
see it at the time, but the blue light was sap-
ping Collin’s skin tone, making him look like
a drowned corpse in a bad horror movie.
The blue also changed his bright red T-shirt
to an ugly, muddy magenta (blue + red). By
not gelling the lights, I avoided this problem
at the capture stage.
When I processed the photos and
experimented with making the shot blue,
I started to see some of these problems.
The solution turned out to be fairly simple.
I processed the file two ways in Lightroom
4. The first version was with white bal-
ance set to flash (5,500K and 0 tint) and
vibrance kicked up a few points. I made a
virtual copy and changed its color balance
to 2,500K, +3 tint and used a different
camera calibration profile to get the bluish
tones I wanted. I exported both versions as
TIFFs for post-processing.
In Photoshop CS5, I selected and copied
the entire color-shifted TIFF and used it as a
layer on top of the first version. Using the
entire image made a perfect pixel-to-pixel-
registered match. To get Collin and his shirt
back to a natural color rendering, I painted a
black mask on that layer, only over Collin’s
torso, arms and head, using varying brush
sizes and hardness settings, to let the back-
ground layer colors come through. I used the
new Wacom Intuos5 touch tablet and pen
throughout the Lightroom process and in
Photoshop, and its flexibility and sensitivity
really shone when I was painting the mask.
In the end, staging, lighting and shooting
took a little over two hours, and processing
about the same amount of time. Along the
way there were lots of false starts as I con-
sidered and rejected different approaches.
The time-sucking demon is always in the de-
tails, but if you don’t get those little details
right, you’ll always regret it. n
May 2012 • Professional Photographer • 75
Promoting photography requires a website
design that not only enhances the aesthetic
appeal of the images, but also provides func-
tionality, and is striking, easy to use, secure
and professional. Whether you have a blog
or traditional portfolio site or both, the
design and development of your Web pres-
ence is critical to your business success.
With this in mind, Professional Photog-
rapher surveyed some of our favorite photo
industry Web experts on what it takes to
develop an effective and aesthetically pleas-
ing professional presence in the virtual world.
We didn’t have room to print all the great
advice we heard, but you can read more of it
in the Web Exclusives at ppmag.com.
What are some common design mistakes
photographers make when trying to do their
own design? What should they do instead?
Photographers either go too minimalistic
and design a site that could belong to any-
one, or they go overboard with custom ele-
ments and create something that’s very hard
for visitors to navigate. A good photography
website complements the photos displayed
rather than distracting from them. Allow the
work to speak for itself. Pick a palette of
three or four distinct colors and use them
consistently throughout the site to create a
professional, well-branded look.
—Nataly Livshits, Zenfolio
One of the most common mistakes I see
photographers make is the use of a font in
their menu or page text that is not legible
enough to function well for either. Fonts
used in the navigation or page text ought to
be simple and legible above anything
else. Script fonts and other elaborate fonts
are best suited for elements of logos or page
titles, where they can be large, and where a
bit more creativity is justified.
—Michael N. Caston, BIG Folio, Inc.
Getting too fancy. Focus instead on usabil-
ity. Does your site load quickly and without
plug-ins like Adobe Flash Player? Do you have
a separate site optimized for a smart phone?
Keep it simple, and focus on getting a poten-
tial client to love your images and contact you.
—Mike Smith, MorePhotos | WeddingDetails
Not speaking to an expert about an online
strategy beforehand. Just as you would meet
with an attorney and a CPA when setting up
your business, it’s a good idea to speak to a
Web developer when you plan your site. Most
will be more than happy to give you some
free advice, even if you’re not ready to spend
big money. You stand a better chance of not
THE GOODS: WEB DESIGN
Web design experts answer questions about creating a successful, optimized online presence.
KnowledgedownloadWHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
ABOUT YOUR WEB DESIGN
Photographers Naomi Frost and Xanthe Roxburgh hired Flaunt Your Site to design their page. It uses boldcolors to reflect their quirky image, and the keyword-rich and brand-building content on the home page helpedit rise to the number-three result for "Newcastle wedding photographers" in the first month it was live.
76 • www.ppmag.com
©Froxy P
hotography
making mistakes that have to be resolved
later by getting expert advice upfront.
—William Bay, Flaunt Your Site
What’s the best way to protect your online
images from theft?
The best way is still watermarking the image
using a built-in tool from the website admin or
in Photoshop. Right-click protection provides
some defense, but anyone who truly wants to
steal the image will be able to do so by using
a screen capture. One of the biggest reasons
clients take images from a website is to post
them to social media sites. Consider providing
low-resolution (about 500 pixels on the longest
side), watermarked images for use on social
media sites, and request that the poster link
them back to your site. That helps your clients
show off your images at the best quality
while building a potential referral source.
—Jenifer Martino, Portfoliositez.com
What resources can photographers use to
choose a color scheme for their website if the
business hasn’t got one yet?
The best resource is a skilled designer, who
can help with a color palette creation and deter -
mine where colors can be used the most effec -
tively on your site. They also know what color
families go well with certain design styles, like
retro, art deco and classical. For the DIYers,
there are color palette generators online.
You can start with a favorite color and it will
define complementary colors to go with it.
—William Bay, Flaunt Your Site
Colourlovers.com is good a site for inspiration.
—Michael N. Caston, BIG Folio, Inc.
Using color swatches that are already paired
together will ensure your site looks coherent
and professional. Adobe’s Kuler tool is a
great resource (kuler.adobe.com).
—Jenifer Martino, Portfoliositez.com
What information should be on my home
page? What can be one or two layers in?
A slideshow of the photographer’s signature
images on the home page is the easiest way to
capture the visitor’s interest and represent the
style of photography. The logo should be
clearly visible, so that the viewer can easily
identify who owns the website. A tagline
(whether part of the logo or part of the wel-
come message) will tell the visitors more about
the kind of work you do. A concise, keyword-
rich welcome message will speak to the visitors
May 2012 • Professional Photographer • 77
Paula Luna of lunaphoto has her site optimized to look great on a large screen, and to be easy to use andfunctional on a mobile device.
©lunaphoto
and improve SEO. Contact informa tion and a
call to action are final must-haves for the
home page. Whether there’s a contact form
directly on the home page or a link to book a
session, the visitor should never struggle to
find a way to reach the photographer.
Additional information such as “about me,”
“contact,” “client area” and “testimonials” can
be listed on separate pages, but needs to be
easily found. A consistent site menu with links
to specific galleries and other details keeps
the page clean and the information accessible.
—Nataly Livshits, Zenfolio
If I create a video slideshow without music,
what’s the best pace for photo changes?
Rhythm for your slideshow is everything. Go
too fast, and the prospective client won’t have
time to savor your shots; go too slow, and your
prospect will move on to the next photogra-
pher. I’ve found that .7 seconds per slide is a
nicely moving but relaxed pace.
—Caroline Tien-Spalding, SmugMug
For a standard website portfolio slideshow, 2 to
3 seconds per slide is perfectly fine, but what
works for some target markets or parts of the
country might not work for others. Use Google
Analytics to help you figure that out. If people
leave your site before the slideshow is over,
the slideshow may be too slow or too long.
—William Bay, Flaunt Your Site
What do I need to know about Flash,
HTML5 and how they affect my SEO?
Search engines don’t see photographs the
way humans do. If there aren’t any alterna-
tive titles or text for the photographs, search
engines have a hard time seeing them, index-
ing them, and ranking them. So HTML5 is
better recognized by search engines than Flash
websites. Also, iPhone, iPads and other
Apple devices do not read Flash, so you’re
excluding a portion of possible viewers if you
78 • www.ppmag.com
THE GOODS: WEB DESIGN
Amanda Gros uses a discreet logo watermark on her gallery photographs that deters theft or uncreditedposting of her photographs.
A good home page delivers a message to the reader and search engines. Laura Tillinghast Photography showsthe photography in large format, with information supporting the images, but not competing with them visually.
©A
manda G
ros Photography
©Laura Tillinghast P
hotography
photobiz.com
866-463-7620
Websites • Blog Sites • Store Sites • SEO
E-commerce • Passionate Support
Show OffWITH A LITTLE HELP FROM PHOTOBIZ.COM
Photo credits courtesy ofAdrien Maroney & Kerry Brett
STORE SITES WINNER
PhotoBiz is the most innovative, auto SEO, customizable, searchable, multiple
template and mobile e-commerce web solutions in the industry. Count on us to
keep things running smoothly as you SELL LIKE A PRO.
choose to go with Flash, which means your
ranking could be negatively affected.
—Caroline Tien-Spalding, SmugMug
HTML5 is a bit overhyped right now. It’s not
as important as marketers are leading photog -
raphers to believe. It’s not a replacement for
Flash, just a designation with some new ways
of formatting. But there are some very excit-
ing technologies that came out with HTML5,
such as micro formats, which allow you to see
rich snippets like video thumbnails and your
Google + profile picture in search results.
—William Bay, Flaunt Your Site
Does a splash page hurt my SEO?
Generally speaking, yes. Your home page is
typically the strongest page on your site, and
if you just have a page with “Enter” as the
only text, you’re creating an extra step for
search engines (and people) to go through
before they get to any content. You also miss
the opportunity of allowing that strong
home page’s authority to work in your favor
for the keywords you’re competing over.
I would also think about what it does to
the visitor, especially the splash pages that
have two or three selections, like when you
see certain sites that say “Blog or Website.”
Right from the start, you’re forcing viewers
to make a decision that they might not under -
stand. What would be the payoff to go to your
blog over Weddings? Often they also launch
a new window, which is a turnoff to viewers.
—William Bay, Flaunt Your Site
What sort of products work well if I want to
have an online shopping cart?
The trick to online shopping is to not over-
complicate things for your clients and to keep
everything on-brand. If you offer hundreds
of choices, clients feel overwhelmed. Limit
your lineup to products your clients are already
familiar with. To make the process easier,
we recommend offering print sizes that do
not require cropping so the photo your clients
buy is the photo you intended them to see.
—Caroline Tien-Spalding, SmugMug
Enabling framing and mounting options to
go along with prints provides excellent add-on
purchase options. If the shopping cart allows
a preview of the image inside the matte and
frame, that view of the final presentation is a
fantastic closing tool. Adding bundled pack-
ages to the online shopping cart is one of the
most effective sales tools. Bundling prints,
products and digital downloads together for
a discount makes the visitors see the value of
bulk purchasing.
—Nataly Livshits, Zenfolio
What can I do to make my purchase options
as easy as possible?
Keep your product lineup simple and guide
your clients toward the products you feel will
be best for them. Most clients aren’t familiar
with entire product lines, and they rely on
your expertise to preserve their memories in
an elegant and long-lasting way. Pick prod-
ucts that you can show examples of, so they
can easily envision the products in their homes.
—Caroline Tien-Spalding, SmugMug
80 • www.ppmag.com
THE GOODS: WEB DESIGN
Caroline Tien-Spalding of Sphynge Photography keeps her cart selections simple by limiting choices tothree print options and a card. She also offers Print Memories and Ultimate Parents’ Choice packages.
©S
phynge Photography
What can I do to make my website look good
on a mobile device?
First, focus on usability above looking good.
Make sure your site loads fast and visitors
can find the information and images they
need quickly. Avoid animations and tricky
navigations (especially mouse hover effects)
on mobile devices. Because mobile devices
and screen sizes vary significantly, the best
approach is to aim for a single, “responsive”
design. A responsive site uses CSS3 to adjust
the layout of a site depending on the visitor’s
screen size.
—Michael N. Caston, BIG Folio
You compose an image differently for a wal-
let-sized print versus a 20x30-inch print.
The same thing is true with your website.
The links should be larger and it should load
super-fast in case someone is using a device
with a limited data plan. Also, it is impor-
tant to use a service that offers mobile-opti-
mized (not just friendly) sites.
—Mike Smith, MorePhotos | WeddingDetails
How often should I put up fresh content?
Search engines love new, keyword-rich con-
tent. Therefore, consistent updates (such as
blog posts) will do wonders to help a site
stay high on the search page results. But
there’s also the non-technical, personal rea-
son to put up fresh content. Research shows
that the majority of brides on the market for
a photographer will start their search long
before they are ready to make a decision.
Having a site that is constantly refreshed
will make a photographer look more in-
demand, as well as help with building a rela-
tionship with repeat visitors.
—Nataly Livshits, Zenfolio
It really depends on how much your audi-
ence is actually consuming the new content.
If you blog weddings every week and your
readership actively reads the posts, then you
should keep it up. If you post every day, and
no one reads it, then you might try blogging
weekly or monthly and see what happens to
your readership. This is where tools like
Google Analytics and Feedburner, which
tracks how many people subscribe to your
blog feed, help. When you have information
available to you, you can make powerful
decisions about your online presence. Focus
on publishing information that’s valuable.
Google’s goal is to provide the best content
when people search for something, so the
emphasis should be on quality over quantity.
—William Bay, Flaunt Your Site
Any other advice?
You might not realize this, but having dif-
ferent aspects of a photography website
(e.g., portfolio, client galleries, blog) hosted
with different providers can actually hurt
the site’s SEO. Search engines can tell that
all these come from different hosts, even if
each aspect resides on a specific sub-domain
(photos.yourstudio.com and blog.yourstu-
dio.com). In this case, keywords and content
entered into a blog post don’t improve the
portfolio home page search engine ranking
and, conversely, browsing visitors on the
portfolio home page don’t improve the blog’s
ranking. Having it all in one place, from one
service, allows all the different aspects of the
site to work together in synergy and help
improve search result placement. This is
why the current trend in the industry is
toward consolidation. n
—Nataly Livshits, Zenfolio
82 • www.ppmag.com
THE GOODS: WEB DESIGN
The D. Host Photography home page includes information about the studio, and the slideshow illus-trates four styles: classic, creative, contemporary and cool.
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OUR EXPERTS’ PROFESSIONAL SERVICES:
©D. Host Photography
nce upon a time, there was a young girl in
Ohio who preferred climbing trees over
just about anything, and was nearly insep-
arable from her 35mm Vivitar camera. She
photographed the sky, the trees, her sister,
anything that struck her fancy. She didn’t
show it on the outside then, but deep in her
heart was a penchant for Disney princesses.
As in most good fairytales, our heroine,
Heather Lickliter, quested and found a way
to combine her love of nature, photography
and fairy magic into a satisfying career.
Lickliter still feels a strong dislike of Barbie
and her fashion doll ilk, but she admits hav-
ing a soft spot for Disney movies. “They take
you away to a different world,” she says. “I was
getting so bored with regular clothes in my
portrait sessions, and I decided to try to recre-
ate the magic of those movies.”
Thus, Fairyography was born. Lickliter
insists that girls can be into fairy dust and
princesses without being vapid stereotypes.
Instead, she says, fostering the love of this
decidedly girly genre promotes the idea that
girls can be pretty and smart and strong.
“My favorite characters are Mulan and
Pocahontas,” says Lickliter. “In my sessions,
Heather Lickliter’s fairy and princess portraits are more than frilly dress-upsessions. She encourages her subjects to embrace all aspects of their person -ality, girly or gritty, and seeks to tell the story of what it’s like to be that girl.
CHILDREN By Stephanie Boozer
Happily ever afterFairyography puts a little magic in every portrait
All images ©Heather Lickliter
O
invariably it comes up how pretty the girl looks,
and I always chime in, ‘and smart too.’ We
all know that smart is the better of the two.”
Fairyography is an offshoot of Lickliter’s
portrait studio, Stylized Portraiture, which
she co-owns with Frankie Wylie in the col-
lege town of Athens, Ga.
For Lickliter, Fairyography is a rewarding
creative outlet in ways other than photography.
She often works with clients to customize the
session. For a series of winter fairies, Lickliter
fashioned a set of wings from foam board, and
accented them with an icicle crown. She was
shooting the session in the bare brown wood -
lands on a warm day in November, so she con -
jured up snow digitally, and frosted the scene
with cool tones of color. “We put crystals on
her face, and she was just ecstatic,” she says.
For most clients, though, a princess dress
or fairy wings will please, and a stroll through
the botanical gardens offers beautiful settings.
Running creeks, mossy rocks and woodsy land -
scaping give her otherworldly portraits a
natural, authentic feel. Spring and fall are her
busiest Fairyography times, and when the
nearby peach orchard is in full bloom, Lick-
liter runs a mini-session special there. Most
of her fairies and princesses range in age
from 2 to 6 years old, and lately she’s seen
an uptick in older girls, even up to 10 and 11.
“I love seeing the transformation in those
girls,” she says. “You’ll have a girl who might
be into kickboxing or karate, and she might
even come in with a black eye. But when she
puts on the dress, she completely transforms.
I get to follow her around for an hour and a
half and look at the world through her eyes.”
More than pictures of girls in frilly tutus
and wings, Lickliter sees her fairy portraits
as empowering in their ability to boost
confidence, and to make it okay for girls to
explore their girliness without compromis-
ing their strengths.
With empowerment in mind, Lickliter
also holds a charitable promotion she calls
Memorial Princess sessions, in honor of two
of her subjects who succumbed to terminal
illness. People in the community nominate
families who have an extra-deserving daughter
to receive a fairytale package, a $1,200 value.
“It gets harder and harder every year to
pick the winner,” says Lickliter. “But I always
do sessions for the runners up. One of the
girls last year was deaf and had a cochlear
implant. Her mother wanted a picture with
the crown and the implant in the same shot,
and it was the perfect story of what it’s like
to be this little girl.”
Knowing that most of her clients don’t
want a massive wall collage of fairy princess
portraits, and aware that male siblings share
wall space, her sales goal is to sell a large wall
canvas and a storybook.
Like any good storyteller, Lickliter pays
attention to the details. “I want to tell the
story of what it’s like to be this little girl,” she
says. “So I’ll have her in the woods, holding a
butterfly. I’ll photograph her toes covered in
moss, the curls in her hair, or her finger-
nails. All of those little things that define
that girl in that moment.”
And like all good fairies and princesses,
Lickliter has big dreams for the future.
“I’d love to have a horse and turn it into a
unicorn,” she says. “I want a big studio garden
and more elaborate costumes, maybe even
go to Hawaii and shoot mermaid portraits.
Just seeing the magic through the girls’ eyes
is why I love it so much.” n
See more of Lickliter’s fairy portraits atfairyography.com, and find out more abouther studio at stylizedportraiture.com.
88 • www.ppmag.com
CHILDREN
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ewborn photography has seen a
massive growth in popularity. In
place of plain dark backdrops, now
we’re seeing a variety of lifestyle
settings with parents and props, and every
kind of curled-up and tucked-in pose.
Along with the innovative sets and posing,
comes a reminder about ensuring the infant’s
safety in the studio or on location. New photog -
raphers may not realize that many of the new
and adorable images they’re seeing are actually
digital composites of two or more photographs
merged together. Spotters often hold the baby
safely, and their hands are deleted in post
processing. When you display images of this
kind, it’s a good idea to show a behind-the-
scenes shot that illustrates how the image was
staged and captured safely. People love see-
ing how the magic’s made. Some photogra-
phers label the image with a special composite
logo (facing page) to clearly indicate post-
work that went into it. This transparency is
important to new and aspiring photographers,
(Continued on p 94)
Robin Long reminds us that newborns are people, not props. Experienced baby photographers are reaching out to educate new professionals and parents about safe practices in infant photography.
POSING By Robin Long
Keep it simpleLearn the ways of safely posing infants
All images ©Robin Long
N
Babies have reflexes and can lunge unexpectedly. Be prepared with a spotter’s hand nearby. If the baby’s head is unstable, have the spotter place their hand or a finger on the side of the head for support. The hand andfingers are easily removed in Photoshopusing the clone tool.
When using a hammock, make sure thebaby is only inches from the beanbagunderneath. This pose requires two orthree spotters. Two people hold the ends of the hammock, while one handsupports the baby’s head underneath.Hands are removed in Photoshop.
The Pro Photographers for Baby Safetylogo for composite images was designed byNetra Chetty (netrachetty.com.au). Down-load for your own use at facebook.com/professionalphotographersforbabysafety.
POSING
Place a 10-pound weight in the bottom of all bas-kets, boxes, and bowls for stability. A spotter is re-
quired to sit close by to support the baby’s head.The spotter is easily removed in Photoshop.
92 • www.ppmag.com
The froggie pose is a composite of two images andshould only be done with a baby who is sound asleep.Even then, if the baby fights the pose, move on to
something else. Don’t force it. For one image, thespotter holds the baby’s arms, and for the other, the
spotter holds the baby's head. In Photoshop, wemerge the images to eliminate the hands. Babies
should never be left to balance on their own.
(Continued from p 90)
and to parents who are not aware of the
process and the precautions being taken.
Not all props are safe for babies. Be sure
to test them out beforehand to see that they
can safely hold the baby’s weight, are comfort -
able in shape and texture, and are free of harm -
ful substances. Avoid props made of glass or
that have a sharp edge or protrusion. Keep it
simple and support the baby at all times.
Trendy is fun, but the simple, natural poses
are the ones that will be timeless.
Posing newborns can be challenging at
times. Poses like the froggie head-up, buckets
and baskets, potato sack, and hanging stork
are abundant in the newborn photography
genre. If you’re a new photographer, start
with simple poses and work your way up to
the more challenging poses.
Proper training is key to learning how to
safely pose newborns. I urge anyone getting
into newborn photography to attend a new-
born posing class taught by a qualified in-
structor before attempting any difficult poses.
Remember, babies are people, not props.
Safety should always be your first concern. n
Robin Long lives in Salem, Ore. Long is theauthor of the “purebaby: Newborn Photography Guide to Posing and Busi-ness.” Find info on her baby safety work-shops at robinlongphotography.com and robinslittlenest.bigcartel.com.
94 • www.ppmag.com
POSING
• Remove all jewelry• Use a camera strap• Keep the baby warm, and place heaters a safe distance from the baby• Put a 10-pound weight in the bottom of all posing props,
such as baskets and bowls• Use an assistant to spot the baby when needed• Never leave the baby unattended, and keep your eyes on him
at all times
• Watch for baby cues; not all babies will tolerate every pose • Don’t force a pose; if the baby cries, move on to a different pose• Watch for signs of poor circulation and readjust if necessary• Check props for safety and security• Use hand sanitizer throughout the session• Obtain insurance to cover you and your clients
SAFE PRACTICES
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arianne Drenthe always focuses
on the positive. From the begin-
nings of her suburban Chicago
studio, Marmalade Photography,
she aspired to provide a joyous
experience for her clientele. The trick was in
developing her business in a way that bene-
fits her clients, yet remains true to her vision.
Inspired by contemporary wedding pho-
tography and progressive location senior por -
traiture, Drenthe works in a style both moody
and endearing. She pulls in elements from
her childhood—forests, fairytales and juve-
nile curiosities—and creates storylines for
each portrait session, then engages the sub-
ject in creative play to bring out elements of
the child’s personality. “I love all the aspects
of children, not just the laughing and smil-
ing aspects,” says Drenthe. “So, in addition
to those images, I capture the quiet side, the
introspective, curious aspects of the child. I
approach my photography holistically to
capture everything about my subjects.”
That philosophy struck a chord in the
Chicago market, and Drenthe gained a fast
following. Clients would travel 45 minutes
or more each way to have her photograph
their children. Within a year of her business
launch, she was ready to take the next step.
Like many new pros, Drenthe thought
she needed a storefront for her studio, and
she leased a large retail space, which came
with more amenities than she could use. As
she began to refine her focus on her core mar -
ket, she carefully considered her business iden -
tity. Her initial thoughts of being a big, high-
volume studio with 15 employees dissolved
as she realized how much she cherished her
personal connection with her clients. Many
Marianne Drenthe of Marmalade Photography seeks to uncover andcapture all elements of a child, from the bursts of laughter and creative,playful romping to the quiet, introspective and curious pauses.
CHILDREN
MBy Jeff Kent
Holistic viewA positive influence guides Marianne Drenthe
98 • www.ppmag.com
All images ©Marianne Drenthe
of her sessions were conducted on location.
At the studio, where she had displays of her
work, she met clients and photographed
subjects at various outdoor locations. She
did packaging at the studio, but she took
care of day-to-day business tasks and post-
processing at her home. She found she was
paying rent on a space she wasn’t fully using.
“Repeat customers are a critical part of
my business model,” says Drenthe. “Most of
my clients travel from far away, so I felt like
it was too much to ask them to keep coming
back for meetings, ordering sessions and to
pick up products. That’s why I came up with
my online ordering system.” Her system is
an innovative combination of online viewing
and simultaneous over-the-phone ordering.
After a session, Drenthe creates an online
gallery of enhanced images. When the gallery is
almost ready, usually within a couple of weeks,
she e-mails the clients a slideshow of products
for display possibilities that includes various
sizes of portraits hanging on a wall in a fam-
ily room setting. She also sends a form that
triggers them to set up a phone ordering ses-
sion, and several times she’s available for the
session—her times. Once the client schedules
the ordering session, she opens the image
gallery to the client for a four-day period. Over
the phone, Drenthe reviews and discusses the
images with the client, answers any questions,
and guides the finished product decisions.
“The key is to offer a finite viewing period
and schedule an ordering session,” says
Drenthe. “You can’t leave it open-ended and
hope the orders will flow in. People are pro-
crastinators by nature. With that four-day
window, I get them while they’re excited by
the images, and it’s still an emotional decision.”
Drenthe’s sales averages did not dip after
switching from in-person sales sessions to
an online-phone system, and the conven-
ience factor for her clients (and her) rose
May 2012 • Professional Photographer • 99
dramatically. Spurred by these results, she
shuttered her storefront studio in 2011 and
relocated the business to a smaller, less ex-
pensive space. The move has given her peace
of mind, and made a positive impact on her
busy, distant clientele.
That’s important to Drenthe. “One of my
inspirations to become a photographer came
one night when I was a nurse, sitting in a
patient’s room during the midnight shift,”
she recalls. “He was surrounded by all these
beautiful pictures of his family. Seeing all
that joy surrounding him, I decided right
then I wanted to be part of the happiest
moments in people’s lives. So when I created
the business, my goal was to be part of some -
thing positive for people, and that goal has
guided every decision I’ve made. It’s helped
me focus my business on something that is
truly inspiring to me.” n
To see more from Marianne Drenthe, visitmarmaladephotography.com.
CHILDREN
A S P L A S H O F
COLORKimberly Wylie diversifies her child portraitproducts with two distinct lines of style
BY JEFF KENT
All images ©Kimberly Wylie
“You need to ask yourselfwho your bread-and-butterclient is ... What works artistically for me? Whatis my core style? Find away to describe what yourtried-and-true imagery isall about, and then youcan start identifying what the departure is from that core style.”
—KIMBERLY WYLIE
Kimberly Wylie, M.Photog., started her business inDallas in 2001. Kimberly Wylie Fine Art Portraiture quickly carved a market niche in children’s portraits. A film shooter, she worked
mainly in black and white, and cultivated a brand based on her classic fine-art style.
Wylie finally switched to the pixel-based
platform in 2006 after she discovered some
fine art papers designed for black-and-
white digital printing. Going digital opened
up a new world creatively, especially when
it came to applying color and texture.
“There were so many new possibilities,” she
says. “I started to think differently about
certain types of sessions, and to expand my
artistic options.”
Over the next three years, Wylie experi-
mented with color and many different styles
in shooting, styling and post production.
She didn’t abandon her trademark classic
look, just worked on diversifying. Many of
her clients loved the images she was mak-
ing; the problem was positioning the look
within her business.
She came up with a solution. In 2009,
Wylie launched a new line of photography
with its own distinct branding. She dubbed
it the Exquisite line, and her original fine-art
style became the Classic line. With a choice
of two kinds of sessions, customer loyalty
has grown stronger. Meanwhile, Wylie
hasn’t diluted her trademark style.
Wylie does almost all of her newborn
and baby sessions in the Classic line, feeling
those subjects are best represented by the
more simple, timeless style. The Classic line
does include color images, but the settings
are simple and there’s a mindful tonal coor-
dination in the clothing and background.
After the child’s first birthday, Wylie turns
to the Exquisite line, which allows opportu-
nities to play with color, texture, layers and
styling. Outfits play a prominent role, as do
backgrounds and other elements in the frame.
“The goal is to make these images timeless
as well, but they’re more playful and we have
more creative options,” explains Wylie.
Wylie will not mix styles in a single ses-
sion. The kind of session directs the styling,
the subject’s clothing, the location of the
shoot, and where the images will ultimately
be displayed in the client’s home. And Wylie
prefers to wear one creative hat or the other,
rather than switching back and forth and
complicating her artistic process.
In addition to being a draw for new
clients, the Exquisite line has increased
Wylie’s sales to existing clients, who now
have more reasons to return to the studio.
“It makes them happier, too, because it
106 • www.ppmag.com
opens up new possibilities to document their
family history,” says Wylie.
To those contemplating a second stylis-
tic line, Wylie recommends knowing your
artistic identity before taking any steps.
Offering a classic and a progressive approach
may not work for every studio. They are
successful for Wylie because of the market
she’s in and the brand that she’s developed
over 11 years.
“You need to ask yourself who your
bread-and-butter client is,” says Wylie.
“What works artistically for me? What is
my core style? Find a way to describe what
your tried-and-true imagery is all about,
and then you can start identifying what the
departure is from that core style. Consider
what that alternative means to your clients.
What is the benefit to them, and what is
the sales opportunity for you? Don’t think
about it just as a new shooting opportunity,
something different that you’d do for fun; it
needs to offer your business something
substantial in terms of a new product line.
And you must make it clear for your clients
so they understand the product lines and
how those lines apply to them. If you go
through this process, if you make it specific
to your business and your photography,
then this approach may yield some great
opportunities.” n
To see more from Kimberly Wylie, visit kimberlywylie.com.
©Im
age
cour
tesy
of T
erre
ll Ll
oyd
WWW.MILLERSLAB.COM/SPORTSANDEVENTS/OVERVIEW | 800.835.0603
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WE DIDN’T JUST COME TO PLAY, WE CAME TO WIN.UNRIVALED
S P O R T S & E V E N T S
CHICAGOAudrey Woulard moves to downtownChicago to photograph children and familiesin her all-natural, contemporary style.
BY LORNA GENTRY
All images ©Audrey Woulard
DREAMER
n April, children’s photographer Audrey Woulard openeda new 2,200-square-foot studio in downtown Chicago. She cites global warming among her reasons for building it. “Last year we had a horrible
heat wave,” she says. Her former studio was on the third floor, had 26 windows, and no
central air conditioning. “It was like a sauna,” she groans. Some of her most loyal—and honest—clients told her, “You need to get it
together and get central air!”
Instead of renovating, she found a new
location and the opportunity to design a
space from scratch to suit her style and
needs. She’s in a trendy area of Chicago,
amid the perfect demographic for her busi-
ness: married couples, ages 28-40, with one
or two young children. “I have a large re-
turn-client base, and those kids are older—7,
8 and 9 years old—because they’ve been
with me since I started in 2004 and 2005,”
Woulard says.
Most urban Chicagoans move to the sub-
urbs once their kids reach a certain age, says
Woulard, and when they do, parents spread
the word in their new neighborhood about
her photography. Word-of-mouth advertis-
ing has always been her only advertising.
She understands that being true to her au-
thentic self keeps clients comfortable and
loyal. “Pictures go only so far. I maintain my
client base by being myself, and that cannot
be conveyed in pictures or words.”
Being open and available is the reason
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behind not having a reception area in the
studio. “I want to maintain my approach-
ableness so that I’m the first point of con-
tact,” she asserts. Woulard had a special
sloped wall built in the studio “that looks
like infinite light,” she says. The studio is all
white, including the furniture, “which makes
the bright colors kids wear pop.”
In addition to studio sessions, Woulard
shoots on location, part of her original busi-
ness plan that she plans to keep. “Going on
location gives me life, because you never know
what you’re walking into.” Woulard believes
having a studio gives her a leg up on the com -
petition. “Because there are so many photog-
raphers now, the perception of a photog-
rapher who has a studio is higher. Not that I
would ever tell a photographer they must get
a studio, but it’s an entirely different ball-
game. I stand out because lots of photogra-
phers who had studios gave them up when
the downturn happened. There are no com-
peting studios in my area.”
Woulard takes full advantage of social
media and blogs. Recently she started a sec-
ond, lower-profile blog, a place where she
feels free to experiment. She admits to hav-
ing a creative restlessness, and an addiction
to her iPhone camera. At alwinspire.com,
the new blog has a casual, spontaneous feel.
She shares her iPhone pictures and quotes
that resonate with her.
Woulard has also been experimenting
with video on her Nikon D800 camera and
makes movies of clients in casual moments.
“I like video because it uses a different part
of my brain. I chat a lot with my clients
because it breaks the ice in the beginning.
Often I take pictures without them knowing
it. I’m thinking of doing video during that
time. It’s a time when the kids don’t know they
are being photographed so they aren’t ‘on.’ I
want to pair the videos with music and offer
them to clients as a bonus. I wouldn’t ever only
do video, but I like playing around with it.”
In addition to her D800, Woulard shoots
Nikon D700, D300 and D200 digital SLR
cameras and uses only prime lenses. Her other
commissions include commercial work for
Pottery Barn Kids and IAMs pet food. No
matter what she’s photographing, Woulard
uses 100-percent natural light. In fact, she
teaches workshops all over the world on
photographing children and families in nat-
ural light and has published a book on the
topic, “Natural Enlightenment Photography.”
She also teaches best business practices
in her workshops. “I mostly focus on those
who are starting their business or those who
have started their businesses haphazardly
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and now need to fix things. You have to get
the business part right first. Do a business
plan and plan for future, not the present.
I’m not the most organized person in the
world, but the best thing I did was begin my
business slowly. In the beginning I was
shooting just one day a week. It’s easier to
build things than [to] take them away.
“I’m a big dreamer and I’m not afraid of
taking chances,” she continues, so when
photographers in her workshops admit to
feeling insecure about their abilities, it puz-
zles her. “Maybe it’s the Internet. It makes
the world smaller, so you compare yourself
with others. I tell people to compare yourself
with yourself and you will always see you are
getting better. It’s humbling rather than dis-
couraging. It’s hard to grow when you’re dis-
couraged. I suggest they go through
magazines and tear out pictures they admire.
It will help them figure out their own style,
and because the pictures don’t have names,
they won’t compare themselves to others.”
In her own business plan, Woulard
intends in the next year or two to photograph
families out of state. She is also interested in
opening a second studio, perhaps in another
city, like Dallas. “But that’s in five years or so,”
she says. For now she’s looking forward to a
cool summer in her new digs. This year the
weather is working in her favor. She has dis-
covered an upside to global warming. “It’s been
so warm in Chicago this year that my slow sea -
son hasn’t been slow at all. I’m staying busy.” n
To see more of Audrey Woulard’s work visitalwphotography.com.
118 • www.ppmag.com
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P P A . C O M / E D U C A T I O N
GET YOUR BIG IDEAS
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BUSINESS BASICS WORKSHOPSNuts-and-bolts foundation for building asuccessful studio from the ground up.
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July 16 - 18 Memphis, TN
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November 5 - 7 Atlanta, GA
Passion...it’s some-thing my wife Bev and I treasure each
day as we go through life, especially in this industry. Photography has always been a part of my life, even from the young age of 12 when I helped my dad in his darkroom. A paraple-gic—paralyzed from under his arms down—he was an amazing photographer, mentor and father. As we processed and printed
images, I felt the magic of it all and was hooked. But what I remember most was that he never pushed me to become a photographer. It was his passion for it that drove me into it
I would like to explore that little word, “PASSION,” that has maximized our lives, our love, our careers and our
driving feeling or a devotion to an activity or concept. I would describe it as a deep-rooted energy and commitment to whom we love and what we do. Passion is the driving force that leads Bev and I to excellence in everything we
us through. Following my father’s footsteps, my career path was set at an early age. By the time I met Bev in high school, I was hooked on photography. I introduced her to this wonderful world, and we went to competitions and semi-nars as often as we could. As soon as we married, we started going to Imaging USA when we could afford to (it was hard in those early days) and, of course, we always went to our state and regional meetings. That is where we found others
just like us—crazy and passionate about photography!
for photography in order to excel. The way we feed our passion is to do the type of photography that we enjoy doing every day in our business. However, we also enjoy taking our camera on trips and capturing the magic of new
miniature masterpieces. It is in the playing that we regener-ate our passion. Our partnership in business and in life feeds our
other, and we are each other’s number one fan! So, I
supports what you are doing, and give into each other’s
decades together, and it has not diminished. If anything, the digital revolution has caused it to grow as we learn many new, creative processes we can do to our imagery
learning new concepts daily, thinking of exciting ways to improve our business and enjoying our family, friends and the life God gave us! My challenge to you this month is to rekindle your own passion by attending photography meetings to expand your horizons, talking with others who love this industry and making a promise to yourself that you will live your life with much passion!
PPATODAYMAY 2012
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGETim Walden, M.Photog.Cr., F-ASP - 2012-2013 PPA President
PPA
MEM
BER
NEW
SLET
TER
© M
onic
a C
ubbe
rly-E
arly
“My plan isn’t to simply survive this time, but to take my
remaining years and make them the best yet. The things I have
learned about myself, as well as the things I wish I had never
learned, all point to one simple, but powerful truth for me: No
matter what has happened, or what will happen, my life is more
~Alex Blackwell
www.ppa.com
www.ppa.com
PPA
MEM
BER
NEW
SLETTER
EVENTS:A DIFFERENT TYPE OF MARKETING
When people discuss marketing, they often think about promoting a sale or something short term,” says Jen Basford, a PPA Studio
Management Services consultant and owner of 3 girls photography in Edmond, Okla. But she’s found that a different approach—event marketing—can yield powerful results down the road. In fact, most of her marketing is now based on events!
The Event That Started ItBasford’s most popular event is her yearly April fashion show (called Lights, Camera, Fashion), which features the upcoming fashion trends for high school seniors, modeled by her senior model clients. “If you want your event to be different, you have to make it GREAT,” explains Basford about why her show works. “Don’t treat it like a promo for your studio.”
her photography of the models on the screens beside the walkway. “Seniors stress over what to wear for their senior portraits, so we show them the trends that are coming and how they can incorporate them into their wardrobe…and hopefully a session with us!” Her studio researches those upcoming trends, purchases clothing, and borrows some fashions from local
(She has a vision and reason for what she uses in the
makeup is then donated. Senior model clients are photo-graphed, videotaped and given the star treatment. The result? Basford’s studio isn’t seen as “just” a photography studio; they are the experts when it comes to seniors and senior fashion in their area. Distinguishing themselves in that niche was her goal from the beginning.
Tying the Show to Her StudioIt’s important to remember that events like this are for marketing and building awareness, not sales. Basford says it’s a nightmare to try and sell at the show itself because
no one comes with that in mind. Instead, she promotes her only sale of the year on senior sessions—a three-day sale that starts the day after the show. Clients can book a senior session for 50 percent off during those days (the session can occur anytime). But that doesn’t mean you can’t use the event to your advantage in other ways. For example, Basford ties her senior model program to the fashion show. “The traditional senior ambassador program doesn’t work for me—my clients don’t care about passing out cards,” explains Basford. “They just want to be famous.” So, Basford’s senior models are treated as star clients with special perks. They invest in different levels of the program for different
national Seniors Ignite (seniorsignite.com) model contest. The kids who choose the highest levels of the program are invited to model in the fashion show and help market it.
In addition, Basford posts clips from the fashion show (and from fashion trend video shoots) on her website and uses them to show her clients what they should wear for their own senior portrait sessions.
Finding PartnersBasford has also found that an event done right increases credibility in the eyes of prospective partners. Her fashion show has led her to partner with local boutiques, who supply some of the clothing for the show and for additional creative studio shoots. They partner with Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) each year, which nets them publicity on local TV stations. And when she had her tween clients—not little kids, not seniors—open the fashion show last year, she caught the interest of the GAP. Now, 3 girls photography is working with the GAP on marketing their clothing lines in her region!
see the caliber of our work and how serious we are about our business, they sometimes approach us with bigger part-nership ideas (like the GAP did),” adds Basford. The key to partner marketing is that each side has something to give the other. In exchange for helping offset the costs of putting on the event, Basford’s studio can offer partners photographic services and connections to that wildly popular fashion show (and its audience). Basford also donates 100 percent of the ticket sales to MADD, giving back to her community.
“
So, think about businesses that target the same market you do and see if they would be interested in working with you. Where do your clients eat, hang out or shop? Could you put a display in their store, or run a promotion with them where you could photograph clients using their merchandise?
Creating Buzz for the Event & YouAlong with partner marketing, Basford also promotes her show and studio through buzz marketing. It’s easy to start online conversations with reminders of the upcom-ing event or by posting clips or previews. The models (and their parents) will chat about the event with their friends, community news sources will mention it since it draws a crowd and includes locals, and any companies involved will spread the word. To make the buzz marketing connect more strongly to your studio, Basford says you can’t forget to make it personal. Social media is vital for reaching the teen market, but don’t just share promotions there: “They want to get to know you—and YOU are your studio.” That’s why Basford shares Instagram photos of what they are doing throughout the day, including behind-the-scenes images of her fashion show and most other sessions. During a pre-teen fashion show with the GAP, she found that all her models (ages 10+) had Instagram accounts…and they immediately followed her on it. “I have a connec-tion with them as BFFs already,” Basford adds, which only increases the likelihood that they will fall in love with her studio and go to her for senior portraits, too.
It All Leads to GrowthConnections that build over time like that are much stronger than anything a one-time promotion could bring. And it is what makes events like Basford’s fashion show truly worth-while. Through it all, she builds relationships, awareness of her studio and excitement for the 3 girls photography brand—all of which help her studio grow.
www.ppa.com
With PPA’s Studio Management Services (SMS), Jen Basford received help to better manage her business and finances to enjoy true growth. Now, she’s an SMS consultant who lends her marketing and business expertise to others. Learn how SMS could help you:www.ppa.com/studio-management-services
Another type of event marketing has helped PPA member Nicole Bartolozzi of Ohio—she hosts her own networking event in the small-town Nordonia School District area. Called Networking in a Flash, her event is now bi-monthly, open to all professionals and is free to attend. “Most of my business comes from referrals, and now 80 percent of those referrals stem from someone I met at one of my events,” she exclaims. “Even though my goal was to help the others in my community connect, these events helped establish me as a reputable photographer and a resource. And at just $50 per year to run, it’s a budget-friendly piece of marketing.”
Want to create your own networking event?Here are a few tips from Bartolozzi:
committing to a date.
club lets Bartolozzi use a room in exchange for getting photography work at a better rate (like a frequent flyer).
the next event.
Chamber of Commerce chapters.
people giving short “commercials” to the room about what they do.
MARKETING STARTS WITH FINDING YOURSELF
Photographers are often concerned with marketing, but one of PPA’s newest board members, Audrey
M.Photog.Cr., CPPgood long look at yourself. If you want to market effec-
to ask: Am I doing the type of photography that I really -
Business Shift
the camera as a way to get her vision out of her head. Her -
nois with a custom darkroom and studio in the back. People
around the room, which led to high-volume odd jobs like brochure images, wedding portraits…even passport photos.
she became impressed with the quality of work in their
-
portraits). “As soon as I realized the path I wanted to go, I knew I couldn’t combine quick photos with the style and quality
lab and opened a new studio with large canvas portraits on the walls, started competing, went to conventions, became
she saw the successful photographers doing. “My guiding thought was: ‘How do I get my work to that level?’” she notes. “I’m very impatient when it comes to something I want to know, so I’m constantly searching.”
Marketing Shift
connecting with the right clients. Referrals and word-of-mouth marketing were still the most effective marketing
methods—that hadn’t changed and still hasn’t in her mind.
“I did a good job with weddings, but I don’t think I did
“People have to SEE what you want to do because that passion can be felt and inspires the retelling.” However, she cautions that you can’t just sit and wait for referrals now. You have to do a lot more to be seen in
-ent places and being at events from auctions to participating in different groups—“where people can not only see your work, but put your face to that work.” Follow-through is also needed, and it’s more impor-tant than ever (especially with all the technology available
this, from making sure her social media and websites are updated to attending events and following up with clients.
Attitude Shift
important lesson of all. “I think a lot of photographers are on a short-term
a successful business. So, instead of spending my time
working to grow! The day I stop is the day I retire.”
PPA
MEM
BER
NEW
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race
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cket
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2012 Affiliate Schools Schedule PPA members receive both merits and the best published prices.
May 6-11Mid-Atlantic Regional School of Professional Photography (M.A.R.S.), The GrandHotel, Cape May, N.J., John Capone, 888.267.6277, [email protected], marsschool.com
May 27-30California Photographic Workshops, Lake Tahoe,Sandra Harris, 916.395.6363,[email protected], cpwschool.com
June 3-7Florida School of Photogrpahy, Daytona Beach,Marybeth Hamberger, 954.426.2562,[email protected], fpponline.org
June 3-7Mid-America Institute of Professional Photog raphy(MAIPP), University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls,Iowa, Barb Grabill, 641.799.8957,[email protected], maipp.com
June 4-8Oklahoma School of Photography, Stillwater, Okla.,Randy Taylor, 405.341.5088,[email protected], pposchool.com
June 10-14Illinois Workshops, Pere Marquette Lodge, Grafton,Ill., Mike Voegele, 217.245.5418,[email protected], ilworkshops.com
June 17-20Winona School of Photography, Abe Martin Lodge,Brown County St. Park, Nashville, Ind., Judy Roberts, 574.849.7520,[email protected], winonaschool.org
June 17-22West Coast School of Professional Photography,University of San Diego, Kathy Metz, 626.915.4449,[email protected], prophotoca.com
June 24-29Great Lakes Institute of Photography (GLIP),Washtenaw Community College, Ann Arbor, Mich.,Gregory Ockerman, 248.946.1193,[email protected], glip.org
July 15-19The Lamarr School, University of South Carolina,Columbia, S.C., John Wrightenberry, 803.238.2836, [email protected], thelamarrschool.com
July 15-19Image Explorations, Shawnigan Lake, BritishColumbia, Don MacGregor, 604.731.7225,[email protected], imageexplorations.ca
July 15-20PPSNYS Photo Workshop, Hobart/William SmithColleges, Geneva, N.Y., Linda Hutchings,607.733.6563, [email protected],ppsnysworkshop.com
July 29 - August 2East Coast School Photographic Workshops,Sheraton Downtown, Raleigh, N.C., Loretta Byrd,919.796.4747, [email protected],eastcoastschool.com
August 6-9Long Island Photo Workshop, Sheraton Long IslandHotel, Smithtown, N.Y., Jerry Small, 516.221.4058,[email protected], liphotoworkshop.com
August 26-31Georgia School of Professional Photography, NorthGeorgia Technical College, Clarkesville, Ga., KevinJiminez, 706.854.8885, [email protected],gppaschool.com
Send all additions and corrections to [email protected]
BACKGROUNDS
THE DENNY MFG. CO., INC. is the World’s LargestManu facture of Hand Painted Backgrounds, ComputerPainted Back grounds, Muslin Backgrounds, Studio Sets,Props, Lift Systems, and related Studio Accessories.Contact us today to receive our FREE 180 page colorcatalog filled with exquisite products and ideas to help yousuc ceed in Photography. Write P.O. Box 7200 Mobile, AL36670; Call 1-800-844-5616 or visit our Web site atwww.dennymfg.com.
STUDIO DYNAMICS’ muslin and canvas backdrops offerquality and value at outlet prices! Call 1-800-595-4273for a catalog or visit www.studiodynamics.com
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BACKDROP OUTLET, We are the Largest supplier of Back -grounds, Props and Studio Accessories. We have it all…. Canvasfrom $99.00 Muslin Backgrounds from $69.00 Scenics, Flexouts. Your options are endless. We also offer roller systemsand Light Rail systems. Lights, Soft boxes, Stands andequipment. We have a huge selection of props and set systems.REQUEST OUR FREE 164 PAGE CATALOG 1-800-466-1755or you can order online at WWW.BACKDROPOUTLET.COM3540 Seagate Way, Oceanside, CA 92056.
CANVAS MOUNTING
CANVAS MOUNTING, STRETCHING, FINISH LAC -QUERING. Original McDonald Method. Considered bestAVAILABLE. Real istic canvas texture. Large sizes aspecialty. WHITMIRE ASSO CIATES, YAKIMA, WA. 509-248-6700. WWW.CANVASMOUNT.COM
INKJET PRINTS bonded to canvas McDonald method andfinish sprayed. Large sizes available. We also canvas bondany photographic paper. Gallery canvas wraps. Pleasecontact 818-726-9679.
COMPUTER/SOFTWARE
SUCCESSWARE®—Studio Management Softwareavailable for both Windows® and Macintosh®.Recommended by Ann Monteith, the nation’s foremoststudio manage ment con sultant. Call today for a FREESuccessWare® Tour 800-593-3767 or visit our Web sitewww.SuccessWare.net.
EDUCATION
WALL PORTRAIT CANFERENCE. May 6th-11th. Six daysintense study on concepts, sales, Production of WallPortraits. This workshop known worldwide. Yakima, WA.Information: 509-248-6700. www.wallportrait.com
GREEN SCREEN SOFTWARE
New Photo Genie, GREEN SCREEN SOFTWARE, OneScreen Operation, Camera tethered, Auto MultiBackgrounds & Auto Layers, Batch Processing. Freetechnical support. PPA special starting at $87. To learnmore visit www.thegreengenie.com or call 562-381-2091.
HELP WANTED
HELP WANTED: Assistant photographer for con tem porarypho tojournalistic wedding coverages in Orange County, CAarea. Must have digital equipment. Email John [email protected].
PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY. Do you have the skills of aMaster of Photography and like to travel? Do best whenyou sell your own work? Or do you have a sales personwho will travel with you? Club Services of America canoffer you an outstanding opportunity if you canphotograph and sell spectacular family portraits to high-income country club members. Email us some examples ofyour group photography and, if you qualify, we can build aplan for your future income. Email [email protected] our website – www.clubservicesofamerica.com
INCORPORATION SERVICES
INCORPORATE OR FORM an LLC today! Your art is a business. Treat it like one. The Company Corpora-tion can help you incorporate or form a limited liabil-ity company in as little as ten minutes. We are fast, accurate and affordable. Provide additional credi-bility to your photography studio or business at thefraction of the cost of using an attorney. Call 1-800-206-7276 or visit www.incorporate.com today!
LOOKING TO SELL SOMETHING? Look no farther thenthe classified section of Professional Photographermagazine. For just a few cents per word you can reach55,000+ potential customers. Contact Monique Martin [email protected] or 404-522-8600, ext 221, forinformation or to schedule your classified ad in the nextavailable issue of the magazine.
INSURANCE
Instant Online Photography Insurance. Quotes. Tom C.Pickard Insurance. www.tcpinsurance.com 800-726-3701, ext. 117. Lic. 0555411
PACKAGE CHOICE INSURANCE Program for Photographersby Hill & Usher. Complete online form, receive custom insur -ance proposal. www.packagechoice.com • 866-977-4725• Call the specialists.
LAB SERVICES
FREE 20X30 with $50.00 order Digitalcolor Beverly HillsDarkroom-FTP-Lifepics-Mail up to 4’x8’ Kodak Metalic-Matte-Glossy-Backlit film. www.digitalcolorbh.com; 310-274-3445.
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PHOTO RESTORATION
1st PHOTO RESTORATION FREE! Try us, you’ll like us!Point & click easy. No sign up cost. 100% guaran tee.Online leader since 1993. Wholesale only to pro fes sionals.www.hollywoodfotofix.com. Call 888-700-3686 or [email protected]
PRESENTATION BOXES
BOXES—FREE SAMPLE PRESENTATION BOX—FROMTHE ORIGINAL BLACK BOX MANUFACTURE—Fastdelivery, Finest quality 4"x5", 5"x5", 4"x6", 8"x10",11"x14", 16"x20", 20"x24". AUFENGER BOX, 4807COLLEY AVE., NOR FOLK, VIRGINIA 23508; 757-440-1147 (phone); 757-440-1149 (fax); 888-440-1146 (tollfree). www.aufengerbox.com
PRESENTATION BOXES available for immediateshipment; 19 sizes—4 stock colors. For FREE catalog & samples call 800-969-2697 or fax request 800-861-4528. BUY DIRECT AND SAVE. NPD Box Com-pany, 11760 Berea Rd., Cleveland, OH 44111.www.NPDBox.com
SALES AIDS
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STUDIOS FOR SALE
SO. CALIFORNIA. Full service studio. Located in VenturaCounty. Portraits, seniors, weddings, schools, events,commercial, etc. Gross sales $200k + per year. Asking$125k, includes very active website and telephone number;client database; $40k in equipment; etc. Owner will assistwith transition. Serious inquires, see website at:http://studio4sale.xanga.com/
HISTORIC WINTER PARK, FLORIDA. Family portraitstudio, downtown retail studio space, large windows andnatural light, gallery setting, projection room, faux paintedwalls, wood floors, outside shooting area, turn-key.Tracey: 407-433-4778.
PORTRAIT STUDIO, Sarasota County, Florida. Turnkey,assets 23K. Cheap rent or buy the building. 941-928-1118.
OLD TYME PHOTO 75 miles north of Yellow StoneNational Park. Ennis, MT. Quaint new facility. OwnerRetiring. Asking $32,500. 406-209-3370.
STUDIOS WANTED
COLUMBUS CAMERA GROUP, INC. buys whole stu diosor any part including cameras, film, darkroom, long roll,lighting, and misc. No quantities too small. Call 800-325-7664. Ask for Eric.
ClassifiedAdvertising
Classified rates: • $1.50 per word; • $2.00 per word/words with all caps or boldface. • $10.00 per issue—Con fiden tial Reply Box Ads (Optional)—$30minimum per ad. Contact: Pro fessional Photog rapher Class ified Ads, 229 Peach -tree NE, Ste. 2200, Atlanta, GA 30303; 800-339-5451.
May 2012 • Professional Photographer • 137
idia (she goes by one name professionally),
proprietor of Oh So Posh Photography in
Dallas, was inspired to make a difference in
the lives of others after her own struggle
with breast cancer. A native of Romania,
LidiahadcometoAmerica seeking a better
life. When she was diag-
nosed with an aggressive
form of cancer, she was
alone, with no family or friends to help her.
But to her amazement, several strangers
who learned of her situation extended
thoughtful gestures, and helped her
through months of grueling surgery,
chemotherapy and radiation.
Shortly after her recovery in 2009, Lidia
decided the best way she could give something
back was through her passion for photography.
She came across a 5-year-old girl struggling
against brain cancer. At her own expense,
Lidia flew to the girl’s town in Arizona to
create a series of portraits, which she donated
to the family. After posting some of the images
on her blog, Lidia got overwhelming responses
from other photographers and from parents
who had been profoundly affected by the
portraits. The outpouring of support in-
spired Lidia to launch a charitable vehicle
for providing hope along with complimen-
tary portraits to families of children with
life-threatening illnesses.
Her mission established, Lidia enlisted
others to help build a foundation, and to-
gether they chose to name it the Tiny Spar-
row Foundation. In many cultures world-
wide, the sparrow represents rebirth. Tiny
Sparrow’s gift to the families is called Picture
of Hope; it includes a photo session, a
slideshow of the images set to music, a large
album and a disc of all the images. Every-
thing is done without cost to the family. The
foundation’s staff and contributing photog-
raphers donate their time.
“Our goal is simple,” says Susan Posterro,
creative director and family liaison for Tiny
Sparrow. “We want to provide hope for fam-
ilies who are on a journey of uncertainty,
navigating through incomprehensibly dark
moments. As our Tiny Sparrow parents have
shared with the foundation, Picture of Hope
not only offers them everlasting memories,
but also delicately captures beautiful moments,
despite the very ugly battle taking place.”
Tiny Sparrow has grown steadily since its
founding, so far serving 49 families, and
gaining more than 9,000 Facebook fans en
route. The foundation is currently working
with 26 more families across the United
States. To help achieve its goals, Tiny Sparrow
is seeking additional volunteer photographers,
as well as cash donations to help fund the
Picture of Hope sessions.
“Each and every tiny sparrow, and his or
her family, inspires us,” says Posterro. “Their
courage keeps us going. We are honored and
humbled they allow Tiny Sparrow into their
lives, and that they trust our involvement in
the midst of such an uncertain journey. [To
others interested in contributing] our advice
is to be honest, authentic, and give 100 per-
cent of yourself without expectation of any-
thing in return, except knowing that you left a
footprint on this planet by doing good work.” n
Learn more about the Tiny Sparrow Foun-dation at tinysparrowfoundation.org.
138 • www.ppmag.com
good works | Images wield the power to effect change. In this monthly feature,Professional Photographer spotlights professional photographers using their talents to make a difference through charitable work.
Tiny SparrowCAPTURING HOPE DURING DARK TIMES
Share your good works experience with us by e-mailing Joan Sherwood at [email protected]
©Lidia of Oh So Posh Photography
L
SUCCESSWARE.NET | 800.593.3767
What do top studio owners use to manage?These owners have all chosen SuccessWare to help them manage their businesses. Other software may track your business but they all fall short when it comes to managing your business. SuccessWare is the only studio management software that will assist you with; creating a business plan, pricing your products, preparing financial reports and tracking client information. SuccessWare manages all your day-to-day operations giving you the knowledge to make solid management decisions necessary to achieve your goals and take your studio to the next level. You can’t get that with just tracking software.
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“Having a financial management program that lays everything out in front of you so that you can get the information you need, when you need it to make good business decisions is vital...the bottom line for us is that SuccessWare puts us in control.”
Jed & Vickie Taufer | VGallery | Morton, Illinois
Bambi Cantrell and Profoto D1. Overpowering the Sun
© Bambi Cantrell
Profoto.com/US · 914 347 3300 Distributed by MAC Group
Educational video showsBambi's lighting techniques:Profoto.com/US/Cantrell