Tag Archives: photographer

The Cost of Great Photography. We Don’t Want Your Arms and Legs!

January 17, 2021 Heather Neal Leave a comment

According to Wikipedia, the word “photographer” means: A person who makes photographs. The word “professional” means: A member of a profession or any person who earns their living from a specified professional activity. So according to this a “Professional Photographer” would be anyone who makes money “making photographs”. There are no requirements as far as obtaining any degrees or even certifications to become a Professional Photographer. So why do some photographers seem to charge so much while others are very cheap? This is a question I see all the time. Often on social media platforms like Facebook Swap pages I see people searching for photographers and it looks something like this: ISO (In search of- for those of you who don’t do the swap pages) Photographer that doesn’t charge an arm and a leg. Actually I see these posts for all kinds of professions and I suppose the obvious response to any of them would be “you get what you pay for” but I get it. If there are two photographers and one is charging $50 for a session and the other is charging $400, how much more could you possibly be getting? The answer is: “More than you can probably even imagine”.

Experience- The more experience a photographer has the more they will most likely charge.

Quality

I have to preface by saying that everyone starts somewhere and just because a photographer is new does NOT necessarily mean that you shouldn’t give them a chance. New photographers are usually trying to build their portfolio and develop their style and skills and hopefully gain a loyal client-base along the way. This means that they may offer sessions at a cheaper price which can be a great way to update those frames or get grandma and grandpa off your back if they are asking for new photos of the grandkids. 😉 They may even be a great option for a small, casual wedding. However, if you are looking for consistently high quality work you might be better off to go with a photographer with a few more years under their belt. Experienced photographers will have a developed style that you can count on. They will have more knowledge of things like “what to wear”, locations to use, posing and how to get your kids to smile. They will have more editing skills to make your finished images look their best. Just like any profession, photographers with more experience are typically going to cost more. I certainly would never charge the same fee for photography from “beginner me” who started their photographer journey 14 years ago as I would for “current me”!

Safety

When you think of scheduling a photo session, “danger” is not usually something that crosses your mind. Surprisingly though, experienced photographers keep many things in mind to make sure everyone stays safe during your session that inexperienced photographers may not be aware of. For instance, we have all seen great photos of people standing or even sitting on railroad tracks. Did you know that those photos are not only extremely dangerous but also illegal? Almost 600 people die each year from taking photos on railroad tracks. This includes both clients and photographers. Most people think they will hear or see a train coming in time to get out of the way but trains are moving fast and take a long time to stop and by the time you hear them it may be too late not to mention you could trip or get caught up on the tracks. An inexperienced photographer might also choose a location that could be dangerous to have young children around such as close to a busy road or body of water.

Another common photo that we have all seen is the adorable newborn baby laying propped up on it’s elbows with it’s little chin propped up on it’s fists. Experienced newborn photographers know that this pose should ONLY be done in editing. It is what is called a composition (or a combination of two separate images that are combined in post processing). An inexperienced photographer could seriously injure a newborn attempting this shot incorrectly.

Expenses- More than likely, photographers that charge more also offer and provide more. That means they have more expenses!

Website

With all of the social media platforms available, it is possible for photographers to get found without a full blown website. However, having a website not only makes it easier to find a photographer, but it also allows clients to much more easily see examples of the photographers work, find information like pricing and package options, check out examples of locations you might want to use, view and order photos after your session and so much more. While a website may not seem like a large expense, there are hosting fees, domain name fees, and added software fees just to name a few of the possible expenses associated with providing this feature to clients.

Business License

Like any business, photographers who are running a legal “professional business” are required to have a business license. Does this mean that all of them do? No. So that might be another expense that the photographer charging more has that cheap photographers don’t. What difference does this make to you as a client? Well maybe not that much other than you are dealing with someone who is not running a legal business. And if they aren’t handling this part of their business correctly it makes you wonder what else isn’t legit or going to be handled professionally.

Taxes

Ahhhh…taxes. We love taxes right? But we all have to pay them. Or maybe I should say we are all SUPPOSED to pay them. How can taxes be an expense that one photographer has and another doesn’t? Well, like I mentioned above, a lot of photographers start out by just charging a little and shooting for friends and family and gradually branching out. If they are doing well and decide to start a business hopefully they then take all of the steps needed to run a legit, legal business. Since photographers don’t need a brick and mortar storefront or even a business website though, many decide to continue their little “business” by just shooting their little hearts out and pocketing the money. As a legit business a photographer should be declaring their income and paying taxes on that, have personal property taxes on their business and if they offer any prints or products charging and paying sales tax.

Professional Printing Lab

Many professional photographers offer prints, albums, canvases or other products that you can purchase directly through their website after your session. This is a wonderful convenience for you as a client. Although professional labs don’t charge the photographer any kind of fee to use their services (other than paying cost for the products) they do typically require a sales tax ID so if they don’t have a legit business set up, this may be a luxury that they cannot offer you.

Permits

With the huge increase in “Photographers” in the past few years, there has also been a huge increase in people using and unfortunately in some cases, damaging popular photography locations. This has led to many “hot spots”requiring a permit to shoot there professionally. Permits can cost anywhere from $25 to $100 or even more. So chances are, unless they are informing you that you will be responsible for the permit fee, if you hire a photographer that is only charging around $100 or less for a session, they are not purchasing a permit. This will either A) drastically limit your location choices or B) they may choose to shoot there hoping that no one will ask to see their permit. This could result in not being able to obtain admittance into the location or being asked to leave in the middle of the session.

Insurance

Insurance is another “not-so-fun” expense that photographers may have, but it is an important one…for both the photographer and the client. Let’s say you hire a photographer for a family session in a rose garden. Your 4 year old wants to pose next to a statue. The next thing you know, CRASH! The statue topples over breaking into pieces. Who is responsible for the damages? This can get messy (and expensive) but a photographer who is insured should be covered. For this reason many locations require proof of insurance to obtain the permits mentioned above.

Equipment

While I truly believe it’s not as much what kind of camera and equipment a photographer uses, as much as it is the ability of a photographer that makes great photographs…having the right equipment does help and often times is just downright necessary. A variety of lenses may be needed to achieve certain styles, in places where space is limited or to be able to get a large group into a shot. Artificial lighting is often needed in poorly lit areas or low light times of day and is a MUST for any photographer shooting weddings. A high-quality back up camera is so important for wedding photographers (what if one camera quits working in the middle of a ceremony?) but also is a great idea for any professional who may not be able to get a camera that is malfunctioning repaired prior to a shoot which would lead to cancellations or reschedules. Then there’s the memory cards, camera bags, tripods, backdrops, props and so many other “extras” that photographers need to be able to fulfill client’s needs. That adds up to several thousands of dollars!

Editing

In this time of digital photography, if photographers want to take their photos to their full potential, editing is a must. Even if they aren’t making a lot of big changes to a photo, most professional photographers shoot in RAW mode, which means the camera makes no changes to the photo at all so that they can start with a completely fresh image and slightly (or sometimes greatly) enhance it to their style. You can’t use RAW images for anything (prints, social media, etc.) so at the very least their images must be converted to another format in software like Lightroom or Photoshop. Many photographers us both. Software can be a fairly big expense on it’s own but there are a lot of additional expenses that a photographer might have to reach their full editing potential. Like taking great photos, learning how to edit them takes time…and sometimes some money. There are a lot of great courses, classes and workshops to help photographers learn the art of editing or specific editing skills. Some are free, but many are not. There are also add-ons called “presets or actions” that photographers can purchase for their software to make editing in certain styles or adding certain effects faster and easier. And obviously editing requires a decent computer and most likely a large external hard drive to store all of those images!

Studio

Most photographers choose to shoot “on location” utilizing the great outdoors, a client’s home, or maybe they have an in-home studio. But some photographers still have a brick and mortar photography studio which means rent or mortgage and utilities. This can be a great bonus to clients, especially in instances where you only have a specific time/date available so rescheduling due to bad weather is not an option. It also allows for sessions that can be hard to find a good indoor place for such as headshots or boudoir photography. Photographers with a studio most likely also have additional lighting and backdrop expenses to achieve the best studio photography look.

What are your memories worth?

Hopefully this has shed some light on the many expenses photographers have beyond the camera that you see them carry. Some photographers might be forking out a good portion of their hard earned session fees to provide all of these services (and a legal business). Others may be just starting out and getting by with the basics, while some fall somewhere in between. When choosing a photographer for your photo session, consider what your specific needs are for that session and then budget appropriately. A quick family session for a Christmas card photo might be a great time to look for a bargain, while once-in-a-lifetime events and milestones like weddings and senior photos might be worth saving up for the best. Just know that just because one photographer appears to be charging much more than another, they are probably giving that back to you in services and quality and not just trying to take all of your money…or your arms and legs.

Photography

Happy Accidents Photography Workshop…Lesson 1- Composition

May 1, 2020 Heather Neal Leave a comment

Welcome!

This is the first lesson in a series of photography posts I will be sharing. These posts are helpful tips, lessons and tutorials to improve your photography skills whether you are a Instagrammer, hobbyist or serious photographer. There will be “homework” assignments at the end of each post for you to practice the tips and information I have shared. I also have created a Facebook group for everyone using these lessons. PLEASE join this group…it is where the fun stuff will be. In the group you will be encouraged to share your assignments and photos, get critiques, find links to new posts and lessons, and more!

Click here to join the Facebook Group!

Composition

Whether you have a great camera that you are trying to learn how to use, have been doing photography for a while and want to get more serious about it or just love taking iPhone photos for Instagram, learning good composition is always the best place to start. No matter how good of a technical photographer you are or how great your editing skills might be, the composition of your photo is where the good stuff is and without it no amount of skills or editing will create a great photo.

Yesterday a Happy Accident happened. I was getting all caught up on Facebook and a friend posted some wonderful photos she took of her beautiful girls. I was scrolling through them when I came across one that made me stop. The composition was nothing short of magical. There were just SO many things right about it. I knew right away I wanted to play with it in Photoshop. As soon as I was finished cleaning up from dinner I sat down to my computer and had SO. MUCH. FUN. with this photo. I went back to her post to share my creation with her and found that another friend of hers felt the same urge to play with it. That’s what I call an inspiring photo! I was already preparing to write this post and thought this was a fantastic example of great composition. With her permission I’m sharing her image here:

And here is my edit:

While my edits may have added to the image, it already had the important elements that can’t be edited into a photo to make it great. It was just a pleasing, happy photo without any editing at all.

So how do you achieve great composition? Well, sometimes it’s just plain luck but there are several techniques and tricks that can help you turn “snapshots” into works of art…or at least make them more interesting. Here are a few of my favorites:

The Rule of Thirds

By definition the Rule Of Thirds in photography is a type of composition in which an image is divided evenly into thirds, both horizontally and vertically, and the subject of the image is placed at the intersection of those dividing lines, or along one of the lines itself. This often makes the image more interesting or pleasing to the eye than placing the subject directly in the center. I’ll be the first to admit I break this “rule” a lot. There are often times that placing your subject smack dab in the center or along the bottom or top of an image works best. So which should you do? I follow my gut but if you are new to this rule chances are you are already in the habit of centering your subject most or all the time. While you are experimenting with this technique try taking a couple of shots for each photo. Center your subject in one and then take the same shot but use the “Rule of Thirds”. Which do you like better? In time you will start to learn whether following the “rule” or breaking it works best for each specific shot.

Centered (and square cause I stole it from my Instagram page, LOL).

Leading Lines

This composition technique refers to lines in an image that lead the viewers attention to the main subject of the photo. This could be a road or path, a staircase, fence or many other objects that can create lines in a photography. Leading lines are a great way to add interest to an image while still keeping the subject the center of attention.

**Note…Railroad Tracks are often used for leading lines. While they may work well for this purpose, I am strongly against shooting on railroad tracks. It is illegal and dangerous. Even non-working tracks are a bad idea because these photos often encourage other people to try railroad track photo shoots. Regardless whether you are a professional photographer, hobby photographer, or parent please DO NOT SHOOT ON RAILROAD TRACKS EVER!

Framing

Another great way to add interest to your image while still drawing attention to your main subject is a technique called “framing”. This technique, like leading lines, uses other objects to draw the eye to your subject. With framing instead of using lines to lead to your subject the objects you use wrap around or partially around them to frame them. Architectural elements, tree branches, archways, and windows all work well as common frames.

Patterns

Finding and using interesting patterns is a technique that can add interest, texture, and depth to your images. Plus they are just fun! Patterns can come from interesting background objects, fences, quilts, blinds and even light!

Try new angles

When taking photographs we put a lot of thought into the position of our subjects. This can be nerve wracking when shooting kids and pets who often don’t appreciate our pose ideas or like to sit still for long. One of the easiest ways to add some creativity to your images though is for YOU to change positions. When shooting kids and pets, try getting down on their level. Try taking some shots from above your subject or below when possible to mix things up a bit.

Rule of Space

This rule states that if the subject is not looking directly to the camera, or looks out of the frame, there should be enough space for the subject to look into. This technique creates intrigue in the minds of the viewers. A good example of this rule is my friend’s photo of her little girl from the beginning of this post. This rule also applies to photographing a moving object or subject. There should be space for the subject to travel into. For this rule, I like to think of the edge of the image as a “wall”. In my example image below, if there was a lot of space behind her and she was all the way to the left edge of the image it would feel strange and like she was facing the imaginary wall created by the edge of the photo.

Avoid Limb Chops

The term limb chops refers to cutting off a subjects body part in an unflattering way. This does not mean that you have to include a person’s entire body in every image. There are just good and bad places to crop bodies in your frame. For instance at the wrist or ankles looks awkward and like you lopped off a hand or foot. The diagram below shows good and bad places to crop limbs and bodies.

Background

While you are focusing (both literally and mentally) on your subject, it can be easy to ignore the background. The background can make or break your images though. Even with Photoshop skills, it isn’t fun to try and remove garbage cans, cars, or random people from the background of your otherwise wonderful photos. Before shooting, check out your background and if necessary and possible move or turn your subject to get rid of unwanted items in the shot. Life doesn’t always happen in front of pretty backdrops though. When shooting kids and candid moments or memories are happening… capture them first, regardless of the background. Then try moving them to slightly different area or angle to see if you can get a better shot. There are tricks you can learn both in your camera settings and editing that can make unsightly backgrounds less noticeable but it’s still always a good idea to keep unwanted items out of your shots when possible.

Homework:

Pick a subject and plan a little photo shoot. Try using the “Rule of Thirds”. Take the same shot centering your subject.
Create images using 2 other techniques of your choice listed above.
Join the Facebook group if you haven’t already and share your images!

Jesus Whispers, Photography

But today….Optimism during the Coronavirus Pandemic

March 19, 2020 Heather Neal Leave a comment

A few days ago I was searching for a particular photo from a long time ago which led me to stumble across an old blog that I used to keep. Within the blog was a 365 photo project. For one year I tried to take at least one photo every day and blog a little about it. Only now, years later do I realize what a treasure that was. Most of these photos were just of everyday activities and moments, many of them we wouldn’t have even remembered if it wasn’t for that blog and those photos. It truly inspired me to get back into capturing these moments more often.

It also has occurred to me that we are currently living in not only uncertain and scary times, but what will no doubt be a huge moment in history. Our children will remember bits and pieces and our grandchildren and great grandchildren will probably read about the Coronovirus Disease 2019.

There are also a lot of thoughts and emotions going on in my mind and heart and I have considered that writing about everything that is going on in the world would not only be interesting to look back on in the years to come, but therapeutic.

But today, the sun was shining. It is spring and in true spring fashion in the mid-west, it has been rainy and gray. Not ideal when everything is shut down, you are “social distancing” and essentially under quarantine. It was supposed to be in the 70’s but stormy again. But today, the rain cleared and little by little the sun broke through the clouds and the sky turned blue. I was planning on going back to work after coming home to make lunch for my kids. But today, I stayed home instead and pulled weeds in the sunshine while my son played roller hockey and then I played a game of basketball with him…he won. The grocery store shelves are growing more empty every day. But today, we will have burgers on the grill just like an ordinary spring evening. I sit at my desk writing this and glance over at a calendar full of events that will never happen and empty of the normal spring photo sessions that help support my family and pay the bills. But today, the windows in my office are open, the curtains gently blowing in the breeze and outside there is a constant stream of couples walking together, neighbors blowing bubbles with their toddlers or older kids playing basketball in the driveway. No one really knows what tomorrow, next week or even next month will look like. But today, it was a good day.