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Category Archives: Photography Business
David Bellis: Wedding in Historic Merchant Adventurers’ Hall
It was January, late afternoon, where the couple Tom and Katy were concerned about the low light and had pretty much given up on any chance of the outside shots they had wanted post ceremony. Not wanting to disappoint them, I was mulling over the options prior to the wedding with Barry, a photographer friend, when he offered to assist by holding an umbrella, opening up the possibility of getting some very nice off camera lighting. I’d never worked with an assistant before at a wedding and was intrigued by the creative options, so agreed.
This was an image that won me a Bronze Bar from The Guild of Photographers recently.
The building in the background is the historic Merchant Adventurers’ Hall, in the center of my hometown, York, which dates from 1357 and is a popular location for wedding ceremonies in the city. York is a very photogenic city generally, with many wonderful locations to photograph bride and grooms!
I positioned the couple on the left-hand third of the frame and then did a test shot for the ambient light, which at this point was fast disappearing. The ironic thing about shooting at dusk, is that if you want to capture the lighting that you see in front of you, you need to underexpose. This is because the sensor does its best to render everything it sees in front of it as if it was shot at two in the afternoon. I then used the pop up flash on my Canon 60D to trigger the Speedlite that Barry was holding, pointing into the umbrella at camera left. The pop up flash was used as a trigger only, and did not throw any light onto the scene. The Speedlite did a fantastic job of rendering Katy’s dress and didn’t need any compensation.
The image looked good straight out of the camera, but I took it a little further in Lightroom. I decided to darken down the background some more, so used the adjustment brush to reduce the exposure of pretty much everything except the couple and a patch of lawn in front of them. Then there was just a trip into Photoshop to clone out an intrusive sign that was sticking out of the lawn to their right, and that was job done.
Vital statistics: Camera: Canon 60D with 17-55mm F2.8 lens, Canon 580EX Speedlite, manual exposure, F3.5, 1/100 sec, 1250 ISO, evaluative metering.
David Bellis is a professional portrait and wedding photographer in York, UK, a historic and photogenic city.
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Website: http://www.bellisweddingphoto.com/
The Changing Landscape of Professional Photography
Until recently, becoming a professional photographer was a serious financial commitment, with the cost of cameras, film and development presenting a significant barrier to the dilettante. Dipping your toe in to get a bit of practice under your belt before deciding if it was the right career for you could be a very costly endeavor. Now, with the proliferation of cheap, reliable digital cameras available from high street stores like Curry’s (see their website for affordable, quality cameras) it’s easy for the amateur photographer to test the water before making a career of it. The limitless nature of digital technology, and the ease with which post-production techniques can be employed to manipulate images, has opened the door for a generation of casual snappers to consider turning pro.
But with this accessibility comes increased competition for work. How do you get your work seen and, more importantly, published? For real money? Continue reading
9 Steps to Start (or Jumpstart) Your Photography Business
If you’re an advanced enthusiast serious about making it as a pro, here are nine practical steps you can take to start the transition. These steps will help you break inertia, make your first sales, and establish a solid foundation on which to build.
1. Find your niche and start shooting in it.
Most enthusiasts shoot what they want, where there at, without any overarching logic. They produce a haphazard collection of different images. Then they try to sell the resulting images. Shoot first and then find a market. Pros do just the opposite: they know their market, and then shoot for it. They specialize, get to know buyers in their niches, and shoot deliberately and strategically to deepen their portfolio in their chosen areas. Starting tomorrow, spend some time figuring out where you want to specialize, and from now on spend your precious shooting time in those areas. Unless you live in Kansas and are determined to have your niche be Central American travel photography, it’s not that hard to build a solid portfolio. Just give yourself a highly targeted list of assignments. Do some at-home product shoots, or portrait or engagement sessions with family or friends. Assign yourself to cover at least 10 mammal species at the local zoo, or spend some time at some local wild areas. Take it seriously – learn about the animals or natural areas you’re covering. As long as your niche is something close to home, you can build a portfolio relatively quickly. Continue reading
The Top 10 Best Photography Business Blogs
Since readers of this blog are obviously interested in what makes a successful photography business, I thought I’d share what I consider to be some of the best photography business blogs on the web. Of course, the DSLRBlog Photography Business Blog would make the list, as would the business section of Photocrati’s photography blog. But since I run both of those, I can’t very well include them here, can I 
.
Outside of these, here is a list of great blogs that I regularly read and find to have the excellent information for aspiring professionals thinking about building their businesses. Continue reading
How to Price Assignments: Price High and Give Your Clients an Experience
Unlike my usual posts, this is an off-the-cuff post spurred by a recent experience with some clients. We did a shoot with a young lady, an equestrian, along with her horse. We worked hard to make it not just a photo shoot, but an experience. They loved it, and loved the photos, and never blinked about the price. In interacting with the clients afterward, I realized what a unique and special experience it was for them.
Pricing is often one of the hardest areas of the business for photographers. New photographers are sensitive about their lack of experience, afraid they don’t merit a large fee and can’t compete with more established professionals. But even for established professionals, a certain sense of guilt is common when it comes to talking price. Many professionals are almost apologetic when quoting a price, and are much to willing to come down. Continue reading
Do you need a portfolio?
Short answer: Yes, but not in the way you think.
For most photographers, the word “portfolio” evokes images of a physical “portfolio” of images, often in a big black portfolio case, that represents who you are as a photographer. There are still a few situations when such classic portfolios are relevant—for example, if you are applying for a prestigious art gallery, going to visit a high-dollar commercial photography client, or meeting in person with prospective wedding clients.
But for most photographers most of the time, the traditional “portfolio” has always been of limited value. That’s not to say most photographers don’t use portfolios. Indeed, every time a photographer sends a submission to a magazine, stock agency, or other prospective buyer—whether slides, prints, or an email with digital images—that photographer is sending a portfolio. In this case, each portfolio is different, depending on the client.
Today, however, the portfolio concept is taking on yet another connotation. In the digital era, your website is your portfolio. Continue reading
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