Got Referrals?

The newly designed client referral packs are off to the printer and on their way!  I know a couple of people that are quite excited about the impending arrival of these little babies and rightly so.  Rewarding clients for spreading the word, so to speak, is a great idea and what better way to say 'Thank You' than with a gift?

I've used some of my favourite images from previous sessions in these designs.  See anyone you know?  Once they arrive I'll post images of the actual cards and you can see who else made it into the card design and what your friends will get when they are referred by you.

First Glamour Shoot Ever!

Over the weekend I had a chance to watch a few bits of the latest Creative Live workshop with Sue Bryce.  On Day One I got to watch about an hour of the live broadcast and caught the tail end of the section on posing and all of the brief intro to flow posing.  I really didn't think that I would be interested, but as I watched I became fascinated with her process.  Shooting natural light in a studio setting...'ding!'  Controlling the posing in minute detail...'ding!'  When she said that it was so easy that anyone could learn how to do it I knew I had to give it a try.  My mind was going a hundred miles a minute and after only an hour, I was hooked.  No one is more surprised than me that I became so enthusiastic about the Glamour genre.  I think it's because I've been so focused lately on making the leap into studio and lights and all the gear that involves.  I've been stressing about visible noise in my photos and lens compression and the limitations of crop sensors, props and wardrobe and marketing and everything in between.  It was so refreshing to see someone who made it look so incredibly simple.  A client, a photographer and a camera.  Add hair and makeup and a fan (or hairdyer) and you're good to go, or that's how it seemed.

I don't normally like photographing adults all that much, we stress about everything.  Especially us women.  We worry that we look too fat, we have wrinkles, our hair isn't right.  I know this because I do all those things when I'm in front of the camera (and even when I'm not).  This approach to photographing women was all about making them feel beautiful no matter what age or what size they might be.  There was a science to it, a formula, that, when applied effectively, seemed to result in the most amazing transformations whereby the woman we all are on the inside was brought to the surface for everyone to see.  It was mesmerizing.  What woman doesn't need to know that she's beautiful right now, today, in the skin she's in, at the age she's at, and with whatever weight she happens to be carrying at the moment?  I know I want those things.  I'm always waiting; waiting to lose those last ten pounds, waiting until my hair gets longer, my skin looks better, until I'm less stressed.  After only an hour of viewing, I purchased the workshop.  I called my Mom, who was coming over to visit on Sunday, and asked her to please bring a few outfits and some makeup because I'd really like to give this a shot and I needed a guinea pig.  I downloaded the flow posing section, converted it and loaded it on my iPod and wondered to myself what the heck I was attempting.

As it turns out we didn't get around to shooting until Monday afternoon, with only an hour to get it all done.  I hadn't reviewed the posing guidelines, had shown my impromptu model what I wanted her makeup to look like (there was no professional hair and makeup person), stuck the iPod in my pocket with the headphones on, picked up the camera and pressed play.  It was not as easy as it seemed AT ALL.  I was basically parroting what was coming through my headphones and figuring out how I'm supposed to coax an alluring gaze out of my own mother.  No pressure.  After we made it though that hour I was exhausted and couldn't do any more.  I wasn't really sure that I'd got anything that would have the impact I was looking for and the whole experience was a bit of a blur.

I stayed up that night to download and work on the photos.  I remember saying at one point that I would be happy if we got five useable images out of the session and that's indeed what I got.  In the end I'd have to say that I'm happy with the results but I know I made a ton of mistakes.  I couldn't get the posing right, my camera angles were all over the place, my cropping was off, I was having a terrible time trying to convey what her hands were supposed to look like.  I could go on but I won't because I got out there and tried it and above all else, I learned from it.  What I really wanted to know was how my subject would feel about the end results when she saw them because that's the real test.  Of the five finished images she didn't like one of them (so I haven't included it here) and she especially liked two of them.  She commented that the makeup looked much better in camera than it did in person, the posing looked more natural and flattering than it felt and overall she thought she looked good.  She said she'd be willing to do it again, which for me is the biggest compliment I could get.  Baby steps.  I'm definitely going to try this again and I'll apply everything I've learned from this experience to make the next shoot better than the last.  I'll also watch the rest of that workshop so I can get as much information as I can.  Many thanks go out to my mom for willingly stepping in front of my camera even after I admitted I had no clue what I was doing.  Also, it was her idea to have a before shot to compare the results with.  I know you hate that photo mom, but I think you look great au natural and I appreciate you letting me post it even though you'd rather I didn't.

 

Learning from Sessions Past

I did a newborn shoot last year for a woman I used to know quite well many years ago.  When I arrived on location to photograph her newborn daughter, just days old, I found that not only were Mom and baby at home, big sister had stayed home from school and Grandma and Grandpa were there too.  Immediately my mind started to race, thinking of all the scenarios I wanted to capture.  I came into the shoot knowing that I’d definitely be photographing baby, I also knew I’d somehow convince Mom to be in at least some of the shots as well.  Everyone else was a surprise. 

The most common thing I run into is Moms who insist they don’t want to be photographed.  I get it, I’ve been there too.  You’re tired, you feel you don’t look your best, it’s supposed to be all about the new baby.  I also know that I don’t have any professional photographs of myself with my only child when she was an infant.  I photographed her with her dad, but no one was there to photograph me.  I wish I had that, I really wish I had that to look back on, but I don’t.  I don’t want my clients to ever have that feeling that I have and it’s why I’m always pushing Mom to have “just a couple” with baby.  I tell them that they don’t have to choose them if they don’t want but at least they’ll be there in the event they change their mind. 

So, at this particular shoot, I’d convinced mom to be in some shots and big sister was more than happy to be in as many shots as I wanted.  I enquired about Grandma and Grandpa, would they want to be in some as well?  They politely declined and I left it at that.  I did manage to get Grandma into a few ‘generational’ shots with the girls but nothing with Grandpa.  I was a little disappointed but I left it alone.  I’m a big second guesser.  Would I be able to do the images justice if I did convince them to join the shoot?  Did I have enough room, enough light, was my posing up to par for something like that?  Mom’s I’m OK with putting a bit of pressure on, same goes with Dad’s but I’ve come across grandparents before who didn’t want to be involved and I always let it go.  I often suspect that people think I’m motivated by money when we get into this territory and that perhaps they think that I only want more images to try and push them into purchasing more photographs.  Don’t get me wrong, I like to be able to pay the bills like anyone else.  I’m not against making money, but it’s not what drives me when I’ve got a camera in my hands. 

I want you to look good.  I want you to feel good.  I want you to look at your images and smile.  I want you to seek them out when you are melancholy or nostalgic and I want them to bring you comfort, happiness, and peace, not just for six months, or two years or until they are out of vogue.  Always.  That is my job, my calling, my gift to you and your gift to yourself when you hire me.  A legacy to pass down and share, a story of this moment that is unique and can never be experienced again, except perhaps, through photographs.

This morning when I logged into Facebook, I found out that the Grandpa from that shoot last year had passed away unexpectedly.  I found this news particularly distressing and here’s why; I’d failed.  I hadn’t known it until this morning, but I’d not done my job to the best of my ability.  It’s my job to capture the images that my clients hire me to take, but it’s also my job to capture the ones that they don’t even know they’ll want.  It’s my job to look into the future and think about the possibilities that no one else wants to think of and shoot accordingly.  When I told a friend about how I was feeling they said that I shouldn’t beat myself up about it, I’d asked and they’d declined.  What more did I think I should have done?  It’s true, I’m not going to force people into doing something that they don’t want, but, only I can know when I’ve tried my best to convince them, without being pushy or aggressive or rude.  It’s also true that every family probably has hundreds and hundreds of snapshots of various family members and this family is likely no different.  I’m certain they have plenty of photos of Grandpa and baby over the last twelve months.  But, they don’t have my photos of Grandpa and baby. 

I’m not beating myself up about this, I’m learning from it.  I’m rethinking what it means to work in a time when I’m repeatedly told that this industry is dying and that anyone with a camera is a photographer.  What I’ve realized is that for me it’s about connection and emotion and perspective and capturing those things for people in ways that they don’t even realize are important to them until the moment has passed.  That’s what I do and I need to do it to the best of my ability not only for my clients, but for myself too.

I wish I had photos, like the ones above, of myself and my daughter, but I don't.  I'm glad to have the photos of her that I do but if I'd stopped to think about it I may have made an effort to have a more well rounded representation of that fleeting time in both our lives

First Studio Shoot!

Today I tested out the seamless white background in my new in-home studio.  Yay!  The funniest thing about the shoot is that when I finally got the chance to use my new studio, I ended up using only natural light.  Doesn't that just figure?  It actually felt really nice to pick up my camera and much neglected 50mm lens and just shoot.  For once in my life I stopped worrying so darn much and had fun.  The studio won't be completely finished and ready for clients for another few weeks, but, until then I hope to have more fun shooting and learning all of the space's nuances as I go.