The Business of Photography - Selling more and making more money is fairly easy if you just follow these suggestions. .Selling Portraits: We have our portrait session where we make dozens and dozens of exposures (sometimes, we might even take a hundred pictures or more in a portrait session; especially if we're working with a family or group). Then, we send our clients home, telling them that we'll call them as soon as their prints come back. We then send the film or disk to our lab and have them make contact sheets for us; when we receive the contact sheets from the lab, we carefully examine each image, and pick out the very best 5 or 10 or 20 images (we never let our clients see ALL the images - there are always a bunch of exposures that turn out terrible)! There are those pictures where the client's eyes are closed (everybody blinks, and sometimes they blink just when we press that shutter button:); in other shots, the client moves their head or glances away and messes up our carefully-designed lighting. So we pick out the very best ten or twenty images out of all the pictures we made during the portrait sitting. The client never sees the imperfect images, only the very best of all our shots. Then, we have our lab make an 11 x 14 print of the best image, and then we have the next 5-10 best images made into 8 x 10 prints for us. The, we make 4 x 6 prints of perhaps about next 3-5 best images from the session. We then put the 11 x 14 print and maybe 3-4 of the 8 x 10 prints into beautiful frames. We set up all the pictures in our studio and call the client in to see all these lovely images (or we bring the pictures to our client's home or office for viewing). Of course, there are some portrait sessions wherein we make only a few pictures; perhaps a business executive wants one picture of himself for the company annual report, and isn't interested in any additional shots. But even then, always make at least a dozen exposures; that way we're sure of getting at least a couple of good images (just try to imagine how embarrassing it would be to call our client and tell him/her that we have to do the session all over again because none of the two or three pictures we took turned out good enough).

Why the frames? Because we also make quite a nice profit on selling picture frames, as well as pictures (albums, too)! The client ends up seeing only the most beautiful images (and thinks we're phenomenally-talented photographic artists:). They see how wonderful the pictures look in the lovely frames, and end up ordering lots of prints, and lots of frames. Always ask the client if grandma and grandpa would like some prints; after the client orders the 11 x 14s, 8 x 10s, 5 x 7s and 4 x 6 prints, always ask how many wallet-sized prints they would like. Write up a great order! Make a lot of money by making a lot of people very happy. Can you think of any better way to make a living? And, unless you're a gynecologist, in what other profession can you ask a magnificently beautiful girl (or guy, depending upon your outlook:) who you've only just met, to take off her clothes, and have her do so quickly and happily? Huh? AND get paid for doing it! Damn, I love photography! :-) BTW, no matter what your models may look like, always tell them they're beautiful/handsome; it makes them feel good about themselves, helps them loosen up for the camera, and is absolutely true - everyone has beauty, if only we have the eyes to see it. And therein lies the secret of every great photographer: he/she has developed the "photographic vision," the eyes to see the beauty in everything.

Buy a copy of Popular Photography, and every other photographic magazine you can find. Look for the ads that all the custom labs always have running in these magazines; also find the ads for wholesale suppliers of picture frames, albums, calendars, custom mugs, and poster-size prints. Call, e-mail, visit the web sites, or write to every supplier and ask for their wholesale price lists. Choose the labs and photographic suppliers you like, and compare prices and delivery times. Try out a few different sources, and after a while you'll have your favorite suppliers. You'll find that the prints and other supplies are surprisingly inexpensive, and you'll have a truly great markup for your profit. Wham, bam, you're on your way to a fun, creative, and wonderfully rewarding way to make a living doing something you love. What more can we ask out of life? OK, someone to love, perhaps? If you haven't met him/her yet, there are few better ways to find new friends (and lovers:) than through photography (after all, making people look great tends to impress them favorably, right?).

So give it a shot; there's no downside; if it works for you as a profession, great! If not, at the very least, you'll have a wonderful and creative hobby (along with the admiration of your friends and family). And at best, becoming a successful photographer means fame, fortune, and world travel; and the joys of the artistic creativity that accompanies such success aren't too difficult to learn to live with, huh? And don't forget about all the exquisitely beautiful / handsome models you'll be "forced" to work with, either! :) Hey, it's a tough job, but somebody has to do it, right? Life has few guarantees, but one thing you can be absolutely certain about is this: you can't possibly succeed unless you try.
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Photo Secrets Revealed: The Myth of the "one-shot" professional photographer

Most folks will look at a marvelous, prize-winning photo in a slick publication, and think that some great pro pointed his/her camera at the subject, took an exposure or two, and - Voila! A "perfect" photograph! Sometimes we let folks think that, but the reality is more like this: perhaps the most famous publication for stunning photographs is National Geographic Magazine. Most major National Geographic articles contain somewhere between 10 and 20 images. So how many pictures do you think the photographer(s) working on each assignment make to submit for each article? Thirty? Fifty? Maybe even five hundred? Five thousand? Nope! The world's greatest photographers make and submit an average of 36,000 images for an article which will contain only 10 or 20 of them. No, it's NOT a misprint - they make Thirty-six Thousand exposures for each assignment! Pity the poor photo editors who must view them all, and choose the best ten or twenty to include in the magazine. That's an average of over two thousand pictures the world's finest photographers will make for each picture that makes it into the magazine. Don't believe me? Just call National Geographic Magazine and ask them yourself.

The point here is to understand two things about photography: one, nobody, no matter how experienced, and no matter how sophisticated his/her equipment (cameras, lenses, exposure meters, etc.), knows exactly how a shot will come out ahead of time; and two, the greatest photographers are the most dedicated. Think about it for a moment; have you ever made 36,000 pictures for a single project at one time? Don't feel bad - neither have I - but then again, I'm not one of the world's greatest photographers (heck, if I could afford all that film, maybe I could be:).

The lesson? 1) Don't think there's ever going to be a time where you can predict exactly which shot will be perfectly exposed (so make many exposures), and don't hesitate to use film; burn up as much film as you possibly can, and then shoot a few more rolls (no, I don't own stock in a film company); and 2) for every important shot, bracket like mad! "Bracketing" in case you aren't sure, is the practice of determining (or guessing) the proper exposure for a certain shot (using meters, charts, or experience), then using those settings for a few shots, then making additional shots both under and over those settings (i.e., 1/3 of a stop under and 1/3 of a stop over, 1/2 of a stop under and 1/2 of a stop over, 3/4 of a stop under & over, a full stop under & over, etc.). This way, chances are, at least one (and probably a few) of the pictures will come out virtually "perfect!" Many of the new cameras can be set to automatically bracket your shots for you, so (as much as I know we hate to read manuals) READ YOUR MANUAL and learn how to get the most out of your camera. Remember, greatness demands dedication. Hell, even mediocracy requires some serious study. You don't have to learn everything at once, just a few minutes a day will help. But I warn you, if you get some studio lighting equipment, you just might find yourself happily snapping away for hours at a time; I've often looked up from my camear's viewfinder only to discover that the whole night slipped away, and it was light out again!

The Power fallacy: Wouldn't I be better off buying one more powerful light instead of 2 or 3 less powerful lights (either strobes or continuous digital/video lights)? Wouldn't I be better off using a dedicated flash attached to my camera, rather than using separate, independant lights? The answer? To make a long story short, NO!

To make a long story a bit longer, while still covering the important reasons why every pro photographer and videographer, and almost all advanced amateurs all use separate, pro lights, take a deep breath, kick back, and read the following few paragraphs. I promise you, when youre finished, it will make you a better photographer, videographer, and/or moviemaker. Many photography schools charge students thousands of dollars for this information. Here, whether or not you ever buy anything from me, its 100% FREE! Can't beat the price, huh?

First, the worst possible kind of lighting equipment is a light built-into our cameras; the next worst is a dedicated light (e.g. flash units) attached to our cameras. So why are they there? Because they're better than nothing when you can't get the shot without more light. Along with modern technological advancements, many built-in flash or continuous units do a pretty decent job for us when we have no other choice. But lighting coming from the camera's position basically sucks. See here for details on this subject, and how to make a simple "bounce" reflector to eliminate red-eye (as shown in the image to your left).

It's often common for beginners in studio photography to confuse the value of power output (watt seconds with strobes and watts with continuous lighting equipment) with efficacy (the usefulness and value). True, we should buy the most powerful set of lights that will fit our needs without being too powerful to work in the area in which we're using them, but what's much more important than simple power is our ability to position multiple lights to produce the best possible image. As far as power goes, if you can afford a multiple set of powerful lights, then that's absolutely the way to go. But if money is a limiting factor for you, then you should seriously consider the following information before plunking down your hard-earned dollars. As an example, if we're doing a portrait session, a few 40-150WS strobes or 100-300 watt continuous lamps will do the job just fine. It's more important to have 2 less powerful lights to light our victims than it is to have one much more more powerful light (because in portraiture awa product photography, we need at least 2 oppositely-placed light sources at minimum - and if we can afford it, 3 - 5 lights to give us the best results). With 2 lights, we have the main light (to light the highlight side of our victim's face), and the fill light (to light the shadow side of the face), giving us the interplay of light and shadow which are necessary for the depth and texture characteristic of professional portraiture (or product photography). Ideally, with 4 lights (2 for lighting the face or product), the third light will be our background light, and the fourth our hair light. The backlight is the "secret" of eliminating the shadows that fall behind our subjects that plague many of our amateur images.(lighting the backdrop, not only gives us the three dimensional look and separation between our subject and the background, but also - and more importantly - to blows away all the ugly shadows), and the 4th light is a hair light to give us that shiny, healthy, "glow" on the hair!

Far more important than power, is having the ability to appropriately light our subjects to get the best images. Sure, 3 or 4 powerful lights will eventually be more useful to us than 3 or 4 less powerful units (and if you can afford 2 or 3 or more powerful lights, definitely go for it)! Ideally, at least two MonoLight strobes - with modeling lights - or continuous lights, and a third for a backlight, would be an ideal starter package. If you can afford the MonoLight strobes with modeling lights, or a similar number of continuous lights, absolutely go that route! It will make your photographic life much easier. But if you can only spend a certain amount of money, and can afford either one powerful light, or 2 or 3 less powerful lights (for portraiture, or small to medium product photography, for example), you'll be better off with the 2 or 3 less powerful lights, than you'd be with the one more powerful unit, for lighting your subject. Look at it like this: Sure, a big 18-wheeler truck is much, much, more powerful than a passenger car; and it would be a necessity for hauling around 2 or 3 elephants; but if all you need a vehicle for is to take you to work, the kids to school, on vacations, and on your way around town, you're much better off with the passenger car - ever try to park an 18-wheeler on the street, or in the mall or supermarket parking lot (or anywhere else, for that matter)? Do you really need a gigantic, smoke-belching, 900 horsepower diesel engine and a10-gear manual transmission? See? I hope I've been able to shed some light on this for you (sorry, I just couldn't resist). ;-)
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So basically, if your budget will allow for it, get the most powerful set of lights you can comfortably afford (without overpowering your subjects), and try to get as many strobes that come with modeling lights as you can. But there are lots of us who would love to get started in studio photography, but just can't afford the more expensive units. See above for more information on this.

Sure, I'm in business to sell professional lighting equipment; but not by taking advantage of decent folks. Most other suppliers would love to sell you the most expensive (and profitable) equipment they possibly could (whether or not it would actually be what you really needed). But I do business somewhat differently; I realize that each and every one of my customers is a photographically-inclined homo sapien, a decent person, just like I am (at least like I hope I am:); every one of my customers would love to be able to make great images (just like I would), and more importantly, every customer is someone just like me: a human being struggling with life and light and beauty and photographic creativity. Someone who I'd be proud to have as a friend. When I started this business, I promised myself I would treat everyone with all the honesty and respect and decency I possibly could. I may not succeed all the time, but I will do the very best I can to do so. Trying our best is about all we can expect from each other, isn't it? Thank you again for reading this far. May the Photographic Force be with you! You can see my business philosophy, here, if you're interested.

Most of all, what you'll need to guarantee success when photographing children is an open heart, patience, and love for children; if you have that (and I'd bet you do), the fabulous images will come easy to you. Bracket your shots and burn up lots of film or use large memory cards - kids require it. And children (just like animals) KNOW, instinctively, who to trust, and to those of us who are blessed with a heart full of love for children and dogs and cats (and even iguanas:), it's guaranteed that we'll will tease from our subjects priceless images.

If you're going to the subject's home, ask the parents to have several changes of clothing and the children's favorite colorful toys ready; if the children are coming to your studio, or if you're going to an outdoor setting, have the parents bring these things along with them.

Now here's where we get to the important parts: Get down on the ground with the children, and shoot from their level (images taken from above - looking down upon the subject - imply that they are below us, subservient to us, something inferior to or less than equal to the photographer as well as the viewer of the image; we don't "look down" upon kids, we photograph them as equals, with respect and admiration. They are no less deserving than adults of our respect, so - if anything - we are honored by their presence and their trust of us. Do not betray their trust by photographing them in inferior positions; get down to their level, and with kindness, patience, and love, make images of them. See the wonder. joy, and divinity in the eyes of every child, and you will be blessed with beautiful pictures in every photo session. Try different things; take a piece of cloth - an old towel or blanket, tear a hole in it, throw it over the child and let him/her look out at us (and the world) through the hole. Make at least a dozen shots of that child's eyes or face peering out at the world through the hole in the cloth. Have the child sit on a colorful ball; tie something to a piece of string and swing it back and forth over the child's head, as you catch the child looking at and reaching for the swinging thing, capture several glorious pictures with the child reaching for the sky.

Drag it (a toy or other gizmo) along the ground on a string, and let the child crawl after it. Forget what the books tell you to do and follow your heart. Smile a lot. Hug the kids a lot. Let them touch the camera (but not the glass on the lens); let them touch us. Like we are, they, too, are a child of God, divinity resides in their hearts (as in ours). Give them breaks whenever they need one. Care. Do that, and there's no possible way to fail. Make up your own "games" and techniques to elicit the magic from children. Try anything that comes to mind - keep the techniques that work, and discard those that don't. Play; learn; have fun. BE a kid. Remember the excitement of finding a new bug or getting a new toy; c'mon, we were ALL kids once, so just become a kid again - even for just a little while. Reach deep down, and pull out those memories (the good ones, anyway). Become something filled with wonder again. I promise, it doesn't hurt. Smile a lot. Tell the children you're photographing how handsome or beautiful they are. Tell them what great kids they are. They're kids - they'll believe you - and believing makes it true. Have fun with your photography; be happy doing it. Read the musings below for an idea of how important photography is to folks.

Kick back, relax, get to know your equipment, and - most importantly of all (did i mention this before?) have fun! Do what you love, and you'll never work another day in your life. If you make a thousand exposures and don't get a single usable picture, will the world come to an end? Will you die then and there? No! So what's the worst possible outcome? You'll go out and buy another hundred rolls of film or erase the memory card and do it all over again. But what happens when you succeed? Will success, fame and fortune destroy your life? Possibly, but not likely! So realize that this is a no-lose situation for you. I don't care if you order anything from me (really!). I'm doing well enough (thank goodness) so all I really want is to see you succeed. You don't need a ton of equipment to make a great image; all you need is the desire and will to try. "Giving up" is for losers. The very instant that you give up trying is the instant that you fail. You're not a loser; you're a winner (if you weren't, you wouldn't be reading this). So go for it! You have very little to lose, and a whole lot to gain.
Also see this tip on making lots more money when photographing kids.

Would only that I had more time to better explain all things photographic! As with most art forms, photography can often seem complex and confusing; however, once understood, it is uncommonly rewarding! And I promise you, it's NOT anywhere near as confusing as most photographic experts would have us believe! You can be making fabulous pictures within a week! For a brief but easily understood review of the most common technical questions concerning photography see here.

Consider that - with most people - among their most cherished possessions are photographs. They'll often pull out a treasured and time-worn album, or an old shoe box, stuffed with pictures of themselves, their friends, and their family; "this was me as a baby," they'll say, "and here's my grandfather - oh, how I loved him!" It's not uncommon for a photograph to bring tears to our eyes, and bring us back to a time - yesterday or long ago - where something meaningful occurred, to us or to someone we loved. Beauty comes in many forms, and to some of us it may be a picture of us, covered in mud and huffing and puffing in that football game we played in high school; to others it might be that wonderful dress we wore to our prom; but no matter what touched our hearts, or who we loved, or how hard we tried, the images of those memories will always remain among our most treasured possessions. And the better the image, the more joy (or anguish) it will elicit in us and our clients. A good photograph or video is a family heirloom, and will bring joy and memories to generations yet unborn. Remember, whenever a disaster threatens, the old box of photographs are among the first possessions folks pack up to save - even before the jewelry! "Things" can be replaced - photographs - once destroyed - are gone forever, along with the memories.

Our pictures will introduce us to those we never knew, those to whom we are precursors, and who were born long after we have passed away, and will testify of our lives to our great-great-great grandchildren. How fortunate we are to live in an age of photography! Those of ages past never knew of those who preceded them, unless they were rich and able to afford a portrait painter - and hope the artist was talented enough to create an accurate representation. So ply your photographic craft with appropriate pride, knowing that your pictures will be kept and treasured long, long, after you've forgotten about the day when you made them. And as your talent increases, so will your income; don't price yourself out of the market, of course, but realize that your images will bring pleasure and joy to your clients, as well as their progeny over the years.

And yes, YOU can make beautiful images - it doesn't take the genius of an Einstein, nor does it take 20 years of assiduous study; later today, you can make a wonderful picture. Just read a bit on my web site and eBay auctions, and you can start to improve your pictures today. Photography is the ultimate equal opportunity profession! I've seen fabulous images made by 10 year old kids, as well as 90 year old great-grandparents. The image doesn't give a whit how old or young the photographer is; the camera cares not who presses its shtter button.
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All are equal before the justice of the lens; the rich and powerful, the poor and impotent, the young and the old, the pavement artist and Michelangelo. None can buy the beauty of a photograph; the image cares not whether it was captured by a $50,000.00 camera and lens or by a cardboard box with a pinhole in it. No one can "fake it" in photography (yes, the digital revolution has made it possible to do amazing things to our images - but the beauty and majesty must be there first). And few can make great images until they realize the great lie. The injustice is in tricking people into believing that it's tremendously difficult to learn photography. It's not. However, as with any task, it does require some training, some education, and some effort. But you CAN learn to make wonderful images - if only you'll try.

Photographs are small "pieces" of time, a slice of life, an instant in someone's life which, unlike ourselves, will never age and never forget the particular moment in which they were made; subject not to fancy nor forgetfulness, but an eternal witness to what was - and to who made them. Why was Man moved to create the photographic arts? I think that all of us, throughout recorded history, have always yearned for some way to preserve the images out of which our lives developed. I'll illustrate: Perhaps the greatest poetic call for the art of photography to find life, the desperate emotional longing for photography to be invented, can be found this quote from Keats' Ode to a Grecian Urn:

O Attic shape! fair attitude! with breed
Of marble men and maidens overwrought,
With forest branches and the trodden weed;
Thou, silent form, dost tease us out of thought
As doth eternity. Cold pastoral!

When old age shall this generation waste,
Thou shalt remain, in midst of other woe
Than ours, a friend to man, to whom thou say'st:
"Beauty is truth, truth beauty, - that is all
Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know."

What Keats is saying, as he sits and admires an ancient Grecian Urn with painted images of young men and young women playing and loving in a forest, is that the painted people on the urn, like those in a photograph will never age or grow old; they will remain young and vibrant and carefree forever, "a friend to man," and, unlike us, real people who grow old and die, they will never age, and never die. Just as in a photograph - and written a century before photography became a reality. Isn't this a beautiful and poetic longing for photography to be invented? I wonder why it is always the poets who first express the need, the desire, the longing, for that which exists not - but should? "Beauty is truth, truth beauty."

In a more contemporary example, Paul Simon tells us:

"Some people never say the words 'I love you,'
It's not their style to be so bold,
Some people never say those words 'I love you,'
But like a child, they're longing to be told."
- Paul Simon ~ Something So Right

Photographers are the poets of light and life and love. Every photograph is someone longing to be told that someone loves them. Every picture we make of someone is a message of love. Photographers capture the beauty and horror and truth of our world. And a "photographer" is all of us; each and every one of us has, next to us, or stashed away somewhere, a camera (or else you wouldn't be reading this:). Why? Because "Beauty is truth, truth beauty." A "photograph" is a tiny piece of time, and a piece of truth; a photograph gives us beauty, and gives our lives continuity and validation. A photograph bears witness of that which was; of that which is beautiful; of that which is horrible; of that which can move and influence us. Gazing at a photograph, we can fall instantly in love - or recoil in horror from witnessing a great injustice. A picture can change the world. Your pictures can elicit tears of joy and tears of love, and tears of anguish, and memories long buried and brought to the minds and hearts of your clients.

So, gentle visitor, I applaud you for arriving here, and I thank you for reading this far. I encourage you to take the time to learn how to create great images, and I promise you that you CAN do it. If I can do it, you surely can, too! I'm not an artist or a genius; in fact, I spent years in ignorance of beauty (see this for my story of learning to see beauty). All it takes is a little time and effort. I can assure you that it is worth the time and effort it takes to learn how to make a wonderful image.