Baby Steps

[vlad khavin]

<p>

A few weeks ago, I sent out some emails to local photographers, looking for a

chance to assist and learn. Some of those even came back as possible maybes,

and a couple even more positive than that. Needless to say, I am very excited

about the oppotunities that could come from that. Meanwhile, I've been trying

to come up with ways to beef up my portfolio. Well... to be honest, more create

a portfolio than beef up an existing one. What I have at the moment is a very

small collection of images that I like quite well, but very few (likely none)

would really be appropriate for a wedding portfolio. (None of them clearly show

someone that looks like a bride.)

</p>

<p>

I figure that in order to learn to photograph people, I should be photographing

people, and not what I've been doing, which is essentially practicing techniques

on inanimate objects. To solve this problem, I am thinking of putting up an ad

in a few places locally, offering free on-location type portraits in exchange

for permission to use the images in my portfolio. I figure this will give me

some valuable experience in working with people, and should hopefully give me a

chance to use the stuff I've been practicing on human subjects. Not to mention,

it should give me some images to show future clients when I actually get to the

point where I am (more) ready to book a first wedding.

</p>

<p>

To more or less give myself a more legitimate-feeling identity, I built a

website, that shows my work to date and provides basic things like contact

information. I figure people might be more comfortable letting someone take

their picture if they can be given a URL, and they can see that sort of thing.

So. After that long-winded introduction...

</p>

<ol>

<li>

Overall, is this the right track to go on for someone starting out? (I know the

assisting is, I am curious about the other stuff)

</li>

<li>

If you wouldn't mind, take a look at <a

href="http://www.khavinphotography.com">Khavin Photography</a> and tell me what

you think of the site. If you can comment on the pictures in the gallery, small

as it is, I would appreciate it all the more. This site is far from specific to

weddings, but that is where I would like to head, so I figure you are the right

folks to ask.

</li>

</ol>

Thanks in advance,<br>

Vlad

[blakley]

Vlad,

 

I think your approach is very deliberate, and likely to work well if you stick with it. Offering free portraits in exchange for modelling is a good idea - don't forget to get written releases from the models which allow you to use the images to promote your work. You can probably get an inexpensive size-6 or -8 wedding dress at a used clothing store which you could then use with your models to get a formal shot for your portfolio.

 

The pictures on your website are nice, and the site itself is easy to navigate and visually attractive. The portraits are good, and you can replace the still lifes with more wedding-oriented material as you get more sessions under your belt.

 

The pages on the site are somewhat slow to load - you might consider redesigning a bit to fix this problem.

 

Good luck!

[Gary Naka]

Don't forget relatives and friends. They are "cheap" models and will likely be easier to work with in the beginning since you know them.

[timberwulf]

Your site looks pretty good. Easy to navigate, loads quickly, most of the stuff I like to see is there.

 

I'm not sure I'd have my equipment listed though. No one other than other photographers really cares, and it's just a point for a potential customer to get snobby and not call you. Remember, if the equipment is reasonably high quality, it's the photographer that matters. :)

[timcorridan]

you can put a add in craigslist. although it is sometimes flooded w/ new-ish wedding photographers, its free, and quite often there are adds for "trade for portfolio". call the wedding dress shops for torn, messed up throw away wedding gowns. ask friends to shoot their children for free. every parent wants nice photos of their kids, but spending $150 every year they change, isn't an option for most. good luck. if it goes slow, just keep moving forward.

[jon jacobson]

Your website states its existance is to document. If this is the case, it's a great site!

 

If its true intent is to be the gravity for hire, than Garry is being kind. Absolutely, ditch the equipment page! Maybe add it back when you've invested $50,000 in gear.

 

Also, I'd recommend losing the "apartment" number. Just use "#" or maybe something like "Suite No." A buddy of mine runs a significant business out of his home and has one of those Mailboxes Etc type mail boxes for his business address. Instead of "Box No." he uses "Suite No." Very smart idea!

 

I booked my first weddings with pictures of lighthouses and waterfalls without having ever assisted. Well, okay, I had a few wedding shots from friends' weddings too. Others here have assisted for years. It's all a matter of what you know you can do & want and your level of self confidence. I personally don't recommend doing what I did!

 

Either way, it's never an overnight success. Baby steps is the right idea.

 

(just don't blow up Dr Leo Marvin's house like at the end of that movie!) :)

[vlad khavin]

Hehehehehe! Right. I'll try not to blow anything up in the process of learning.

 

Seriously... thanks for all the comments! Great ideas, and I appreciate folks taking a look.

 

At the moment, the site is to document, and to provide to potential employers (like photographers looking for assistants) as a sample of what I have done. Which is why I included the equipment page; to show what equipment I am currently familiar with, beyond saying "Yeah, I've used a camera before." But the more I think about it, the more I think you're right, I should probably lose that page.

 

And the thing about the appartment number... I'll fix that when I get home. "#" looks better than "Apt."

 

I've tried going down the friends and relatives route. The shots I have up there that have people are of friends. Family is a bit of a tricky thing; I'm in Kansas, they're in New Jersey. Convincing my wife to pose is often a challenge, though it's happened before. (The b&w image is proof. Heh.) I'll certainly try and convince more of the friends around here to pose for me though. It can't hurt.

 

The target audience for the ad was going to be either college students, who don't have money for professionally done portraits (unless Mom and Dad are paying), and perhaps some of the lower income families. Lawrence is a college town, but also has a large population of folks that simply call it home, and the demographic runs the full range. I'll post the text of the ad I was going to put up, and see what you folks think of that. I figure that by aiming for that group of folks, the responses I will get (if any) are not from folks that would go to one of the local pros for photos.

[vlad khavin]

<p>Right. So. This is the text of the ad. Any feedback is appreciated.</p>

 

<p style="width: 600px; border: 1px solid #333333; padding: 10px;">

Need Photos? Don't Have The Money?<br>

This May Be Your Answer!<br>

<br>

From life events to just needing some great pictures to send to family and friends, there are times when taking pictures your self is not possible. Sometimes, the services of a professional photographer are just not in the budget. If hiring a professional is something that you can afford, I urge you to give your business to the many great photographers in the area. The results you will get will be well worth the money spent. But if that is not an option, then this may be the opportunity for you.<br>

<br>

I am a photographer, working on establishing a portfolio. In exchange for written permission to use your photos in my portfolio, I will photograph you at the location of your choice (within reason), and provide you with the high-resolution digital files that you can print at your discretion. My interest in this is to obtain images that I can use to show as examples of my work, which is why this service is being offered free of charge, for a limited time.<br>

<br>

Lets set up a time to take some great pictures! For more information, or to schedule a time, please contact<br>

<br>

[insert contact info here]

</p>

[blakley]

I would say "print at your convenience" rather than "print at your own discretion"; the latter gives the idea that the pictures might not be good, and you do not want to create that thought in peoples' minds (or your own).

[vlad khavin]

Thanks again, Bob! Good catch, I hadn't thought of that interpretation of the phrasing.

[medina photography cherry]

Vlad,

 

Of course the catch 22 of photography is you need a portfolio (For all intense purposes) to show clients your work, but you need clients to take pictures. Anyway, when I was first starting out I put an ad in the local community paper. I offered free photo sessions to the first 25 people that contacted me (need some motivation) Well out of the three who called, I shot none. None of them wanted me to do it for free and all of them wanted to come to my studio- of which I do not have. So in the end I wasted my money. One major thing that probably killed me was that I advertised in a community paper where the average readers income is $120,000.00, so they aren't hurting. On the flip side, I did not want to go to a regional paper and have to go to the slums to shoot either.

So I got a website and subscribed to service like weddj, etc, where you buy leads. I got a couple of jobs from that and helped me build my portfolio. I started out trying to take pictures for the lower income families. I believed that they deserve great images regardless of their income as well. But let me tell you a very clear message that I learned. If someone works hard for something, they appreciate it alot more. I found that everytime I gave a break to a lower income couple, they did not appreciate it at all. I vowed never to do that again and trippled my fees and work for people now who actually tell you how much they love your work!

Just my story- sorry to be so long winded.