lucid image

<p>I am shooting a wedding tomorrow and the weather is calling for substantial rain:-( In the past I have just tolerated having my external slave flashes and trigger getting damp, but now also have radiopoppers connected and was more concerned about moisture damaging them. My question is does anyone have any suggestions on a homemade option to keep the moisture out? I was thinking that clear plastic bags just lightly taped around the units would work, but does anyone have a better suggestion. Thanks in advance:-)</p>

<p>I am in the midst of designing a new website with the help of Big Folio design and had a question about galleries to post. I have a specialization in family portraiture, but would also like to put more focus on my lifestyle tourism and stock travel work, so I have created title galleries for these as well. My question and concern is in regards to my sub-categories under portraits which now include family/seniors location and studio. I have always had a less prominent "glamour/boudoir section on my old website, but with the new layout it will be given more prominence. These are not nudes and are tastefully done, some pin-up, some with a more sensual aspect. I would like to promote this aspect of the business, but wonder if it would add the wrong image to the business with the family/grad galleries. Any thoughts, opinions please:-)</p>

I have been slowly entering into the commercial/editorial world this pat

year, as my business expands and evolves. The question I have is regarding my

prices. I am located in a small town (6,000), with 2 cities within 30 minutes

with combined population of 350,000+. I have been setting my current work at

the rate of $245.00/hr, $450.00/1/2 day, $800.00/day, which includes usage/post

processing/occasional assistant. To keep it simple for client I thought it

simple to give the one price, as opposed to going the x#$ for this, x#$ for

that, etc route which makes sense to a photographer, but not some clients. Last

year I did a multi-day job (20 full days) for a tourism organization and was

happy with the $16,000 paycheck, and the job continues, but I want to get my

pricing in line before getting in too deep. I just got a sample request:

 

Tuesday March 25 ? photo shoot in Sarnia from 2:30-5:30 pm ? to include one

large interior group shot ? board members and several interior and exterior

shots of the facility.

Wednesday March 26 ? photo shoot in Chatham from 3-5 pm ? same as above

**complete usage for all images

 

I realize the request is a little vague, and I would request more details from

the client before the final pricing, but would my noted pricing be a good

marketbase, or am I low-balling. This is a timely situation, so any help would

be greatly appreciated:-)

 

Sean

Thanks! BTW, my course market has been, in the past beginner to intermediate photographers (1/3 of the class being REALLY beginners, but I would like to try to target this course to more serious-at least advanced beginners. I live in a small community, so being a little too exclusive in topic may not be fruitful to the numbers:-)

I hope I am posting this question in the most appropriate forum, but if

not, I would appreciate if the administrators put it in a more logical

position.

My question is in regards to the creation of my own photo workshop. I did

one last year which was strictly in-class and more education, with no 'hands-

on' instruction. I covered the basics of the digital world, from the basics of

the camera (week 1), through composition (week 2), very basic CS2 and elements

instruction (week 3), and output options (week 4). This time I would like to

be more intensive, with hands-on 'homework assignments' and a field trip, in

addition to the in-classroom instruction. My skeleton outline goes as follows:

 

Week 1: Understanding Manual Functions

Week 2: Composition

Week 3: Lighting

Week 4: ??/Field Trip

Week 5: In Class Review/Critical Viewing of Field Trip Pictures

 

My concerns are that a) I don't have a topic for week 4 and b) I don't know

if I feel completely confident about the outline. It needs something, maybe a

focus point, like 'Travel', or 'Photographing Your Family', I just don't know

what it needs, and I am really struggling. Since there are both students, and

educators on this board, I am confident I can get the direction I need. If

educators have suggestions on course outlines/topics I should address, or if

students can suggest topics they would really like to learn, I would be most

appreciative. Thanks so much for ANY help:-)

 

Sean

I have been asked by an ad agency to send further samples of my work after

a meeting we had. I think the meeting went well, they enjoyed my work and have

interest. I would like to send the samples in the most professional manner

possible, and feel simply attaching them to an email is not the best way. Any

suggestions? Thanks in advance:-)

 

Sean

I have been hoping to have the opportunity to cover the West coast tour of

2 bands I consider to be a worthy subject for a magazine feature. I have done

journalistic/travel photography on the side for pleasure and business, but have

never attempted something as complex as this. My question is, do I query the

magazines first and then contact the press/media relations/label people of the

respective bands, using the magazine interest as fuel to my cause, or will the

magazines not even bat an eye unless you have a confirmation from one/both

bands involved. Just want to know in what order I should approach this. This

is a timely issue and any help in this matter would be most appreciative.

 

Sean

...outside of the city? I posted a few days ago, and still haven't received a

response. Please if anyone has ANY thoughts/experience, about the direction I

am heading or has experience in this area.

 

Original Post:

 

I have recently began a slow shift in my photo operation from portrait/wedding

driven work to more commercial/advertising work. I have done a number of jobs

for local business since opening my office and small studio at the end of July

and landed a great-and substantial-tourism contract which occupied my summer

months and which I found very satisfying and a put a new, fresh twist on where

and what my business is going and becoming. I have decided to tap a very good

contact I have made (she is artistic director at a major advertising agency in

a large city center about 2 hours from my current small town location)and see

if I could take the logical next step in furthering my direction.She emailed me

back in a very positive tone and would love for me to travel down and see her,

but her only concern is that I be able to quote competitivly with a city based

photographer with my distance away. I am just a little confused, as I would

think that with my lower living/rent/etc. expenses of living in a small center

would equal out to the travel/time costs I may have if I had to go to the city

to shoot certain contracts. Please, if anyone can help me see what I am missing

here? Is there something I am not considering in attempting to make gains from

this angle. Can a small town boy not make it on the city level...and make

money? Anyone here run a commercial studio/work with advertising agencies from

a small town and have stories. Please...I need help and fast...I will be

meeting in a week and would like to feel confident in every aspect about my

pursuit. Thanks!

 

Sean

I have been contacted (actually it has been a long selection process) by a

new tourism board set to completely strip down and rebuild the overall image of

a significant tourist driven city (1,000,000 people yearly). They have given

me an outline of their requirements which include images from every significant

event, restaurant, musicians, and unique 'draw worthy' detail in the

surrounding area (their summer requirements alone include over 50 separate

image making ideas, each taking at least a half day of shooting/half day

editing/archiving(minimum). The contract is ongoing for one year, with options

on second and third. All images are property of said organization in

perpetuity with full blanket usage.

I must now provide them with my expectations on a monetary level. I

currently set my day rate at $800.00, which includes all facets of creative

development including shooting, editing, archiving and burning of images. Is

this the ballpark I should be looking at for a project like this. Should I

lower my rate for ongoing work even though there is no guarantee on minimum,

just a stated goal from the tourism board. Am I already low-balling myself and

missing the big picture on advertising pricing (I am primarily a portrait

photographer and my only comparison to a job with usage factored in is when I

do office employees or sell work to magazines)? I am a little unsure of the

position I should take on something like this.

I should state I already searched the archives of this great board and

took in some information on the topic, but I cannot find the direct answers I

need for an ongoing project of this length. Please, Please any direction would

be most appreciated:-)

I have decided to try my hand at education as an off season income builder

and to recharge my batteries teaching people who are now in the position I was

only a few years ago. I have my first 2 nights covered dealing with the

camera, photo composition and a basic understanding of lighting. It's the third

and fourth evening segment I need help with. I will be dealing with post-

processing the first night and output options (slide/web/print) the second

night. Although I have stated my focus will be with the software I use (Adobe

CS2), I will be showing calibration using Monaco Optix and showing plugins like

Artistic Album and Pixel Genius. My concern is that I am sure many of these

people will like cheaper options, as it is a beginner/amateur course, so I

would like any suggestions on software I can put forward as alternatives for

people interested in achieving good home results that will fit in nicely with

the courseline. ANY help would be MOST appreciated. Thanks in advance:-)

 

Sean

Thanks for the quick response. One more thing, am I getting the benefit of RAW by converting to TIFF, or would I get the same results shooting JPG and batch converting to 16bit TIFF...or are JPGs all shot at a 8bit depth by default?

OK, here it goes. I feel rather embarassed that with the amount of

digital work I have personally done over the last 1 1/2 years, I don't already

have an answer to this seemingly elementary question. I shoot my images in

RAW to give more flexibility in post process. My workflow involves

sorting/deleting and bumping up exposure on underexposed shots in Digital

Photo Pro and then batch converting into 16bit TIFF. I then do all my colour

adjustment, highlight adjustment, cropping, sharpening, etc in CS2 and save in

a new/finished folder (my original TIFF files are burned to DVD/backed up on

external). I use a number of plugins like PixelGenius and Artistic Tools to

gain my final product. A couple of days ago I downloaded the trial version of

Bibble Pro 4.9 and really like it, but feel that processing in Bibble and then

making more adjustments in CS2 is increasing my workload, not speeding it up.

My question is, have I been doing it wrong for the last year by doing my

work on a TIFF file and not a RAW file? Should I actually be concentrating my

efforts to basically have a corrected file BEFORE I batch convert to TIFF. Am

I loosing the benefit of RAW doing my work on a converted file? Please Help:-)

 

Sean

Thanks to everyone for their quick responses. To answer a few questions that arose. I have online proofing and do plan on using it, but thought that the sale may be lost unless offered on-sight in the excitement of the night. Like the one comment about sales dropping at events like this because of the instant gratification of the digi-cam, I thought kids would want the same with these...but maybe I'm wrong. I was going to sell at $15.00 (CAN) a "sheet". 8 1/2x11 as 8x10, 2 5x7, 9 wallets, printed on-sight, or pre-paid school delivery..if that will work better. As far as my "plan" regarding the shooting, I was thinking a "speakers corner" type of set-up offering that "candid-posed" fun shot that I would think an 17-18 year old would want. Am I aiming in the right direction?

 

Sean

I was contacted by the local grad committee today asking how much I would

charge to set up a corner to take photos of the senior grad attendees at this

spring's graduation dance. I quoted at $250 (CAN), being a student committee

I felt charging my usual event coverage hourly rate of $215.00/hr was too

high, but still felt I needed to make it worth the trouble of set-up/assistant

hire for on-sight printing, etc. I have 2 questions...the first, am I being

fair in my charges and the second, how do I go about on-sight printing. I

have a calibrated laptop and Epson 2400 printer. I have been considering

purchasing Bibble Pro for its processing capabilities and also recognize that

it has the software I need to shoot my 30d images direct to the computer for

viewing. If I wire in my 2400, will I have my fully operational on-sight

print operation, or is there something I am missing. Oh ya, one last thing,

does anybody have any experience doing something like a grad dance..am I

crazy, or can it be a good money making night out? Thanks:-)

 

Sean

I guess my work is getting some recognition, as I had my first request

from a local (50 miles) camera club to present at a meeting of theirs. I have

many ideas in mind and have no problem with making quasi-interesting

discussions. I have done a number of gratuit travel (non-photo) presentations

over the last couple of years, but never one to do with my primary

occupation. The president of this club asked (via email) what I would charge

and I really had no idea. I feel I should make a little something for my

time/travel, but how much...$50.00, $100.00. Anybody done these type of

presentations before to small-mid sized camera clubs?? Please help, so I can

make an educated reply. Thanks in advance.

 

Sean

I need a little guidance in what to do with the large number of

documentary/travel and fine art images I have collected through personal

adventures over the last few years. I have a growing portrait/wedding

business www.lucidmusings.com (went full time in November..yay!!), but also

attend several events and have a penchant for out of the norm travel. So my

question is, should I just treasure this collection of images I have for

personal enjoyment, or is there a logical way of making a side income from

them. I really don't feel I have the quantity (or the time to maintain the

quantity) to put them on a RM site like Digital Railroad, and the quality may

not reach the level of a Corbis, or a Getty agency, so this leaves me RF sites

and personal sales through vehicles like SmugMug. I have read a fair amount

about RF sites and it seems that it is a pretty amateurish and compromised way

to go about it. SmugMug looks good, but how do you get sales, unless my site

is top ranked Google. Also, how do you attract print/image buyers if it is

seemlessly hooked up to my wedding site...or is it a seperate entity. Any

feelings?? Any experience with a similiar situation?? Any help remotely

helpful would be most appreciated...negative and positive.

It is the beginning of a new year and a time to set goals for 2007. I

have set 2. The first is to upgrade my inhouse (home) operations into a full

service store space w/custom enlargements/framing and a small studio space.

The second is to start to branch out my portrait/wedding business in new

directions like advertising. My question is how does a portrait/wedding

photographer approach an advertising agency, when you have no "advertising"

examples. Is it the content they look for, or your style and flair? My

existing portfolio would consist of wedding/portrait/travel/documentary/with a

scattering of food and web work I did for a local Inn. Should I collect my

best 20 of what I have in an 8x10 folio and just go knocking, or what is the

procedure?? Any comments would be most appreciated.

 

Sean

 

www.lucidmusings.com

 

http://lucidmusingslight.blogspot.com

Thank everyone so much for their feelings. Negative or positive, you have really made me think about whether, or not I should title at all. In all honesty, I did not have them titled in the first place, but the posting asked for one and I literally spent about 30 seconds to come up with a title for each, as seems aparent to many of the posters. That being said, I have had no comments, whatsoever on the emotional impact or composition of the few photos I did post, or get much response to my initial question. Any comments regarding these factors would be much appreciated. Thanks again to all:-)

 

Sean

I ordered the book, thanks for the info. I just posted the images to give an idea of my angle, as the one gentleman had requested a downsize (I errored on the original upload)and thought I would give a few examples. All the best!

 

Sean

..and one last..<div></div>

...one more...<div></div>

and another...<div></div>

Sorry,

 

Here is the downsized pic.<div></div>

My question is regarding how exactly to best approach a gallery with my

photos. I am a portrait/wedding photographer, but this year decided to take

my personal interest in travel and my talent in photography and create

something out of it. The resulting effort is a series of photos from Klintsy,

Russia; Kiev, Ukraine and Pripyat, covering the current state of this part of

the world 20 years after the Chernobyl disaster. I feel the story and the

angle I took may be good enough to bring interest, but I am just not sure how

to go about the next step of getting the photos to the public eye, either at a

private, or a publically funded gallery. How do I go about portfolio

development and presentation and other details like funding for

enlargements/framing. If anyone can point me in the direction of a good site,

or has any experience in this field, any help would be most appreciated.

Thanks in advance:-)

 

 

Sean<div></div>

I have been using a Canon ST-E2 for the last month and found my on location

wedding/ portrait work. I have been extremely pleased with the effect getting

my 580EX and 580/420 combo raised and off camera. The only thing I am

frustrated with is the consistency of my flash fires. Sometimes I only get 1

when I want 2 and sometimes no flash at all. I have the 580 on stand, Channel

A/1, 420 on alternate stand Channel A/1, both in view of each other and the ST-

E2 set the same, sometimes on High Speed. My question is, have others had the

same problem, is there something I am doing wrong, or does anyone have any

suggestions. Thanks in advance:-)

 

Sean<div></div>