amber1

hmmm. I don't know the answer to the first, but I might have a solution for the second...try going to file> "open as" and choose the type of file extention that matches the file that you saved when you select that file. That might bring it up for you.

I asked this same question at our last local photographers meeting and someone suggested having them sign and date the original model release each time. That will at least cut down on your paperwork.

Thank you all for your help. I think I am getting closer with the working on this in PS. The diffuse glow helped quite a bit and added a bit of grain which seems to fit the style well. I have ordered the book that Roger recomended--I would like to be able to create this look for my clients in the future so I guess I'll be buying more equipment before long. Thanks again!

Don, those are great examples of what I have in mind! Mike, I see what you mean about the Hurrell photos. I guess I can play with the lighting effects filter and see what I come up with...

Unfortunately all I have is her description. She emailed me about the picture she saw but she doesn't even have the magazine to show me. I am assuming that she is wanting something in the George Hurrell style. I was looking at this site to get some ideas: http://www.hurrellphotos.com/hurrell_home.asp?ID=2

I used the channel mixer to darken the shadows and brighten/blowout the highlights and a duplicate layer with gaussian blur and vivid light blending mode. Here is the original...<div></div>

My client saw some pictures of a bride in a magazine that was taken with the

old movie star glamour type lighting and asked if I could do this to any of

her pictures (this was all after the shoot so all will be PS work) I was

wondering if anyone had any pointers and if I was even close to this with the

one I tried. Thanks<div></div>

Hey Emily, Unfortunately, the non-pro version of the program does not encrypt and protect the images or allow you to set an expriation time limit like the pro version does. It was definately worth the investment to me, since I found scanned copies of my proofs in some of the local football programs and even on one of those calanders that the cheerleaders go around selling. The program encrypts the images in the same way that they are on the web. You can view my images in the album but like your web site and mine (only my web galleries are encrypted), there is no actual way of copying and pasting them or printing them. The file images are only useful in the program. In other words you are not burning files to a CD you are burning a completely stand alone program that presents your images...thus the price! You can enable printing or not and you can also set a watermark with the album so that you copyright info is pasted across each image automatically. Until you find a program or action that does exactly what you want, I would not let any images out of my studio that are not stamped straight across the forehead! BTW I posted a question very similar to yours about a year ago and soon afterwards decided that I'd rather make a few people unhappy than to find my stolen and badly printed and scanned images popping up all over the place.<div></div>

I forgot to mention that Digimark can be used to visualy watermark the image, but the program can cost up to $500. The version that comes with photoshop will only make the image look a bit grainy--thus my use of the "other" programs. Take my advice if you put the images on a CD with no obvious water mark or embedded info that makes them impossible to copy or print, your clients will immediately take them to walmart or the nearest CVS pharmacy!

Emily, I created a brush that stamps my ﾩ info so that all I have to do is select the brush and opacity and stamp over the proof before send to my customer (I do this for email proofs) I will email you an action that can help you create a brush like that. When I make a proof CD, I use a program that encrypts all of the images and disables copying or printing. I have two actually, the first one is called Proshow Gold and it creates slideshows (less practical for presentation, but only cost around $80) The other is called Flip album, it creates an album (complete with thumbnail index)that your client can bookmark,and has a whole bunch of useful tools for your clients to use. A tad more pricey at about $150, but my clients love it. There is also an optional shopping cart plug in that you can purchase for an additional $100 that allows your customer to place orders via email or by printing out and mailing/faxing, but I havent been quite as impressed with this as it seems to confuse some of my clients since I have to make a page for package discounts in order for them to figure their prices correctly. It is nice in the fact that it does help them keep track of what and how many sheets they have ordered. Just dont know if it is worth the extra $$. I'll email you links to both companys when I email the action.

http://www.michelcompany.com/

I use this company for all of my supplies. If you prove you are a business you only pay wholesale. I pay less than $1.50 per each 8x10x1/2 box. I get 50 wallet boxes for less than $25. Check out the chestnut photo cases. They make a very nice presentation for just $1.30 per 8x10 case.

call and ask these guys to send you a catalog. They carry those and any other presentation supply you could ever need.

http://www.michelcompany.com/

The only reason I am offering half price is because I am only offering a fraction of my normal service. What I am offering them is a 15 minute sitting when I normally spend about an hour with each of my clients. So if the whole team wants to come and pay me to retake their pictures then I figure that is just more $$ on top of their orders and I won't have to be put out much for it. Besides, I'm sure that she was looking for a free-bee so half price probably won't be good enough for her anyway! Thanks for all of your help guys!

Thanks for your answers. Walter you brought up a really good point. I am going to let her know that it is not in my schedule to return to the location where I did the previous shots and that if she wishes to have re-takes she can schedule a time to come to my studio and I will do a half price sitting fee for a one background 3 pose sitting. That way she is getting a "deal" and if they all follow then it is worth my while. Thanks again!

A couple of weekends ago I did a shooting for a group of

cheerleaders that have "hired" me for the past few years. Today I

was faced with a situation that threw me off guard. One of the

mom's emailed me and asked if I could do retakes of her daughter's

individual shots because she was not feeling well the day of the

shoot and "did not smile big enough"??? I haven't responded yet but

was curious of how some of you more experienced photogs would handle

this. Unlike most of the local studios I give each of my group

members 3 different individual poses to choose from (sitting,

standing, and closeup) and 3-4 groups to choose from (kinda fun

watching the moms fight over which one to put in the yearbook!)

Anyway, I don't charge a sitting fee when I do team/school group

picts so I don't feel that I owe her the retakes. Should I tell her

that I will be happy to do them if she pays my regular sitting fee

or should I offer to do it for less than my normal charges? Thanks

for your help.

Thanks for all of the info. I will definately see my CPA before the begining of the year. I plan making a few last major purchases this year so that I will still be in the negative and have a plan set up before January. Hopefully with my new credit card machine and the advertising I will do I can make enough to keep my head above water, but going from hobby to business is a pretty scary thing! Thanks again for all of your help!

I have been taking pictures as a side hobby/business for a few years

now with way more than my profits going for equipment, supplies

etc. I just balanced my books for what I have done this year and I

am pretty close to making an actual profit. No problem--I can just

go shopping! My concern is for the upcoming year. My clientel has

doubled in the last year (with only word of mouth referals) and I am

expecting to do the same next year since I will begin a little

advertising.!(And believe it or not I am running out of things to

buy!) My question is how much should I expect to pay in taxes when I

start making a real profit.I have been told to put as much as 40%

aside, but is that from my gross income or my profit? I do plan on

getting a good CPA, but I was hoping to get an idea now so that I

can gradually start adjusting my prices now to help cover the

overhead. Im sure things vary from state to state (I live in Texas)

but I just want to get over the shock now. Thanks!

I have had my 580 for some time now, but I usually shoot in manual

mode. Today for some snapshots I just put it in portrait mode to be

lazy and noticed that the flash was not firing. The pilot light was

not even lit up. I went through all of the pre-set modes and saw

that the flash would power up in all but the portrait and action

modes. Is there something that I am doing wrong, or should I send

my flash in for repair? Unfortunately we have just moved and I

haven't found my 580 manual yet so I am pretty lost. Thanks

Thank you guys so much for all of your help. I actually used a little of all of your advice to make this a little better. A little blending and several layers of different curves adjustments and I have a suitable fix. Markus I tried to email the file, but it was sent back to me as undeliverable. Not sure what I did wrong. Thanks for the offer to fix it though. That shadow/highlight filter would've been great to have. I will have to upgrade my PS soon. I did get tired of fooling with this pict so I handed it over to the lab for color correction, but I think it will turn out fine. I tend to be much more picky than my clients, so Im sure it will be satisfactoy. Thanks again!<div></div>

I had been having some problems getting my exposure right with my

manual flash when using for fill flash outdoors. I just recieved my

new 580EX flash to use with my 20D. Ive read the manual but with an

outdoor sitting scheduled tomorrow, Im a little worried about how to

best utilize this combo. Any hints on how to best approach an early

morning outdoor mother/son sitting with a canon 20D/580EX? Thanks--

Help! My client loves this picture that I submitted to her in B&W

but wants it printed in color. I over exposed and havent had any luck

fixing it. I have ps 7 and have tried every trick I know of. Any

suggestions? Thanks!

The way that I "broke into the senior photo market" was to first round up a few seniors I knew-in my neighborhood, church, etc. I gave them a discount on their packages in exchange for a little advertising- my studio name and information stamped on the back of each print. Also had business cards made up with one of their photos on it (moms love to give those out). Pretty soon, I had their friends and their friend's friends....you get the picture. Now Im booked up a month in advance and seniors make up 75% of my clientel. (ironically they are the subjects I least prefer to do--so snotty at that age!) Oh and one more idea. For a small fee you can advertise in the year books of the schools in your area's. Good luck!--Amber

Thanks so much for your help guys! I just flipped through Nina's folder and after I viewed the picture entitled "all eyes" I immediately placed my order for this lens. Now I just have to get over my jealousy at her amazing creative talent!!!

I shoot a digital rebel and for most of my work, I have been able to

make due with my 50 1.8 prime and my Wonderful 85 1.8. My studio is

small however and am constantly in need of a wider lens for full

length and group shots. Also I am shooting my first wedding in may.

I usually use a sigma 28-70 zoom, but the quality is poor in

comparison to my primes. I have read alot of reviews on the Canon

17-40 L but none of them have mentioned them as being suitable for

portraiture. This will be my first "L" lens and Im hoping that the

quality of this lens will compare with my 85 prime. Does anyone

have any experience using this lens for portraiture? Thank you for

your responses.

I recently did an outdoor shooting and when I uploaded my files, I

noticed that they were very grainy when enlarged. Upon inspecting my

camera(Canon 300D) I realized that somehow my ISO had gotten changed

to 400 rather than 100 where I usually shoot. Is there anyway to

reduce this graininess in the pictures I shot that day? I use PS7 and

the only thing that I could think of was the despeckle filter which

made the picture a little to blurry. Any advice is greatly

appreciated.

Dave, I just bought a great book entitled Portrait Photography -- Secrets of Posing & Lighting by Mark Cleghorn. It is not specifically for "glamour" photography, but it is very specific on the lighting setups for many different types of photography. Good luck. I know it is available at Barns and Nobel and probably on Amazon.--Amber Bowins