edlynn

<p>30% down up front, when booking.<br />30% due at the halfway point.<br />30% due 30 days prior to wedding (often late, but must be paid by wedding before shooting)<br />Final 10% due upon delivery of proofs.<br /><br />For clients that are nervous about getting their pictures, just remind them that 10% is a hefty chunk to lose for not delivering.</p>

<p>This thread just helped me make up my mind on what to do about the issue of prints vs. files, which has been bothering me for some time. My thanks especially to Nadine for:</p>

<p><em>The model (sitting fee and purchase of individual images as prints) you are using is becoming less and less used these days. If they are young, they may not have even heard of such a model and would not even think it would exist.</em></p>

<p>And to Ryan for:</p>

<p><em>We live in a digital age, and unfortunately, clients have the upper hand on this. If we do not provide them with the easy digitals, they will find someone who does, even if they have to sacrifice quality.</em></p>

<p>And:</p>

<p><em>...give them barely enough to make what they need, and make them pay for it.</em><br /><br /><br />These comments are right on the money. There are two kinds of wedding clients, your young first timers, and your middle aged folks trying again. Most will be the first timers, and they're part of this digital age, and even the middle aged ones my age or so will often be plugged in. So we simply have to change with the times.</p>

<p>So I think I'm going to abandon my traditional business model, and change to a business model based on services and licenses - more in tune with the digital age. Time to go back to the drawing board.</p>

<p>Wow, so many repsonses! Apologies in advance if anyone already said this, I gave up reading and went to skimming about halfway... There's some good and bad advice on here. First of all, you have a contract, you're entitled to keep the $200 and that's that, at least, that's how it looks to me.</p>

<p>But you can't make every business decision based on what you're <em>entitled</em> to. Sometimes you have to think beyond that. Sometimes it's about <em>ethics</em>. And since she booked you back in August, you've held this date for them for a significant time, and ethically, you're in the right to keep the money. If this had been a lucky last minute booking in the first place, it may have been more ethical to refund the money.</p>

<p>Sometimes it's about what's wise, not what's fair, too. The guy being a lawyer could mean a lot of things, but him being a lawyer who doesn't respect a contract and tries to break it, and also being a lawyer who doesn't respect the notion of a retainer, which lawyers themselves use extensively, means that this guy is probably a piece of work. You're probably very glad you're not going to have more dealings with him - now he hasn't something more substantial to sink his teeth into. I think he's probably a bully, and the other photographer is his choice, and the reason you're getting cancelled is she chose you, not him. A real stoneage jerk, is my guess. The other photographer will probably catch the worst of it before it's all over. So thank your lucky stars he cancelled.</p>

<p>So is it wise to return the money? I don't know. Are you a member of any trade organizations? If so, notify them and see if they'll have<em> their attorneys</em> send his office a letter. My guess is, when he realizes you're backed up by a trade group, which keeps attorneys of their own on retainer, and there are more of them, and they're well funded by dues paying members, he'll back down. If you aren't, I would refuse, once, and see what he does. If he files a small claims action, settle it out of court for the $200.</p>

<p>Then do two things...</p>

<p>1 - Rewrite your contract.</p>

<p>2 - Up your deposit. That way you won't get used this way again. I do 1/3rd down, non refundable.</p>

<p>Good luck!</p>

<p>Here's a helpful link y'all....</p>

<p><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_raster_graphics_editors">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_raster_graphics_editors</a></p>

 

<p>Coca cola, baking soda, and a toothbrush. Then remove the final residue with denatured (or in a pinch, rubbing) alcohol on a q-tip.</p>

<p>OK, here's what you need to know to do this right: <br /> Angle of incidence equals angle of reflection. <br /> It's the light ricochet rule. It means that not only the light's position relative to the object matters, but also the camera's position relative to it. <br /> And... <br /> A large light source is diffuse, a small source is specular. <br /> The light size rule... <br /> Bring these together in the digital age and you'll see your solution to your problem. <br /> Step 1: In a white walled room, place the shell on the shoot table ON A LAZY SUSAN. Make sure the shell is standing in the center of the lazy susan. Step 2: Light the room by bouncing off the walls. Step 3: Put the camera on a tripod, and get your exposure right so that in the areas where the reflection of the light isn't too strong, you have a clearly visible subject. Step 4: Make several exposures of the object, each at the same settings, while slightly rotating the shell on the lazy susan with each shot. As the shell rotates, the areas of specular reflection will change. Continue to do this until you have rotated the shell a full 360 degrees twice, shooting every few degrees. Step 5: Review your images, and select those that collectively show you everything you want to see, free of specular highlights. Then import into photoshop. In photoshop, create a master image containing all these images as layers. Line up the image so that from a stacked view, which you can use opacity for, the lines all line up. If that makes sense... Step 6: Add a layer mask (reveal all) to each layer, and paint it into a single image with no specular highlights. Then flatten. <br /> Voila! This should work, with some tweaks likely... And not only that, but with a good 3-d modelling program, you could probably create a 3D image, too.</p>

<p>Don't forget Veronika that your dear friend may hire you again. Do yourself a favor, and approach her nicely and ask her, not to stop using the images to promote her business (because she has the right to do that, and it will benefit you both) but instead to exhange releases with you.</p>

<p>Exchanging releases is pretty common between model & photographer, but it can be between two photographers, too. You're giving her permission to use them in her portfolio, on the justification that she paid you to produce them for her business, so long as she makes it clear that some of the images are yours, and is ready to show which ones if clients ask. Then get a release from her that says you have the right to show them as your own work, because it is, even though you shot them for hire. As long as her business objectives are met, she ought to be willing to do that.</p>

<p>Now, here's where this really pays off for you. You see, sooner or later, some bride WILL ask her "who shot this one" and when she says you did, the bride will want you - not your friend - as the lead photographer. It happens. What will your friend do? If she's smart, she'll chalk it up to "win some, lose some" and pass on the booking to you with a finder's fee. And she's bound to be smart if you set it up with her this way in advance.</p>

<p>Bottom line, sure, your friendship has value and your work has value, but your business relationship has value too. Protect all three.</p>

<p>Back when I was in college at Art Institute, everything was shared. And yes, there were headaches. But by having rules, you got around them. Sign in sheets, time limits, etc. are the nature of the beast. Just make sure you don't take on too many members and that there are enough of everything to go around. Not just space, but gear too. You should even think about the fridge space, and the hammock space, and the bandwidth. Make sure there's enough of EVERYTHING to go around.<br>

A tip: One big space can be divided into several spaces with blackout cloth and tape on the floor, and back into a big space any time you need one big space again.</p>

This is an old topic at this point, and while it was answered pretty well, there are still a few things missing, and since

Google still brings it up fairly high in search results, I'll go ahead and toss in my two cents for those who find it, when

they go searching for answers to this very question...

 

First of all, Conrad's answer is pretty much right, and misses only a few things. I especially like when he says to

consider the "3 P's", which is as good a way to explain it as I've ever heard (I'll be repeating that, to be sure).<p>

<b>But what's missing is a discussion of markets. </b>Conrad touches on it when he says he'd be willing to travel

and not adjust his rate, but he doesn't come right out and explain that different "markets" (or areas of the country)

vary in their average rates. So, if (for the sake of easy math) you'd pay $1,000 for a decent photographer, $2,000 for

a very good photographer, and $5000 for the best photographer in the area in Market A - you might pay 50% more for

the same quality levels in Market B, where there is a more dense population and a higher local cost of living. In other

words, it's not just about how good yor photographer is, or how well off you are, but how wealthy and prosperous your

area generally is.</p>

<p>Call this the "C.O.L.A." factor - the <b>C</b>ost <b>O</b>f <b>L</b>iving <b>A</b>djustment.

Because of the COLA factor, you can't just ask "what's the typical fee" because

it varies not just by quality, reputation, experience, etc., but also by region,

city, etc. You basically have to shop your local area, to find what's typical at

the "good, better, best" levels. But here's a trick... If you're just looking

for a good photographer who'll do a good job for a good price, perhaps you

should look further than just your local area.  I mean, if your area is

like "the box" you're in, then one way to save some money might be to <b>"think

<i>outside</i> the box"</b>!</p>

<p>Most photographers are like Conrad - willing to travel beyond their own area,

without adjusting their fee to your area's norm. I know I am!  So, for

example, if I travel from here in Iowa, where the cost of living is pretty low,

to someplace like Miami, Florida, where the cost of living is fairly higher, my

rate will seem inexpensive by comparison to someone shooting at about the same

level, but whose fees are based on the Miami market, and not the Mason City

market.</p>

<table border="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse"

bordercolor="#111111" width="100%" id="AutoNumber1">

<tr>

<td width="33%" valign="top">

<p align="center"><a href="http://www.payscale.com/cost-of-living-calculator/Iowa-Mason-City"

style="color:#000;text-decoration: none;font-weight:bold;">

Cost of Living in Mason City, Iowa </a><br>

<a href="http://www.payscale.com/cost-of-living-calculator/Iowa-Mason-City" style="color:#000;text-decoration:

none;font-weight:bold;">

Compared to Other Major Cities</a> </p>

<p><a href="http://www.payscale.com/cost-of-living-calculator/Iowa-Mason-City">

<img src="http://www.payscale.com/colchart.aspx?to=Iowa-Mason-City&from=&jobtitle=&type=Popular-Cities"

alt="Cost of Living in Mason City, Iowa Compared to Other Major Cities" border="0" /></a></td>

<td width="67%" valign="top">

<p>Now, if you live in one of the more major markets, someone from a

more minor market (like myself) could easily add the costs of travel, lodging,

etc. to their rate, and <i>still</i> be a bargain compared to comparable local

shooters.  Someone who is among the better photographers in a smaller

market, is likely as talented and well equipped as their bigger market

counterpart - they just don't need to charge as much as someone who lives in the

more expensive market, because they don't have to pay the expenses of living

there.</p>

<p>Check out the chart to the left... It shows the variance between cost of living in

my market, the Mason City, Iowa market, compared to other cities nationwide.</p><p>Now, this chart is from

Payscale.com, and is probably going to be updated from time to time.  But today as I write this, it's showing the

Miami, Florida market at 34% higher cost of living than the Mason City, Iowa market, and New York, NY, at a

whopping 154% higher!  So, hiring someone to come in from my market can make a lot of sense to those people in

Miami or New York trying to save some serious money on their weddings - if they're willing to "think outside the

box"...</p><p><b>For my part, I'd happily travel for my regular rate +travel expenses.  Pay for my transportation, my

hotel,

and my meals, and just my regular rate, and I'm there!</b><p> </td>

</tr>

</table>

Nice parsing photo.net, LOL...

First an explanation, and then a question:

 

I was shooting a wild and raucous wedding last Saturday when all of a sudden

some sort of power surge ran through my camera – a Canon 300d (the original

digital Rebel, which I like for wedding receptions). I was shooting pretty

hard and heavy because the wild party (being pushed along as it was by the

fantastic live band, Boogie & the Yo-Yo’s out of Appleton, WI – highly

recommended) demanded it. I had my Metz 54-MZ3 on the hot shoe and was

shooting pretty much in bursts of 4 or 5 shots every few minutes. I had the

Metz loaded with 4 AA Lithium batteries, which I have always find perform

well. I’ve also noticed that about half way through their life the lithiums

will begin to recycle slowly as they begin to get hot, at which point I swap

them out with new and give the half used ones (as good as any new alkalines at

that point) to my kid later. I was pretty much at that point when this

happened.

 

I was circling the Bride & Groom as they danced, jockeying for a clear shot

between the throngs of dancing revelers, and following focus – meaning I was

letting the auto-focus keep readjusting so I’d have focus when my split second

opportunity broke, by keeping my finger lightly pressed to the shutter release

button. The green ready light on the Metz was lit up especially bright and I

remember thinking it shouldn’t be so bright – like an LED clock instead of the

faint glow I’m used to. So I touched it to fire the flash and release the

energy (it’s also the test button). All of a sudden, the flash lit up like the

sun - I don’t mean it flashed a quick burst of light like it’s supposed to – I

mean it throbbed with incredibly bright light! This only happened for about

two seconds before I reacted by shutting off the Metz. I was really perplexed,

but I had to keep shooting.

 

I turned the Metz back on after swapping out the batteries – even opting for

less powerful nickel oxide batteries this time, and went to continue shooting.

I noticed right away that my auto-focus wasn’t working any more, so I switched

to manual and shot – the flash worked fine, and so did the camera if I focused

manually. I thought maybe the surge had damaged the lens, and swapped out the

lens. Nope, same result. And again with yet another lens. The auto-focus was

shot. I did my best to finish the shoot with manual focus – hard in the

darkened room, and I lost some good shots. But soon I started thinking manual-

focus again (it had been a while) and started using the Christmas tree type

lights and candle flames, etc., scattered about the room to focus by estimating

equal distances – which worked great, and I stopped missing so many shots.

 

So, I got some great images despite the trouble, and didn’t have to resort to

my film camera back ups. But my question is, does anyone have any idea what

could have caused this surge? It seemed to originate in the flash and damage

the camera. Has anyone else had a similar experience? And most importantly,

if you have had this kind of repair done by Canon – what did it cost?

 

Thanks!

 

Ed Lynn

Owner, Better Deal Photography in Iowa.

Send it to me. I'll use it for parts. :)

Heat is one thing. I can drink lots of fluids and deal with that, but with humidity come a few problems - especially if you are moving from air conditioning to the hot, humid outdoors. Then condensation can be a problem, especially inside your lenses. Here's a few tips.

 

1 - I try to put lenses close to my body before taking them out of the air conditioning for a few minutes so my body heat can bring them to close to the outside temp. This helps to prevent a sudden fog up.

 

2 - I keep those little packets of silica gel (you know, from shoe boxes, that say "do not eat") in my camera bag and replace them every once in a while. I literally just grab them from the shoe store, no one wants those things anyhow (yes, I do ask). They suck up moisture nicely.

 

3 - I'll second the hanky thing.

 

4 - Shoot in the shade. Use fill flash or bounce light.

It's imperative to put your foot down on this. I have had clients invite guests who had some talent and gear, who shot despite my protests, and then had the bride and groom demand their money back because they liked his work "well enough, since it's free". It's in my contract that I am the sole shooter, and if any guest insists on shooting, after I ask them not to, the following options are open to me:

 

1 - A minimum order clause goes into effect, holding the clients to a minimum dollar amount order - which I usually set at $300.

 

2 - I have the option to stop shooting and leave, with no refund due.

 

3 - When Bride & Groom sign my contract they are acting as the "agent" for those they invite to attend, and for the venues, and they release the copyrights to their images to me, as well as the locations, and most importantly to any images made by anyone in those locations. So, if some troublesome shutterbug refuses to stop shooting, I can legally demand the images and sell them to the bride & groom.

 

Never had to actually do any of those things other than once I enforced the minimum order clause.

 

Usually, just knowing these conditions are part of the contract has the Bride & Groom telling everyone to put their cameras away if I ask them to intervene.

 

These images are your bread and butter. You need to make sure they are exclusive. So put your foot down.

I use Jalbum with FotoPlayer. Best choice I could have made. Beats EOS template. It was $80 and well worth it.

This may seem like a simple trick, and I apologize if it's been posted already (I only skimmed the replies) but one trick is to rotate the cake after the shot so the cut is out of sight and do the shot over if you think you might've blown it. Hope that helps.

OK, I'm laughing at myself... Go to the REHEARSAL (which is what I meant to say)...

I have to agree with Ian... Because you are basically doing the job for her, with her equipiment for the most part, and her assistant, and on her booking, you have to accept that you won't make anything like what she will make, and rightly so.

 

I think this photographer who is giving you this opportunity is doing you a huge favor, and you should remember that. Do your best to make her glad she did.

 

Now, some advice on shooting your first wedding as first shooter.

 

1 - Go to the reception! Meet & greet, and work out your camera angles. Pay attention to the plan, and take notes on what happens in what order. This will be invaluable to you on the wedding day.

 

2 - Make the most of your second shooter. You're an experienced second, so do absolutely everything you can think of to set your second up for success - because her images may bail you out. Share your reception notes, and plan out who will be where, shooting what, when. Make sure you each have the equipment you will need.

 

3 - Pay close attention to detail. It gets said all the time... but too few really do it. So if there's a neat flower arrangement, take a picture of it. And paying attention to detail also means thinking about angles, lighting, perspective, etc. When I shoot at a wedding my mental checklist for every shot is: distance, lens, angle, light, camera (settings). If you consciously think through that short list on each shot, you'll screw very few of them up.

 

Now, work on gearing up so you can stand on your own two feet, but in the meantime, be glad for the opportunities you're being given, and don't get greedy.

 

Good luck!

Duncan,

 

My feeling on this is, since you've stated that this is a sideline business for you, you should probably take a pass on this wedding. You simply need to tell the clients that you now have plans for that day.

 

Now, my advice for the future is: get a rolodex, and put all your competitors/colleagues in it. Take the time to go personally talk to each of them, so you can size up their personality. Believe me, they'll be doing the same thing to you. Now, having done that, the next time you get a vibe off a potential client that makes you think you wouldn't be the best photographer for them, you can think of who might be. Which photographer do you know of whose personality would click with the client, or who just wouldn't care about it and would do a good job anyhow? Tell the client you are busy that day, and recommend the other photographer to them. You'll be glad you did, because down the line the other photographer will more than likely return the favor.

I know it's late on this question, but I just came across it. Here's how to do a Portrait with a horse, without spooking the horse, and which your client will love. Shoot variations on this once you're set up, but shoot this for sure.

 

You'll need an SLR fitted with a mid-range telephoto lense like a 28-80 or an 18-70 (digital), a way to measure the light, a flash you can mount on a tripod or stand, 2 8 foot tall poles (1x2's work great if sawed sharp on one end), 4-6 A-clamps that fit the pole, and a white bed sheet (any size).

 

You'll want to take pictures in the first half hour of "magic light" time, which varies through the year, but is usually about 5-6pm. If you don't know magic light, it's when the sun is at a 45 degree angle to the ground on it's way down and the light is very amber and it makes greens pop, and creates contrast and shadow. First, set the flash on the tripod so it will be hidden by the horse's body, I suggest a guid number of 100 to start. Then, drive the posts into the ground about 10 feet ahead of where the horse will stand and clamp the bed sheet to it. The amber light will bounce off it and shift a little more white, giving a pleasing fill. The flash will darken the sky and place the subjects in strong relief.

 

Now, you'll want to pose the horse's owner at the horse's shoulder, and reaching up to gently tilt the horse's face toward the camera. This looks like a very loving pose, and essentially treats the horse as a second human subject. Be sure to follow the triangle portrait rule, as shown in the diagram. You'll notice the line bisects the eyes of the subjects, which are kept on different levels, and the human subject's arm creates the base of the triangle. This creates subconcious interest in the image that engages the concious mind (the subconcious recognises the geometric shape, and the concious tries to figure out what it is that interests the subconcious - end result is the viewer finds the image interesting).

 

Because the flash is going off behind the horse where he can't see it, it won't spook him. But if it does, you can turn it off, and shoot by reflected light, in which case having a polarizer might help.

 

Naturally, any time you're working with a horse, being it's a big, powerful animal, excercise caution.

 

Good luck!

I'm afraid I have to agree about the backdrop color... White backdrop, white bridal gown... light wrap-around effect... unforgiving to wrinkles... Best to go with something else.

<P>

My advice would be to buy a good "old master" canvas or a mulsin. A good investment, and cheap enough on ebay. Try sellers "amvona.com" and "2dreammaker" - usually have some good ones.

<P>

Here's a shot done on location, at a wedding, on an amvona backdrop with 3 point strobe lighting:

<P><P><div></div>

Well, you said it: <BOLD>PLAN</BOLD> the shoot.

<P>

Planning is the simple act of figuring out what you want to do, how you're going to do it, who's going to help you, and what do you need to make it as efficient as possible.

<P>

One thing I noticed is you mention the models... Is that it for helpers? I hope not... If you really want a successful shoot, make sure you have a few assistants/helpers to provide the extra hands you'll find you need.

<P>

Second, I noticed you didn't discuss light. Remember, photography is a latin word and what it means is "painting with light". If you haven't considered how you're going to light the image, and what that light will look like, you're wasting your time even going. I suggest bringing along lights, reflectors, and people to set them up, hold them, move them, etc.

<P>

Here's a piece of advice for you. Rent a Sports Illustrated swimsuit DVD and look at the behind the scenes, how they do it stuff. Since the issue just came out, you can see shots on SI.com and CNN.com - see all the helpers? That's what you need.

<P>

Good luck!

Many good suggestions here! Here's another... A good way to be sure you get rid of lice (I know, thanks to my little boy) is hairspray. It's really just glue & rubbing alcohol, and it gums the suckers up & poisons them. Spray it on heavy, then wash the hat in hot water, and dry it normally.

<p>

The microwave trick should work too but there can really be no metal in or on them anywhere.

<p>

Another trick to help is ziplock bags and mothballs.

Tiffany,

 

My guess here is that the reason the stepmother got the proofs is one of two possibilities (most likely)... A.) The stepmother paid for the photographer's services and thus she, not your daughter or you, is his/her client (officially). B.) The stepmother somehow beat your daughter & yourself to the photographer's studio and picked up the prints. It's conceivable that the photographer had no idea he was screwing up since I assume he met her when he photographed her as part of the wedding, right?

 

Now, in the case of A.) Your rights are limited, and there may not be much you can do. If the Stepmother refuses to let you have proofs, the photographer is legally required to oblige her. If this is what's going on when you get to the bottom of it, you'll have to work it out with her. You see, when a client signs for a wedding photographer, one of the most standard contract lines is "you, as agent of all subjects, hereby accept valuable consideration of at least one dollar..." - basically what this line does is names the contract signer as the agent of record. If you then pose for that photographer (and I gather you did) or are photographed at the event they were hired to cover, you did so under the auspices of the other person as your "agent" (legally). So, you see, if it's A, you need to make nice with the stepmom.

 

If it's B, and YOU or some other party beside the Stepmom (or her spouse) are the contracting party, then that person should have the proofs, and you may have some legal standing. But in either case, it's the stepmom and not the photographer who is the problem here.

 

Now, there is a third possibility that could apply to either A or B. If the photographer, as a means of protecting his copyright and his vested interest in his livelihood makes a policy of only loaning out one set of proofs then he may well refuse to budge from this stance. You see, with today's technology (scanners, etc.) it's far too easy for clients to short change photographers and make copies of prints. A proof size print can make a good scan.

 

If this is the case, you may want to suggest to your photographer that he post the images to any of the many "steal proof" proofing websites online, such as imagequix.com (which I use). This will allow you to see the photos and choose prints easily, for a limited time, and has the added advantage of not needing to be returned, or physically printed, and therefore cannot be lost. Also, it's easy to order that way too.

 

In any event, my advice is take a deep breath, calmly ask the right questions to figure out what scenario here is the reality for you, and then calmly take it from there.

 

Good luck!

Leather albums of the type you mention are typically only sold "to the trade", however if you google "tapco" you may find some vendors who sell to the public. You may also want to try ebay. Tapco is the largest, but not the only, manufacturer of such products.

 

Now, if you are a professional photographer you can buy direct from the manufacturer's, which is definately (dramatically) cheaper. FYI: as far as the vendors and manufacturers are concerned, the definition of "professional photographer" is usually anyone who meets the following three criteria:

 

1 - Has a business name aka Something Photographic Sounding, LLC., not just a personal name.

2 - Has a State issued sales tax ID (crucial, they all want this).

3 - These days, some will want to see your website, or portfolio.

 

Failing all that, I sell them. :)

 

Edward Lynn

Owner, Better Deal Photography

betterdealphoto.com