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commercial photographer in

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  1. <p>I'm currently with Photoreflect, but I'm doing the 14 day free trial of smugmug. I'm looking to boost my business to make the cost of SmugMug affordable. If you currently have a smugmug account, can you post your links here, or email me off the site with a link to your site? I'd like to see the different options available for SmugMug pro account holders.<br>
  2. <p>Here's my dilemma, I have a case or two of media for the old Kodak Printer Dock Plus. The kind that worked with the 6000 series cameras. I can't use my Printer dock anymore because my Nikon camera will only work with a Picbridge enabled printer.<br>

    Does anyone know of a printer system that will accept the old Kodak printer paper?</p>

     

  3. <p>Johnny,<br>

    I've heard that you can get Daylight balanced CF bulbs. Where do you get them and how do you know? I've looked at every CF bulb I can find and I can't seem to find where they say "Daylight" Balanced. Can you assist on how I find that information?</p>

     

  4. <p>Thanks for the tips on the printer. I love the Sony and the Canon ones I've seen. Our local country store used the Canon one for "Photos with the Easter Bunny" this year. I've seen the Epson PictureMate in use and that one is impressive as well.<br>

    I think I'm leaning toward the Canon only because of the price. I can't seem to afford the 1200 for the Sony one. But I'm still researching, as maybe my business will pick up to the point where I could afford the Sony. That is a impressive unit.<br>

    Thanks for the advise.</p>

    <p> </p>

  5. <p>At a recent camera club meeting I was instructed that I could use CF bulbs for product photography so long as I manually set the white balance to the lighting. Whenever I do it, however, my blacks turn out brown. Can someone give me a step by step instruction to set the white balance on the D60 specifically?</p>

     

  6. <p>One of the features of my event photography business is photographing guests and handing out a 4x6 photo for the guest to take home a memory of the event. Most of the events where this will be used are smaller and not too many people, I actually thought of the idea for children's birthday parties. What is a good photo printer that doesn't require a computer but will stand up to heavy use?</p>

    <p> </p>

  7. <p>What type of photographer was your grandfather? Did he do portraits, events, what? I would suggest you contact the town historian of the towns that your grandfather was in. Also the local churches, or museums in that area. The fact that you are not asking for money for the negatives would be a great asset to your getting rid of them.<br>

    Technically speaking you can toss negative in the trash. However for historic reasons there are plenty of people out there who would take them off your hands. I look at it this way. You toss negatives, you are tossing out history. If it can be saved in any way, that's always best. If they are small towns, maybe you could even contact the people or relatives of those who hired your grandfather. Maybe they would be interested in pictures. With many people doing family history projects, I'm sure these negatives would be very well received.</p>

     

  8. <p>Well, as I understand it;</p>

    <p>You can post a link to another website in a message board posting so long as you are not advertising your own site, or you are not advertising a referral link. If you notice a person a few posts back asked about professional organizations. The people who replied with links to these organizations will not violate the rules of PN because they did not post a referral link and they are not the owners of those sites.</p>

    <p>Is that how the rule is written? What about links in sig lines? Can you put your website in your signature line?</p>

    <p>For example could I sign my postings by saying<br>

    Fred J Claus<br />Commercial Photographer<br /><a href="http://www.domainname.com">www.domainname.com</a></p>

    <p> </p>

  9. <p>Funny you should mention that James. I had a friend who was a newspaper photographer as well as a photographer for local events. I was after her for years to burn the pictures to a CD or DVD so she wouldn't loose them. Well, she didn't and then she got a virus on her computer.<br>

    Oh boy was that a pain. 5 years worth of photographs GONE in a flash.<br>

    What I think I'm going to do is store my pictures on an external HD, so I don't clog up my laptops internal. Then I will be burning files to DVD every month or so and storing them by date. That should keep them safe. I went out last night and picked up a nice CD storage case just for pictures.<br>

    Thanks for all the advice everyone.</p>

  10. <p>Just got my website online but I have a little hitch with my portfolio page. I can't seem to figure out how to get the "gallary" to work on the host, but I have my portfolio on Photoreflect.com . The problem is, when I "Iframe" it into the page, it doesn't always post the correct page.</p>

    <p>Does anyone know of a good portfolio host I could use and connect it to my website? Do I need to have a portfolio on this site, or can I link them to an external site and tell them Please view our portofolio here?</p>

    <p> </p>

  11. <p>This question has a lighting base, but a Nikon point so I hope I'm posting it correctly.<br>

    I recently purchased a Nikon D60 digital SLR, but was told in order to do table top product photography with CF bulbs, I would need to first do a custom White Balance on my camera so that the CF bulbs would not cause the wrong colors to show up. I did the white balance as instructed but the purple flowers still came out blue. Also the grid I used was a panal with black, gray and white stripes on it. When I did the white balance, the picture came out different shades of brown.</p>

    <p>To credit the person who instructed me, they were showing me how on a different model Nikon. Can someone explain to me how to set the custom white balance on a Nikon D60 specifically?</p>

     

  12. <p>Thanks everyone. Yes the speaker was referring to light defussion, and when I heard that term, I thought it was just a camera store item. I never realized it was readily available at a fabric store. My aunt is a seamstress, I wonder if she can get me some. What I needed it for was to do tabletop product photography, so I'm not sure how well the sheer curtain would work. I might be heating it up too much and thus burning it out quickly. How long do yours last Gary?</p>

     

  13. <p>Mallory,</p>

    <p>I see you got a lot of great advise here, in fact I might consider changing my pricing methods based on what I read here too. Right now, I would advise you to tell that guy "if you want the quality that $1.00 per product would buy, then call that other photographer. I am not cheap, I'm good" I also question weather he even got that quote, or if he is just telling you that to see if you will go lower.<br>

    I would not accept the job for anything less than $50.00 an hour plus travel time. You have to lug all your equipment to his location and set up, that all takes time. You have to photograph is items, that too takes time. Most likely you will be shooting multiple pictures of each item to insure you get at least one good one. Then you have to take those images home, clean them up, remove the backgrounds, in some cases, add a background, resize them save them twice, and deliver them to the client. All this takes time. I don't know a single pro photographer in their right mind who would do this for $1.00 per product. I would hazzard a guess he didn't get that quote from anyone. You need to factor in what you feel all that time and effort is worth to you. I know some areas who charge $150.00 per hour, but in my town that will get you laughed out of every job you bid on. Not saying that's a bad price, but your market has to support such a high hourly rate. I'd say $50.00 is a good starting rate per hour, or you can do the per product pricing that the other fine people on this board suggested. In any event, don't work for that $1.00 per product Mallory, you are better than that.</p>

  14. <p>Christian,<br>

    Hand out your cards and have them call you. I don't memorize my ALL my prices, so I do tell them what I know, but if I don't remember the price, I don't let on, I just say, "I'd like to discuss this with you, but I'm being paid by so and so and I don't want to short them on what they are paying me for. Here's my card, please give me a call tomorrow" I sometimes even ask if I can get their name and number to get in touch with them as well.<br>

    As for selling a copy of the pictures to the guests, I would talk with your roomate first. If you are being paid by her to shoot pictures of this event, she may not want you to sell copies to others at the party. if that's ok, I would figure out what the pricing in your area will allow. If you are in California, you can most likely get $5.00 per 4x6 copy of each image of the event. Now, in small towns like mine, you can only ask $1.00 a 4x6 of the event. I also offer a package deal were I sell a copy of all the images to each guest complete with a photo album as well. That price would depend on the event and how many pictures I was shooting.<br>

    If you were asked how much it would cost for you to photograph an event for them, I would say base your pricing on this. Figure out again how much an hourly rate you could charge in your area for the event. In small towns, say $25 - $50.00 per hour, but in large towns or areas such as California, or Martha's Vineyard, you could charge $150 - $200.00 per hour. It all depends on what your area will support. Then you have to add in what they want. Do they want images on a CD, or print them out and supply them with 4x6 copies? Next you have to figure, how much travel time is there? I normally go 25 miles away from my office for free. Any further and I will charge a milage fee of .40 cents a mile round trip.<br>

    Let's say you are in a small town that does not afford a large hourly rate. Take this for an example.<br>

    4 hours of shooting @ $50.00 per hour = $200.00<br />3 hours of editing and post processing @$50.00 per hour = $150.00<br>

    No images printed, so you have to burn a CD<br>

    Your total event charge would be $350.00. You would only tell them $350.00, not your hourly rate.<br>

    Now, it would get even more complicated if they wanted images instead of CD's. Then you would have to also add in how much you wanted to get reimbursed for images. Hopefully it would be at least what you are paying for the images to be printed. Some photographers will even add an additional 10% on top of your cost for the images and use that as a per image fee.</p>

    <p>I hope all my rambling didn't confuse you. I know the $25.00 an hour is a very very low rate, but like I said, you have to figure out what your area will allow you to charge. You don't want to charge yourself out of the gig, but you don't want to under charge either.<br>

    Hope that helps a bit.<br>

    Fred</p>

     

  15. <p>I personally use Vistaprint for everything I do. They are very reliable and the products come out excellent. Another thing you can do for Flyers and letterhead is check out microsoft. If you have Office, or WORD, you can get templates on Microsoft's website to create your own letterhead and flyers. But if you want to have them printed and mailed to you, I would definately check out Vistaprint. I don't know who wrote the bad reviews of this company but I've used them for 8 years and have had no issues. I also know a marketing company who works does merchandising for ConAgra Foods in the NY, PA, and MA and they use Vistaprint for their promo materials too.</p>
  16. <p>First things first, You have a very powerful website. Great job on that. As far as pricing, I would say you need to find out some more information.<br>

    How many people will you be shooting? I know you said about 100 images, but is that 100 different people? Do you need any special equipment such as backdrops, lights and such, or will you be doing existing light environmental photography? How do they want them images? Do they want them on a CD, do they want 4x6 prints, 8x10 prints, or what?<br>

    Standard fee, I would say is about $25.00 per hour for your time providing you don't need any special equipment. Then I would tack on an extra fee for the prints or CD's they will want delivered. I would figure out your price, by multiplying whatever you want your hourly fee to be, by how many hours you think it will take to photograph, edit, organize, print and deliver the images. Then I would tack on a fee for the images you have to print. Me personally I don't add anything extra to the cost of the prints, since my hourly rate also includes editing and printing images. Add all this together and you will have how much you sould charge.<br>

    Now that's my way of figuring out prices, but someone else might have a different idea as well. Hope this helps you.</p>

    <p>Frederick Claus</p>

  17. <p>If you operate under your own name, it makes it easier when it comes to finances. You can just open another checking account for the business, and you don't have to file any DBA papers and have special checking accounts. But you will still have to file sales tax forms and do a Schedule C at the end of the year. Also it helps people remember you if your business is your own name.<br>

    On the other hand if you operate under a business name, it will help diferenciate your personal life from your work life. People would be hiring ABC Photography instead of Josh Lewis. Also if you get big enough to hire other photographers, they would still be hiring ABC Photogrphy and not the photogrpher you send. Also if you intend to incorporate the business, you can have a better shot when you use a DBA instead of your own name. Some thoughts on names could be;<br>

    Josh Lewis Studios<br />Lewis Commercial Photography<br />JL Photo<br>

    Just as an example. It's best also to check on domain names. If you plan on building a web presence, matching your domain name to you business name is another way to help people remember you. I personaly operate a commercial photography company but use my own name. I've been doing photography as far as nature and event work for over 20 years, and I just got into promotional photography recently. I have not used a business name just because for me it's easier.</p>

    <p> </p>

  18. <p>Thanks guys. I know the old newspaper I was a freelancer for got me a pass through the NYPess Association, and before that I got one from the County Sheriff's department. This online paper doesn't feel the need since most of the time, we don't need them. I'll have to call the school and see if they can just use a letter of service from the newspaper.<br>

    Thanks for the tip.</p>

  19. <p>I am a multi-tasking photographer since I live in a small town. I have done freelance photojournalism for every local small town newspaper we have here in town, and I currently work as a freelancer for our online newspaper. Most of the press assignments around town know me, and welcome me with open arms, however with things the way they are going, the school sports seems to be getting strict on who they let in. The papers have been asked to provide press passes for their photographers or we will not be allowed on the field for high school sports events anymore. The online paper I do freelance work for from time to time, does not provide press passes, nor do they belong to the NPPA where they could request their press credentials.<br>

    My question is this. How would one obtain press credentials if they newspaper they are a stringer for does not offer them? Can you just make your own? If so is there a template you need to follow?</p>

    <p> </p>

  20. <p>What's up with PictureStock? Has anyone worked for them in the past? They are out of Canada, but they hold an "office" by way of a PO Box in a neighboring town from me. Trouble I have with this company is that they charge for everything.<br>

    If you want to submit pictures, you have to pay .50 for each image. If you want to be on their assignment database, you have to apply and pay a 1 time fee of $25.00. If you want to be a press photogrpaher for them, you have to apply and pay for a press pass. Is that standard practice, or does this through up red flags for you, as it does for me?</p>

     

  21. <p>I second what Robert said. 4x6 prints are offered all the time. I think the only time I don't see 4x6 prints offered are by wedding photographers, and even then, they offer 4x5 which is a standard medium format print size.<br>

    Depending on what you are shooting will tell you what to price the pics at $1.00 per print is a great jumping off point. I would start there and see how that works out for you.</p>

  22. <p>Being mainly a nature and wildlife photographer, I wanted to build up a supply and start selling at craft shows. Now I see a lot of different people around this part of the country. Some who have no framed pictures, and some who have all framed pictures. Seems like all of these formats sell great in this area providing the picture is right.<br>

    When doing either a small craft show at a school, or a large craft fair at a state park, how many different images should I have before I start selling? I know I have to have a large stock of prints for sale, but is there a specific number of images I should have?<br>

    What I plan on doing at my show is selling many different types of mounts. I want to have some photos inside note cards, 4x6, 8x10, and 11x14 matted images, as well as all three sizes mounted on fiber board I think they call it.<br>

    What are your thoughts on this sort of thing?</p>

    <p>Frederick Claus</p>

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