michaelsmiller

<p>Hi everyone,<br>

I've been contacted by a prominent National real estate builder in my city about becoming their permanent real estate photographer for an area encompassing 100 miles in all directions. I have experience photographing real estate for a few realtor friends over the years, but it's never been my business specialty. I would really appreciate your help in pricing out my bid to match the current standards. I'm in Michigan and this national firm has a reputation for being tough negoiators on contractors of all kinds.</p>

<p>Here are my questions...<br>

What is an acceptable per home price? I know that everyone prices their work differently but I just want an idea to start... $50/home, $75/home or should it be much more or even less?<br>

Do I factor in all my editing time, travel time, gas, etc in the bid? <br>

Should I give them a per home discount if they send me a huge amount of homes every month?<br>

What kind of contract length should I negotiate?<br>

Should they receive full copyright release or can I use them for my portfolio?</p>

<p>Any help is sincerely appreciated. I need to place my bid along with 2 other photographers on Tuesday close of business.</p>

<p>Thanks<br>

Mike</p>

<p>Mukul - I haven't tried another pc because I only own 1. The files downloaded fine onto my mac without issue, I just can't get them into the iPhoto program to edit them.</p>

<p>Harry - Is that possible? If so, how do you recover photos you've already deleted from a card? I've never had to do that before but that would make life much easier as I could just edit them straight away on the mac. I always erase the files from the CF card as soon as they are downloaded onto the computer but I havent ever specifically reformatted the CF cards. Since this wedding I've shot about 4 sessions on these cards and then deleted those as well(although those were transferred directly to my MAC, thus no problems)</p>

<p>I have a huge problem! I shot a wedding recently and downloaded all my cards to my PC, then backed them up on my external hard drive for safety, then I erased them from the CF cards because I had multiple shoots the same week. I've since purchased a iMAC and want to edit these photos that were on my PC on the new iMAC. So I made a CD of all the RAW files from the wedding and downloaded them onto my MAC. The problem is that all the photos show up on my desktop in a folder and when I open them the photo shows up but it says the file is LOCKED so i can't edit it. I can unlock the photos and/or make duplicates but none of them appear in my iPhoto section(where I'm doing all my editing, color corrections, etc). To make matters worse, my PC has something seriously wrong with it and whenever I open this wedding file in my old editing software program(adobe bridge and digital photo pro) it immediately crashes, thus I have about 1500 files that I can't edit right now. Do you know how I can get these photos imported into iPhoto instead of just on my desktop?</p>

<p>Any help would be appreciated greatly. I need to get this wedding edited ASAP for my client and I've tried everything I know how to get these photos transferred into my iPhoto to edit.</p>

<p>Thanks in advance!<br>

Michael</p>

<p>Thanks Lorne. I'm a little confused with the Finder option. Is there a way to actually do it through my folder in iphoto instead of actually manually choosing every single photo in Finder?</p>

<p>I just switched to an iMAC and I can't figure out how to make CD's for my clients who have a PC? When I go to burn the cd from iphoto folder in my Mac it makes the CD but then it won't play on the PC of my clients. Is there something else I need to do with Mac. I never had this problem with my old PC. Any help would greatly be appreciated. I need to figure this out fast as I have 7 client CD's I need to get in the mail this week. Thanks so much!</p>

<p>I've been using Overnight Prints for a few years and have no complaints whatsover. I started using Vistaprint but thought the quality of the cut and paper feel were substandard so I asked around to a few other pros I knew and was pointed in the direction of Overnight prints and have been happy ever since. Their cards are a bit higher in price than VP but the stock and quality seem quite a bit better to me. I do like the feel of MOO cards(had some samples sent to me before I used Overnight Prints) but haven't used them personally.</p>

<p>Thanks for the input Marc, John, and Paulo. I definitely plan to buy it from the Apple store because it is quite a bit cheaper. My initial plan was to use it for most if not all of my editing and to use it as a viewing tool for my clients as well so I thought the interface seemed very presentable and I love the fact you can open the album up and view all the images side by side. I also really like the ability to make great albums directly from aperture with relative ease. I normally don't use Photoshop very much at all. I tend to do most of my changes in camera while I shoot and don't add much for layers or effects.</p>

<p>I'm buying a new iMAC this weekend and I had a few questions regarding photo editing software. I am currently on a PC using Digital Photo Pro/Adobe Bridge/Photoshop 3. I download my images into Photo Pro/Bridge and then use PS only when necessary. I do most of my editing with Photo Pro on my RAW files on in Bridge when I shoot a ton of files(weddings)and want to work faster. I'm planning to get rid of Photo Pro because I need an upgrade, so I've been toying with the idea of switching to Lightroom instead of Photo Pro/Bridge but decided to buy an iMac for long term usability/stability going forward.</p>

<p>My question is: Will it be better for me to purchase Aperture 3 for my new Mac or should I buy Lightroom for my Mac. Any body with experience in this operating softwares your input would be greatly appreciated.<br>

Thanks in advance!</p>

<p>Thanks for all the responses everyone. I know it isn't going to change the level/quality of my work as an art, but it will allow me to speed up my workflow, have better viewing of my images while I edit, etc. I was more concerned with operating issues that I might have switching from one system to the other(ex. multiple external harddrives being converted to work on Mac, losing images that were edited on PC)</p>

<p>Thanks for all the input.</p>

<p>Hi Everyone,<br>

I am buying a new iMac today for my photo editing/processing after using a PC for the past 10 years. I know that it's gonna be a big learning curve but I wanted to know if others have done this recently and if the switch was really worth it in taking your work to the next level or what challenges you faced, ex. downloading software issues, old external hard drives not recognizing on MAC from PC, raw files not viewing properly on MAC, navigation issues with iphoto, etc. I'm concerned that I'm going to have to purchase all new software(cs4, lightroom, etc) since I moved recently and can't find the old discs but I'm hoping the quality of the iMac will be worth it in the end.<br>

Miller</p>

<p>I want to start some off-camera flash experimenting and I want to purchase Pocket Wizards so I need some help please.... Do I have to buy 2 exact same units for them to work? I am looking into the Plus II versions instead of the tt1 or tt5, is this the best way to go? Also, can I use the Plus II with a 430 EX flash, or do I need to purchase a 580 EX flash too and softbox/umbrellas?<br />Thanks<br />Miller</p>

<p>Thanks so much for all the awesome responses. I have a ton of great ideas now. I did alot of research following your suggestions and have a great mapped out route for my limited period of time. Thanks again for all the positive advice. It helped me out a ton!</p>

<p>Robert K--they are actually 2 very different questions. One is in regards to special vantage points to shoot the landmarks and this one is about things that are unique and NOT the landmarks, but thanks for acting like the dad I never wanted!</p>

<p>Thanks for the research information Matt. That really helps alot!</p>

<p>Hello.<br>

This summer my friends and I are planning to attend 6-7 different ballparks and I want to take alot of photos of the games. I wanted to know IF and WHAT problems anyone has encountered bringing in expensive camera equipment and lenses into any Major League baseball stadiums. For reference, I am planning on bringing my Canon 7D and 70-200mm 2.8, and a few wide angles.</p>

<p>We will be hitting up Coors Field, AT&T Park(San Fran), Fenway, Comerica Park, and Dodger Stadium so far...</p>

<p>Have you ever been told you couldn't bring in your equipment or it was too large or anything like that?</p>

<p>Thanks<br>

Miller </p>

<p>I have 3 days to spend in San Fransisco next week for fun and I plan to take alot of landscape, street, and flora photographs. I do own Andrew Hudson's photography book of the area, but I wanted to ask for any suggestions from fellow photographers about the area and things that might be more unique than the big landmarks. Thanks in advance!</p>

<p>Hello.<br>

I need some help really fast! I have a big modeling agency here in town requesting to meet with me about becoming a prefered staff photographer for them and their clients. They currently have 2 photographers they use that they fly in when needed, 1 is based in LA, 1 is based in Texas. I have never met with an agency before so I could really use some advice on how to proceed, what to wear, how to price my services, what questions to ask, etc....</p>

<p>Should I bring my portfolio, even though the director told me he was very familiar with my work and loved my website?<br>

Do I wear a suit or should I keep it casual?<br>

What kinds of questions do I need to ask them?<br>

How do I price myself properly without watering down the market and losing money?</p>

<p>Any and ALL help is greatly appreciated. We are meeting tomorrow morning. Thanks in advance<br>

Miller</p>

<p>I am looking for some advice on some filters to buy for my outdoor landscape photography. I have UV filters for

all 3 of my lenses but I need to invest in some polarizers and neutral density filters. The lenses I own are Canon 70-

200mm 2.8, Canon 28-135mm 3.5-5.6 IS USM, and Tamron 17-50mm 2.8 Non-VC.</p>

<p>If you were starting from scratch, which filters would you buy first and why? What company makes the best

filters? What size filters should I buy? or does each filter have each stop increment?(neutral density .3, .6, .9, etc)

Should I buy filters for every lens I use or just specific lenses?</p>

<p>Thank you<br>

Miller</p>

<p>Nobody has used Mpix?!?</p>

<p>I am looking to purchase some albums(hard cover or cheaper style flip books) for my own marketing purposes(show clients at meetings, have in my studio, samples for purchase, etc) and I wanted to know if anyone has had their albums made through Mpix and what your results were...</p>

<p>1. What is the quality like?<br>

2. Are they professional enough looking?<br>

3. Do they allow individual client customization?<br>

4. Are they overpriced compared to other companies who make the same types of product?</p>

<p>If this isn't the right place to use for custom wedding or portfolio albums, who would you use instead?</p>

<p>Thanks<br>

Miller</p>

<p>Nathan,<br>

You should definetely check out Studio 6-23 Photography, based in Grand Rapids. Mindy is a an old friend of mine from school. Mindy and her husband Ben do phenomenal work and they are even better people. They travel all across the country shooting weddings. Good luck with the search and Congratulations on your upcoming nuptials. </p>

<p>Here is a link to their website: <a href="http://www.studio6-23.com/">http://www.studio6-23.com/</a><br>

God Bless<br>

Miller</p>

<p>Richard---Thanks for your input. Are refering to the non IS version of the f/4 or the IS version?</p>

<p>Peter---Thanks for the advice. I don't think the bokeh is going to make that big of a difference for me, and the weight of the 2.8 is a big factor as well. The speed is the biggest reason I have thought about going that way since I would really like to start shooting some sports(recreationally not professionally) in the near future.</p>

<p>G Dan---I think for me right now, price is the biggest drawback to buying the IS version. I would rather have the IS version because I believe it makes it easier for me in shooting terms but I have used plenty of lens in the past that didn't have IS and it wasn't that big of a deal to me. I shoot static and non-static subjects so I am mostly in the middle of the fence in terms of what I need the lens for the most. I don't have a telephoto lens of this quality in my collection yet so I figured this was a great place to start without breaking the bank. I don't want to use my tripod that much so if I will need it with this lens, I might just need to wait....</p>

<p>Trevor----thanks for the information. I would love to get the 2.8 version but that just isn't in my budget at this time and the weight concerns me a great deal, especially if this is in my bag and not used regularly.</p>

<p>Brent----I shoot alot of both to be perfectly honest, but I tend to shoot portraits(corp headshots, families, modeling, etc) the most of anything. I tend to shoot mostly outdoors during the magic hour time frames, rather than very early or very late, however I am looking for something that will be great for landscapes, cityscapes, and portraits just the same, as well as useful indoors. To give you an idea of what's in my bag now, I have primes in 35mm, 50mm 1.8, 85mm 1.8, and then a 28-135mm 3.5-5.6, and I just bought a 17-50mm f/4 this weekend. I figured this would give me some more flexibility and range. </p>

<p>Thanks for the quick response Nathan. I am glad to hear you think it's worth the money. I wanted to make sure I am not having to lug around my mono or tripod at all times to use this lens effectively. Of course I will have my tripod on me most times(maybe with the exception of traveling) but I want a lens that I can use handheld and still get great images. I currently own the 50mm 1.8 so I have my bases covered in that respect. I had no idea that these lenses would keep their value that much, that I wouldn't be losing quite a bit of money by buying now, only to upgrade within a year. I know the 2.8 Non-IS is a superior lens but I just don't think the weight is something I would want to deal with on a regular basis. Thanks for your suggestions. It is very appreciated.</p>

<p>So I am looking to buy my first Canon L series lens and I am really stuck about whether I should buy the Canon EF 70-200mm f/4 L USM Non-IS lens or wait 4-5 months until I can afford the IS version. The IS version is almost double the cost so I am wondering if it is worth spending the $650 on the Non-IS version now to get used to it and then just trade it in or sell later when I can buy the IS version...<br>

My questions are:<br>

1. With the non IS, will I be forced to use a tripod almost all the time or will I still be able to shoot good tack sharp images handheld?<br>

2. Will I be able to shoot indoors at non-optimum lighting conditions with this lens?<br>

3. What is the single biggest drawback of this lens vs. the IS version?</p>

<p>Thanks<br>

Miller</p>

<p>Steve---Thanks for posting this update about the upcoming construction. That is really a big bummer since that is the area everyone says is the best vantage point for GG bridge shots. I guess I will have to figure out another way to get the shots I want.</p>

<p>Any suggestions or alternate routes I can take to get to the same spot and avoid this construction or is this the only road available to this spot?</p>