hannah_defran

<p>There are specific rules for headshots according to industry. Models and actors don't follow the same requirements (lighting, angle, format, smile/no smile, make-up, hair, background, clothing, editing...). Some also argue that there are geographical preferences in the US (West Coast, East Coast). What you're doing so far falls more under the category of senior portraits than headshots.<br>

A quick google search would be a step in the right direction for improving your work and getting more clients.</p>

<p>The relevance is that the model won the contest using one of the photos I had done for his portfolio (kudos to me!). He was given a print, not a file. His scan is of rather low quality, and any person with a bit of experience would have seen a red flag. Plus the fact that the print shows a © with date and name of my company.<br>

I don't plan on pursuing legal action, but if I were, I would go after the entity with the bigger pockets: the site, not the model.</p>

<p>Do you think it's reasonable to expect that a site that works with models know/learn the basics: if the jpeg file is grainy and has no EXIF info, it's probably scanned and probably not licensed to the person checking the box?<br>

When I license an image to someone, there is always info about licensing and contractual uses in the metadata.<br>

I think it's a small business and that they're clueless. </p>

<p>I thought online magazines had a responsibility to check if photos submitted to them are copyrighted. They ran a modeling contest, the winner used my pics and they're now on the site. I had given him prints, which were scanned (no surprise here). I expected the website to be more careful. Am I correct?</p>

<p>If you file a claim through your homeowner's insurance, you may want to factor in that your premiums may increase.</p>

<p>I just had a talk with them. Very nice guy and very honest. They want you to give subscribers at least a 50% discount and then their take is 50%. For us, that would sink our photography business, but it may be a good opportunity if you have assistants working for you and can handle the hundreds of clients you will have to satisfy within a year. If you're trying to expand your client base instead of starting again from scratch like we are, this is a good way to get a check up front. </p>

<p>I have been contacted by one of the above mentioned company with an offer to sell/advertise through their site. Since I am moving to another part of the country, this sounds like a good way to rebuild my client base, but I am weary of the unforeseen problems. Does anyone have any experience with them, as a seller? Thanks.</p>

<p>Beware that FB owns the copyright and licensing rights to all photos you upload. And they now offer "download in high resolution" of images, which can cut into your profits, depending on your business model.</p>

<p>All the people I know who self-publish do it after years of rejection from publishing companies. It's different however if you're talking about academic work. If you want to get paid a percentage, do diligent research as to how many of those books may be sold (I know this is not possible since you're speculating). <br>

The last self-publishing author I know sold to his family and his housekeeper only. He boasts his book is on Amazon (it is) but it doesn't sell.</p>

<p>I have the full suite from OnOne and now only use PS for cloning, or to add little stars on women's earrings for instance. You can do masks, blurs, layers, watermarks... You have control of the effects with the masking bugs and pen tools. You can do batch processing and save your own presets. Then you can save as PNG and keep all your layers for further work inside PS if wanted. <br>

It may be a bit overkill and expensive for an amateur, but since you have a top of the line camera, you may have the budget for this plug-in. It's a lot of fun and allows for hours of creativity instead of hours of work!<br>

Good luck!</p>

<p>Do they want the copyright or a license? The word "reproduction" is a bit confusing. What type of client is it?<br>

If you're in the US, you don't need an attorney. But the specifics will depend on the country.</p>

<p>On a side note, I visited your website and saw that I can order prints of some of your galleries. As a client, I would be rather upset, especially since you sell digital downloads. </p>

<p>Thank you all for great directions. Mike, I like your idea of "me" then "you you you".</p>

<p>In one of his recent book on "senior photography" published by Amherst, Jeff Smith talks about a texturing machine he uses to make the prints difficult to scan. He says that if you contact him through his email (which of course I don't have) he will tell you what machine he uses and where you can buy it for "cheap". <br>

Sorry I don't have the details but I thought it may be helpful if the bulk of your income is prints.</p>

<p>Lots of websites have a "about us" section. I decided against it simply because I am not sure what to write in there. I cringe when I read "photography is my passion" or "let me capture the moment".<br>

I have a seen a few from photographers I like that have attracted my attention, but my perspective as a pro is not the same as someone who wants a family portrait. A friend told me I should use one particular picture of me on a shoot holding what she calls "a big old zoom" which she says brings credibility. I don't know.<br>

What works? What turns people away?<br>

Thank you for all advice.</p>

<p>The FW botanical gardens offer wonderful opportunities. It's a nice place to try out your camera from landscapes to macro, full sun to low light areas. Be careful about the professional photography fees. They also have a nice restaurant to relax.<br>

The Stockyards are fun and so is Downtown. Lots of people watching, slow movement with the carriages, lots of nice street lights at night.<br>

If you go 10 miles out of town, in any direction, you get into rural North Texas and the possibilities are endless.<br>

Enjoy!</p>

<p>You have some cool images, I like the little girl in the blue tulle. Pay a bit more attention to composition and your backgrounds. There is one image of the tiny baby on the red bed where you can see a binder or book on the left. And one where the fountain comes out of a little girl's ear. Parks are great but there is always some sort of horizontal line cutting of the background (edge trimmings, horizon, lake...). The only way around it is to move your subjects around. Or spend hours editing (been there, done that!)<br>

Go easy on vignettes. They display great but when the client orders an image in a different format, it's cut off and the customer is disappointed.<br>

I agree, you need to shoot more to build your portfolio, it's always the same people. And the empty gallery "I do" screams to me that you have not done a wedding yet. If this is the case, simply don't put the gallery there.<br>

I think, IMHO, that you need to sort out what you want to show the clients and what you want to show the rest of the world. I may use 1 or 2 images from a shoot to display on my website for everyone to see, the rest is of no interest other than the client. Clients like "above average" shots of themselves, but your future clients need only see the very best of your work.<br>

One thing I noticed is that the entire world can buy images of your clients, in your section "love and kisses" for instance. Change your Zenfolio settings and password your galleries. As a client, I would be pretty mad if I saw that.<br>

Good luck!</p>

<p>Since you have no experience in this area, I suggest you do a straight "TFP/TFCD" (trade for print/trade for CD). However, if you can make money out of it, all the power to you.<br>

Headshots are not "nice portraits". For instance, lighting needs to be flat, which is not what most portraitists look for. You should (or have the future model) inquire first about the requirements of agencies in your area, since they differ from region to region. 3/4, 2/3 profiles? Formats: 8x10? 9x12?<br>

<strong>Always</strong> have a "model release" signed. As Mario wrote, keep the copyrights and eventually the licence agreements for the future. If the person becomes a famous model, they may come in handy!</p>

<p>One avenue is also to ask the "on-location brides" you have worked with why they are not hiring you for the wedding itself. This would be less awkward than calling the ones how have not called back. <br>

Usually when a bride does a "bridal shoot" (i.e. in full regalia a couple of weeks before the wedding) it is with the photographer who shoots the wedding, most of the time it's part of the price package. Many popular wedding packages include = engagement + bridal + rehearsal (not always) + wedding + album + web gallery + prints.<br>

Unless they want the bridal in New Orleans and the actual wedding is taking place in another state for instance.<br>

All the best to you.</p>

<p>On a google search "ashley jackson wedding photographer" without mention of a state or location, you're in 3rd position right now, with a big title that states the photographer anti-gay. Yes, this would affect others by the same name even in other states since it may be assumed that this applies to all A.J.. Potential clients doing a casual search don't even need to click on the link to understand your ideology and move on to the next hit on the list.</p>

<p>I suspect you're nothing but a troll but you have damaged the reputation of any and all who do business in this field with the name you chose. Ever heard of "libel"?.<br>

Move to another state and claim religious persecution.<br>

Or refer them to me, and I will PAY them to have the honor of participating in this country's move forward and away from bigotry.</p>

<p>Maybe it's because I grew up on Ruslan's side of the ocean, I don't necessarily agree with most of the comments above. The image may not belong in a traditional "fairy tale" wedding album, nor above the mantel for most brides, but I think a lot of women, and their families may enjoy the "look how far she's come" message.<br>

Since people buy one 4x6 of Uncle Bob drunk at the reception, there is no reason why they wouldn't be interested in this one!!<br>

And I would not crop the little girl on the left out of the image, she's smiling. Is she next?</p>

<p>If you are going to sell to a wide audience, it will be a problem because people will have trouble finding standard mats and frames at their local craft store, and not everybody can spend $200+ on a custom frame. <br>

I also always create a virtual copy of everything in LR before I edit them. You can always reset it, but it's easier to simply have a duplicate to begin with.</p>

<p>As a photographer married to an Intellectual Property attorney, I URGE you not to draft the contract yourself but have a professional do it.</p>

<p>I have sold ONE is 4-5 years on Etsy, but have bought one as well! Try imagekind.com and make sure to use all the tags you can, and choose no frame and mat, or cheap frame and mat to decrease the price posted so customers are not scared but the dollar signs.</p>