L AW R E N R O S E photography
BUSINESS
DOCUMENTARY
INFORMATION
GUIDE
CONTENTS THE ARTIST BEHIND THE LENS CONGRATULATIONS RULES OF PHOTOJOURNALISM FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS INVESTMENT PRINTS AND PRODUCTS
THE ARTIST BEHIND THE LENS
“When you look at the photograph, it feels like you’re standing right there.” I was an artist before I was a Mom. Throughout middle school and high school, I lived and breathed drawing and painting. When it was time to go to college and pick your majoring subject, I first chose computer science because... what the hell do you do with an art degree? I didn’t want to be a “starving artist” like everyone said the art majors would become. I set myself up well by being a part of a research group, taking on jobs where I helped new students learning computer science, and I even did grading for a couple of the professions. But after a year and a half in, I broke down. This was not where I was meant to be! I went against what everyone was telling me and switched back to art. Even today I often reflect back on that moment and wonder if I was courageous for that decision or just completely nuts! My calling was in drawing and painting. I eventually took other classes such as ceramics, printmaking, and sculpture. It wasn’t until the very end of my college career that I took photography classes. My favorite was working with film and developing my photos in the dark room. I faced a whole different fear there too... using scissors in pitch black dark rooms with zero light! Talk about stress! Between 2011 and 2016 I did side jobs here and there taking pictures for families and couples. I sort of tried starting my own business, but didn’t really have the passion
that was required to jump in and do it. I didn’t consider myself a people-person and had a very hard time asking people to pose, hug, or kiss. You think its awkward for you? Pshh! Try being the person bossing you around demanding you kiss your husband! ha! Fast-forward to 2016 when my daughter was 5 months old, I participated in a contest to try to be the brand rep for a work-at-home-mom cloth diapering company. I felt a
sense of purpose again and did everything I could to win that spot. My hard work had paid off and I won! The requirements were you had to had a fluff butt baby and a camera that took high quality photos that they could use on their website and social media page. I really missed my art classes (still do today) so I jumped online and found different photography classes and ran into something called “family photojournalism”. I dug in and learned that there really was a way to be a good photographer and not have to awkwardly pose families! I found the woman who basically started the documentary family photography genre (Kirsten Lewis) and did online mentoring with her as well as an in-person intensive retreat
where her and her close friend (Jenna Shouldice) helped us in-the-field photographing families. While we were at the retreat we talked and dug deep into our “why”. It was at this moment I realized why these real moments matter so much more than your fake posed photos with zero personality. Almost exactly 1 month after my husband and I were married, my Grandma had a massive stroke. It completely her. I still remember walking into the hospital that day and seeing this woman who appeared to revert back to her toddler years. She was always the type of person who had to be dressed up - make up, perfume, and all - just to go to Wal-Mart... and now she was laying in bed with her hospital gown falling off, her hand hitting her knee out of anxiety, and being son-fed pureed food. She could barely talk, she would moan and yell out gibberish, and begged to get out of the bed. She suffered 7 long months being transferred from nursing home to hospital to a different nursing home, until she finally passed away. In between those 7 months, my Mother-In-Law was diagnosed with lung cancer and passed away 3 weeks before my Grandma did. 3 Months after they passed away, my Step-Grandma had a stroke and was taken to be with the lord within a week. 4 months after she passed, her husband passed. Almost 1 year to the date, my Papa passed away at the ripe age of 92 with all of us there in his home. I was the last person to spend time with him and talk to him. I was almost 13 weeks pregnant at the time and was waiting to announce to the family - didn’t even get a chance to tell him.
After talking with my mentors about my experience, I realized the pattern. Every time someone passed away, the family gathered to go through old photographs to relive memories and tell stories about one another. And guess what? Every-Single-Time, the photos that brought out the most emotions were the ones that were taken at random throughout their daily lives. The photographs that meant the most were the ones with Grandma cooking in the kitchen getting ready for Thanksgiving. They were the ones of Grandma sitting out in the front yard in the kiddie pool with her kids running around in their underwear playing in the sprinkler. They were the ones that helped you remember that disgusting old orange and brown plaid couch that every family used to have. I was the person responsible for gathering photos and creating funeral slideshows, and I saw first hand which photos were the most important ones to the family... and it wasn’t the ones where everyone got dressed up and posed in front of a color faded background.
“When you die, what photos will be on your funeral slideshow?” It was at this moment I realized just how beautiful real life is. I’m not talking about lifestyle - posed to look real - I’m talking about you struggling as a parent. I’m talking about the times you get poop on your hand from changing your kids diaper. Real life is where the beauty is. The struggles in our lives are what build us to be who we are today. How did I get into birth? I had my own struggles during my
pregnancy with my daughter that motivated me to get involved. Long story short, we were kicked out of our OB’s office for wanting to create a birth plan, so I transferred to the local birth center. The experience made me educate myself and I quickly became passionate about the process of labor and birth. We were one of the rare few who hired a birth photographer for the birth of our daughter. I didn’t realize until after we received our photo how important they would be. It literally was the best decision I’ve ever made! The birth haze is real, once you go into labor land you completely forget where you are and who’s with you. My birth photos are my absolute most favorite photos of all time! Forget the wedding photos! Who cares about those!?
CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR SMALL BUSINESS You did it! You found your passion and you jumped all in! Your heart is completely full with your new found work and it’s taken over your life! The only thing left to do is show your potential clients what it is that makes you so special and different from the other people on Google. What better way than to have actual photos or video of you working and doing your thing!
RULES
OF
PHOTOJOURNALISM
Many people get documentary photography confused with lifestyle photography, a style that is becoming popular. Sometimes the photos you get can look very similar, but the approach to getting those photos are on opposite ends of the world. The approach I take for all my sessions (birth, maternity, newborn, etc.) is the same as a family photojournalist would... and since there are rules to photojournalism, I think it’s important you know what they are so you know what to expect when hiring me.
1. DO NOT CHANGE THE ENVIRONMENT IN ANY WAY.
2. DON’T OVERLY CROP. DON’T OVERLY EDIT.
3. GET CLOSE.
When I am photographing you for your family session, I do not change anything at all. This includes: what you’re wearing, what’s in your house, the location in which you are standing/sitting, the lighting in the room, etc. I move myself around in order to get the picture I’m wanting, so I make zero requests from you. I also won’t ask you to repeat a moment again. If I miss it, I miss it... I will wait for it to happen again.
While I’m watching you through my lens, I make sure everything in the frame is exactly the way I want the finished image to be. When it comes time to sit down and edit your photos, I won’t crop the photos to make them anything it wasn’t originally intended to be. I also don’t heavily edit to make the scene look like something it wasn’t or to remove something distracting. The photos you receive are real and raw, and truly of your life.
When you look at my photos years from now, I want it to feel like you were there. In order for it to feel like you’re right there, I have to actually be right there next to you taking the photo. For the duration of your session, I will become a part of your family and get close from time to time. If you’re going swimming, I’m going swimming too! If you’re cuddling in bed with your children, I just may be on your bed too!
WILL YOU USE LIGHTING EQUIPMENT OR A FLASH? Nope. No. No way. Okay, that is my first response! Having trained with one of the top family photojournalists in the world, I definitely do not prefer to use any sort of lighting equipment in any of my work, whether it’s for family sessions, birth, or your business. I want to show your life (your job) exactly the way it is, so if the room you’re in is dark, my photos will also be dark and reflect the scene. If your line of work is a bit flexible in the location of your session, I may make suggestions of which side of the room will look best.
WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU HAVE ANOTHER CLIENT IN LABOR? It doesn’t happen often, but when I have another client who’s hired me for a birth session go into labor, they take priority over any other session I have. In the event I have a client go into labor, I will give you advanced notification of the possibility of it happening so we can reschedule our session. If this happens and you can’t change the date of your session, I have 2 back up documentary photographers who can replace me, both of which have mentored and trained with the same documentary photographer that I have. If you booked a longer session (12 hours or more) before I had any births booked, then your session would get priority. However, since I live most of my like being on call 24/7, I would still have to tend to my phone if I have a client in labor to make sure one of my back up birth photographers can make it in time.
HOW FAR DO YOU TRAVEL? I travel for free anywhere within a 50 mile radius of my Plano, Texas home. If you live further than 50 miles from me, a travel fee of $0.50 a mile will incur, both ways of travel. Sometimes I already make travel plans to San Antonio to visit family, if your session is far and happens to be around travel time, then the travel fee would be adjusted.
WHAT DO I WEAR? Since I am a documentary photographer, I don’t like to direct in any way or change anything about the environment. However, I have been asked this question enough times that I should probably give the answer anyway! First, wear what you normally would wear in your work. You want your potential clients to see what it will look like when they hire you. If that isn’t an option, choose solids.
DOCUMENTING YOUR BUSINESS
LIMITED LICENSE
EXTENDED LICENSE
Credit must be given in the form of text and a link back to Lawren Rose Photography’s website.
Credit to photographer is not required in any way.
$250/HOUR
$350/HOUR
WHAT’S INCLUDED An in-personal consultation to discuss your type of business, plans for the future, and goals. Includes either photography or videography for the session. Documentation coverage for the length of time you choose. Editing of all digital images and video clips taken during the session. An in-person print and product ordering meeting if requested. Photography: The best high-resolution edited digital images, with an online gallery. Videography: An edited video with music and captions if requested. Length of video depends on the length of the session.
SIGNATURE PHOTO ALBUM These are not your typical photo albums where you insert your 4 x 6 photos from your childhood... these are high quality panorama photo albums with thick lay-flat pages. Images can print across the center with a seamless appearance. Customization options are endless! You can choose between 18 different leather cover options, 16 linen cover options, and even acrylic, wood, or metal cover. Other customizations include etched leather patterns, front cover cameo cut-outs, debossing or foil-stamping personalization, and simply adding additional spreads. These signature photo albums are perfect for showing your full story since you don’t have to pick just 1 or 2 photos to print. You can use them for maternity, birth, newborn, a fun family day, or all of the above!
SIZE & PRICE The price of each album includes 10 spreads (20 pages) and all customization options except for acrylic, wood, or metal cover and adding additional spreads. 9 X 6......$445 + TAX 8 X 8......$475 + TAX 10 X 10....$595 + TAX
FINE ART PRINTS
The best quality printing on high-quality lustre photographic paper. I’ve ordered prints for a variety of companies and found one I feel is far superior than all the others.
SIZE & PRICE
Each print is mounted on acid-free white mat board with foam board backing, ready to frame! FITS A 12 X 16 FRAME...$40 + TAX PACK OF 3........$96 + TAX FITS A 16 X 20 FRAME...$55 + TAX PACK OF 3........$132 + TAX
SIZE & PRICE High Quality Prints of your choice on lustre photo paper, all printed with a 1/4 white border. 4 4 5 5
X X X X
6 6 7 7
(50)......$45 (100).....$80 (30)......$40 (50)......$60
+ + + +
TAX TAX TAX TAX
“Nothing
is
more
beautiful -Lawren
than
All Rights Reserved. © Lawren Rose Photography 2017 Serving Dallas/Fort Worth and Surrounding Areas www.lawrenrosephotography.com
real
life.”