The Photographer - December/January 2019

Official Publication of the Texas Professional Photographers Association, Inc.

VOLUME 54- #1 Dec/Jan 2019

ON THE COVER The cover image of the Benton Family is a vacation shot taken at Seaside, Florida. The image was captured with a Canon 5D MkIII. A single, off-camera Profoto BI with a 24 inch OCF Beauty Dish provided the lighting.

Learn more about Ross Benton, TPPA’s new President, and his family on page 6.

Magazine Editor

Bill Hedrick, M.Photog.Cr. 1506 E. Leach St. Kilgore, TX 75662 903-985-1080 Editor@ThePhotographerOnline.com

Executive Director

Steve Kozak, M.Photog.Cr 5323 Fig Tree Lane Grand Prairie, TX 75052 972-601-9070 Steve@tppa.org

Printing by

Complete Printing & Publishing 1501 W. Panola Carthage, TX 75633 800-964-9521 www.CompletePrinting.com

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Putting First Things First

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Meet Ross Benton

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Consider the Train

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A Message from TPPA President, Ross Benton

TPPA President 2019 by Zach McIntoch

When Marketing Photography by Steve Kozak

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Vision, Art, and Style

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Adobe Lightroom

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Using Today’s Technology

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Painting With Light

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Texas School 2019

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Lighting On Location

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The Power Of Objections

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Real Estate Photography

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Catering To Clients

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Creating A Niche

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The Importance of Branding

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Creating Thought Provoking Images by Francie Stonestreet

Efficient Use of Your Time by Guy T. Phillips

To Make Life Easier by Jamie Hayes

The Economic Benefits by John Hartman

It Will Change Your Life! by Don Dickson

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The Upcoming Fights by Tony Corbell

Making Them Work for You by Don MacGregor

What Clients Look For by Ethan Tweedie

Success with Family Portraits by Gregory Daniel

Photographic Art for Clients by Kristi Elias

For Your Small Business by Mary Fisk-Taylor

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THE PHOTOGRAPHER is the official publication of the Texas Professional Photographers Association, Inc. Acceptance of advertising or publishing of press releases does not imply endorsement of any product or service by this association, publisher, or editor. Permission is granted to similar publications of the photographic industry to reprint contents of this publication, provided that the author and this publication are credited as the source. Articles, with or without photographs, are welcomed for review for inclusion. However, the editor reserves the right to refuse publication, or if accepted, the right to edit as necessary. For more information, visit www.ThePhotographerOnline.com. Send all communications, articles, or advertising to: THE PHOTOGRAPHER, 1506 E. Leach St., Kilgore, TX 75662. Phone (903) 985-1080, or Editor@ThePhotographerOnline.com.

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2019 TPPA Executive Council President Ross Benton l

Ross@StudioBenton.com

1876 Nacogdoches Rd., San Antonio, TX 78209 (210) 804-1188

Vice-President Jenny Rhea Eisenhauer l

photographybyjennyrhea@hotmail.com

12218 Old Stage Trail, Austin, TX 78750 (512) 626-3309

Treasurer Cris Duncan

Putting First Things First

l

cjduncan@mac.com

2402 Slide Rd., Lubbock, TX 79407 (806) 781-2747

Secretary Doc List l

Doc@doclistphotography.com

6001 W. Parmer Ln., Austin, TX 78727 (512) 924-9248

Councilman-at-Large Teri Whittaker l

Teri@teriwhitaker.com

5407 Girnigoe Dr., Houston, TX 77084 (713) 898-8017

Councilman-at-Large Robin Janson l

Robin@sockmonkeyphotography.com

227019 Sable Oaks Ln., Cypress, TX 77433 (281) 561-9816

Chairman of the Board Tammy Graham l

Tammy@locationsphotography.com

3300 Joyce Drive, Ft. Worth, TX 76116 (817) 300-0780

Executive Director Steve Kozak l

Steve@tppa.org

5323 Fig Tree Ln., Grand Prairie, TX 75052 (972) 601-9070

Texas School Director Don Dickson l

Don@DonDickson.com

1501 West 5th, Plainview, TX 79072 (806) 296-2276

Magazine Editor Bill Hedrick l

Editor@ThePhotographerOnline.com

1506 E. Leach St., Kilgore, TX 75662 (903) 985-1080

PPA Councilors Brad Barton (Grand Prairie), Ross Benton (San Antonio), Cris Duncan (Lubbock), Jenny Rhea Eisenhauer (Austin), Tammy Graham (Fort Worth), Phaneendra Gudapati (Plano), Elizabeth Homan (San Antonio), Trey Homan (San Antonio), Robin Janson (Cypress), Mark McCall (Lubbock), Robert Norwood (Montgomery).

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hile beginning my term as TPPA President, I’m well aware of being an heir to a long and storied tradition of excellence in photography. This is a tradition I have witnessed close up during my previous years on the TPPA Executive Council, beginning as a counselor and moving up as secretary, treasurer, vice-president, and now as president.

This is a position of honor which I take seriously and cherish dearly. While looking forward to continuing TPPA’s great tradition, I also look forward to discovering new ways to make us all better together.

A verse from the New Testament Book of Hebrews invites us to “consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.” This ancient preacher invites anyone who will hear him to encourage one another - even to push one another to grow in what matters most in life... caring for and loving others, not just in what we say, but in what we do.

When I think of what has led to the greatest growth in my own life and what has led me to get better, I think of three things.

First on the list is my faith. My highest goal in life is to live for something greater than this life. This changes the way I see everything. While snapping a picture, my faith encourages me to not only look at my work technically... lighting, shadowing, positioning, coloring... but also artistically. The purpose of photography is to capture beauty and I can’t help but think there is Someone behind that beauty who has worked caringly and lovingly to craft and to create a beauty that we could never have conceptualized or composed ourselves.

Secondly, my thoughts are of my family. Before I am a photographer, I am a husband and father. My wife, my son, and my daughter have taught me lessons about tenderness and strength, patience, and joy. The pictures I treasure most are not only the ones archived in my camera, but held in the deepest places of my heart.

Finally, I do think of my vocation. For me, photography is more than a job. It is a calling. Thinking back over what I’ve learned, how I’ve changed, the new friends that have been made, and the business I’ve built, and my experiences over these past few years, I am humbled to serve others by working in a craft I truly love.

One of my goals over the next few months is sharing with you things I’ve learned that will hopefully be of benefit to you.

But I’m also looking forward to learning from you and walking with you as, together, we make each other better, not just in photography, but for the sake of all of the clients we serve.

All the best,

Ross Benton TPPA President

To contact any of your PPA Councilors, you may obtain their phone numbers from the TPPA Membership Directory or visit the TPPA website at www.tppa.org Complete financial information on Texas Professional Photographers Association is available to any TPPA member by contacting Steve Kozak, Executive Director, 5323 Fig Tree Ln., Grand Prairie, TX 75052 Steve@tppa.org

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THE PHOTOGRAPHER

If you are not a member of Texas PPA, this is my personal invitation to you to join!

Email Steve Kozak, TPPA Executive Director, at Steve@tppa.org or call 972-601-9070.

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to Texas youth through scholarships, grants, and endowments. He began volunteering for the rodeo in 2009 as part of the hospitality team where, each year, he gets to help folks find their way around the grounds to make sure they see all their favorite events. His son, Brock, recently began volunteering with him, and his wife, Brandyce, works with the calf scramble. In the past two years, the Calf Scramble Committee has raised over $800,000 for youth scholarships, with the Benton family raising $170,000 of that. There is nothing like watching a child’s eyes light up after being presented with a scholarship that will help ensure a great education and give him or her a leg up in life!

Even though Ross’s life comes with a crowded calendar, he tries to make it a priority to find at least a little time to pursue some fun hobbies. He enjoys cooking and, as a dyedin-the-wool Texan, he has a special affection for smoking great barbeque. For Ross, there is something very special about being able to share a meal with others. Some of his most precious memories involve the Benton family and their best friends, the Schrievers, sitting down to some delicious food and watching their kids play together.

When it comes to his career, photography is more than just a job. It is a calling. Ross is blessed to have been able to learn under some amazing photography mentors at the Texas School, IUSA, and, of course, the TPPA organization. When he thinks about all the time these mentors have poured into him, he can’t help but want to share what he has learned with others. Teaching classes and serving on the board of TPPA gives him the joy and privilege of not only sharing his knowledge, but watching others succeed.

caringly and lovingly to craft and create a magnificence that people could have never conceptualized or composed by themselves.

Ross’s faith is not only personal, it is also communal.

He is an active member of Concordia Lutheran Church on the north side of San Antonio, where he lives. This bustling congregation has provided him with great friends, indelible memories, biblical and practical teaching, and is committed to providing a fun, familyoriented environment.

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oss Benton is many things... husband, father, photographer, business leader, volunteer, and a person of deep faith. In all the hats he wears and tasks he accomplishes, Ross seeks to do so with a sense of priority – keeping first things first.

There is some ancient wisdom from Jesus that describes how Ross seeks to live his life. In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus reminds us, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.” (Matthew 6:19-20) Much is embedded in this passage, but at its root, Jesus invites us to center our lives on what matters most by focusing on those things that actually lasts.

So often, we wind up wasting our time on things that stroke our egos, inflame our anger, or make us a quick profit. But Jesus reminds us that what feels critically important today will turn out to be easily disposable tomorrow. Jesus’ wisdom is something Ross tries to keep in mind as he goes about his dayto-day life. Those words call him back – again and again – to the truly significant things of life. As he begins his term as TPPA President, here are some things that truly matter to him.

Above all, Ross values his faith. He has made it his highest goal in life to live for something larger than this life. Whenever he snaps a picture, his faith encourages him not only to look at his work technically – looking at lighting and shadowing and positioning and coloring – but also artistically.

Photography is meant to capture beauty and Ross cannot help but think that there is Someone behind all the beauty he photographs who has worked

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THE PHOTOGRAPHER

Anyone who knows Ross is better by virtue of having him as a friend and mentor.

Personally, he has been a blessing to me and my family. He has not only captured important moments for me and my family with his camera, he has given me great conversation over coffee and awesome memories by inviting my wife and me to the San Antonio Rodeo as well as to Spurs games. I am delighted by all that Ross has accomplished and am proud to call him a friend.

Over these next few months, Ross is looking forward to sharing with you some of the things he has learned that will hopefully be of benefit to you. But he is also looking forward to learning from you and walking with you so that, together, everyone can get better – not just in photography, but for the sake of all the clients the photography industry serves.

Along with his faith, he is also devoted to his family. He is a proud husband and father. His wife, his son, and his daughter have taught him lessons about tenderness and strength, patience and joy. The pictures that he treasures the most are the ones he holds of his family not only in the archives of his camera, but in the deepest places of his heart. No matter how crowded and complicated his schedule can sometimes become in his professional life, he tries to keep his priorities straight: God first, his wife second, his children next…and then all the other stuff.

This is not to say that “all the other stuff” is unimportant, but it is to say that if he does not feel good about who he is at home, he will not feel good about who he is as a photographer. Whenever he does a session with a client, he always aims to give them more than a photo package.

He tries to provide them with a time to make a memory with their family. This is why making memories with his own family is so important to him.

One of the ways Ross has been able to make great memories with his family is through his service to the San Antonio Livestock Show and Rodeo. Since its inception, the rodeo has donated more than $198 million Photos of his son, Brock (top), and daughter, Brooke (right), are among those images treasured most by Ross Benton.

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hen you travel by train, there are no announcements telling you to, “Fasten your seatbelts for takeoff.” You do not have to put your tray tables up nor do you have to put your seat in the “full, upright position.” A train does not “launch” from the station. A train also consumes the most fuel while it is trying to get up to speed. It takes a lot of fuel and energy to get a train moving but, once it gets up to speed, it then has momentum to help carry it to the appointed destination.

It is kind of like this in marketing your photography business as well. If your business is at a standstill, it takes a lot of effort, tons of marketing, and effective resources to get your business up to speed and it does not happen overnight! To get your photography business moving forward, it needs marketing more than it needs a new camera.

If you quit fueling a train, it does not come to a sudden stop. It will coast along for awhile until it gradually slows down to a crawl and eventually quits moving forward. Hopefully, it is not making a steep uphill climb at the time.

If you have been in business for some time, you might be tempted to think you can cut or even cease marketing altogether. Your business will not come to a sudden halt. Instead, it will likely experience a slow, painful decline. The problem is that, once it has come to a grinding halt, your business will need to be completely refueled to get it moving forward again.

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A train follows a planned course. It can only travel where someone had the foresight to lay tracks to lead it to its destination. Running your business without a business plan and a marketing strategy is like trying to guide a train without tracks. You are headed for disappointment.

I believe the number one reason photographers don’t market their business is they don’t know how. Marketing a photography business is a lot harder than taking pictures because there is no “P”, “T” or “A” on the marketing dial. One must learn how to reach a target market, turn them into clients and close sales.

One of the best opportunities to learn marketing strategies is at the Texas School of Professional Photography where successful photographers share much more than just photographic techniques.

Regardless of your skill level, it is important to understand trends and concepts that will help you create your own marketing plan.

Steve Kozak is the Executive Director of Texas PPA and will be teaching a course at the 2019 Texas School of Professional Photography. Learn more about his class and others, go to: www.TexasSchool.org.

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HAVE A VISION - Having a vision for yourself is more than setting goals. It is about the “why” you do what you do. It is what drives you personally and the framework from which your business is based. A vision statement also becomes your “elevator speech.”

When someone asks you what you do for a living, do you say, “I’m a photographer?” Because everyone is a photographer nowadays, it’s important to grab them with who you are and why you make imagery.

My vision statement is, “I leave a lasting legacy of moments in time for generations to come with unique, soulful and thought-provoking images.” When your vision is crystal clear, there is no fear and purpose becomes your motivator.

“The Bride of Zeus” was inspired by Francie’s love of clouds.

Creating Images which are Soulful & Thought Provoking

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edding photography is my primary business. However, I photograph a variety of subjects from landscapes and macro, to stylized portraits and to statements on social issues. I have found that having variety in my artistic endeavors has assisted me in becoming a more competent photographer and more fulfilled as an artist.

Art has always been in my life. I cannot remember a time when I was not either looking at art or creating it. My world changed at 15 years old when my mother gave me my first 35mm camera. Later, I studied art and photography in college but didn’t think I could ever make a living as a female photographic artist in the 80’s, so I opened a corporate training and consulting firm and lived the corporate life. Yet, my camera was never far as I created landscape and macro art.

Francie Baltazar Stonestreet

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In 2004 I took a leap-of-faith and came back to photography, first on the commercial side, and then transitioned into portraits and weddings. Wanting to create more than a pretty picture, I immersed myself into learning and that path brought me to the Professional Photographers of America photographic competition. Seeing some of the most creative, innovative and mind-blowing works of art has driven me to want to create images which evoke emotion and tell a story for not only myself, but also for my clients. In my 30 years as a photographic artist, here are some important lessons I have learned...

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QUALITY OVER QUANTITY - With the onset of the digital age, the quantity of photographs became a big deal. Photographers were so thrilled with the limitless capture opportunities, some even used the number of images provided as a selling point to clients. It didn’t take long to realize that 25 images of the same thing wasn’t necessary. A well visualized, stunning image was more valuable than thousands of basic images. What is the story you want to tell? How does this image support the story? With wedding photography, each image should fall into one of the following categories: documentation, photojournalism, portrait, romantic portraits, family portraits, special moments, or story-telling. Creating quality images should become a habit and obsession.

CREATE YOUR STYLE - What is your style? Can you recognize it? Can you replicate it? In today’s very competitive world of photography, having a style that you can replicate is important. Why? The internet is how a majority of clients look for photographers. Decisions are made in a split second as to what you offer or if you are the right photographer for them. Evolving your style into what you love is the key to success. If you love it, you can sell it. Discovering what makes your soul sing takes patience and sometimes a quiet space. Look to art outside of photography as well as your past for clues as to what you are drawn to visually. Then ask yourself what about this art do I love? What is the artist saying to the viewer? How can I incorporate this into my work?

VISUALIZE - By getting to know your clients, you can better understand their dreams, desires and passions.

Ask them descriptive (or specific) questions so you can better learn about who they are, and then you can better visualize the kind of images you want to create for them.

Think about what you want the image to look like in its final state. What do you need to capture with your camera to manifest your vision? Do you need to visit your location to plan and have time to visualize your image? Having a well thought vision also gives room for creativity to emerge. Write it down. Keep an inspiration book, and then plan what you want to create.

“There is nothing worse than a sharp image of a fuzzy concept.” – Ansel Adams FEED YOUR CREATIVITY - Creativity begets creativity. Some people are born with the gift of being creative, but the rest of us must work at it. It’s always amazing when I hear a photographer say, “I’m just not creative.” The question becomes what have you done today to feed your creativity? Art museums are at your finger tips through the internet. Movies are just a click away through Amazon and Netflix. Books can be downloaded instantly and read on your phone. Inspiration is all around us - you just have to go looking for it.

“The Count’s Bride” was inspired by the book series “Twilight.”

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“From Here To Eternity” was inspired by the black and white photo of Burt Lancaster and Deborah Kerr from the movie with the same title.

When a client asks, “How many images will I get?” the answer should be, “How many would you like?” They typically will say they do not know. Responding with approximate number of images per hour is the most effective way to combat this question. You can say something like this: “We strive to provide you with the highest quality of images and typically deliver between X and Y per hour of photography.”

Your goal should be to create beautiful work, not a massive amount of work. There is more value perceived in a one-of-a-kind piece of art, something which is completely unique to your client.

NAIL IT IN CAMERA - The beauty of digital and the curse of digital is we can see instantly what we have captured. The biggest lie that photographers tell themselves is, “I can fix that later.” Do it now!

Fix it in camera! What you have control over during the photography session is what you should control. The computer is for digital enhancement, creating art and only fixing things which could not be done in camera. Soften some of those wrinkles with more flat light.

Use clips to fix that over-sized jacket. Use the correct angle of view and posing of your clients to slim them down. Choose the correct lens for the situation. Do it in camera. Picasso was famously known for saying, “Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist.”

ALBUMS AND WALL ART - We live in a digital world. High school textbooks are now online. Snap-chat is the fasting growing app. People want images they can share. In this ever-growing digital world, printing images is more important than ever. Ten years ago, the “last forever” method of storing and sharing images was the CD/ DVD. Computers today are not shipped with CD/DVD readers, so these images cannot be easily viewed. The digital world is fleeting and is not reliable for ten years from now, much less 100 years. Creating heirloom albums and wall art which can be passed from this generation to the next is the only way you can ensure your work will last over a lifetime. Providing digital images is the future, but printing ensures the future is still viewable.

PERSONAL PROJECTS - Step outside of your norm and create just for the sake of creating. Personal projects are images you create for yourself. As an artist, you must be willing to take time to dream,

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rejuvenate, and replenish your well of creativity. Doing personal projects which have no deadline, no client and no financial value associated with them gives you the world. Commit to doing at least one personal project every year.

NEVER STOP LEARNING - Photography is a world where technology meets creativity, and there is always something new to learn. Texas Professional Photographers Association provides many learning opportunities throughout the year that include Summerfest, iHeart Photo Conference, Texas 10 Workshops, and theTexas School of Professional Photography. I am thrilled to be teaching with Chris Smith in 2019 at Texas School. Our five days will be filled with inspiration, hands-on shooting, solid practical information, and loads of fun!

LEAVE YOUR LEGACY - Life is too short not to find your passion and pursue your dreams. Create your art, love your clients, chase excellence and leave your legacy for the future. Be BOLD enough to use your voice.

Be BRAVE enough to listen to your heart. Be STRONG enough to live the life you always imagined.

Francie Baltazar Stonestreet is an award-winning portrait artist and wedding photographer from Kingwood, Texas. She is a PPA Master-Craftsman and Certified Professional Photographer with numerous photographic awards including Kodak Elite and Canon Par Excellence. She will also be teaching a class at the 2019 Texas School of Professional Photography. For more information on her class, go to www.

TexasSchool.org and learn more about her from her website at www.fireheartphotography.com.

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THE PHOTOGRAPHER

Folders vs Collections - Folders are what most imaging software applications use to organize your applications, files, and images. You’re likely to have used folders on your Mac (using Finder) or on your PC (using Explorer). Folders are where you tell Lightroom to place your images during the Import process (and in doing so, those same locations are created in Finder or Explorer). (see image 1 below) Folders can only be accessed in one of the seven modules, and your exposure to the risk of deleting the original images within a Folder is always present.

Image 1

QUESTION: As you build a playlist on your phone, do you duplicate the songs you chose and eat up more memory on your phone?

ANSWER: No. And you can think of Collections in much the same way.

Collections are different from Folders in many ways, but let’s start with an analogy. If you are like most, you have music on your phone. You probably have so much music that it can be overwhelming to manage, so you rely on Playlists to make it easy to get to your favorites. Collections in Lightroom are similar to a playlist in that they allow you to create a “virtual” set of images without duplicating the original file, and without adding significantly to your storage space.

But I prefer Collections over Folders for another major reason... I can add and delete images and even remove Collections without ever affecting the originals (because they are still in the folders). There are no more “oops!”

Creating a Collection has become even simpler with the most recent updates to Lightroom. I create a Collection while Importing. (see image 2 below) However, if I already have a folder, I can right-click it and choose “Create Collection.” It’s that easy!

Image 2

by

GUY T. PHILLIPS

Texas School Instructor

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dobe Lightroom has become a very popular software for hobbyists and professional photographers alike. It is part Raw converter, part photo processor, and part photo organizer. Lightroom is designed to process your images from the time you download them from your memory card until they are filed on your hard drive. You can process photos, add them to a map to show where they were taken, create a slide show, print them, or export them to other programs for further processing. All of this makes Lightroom a most useful tool for workflow applications. This amazing program is useful enough to be used independently or in partnership with other programs.

At Texas School 2019, we will be unlocking Adobe Lightroom Classic CC and learning how to cut your time on your computer dramatically. As an introduction to that process, let’s take a look at just one of the many features that will be covered... Collections.

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THE PHOTOGRAPHER

Collections do a LOT more! Collections are available in every module (only the Film Strip shares that distinction) and that makes taking an image from Library to Develop, Map, Book, Slideshow, Print, and Web easy and seamless. You can also use Smart Collections, letting Lightroom create for you based on criteria you select. Smart Collections can be based on dates, file names, ratings you give your images, the focal length you used – you pick it! (see image 3 on next page)

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Image 5

Image 6 Image 3

Collections are most helpful if you are a traveler who likes to take a lot of images. Consider Lightroom’s Collection Sets that allow you to group your images in easy-to-access, multi-levels. For example: Vacation... Italy...

Genoa... Milan... and Turin. (See Image 4 below)

Image 4

If you are like me, you want to dramatically streamline your workflow, especially during the culling process. Set as Target Collection (Image 5) gives you a great way to do just that! Here’s what I mean: You create a Collection and set it as a “Target Collection.” Next, you can name it whatever you want. Let’s say “Keepers.” Then, go back to your original Collection that has way too many images. As you view an image you want as a “keeper,” simply press “B” and BOOM! It’s in your Targeted Collection.

It’s easy to go through and cull even the largest collections in just minutes, with no risk.

Adobe’s Creative Cloud Photography Plan is a phenomenal value.

For about $10 a month, you get Lightroom CC (the new ‘share anywhere’ version), Lightroom Classic CC (the longtime version with a slightly different name), Photoshop CC, plus Portfolio (a super easy way to buy a portfolio site) and Adobe Spark (for those of you who are DYI graphic artists, web designers or video builders).

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Want to share? Once you have culled down to the “keepers,” you can share to your mobile device, or with the world. Lightroom can help you with “Sync with Lightroom CC.” This allows you to share an entire Collection to Lightroom CC. Lightroom CC can be viewed on just about any mobile device or on the web. Either way, Adobe gives you 20 gigabytes of storage with your Creative Cloud Photography Plan. (See Image 6) Lightroom can streamline your workflow with features that will amaze you.

Perhaps it’s time you spent more time creating and less time managing a bulky and outdated workflow. If that intrigues you, plan on coming to Texas School ‘19 and see for yourself what Lightroom can do for you.

Guy T. Phillips has quickly gained a reputation for presenting a great “hands-on” experience for his students. While he draws from his ability to make technology simple, his students find his class entertaining, fun, and very informative. As a former corporate educator, Guy T. knows how to make his presentations interesting and fun, with activities that take your skills and abilities to new levels. He is a member of Dallas PPA, a TPPA Associate Fellow, and is closing in on his PPA Craftsman degree this year. For more information on his class, go to www.TexasSchool.org.

Dec/Jan 2019

THE PHOTOGRAPHER

With super fast recycle times, large capacity quick recharging batteries, high speed sync, and passive TTL systems, photographic additive lighting is a breeze. This allows me the freedom of not having to think about anything except how my client is feeling during the session. This kind of personal attention is so unexpected today because most photographers usually keep their cameras to their faces, yelling commands to their clients to react naturally and smile. I am now able to keep my eyes locked on the subject, looking at them outside of the camera instead of fumbling with my camera settings or constantly looking at the LCD panel. I believe this is the reason our clients trust us to get the best shots that are so authentic to them. Profoto lights are so consistent and simple to use that all of this and more is possible, regardless of the type of subject you are photographing.

Here are just a few of the features that I am most obsessed with: Passive TTL - No light meter needed ( although I could not live without one, just to be perfectly clear). Simply set your exposure for the background first, fill the entire viewfinder with only the face of the subject, switch the AirTTL remove into TTL mode (camera specific models are required ), take the shot, and the strobe is set to the perfect exposure every time. You can add or subtract the amount of flash on the face by adjusting the AirTTL remote up or down in power in units as precise as 1/10 f/stop. Regardless of the tonality of the skin of the subject, from extremely fair skin to the darkest complexions, the output is instantly calculated for the perfect exposure. It’s that simple. Just lock in that exposure by pressing the same TTL button to manual, recompose your shot, and fire.

High Speed Sync - Just like the old film days with my Hasselblad, Mamiya, and Bronica cameras, I now can set the shutter speed to any speed I need while the strobe matches the flash output to again get the perfect exposure. Very simple!

Extreme short flash duration - With the B1X and the A1, I can also stop action instantly, from water droplets in the rain to those fantastic dancers using flour. Any fast moving subject is perfectly rendered frozen in action. Just press the shutter.

JAMIE HAYES Texas School Instructor

Extremely fast recycle time, rapid fire - The Profoto B1X’s features a recycle time from .2 to 1.9 seconds and provides perfect exposure, too.

There is even a fast burst and freeze mode that will deliver 20 flashes per second. Now that’s cool! Long gone are the days of missing that perfect shot because my strobe wasn’t ready.

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am obsessed with the technology we have available at our finger tips today. Photographing has never been easier, more reliable and creative than it is at this very moment in history. I’ve been a professional photographer for over 35 years and have owned just about every gadget known to man.

Every year I seek out products and services and software that will make our studio run more efficiently, make us more money and lighten my gear load on location and in the studio. I can remember when we had so much gear that it required an assistant just to carry the heavy bags of cameras, lenses and lighting gear needed for the shoot. Well, those days are long gone... thank goodness. As we have incorporated technology and advancements in lighting equipment, my focus has shifted more to the client experience than to the things we use to make the perfect picture. Now I can create almost any basic lighting effect or technique with just what I today carry in my camera bag! Simply amazing.

My favorite style of lighting is “additive,” using a strobe and light modifiers (softbox, umbrella, scrim, etc.) to control the contrast, mood and style of light on the main subject so that it matches the mood and feeling I had pre-visualized. It really is the answer to so many problems that most photographers experience when they have to do post work on their files in software to make them match the idea of the final images in their mind’s eye.

Using our simple lighting concept, we are able to immediately see the final prefect result instantly... no Lightroom or Photoshop required (Sorry, Julianne Kost. You know I love ya and all the Adobe products)... on the back of our camera’s LCD screen.

With that being said, I have tried every brand of light on the market to date and nothing beats Profoto! I know what you are probably thinking, “It’s so expensive.” It’s funny, but I’ll bet that most of you purchase the best camera bodies, prime lenses (that dreaded 70-200 f/2.8 zoom lens), and accessories to make that perfect 8x10 but you look at lighting equipment as an expense and not as an investment. Wake up! If you are going to be a professional photographer and charge money for your services and products, you need to have reliable gear that will last a lifetime.

Now that I have climbed down off my soap box lets get down to business and look at the Profoto B1X. This piece of equipment really has changed my life in a fantastic way. First, not having to be connected to an electrical power source in so freeing. I used to have to find an outlet first when arriving at a shooting location and then determine the background based on where I could find power. Now I have the freedom to be able to finish several sessions back to back without having to change a battery, indoors or outdoors.

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The most extensive line of light modifiers in the world - Controlling and shaping light is my obsession and passion and knowing that every umbrella, softbox, grid, and light modifier fits on any of my Profoto strobes (Studio D1’s or Location B1x’s) streamlines my process. I never have to arrive on location only to discover that I don’t have the “thing that connects the things to my strobes.” Instead of having several different light techniques (and gear ) for each type of session, I only have one and they work seamlessly every time.

With the vast array of light modifiers, quick charging batteries, and wonderful back packs to hold it all, why would anyone not look at the world of Profoto. It’s worth the investment. Isn’t your photography worth it, too?

Joining forces over 20 years ago, the team of Jamie Hayes and Mary-Fisk Taylor have become a dynamic duo of photography. By combining Jamie’s extensive photographic experience and Mary’s unparalleled creative marketing and business management skills, they have built two highly successful studios that gross well over $1 million annually. They will be teaching another fun and informative class at Texas School ‘19. For more information on their class, go to www.TexasSchool.org.

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Light painting, however, cannot be reverseengineered; it’s not possible to view a light painted image and say, “I know exactly how that was made.” The process requires a rather difficult and arduous process of previsualization, setup and lighting with a defined outcome in mind. Because ‘chimping’ is not possible, the light painter must determine the initial setup, the direction of light, the field of view - all before making the first exposure. The light painter’s toolset contains specialty items not used in mainstream photography. And the editing process is not at all intuitive.

These requirements automatically preclude all but the most dedicated photographers who are willing to invest the time, resources and effort needed to produce a stunning light painted photograph. And due to its complexity, there will never be a Photoshop action or Lightroom preset that can replicate the light painted look.

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But for the few willing to learn and perfect the light painting process, the market is wide open and the rewards are great. In my experience, the most plentiful and profitable light painting work has been, for lack of a better description, ‘man cave’ stuff. Men who are successful in life (and I say men because to date 100% of my light painting buyers have been male) often tend to accumulate toys of significant value. Most of the time they have no visual record of their treasures other than a phone snapshot certainly nothing they would feel comfortable displaying in their home or office.

John R. Hartman Texas School Instructor

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he concept of painting with light is not new. As photographers we do it every day as part of our image-making, whether we do that painting with electronic flash or ambient light. The vast majority of those pictures are made with very short exposure times, often just a fraction of a second long.

A few years ago I stumbled upon a unique method of image making called light painting that uses moving, continuous lights in a darkened setting.

These exposures range from a few seconds to a few minutes and illuminate small areas of the subject or scene. The resulting captures are then blended and merged in Photoshop to create a photograph not possible by any other method of image creation. The number of images making up a single light painting can be just a few or a hundred or more, depending on the complexity of the subject matter.

Some of the highest paid commissions I’ve received have been of machines; automobiles, motorcycles, aircraft and farm tractors. To date I have several clients who have invested over $40,000 each in light painted photographs of their auto collections, and a farmer who has $20,000 in light paintings of his machinery. Many other commissions have been in the mid-to-high four figure range.

Finding light painting clients is the easy part - they are already our clients!

Each one of us has portrait clients we’ve worked with in the past who have toys. And while the men in those families may have not always been enthusiastic about the family or senior portraits we produce, I can guarantee that when you show them light painted images and start talking about their toys, they get excited. And they pull out their credit cards.

I’m often asked how long it takes to make a light painted photograph.

During the learning stages, my light paintings took many hours to get right. But I wasn’t getting paid for those early projects, anyway. Rather,

Light painted images can provide a beautiful, almost surreal representation of the subject.

This style of photography is very well suited for the iconic items stored in men’s garages, hangars, music rooms and mini-museums.

I fell in love with this process and embarked on a quest to light paint a variety of subjects that ranged from automobiles to musical instruments, food, aircraft, jewelry, commercial products, motorcycles, flowers, landscapes and architecture. As I began posting these personal projects to social media and exhibiting them in printed form in our community, others took notice and I began to get commissions for this type of work. It soon became evident that there was a strong market for light painted photographs. More importantly, it was a market with plenty of demand and a single provider - me. This runs completely contrary to the current economic forces in our industry, where in most markets the supply of photographers far outstrips the demand from customers, resulting in the downward pricing spiral.

Many experienced photographers can look at a portrait and tell what kind of light was used, the general aperture range, even the approximate focal length of the lens. This makes it easy to emulate the styles and even the processes of others’ work. And even though there are many other factors that determine success or failure in the industry, the Internet has made it more difficult to maintain a unique style as a portraitist.

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More importantly, it has provided a sense of joy and wonder about photography that I haven’t experienced in a long time. I get excited about every assignment. The entire process from start to finish is incredibly fun... so much so that I admit I would do it for free (well, almost, anyway). But it’s nice to know that people are willing to pay handsomely for this work.

Painting with light is a unique art form that can provide those willing to learn and refine the process with a low-risk, profitable income stream that has great upside potential.

I was more interested in learning and perfecting a workflow that would increase my productivity. I perfected a method that decreases the actual time spent at the photo shoot and reduces the effort in both the editing as well as the sales process.

This endeavor has paid off. I can now create and edit a typical light painting project in about the same time as I spend on a high end senior (but with a much higher average sale). In just a few short years, light painting has become a six-figure product line in my studio. I have a virtually unlimited supply of clients and no competition.

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John Hartman has owned and operated his Stevens Point, WI school since 1974, specializing in high school senior and family portraiture. He has shared his ideas and techniques with photographers for over 35 years, presenting at hundreds of conventions, seminars and workshops throughout North America, including his successful and popular Marketing Boot Camps held in Chicago and Las Vegas.

He has written several industry best selling books and is the developer and author of QuickMats, SeniorMarketing, and The KIT, software tools that for over twenty years have helped thousands of photographers build their business and become more creative.

At Texas School ‘19, John will be teaching a class on “Light Painting.”

For more information on John, go to www.johnhartmanlightpainting.com or www.TexasSchool.org.

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It Will Change Your Life!

The Texas School Experience

by Don Dickson

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he 2019 Texas School of Professional Photography will once again be held at the Renaissance Hotel and Conference Center in Addison, Texas. Classes will be held April 28 - May 3, 2019. Over 1,000 photographers attend Texas School each year and we look forward to another great year in 2019. The hotel, located north of Dallas, just off the North Dallas Toll Road, is the setting for this event.

The 523 room Intercontinental Hotel has agreed to a room rate of only $129, so more people will be able to stay at the host hotel. More information is available on the Texas School website at www.texasschool.org.

You might want to go ahead and book your room because they will sell out fast.

Online registration for the 2019 Texas School begins at 11pm CST on January 3, 2019. Last year the first class booked in only three seconds with several others within two minutes! If you’ve never experienced Texas School, you’ve missed out on one of the best learning experiences available to photographers in the world. There will be at least 36 classes covering every topic imaginable and all are designed to help your business grow and be successful.

As everyone knows, the photography industry is changing. You have to be on top of your game. Texas School offers everyone the best education in the country and at the most affordable prices. Along with classroom instruction, there is a fun and exciting social life at Texas School with parties, meal events, entertainment and an impressive trade show. Another good reason to attend is that all evening meals will be FREE, thanks to our many sponsors. So, mark your calendar now for April 28 - May 3, 2019, and come and see what the “Texas School Experience” is all about.

Registration Form and More Texas School Information at

www.TexasSchool.org

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Bree Adams

Ross Benton

Doug Box

Gary Box

Ana Brandt

William Branson III

Alison Carlino

Carl Caylor

Bry Cox

Jim Cunningham

Bob Davis

Kristi Elias

Steve Ellinger

Kay Eskridge

Joel Grimes

Jeff Gump

John Hartman

Elizabeth Homan

Steve Kozak

Don MacGregor

Dave Montizambert

Sandra Pearce

Guy T. Phillips

Thom Rouse

Kimberly Smith

Craig Stidham

Richard Sturdevant

Ethan Tweedie

Mitch Daniels

Steve Watson

Jason Ulsrud

Chris Smith & Francie Stonestreet

Jamie Hayes & Mary Fisk-Taylor

Gregory & Lesa Daniel

Gary & Kathryn Meek

Rob Hull & Tony Corbell

John Wilson

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Cris & Deanna Duncan

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fig. 1

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TONY L. CORBELL

Texas School Instructor

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s working photographers, we all experience unique calls asking us to do all sorts of things. They are sometimes funny, sometimes sad, and every once in a while, just odd. This is the story of how one strange job came to me.

The call was for someone to document the six girls who were to carry the round signs for an upcoming Muy Tai Kickboxing tournament, for images to be used for posters, calendars, and banners for the venue. It actually did sound like fun and turned out to be just that. We started in a local boxing gym complete with the full ring and filled with fighters. I had this idea of asking them to line up by the edge of the apron just on the outside of the ropes. I didn’t exactly tell them they would be out of focus and dark but that was the way I saw it in my mind.

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Here is the result of the first image we took. In this we took one of our models and placed her in the center of the ring with the fighters lined up in the back. We actually liked it better in black and white, but the client was all about the bright colors. The main light was a 2X3 RFi softbox on a Profoto B1X. There were two accent lights in the back, one was placed on the floor with a red gel at camera’s left and the other had a warmer gel inside and over on the right of the camera. This was up fairly high above the ring to light her hair and give good separation from the background.

As a little bit of spice we placed a fog machine down low behind the fighters to give a smokey effect. Keep in mind that I had to do six of each of the three total setups (see figure 1). Next, we were asked to do an image of each girl with her favorite fighter for posters that would be used all over town to promote the fights. We didn’t change much from the first setup, but we did change our camera position and removed the red gel and replaced it with a medium blue. The light with the blue gel metered one stop below the main light and the accent light with the warming gel metered one-half stop below the main light (see figure 2).

The posters were everywhere in the community just days after we delivered the finished, retouched image files.

fig. 2

fig. 3

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fig. 5

Next, they wanted a bathing suit shot of each girl and we worked pretty fast to get this done for all six and in most cases, they changed into a second costume. Two-light setup was in order as the small Octa was just off-camera and the accent was a 1X3 foot vertical strip light with a grid attached. These were really fun for the girls and I think the client did it mostly for their benefit (see figures 3, 4, and 5).

Finally, as we were wrapping up the day, we decided to place each girl in the corner of the ring on the small stool they use between rounds. This turned out to be a pretty good place in terms of cool composition and for me, I liked what we did. The client, models, fighters, my assistants, everyone seemed to really like this final setup. The lighting accomplished once again with only two lights. The main was 2x3 softbox, the accent was a 1x3 with no gel, and the fog machine was mostly turned up on high. It was a great way to finish off the day (figures 5 and 6). The fight date is coming up soon and these images will be everywhere for promotion. It was a great day indeed.

Camera: Canon 5D MarkIII Lights: Profoto B1X (3) Exposure: Varied from 5.6-11 ISO: 200 White Bal: Daylight Special thanks to Joe Glyda and Curtis Sprague for all of their help keeping me on task.

Tony Corbell has been teaching lighting concepts, theories, and techniques for over twenty-five years and has spoken to over over 40,000 photographers throughout the world on the topic of light control. His numerous youtube videos have topped well over one million views. He is an instructor at the Texas School of Professional Photography and most recently spoke at TPPA Summerfest 2018. You can learn more about Tony Corbell at www. corbellworkshops.com and www.corbellphotographics.com.

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Typical objections...

Its too expensive I don’t have space l I don’t like my appearance l Can’t do it at that time of day l Want to choose online l Out of town family members l l

Its too expensive - The key here is to be proud of your prices and present them during the consultation.

Failure to insure the client is well aware of your prices (if they really see the prices during the projection appointment) will totally undermine any potential sale. You commonly will get some sticker shock but do not be concerned. That is a first reaction as clients really don’t know what they can invest in nor do they understand the depth of finishing involved. When I hear this kind of comment, I commonly respond with a script.

Don MacGregor Texas School Instructor

Such a response might be, “Mrs. Jones, thank you for expressing concern on pricing. Let me take a moment to explain the difference between finely crafted portraits and photographers that just sell pictures.” From there you have a door open to explain not only the craftsmanship involved but to establish that they are paying for your artistic expertise as well.

I don’t have space for something that big - This is a common response as clients often look for any excuse (real or not real) to avoid making a decision and it is mostly because they really have no idea of what can be done. There are multiple responses but the most effective is to show the clients what people are doing and express that it is OK to do it. Displaying images that are appropriately sized for furniture (eg: above a mantle) plays a key part of handling that objection.

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ecent years have seen start up companies promoting online sales and much of our industry has bought into that as it is seen as the “easy way to make sales.” However, in-person sales are rapidly growing and re-establishing the process of successful portrait sales. Portrait photographers selling personto-person realize sales that are significantly higher than online sales. Respectfully, let’s establish that there are some products (ie: team or sports photos) that are a good fit for online sales.

Designed portraiture is best managed with person-to-person sales as the client needs to be educated about what they can invest in and, of course, educated about all the nuances of retouching and enhancement and display.

Therefore, we must ask ourselves, “Why don’t ALL photographers sell in person?” The answer is grounded in a lack of sales skills, lack of confidence in educating clients, and a fear of objections. Many photographers simply cannot handle (emotionally or a technical response) comments like, “I don’t like myself” or “I don’t like the photos.” The list of other objections can significantly grow if the presentation of originals is not well thought out.

Objections should be thought of as opportunities to answer clients concerns and establish respect in your skills. Having said that… objections should be handled BEFORE the client brings them up. The client takes control of the process the minute you are on the defensive in a sales situation.

So, how do we handle an objection before the client brings it up? There are many generic objections that always need a proactive presentation. These are mostly handled in the consultation process. During the consultation, you are exploring options to create a unique portrait for your client and you are educating them about what they can invest in. Some common objections are:

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of what clients do. Explain the benefits of repetition of color and design. Clients will understand this and you simply won’t have to face that objection. With respect to personal issues (such as weight), showing the master image with enhancement techniques that flatter a person is so powerful.

We can’t do it at that time of day - Once you have established a concept for a portrait, explain to the client that to achieve your vision, it must be created at specific times. Many will explain that their husband has a tee time and the son a soccer game. I commonly explain, “Mrs. Jones, I realize that your husband has a busy schedule or a tee time and the kids have their sports events. They will play many rounds of golf or soccer games in the years ahead. This kind of portrait is not done regularly and I am sure you want to do it RIGHT.” Can I just choose online? This is becoming very common and MUST be handled very early in the process. The client needs to realize that what you do is not taking pictures but crafting fine portraits and, more importantly, that your professional skills will help them see the potential of selection and display.

Of course you can explain the obvious, including poor color and resolution, (online) but that really is minor. “Mrs Jones, many today ask if they can choose

Another powerful tool is showing an album or slide show of images elegantly displayed in clients homes.

Marathon Press makes a great marketing piece to help those that don’t have their own image resource. A script to handle this is simple. Keep in mind you are NOT asking for a sale at this point, you are simply educating the client and making them more comfortable with any discussions about your premium products. “Mrs Jones, whatever size you choose will be the right size and you will make that decision. I feel a responsibility to insure you have the knowledge and understanding of display so you can make a decision that will bring life-long enjoyment. We have a wonderful projection system that allows you to see actual sizes and we can even show you what actual sizes look like in your own home so your decision will be right for you.”

I don’t like the way I look - This is important. We need to educate the clients about clothing and appearance so they simply cannot object to clothing that does not fit well, or inappropriate color matching (as it relates to the theme). Show clients examples (during the consultation) THE PHOTOGRAPHER

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The master image alone (if discussed early and again during the session) can resolve so many objections. Think like a customer.

You have been promised an amazing portrait and then you see images that have flaws. You listen to the photographer say things like, “I can fix that when we do retouching” or “I can change the color.” What actually has happened is that you (the photographer) has failed to create that promised portrait and you are now trying to gain their trust all over again. That is a tough position to recover from. However, when the client sees an amazing portrait, the whole selling experience becomes fun and rewarding for all.

There are many objections that come up during the process and what many do is actually keep a record (much like the above concerns). At our studio, my staff and I commonly discuss every sale (especially if it is not what we expected) and often find that we overlooked educating the client about common objections.

The more you review and discuss these things, the easier it is to be proactive and handle most objections BEFORE the client can bring them up .

online. At our studio, the selections are all done by projection because we want to insure you have life-long enjoyment of your portraits. What this allows is for you to see exactly what you might invest in, be able to compare sizes as it relates to display, and to appreciate the expressions of your family. Also, I will be there to answer any questions. We want your decision to be made with confidence regardless of whatever size or finish you choose.” By presenting it as a positive benefit, you will avoid having to say “NO… we don’t do online.”

Don MacGregor is from Vancouver, BC, and will be teaching a class on “Lifestyle Environmental Portraiture” at Texas School ‘19. His class will cover composition and posing for individuals and groups, environmental light control, designing portraits for wall decor, sales, and much more. To learn more about Don MacGregor and his work, go to www.MacGregorStudios.com.

Another issue is out-of-towners. This is a tough one as it is a realistic issue. Again, during the consultation, you will know if you have out-of-towners. Be proactive and bring the issue up EARLY. I commonly will say the following, “Mrs. Jones, I realize that many of your family live out-of-town and may want to have a say in selection. Realistically, most embrace my recommendations. But I do care about the families involvement. Let me suggest that you and I get together to analyze the portraits and, if we find one that is over the top better than all the others, I am sure the family will agree. We can also set up a Skype call where we can actually talk to the relatives and show them the differences in various poses.”

I normally say a script like this to all the family at the end of the session and hopefully get a consensus of trust from them.

A key point here to insure that there is minimal objections when clients see their originals is that I always make master images. A master image is my recommendation and essentially is the very best I can create for the client. I do all the retouching, head swaps, sky replacement, etc. What the client sees is awesome and they simply cannot find objections. This must also be explained during the consultation and again at the time of the session (in front of the extended family).

A script might be, “Mrs. Jones, I so appreciate the trust you have placed in me to create your family portrait. I am going to ask you to extend that trust a little further and allow me to create your master image. I am very excited to start that process. For those of you that may not understand, I will take all the portraits from our session and I will finish my favorite(s) to share with you folks. It will be my very finest effort. Should you wish to see the others, I will have them available during the projection.”

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Transitioning from shooting basic real estate photography to much more interesting projects for Architects, Designers, Hotels, and Resorts in order to get paid at a much higher rate presents some challenges. One of the first is getting a portfolio of images to display on your website and social media.

As you grow in your photography skills, your real estate clients will get better and better listings.

Don’t be caught off guard when one day your favorite agent calls you out of the blue to tell you about the really important listing they just got and it is a multimillion-dollar listing. This will be your opportunity to ask them if you can get the whole day or as long as possible with the house (often these higher end homes are not occupied!). This will give you the opportunity to take your time and experiment and really do your best to shoot the home to produce some great portfolio images.

Prior to your shoot, think about who else might also be interested in the work you produce? Different types of clients are interested in different types of images. Here are some examples and something each type of client is looking for: Architects – They are looking for interesting documentation of the home, think about shooting at different times of the day to highlight the best light in each space and exterior. In general, you don’t need to light these spaces up as much or at all if you pick the right time of day. Shadows are your friend. Look for interesting angles and compositions that tell a story.

What are some of the amazing architectural details?

Study architectural images online prior to the shoot to get the ideas flowing.

Luxury Real Estate Agents – They are interested in photographers who are able to show the views out the windows! Maybe plan a dramatic light painted exterior twilight. Each room needs to be well lit.

Ethan Tweedie Texas School Instructor

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et’s say that you have been shooting some real estate and you are interested in taking your work to a new level. I’m sure you’ve noticed that shooting real estate and/or architecture is not as easy as you might have first imagined. Each assignment involves a host of lighting issues and it’s difficult to always understand exactly what your client has in mind. The time of day and the weather can make or break a project and a host of other issues seem to present themselves at the most inopportune times. Maybe you feel that your work needs some help?

If you are like me, you are continually striving to improve your skills and learn new techniques. So let’s take a look at a few elements of the world of real estate photography and beyond.

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Interior designers – They like more detail shots with light and bright interiors. Think about vertical shots as well and look at fabrics and other design elements. Your 50mm, shallow depth of field, lens could come in handy here!

The bottom line is you can shoot the same home many different ways and produce a body of work you could show all of these different clients!

Think about the direction you want to take your photography business and focus on that style of images!

Pool companies - They need beautiful pool shots! You are there anyway, so why not take some extra time on the pool, especially if it is unique and well designed?

When you have really honed your skills and your work is getting very good, you can create new ways of earning income. Some of the same professionals listed above would be interested in buying or licensing images for their own portfolios. When you shoot for a recently finished construction project, ask the agent who the architect, landscape architect, pool company, interior designer is. You can get paid by your real estate client and other project vendors. It’s not uncommon for me to get paid multiple times on one project!

Landscape Architects – You are shooting exteriors in the best light anyway, so why not make sure you have some shots that make some of the landscape the focal point. Your agent may like these, too!

Luxury Home Builders – Any of the images you produce could be used to market to builders. You could take the best of the best from all aspects of the other categories. They always need hero shots of their homes so the exterior twilight shot is a winner!

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The point of all this is why you should keep improving your skills. I won’t forget my first portfolio worthy project. I had been shooting real estate for various clients. Sometimes I would shoot homes for $100 each and do

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three a day. One day I got a call from an agent. His wife had seen my work on social media... but mostly just my landscape images. He asked me if I photographed homes. Of course, I said “yes!”

He mentioned he wanted to do some artistic shots similar to my landscape photography, sunrise and sunset, and that the home was on the golf course with ocean views. I met him several days later at the resort entrance at 6:30 in the morning where he proceeded to take me to the house. To my astonishment and fear, this house was listed at $28 million and was very large with huge windows looking out to the ocean. I was perfectly comfortable shooting the “landscape” type shots of sunset, but the interior shots were a whole different story. I can tell you this was way beyond my current capabilities at that time!

That day, I “pretended” to know what I was doing and went about using the skills I had at the time and made the best of it. Luckily for me, the weather had gotten cloudy and we decided to end for the day and come back the next day. This gave me time to go online that night and learn as much as possible in that time frame to “up” my game and pick up some additional gear at the camera store!

Day two was still challenging for me but I managed to get some shots that represented the home for the listing and the best part was that my client was happy! Having those images allowed me to market myself in a whole new way and I never looked back from that opportunity. The point is that it is important to be ready!

You won’t hone all of your skills on one photo shoot and neither did I. But it did teach me a lesson and that was to reach out to anyone I could think of to get help. I never wanted to be in a situation like that again where I was unsure I could do a great job for my clients. Being a true professional means you always produce excellence.

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Back in 2010 there weren’t many classes you could take online or even workshops, especially on a remote island in the pacific! One thing that really took me to the next level was contacting a very good friend of mine who was a professional photographer in San Diego. He and I met in college and now he was shooting for luxury hotels and resorts. I called him up and asked him if he would come to Hawaii where I lived at the time and teach me how to improve my shooting skills. I offered to pay for his flight and he agreed to come out for a week! I set up several shoots and let my clients know we would need the whole day to photograph the listings. My friend, Darren, also set up a photo shoot at one of the Hotel/Resorts. This way we would have plenty of time to shoot on location and to learn his post processing computer skills. He taught me shooting techniques, business techniques and how to use studio lights. Looking back, I created my own one-on-one workshop!

I highly encourage you to attend workshops and even look for a personal coach and do the same thing I did. It will be an investment, but it will leap frog your skills overnight and the potential for much higher earnings!

Ethan Tweedie is an Austin-based commercial photographer. He photographs some of the World’s most compelling architectural spaces and specializes in Architectural Photography, Interiors Photography, Hotel and Resort Photography. He will be teaching a class on Architecture and Real Estate Photography at the 2019 Texas School of Professional Photography. Learn more his class at www.TexasSchool.org.

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Gregory Daniel Texas School Instructor

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unning a successful photography business that is geared toward family portraits can be rewarding but it also involves a certain degree of discipline and planning. Over 20 years ago, Lesa and I were fortunate to have a mentor, Tom McDonald, who taught us valuable technical skills and marketing principles that have been essential to our current business. While some may be obvious, others are often overlooked by some photographers who decide that family portraits are a thing of the past. So, what are some tips for running a successful family portrait business?

One of the most important elements in the family portrait market is developing a style. Clients are looking for a recognizable brand in today’s experiencebased economy. Your best leads are derived from incredibly happy clients that are in love with you beyond reason. You and your products must stand out above the crowd in order to catch their attention. But it is up to you to make them aware of your style. The old saying, “Does a tree in the forest make a sound when it falls?” is true with your marketing. If you are not out in your target market creating product awareness, no one will know how wonderful you are and what they are missing.

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As the artist, Greg personally ensures that all handling and installation of their pieces are perfect. The client is elated that their investment is given the greatest of detail.

The key to making this successful is listening to what they want. Try the method of peeling the onion back one layer at a time to reveal what the client’s needs are. Typically, they will not know how to tell you what they desire but, with a skillfully developed set of questions from you, they will reveal what makes them tick.

Too many photographers forget that, when it comes time for decisions, clients rely on your expertise. Clients are not familiar with what is available or actually which products will work best for each application.

We recommend the “interior designer” approach. Suggest complete products including size, style, finish, use, and frame that would work best for them.

We enjoy photographing families. Why? First of all, they are challenging.

Family portraits can be one of the most difficult types of portraits. Each family member should be taken into consideration of placement in the portrait in terms of flattering, personality, and relationship to others in the group. In addition, the overall composition should implement proper design elements with consideration to color harmony, intended size, and use for the final product. When planned and executed properly with an over-the-top client experience, the benefits are emotionally powerful and plentiful.

It is also imperative that we learn from our mistakes along the way. Technical and artful education is critically important to ensure repeatability. Without proper understanding of the tools of our trade, it is nearly impossible to feel comfortable taking on such an important task as creating what is often a once in a lifetime portrait of someone’s family.

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Without proper consideration of where the portrait might hang or be used, many errors occur. Therefore, planning for the final use will ensure the proper location, color harmony, and time of day for the making of the portrait.

If family portraiture is the focus of your business, I highly suggest that you consider studying with a Master Photographer who specializes in the family style that is in line with your interests. Trial and error can be frustrating and time-consuming. Learning from someone who has already developed a style of their own and who understands institutional awareness can set you on the proper course for a rewarding career where you are recognized as the expert in your field.

A nationally recognized husband and wife duo who create exquisite portraits, Greg and Lesa Daniel are also masters in sharing their knowledge and experience. They make it look so easy, but their secret is behind the scenes’ preparation and planning that result in timeless original portraits and a highly successful business. Greg and Lesa are internationally recognized for their artistry. Though he is one of the most awarded photographers in the United States, Greg has the utmost privilege of living out his passion every day alongside Lesa in operating their portrait photography galleries in both Indialantic and Titusville, Florida. He has achieved both the title of Master of Photography and The American Society of Photographers Fellowship. In addition, Greg is was one of the youngest members to be inducted into the prestigious Cameracraftsmen of America in 1991, proud founding member of the International Society of Portrait Artists (ISPA) and on the Board of Directors for Professional Photographers of America.

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It was time to create what I wanted to create, without a care in the world, with out a fear of rejection, for that is how you create something different or unique. At the time, I was finishing 12 pieces for an art gallery called the “Recoleta series.” It was a fairly Macabre series where I took different images from different crypts that I had photographed in Argentina and composited them in photoshop creating final story telling pieces. It was a self-admiringly interesting segue into family portraits.

Knowing the joy I got while creating fine art pieces, I wanted to recreate that feeling but on a more lucrative scale and with clients.

Creating an artistic niche means, knowing who you are and what you are attracted to. Your audience will follow, for they will be attracted to what YOU create and not what EVERYONE is creating. It’s like the famous saying from the movie Field of Dreams, “If you build it, they will come.” You are not the only person who likes what you like. There are plenty of people in this world with your similar taste. The difference is they are not all artist, so they cannot create the art they want to have on their walls. All they know is that they are attracted to what you can create.

I create what I crave... a portrait capable of swallowing the observer... a star-able piece of art, with each observer unearthing their own story in the subtleties. I pose my clients in a dramatic storytelling manor with pensive expressions. My editing is what has really pushed my work into

a niche market in the photography industry. While most portraits were light and airy, my style has always been more low key with warm tones and an old world almost Renaissance type of feel.

The financial benefit of creating a niche is supply and demand. If you are the only one who is offering what you create, then your prices don’t need to be competitive with everyone else in your market or geographic.

At that point, only you can decide what your time and talent is worth.

Another way to grow your business and niche is offering unique products or services. Instead of albums, that I feel would restrict my art pieces into a book, I offer artistic Memory boxes. These are 10x10 custom designed Fine art boxes that hold 17 10x10 edited portraits, mounted on styrene, with a palette knife texture. The styrene make them almost indestructible and the fact they are individual means you can frame them individually, pass them around, give a few as gifts to relatives, or keep them in the box as a coffee table conversation piece.

Most of my clients hire me to create large, framed, fine art masterpiece portraits of them, where “They can live in the art on their walls.” Once they come into the studio for their order/viewing session, they realize they can’t part with all of the portraits. The boxes created an alternative to buying a new house for more wall space. Now you can order the art that you want and keep your current house!

by KRISTI ELIAS Texas School Instructor

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hile at college at Brooks Institute of Photography, I took an assortment of classes exploring new interests and techniques. I never took a single solitary portrait class. I had zero interest in any genre that wasn’t fine art or Illustration/ advertising. I was never a baby person, pregnant people sent me running in the opposite direction. Family portraits were not for me, so what came 10 years into my commercial photography career was very much the unexpected.

After having my son, of course, I had to photograph him. My neighbors would come over and see the framed 30x40 of baby Skyler on my husband’s arm. Soon they had requests. They wanted me to take pictures of their babies. What?! I wanted to scream and run away.

I could not say “no,” though. They lived on our street. Our neighbors hired me to take their family portraits and, soon, so did their friends. One of my neighbors pushed, “It would be a shame if you do not pursue portrait photography.” Sometimes when you are on the cuff of a decision, one opinion can push you through a dreaded obligation. After a few clients, and shooting on a black backdrop, I was bored out of my mind.

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“The art that we do not create, no one will.”

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About three years ago, I bought a house with a pool (or vice versa) and started doing underwater fine art portraits before we even moved in. After a couple of test shoots, I added underwater portraits to my website. By the coincidence of sheer dumb luck, Beyonce did an underwater maternity photoshoot that went viral with another photographer right around that time. Instantly I was receiving ten or more inquires a week for underwater maternity. Underwater portraiture

was already a niche and, now, underwater maternity sessions are some of my most requested session types. In Los Angeles and surrounding areas, there are really only three photographers who do underwater clients and, of those three, I am the only one with a pool heater... making me the only one who photographs underwater year round. I bill the cost of heating the pool into the sitting fee, so I’m open for business year round.

Creating a niche will get you more clients, but not everyone will be your client. If everyone gets your work, you’re not trying hard enough.

Kristi Elias was born and raised in Southern California and has been an artist all her life. The focus for most of her professional career was on product photography but she soon discovered her new passion in creating artistic Fine Art Photography. In 1998, she obtained her degree in Illustration and Advertising Photography from Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara. She will be an instructor at the Texas School of Professional Photography, April 28 - May 3, 2019 in Addison, Texas.

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MARY FISK-TAYLOR TEXAS SCHOOL INSTRUCTOR

Branding - The marketing practice of creating a name, symbol or design that identifies and differentiates a product from other products.

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ll successful businesses must have an established brand name with a substantial consumer reach. The businesses need to strive to give platinum customer service 100% of the time and offer unique and custom products. All of this has to be done in the simplest of systems. In today’s climate, most of our clients are extremely busy, and, while we need to stay true to the foundation of our business, we need to be flexible enough to accommodate our clients’ busy lives. We need them to believe that we can give them exactly what they do not even know they want, and photograph it to perfection and beyond. Then, it must be delivered with all of the excitement and approval they could ever dream of.

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Beyond having a memorable logo, business card, website or social media platform, good branding increases the value of the business giving you, your staff and your clients the exact direction in which you want them to go. Your brand should and will be a roadmap leading your clients and potential clients to the product lines and services you want to sell and offer.

Saurabh Aggarwal says that a brand name can be defined as “the symbolic embodiment of all the information connected with a company, product or service. It also encompasses the set of expectations associated with a product or service which typically arise in the minds of people.” With this in mind,

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one can come to the conclusion that you, as the artist, business owner, studio employee, etc., become a big part of the brand and will be identified as the brand itself as your business grows and finds more success.

So, your brand is not just a pretty logo. It is everything that you share, create and use to promote your business. This could certainly be your portrait work, your social media or website blogs, and it is most certainly the partnerships you develop with local charities and like-minded businesses in your market area. Your brand can and will set the tone for so many preconceived ideas right out of the gate. It might be sharing exactly what you would like for them to think about your business, but it might not.

For example, if you want to sell fine art black and white wall installations and your brand is earth tones, giving potential buyers the impression that you are an environmental portrait artist, your brand has created confusion.

Unfortunately, confusion does not usually lead to sales. You have to make sure it is exactly what you want to do and who you are as a creative small business owner.

In today’s world, your target client buys a brand first and quality second.

Quality is simply not enough. It is so easy for us, as professional photographers, to take for granted that we are creating quality images. We are selling ourselves short if we do not capitalize on the things that set us apart from the competition around us. It is important to establish a unique look or style that makes your images recognizable as a product of your studio business. This will become your studio’s brand name.

According to Jenna Bruce, “If you give consumers a reason to care and feel something about your brand, they have a reason to buy. Most people make purchasing decisions based on emotions, not logic, so create an emotion in your prospects every time they see your brand.” That being said, there are five reasons to turn your product into a Brand Name: 1. A successful brand name demands a premium price and garners greater name recognition. A Louis Vuitton handbag is not necessarily better than any other leather handbag, but the perception of quality and elegance allows them to be sold at a much greater price.

2. Your client reach becomes greater. As your brand name develops and grows, so will your market area. Clients from outside your area will be more likely to use your services if you have a brand name which has proven desirable to others, and they would be willing to drive greater distances to have access to you and your services.

3. You will stand out amongst your competition. A distinctive photography style and image will be recognizable to those who see your work. This is, of course, your BRAND! 4. You will reduce your advertising costs. When you have secured a brand name in your market area, clients will come to you to own the brand name product. This will allow you to forego more traditional forms of advertising, such as direct mail, print advertising, etc., and rely on more word of mouth, charitable marketing or other partnership plans.

5. You will streamline your business. As your brand grows, so will the top products and services that you truly want to sell. This usually means that you are able to shift your sales and camera room focus to only selling those products and move away from selling the lower margin, higher production items that are usually not as profitable, more time-consuming and higher cost items. This allows you to concentrate fully on the products and services you want to sell and eventually cut out all of the leaner products that you no longer want to offer.

Jenna Bruce also states, “No matter what size they are, the most successful businesses are the ones that have established themselves as a leader in their industry by creating a strong brand. And, when these businesses focus on building valuable customer experiences, they easily transform customers into brand ambassadors.”

Join Mary Fisk-Taylor and Jamie Hayes at Texas School ‘19. Their course is not just about business. It also covers the creative and technical aspects that result in products your clients will love. Learn more about them at www.HayesAndFisk.com or their class at www.TexasSchool.org.

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