The Photographer - February/March 2019

Official Publication of the Texas Professional Photographers Association, Inc.

VOLUME 54- #2 Feb/Mar 2019

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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ON THE COVER The cover image was created by John Hartman, one of the Texas School 2019 instructors, as a demonstration project at a light painting workshop in Park City, Utah.

Sixty one separate exposures were made with three different LED flashlights and later combined in Photoshop. The camera was a Hasselblad H6D-100c with a 120mm lens at f/22 and ISO 100.

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Opportunities for Service

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Texas 10 Spring Workshops

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Maternity Photography 101

A Message from TPPA President, Ross Benton

All Throughout Texas by Steve Kozak

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What You Need to Know to Get Started by Kay Eskridge

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Restoring Priceless Artwork

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Spotlight: Angela Navarette

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Texas School 2019

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The Psychology of Portrait Pricing

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Spotlight: Aileen Harding

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Getting Started with Light Modifiers

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You Need To Be Different

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Putting Some Tooth Into Dark Prints

A Baumgartner Family Tradition by Bill Hedrick

“It’s All About the Bass”

April 28 - May 3 by Don Dickson

Price, Quality, and YOU by Bry Cox

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“Ready for Action”

Two Different Umbrellas by Guy T. Phillips

Keys to Successful Compositing by Jason Ulsrud

Overcoming Technical Issues by Dave Montizambert

31 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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Feb/Mar 2019

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2019 TPPA Executive Council President Ross Benton l

Ross@StudioBenton.com

10828 Gulfdale St., San Antonio, TX 78216 (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

Opportunities for Service

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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

TeriW@teriwhittaker.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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s we head into this new year, it is my hope that you’re as excited as I am about all the opportunities that are on the horizon. In a fast-paced world like ours, we have the privilege of capturing moments in time for families and clients that they can treasure and that can help them slow down just enough to focus on what – and really who – matters most.

As 2019 gets going, I’ve been preparing for one of my personal favorite opportunities of the new year: rodeo time in San Antonio! I have been putting in lots of extra hours reaching out to different donors and organizations to sponsor youth scholarships as part of my work on the Calf Scramble Committee, and have come to realize that people love being given the opportunity to make a difference. My stack of “thank you” notes to write is growing by the day as more and more people gladly and willingly sign up to give because they see the impact their donation can make in a child’s life.

Hopefully you can see the impact your photographs can make in a family’s life and in a business’s mission. I have found that by approaching a session as a servant first and as a photographer second, my clients have a better experience, and I have a better time! Making a decision to approach every job as a servant reminds me that my calling is not primarily about how many tasks I can complete, but about how many people I can help. This is what makes a lasting impact.

Who can you serve in 2019?

As we seek to grow in our craft so that we can better serve our clients, I want to remind you that the Texas School of Professional Photography Conference is only a few months away. Mark your calendars for April 28 through May 3 at the Renaissance Hotel in Dallas. Last year, we had over 1,000 photographers attend. This year, we’re looking forward to seeing even more of you! You can register for the conference by going to texasschool.org.

Please join me in looking for opportunities to serve in 2019. After all, there is nothing more fulfilling than using your gifts and talents to serve others. This year, make a resolution not only to capture beauty with your camera, but to create beauty in the lives of others with your spirit of service!

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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Feb/Mar 2019

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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A Full Day for just $89

($99 for Non-TPPA Members)

u Register Online at www.TPPA.org/texas10 while space is available u

ould you like to gain more confidence in the value of your photographic skills?

If so, join Jessi Norvell in this most informative workshop that will walk you through the process of finding your style and believing in the value of what you create. Jessi will discuss pricing for profit and gallery consistency for individual clients as well as consistency in branding and marketing products that sell themselves. If you want your photography to be more than a hobby and to take it to the next level, this is the workshop for you.

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hether you are interested in being a professional photographer or you just want to take better pictures, you will need to know some basic concepts. In this workshop, Chelsea will help get you started with camera and lighting basics and resources that will help you grow as a photographer. Topics include: Understanding the modes on your camera, using aperture to control background focus, finding beautiful light outside, and window lighting. You will leave anxious to build a new portfolio.

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n this informative and hands-on workshop, Guy T. Phillips shares a wealth of knowledge of lights and light modifiers. You will learn what options are available for you and the advantages of each one. He will review Natural Light, Speedlight, Constant Light, and Studio Flash modifiers and demonstrate when and why to select the right method. You will work with diffusers/ reflectors, various types of umbrellas (through, white reflective, silver reflective), strip softboxes, square softboxes, octobox, and parabolic.

ome and learn how Kellie Gann creates timeless family and senior portraits, and the process used to maximize the client’s experience and your sales.

Topics include posing, clothing, composition, and lighting for high school seniors and family groups from three people to a dozen or more. If time permits, there will be TWO live demonstrations (including a Senior session at NIGHT). We will discuss how to advertise only a few times per year to drive in enough business to last 12 months and to create repeat customers.

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earning about lighting and timing when working with dancers is as much art as it is science. Capturing an image of a dancer in flight, while dancing, or even when doing their favorite pose requires the ability to set the lights and anticipate their movements.

In this workshop, you will learn these things by listening and watching, and by doing. A large percentage of the time will be spent in guided practice, as well as everyone having the opportunity to view and critique each other’s images (lovingly and supportively, of course).

ith over 25 years of experience, Mark has learned some secrets that can change how you photograph, edit, price, and organize your business. In this workshop, he will share his top 8 secrets for 8 of the biggest topics in the industry about how to best market yourself, work with clients, and improve in-person sales. Over the years, Mark has learned countless approaches that he uses to keep his work and his studio on the forefront, from what to say to clients on the phone, to how to market yourself and your work... 64 tools that will take you to the next level.

Feb/Mar 2019

THE PHOTOGRAPHER

lison Montgomery has mastered the art of photographing newborns. In this workshop, she will cover the various aspects of working with newborns, from studio preparation to workflow and props. Her goal with each session is to complete it in a 2 to 2.5 hour time frame before it becomes too much for both baby and parents.

You will observe a real session with real baby.

Then, after the session, Alison will cover some quick editing techniques to complete the final images. Don’t miss this exciting workshop!

ennis Kelley is known for his unique story telling imagery of people and animals, whether it is a story of despair on the city streets or immortalizing one of nature’s beast. If you love photographing wildlife, either in their natural environment or in a game park or zoo, this workshop is for you. Dennis will give you tips and techniques to take your wildlife photography to the next level. Topics include: lens choice, telephoto extenders, filters, timing, focus presets, seasons and his own unique thought process on planning a photo safari.

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Feb/Mar 2019

oin Steve Kozak for an exciting one-day prep class to help you prepare for the “Certified Professional Photographer” exam and give you confidence in your knowledge of the concepts. This live class takes you step-by-step through the curriculum as presented in the CPP Test Specifications as presented by PPA. Steve’s relaxed teaching style helps you absorb the material without making you feel overwhelmed. His conversational approach to teaching has made him a popular instructor and speaker.

re you currently serving on the leadership team for your affiliate or an affiliate member looking at a future leadership role? Join TPPA Executive Director and PPA Board Member, Steve Kozak, as he shares the principles and technique for creating a successful atmosphere in an association’s board meetings. He will share some of the insights and education that are practiced with the PPA Board of Directors and the TPPA Executive Council.

Board training is valuable for the success of any association.

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f you have a passion for, or are thinking about, offering Maternity Sessions to your photography business, you have to remember the #1 most important thing . . . it’s all about “her.” Her comfort, her desires, and her connections. If you can tap into all three of these, you are well on your way to establishing a prosperous Maternity division to your business. Here are three easy steps to learn, follow, and get you started.

Let’s talk first about her comfort and the elements needed to make your studio (home office or retail location) a place where she feels she is being taken care of. The following are steps you need to consider: Discuss her clothing comfort level in advance (fully, partially clothed or nude figure study) via a pre-portrait consultation. My preference is to do this in person so she has an opportunity to come to the studio before the session, eliminating anxiety the day of the session and stress from not being able to find our location.

Have a robe available for her discretion (thick and warm for winter / satin and light for summer). l Set air conditioning in advance of the session to a cool temperature and/or provide a room fan (she’s a human incubator and will always be warmer than normal body temperature). l

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Feb/Mar 2019

Stock clothing items ‘just in case’ she’s forgotten to bring something like tube tops, robes, satin/silk material for draping, loose fitting

clothing like bathing suit cover ups, etc. l Have plenty of fresh, cool water available. l Have snacks to nibble on to settle an upset stomach or if her blood sugar drops. l Have skin-sensitive or hypo-allergenic body lotion on hand. l Be aware of her constantly changing and highly charged hormone

levels (she’s going to feel and complain about being FAT so be sensitive to that and give her plenty of reassurance). l Have powder to tone down a shiny face (mineral-based and in a few color options). l Don’t spray room deodorizer or burn candles prior to the session as their sense of smell is extremely sensitive (if home based, do not cook food that has a lingering odor from the night before). l Discuss posing and lighting techniques that will be most flattering to her growing figure prior to the session to reassure her that you have her utmost personal body challenges in mind. l

Next, let’s talk about her desires and what items you can offer to help your sales averages grow. The most obvious would be images as “art” for the nursery. Black and white images are always a huge hit as well as

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a “Watch Me Grow” type option which would carry you into the Newborn and First Year baby plan and include images from the maternity session, newborn session and the first year of the baby’s life. It is a “growing” type of plan, so images would be selected after each session occurs guaranteeing more sessions than just the maternity. These images can be designed as a collage or multiple album options. Or, you could create a series of maternity images showing how the baby is growing, like a doctor would in terms of trimesters. The images could be designed in one collage or multiple framed images.

You could also sell her a Beautiful Belly Album that would include images from just the Maternity Session.

As a follow up, you could offer a second book from the Newborn Session as well as sub sequential albums from later sessions – creating a library of the baby’s life. Now you have an opportunity to make them “Clients for Life” by introducing them to the many photographic opportunities you offer such as: My First Year, Birthdays Rock, When I Was One, Two, Three . . . , A Day in the Life, or whatever you call the specialty options you provide.

Creative and unique Birth Announcements are also an option for you as the images you’ve captured now become a work of art the family would want to share with loved ones and friends. We use White House Custom Colour for their press printed products and LOVE the options provided for options of style and shape. The bottom line is that you have to continue the relationship you’re forming with them by giving them reasons to spend their money with YOU!

The third tier of this plan is to tap into their connections and how you can reach other expectant mothers. You’ve made her happy and she’s hooked, so now it’s time to ask her to refer you. Many times we fail to do something as simple as this. ASK her for her referrals! Who is her ob-gyn, her pediatrician, her fertility specialist? Where did she shop for her maternity clothes? Where did she register for her baby shower?

Do you see where this is going? Tap into the places pregnant women frequent and that is where you want to spend your time and focus with advertising dollars to make it pay off.

Ask for the name of the owner or manager of the stores she shares with you and then use a Letter of Introduction with her name on it so you have a Verified Connection method instead of a cold call. Follow up with a phone call to arrange a person-to-person meeting and then show them how this relationship will benefit both businesses. Talk to them about Partnership Marketing cards you can share as well as the option of displaying your work in their business. A Partnership Marketing Campaign is a win-win in today’s economy when everyone’s bottom line advertising dollar has become smaller and more guarded.

The final step is to ask your happy clients for referrals to their friends group. Using Facebook, Twitter and Blogs, you can post images that your happy moms will be able to brag about and send their friends directly to you. They are proud of the blessed life they are now experiencing and if you can give them a photographic reason to share, you’re setting yourself up for a gold mine of other expectant mothers.

The three steps are easy to remember: Her comfort, her desires, and her connections. Hit all three and you’ve reached the Tri-fecta of Maternity Photography and if you can implement them effectively, you are sure to move this portion of your photography business into a successful direction.

Kay Eskridge, CPP, M. Photog.,Cr., of Phoenix, Arizona, has earned a sterling reputation for high-quality lifestyle portraiture. Her focus on relationships, creative approach to portraiture, unique perspective on customer service, and a clear vision about business has provided her with much success doing what she loves. Kay is a member and Past President of the Arizona Professional Photographers Association and will be teaching a class at Texas School 2019.

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Feb/Mar 2019

THE PHOTOGRAPHER

Panoramic view of Julian Baumgartner’s studio in Chicago.

It is not uncommon for the attributions of a painting to be lost as it passes through various hands. Sometimes identifying a painting is quite simple and a catalogue raisonné can be consulted for confirmation. Other times, often when the work has no provenance or is otherwise in doubt, the conservator can provide invaluable resources and expertise. BFAR has provided access to research materials and scientific analysis to all clients and, as a result, have come through with discoveries of otherwise unknown artwork.

One client purchased a painting, “Young Fisherman, Hudson River Palisades,” at an auction and it sat for several years. With no signature and no provenance, the artist remained a mystery. Through extensive research, the owner had narrowed the possible artist but had come to an impasse because no history of the work existed. After an examination that included ultraviolet and infrared photography, BFAR discovered the remnants of a previous sketch. Although it was invisible to the naked eye, it was an exact match to a page from the sketchbook of George Caleb Bingham, a noted Hudson River School painter. Working with the owner and the author of the catalogue raisonné, the painting received legitimate attribution, a working title, and inclusion in the next printing of the raisonné.

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BILL HEDRICK

There have been several discoveries like this, according to Julian. In another case, a painting arrived in very bad condition. It had been poorly wax-lined and so thoroughly over painted that little of the original sky was present. His first goal was to undo all of the previous work and bring the painting back to the artist’s original intent. That process revealed previously obfuscated areas of the image that had been over painted. In addition, when the old lining was removed, faint markings were found on the canvas. Utilizing infrared photography, the remnants of an ink inscription were revealed to be a signature, title, and description of one of the seminal moments in early American history: the storming by Native Americans of Fort Dearborn on Lake Michigan’s Shore.

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or generations, professional photographers have been making restored copies of old and damaged photographs or paintings. Some of us even recall the days before digital imaging when photographic artists used a variety of methods, including airbrush and other media, to produce them. Of course, when Adobe Photoshop came along, the process became much easier and, today, just about anyone with a working knowledge of Photoshop can do remarkable things with a digitized image. But Julian Baumgartner actually restores original pieces of art.

Baumgartner Fine Art Restoration was founded in 1978 on the north side of Chicago, Illinois, by R. Agass Baumgartner. He was born in Switzerland and attended the Luzern Academy of Art and the École des Beaux-arts in Epinal, France, majoring in studio art and art history.

For eight years, he apprenticed and worked in the department of art conservation at the Museum of Art and History in Fribourg, Switzerland.

During that time, he freelanced in mural and 16th through 19th century easel painting restoration and conservation. Until his passing in 2011, his son, Julian, worked by his father’s side, mastering the processes of fine art conservation and restoration.

What makes this process so unique and so foreign from the process traditionally used by professional photographers is that the work is done on the original image. That is correct. Julian Baumgartner boldly goes where no photographer would dare... and does it routinely. His secret advantage is that his process is noninvasive and fully reversible.

Julian’s philosophy, like that of his father, is to alter the artwork as little as possible with respect to the original intention of the artist. To that end, they examine each work of art closely and tailor their methodologies to meet both the needs of the painting and the client.

Because each job is different and unique, the first step is to view the artworks preferably in the studio with the clients. If that is not possible, photos can be emailed or uploaded and, if circumstances demand, an on-site consultation can be scheduled. Once received, a full examination

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“All of the materials we use are fully reversible, PH neutral, and specifically designed for conservation. The artwork is conducted in accordance with modern conservation practices and under UV light and can be easily removed,” Julian explains.

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THE PHOTOGRAPHER

Painting of “Mother Mary” had severe damage (flaking, punctures, tears), was dirty, had an old varnish coating, and a lot of paint missing in places.

of the artworks is performed. This will include assessing the condition of the artwork and testing of the materials that will guide the conservation process. Only then can a proposal be made for the client. “The proposal will contain a time line and price,” he explains. “At no point will the price ever change. What is quoted is firm and will never increase midway through the process, regardless of any complications.”

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So, what does a typical job involve? Because each assignment is unique, Julian uses a variety of methods for the conservation process. An example would be a restoration of a painting of “Mother Mary.” According to Julian, “This image had severe damage due to moisture, resulting in a lot of flaking, punctures, and tears. It was dirty, had an old varnish coating, and had a lot of paint missing in places.”

Step one of the process was to remove the painting from the stretcher, being careful to preserve the tacking edge. After cleaning the back to get rid of dust trapped between the stretcher bar and canvas, the task of repairing tears, called “Bridging” begins on the back of the canvas. Using little strands of Belgian Linen, Julian uses conservation adhesive and lays

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Original Painting Severely Damaged

Repairing Tears with Strands of Linen

Replacing Color to Damaged Areas

Final Varnish Coating

Removing Dirt and Grime

Filling In Areas with Special Putty

Julian Baumgartner has an eight minute youtube video showing all of the steps involved in this restoration of the painting of “Mother Mary.”

the strands perpendicular across the tear to provide stability so the tear does not move. This also provides a foundation for the filling medium which will replace the missing pigment.

Next, Julian addresses the tack edges of the canvas. Strips of Belgian Linen are cut and one edge frayed to be used over the old tack edges, a process called “Strip Lining.” Using a conservation adhesive film (ironon), these strips cover the old ones, providing a new and stronger surface for re-stretching the canvas on the frame.

With the back of the image done, it is time to clean the painting. Most paintings have varying degrees of surface grime, consisting of dust, dirt, and oil on its surface. That layer of grime prevents the solvent from penetrating, so Julian must clean the surface using a special mixture of paste. He works slowly and in isolated areas at a time. Once that is done, the canvas can be re-mounted to the frame and it is ready for restoration.

Now the hard work begins! Every place where there is missing pigment or a tear in the canvas, a special putty is used to fill in the depression.

Unless this is done correctly, each place will show up after the final work is completed. Once that is accomplished, he uses conservation pigment and mixes colors, slowly adding them as needed where colors are missing. “As a conservative, my job is to restore the painting as the artist envisioned it and not to make editorial decisions,” he explains.

The finished conservation of the painting of “Mother Mary” is completed in accordance with modern conservation practices.

In the Photoshop age, it’s easy to think that a few simple mouse clicks is all it takes to completely edit or fix an image. But it’s a different world when you’re dealing with precious pieces of art that are worth thousands or possibly millions of dollars. Making these masterpieces look like new again without botching the job is not for the faint of heart and requires a highly trained hand. Even though the process is “fully reversible,” Baumgartner Restoration insures their clients’ work for up to $500,000 and more.

“Some days I have to wipe it all off and start all over because the lighting wasn’t right or because I wasn’t satisfied with the retouching. But the good thing about using archival and reversible pigment is that I can remove my retouching with damaging the artwork.

There are other conservation studios and many of them have grown exponentially. But Baumgartner Fine Art Restoration made a decision years ago to stay small. “Clients can be sure that their artworks will only ever be touched by one set of hands,” he explains. It is part of a tradition started by his father who believed that, by fostering a personal relationship with every client, the best results can be achieved.

With all of that done, the painting can be varnished, using a combination of matte and gloss varnish with a UV stabilizer to help prevent the varnish from yellowing. “I prefer to brush it on the painting as opposed to spraying it on because it gives me a little bit more control.”

You can learn more about Julian Baumgartner and this incredible process at their website: www.BaumgartnerFineArtRestoration.com. You can also view a more detailed video of the restoration of the painting of “Mother Mary” on youtube.

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Feb/Mar 2019

THE PHOTOGRAPHER

“It’s All About the Bass,” is a PPA General Collection image by Angela Navarette, M.Photog., CPP of Plano, Texas. She created this portrait of her client’s high school son who plays in the orchestra. “It was very important to me to control the lighting on the instrument while ensuring my subject was equally well lit. I used a gridded 48” octobox camera left with a gobo to control the highlights on the bass; a white V-flat at camera right for fill; and strip box for rim light.” The image was shot with a Nikon d810 and Nikon 50 f.1.4 mm. Angela explains, “Prior to the session, I knew it would be presented as a black and white matted print on fine art paper. I loved the subject’s bowtie, but wanted a casual, cool look to match his personality. I rolled up his sleeves and gave him a nonchalant pose while he supported his bass in front of him, hence the title for the portrait.” Angela custom prints and mounts all her fine art pieces for her clients at her home studio.

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Feb/Mar 2019

THE PHOTOGRAPHER

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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

Feb/Mar 2019

Cris & Deanna Duncan

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Feb/Mar 2019

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n a previous article, I talked about how proper pricing starts with valuing one image. From there you can expand out and set your prices for other options, sizes, and collections. For instance, don’t price an album based on what it costs you, but instead see it and price it as a collection of 20 original photographs. Let’s take that thought further because much of our inner concept of price and value comes from what we see and buy in our daily lives. We are constantly and subconsciously comparing our prices and value with everything else we see and pay for in stores everywhere. But how much of that is a true comparison? It’s actually a terrible comparison and like viewing our own prices with broken glasses.

But with the right set of glasses, we can see clearly and help our clients also see and understand the difference clearly too.

Quality/Price Spectrum - At the core of our business strategy and ability to make comparisons with everything else in the marketplace is seeing quality and price on a spectrum. Most everything we see for sale in the world is on the left side, Volume. But what we create is on the right side, Custom. This is why we can’t compare our prices with random things we commonly buy.

Think of items on the Volume end as being mass-produced, able to be sold to anyone, and sitting on a shelf waiting to be purchased. If you don’t buy it, it stays on the shelf and is sold to the next person. Custom portrait photography is the exact opposite. It consists of items created from scratch each time for each client.

I don’t have ready-made portraits of families on a shelf, waiting for customers to come in and buy them.

And I don’t have customers either.

As photographers, we have individual clients that we specifically create work THE PHOTOGRAPHER

Feb/Mar 2019

for. So, in simple terms, Volume businesses have shelves of mass-produced items for random customers, where Custom businesses create products from scratch for individual clients. Therefore the price has to be different.

As a photographer, I take raw materials like light, electrons, completely blank canvas and paper, and with my personal skills I arrange and organize these in a new way to create a family portrait that never existed before. This new finished product has immense value where the raw materials alone didn’t.

And if I create a family portrait for Client-A and they don’t buy it for some reason, I can’t put that back on the shelf and sell it to Client-B. All that time, the resources, the opportunity costs, and everything else that went into making that portrait is gone. Because they’re custom products that are extremely personal, I have to start over each and every time for each client.

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Similarly, if Client-A spends only the tiniest amount of money, I can’t recoup what I should have made. I can’t put my lost time and overhead costs back on a shelf to sell to my next client. These resources are gone and I must start over again with each client and each shoot.

Comparing Other High End Products - You can’t even compare your photography to other higher-end products. For instance, perhaps when talking price, your client says, “Your canvas is how much? I could get a new iPhone for that.” And that comment makes you think, “How can I charge $1000 for one portrait when a huge company like Apple is selling a sleek, miniature communicator and do-everything gadget for that price. I’m just a small business in comparison so my prices must be too expensive.”

But understanding this Quality/Price Spectrum however, we see that an iPhone, though amazing, is mass-produced, sitting on shelves for anyone to buy. It’s not custom made for you. That original custom-made phone is the prototype and it probably cost over $100,000. But once it’s mass produced, the final price is just a fraction of that.

Time - The next big key is to know how much time it takes to create one portrait for someone on average. Break a standard shoot down into smaller stages, and measure how much time does it takes in each stage – regardless of what is purchased. Here’s a basic list to get you started.

1. Market and advertise to get the client in.

2. Answer emails and phone calls from prospective clients that both do and don’t hire us. (Remember that the time and money spent on people that don’t hire are eventually paid for by the clients that do.)

3. Consultations and phone calls about clothing, locations, and price.

4. Preparing for the shoot, packing equipment, and renting extra gear if you need it.

5. Loading the vehicle, and driving to and from the photo shoot (if it’s on location).

6. The actual photo shoot time.

7. Driving home from the shoot, unloading gear, returning rentals.

8. Downloading and backing up your files.

9. Preliminary Lightroom work (import, flag and cull, fast and basic

global adjustments, export proofs for sales appointment).

10. Meet with the client for a sales appointment and take order.

11. Retouching and digital artwork.

12. Size, digitally sign, and send order off to your lab.

13. Order in custom frames and other items.

14. Frame, compile all finished products, and package order.

15. Call your client.

16. Deliver order, hang items in home (or package and ship to out-of-town clients).

17. Follow up and send a “thank you” card or gift.

We already have 17 time-consuming steps for just one order. Making your own list will help you realize that there is much more time involved than most imagine. But what if I hire some things out? Does that change things?

No. No matter what, these things are a part of your costs. Everything on the list must be paid for. Time is money, and everything must be covered and paid for by the sale whether you pay yourself or someone else to do them.

What About YOU? - When figuring your prices, there’s more than just time. There’s YOU. Your business placard probably has your name on it because it’s not a random camera people are hiring, it’s YOU – the skilled artist. YOU are the photographer with the vision. YOU are the one growing to continually be better with recurrent training, more education, going to Texas School, spending a week with an instructor, and investing in YOU. YOU cannot be replaced. Your business is named after YOU, built around YOU, your skills, your vision, your abilities. And if you figure your prices based on what it costs and simply do a markup percentage on those costs, then you’re taking YOU out of the equation. Your business must pay YOU so that it’s worth having the business. There are things in life you need to pay for: your mortgage, that newer car, your little girl’s ballet lessons, groceries, upgraded cameras and lighting, insurance, building up your savings, and on and on.

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Being a photographer is a skilled job, and YOU and your skills are the value in the business. It’s crucial to understand the value of YOU and what that goes into every single order. YOU are why your prices must be correct.

Your technical and creative skills, your personality, your ability to see the world in a unique way, your ability to make people relax on camera and look wonderful, your ability to light people perfectly, your ability to finely retouch an image and create a gorgeous canvas wall print – all of these things and much more are the reasons your clients are paying YOU. Service or Product? - Finally, most businesses offer either a service or a product. For instance, if someone mows my lawn, that’s a service. If I buy a new kitchen appliance, that’s a product. Photographers often see themselves as a product centered business because we deliver photographs. But actually we’re weird; we’re a mix of both, and not 50/50 either. It’s more like 80/20, with 80% being service and 20% being the final photographs. A quick look over your long list of stages and time involved in each custom shoot should help make that point. And the final product you deliver is not only worth it, but it will grow in value over time too.

Years later a $1000 iPhone will have depreciated and diminished in value to where it is not even worth selling and will be handed off to a child to play with and throw around. But years later, that family portrait will have immense value. As loved ones leave us and families change, the canvas wall print grows in value to where people will run into burning homes to save it.

We should recognize that value we’ve created for our clients.

Come Train at Texas School - This is just one small piece in running a successful photography business. Come spend a week with me at Texas School where we have the time to really delve into these subjects deeper.

Plus we’ll combine this knowledge with live shoots, lighting, emotion, and understanding social dynamics so that you leave creating the best images of your career. See you there.

Bry Cox is a Gold Medalist out of 25,000 international photographers. He is on the Adobe Software Evangelist team and is a PPA Master/Craftsman about 11 times over. Bry owned a studio in Utah for over 21 years and has been teaching workshops for over a decade.

To learn more about Bry Cox, go to: www.BryCox.com or TexasSchool.org.

Feb/Mar 2019

THE PHOTOGRAPHER

“Ready for Action” was created by Aileen Harding of Baytown, Texas, on a cloudy morning just past the breeding season. She used a Canon 5DMIII with a Sigma 150-600 Sport Lens, at ISO 500. According to Aileen, “The overcast sky made it easier to capture the tonality of the image without blowing out the highlights of the white bird. The Egret was poised on his banch, ready to challenge anyone who came near. I used a shutter speed of 1/200 second in order to freeze the motion of the wings so that the viewer could see the intricate detail of the feathers.”

Aileen explains that, when photographing wildlife, it is important to study the subject.

“Be familiar with the subject’s behavior, what their habitat is like and when they will be most active. This may require several visits to the area. Determining the lighting direction, optimum background and best location for an effective composition will provide you with the best opportunity for story telling images.”

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Feb/Mar 2019

THE PHOTOGRAPHER

I

f you are just getting started with photography and wanting to go beyond the limits of ‘natural light’ the choices for light modifiers can be both intimidating and, if you don’t know a few basics, expensive.

First, consider what you are photographing and ask yourself 3 quick questions – who?, what? and where?. For example, if you intend to work with a single individual for a headshot, that may not be the same choice as you might make for a group. Let’s take a quick look at options that can be versatile and stay in budget!

An easy starting point (and one that you can use forever) could be either a Westcott Standard Umbrella - White Diffusion (45”, model 2003) at $21.90 or Westcott’s White Satin with Removable Black Cover (45”, model 2005) at $32.90? So, how do you choose?

Personally, I prefer the or Westcott’s White Satin with Removable Black Cover (45”) at $32.90, because it’s just an additional $11 for a more flexible modifier. The black cover can easily be partially or fully removed to reveal the same white diffusion ‘shoot-through’ umbrella, or used with the black cover in place as ‘bounce’ umbrella.

With the black cover in place, you can gain more control of the light, and the reflective surface bounces more light output onto your subject.

by Guy T. Phillips

Texas School Instructor

Here’s a quick pros and cons of each:

Convertible Umbrella - Optical White Satin with Removable Black Cover

Standard Umbrella - Optical White Satin Diffusion

model #2003

model #2005

Price Size

$21.90 45”

Price Size

$32.90 45”

Pros

- Lightweight - Inexpensive - Softens shadows and spreads light more evenly than bare speedlite or bare flash head

Pros

- Lightweight - Inexpensive - Softens shadows and spreads light more evenly than bare speedlite or bare flash head - Removable Black Cover allows you to use as ‘Shoot Through’ - Use with the Black Cover in place for more controlled lighting - ‘Bounced’ light means more output reaches the subject

Cons

- Singular purpose of 1-stop ‘Shoot-Through’ Only

Cons

Options

Options include both smaller and larger versions, plus collapsible, space-saving models

Options

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Options include both smaller and larger versions, plus collapsible, space-saving models Feb/Mar 2019

THE PHOTOGRAPHER

about at that time was whether I could recreate the image from my mind. In other words, I was creating the picture I wanted to see of my family. How you interpret the world around you matters. Sharing how you see the world is what makes you so different and special.

I didn’t know this in the beginning but, after spending a lot of time and research on storytelling, I’ve learned the art of opening a story gap. In fact, in the beginning of this article, I opened the gap by asking if you were wondering what “opening a gap” meant. It simply means posing a question.

Using my composited portrait, “The Race,” opening the gap means “Why is the jet flying through the scene? What’s the boy doing with the space shuttle? Why does the guy on the right have such a funny look on is face?

What’s the yellow dog trying to do?” And, most importantly, “Who is going to win The Race?”

These are all great questions you might be asking when you look at this composite and all are opening the gap to draw you into the scene. The scene is well crafted to portray this family’s experience of the world. However, once you’ve opened the gap by posing the questions, it is important to close the gap by leading your audience to answer those questions. .

For example, it is reasonable to assume that the three boys on the right are racing the remote control car, truck, and forklift because they’re all looking at the cars they’re racing. This leaves dad in the middle, controlling the plane; the boy with the space shuttle, trying to be part of the race; and the dog thinking the forklift is his own personal toy. Give your audience a way to answer the questions, because unclosed gaps cause anxiety and confusion.

Being consistent is an added bonus. I’ve spent my entire life jumping from photography to chiropractic and back to photography and from one style to another style, never spending much time on anything. I bought into the myth that creativity meant always trying different things. If you are ADD and always chasing the next shiny red ball, you know what I’m talking about.

However, through experience, I’ve learned that being consistently awesome is different because so few people give their creativity time to catch on with everyone else. Being consistent also gives you the chance to master your craft, to embrace how you see and share the world, and to develop fun and interesting ways to open up gaps that draw the audience into your composites.

by Jason

Imagine how you’d feel if your favorite composite photographer all of a sudden stopped doing composites and started doing regular photography.

In fact, this actually happened with one of my favorite composite photographers. If your goal is to make awesome pictures that are different, you must do things differently than the average photographer who is just OK at their craft, who only tries to create images like other photographers who inspire them, who fail to open any kind of gap with their audience, and who consistently switch from one type of photography to the other... never giving people a chance to embrace their creativity.

Ulsrud

TEXAS SCHOOL INSTRUCTOR

H

ave you ever wanted to create composites that are uniquely different? Three years ago, my composites were average at best and nobody gave two squirts about my work. So, I know exactly how it feels to want to create something different. Thankfully, I discovered what it takes to bridge the gap between being an average photographer to making awesome pictures that are different. With a few changes, you can create uniquely different pictures as well. The only thing separating you from the photographers who inspire you is your ability to master your craft, share your world, and open the gap. Just in case you’re wondering what “opening the gap” means, keep reading and I will explain.

So, let’s open a gap here. What one thing out of this list can you start doing now to be different? Don’t leave me anxious and confused. Close the gap and answer that question by emailing me at Jason@photillustrator.com. I would love to hear from you!

Starting out, I quickly noticed there was a clear difference between those photographers we all looked up to and those photographers doing the looking up... the quality of their work. So, one of the easiest ways to be uniquely different is by mastering your craft. For me, that meant knowing how to use my camera in manual mode, knowing the three best lighting scenarios for composite photography, understanding the relationship between light and shadows, and sharpening my Photoshop and compositing skills. With all the workshops and online courses, mastering your photography and compositing craft is easier than ever.

The very first composite I ever created looked like crap. Even so, I knew instantly that I was going to become a composite photographer. To that end, I spent the next few months searching for a uniquely different “style. ” My style soon became creating images with cool and sparkly effects, which I discovered by creating images with cool sparkly effects. Thankfully for me, that didn’t last long.

Several months later, looking back at that first crappy composite, I realized something that would change the course of my compositing journey. My uniquely different “style” had nothing to do with sparkly effects or a compositing technique but rather from how I saw the world. When I was creating that first composite of my family, I wasn’t thinking about having a unique “style” or having an “illustrative” look, or being “different.” The only thing I cared

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Feb/Mar 2019

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Jason Ulsrud helps photographers bring their visions to life through the magic of Composite Photography and wants to help photographers discover their own unique style, bring it to life in an awesome picture, and make money doing what they love. He will be one of the program speakers at the iHeart Photo Conference and will also be an instructor at the 2019 Texas School of Professional Photography. You can connect with Jason at www. photiversity.com or email him at Jason@photillustrator.com THE PHOTOGRAPHER

Feb/Mar 2019

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T

rying to print night scenes with all their dark subtleties is often more troubling than a trip to the dentist. Many of these rich nuances will appear beautifully depicted on screen, but will get “lost in translation” when printed. Reflective mediums such as photographic prints or lithographic re-productions like this magazine, cannot possibly represent the range of contrast that transmissive mediums can, mediums such as properly calibrated and profiled monitors of decent quality. If you think about it, light reflecting or bouncing off a surface cannot be as intense as light “glowing” out of a surface.

The image above was created during one of my lighting workshop demo’s at last year’s “knock-down, drag-out, leave no class-attendee standing,” Texas School 5 day workshop. At this workshop (one of the biggest in the world, so no pressure there), I was showing off my lighting techniques for dramatic B&W figure studies. Creating complex lighting on-the-fly while using unfamiliar gear and explaining the principles involved of what you are doing means that you cannot give your full attention to the actual photo shoot and model before you. However, the creation of this image was a lot easier thanks to the incredibly photogenic physique of my subject, Taondrae Caldeleught.

Even so, the situation was far from perfect and I was plagued with several technical issues such as the flash triggers that worked intermittently and in a very schizo manner due to electronic interference, as well as a never ending barrage of questions. I don’t blame them because they were paying a pretty penny to be there. Besides, I love questions. It gives me a chance to be the big-shot... pontificating ad nauseam. With just an hour or so to do a three hour shoot, the stress was on.

THE PHOTOGRAPHER

Feb/Mar 2019

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Shoot Specs for B&W Body Light Sculpting: • Camera Exposure: F 8.0 at 1/125th at 100iso.

• Camera: Full frame mirrorless.

• Lens: 70-200mm set to 70mm.

• Camera Distance: 7.5 feet from subject.

• Camera Height: 3.5 feet from floor to imaging sensor.

• Background Distance: Black 9 foot seamless backdrop paper positioned 9 feet behind subject.

• Main-Light Source: 500W mono-block strobe fitted with a 2 foot Octa-box with 50˚ soft-grid was placed 3 feet from subject & sat 6.5 feet from floor to strobe tube.

• Main-Light Source Brightness: For this dark look, I typically underexpose this main-light 2 to 3 stops below camera setting using an incident meter reading with back of meter against subject, dome pointed at source.

• Separation Light-Source Distance - Two 500W mono-block strobes fitted with 1x4 foot strip-light light-banks with 50˚ soft-grids were placed vertically & slightly behind subject on both right & left sides, each sat 3 feet away from subject. These 2 back-light sources sat 2.5 feet from floor to bottom of strip-light.

• Separation Light-Source Brightness: These two back-lights were set to 1.5 stops below camera setting using an incident meter reading with back of meter against subject & the meter’s dome pointed at source in question.

As always, I shot tethered, porting the RAW files directly from camera to computer using a Tethertools rig. I usually create my lighting to my RAW process settings rather than the other way around. This is a more efficient way of working and renders better quality image files. Interestingly enough, that this is the way I had to work in the film days, before digital.

Unlike B&W negative films, color transparency film (slide film), which was my main-stay, had very little processing latitude. It could not be effectively altered with variations in processing. Doing so would skew the film’s color wildly, making it unsuitable for all but the most avantgarde imagery. This meant that I had to create my lighting to the range of contrast created by that film and processing method.

Once the images were ported over from camera to computer, they automatically showed up in Lightroom with my custom B&W preset settings applied to the on-screen preview, allowing for a somewhat accurate rendering of my lighting. For the sake of the workshop participants, my computer was tethered to a projector so that, as the images appeared in Lightroom, they also showed up bigger than life on the projection screen. To my immense joy, the first image looked absolutely amazing on the big screen. What a relief after all the technical trauma!

I almost got a mouth full of cavities from the stress which, by the way, is a little known dental fact that stress can cause cavities – I thought that might be appropriate to mention here since I seem to have a bit of a dental theme going on in this article. Anyhow, this happy outcome should have been no surprise because I had planned out this shoot in my head long before the session started. Then, during the shoot, I metered it to death to ensure all was perfect. Still, when things you normally count on suddenly seem to stop working, you lose confidence, creating doubt in yourself and your knowledge.

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Upon completion of the shoot and with the help of the workshop attendees, we picked out our favorite image of Taondrae and made a series of inkjet prints of it. The first print looked pretty decent when viewed inside a print viewing booth designed to provide near ideal viewing conditions (although I find them a little too bright if you are trying to represent typical viewing conditions of clients). The specular highlights (sheen) on our more-than-buff subject, contrasted beautifully to his very dark underexposed flesh, even though they weren’t all that bright (high 20’s to low 70’s with Lightroom’s 0-100% scale and 53 to 180 in the 0-255 levels’ scale of Photoshop or Adobe Camera Raw). Either scale puts them in the upper quarter-tone to upper mid-tone range, making these “shiny-bits” kind of dim for what specular sheen can be, but not unusual for night scenes.

Interestingly enough, these specular highlights actually appear brighter than the above densitometer readings suggest due to Simultaneous Contrast. For instance, Simultaneous Contrast makes a mid-tone against a dark-tone appear visually brighter than it really is because your visual system is always trying to pull tones apart, making dark tones darker and light tones lighter, so we can better discern detail to help us identify what we are seeing. But, if you look at this image or any predominantly dark image under less than optimum viewing conditions such as most people’s home lighting, things will start to block-up, losing a lot of those beautiful bits of subtle specular detail, making the image look dark and a bit lackluster.

Conversely, an image such as a typical portrait is made up of a lot more mid-range to highlight tones rather than predominantly dark tones of this night scene of Taondrae. This makes them more flexible in terms of viewing conditions. Taondrae’s nighttime portrait and all other images Feb/Mar 2019

THE PHOTOGRAPHER

Two versions of the image of Taondrae: Version A is printed straight out of Lightroom using the B&W preset, with no further tweaks in Lightroom or Photoshop employed at the time of lighting. Version B is the result of applying a contrast enhancing curve.

like it have a very narrow range of lighting conditions where they look okay. But, having said that, even a forgiving image like the typical portrait image I mentioned above has an optimum viewing brightness that makes that image it’s very best.

I remember years ago dragging a couple of tungsten lights and my incident light meter to my local photo lab who were printing images for PPA competition in order to simulate the lighting conditions under which they would be judged. We were provided the exact brightness level (f-stop, shutter speed, and ISO) by PPA and I recall having to do this several times over a couple of days before getting what I wanted. It was a hassle but it paid off and one of those images went into the PPA Loan Collection.

Profiled workflows have alleviated a lot of this in the digital world.

As a viewing exercise, let’s view the side-by-side comparison of Taondrae above. Version A is printed straight out of Lightroom using the B&W preset, with no further tweaks in Lightroom or Photoshop employed at the time of lighting in front of the class. Now look at version B where we see the result of a contrast enhancing curve applied. This curve has stretched the image’s tonal range upward, brightening the specular highlights while leaving the darkest tones alone, making the image more “punchy” (high contrast) but less subtle. Version B holds together better under darker viewing conditions than version A, making it more versatile and an allaround safer bet.

I like version A best when viewed on screen or when printed and viewed in my print viewing booth. The look and feel is less harsh than B. But version A doesn’t do so well under my room lights. Try looking at the side-by-side images in outdoor daylight, then inside under normal indoor room lighting, then once again under even darker indoor room conditions.

Which one do you like best and under which conditions? The choice is somewhat subjective but, generally speaking, I find that the majority of viewers agree.

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This is not unlike those TV ads where a high percentage of dentists agree on something. You know... “Nine out of ten dentists agree that brushing your teeth has nothing to do with photography” or “eight out of ten dentists agree that brushing your teeth between print making promotes stronger healthier teeth and fresher breath.” Such photo-dental revelations! So, when sending my work out to be printed at a lab or on a printing press, I print it on my photo-quality inkjet printer. Then I view it in my viewing booth as well as in daylight and outdoor lighting. Finally, I view it under room lighting in my studio/home/office before tweaking the image in Photoshop with a curve to make it work in all three conditions.

Obviously, this is a bit of compromise. But at least I walk away with something that works... and with fewer cavities!

Dave Montizambert lectures internationally on lighting, digital photography, and Adobe Photoshop. He is also a published author having written two books on lighting and digital photography (www.montizambert. com) plus numerous magazine articles on these topics in North America, Europe, Russia and Asia. Dave also creates lighting & Photoshop tutorial DVDs for www.software-cinema.com & www.

PhotoshopCAFE.com/video and authors “Dave On Demand” (www.montizambert. com) lighting tutorial based phototraining. Dave is available for lectures and workshops in your area and can be reached through www.montizambert.com.

Feb/Mar 2019

THE PHOTOGRAPHER