“My love for photography began with the birth of my first child…” {Writing Your Bio}

Posted on February 29, 2012 by Shelby

{This is a free excerpt from my “Starting Your Business” book — which still needs a good title! It’s in editing right now, with a May 2012 release. I hope you enjoy it!}

Your biography, or “About Me” page, can be the most difficult piece of writing you’ll do when starting your business.

I’ve found that very few people enjoy writing about themselves – it can feel kind of phony, and often it’s difficult to figure out where to begin. One thing I see on almost every young, mom-turned-photographer’s website is the “my love for photography began with the birth of my child” line. I think we’ve all written this at some point in our careers!

Unfortunately, it will in no way set you apart from your competition, unless your only competition in town is some scary guy who no one wants to trust with their precious children.

For many of us, it’s the absolute truth. You MAY have first picked up a camera when your baby was born and you fell in love with both the new child and the new toy. However, it has been used SO often by SO many other women, it now sounds trite. It’s been done. And it has the potential to label you as more of a hobbyist than a pro.

I know that just offended a few of you, but it’s true. It’s not that moms can’t be as professional. It’s not that admitting that you’re a mom and that you didn’t go to school for photography makes you sound “less than” someone else (in fact, you won’t find many working portrait photographers who did go to school for a photography degree). It’s that too many people who have used that line have developed reputations for being less-than professional, and now that will also reflect on the rest of us who are moms and photographers. Even if that was not the case, if ten other photographers in your area (especially those with a similar style and price point) all have something like this on their site, how does that set you apart from the crowd?

It doesn’t. It makes you just one of many.

So for years, I have advised taking this line off your site. Like, right this minute. As I’ve said before, in this business (especially in the current market), it’s differentiate or die.

I don’t believe it will hurt you to write something like “Alice is mom to five silly monkeys (all of whom are challenging in front of the camera!) and wife to Jeff (who has to be bribed to participate in family portraits, too) so she knows where you’re coming from as a client and can handle any situation.” But I would include it at the end of your bio, instead of trying to make it the primary reason people should choose you as their photographer.

A good outline goes something like this:

Where you’re located and what you specialize in. I see so many sites that don’t have any location information at all. Or, for that matter, any contact information. If you don’t list a service area, it is extremely difficult for people to find you unless they already have your business name and URL. Don’t forget to add why you love your specialty so much.

How long you’ve been interested in photography and what training you’ve received. This part is easier for some than for others, but even if you haven’t been shooting professionally for the past decade, you can still assert your professionalism and credibility while maintaining honesty. Many of us have learned from some of the top photographers in the country through workshops, conventions, and state association schools or local guilds. Almost all of us have learned from other experts in our field through forums and other online resources, and all of this is valid education. If you have earned any honors (guild awards, etc) now is the time to talk about them. Noted photographer Gary Fong says, “I think being self-taught in anything makes you unique and inventive.” As photographers, I believe that we require feedback from people who have more experience and stronger skills to improve and grow as a photographer. But being a professional doesn’t require a university degree.

A little about you personally. Talk about the things you love, even those that are not photo-related. Saying something like “When she’s not photographing beautiful babies, she can be found knitting/homeschooling her four kids/reading/volunteering at her church/running/feeding her Pinterest addiction” is a great way to give them a glimpse into who you are. Or “She loves all things vintage and longs for a time when women dressed up to go shopping and men wore suits and fedoras to work every day.” This is where you talk about your husband and kids, or what field you came to photography from, because all of these things influence your style. As you write, think about your target clients. What would help them connect with you on a more personal level? Remember that, in this business, YOU are your brand.

The process most people I’ve talked with go through when writing their bio is very similar. Type. Erase. Type, type, type. Backspace. Delete. If you are one of the many who struggles with figuring out where to start, ask a close friend how he or she would describe your style or your work. Or, even, how he or she would describe YOU. Sometimes others can see details about us and our work that we are too close to see for ourselves.

So if “my passion for photography began with the birth of my first child” is out, what are some new ways to make that connection with potential clients? I’d love to hear your ideas!

Posted in Branding, Business, Marketing, Teaching | Tagged about me page, biography, branding, mom photographers, photographers, writing | Leave a comment

How Much Do You REALLY Spend on Photography?

Posted on February 13, 2012 by Shelby

It’s tax time again! As photographers and small business owners, it sometimes seems as if we spend more time filing taxes than we do shooting. Prepaying our own income/business taxes with the federal government & filing our sales taxes with the state is part of our monthly routines. But this time of year is a little different. This is when we sit down with all of our spreadsheets and receipts and take a look at the big picture. And for some of us, it’s the only time we really take a close look at how much we’ve spent and how much we’ve brought in with our businesses.

That means some of us are really happy this time of year. We have evidence that we’ve met our goals and that the time we’ve spent working was worthwhile. But for some of us, this time of year can be frustrating, because while it seemed like we made a lot this year, when we subtract the expenses that final number looks depressingly small.

If someone asked you how much you made with photography this year, could you answer them? Would your answer be based on what you made as income? Or what you made as profit? Or what you grossed before expenses?

And, after all the adding and subtracting and balancing is done, are you happy with that final number?

Whether you’ve made a profit or not, seeing all those expenses added up is usually a painful moment. Ouch. Did I really spend that much?

I think that sometimes the general public sees what we charge and conclude that we must be making a killing. “Really, $150 an hour just to show up? $75 for an 8×10? I could get that at Walmart for less than $3.” But as business owners, we only spend a tiny bit of our time shooting. I love this infographic from the International Society of Wedding Photographers because it is so true — it may LOOK like we live a super rock star lifestyle, but those few hours behind the camera are only a small part of what we do all day.

But as photographers, sometimes we’re just as guilty. We believe that selling a digital file doesn’t “cost” us anything, because we’re not paying a lab to print it. Or that we don’t have “overhead” because we don’t pay studio rent. But that is so not true. Let’s take a look at a typical photographers expense sheet… how much did you spend this year on your website? On lenses? On cameras and other photo equipment? How about software, computer equipment, Photoshop actions, fonts, digital scrapbooking stuff for marketing and design pieces, templates, professional association memberships, liability and equipment insurance, internet access, workshops and other training, childcare, business cards and other promotional pieces? Or how about props, which many of us seem to be addicted to like non-photographers are addicted to shoes? And that’s not even a full list of all the expenses most of us can expect to incur each year.

Most importantly, beyond all of the financial expenses, how many hours did you spend on the computer or with clients? Or learning, planning, filing, etc? What were the human costs of running your business? And when you compare those hours to your income, was it worth it?

If not, what can you change to fix the problem?

This is an expensive business, and as business owners, we need to know our numbers to be successful and to gain the confidence we need to price ourselves for profit. I don’t know about you, but if I’m going to spend this many hours a week on the computer or away from my family, I want to make sure I’m drawing some sort of income for it. And I want to know, when I look at the income I’ve drawn and divide it by the number of hours I’ve worked, that I’m making more than minimum wage.

How about you? Were you happy when you looked at your taxes this year? Did you meet your goals? I hope so!

What did I leave out? How do you feel about tax time? Chime in below!

Posted in Business, Learning, Pricing | Leave a comment

Inspiration, Style, and Kissing Cousins {Another “Oldie But Goodie”}

Posted on February 7, 2012 by Shelby

I’m working on a book chapter today (the “getting started in the business” book, which still needs a great name!) and was reminded of this post from a few years ago. Yes, the “baby dangling in fabric” post has been around for a lot longer than the recent Facebook controversies might suggest! I hope you enjoy it! ~Shelby

I sometimes say that the portrait world is an incestuous business. We all look at each other’s work, and when we see something we like, we file that away for future reference. So you’ll see these big trends (the giant teacup, the baby in a bowl, that terrifying-to-moms “baby dangling in fabric” newborn shot, etc) that suddenly EVERYONE is doing because we’re all watching each other for the next good idea. There is a lot of inspiration and borrowing that goes on, and that is one of the things that makes friendships with other photographers and involvement on photography boards so great. If you’re in need of a new promotion or a new set, there are so many options to choose from and you’re sure to find something that will inspire you once you start looking around.

But after awhile, you start to see problems. Constantly finding inspiration in other photographers, particularly those in your own area, can be like marrying your cousin. It might seem like a good idea at the time, but somewhere down the road you realize that maybe the ties were too close and things are going wrong. (How’s THAT for a terrible analogy?) To put it back into photography terms: if everything you’re offering is a copy of someone else, where is your style? And what would make a client choose you over them? You’d have to do far superior work, or you’d have to charge much less to make it seem like a deal.

That leads us to the lesson behind this post. If you want to not just survive, but to succeed in the portrait world, you have to create your own look, products and brand. If you are doing custom portrait work, and “The 98 Portraits for $9.99 Chain Studio” at the mall starts offering what you do for a price that no small business could compete with and survive, you have to change what you do to stay ahead of the game.

Differentiate or die.

Now that’s not a personal threat to anyone in particular, LOL. But here’s the deal: we all offer the same types of promotions, because so many are seasonal or holiday based. We all offer some of the same products (although now that places like Costco and Best Buy are offering them at less than OUR cost at the pro labs and the high quality vendors, maybe it’s time to rethink some of those). When I talk about pricing, I hear from so many of you who say, “but ShelbyLane [no one calls me by just my first name anymore] you don’t know my area… there are at least 12 other ‘location only’ photographers who offer exactly what I do in my small town, and if I charge what I need to charge to stay in business, everyone will go to them cause they’re cheaper.” And those of you who have been to a workshop or a conference or have talked to me by email or in the line at Starbucks all know what I say to that: “Well what else do you do to set yourself apart from the rest of the crowd?”

For instance, if there are 20 other photographers in your area who have an “About Me” section on their site that says “My love for photography began with the birth of my first child, and as a mom myself I know the beauty of the everyday moments and am more sensitive to your needs as a parent” or whatever, does yours say the same thing? While it may be the truth, that is no longer setting you apart as THE choice for their portraits — it’s the exact same thing that everyone else is telling them. Maybe yours needs to change, just to set you apart from the crowd.

What inspires you in regular life? What makes your heart sing? If you had to describe your style, how would you do it? One of the best exercises I ever did was for a graphic designer. She asked a lot of questions about what moved me, what inspired me outside of photography, and what I loved. Those were surprisingly difficult questions to answer at the time. I had been describing my style, as many of you do, as “artistic and candid black and white natural light outdoor portraits of kids being kids.” And after I typed that out, I realized that really didn’t describe what I did anymore. Once I sat down and really thought about it, I realized that my style is heavily inspired by classic children’s book illustrations from books I loved as a child. I just didn’t really do the candid b&w look as much anymore. But I had never sat down to think about the images that I truly loved and what I truly wanted to shoot every day and offer to my clients as heirlooms.

So my challenge to you for 2008 is this: Learn to be the trendsetter. Look for inspiration in places OTHER than children’s portrait photography, and definitely outside of your geographical area. Movies. Magazines. TV commercials. Books. Music Videos. Museums. Other types of portrait photography. Look at how people use light, color and texture in their senior or bridal portraits — some might be too trendy and edgy for you, or too “old school” for your taste, but that doesn’t mean you can’t learn something from the beautiful lighting or posing or set design they use.

Or, take the inspiration from other children’s photographers and make it your own. Don’t rebuild their set in your studio. Take the parts you like, and change some others around to make it YOURS. I hear a lot of people say, “I love that set you did, but my studio’s too small for it.” Well think about what it is that you loved about that set, and then figure out how you can get a similar feeling in your own space. Will it be exactly the same? Nope. But it will be all yours. You don’t want to live your professional life as someone else’s shadow.

So, since we’re all revamping our pricing and websites and marketing pieces for the new year, take some time to look at your overall presentation. The quality of your work. How you’re presenting it to your clients. The language and information you’re using on your website and your blog. Your personal style. If you say “what personal style” then maybe it’s time to start looking at those inspiration questions. What moves you? What do you LOVE? What is it about the images that melt your heart that makes them so special? If you can answer these questions and incorporate them into your own business, you’ll be closer to finding your own unique look.

Posted in Branding, Current Affairs, Inspiration and Creativity, Learning, Style, Teaching | Leave a comment

Great Props for Baby Photography

Posted on December 19, 2011 by Shelby

Over on our community page, Laura asked for more info on some good props for kids. What a great question!

First of all, I rarely use props that are labeled as “photography props.” Why? Everyone else seems to already have them, and they’re often very expensive. I always want something that’s unique and classic, so I look to non-photography vendors for fresh-looking props.

Some of my favorites over the years have been:

Wooden Blocks

It can be difficult to find blocks that are a good size. The sets I found at local stores were not very photogenic and were really too small for my needs. I ended up finding these a few years ago and they were exactly the right size. Kind of pricey, yes, but totally worth it, because I have used them for literally hundreds of sessions. The set in the portrait above was my favorite. They were some gorgeous pastel enameled blocks from babystyle, a company that is now out of business, and if I ever find another set like those I will probably splurge and buy two — they were that cute and unique.

These blocks are also totally adorable and the price is great. At 2 inches each, they’re also a pretty good size for photography. I think these may go into my next Amazon order.

Books

A good looking book will slow a mobile baby down and engage them for a few minutes. Some of my favorites for the younger set are The Very Hungry Caterpillar and Good Night Moon. They look good, and they’re likely to be some of the baby’s actual favorite books, which adds some authenticity to the portrait and makes the book less of a prop and more of a memento. For older kids, I like for them to bring their own books — in the photo above, mom brought the family’s own beautiful copy of The Night Before Christmas.

Step Stools and Ladders

For the pulling-up-but-not-yet-walking set, and even for older kids, I love a good ladder. These little ones are from my local hardware store, and I painted them myself. They look different these days, because I repainted them and distressed them to use for location work. Make sure you use them with kids that are already standing on their own, though, for safety reasons. And make sure that mom and dad are not only okay with the idea, but that they’re nearby in case the little one decides to try and take off on his own.

Old-Fashioned Wooden Toys

I love old-fashioned pull toys, cars, animals… whatever I can find that is beautiful and will entertain a child for a few minutes. You have to be careful with toys — you don’t want them to become the focus of the portrait. You want them to give the child something to do and complement the portrait. With that in mind, it makes sense to choose natural wood toys, or classic toys with a subdued paint job. This Very Hungry Caterpillar is one of the exceptions — if you have a kid who is clothed in bright colors, it works really well. Try to blend the style and color of the toy or prop with the rest of the colors in the portrait (clothing, background, etc — we’ll talk about layering color in another post).

Other ideas:

Camden Rose Toddler Zoom

Maxim Earth Pull Along Duck

Green Toys My First Stacker

Hat Boxes

You know, the kind you find for 50% off at Hobby Lobby. They’re perfect for little girls and you can find styles that coordinate with all sorts of clothing and location/background options. Again, do not use these with a kid who cannot stand on her own! They are not sturdy and will shift if the baby tries to use them for support, so they’re better for older kids (unless you put the baby IN the hat box, in which case, you don’t have to worry about it).

What are your favorite props to use with the 6-month to 4 year set? Feel free to share your ideas in the comments below!

Posted in Gear, Kids and Babies, Sets and Props | Tagged baby photography, children's portraits, color layering, props, simplicity | 1 Comment

4 Ways to Get Non-Posey Photos of Kids

Posted on December 16, 2011 by Shelby

In response to my What’s On Your Photography Wish List? post, I had several people ask

How do I get good photos of my kids without having them look too posed and unnatural?

Most professional photographers will tell you that it takes practice, and that it’s always more difficult with your own kids — and I wholeheartedly agree. We have less patience with our own kids than we do with clients, and because they don’t spend every day with us, many of our littlest portrait clients are willing to cooperate with whatever silly thing we ask them to do.

But you CAN capture non-posey photos of your kids. It’s not impossible! You will also be able to keep them in “good” light and avoid having to chase them all around the park. Which is a very good thing. I don’t know about you, but this mama doesn’t have the energy to chase kids down while carrying equipment anymore.

The key is to keep them engaged. Get on their level. And please, whatever you do, don’t ask them to smile and say cheese.

Here are my top 4 tips for getting great, natural-looking photos of your kids without losing your mind.

1. Give them something to play with.

“Prop” is not a four letter word. The key is to use things as props that are photogenic and go with your setting. For instance, if you dress your daughter in a beautiful taffeta Christmas dress and then give her a Happy Meal toy to play with, you may not be pleased with the final results. The trick is to find something attractive that they’ll be interested in, that will keep them in place for those few minutes you need to get the shot you want.

Note: that's a plastic ornament, and I took the small end piece out because it was a choking hazard. Always make sure the "toy" you give them is safe for kids!

Closely related to tip #1…

2. Give them something to DO.

Play peek-a-boo. Ask them to sing you a song. Or twirl in a circle, or get on their tummies, or do a handstand. Or jump as HIIIIIIGH as they can. Be sure that if you’re going for an action shot, that you’re using a faster shutter speed (this is one of those times you may find that the auto settings just don’t cut it).

You can also ask them to do any of the above and then say FREEZE! Kids seem to be born knowing how to play that game.

3. Ask them questions.

Mom. Mama. Mommy. Mom. Moooooooooom. Have you noticed that your kids love to talk? Take advantage of it. Asking them open-ended questions gives them a minute to be serious, and this will give you some great, thoughtful expressions. Ask them what their favorite part of the day is. Why? Who do you play with? How do you play that game?

4. Let them be silly.

Let’s be honest: there will be a point in this “mom session” where your kids will need to get the sillies out. There’s that same moment with my clients, too. It’s just that we react differently when it comes to our own kids. Jump, shake, and shimmy them out, just like DJ Lance does in Gabbaland. One of my favorite tricks is to ask them to make their silliest face. Then their saddest face. Then their surprised face. Then their meanest face. Then their most serious face.

Make sure you capture these! They are the photos you will cherish the most when they’re older.

So grab your camera, find some good light, and get everything you need together, and then see if you can bribe your kids into being your models. That’s the toughest part. And no matter what, try to remember that if things don’t go well with your own kids, you can try again on another day.

What do you find most challenging about photographing kids?

Posted in Giving Back, Kids and Babies, Learning, Sets and Props, Teaching | Tagged cheesy, engage, mom photographers, natural expressions, posing, props, tips | 3 Comments

Garage Light

Posted on December 11, 2011 by Shelby

Thanks for all the responses to my “what do you want to know?” question! Some of my favorite questions had to do with light.

I love taking pics but some turn out better than others and I don’t know why. I use the auto settings on my camera so I don’t mess up, so that makes me think the problem is ME and not my camera lol. Why do some of my pics look so nice and others don’t, even if I take kids back to the same place I took the first ones? (Amy in MN)

Hi Amy! This is a great question and I received a few variations on it, so you’re not alone. You didn’t send any samples but even so, I’m pretty sure one of your biggest problems has to do with light.

Natural light changes constantly (and remember: this is true even when you’re indoors). If the sun goes behind a cloud, your exposure and your white balance needs will both change. I strongly encourage you to learn how to use the manual settings on your camera, but for now, let’s talk about how to get a little more control over your environment so you’re relying less on luck to get a good shot.

First, remember that time of day makes a difference. Strong, direct light will cause shadows on faces and make exposure difficult. The “sweet light” times that you hear about are very short, so we have to learn how to work around the “bad” light during the rest of the day. Whether it’s a bright sunny day, or a darker overcast day, here’s what to look for: something to block the light from directly overhead, and something to block the light from one side. Believe it or not, a garage is a great place to find both. You can also look for a porch or some other sort of overhang or roof to block that overhead light.

My fabulous assistant Mac and I used our carport to demonstrate. It was an overcast day, so the light was soft anyway, but if this had been a sunny day it would have worked as well — we just would have had to make sure that there was no direct light touching the baby. Sunbeams (even through leaves) will make splotchy, harsh-looking pieces of brightness on kids faces and bodies, so you want to make sure they’re just inside the shade.

As you can see in the picture above, Caleb is right inside the overhang of the car port. It’s completely covering his head, so if it had been raining, he would have been dry. If I had moved him deeper into the shadow, the light wouldn’t have been as soft and pretty, so we want him close to the edge. Also notice that the house is blocking the light on the left side of the photograph, so that will give us a nice directional look. This is really important when photographing things like fabrics and crafts: you want to show texture, and if you face the object towards the light or use a flash, you make it look “flat” and totally lose the texture. This soft, directional light on the face is called modeling.

I used a handheld meter near his face and used the manual settings on my camera to set my exposure. These were shot with a 70-200mm 2.8 lens, and while I could have used it “wide open” at 2.8, I really don’t like doing that with kids because you have such a narrow area of focus. These were at f3.5 and 200s at 70mm. The black and white closeup was at 200mm to get that creamy, soft look to the background.

When you look through the lens, here’s what you want to see before you press that shutter button:

Notice the soft light on the right side of his face, and how the left side is slightly more shadowed. That’s the direction we’re looking for that will help give you some apparent depth, because you can better see the shapes of his features (the chubbiness of his cheeks, the little button nose). Those catchlights in his eyes (the reflection of the sky in the upper right corner) are absolutely essential to add that lively sparkle.

Here’s what happens when we move him out from under the overhang. The light becomes more harsh (even on an overcast day) on parts of his face, and his eye area automatically gets darker (this is where you get “raccoon eyes”), and you can see the dark circles underneath his eyes and around his mouth. If the sun had broken through while I had been shooting, the shot would have been icky, with dark eye sockets and too bright highlights on the top of his cheeks, the tip of his nose, and his forehead, and dark shadows on parts of his face.

So go out and try it! Bribe one of your kids, or a stuffed animal, or a knitted scarf over the back of a chair and see what happens. Remember: block the overhead light, block the light to one side, and make sure that they’re out of any direct light. DO NOT turn the kid or the scarf or the teddy bear so that they’re facing the light! Turn off your flash, let the light come in off to one side and see what happens. I’d love to hear any questions or success stories you have!

Do you have other photography questions? Leave me a comment and I will try and answer them in this series.

Posted in Kids and Babies, Learning, Lighting, Teaching | Tagged catchlights, directional light, kids, light, overhang, Portraits, soft light, texture | 5 Comments

Studio Light and White Balance {Top 10 Mistakes}

Posted on December 6, 2011 by Shelby

{I first published this series several years ago, but after seeing some of the Twitter responses to my “what do you want to know?” request, it seemed to be a good time for a rerun. Still have questions? Please leave me a comment!}

I mentioned to some other photographers that I was planning an article about the most common problems that new photographers run into, and I got much more input than I expected… and many of these established photographers had the same “I wish I’d known then what I know now” comments. So here is the first installment in a series called The Top 10 Mistakes New Photographers Make, as suggested by photographers across the country and as compiled from the forums and my own Photographer Email inbox.

10) “My color/exposure/lighting pattern is all over the place when I use studio lights, and I’m not sure why.” I hear from many, MANY photographers who are coming from an “available light only” background and are just beginning to learn to use studio lights. There are some things you need to know before you get started. First, starting with one light and a reflector is going to help you a lot more than starting with a main, a fill, and a background light. Start simple, and once you master the simple, then start adding lights. It is very difficult to figure out what is going wrong at first if you have too many lights in your setup. Also, don’t turn off the modeling lights on your strobes… you need to see where the light is falling when you’re just getting started, because it will save you time and help you learn WHY things look better with the light in one position than they do in another.

Exposure problems are almost always caused by one of two things: either the photographer hasn’t invested in a light meter (and yes, I do believe that its a must-have item for studio work) or they’re shooting on one of the program modes, instead of Manual. I hear people say all the time “well I metered with my camera and it overexposed” or “well the first shot was too bright, and then the second shot was a little bit better and I don’t know what changed.” With strobes, you HAVE to shoot manual. Your camera is a smart little gadget, but it isn’t that smart. When you’re using strobes and trying to shoot on Aperture or Shutter Priority or Program mode, OR if you’re trying to use it to meter, what happens is that the camera reads the ambient light in the room and gives you settings that are appropriate for the room light. Your modeling lights on a strobe are often just regular light bulbs, and they don’t put out as much power as the flash from the strobe will. Learn to use a flash meter, and set your camera accordingly. Also know that unless your shutter speed is slow, the ambient light in your room is not likely to have much, if any, effect on your exposure. With studio strobes, your exposure from the flash is tied to your aperture, and the amount of ambient light (room light) you let into the camera is tied to your shutter speed. I don’t want to get into a big technical lesson here on the blog, but you can read more about those connections in most basic photography books.

The other big problem I see, sometimes even with people who have experience with studio light work, is in trying to use Auto White Balance. Your room light and your modeling lamp are usually “tungsten balanced,” meaning they produce very warm light in comparison to daylight. Remember back in the film days, if you’d take a photo indoors without using a flash, how orangey that photo would come out? That’s because back then, we were using “daylight” color film and the light from regular light bulbs is much warmer, as far as color temperature is concerned. The same holds true for digital. The light from your strobes is daylight balanced, so even if you are shooting with studio lights in a dark room, with only the modeling lamp on, and you use AWB on your camera, your camera will “read” the light from that good ol’ tungsten light bulb in your modeling lamp. When you actually shoot, the cooler light from the flash will record too blue, and your color results in your studio shots will be inconsistent. I am a big fan of Custom White Balance, but if you are in a pinch, using Daylight or Flash on your camera will give you much more consistent results with studio light than AWB will.

Two gadgets to try: an Expodisc and a Sekonic Light Meter. Every time I recommend the Sekonic I get an email saying “isn’t there anything cheaper?” Yes, sure there is. You can get an analog meter for next to nothing… but it is much harder to learn to use and is likely to take you more time to read. The Sekonic will last you a long time and is also great for outdoor work. And no, I do not get paid by Sekonic to say that. A good light meter is just a must-have piece of equipment for all professionals, in my opinion, and they have a few different models, depending on your budget. Studio lights I’d recommend for beginners: Alien Bees, and one of their softboxes. You will need a modifier for any strobe, and yes, you can use shoot through umbrellas as well, but because softboxes provide a more controlled light, I like to use them for teaching so that we can see as easily as possible where the problems might be. Also, if you’re looking to use studio strobes to get more of a windowlight effect, you are more likely to get that with a softbox. The largest Alien Bees box is not really very big, and they are portable for all you location shooters.

Check back in next week for the next installment… and please leave me a comment to let me know how this helped you, or even just to let me know that you were here!

Posted in Lighting, Portraits, Teaching, Top 10 | Tagged lighting, metering, studio lights, studio photography, top 10 mistakes, white balance | 7 Comments

What’s On Your Photography Wish List?

Posted on December 6, 2011 by Shelby

This season, seeing all the tweets about people wishing for new cameras for Christmas and all the commercials from the big box electronics stores reminded me that many moms will be getting a great gift this year: a new DSLR. And many of them, even those who have used film SLRs in the past, will be working hard to learn the settings and figure out how to get the best shots they can.

So, I am dusting off the studio/workshop blog for a new series on learning to capture your life through your camera lens.

But I need some help. If you’re a mom who is newish to digital photography and wants to learn to take better photos of her kids, or even a longtime hobby photographer who wants to take her kid photos to the next level, what are your biggest questions? What are you dying to know how to do with your camera? What problems do you have that you just can’t seem to fix? Leave your questions in the comments area, or shoot me a tweet, and I’ll see what I can do to answer them.

Posted in Gear, Giving Back, Inspiration and Creativity, Teaching, Tools | Tagged camera, digital, dslr, kid photography, photo tips, photographers, photography | 4 Comments

Crossroads Community Events

Posted on March 26, 2011 by Shelby

For my Victoria readers… have you heard about the “Warriors Helping Warrior’s” project? Our Senior Warriors from Victoria West High School are working with the Warrior’s Weekend folks to help sell commemorative flags for the Field of Honor this year, which will once again be displayed at Faith Family Church.

This year you can celebrate a hero and help a student at the same time. If you’re interested in purchasing a flag to honor a Veteran, contact the school or one of the Seniors and they’ll get you the paperwork. All proceeds from flags sold by the Seniors benefit both Warrior’s Weekend and West High’s Project Graduation. For more information, you can also check out the Warrior’s Weekend site at http://warriorsweekend.org.

Posted in Current Affairs, Events, Schools and Teams | Leave a comment