From yearbook advertisements, postcard mailings, and promotions to website development and digital graduation announcements, every corner of the teen and senior portrait market is covered in this book of advice. Featuring the artistry of top senior portrait experts, this book showcases the blending of posing techniques with creative compositional and design methods in order to capture each subject’s full personality. Advice on posing, communication and expression during sessions, studio lighting, outdoor lighting, working with different client personalities, pricing, and proofing is provided.
From yearbook advertisements, postcard mailings, and promotions to web site development and digital graduation announcements, every corner of the teen and senior portrait market is covered in this book of advice from the experts. The artistry of top senior portrait experts, including Fuzzy Duenkel, Jeff Smith, Ellie Vayo, Richard Pahl, Ralph Romaguera, and Deborah Lynn Ferro, reveals the artistic, photographic, and marketing techniques that have propelled them to the top of their field. Advice on posing, communication and expression during sessions, studio lighting, outdoor lighting, working with different client personalities, pricing, and proofing is provided.
With detailed, informative instructions for capturing personable and memorable yearbook photos, this reference presents step-by-step demonstrations on advertising, talking to clients, producing outstanding images, and finalizing a sale. Noting the delicate balance of pleasing parents and teens alike, this resource illustrates how to marry the latest fashion-oriented photography trends with the needs of the family member who is paying for the session. A wealth of lighting and posing techniques combine with tips for analyzing the subject, choosing which features to accent and which to downplay, and creating alluring, fashionable looks that the whole family can appreciate. Emphasizing the value in allowing seniors to personalize their photos by bringing the shoot to their home or a more meaningful location, the guide also includes suggestions for incorporating additional visual elements such as pets, musical instruments, team uniforms, best friends, or significant others.
A profitable, efficient senior portrait studio is made possible with the help of the invaluable information in this book. Whether revving up a slow studio, branching into the teen and senior market, or capitalizing on building a profitable studio from the bottom up, photographers will find all the how-to details in this updated edition. Pricing strategies to ensure the business can stay afloat even during slow times, how to craft successful marketing and advertising campaigns to get clients in the door, and the latest surefire ways for using social networking to reach clients are just some of the provided tips that help get a studio noticed. Far more than a business book, it also includes suggestions on creating images that appeal to this age group, posing basics for seated and standing portraits, and hints for how to handle perceived flaws using corrective posing and lighting techniques that make every subject look his or her very best. This updated edition features all-new images and captions, updated information on technical tools, and plenty of new ideas for maximizing the excitement level during a clients’ portrait session.
Artwork from 30 of the industry's top photographers is used to highlight both clearcut shooting strategies and colorful, cutting edge approaches to family portraiture in this handbook intended for idea gathering and inspiration. Advice on focal length, perspective, and maximizing the potential of digital equipment highlights the technical aspects of family portraiture while group posing strategies demonstrate how best to flatter each subject and convey a sense of family unity. A lengthy discussion of lighting—the backbone of portraiture—and the manipulation of shadows and highlights instructs photographers on how to create mood and interest in a variety of lighting scenarios, both indoors and out. Specifics on adjusting body lines, colors, and shapes, working with young children, and creating a comfortable atmosphere ensure that the photographer captures the unique personality of each family with dynamic and attractive images.
There are many aspects to professional photography: composition, camera angles, exposure, color balance, posing, and lighting— just to name a few. However, while each of these aspects of photography is important in the creation of a professional portrait, lighting presents a special challenge that is part art and part science. When the two come together effectively, the results are stunning; when any one aspect of the recipe falls short, the result is a poor exposure or a downright unflattering look. On the artistic side of the scale, lighting is one of the primary tools for setting the mood of the portrait. It can communicate a sense of bright, airy ease or sharp, dramatic tension—or anything in between. Determining what look is right for the client (and for their intended use of the resulting portraits) is a key decision. From there, the photographer can begin to use light to sculpt the subject’s features, minimizing problem areas or accentuating the subject’s best features through the selection of light modifiers and the positioning of the lights themselves. Moving to the technical side, outdoor lighting present particular challenges—but also some significant advantages. Outdoors, photographers shoot at least partially with natural light. While this is (most of the day) an abundant light source, it is largely out of the control of the photographer. The light can change from moment to moment as clouds pass between the earth and sun. It also changes continually throughout the day as the sun moves across the sky. Since he can’t completely control the light, the photographer must be prepared to adapt his subject’s pose and position to create flattering results with the light as-is. Alternately, the photographer can “tweak” the lighting by augmenting the sunlight with flash or reflectors—or even softening it, using scrim or other diffusers. (Of course, this leaves another major concern: the background. Even if the light on the subject can be perfected, rarely can the photographer also control the light on an area as large as the background—making it a major concern in the process of posing and lighting.) So, given all this, why would any photographer choose to make portraits outside? One advantage is that the lighting and scenes are free—making outdoor photography a great starting point for those entering the field. Even established studios, however, have found that clients simply like the natural, timeless look of outdoor portraits. This makes them strong sellers. Additionally, most portrait subjects are more at ease in natural light than when seated in front of bright, noisy studio-flash units—and relaxed subjects translate into better expressions, and better overall portraits. In this book, Smith takes you through the process or lighting outdoor portraits from start to finish, covering both the artistic and technical aspects of achieving success. Short one- or two-page lessons are amply illustrated to guide the reader through each phase. In many cases, before and after images—or image sequences showing variations and alternative approaches—are presented to facilitate learning. Readers are encouraged to have this book with them during practice sessions and work on replicating or refining the provided examples, creating a self-study course in the art of lighting for outdoor portrait photography.
Divided into two parts, this guide shows studio owners and photographers how to increase visibility, creativity, and financial rewards in the teen and senior portrait market. The first section is focused on technical mastery, gives tips on how to refine one's technique and remain competitive and providing advice on selecting the appropriate digital equipment and added artistic elements like indoor and outdoor sets, storytelling props, and fashionable backgrounds. The second section is devoted to successful marketing techniques that are low-cost and have a big impact, such as maintaining an Internet presence, offering special promotions, and producing direct-mail marketing pieces. Numerous marketing pieces from top studios are included as reference points.
Featuring techniques and images from more than 40 of the industry's top photographers, this resource shows the best methods for lighting and posing individuals, couples, and groups, both on location and in the studio. Details are included on how to pose subjects, elicit expressions, create dynamic compositions, and utilize traditional lighting setups. Whether a photographer shoots weddings, group portraits, executive images or a little bit of everything, this book serves as a how-to guide and an idea file. Fully updated with all new images and covering the newest digital technology and latest software versions, this resource is an indispensable guide for photographers.
Digital portrait photography offers a number of advantages - both creatively and financially. yet, because the learning curve is so steep, making the transition to digital can be frustrating. Here, Smith walks readers through the process from a professional perspective, showing them how toget the best results from their lab, and how to educate their clients about this exciting new technology.
Droves of hobbyist photographers make a move to professional photography every year. They read a few books, watch rock star photographers shoot online, make business cards, and forge their path to a new career. When they book clients, work through the session, proof their images, and conduct a sales session, though, they encounter artistic, organizational, and financial problems they had not anticipated, and many stall out. In this book, Jeff Smith focuses on finding an audience and a target demographic, honing your posing and lighting skills, working with clients, and managing business and personnel concerns. Smith begins by taking a close look at the mind-set required for forging ahead as a professional photographer. He shows you how to define and target the clientele you want to work with and teaches you skillful approaches for creating and maintaining a strong photographer–client relationship. He notes that many photographers enter the business to create images that please them and explains that to be successful, photographers must instead learn to gain insight into just what the client wants to see in the final photos in order to maximize profits and keep clients coming back for more. With a clearly defined objective and approach outlines, Smith moves on to tackle common technical issues that new pros find daunting. He provides tips for creating perfect lighting in the studio and outdoors. He also discusses positioning for every part of the body, to create an ideal presentation to the camera. Next, he provides compositional tips—from where to position the subject in the frame, to selecting the best camera angle, to cropping for impact—in order to maximize image impact and present the best-possible image to your client. Finally, with the technical and artistic fields addressed, Smith turns to a discussion on the business side of the profession. He offers advice on acquiring equipment, understanding costs and pricing, creating new business opportunities, identifying an ideal studio location, and even managing your time.
"Includes: how laws about photography are made on a local, state and national basis; the enforcement of laws, both criminally and civilly; photography in public and private places; privacy issues; understanding restrictions on subject matter, such as copyrighted material, currency and military installations; lawful and unlawful seizures of your film and equipment; establishing your personal ethics as a photographer." - back cover.
