Business

In every business, and every industry, a decision has to be made as to what value a certain product or service holds and what the consumer should be charged. As Wedding photographers, we are often blasted with the stigma of over charging for what “seems” to be an easy and enjoyable job that takes only one day to complete. Obviously we know how false that is, but how do we logically and honestly figure out how to price ourselves?

SPOILER WARNING. Listening to Vincent Laforet might leave you forever changed, never able to watch film or TV the same way again. The silver lining is he can also change the way you shoot, and engage, with your audience. With that disclaimer out of the way (you can't say I didn't warn you), join me as I talk to Vincent for this exclusive as we venture down the film and motion rabbit hole. How deep we go is really up to you...

New York based wedding photographer Richard B Flores is taking his job very seriously. Like all of us, he works hard on the day of the event and of course the following days while he edits. But Richard is doing something maybe not many of us do: he spends the day before each event heavily prepping his equipment - from cleaning, to syncing and charging. Check out his BTS video showing the prep day and read his explanation for each of the steps.

Shutterstock was founded in 2003 by entrepreneur (and photographer) Jon Oringer who wanted to create a 2-sided marketplace for stock photos (and later also video). Since then the company grew and became one of the biggest photography-related companies in the world. As of today they sell over 30 million stock images, and add 20,000 new images a day. This week the company's HQ relocated and moved to the iconic Empire State Building, and the offices look amazing.

If you have been prepping for the busy season with high school seniors, your first step is to find quality senior representatives or models that will endorse you and your business. This article will provide you a few easy networking tips for finding and screening senior reps for the upcoming year.

When it comes to putting together a photo shoot, if there is anything that I’ve learned (and continue to learn), is that the time spent working out the smallest details will save you from at best a tremendous amount of work after the fact, and at worst, the horror of having to scrap the shoot entirely. That’s why when you’re putting together a photo shoot, no detail should be overlooked, least of all the talent that you choose to work with.

Always be positive. Always. Be. Positive. Positivity and genuine excitement about what you are doing will always move you forward. Not only will it affect your mood and work ethic, but it will affect your subject’s mood on set. Building the confidence of your subject through the direction you give will bring out the best that they have to offer.

Death to the Stock Photo is a Columbus, Ohio based stock photo agency created by Allie Lehman and David Sherry that was founded in 2013. Every month they release high-quality, high-res, un-watermarked, and virtually un-restricted themed image packs — for free. Sound crazy? Here's their story.

It's that time of year when we're gearing up for the shoots to come, and we're focused on making this the best year we've ever had. It's also that time of year where we can get rid of some of the distractions and clutter that slow us down every day. It's spring cleaning time! Here are what I consider the 5 most important things for you to start cleaning up right away so you can feel better about yourself and your business this week!

The secret to running a successful business is organization. Developing an effective workflow that is both simple to understand, and manages your time properly is key when running a studio. Introducing fotoClient, an easy to use workflow and task managing website developed for photographers. It’s new, it's simple, and already, I can’t run my business without it.

There seems to be a mystery around a travel and destination wedding photographer. How do you break into that market and how do you afford it? While at WPPI this year, I attended a class with Laura Grier who shed some light on her business and lifestyle.

In 2007, Adobe released Lightroom to the world and completely revolutionized the workflow for photographers everywhere. With each new release, Adobe has built new features and tools that have wowed us all. Well, announced and released tonight, Adobe brings us Adobe Lightroom Mobile - allowing you to sync and edit on the go. The best part of all? It's a free update for those on the Creative Cloud.

Introducing a new project cleverly entitled National Geometric that helps bring food, water and other basic life necessities to the children of India using the sales of unique and one of a kind prints of the child in need. Using exchange rates and economic principles to their advantage, National Geometric is able to sell prints at a very affordable rate, that is then able to drastically help those in need.

"Oh, so you're a photographer now...?"

It's a question I'm sure each of us has heard. Coming to us from a friend and/or family member that we haven't seen in a while, maybe those who we're remotely connected to on any one of the social media platforms where we post our work. It rings of sarcasm, and while I don't believe it's meant to hurt us, truthfully, it kind of does.

Like many of you know, running a full time business in photography is difficult! What started out as a passion soon grew into a something much more. You slowly learned how much was involved in turning your joy into a business. Eventually, you began to realize there was a lot more than you anticipated. If you're lucky, you had a great game plan set. For many, they learn as they go along.

IMGembed is a new service designed to help photographers with attribution, tracking and monetizing the online usage of their images. Launched in beta at last years SXSW to an overwhelming response, today IMGembed is rolling out their official version 1.0! Could this be the future of ethical online image use?

So there was a big stink a few months ago when Instagram started using advertisements. I remember being angry and turned off when I saw an ad for whatever-it-was pop up in my feed (guess it didn't work). But that first ad is the only one I remember seeing, and I'm on Instagram more than I should be. As it turns out, Instagram is hiding those ads right in plain view.

It’s no secret that everyone can become burnt out on what they do. Whether we are photographers, athletes, truck drivers, or teachers. If we do something long enough, maybe unless you’re a fighter pilot, professional surfer, and/or an astronaut, almost everyone will experience a period of time in their career when they’re flat-out bored and/or they suddenly arrive at a place where they question both their work and if what they’re doing is really what they should be doing.

When is the last time you visited a website and thought that there were ways they could improve it so your user experience was better? Do you think it’s possible that the same is true for your website? Maybe you’re losing potential clients because of a small oversight in your website. Here’s how to find out…and it’s FREE!

When we first start out on any sort of endeavor, be it creative or otherwise, we all most likely begin same way: a head full of ideas, but a distinct lack of understanding and experience of how to achieve them. Over time, through the benevolence of others, and many hours of Youtube tutorials, our ability catches up and we reach the place where creativity meets experience

Creative writer Kendra Eash wrote a painfully accurate article for Timothy McSweeney's Internet Tendencies that put into perspective what most brand and corporation videos look and sound like. Taking it to the next level, stock clip site Dissolve realized it was indeed generic, and pulled together their own stock clips cut to Kendra's writing, resulting in a hilarious edit.

Many photographers and business people would argue that branding is by far the most important aspect of your business, and in some cases even more important than the quality of your work. Now of course this becomes controversial really quickly, especially with us creatives, but it’s worth considering when it comes to establishing yourself in your market.

Here at Fstoppers, our goal is to hire some of the very best photographers and educators in the industry to provide some insight on how they work, and what they've learned within the industry they're a part of. Recent Fstoppers Writer and Lifestyle Photographer John Schell recently met with Framed Network to show them, and us, what it's like to work on one of his photo shoots.

If you are a Google+ fan like myself, you may have gotten a nice email recently in regards to the Auto-Backup feature which is now going to allow full size images and video to be stored. This is great news and honestly it makes life a bit easier for someone who already has issues keeping photos off of their iPhone to make space for new memories of instagram shots (that's what I use it for).

When it comes to building a video production and photography business, it can take years to cultivate good clients, get high paying and interesting projects, and form relationships with reliable help. If you move, losing that local network can take a huge toll on your business.

Most marketing guides and strategies have us focusing on the direct approach to obtaining clients. We try and find short cuts and clever tactics to steal the attention from our competitors. Sometimes it is worth considering the long road as it is often less travelled and will ultimately lead you to the same destination. Tap into the power of the support system.

Some days, as we plod through our respective news feeds, it seems as though the Internet was invented for one thing and one thing only; to share photos. Although the quality of the photos we have to wade through can sometimes be questionable, and at times our feeds can become overwhelming, the relative ease with which photos are shared is in my opinion, the greatest benefit to our seemingly photo-obsessed and Social Media saturated society planet.

Have questions you want to ask a creative industry professional, but wasn't sure who to turn to? I've been writing for Fstoppers for over a year now. I've been able to share my own BTS shoots, those of friends, reviews, tutorials, and more. I've had the chance to interact and meet some great people through here, and I really want to do something more for you folks. Rather than do a fresh article this week on something I find interesting, I am leaving the content completely up to you.

Want to get more leads in a specific area of your business? Have you heard of PhotogRefers.com? The next big social media platform for photographers is upon us. In fact, it is the only social media platform specifically designed for photographers and our creative community.

Let me begin by saying that it's March and not April 1st, because what I'm about to reveal is not a joke. After 75 years of business, Calumet Photographic is closing their U.S. stores. This morning they announced through Facebook their "immediate closing in the United States".

Donna Von Bruening’s studio was thriving: bookings of more than 50 weddings a year, a full time studio manager, associate photographers and a new studio space but she lacked one thing — quality of life. Ten years after starting her studio in Savannah, Georgia, she faced the common small business dilemma of having to turn down work due to scheduling. So she expanded and grew her business only to realize that she regretted it and missed the quality of life she had with a smaller studio.

A few months ago, I was involved in a shoot that seemed to do everything right. Managing ever larger shoots, photo or video, is not rocket science but does require planning and thought. Here are some basic pointers of what I saw first hand that we can all apply to increase the chances of successful outcomes on our shoots.

Daniel Arnold may already be known to some of you. With over 30,000 followers on Instagram he has certainly built an audience for his work. He has even been called the best photographer on Instagram...after his account was shutdown when he uploaded a topless photo of sunbathers one fateful day. Arnold has since returned and it seems his plans for notoriety on Instagram may have hit a new high when it was reported he made $15,000 in a single day using the platform.

Imagine someone were to ask you to count the number of photographs you see from the moment you open your eyes in the morning until the moment you close them again that night. Between looking through your own work, as well as the various social media and news sites, the number of images we expose ourselves to is probably well over a thousand.

The United Conference in Santa Barbara has just come to a close, and I am filled with inspiration, excitement and joy from the speakers and attendees. Everyone at the conference was so passionate about helping and serving each other, and our own communities and clients, it was contagious. I’ve come out of this week with a few things on my mind, and I want you to benefit from them as well, so here they are!

I am getting ready to embark on my third trip to WPPI. As with any convention or continuing education event, you are bound to take home an abundance of new knowledge, motivation, and ideas to enhance your business. What about taking home new friendships with your peers?

Last summer, my friend Andy and I, and his six year-old son, were out location scouting. As we drove around, the three of us were playing a very intense game of word association. One of us would say a word, and the others would quickly say the first word that came to mind. As we neared a potential location, Andy called out, “Key West” to which I mindlessly responded, “Jimmy Buffett…” In that instant, I realized that everything I thought I knew about marketing myself as a photographer was completely and utterly wrong.

Being a freelancer means you're in total control of your schedule and tasks. It's great to be your own boss and you have the freedom to focus on the things YOU want to focus on and decide when and how to do them. Being a freelancer also means you have no* real structure or workframe to rely on, nothing to really push you to do what needs to be done. Being your own boss makes it very easy to become a lazy boss-employee. Here are few tips on how to get some structure in your life.

Profoto just released the first of 20 videos highlighting different aspects of a wedding as shot by wedding photographers Justin & Mary as they set out to capture a young couple's most special day. Each video reveals the story and the lighting setup behind a certain image. For instance, we get to see how the bridal couple's dance was shot and how the kiss in the church was eternalized.

Some years ago, I got started in photography and started looking to find clients that would pay me for my work. I showed up to client meetings, polite, cordial, and generic - hoping that my portfolio would "wow" them. I was sure that keeping a personal life and business life separate was the way to go, boy was I wrong.

I'm a big fan of shows like Photo Plus, Gulf Photo Plus and WPPI Las Vegas, so when my good friend (and amazing photographer in his own right) David Kai-Piper told me about an event he's helping orchestrate in the United Kingdom this year, I thought you all would be interested to hear about it. Introducing The Photography Show, a new show and home for professional and hobbyists to come together to enjoy all things photographic.

If you’re coming to WPPI for the first time, you’re in for a treat! A mind-blowing, feet-aching, swag-carrying treat! In order to get the most out of this years amazing lineup and extensive events selection, consider sharing and searching the hashtag #SpoilerAlertWPPI on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter!

In just a couple clicks, you can register your business with the state and set up a social media network for a nominal fee. How can you navigate and succeed in your market when everyone and your neighbor have started a photography business? How do you stay positive?

Photography equipment is not cheap. As photographers, we’re often investing thousands of dollars into metal tubes filled with planes of glass, and quickly justifying it to our friends and families. So what happens when a disconnected fashion brand such as Louis Vuitton markets to photographers, and announces a $3,500 basic camera bag?

After many years of having the same generic domain extensions such as .com and .net, earlier this month brand new domain extensions were introduced to the public. There are many different new domains, but photographers and creatives will be most interested in the following: .photography, .gallery, .graphics, .camera, .lighting and .equipment. This video will explain everything you need to know about the new domains.

A few months ago, I was out at dinner with a couple of friends of mine. We had each just finished up our respective shoots and had settled into a booth where the conversation inevitably turned toward who we shot, where we shot, and whether or not we were happy with the in-camera results (we were). That night, we spent the better part of two hours eating, drinking and sharing our techniques with one another.

If you know Katelyn James - you'll know that she has enormous talent, but more importantly, she has an enormous heart for photographers and her clients! Photographers from across the United States come to Richmond, Virginia to take advantage of her information filled, intimate workshops and coaching sessions. She is an expert in branding and building a community with her brides.

Last week, 500px published an article on their blog stating they will be releasing a new project called “Prime”. It is a commercial licensing marketplace for photography on their website. The 500px team seems excited about it, the details are quiet intriguing, but the community has been showing mixed responses.

PASS has positioned itself as a leader in the image storage and delivery market since the beginning of digital delivery. With the launch of the Shoot and Share business model, the team has quickly created a product that both photographers and their clients have been asking for. The new PASS mobile app is sure to bring even more joy to those photographers and clients!

Yay! You're doing something creative.

We can all probably remember the moment when we first realized that we could create cool stuff. That moment when we looked at something we'd made from scratch and not only were we not disappointed by what we created, not only were other people impressed by what we created, but we actually liked what we'd done.