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Now that summer has finally arrived, it's time to head to the pool or beach for some quality R&R. As you soak up some sun, be sure to bring with you the latest issue of Ukandu Magazine for some insightful and rewarding reading material!
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ukandu | MAGAZINE
CONTENTS
Editor’s Letter ....................................................................... 3
Contributors .......................................................................... 5
The Baby Graduate Program ................................................. 6
Protect What Matters Most ................................................. 13
The Truth About Discounts .................................................. 18
How Seasonal Children’s Promotions Built Our Business ... 22
How To Effectively Use Props For Children’s Portraiture .... 28
Sandy’s Product Of The Month: Cotton Carrier .................... 32
BrandAid ............................................................................. 36
Top Ten Best Web Marketing Strategies For Photographers 44
Are Props Really Necessary? .............................................. 50
ukandu | MAGAZINE
EDITOR’S LETTERDear Friends,As I’ve said many times before and will say many times again, I’m one of the luckiest people on earth to make a living doing something I truly love. Photography has afforded me more opportunities than I ever imagined, including the chance to travel the world teaching the art to others.
Though I certainly cherish all those memorable teaching adventures, there will always be a sacred place in my heart reserved for children’s portraiture. It was with children’s portraiture where I first made my mark in the industry, and to this day it remains my favorite type of photography.
There’s just nothing like working with a child who comes into my studio stubbornly determined not to cooperate only to have him or her make a complete 180 by the time the session is over, leaving the studio smiling and happy as can be.
Though the photography industry continues to change at an incredible pace, the demand for adorable, heart-touching images of children captured by a professional will never go away.
It’s my pleasure to share with you in this issue some of my favorite campaigns and strategies that have enabled me to build the studio of my dreams.
It’s hard to believe, but this is already our fourth issue. As always, our goal is to get bigger and better each month, and to continue providing you with tools and strategies that will help grow your business.
Joy,
Sandy Puc̀Editor in Chief
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ukandu | MAGAZINE STAFF
Editor in Chief Sandy Puc’
Commercial Director Shannon Barry
Art Director Molly McAdams
Senior Editor Sean Star
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CONTRIBUTORSSandy Puc’Sandy Puc´ is an internationally acclaimed photographer, businesswoman, author and speaker. She also created Sandy Puc´ Tours, Sandy Puc´ University and Certify With Sandy Puc´. Sandy also holds the prestigious titles of Print Master and Explorer of Light from Canon USA and previously served on the Board of Directors of the Professional Photographers of America. [email protected]
Angela WijesingheAs Professional Photographers of America’s marketing specialist, Angela Wijesinghe of Atlanta, Ga., speaks to professional photographers every day. Learning how they can better navigate the intricacies of running a business while keeping their artistic souls thriving is one of her passions, and she helps make photographers aware of the resources that can help do just that. [email protected]
Angela CarsonAngela Carson has been creating fine portraiture in her Northville, Mich., studio with a devoted clientele for the past 20 years. Angela’s award-winning images reveal her creative style blended with her special “human touch.” Toss in a seemingly limitless energy level, adoration for children, and her contagious personality and it’s easy to discover why Angela’s clients keep coming back. angelaseducation.com
Ronnie OwingsRonnie Owings’ 30-year photographic career has included contributions to numerous national magazines, including Better Homes and Gardens, Atlanta Homes and Lifestyles, Country Inns and Elegant Bride, among others. He is also the featured photographer in three international coffee table books and has extensive experience in fashion, travel and interior photography. prostudionet.com
Susan Day MooreSusan Day Moore started Wicker By Design as a home-based business, which she grew from antique furniture restoration to custom furniture design. She creates a line of high-end, vintage, Victorian children’s wicker furniture. The romantic style of furniture lends a classic look to portrait photography that appeals to many photographers and clients. wickerbydesign.com
Sarah PettySarah Petty started her career at Coca-Cola and then while earning her MBA, was marketing director at a top area advertising agency. While continuing to run a successful studio, she travels and teaches photo-graphers how to make more money. She also offers a lot of free education and helpful products through thejoyofmarketing.com. [email protected]
Robert ProvencherRobert Provencher, MPA, received his Masters of Photographic Arts in 2000 and has been a full-time photographer since 1981. He is accredited with Professional Photographers of Canada in Wedding Photojournalism, Wedding Story and Environmental Wedding. Robert has won several awards and is the official photographer for the Sudbury Theater Center and the Sudbury Symphony. [email protected]
Natalie OsborneNatalie Osborne has been in the photographic industry since 1986 and holds her photographic craftsman degree. She has sat on the PPA Industry Advisory Board of Directors since 2002 and is currently the owner/operator of APR Props (American Photographic Resources). Natalie has a passion for designing, testing and marketing props that are unique and cutting edge. [email protected]
ukandu | MAGAZINE
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s many of my students know, I have always claimed that our baby program is our studio’s bread and
butter. Not only do we capture the entire first year of a child’s life, we also create a lasting relationship with the parents as well. We have found that when we work with a family for the entire first year, they begin trusting us, and sooner or later we often become their family photographer.
Many years ago, I realized that it was important to create a follow-up program to our baby plan. I knew that there were many great photographers out there and my clients had lots of choices.
In order to maintain my relationship with my baby plan clients, I created the Baby Graduate program.his created a system that my clients found easy to understand, logical and priced appropriately, so it quickly became difficult to turn down.
The Baby Graduate Program covers 18 months through 5 years. This program is structured much like the first year program. It has a set fee and covers sessions at 18 months, 2 years, 3 years, 4 years and the final session is done when the child turns 5. In addition to the sessions, the client receives one image from each session, but they do not receive those portraits until they complete the fifth year. At that point, they will get each image showing the changes over the years delivered in a wonderful GNP frame.
Because the client must complete the series before they receive the finished framed
product, it encourages additional purchases from each visit as well. During each session we try to create unique art products that will excite our clients. Every age we capture comes with its own unique session type and art concept so that we know we are always providing new and fresh products that our clients will love. Throughout the following, I have provided a description of each age and ideas to help make your sessions better and more profitable.
I believe 18 months to 2 years is one of the hardest ages to photograph, but it can also be the most rewarding. The child understands what they want but cannot
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communicate their needs very well. This can be frustrating for the toddler and the photographer. The best defense is to keep them so fascinated with your tricks of the trade that they forget to be so demanding.
You must be prepared to think fast. Change your techniques often to keep the child guessing. Changes in the tone of your voice, playing with toys and moving around are all excellent ways to keep the child engaged. Also, expect to spend less time in this session. Most little ones’ attention spans are short. Once they are bored with you, they can easily get frustrated. I keep the poses simple. I prefer to take my sessions
outdoors whenever possible. That way, when the subject gets bored, I can still create wonderful candid shots.
Some of the best images at this stage are when the child is busy doing something. A little girl looking at a flower and a boy playing with a pull toy are classics. Keep in mind that they will not just stand there and hold the prop. Tell them to look for the ladybug or hide a piece of candy in the toy to keep their interest. Don’t expect perfection. Just let the child relax, and you will be pleased with the outcome. When a toddler gazes up at you, and you capture that soft, little look, you are sure to melt the parents’ hearts.
Essence: A framed print that shows four different views of the child’s face.
This is my all-time favorite age. 3-year-olds are old enough to communicate verbally and are usually willing and excited to participate. They are full of energy and generally like to make people happy. They still have a toddler look with chubby cheeks, tiny teeth and pudgy hands. This makes it an excellent time to create a timeless portrait. Use story-telling props to help create reasons for your clients to visit your studio more often. Our fairy, baseball, fishing and little ballerina sets are just some of the many storybook sets that we offer. In addition to suggesting storybook props, we encourage our clients to bring things that are special to the toddler.
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At this age children are just starting to use their imagination. Watching them get excited over the props and sets makes the job even more fun.
The best part about working with this age is the ability to use bribery. Most 3-to 4-year olds are very familiar with candy. Using simple snacks like Smarties and lollipops can really keep the session going.
Making faces: A collection of images showing personality shots.
A huge turning point in a child’s growth occurs at age 5. Most children are just starting to lose their teeth. The last little bits of chubbiness in their faces represent the final transition
from toddler to child. They are very interested in what you are doing and generally will participate willingly. This is also the time when subjects start to make forced “cheese” smiles. Remember, parents have been telling their child from an early age to say “cheese,” and usually when they are saying this, they have a “cheesy” smile on their face. The child has used this as the model for what they think their parents want to see. It’s ironic because that expression is exactly NOT what the parents want them to look like, even though they taught them to do it!
The best way to avoid seeing a fake smile is to keep the child talking. Have them repeat short sentences that are sure to make them giggle. “Mommy is a monkey” and “Daddy wears diapers” are giggle gold mines. I also ask them if they have
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brushed their teeth that day. I pick up my tickler (feather duster) and threaten to clean their teeth. Acting silly is totally okay too. Another fun game is “give me five.” I put my hand out and say, “give me five.” As they try and slap my hand, I pull away and say, “too slow.” Of course, they try harder the second time. This time I let our hands connect, and I yell, “ouch, ouch” all the way back to my camera. They love this silly little game.
Eclectic: This 4×10 image displays three different poses. It usually consists of a full-length, three-quarter and a really tight headshot. Usually only one of the images has the child looking at the camera.
When you design your graduate program, be sure to create a price structure that your client can understand. They will appreciate the simplicity. During the program you will be able to capture many of the most important milestones of their child’s life and they will continue to work with you for many years to come.
A family pet is most often a loyal part of the family dynamics. Creating a marketing structure that encourages your clients to include their pets in their session is important and in the long run can be a profitable endeavor. One of the best ways I have found to celebrate man’s best friend, as well as to give back to a great cause, is creating a Charitable Pet Campaign.
For many years we have worked with local animal shelters to create a fun session where the family pet is the star. The pets can be photographed alone, but more often than not, we encourage the entire family to join in the fun.
Typically these sessions are sold at a dis-counted price and a portion of that session fee goes back to the shelter. We have also requested bags of dog food as a session’s fee in the past as well.
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To market this concept we work directly with local pet companies. Our goal is to work with them to help us market the concept, and in exchange, their business will receive the donated items. Typically we will produce a flyer, postcard and poster that the shelter can send out or display. We also tap into our own studio database and market to our clients as well. This can be done with a printed postcard or e-blast as well.
Although images of pets alone are cute, it is very unlikely that you will sell a large wall portrait of an animal. Our goal is to always encourage the family to join in, but at the very least, the children should be involved. The best way to help your client understand why those images will be so treasured is to require a consultation before the session occurs. That way you can
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show them samples of the many different types of background looks and styles that you might use.
Whenever you combine pets and children you are sure to hear a few laughs! I love watching the relationships unfold as children play with their pets. Whether the pet is large or small, has fur, scales or feathers, you are really going to see the magic of what being a child is all about. When it comes to pet sessions, all rules go out the window. I want to capture laughter, movement and love.
Proper posing rarely comes in handy at this point because your main goal is to get all eyes on you. My biggest suggestion is that you should not sweat the small stuff and just relax. Somewhere in the chaos and fun you will capture the perfect moment.
Providing a pet campaign for your clients is a great way to build your business, cater to a new type of client and showcase your many diverse skills. Being a part of a charitable cause will also help your community see that you are dedicated to giving back.
For more information about photographing children and to see some customizable marketing templates, check out this month’s product specials at Ukandu.com.
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ord-of-mouth marketing is often one of the most effective forms of marketing. But it can
turn on you. What if something happens that damages your business’ reputation in the eyes of a client, even something that happens because of pure-and-simple, once-
in-a-lifetime bad luck? Do you think they will just keep silent about a perceived wrong? Quite the opposite.
All forms of marketing are based rather heavily on your good reputation. So, what do you do when the unthinkable happens and your reputation is about to get smeared?
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A few years ago, Abby Liga of Liga Photo-graphy lost a portion of her wedding images during the original trans-ferring of files from her laptop to the main hard drive, even though the computers had shown the transfer as complete. By the time she realized what happened, she had already reformatted and shot more images on the CF card. Luckily, she was a PPA member and part of the Trust when this nightmare occurred.
After talking to PPA, she overnighted her laptop to DriveSavers® Data Recovery, who
recovered 90 percent of what was lost. All Liga paid was a small deductible, but without the Trust, that saving grace would have cost her over $1,500. More than the savings, though, Liga says, “Having that support gave me peace of mind. I had PPA on my side helping me through this small crisis.”
While Liga’s story had more of a happy ending (recovered images), what happens when your situation goes from bad to worse? Kelly Brown of J.A.Y.S. Photography in Ohio had the misfortune of finding out. Despite her well-laid plans, a power surge
If you’re a Professional Photographers of America (PPA) member, you turn to the Indemnification Trust.
When You Least Expect ItThe Indemnification Trust (or simply, the Trust) is a unique program offered exclusively to PPA members. It is not insurance, but rather a unique trust fund that was established to help protect photographers from allegations of negligence while on an assignment. You might even say it’s like Kevlar for your reputation! Protection and peace of mind are its benefits, but it’s one service you never want to need. Just talk to any photographer who has discovered a corrupted card or experienced Murphy’s Law during a session.
“Losing data is gut-wrenching, and I don’t
wish it on my worst enemy,” -Abby Liga of Liga Photography in Florida.
© Liga Photography
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(during a sunny day) fried her brand-new computer, new external 2TB hard drive and new battery backup system…all in the midst of uploading her images.
Immediately, Brown called PPA to see about getting involved with the Trust. Little did she know that PPA members who are listed as wedding or portrait photographers are automatically enrolled in the Trust (though others may opt out).
“It was a huge relief,” she said. “But I had no idea how much assistance I would actually receive as a result of being smart enough to be involved with PPA.”
Unfortunately, Brown did lose all 700 gigs of image files, and two clients even sued.
The Trust attorneys provided Brown with about 60-80 hours of legal advice, and she won the case!
“I simply can’t imagine how things would have ended up for me if I didn’t have the protection and assistance of PPA’s Indemnification Trust. I’m not sure I would have stayed in business without that help,” she says. “The legal assistance alone has more than paid for my membership costs for probably the rest of my life.”
How The Trust WorksLiga and Brown are two of many PPA member photographers whose reputations and businesses have benefited from this protection. And in addition to the protection
(c) Kelly Brown of J.A.Y.S. Photography
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itself, one of the best things about the Trust is how easy it is to get your issues handled if you’re a PPA member. Members call the PPA Customer Service Center and file a report. The law firm handling the Indemnification Trust calls the member back within one business day and begins to work with him or her.
Trust attorneys provide PPA members with expert advice and guidance to help defuse an issue or a potential problem with a client. Many times they can help successfully resolve a situation without ever going to court (but they are there to help in that case, too, as Brown experienced).
In the event you need more than just sound advice, there is a deductible that applies. The
deductible helps cover expenses like data recovery services provided by DriveSavers, re-stagings of events and court judgments.
Keep in mind that the PPA Indemnification Trust is not business liability insurance, and situations that are not considered negligence are not covered. Instead, the Trust helps resolve situations such as:
Digital image data loss (corrupt media card or hard drive failure) relating to a paid contracted assignment
Failure of the photographer to be at the event or assignment at the specified time
Missed or missing images
Client dissatisfaction with services rendered during an assignment or as contracted
Safeguard Your Reputation
Power failure during a sunny day, broken-down cars, dogs eating the media cards…think it can’t happen to you? No one plans for catastrophes to happen. But happen they do. Those are all events that did happen to PPA members.
“To me, it’s inconceivable to be in business as a portrait or wedding photographer without the benefits of PPA, especially the automatic enrollment in the Indemnification Trust,” adds Brown.
If you think you’ll never need the Trust, we hope you’re right. You can’t afford to be wrong. Your reputation—and thus, your marketing and your entire business—is counting on it.
Learn more about PPA’s Indemnification Trust here: http://www.ppa.com/benefits/indemn.php
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We’ve heard photographers say they wouldn’t dream of shooting without the backing of the Indemnification Trust. Why? Because no matter how hard you try, sometimes things go wrong and when they do, the Indemnification Trust protects PPA members (U.S. and Canada) against alleged negligence, including digital image data loss, equipment malfunction and other mishaps. It’s an exclusive benefit and it’s only available from PPA — the trade organization that’s in business to help professional photographers succeed at business.
Join PPA as a new Professional Active member by August 15, 2011, and you’ll receive the first year of your Indemnification Trust coverage ABSOLUTELY FREE.
Professional Photographers of America | YOUR SUCCESS IS OUR BUSINESS
NOT A CHANCE
“I WOULD NEVER PHOTOGRAPH A WEDDING WITHOUT THE PROTECTION OF THE INDEMNIFICATION TRUST.”Daniel Doke, Cr.Photog. / Daniel Doke Photography
VISIT WWW.PPA.COM/SAM11 FOR DETAILS
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any business owners think that a good way to stimulate sales is by offering customers discounts.
Offering a discount can sometimes give you a sales boost. However, at what cost is that to the overall health your studio? I honestly believe that discounting your portraiture is cutting your own throat!
Is every purchase you make based solely on the price? I know that I make some of my purchases based on the cheapest price (especially when I shop online). But when I
look at my overall habits as a consumer, I see that many of the purchases I make are not driven by the price. I am looking for a quality product, a good service experience and convenience. Price is typically third or fourth down on the list.
Clients don’t “need” what we have to sell them. It is sad but true. People need a place to live, clothing and food. They don’t “need” portraits. We are what I call a “want” purchase. Because of the fact that they do not “need” us, most clients
are not motivated to purchase because of discounts. The flip side is that most “need” purchases can be motivated by discounts. We all shop at Costco and buy the giant size of paper towel or washing machine soap because we need those products and we know that we are going to use them. Therefore, we buy because of price.
When you discount your portraiture, you are really doing far much more harm to you studio than good. The short-term gains do not outweigh the overall damage you are doing to your business. Let’s say for example that you had a $500 sale and were offering a 15 percent discount. You just took $75 out of your profit—that money came right out of YOUR pocket! Think about it: your costs have not changed at all. How much is that 15 percent discount really going to increase the overall amount of that portrait sale? Is it enough to compensate you for the $75 you took out of your profit? Depending on the cost of your goods sold, you have to increase your gross sale by as much as 300 percent to offset that discount you gave.
If you feel that offering a special will bring clients into your studio, consider offering a “gift with purchase” rather than a flat discount. Let’s say that with a $500 purchase you are including three accordion mini books or a set of note cards that would cost you only $25. Both of these products have a great “showoff” value. I have been known to gift my clients who place a good order a complimentary portrait for their office. Again, a great opportunity to get more business in
my door and a gift for my client that has a high perceived value (our 5×7’s are $185) but that only costs me a few dollars. I did not take money out of my own pocket by giving a flat discount or giving them something they were going to buy anyway.
What we charge for our work is a very complicated issue as well.
What we charge is often tied very closely to how we feel about ourselves and our work. We as artists create a little piece of us with each portrait. After asking our clients if they like it (or us), we have to face the difficult task of asking them to pay us
© Angela Carson
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for it. It’s tough and it takes guts to be a working professional and make a profit. Far too often we don’t value our time and we under-price our portraiture. We have to value our time and have a handle on what our actual cost of goods sold is to accurately price our work. I would bet that 80 percent of the people reading this are not selling their portraits for enough and not even coming close to what they should be charging for their work. If you think that you may not be charging enough, I am sure that you are not. We have an expert in our field who has helped many professionals, Ann Monteith (www.annmonteith.com). She teaches many workshops on business management and how to price your work. I
promise you if you take one of her classes you will be happy you did.
My studio is in the Detroit metro area and in the past few years Michigan has been hit very hard by the current economic conditions. It has not been easy to remain true to our studio’s core principal of not discounting our portraiture. I honestly have tried a few discount programs and they have not increased my overall sales or profit. I know many of my photography friends started discounting their work a few years ago when things started slowing down and that has done nothing but hurt them. I promise you can’t build a solid, high-end portrait studio by discounting! I want my clients to come to me because I provide them superior portraits and products. Images that are going to give them a lifetime of joy and that are priceless. Not because I am cheaper than the other photographers in town.
Plain and simple, discounting just does not work! Your clients will love you far more if you treat them well and always give them your very best. I have worked way too hard over the years building the value of my portraiture to discount it now and shoot myself in the foot. However, I am not against giving my client a gift to show my appreciation. I just make sure that I am giving a gift that has a very high value, something that they were not going to buy and often times something that I normally do not offer as a surprise. That way I am going above and beyond for my clients and staying true to the business I want to have.
© Angela Carson
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rom the onset of our first year in business 25 years ago, I saw the value
in doing seasonal children’s promotions for the masses. My philosophy was to build elaborate sets, usually use props and shoot
16 appointments a day until the promotion was over. There were days that I felt like I had created a monster, that maybe I was guilty of producing “factory style” images, but it worked.
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It’s all good when I have to make frequent trips to the bank. I strategically place pro-motions where I need money. The Easter promotion I run takes place in March after a lean two months, and our Santa promotion is scheduled as early as Oct. 1, before the “rush” of the Christmas season starts.
My first and most popular promotion is “Easter Parade.” The background is always an indoor enchanted-style garden scene. A two-week old baby lamb is the drawing card.
Years ago, I saw a classic black and white movie where a child actress sat holding a baby lamb while singing under the starlit sky. It was just too precious. It took years to refine my promotions to get the same magical look.
Fortune and fame often come with a price. Just for starters, a baby lamb needs to be fed every three hours—around the clock! To make sure this “cash cow” is safe, I keep it in our home, wearing diapers, and babying
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it like it was our first born. During most of the year, I work alone in the camera room. But during this promotion, I have someone behind the camera, someone designated as my “lamb handler” while I do the Dog & Pony Show, capturing the kids’ expressions.
If all this sounds like too much work, just remember there has been years that this promotion produced $85,000. With all the work we do in preparation, I have never discounted my packages for a children’s promotion. I use the same price list we use for families.
Just a note: when I was young and foolish, we would shoot for a full week in the studio, doing 100 appointments; then we would load up props, animals and staff
and hit the road for another week, going to every state bordering Georgia. We called it “The Great Lamb Tour.”
Our second popular children’s promotion is with Santa. It’s become a tradition with within our community. Regardless of how bad the economy is, people are not going without pictures of Santa. After all, that would be “sacrilegious.”
If a family’s oldest child was photographed with Santa, every other child must also be photographed with Santa, or else it would be unfair. It is unthinkable for a parent to jump around from one Santa to another. After all, their 13 year old might find out that Santa is not real. While we are doing all we can do to cash in on the “real” Santa appearing at Pro Studio, we have also certainly taken the experience to the next level by promoting it as a Normal Rockwell-style session. Each child has a 30-minute interactive visit, where they have a chance to map out Santa’s Christmas Eve route on the globe, decorate a ginger bread house, read a Christmas Story, and help Santa decorate the tree.
All the while, candid-style photographs are taken. Most parents can’t live without an album of the experience. With the lights down low and Christmas music playing in the background, the parents sit quietly as the magic unveils, many with a tear in their eye. That’s when you know you have them.
Other attention-getting children promotions include Mermaids, Cowboys and Bathing Beauties. One year I even hired Disney’s
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Cinderella to join our Tea Party promotion. With the Internet, if you can dream it, you can find it.
My average sale is $1,200. However, the highest sale on any session was $11,000. It came from “The First Christmas” – a live nativity scene done with children dressed up as Mary, Joseph, Shepherds and Angels.
In the early days, I decided this backdrop would only be complete with real live animals. So I found a farmer who raised miniature donkeys.
How perfect would that be? When I called, the farmer said that not only did he have a miniature donkey, but also that it was a baby that only came up to his knees.
When I went to pick up the donkey, I never saw the farmer, but I definitely saw the donkey. It was definitely not the miniature I expected. The thing was gigantic!
Nonetheless, we loaded it up in the back of a truck and off we went to figure out how to get this monster up the stairs to our second-story studio. We used ropes, food and brooms to encourage the climb. After 90 minutes, we finally got the donkey in place for our biblical background. My 10-year-old son hid behind a haystack to hold this beast in place. After much encouragement, we coerced our first set of siblings to get on the set. It was absolutely a majestic moment.
The First Christmas could not have been more beautiful. As I got ready to take my
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photo, the donkey let out a noise that echoed throughout our hometown. The 18 month old actually leaped in the air—straight into his mothers arms for safety. Needless to say, we had to schedule another session. This one was with two doves and a stuffed goose. Just to let you know, it was more of an adventure getting the animal home. I volunteered to sit in the back of the truck and hold the rope of the donkey. We got more attention than a parade in Atlanta on the 4th of July. The most embarrassing moment was getting stopped at the traffic light. I was too humiliated to look anywhere but down. That certainly got Pro Studio more attention than we had had in a long time.
For two weeks after the shoot, Pro Studio smelt like a farm. We even had to mop the walls with Lysol. By the way, it was much easier to clean up dove poop.
Seasonal children’s promotions are a lot of work. But they have been the key to our
success. The icing on the cake has been the kids who have grown up and come back to Pro Studio for their senior pictures. Safe to say, all the involved effort has been well worth it.
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hen we photograph children, we tell them they are valued and loved. Thus, the profession of photography
is a sacred task of documenting, illustrating and delighting in our children.
There are snapshots that anyone with a cell phone can capture. There are backyard lineups. There are the candid images for the fun of it that end up on facebook.
But, photographers want to catch something truly special, and do so in a way that looks “easy” but that actually requires masterful use of equipment, light, expression and artful posing. These days people from a variety of different professional backgrounds are flocking to photography, so the challenge to define your style and set yourself apart from the crowd is more difficult than ever. In other words, it’s time to get the creative juices going!
First, when working with children, you must gain their trust. You are taking their image, focusing on them, asking them to pose, so you must earn those rights.
I once heard a photographer describe his technique of working with children whom he had never met: instead of initially talking to the child, he focused on talking to the parents instead. Once the child saw that his parents liked the photographer and felt safe with him, the child was then invited to a common interest. In this case, the photographer had a beautiful aquarium to discuss, however it could be as simple as looking at something in nature, staring at an interesting object together or flashing some lights. Using humor and being silly can also work because children like to see adults acting out of character.
Secondly, photographers need to be on top of their game – the set completed, the props handy, and the lighting preset. A child will not have the patience to wait while a photographer searches for a missing piece of equipment. Children may be small, but they know when someone is confused. Of course, there are sometimes adjustments to the plan – a racing toddler, ultra shy child, sick or unhappy kids, just fill in the blank, but there still needs to be a Plan A.
Thirdly, the set choice is important. It may be indoors in a studio or in the studio section of a home. It can be located in a preschool/daycare center or school building. It can be outdoors, which is challenging but rewarding – catching the right time of day and light, using shadows, flowers, lawns and trees for
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the right effect. Wherever you decide on, the site needs to be transformed to a creative space of posing and light, expression and intuition. Shhhh! Magic is at work!
So, the set is chosen, now how about prop selection? But first, what is a prop? Well, it is a tool that supports and enhances the storyline of the portrait. It can be the difference between an ordinary portrait and an extraordinary one. While the child should always be the main focus of the image, props are what give context to the portrait, providing a child something to lean on, rest on, sit on or stand next to.
Children are concrete thinkers—they can relate to simple commands like “sit on the edge of this seat” or “try to pick this bit of tape from the flower arrangement.” Props can be very practical, like a set of stools to give different heights to the subject(s), or more elaborate like graceful chairs, benches or swings.
Once a child is placed in the set, you can give directions (“put your hand here,” “look this way and tilt your head,” “pretend you see something over my shoulder,” etc.) Props can corral a child with a short attention span so you can get one more image that might “save” the session.
Since most people do not bring their furniture with them to a session, having your own “stable” of good props is part of the magic of photography.
There are also small props which give just a hint of a story—little baskets, boats, flowers,
toys, fancy fabric drapes, wrapped pack-ages, birthday cakes, curtains, special blankets, and the list goes on, of ways to personalize and beautify the image. An older toddler or school-age child has imagination to tap into; they become part of
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the creative process and live into the story you want to tell. If you can build their trust, they will become co-creators with you.
The best props are unique and sturdy, something that clients might want in their homes (if they buy prints, this prop will eventually become part of their home), and have elegance of design that make the photographer’s work look even better.
Pose-based props have the right angle, comfort and design that draw the eye to the child and not to the prop itself. It also makes the viewer aware of the subjects first and foremost and not necessarily of the way the prop “shows off’ the child, all the while maintaining a pleasing look.
Or the prop is versatile, i.e., can be used in a variety of ways (sitting, standing, kneeling, lying); it can be used with interesting combinations of subjects (baby or child alone, baby and toddler, several
children), has more than one “good” side, has parts that detach for a different look (no obstructing parts that get in the way of the camera), or perhaps works well indoors or outdoors (such as garden furniture).
The size of the prop also matters. Many photographers like small furniture for small people. Quality child-sized furniture or accessories that work well in portraiture are not easily found in stores. If the furniture is brightly colored and really interesting, then you run the danger of detracting from the subject. If it is flimsy, it will look cheap and may even break.
Other photographers prefer adult-sized furniture to pose children on; they like the scale of the smallness of the child on a full-sized chair or sofa.
Truly, it is a matter of taste and it’s not a bad idea to try different sizes.
was first introduced to the Cotton Carrier Camera System a year ago when a student at one of my seminars
excitedly approached me to show off her new Camera Vest. She pleaded with me to try it out, bragging how it kept her camera safe and secure while eliminating the stress and strain a traditional strap creates on your neck and shoulders.
I contacted Cotton Carrier, and upon receiving the product, I was immediately impressed with the quality of its build. Having dropped my Canon camera at a Komen Race for the Cure a year prior—completely shattering the lens on my 70 – 200mm f2.8—I was eager to find a better way to carry my camera when working outside the studio.
The Cotton Carrier certainly held up to its reputation. My camera was securely held close to my body with no loose swinging about, and the Camera Tethers (a safety lanyard that secures the camera body to the carrier) gave me the added peace of mind that if I accidentally dropped my camera again, it would not hit the ground. This thing really works!
Now that the people of Cotton Carrier have come out with a belt design system, called the Carry-Lite, I am in even more in love! The Carry-Lite is perfect at securely keeping my camera right at my side and easily accessible at all times. Getting the camera in and out of the holster is so effortless!
Perhaps best of all, the Cotton Carrier allows my hands to be free so that I can direct my subjects and adjust props instead of using
them to hold onto my camera. A product that is this functional, one that allows me to be the best possible photographer I can be, is certainly worth my favor.
The carrier also looks extremely professional, which is essential because most of the time I’m wearing it, I’m out in public. It’s also incredibly lightweight; many times I forget that I’m even wearing it.
Cotton Carrier also has several carrying accessories and lens bag systems that make shooting more comfortable and easier than ever. And if you use a tripod, they make a Universal Tripod Adapter that allows you go to from Cotton Carrier to tripod in an instant. Honestly, it couldn’t get any easier.
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Additionally as someone who is dedicated to fitness, I value any product that helps keep my body healthier and in better shape. By easing the usual neck and back pain, the Cotton Carrier certainly allows my body to shoot better and longer.
Unless you shoot from the comfort of your own studio 100 percent of the time (and I have yet to meet anyone who is as fortunate), this carrier system is certainly a must-have in any photographer’s equipment closet.
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eople often use words like “branding” and “identity” interchangeably. Let’s start by defining some terms. Your
identity consists of your logo and other design elements. Your brand is how people FEEL about you and your company. For consumers to fall in love with you and your brand, they need to be crystal clear about who you are and what you stand for. If you create confusion, it will erode your brand. A conflicted brand often keeps the phone from ringing, tempts you to discount (which attracts price sensitive buyers) and lowers the value of your products and services.
Following are four places I most often see a branding disconnect. If you can make sure that all four of these points are all consistent, you will be on your way to building a strong brand, enabling you to charge more for
your photography and creating unbelievable client loyalty.
Everything in your photography business starts with your style. Before you can begin to create a strong brand, you must figure out who you are. As creative artists, I sometimes think that we are a little schizophrenic because not only do we like many different things, we like to change and evolve. It’s not that you can’t do more than one type of photography, but if you are showing every-thing under the sun to your prospects, they will have no idea who you are and what you are best at. This creates the perception that you are a jack-of-all-trades, not a specialist. We know from looking at doctors that specialists are more valuable.
(c) Sarah Petty of Sarah Petty Photography
I know it is scary to make the commitment to focus your style but maybe this story will help. When I first started photographing professionally, I accepted every job that came in the door. I quickly found that photographing babies and toddlers was my passion and photographing events was dreadful. I found that when my subjects were young, I could elicit emotion and the sessions would provide me with spontaneity and joy. But, if I had to pack up my gear and leave my family for an evening event session, I would spend the evening missing my family. Thus, I focused my entire business on photographing babies and children (during daytime hours as well).
(c) Sarah Petty of Sarah Petty Photography
(c) Sarah Petty of Sarah Petty Photography (c) Sarah Petty of Sarah Petty Photography
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Because of this decision, my business grew quickly and profitably.
Within five years, my studio was named one of the most profitable in the country by Professional Photographers of America. The thing that my clients didn’t know was that I did photograph things other than babies and kids. Because I invested a sig- nificant amount of money in creating beautiful marketing pieces, it taught my market that I was one of the best at photographing kids. So, they assumed I was good at photographing everything. For example, I received a call one day from a man who was gushing about my photography and how talented I was. I assumed he had a child he wanted me to photograph. Then he proceeded to ask me if I could come out to his farm and photograph his horse. Caught off guard, I laughed. I couldn’t imagine how he assumed I would be good at or interested
in photographing his horse when I show mostly studio portraits of babies!
I politely turned down the job but had I chosen to take the job, it would have been welcomed cash flow. I have taken jobs like that over the years, but you won’t see them in any of my marketing and promotional efforts. So if you are having style confusion, stop everything until you figure out who you are. If you can identify what you are most passionate about, start there and you will be going in the right direction.
Your identity includes all of the elements that you use in your marketing and promotional efforts, and these should be consistent with your style. These elements, which include your logo, colors and design elements, are what help people recognize your business.
Your logo is the key element to your identity, and represents the face of your business. Like with your personal identity, your face shouldn’t change. If you keep tampering with your company name and your logo,
(c) Sarah Petty of Sarah Petty Photography
(c) Sarah Petty of Sarah Petty Photography
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people either won’t recognize you or they will have some confusion with regard to who you are. If you don’t have a strong logo, now is the time to work with a professional graphic designer to create one. Sometimes a rebranding strategy can really help make the phone ring by showing consumers that your brand is fresh and current.
If you rebrand by creating a new logo and identity, it is critical to make sure you completely stop using any marketing or promotional materials with the old logo. This means you must rid yourself of old envelopes and business cards, you will also need to invest in new signage and promotional pieces. For this reason, while it can be a catalyst to business growth, a
successful rebranding strategy can be quite a significant investment.
When creating a logo or working with a designer, make sure you communicate your style and what feelings you want your brand to evoke. Also remember that you need to live with this logo for a long time so avoid using trendy fonts and colors.
By promotional pieces, I am referring to the things that you use to promote your business such as all printed information and direct mail
(c) Sarah Petty of Sarah Petty Photography
(c) Sarah Petty of Sarah Petty Photography
(c) Sarah Petty of Sarah Petty Photography
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lead-generators. The photography industry is unparalleled with the amount of infor-mation that is shared within the industry through conventions and online learning. Unfortunately, this often leads to a lot of copying and purchasing of templates. This isn’t always the best solution because while usually professionally designed, they are often not consistent with your style. I can often look at the promotional pieces that a photographer will ask me to critique and I can tell exactly where he or she purchased their promotional templates.
There is no such thing as a “promotional plan in a box.” Photographers are notorious for being annoyed that every person who owns a nice digital camera thinks they are a professional but then has no qualms about taking the fonts on their computer and trying to be a professional graphic designer. I would rather see you take your budget and create one really cool, well-designed promotional piece than to spread your budget so thin that all you can afford to do is self-designed post cards. The good news is that you can be thrifty and trade with graphic designers in your area. No matter what you do, your promotional materials must be consistent with your brand.
If you have a studio (home or retail), the way it looks and feels must be consistent with your style, identity and promotional materials. Many photographers are working without a retail- or a home-based studio and that can be a profitable business model, but if you do have one, it must look like your brand.(c) Sarah Petty of Sarah Petty Photography
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My photography is bright, whimsical and contemporary. What if you walked into my studio and it looked like it hadn’t been updated in years? Or suppose it was dull and boring? Carrying your brand consistently throughout everything you do is a lot like throwing a party where you decide upon a party theme and you carry it through the entire way. For example, if you were throwing a Mexican-themed birthday party, you would use a bright, colorful invitation. When your guests receive this invitation, they are creating certain expectations about the experience they are about to have at your party. They expect that when they show up, there will be colorful flags everywhere, chips and salsa on the tables, a piñata hanging from the tree and the music of a mariachi band playing in the background. This would put you on the path to a successful party because every detail at every step of the way met or exceeded the guests’ expectations.
(c) Sarah Petty of Sarah Petty Photography
(c) Sarah Petty of Sarah Petty Photography
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Now suppose those same guests, who thought they were being invited to a Mexican-themed party, showed up to a romantic candlelit dinner. Suppose everything had neutral colors, the decorations consisted of ivory roses and pasta was the main course. There would be confusion in the minds of the guests. Not that the guests wouldn’t have a good time, but the overall theme would have been broken and expectations missed, causing a disconnect.
Your studio branding strategy is the same thing. Create an expectation through your displays, your promotional pieces, your signage and your studio if you have one. When your clients arrive at your business, their expectations are met and hopefully
exceeded. If you don’t have a studio, make sure the top three items in this list are even more consistent because you don’t have a studio to help create a connection with your clients.
For more free branding help, go to www.thejoyofmarketing.com/brandaid
(c) Sarah Petty of Sarah Petty Photography
(c) Sarah Petty of Sarah Petty Photography
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our web site is one of your best marketing tools, but knowing what to do, how to design and what strategies
work can be confusing. In this article I am de-mystifying it all and revealing what truly works.
Firstly, it’s important to understand that a website is not the core message. It is only the media or the delivery mechanism for your message. Your message needs to be more than just pretty images. Of
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course, as in any business, having a good product is the first step. The better it is, the easier it is to sell. But don’t do what most photographers do, and stop at that. In the old days you could get away with this. Not anymore. Your website needs to deliver a dynamic experience, and grow your photography business. Not impress your peers or satiate your ego.
Let’s dig in, shall we?
10. Create an awesome visitor experience
You do this by solving problems. All businesses are here to help people solve problems. They have a problem, you solve it for them. He or she who does this best wins. And we achieve this by creating an awesome visitor
experience through ease of navigation, load time, impact and communication. Just showing pretty pictures in a gallery is not enough.
9. Create functional design
You do this by not over-designing or under-designing. Too many barriers to entry, or any option to “enter here” can create unwanted steps for no real strategic reason. Likewise, under-designing
will look hollow and unprofessional. An over-designed web site can get in the way of itself. First impressions are critical here.
Your website first page should load fast, and easy, with recent specials and offers, and samples of your most current work
The first page could include, as I did here on the middle portion of my main page, some exciting news items. In this image, I am seen with my fellow prey, with Mantracker and his side kick, while were in Utah, after a ‘chase’. This is a popular reality TV show and it gets me tons of local publicity including radio and newsprint. Notice on the right, special of the month and a subscribe with us box
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8. Hold their attention
This is the lifeblood of your web interaction. You achieve this by attracting the right targeted traffic to your site firstly, and then pulling them deeper and deeper into your web experience. You do that by creating offers, videos, personality, calls to action, offers, subscription pitches, valuable infor- mation, transparency...creating an almost addictive experience.
7. Create community
Are you just another pretty face in the crowd? One of the best ways to stand out is by connecting through community. You do this by creating news, publicity, blogging and social media, affiliations with other vendors and projects in your area, and by maximizing all these efforts and incorporating them into your website.
6. Say it with your blog
Photography studios are perfect for blogging. Our business is cool, let’s face it. And we have interesting experiences to talk about and show off. People are voyeuristic by nature and love peeking into the inner workings of your life to see all of your image-creation experiences. A blog is nothing more than a journal. It’s all about what’s new, what’s happeing, what’s exciting. Your blog helps to create transparency, and transparency is one of the best strategies we can use, especially
as a small business. Larger corporations typically are sterile, big, dumb, and not trusted. They wish they can be transparent, and some are trying. For us, it’s easy as pie!
On our newsletter subcrition page a video of a lady shows up and prompts the viewer to sign up
Using the blog. I post almost daily. Sessions, news, specials, whatever. Every blog post is categorized for easy navigation
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5. Email capture
This is one of the best features your website should have. From here, you build a large database of people who want to hear from you. Call it permission marketing if you like. But, you must stay in constant communication with this list. Send them online newsletters, offers, photo tips, interesting studio news, pitches, specials, and your most-recent promotions. Make your emails sizzle and loaded with personality. Boring is the worst marketing sin ever!
4. Use personality
Poeple buy from poeple they like. We get poeple to like us by revealing and connecting with our personality. It creates fun, endear-ment, trust, credibility and transparency. Poeple buy from poeple, not from logos or corporations.This is very key in our
business since we are touching poeple’s lives and events at such a deep, meaningful level with our portraiture.
3. Videos and slide shows
Your marketing is supposed to create sales, not just entertainment. However, slide shows and videos are powerful media choices that can deliver messages in a more entertaining way. Your website should have both on just about every single page. The more involved clients are through these experiences, the more connected they will feel to you, your message, and your studio. This gives your visitors a chance to meet you in person, so to speak. It engages your clients with the information and offers you put forth. On my site I have several videos of me simply chatting about either the studio or my philosophy on photographing weddings. What a great way for them meet me before they meet me.
Publicity. Here’s a recent post from when I was scuba diving in Belize. I brought along a local newspaper and had a photo taken and eventualy had it printed. Great, and free publicity
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2. Create and present offers
The reason the right target market is coming to you is because, deep down inside, the want to be sold. Selling means you’ve created trust; they want what you have, and you’ve done this by creating offers. Every month, every page on your website should have some offer, some form of call to action.
1. Be influential
Offering the right information and preemptively solving your clients’ potential problems is at the core of being influential. The most valuable asset your business has is the relationship with your client. Though you can’t take that to the bank directly, it is the most valuable asset because it is a relationship built on trust and influence. You can call on your clients to return again and again, and refer more business than any other source available. In fact, I call my client base my family. And we welcome them into the family by offering all the experiences that are collectively created in their minds, hearts and souls—creating a sense of belonging. Sounds corny, but its true. Don’t delude yourself into thinking other- wise. And don’t miss the opportunity to maximize this through your web presence.
Adding videos to your web site creates an incredible experience. Here’s an example from my site of a recent bride bragging about me and what a great experience she had and how much she loved her images
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here is a debate within the pro-fessional photography portrait industry regarding props. Some
feel they are necessary tools while others think that they are added perks. So what
is a prop? By definition, a prop is a thing that serves as a support or stay. So the question is, can a professional portrait photographer do without props? Absolutely! There are many professional
photographers that create beautiful images with just the subject’s smile and expression in an environmental setting or with a simple background. This photographer would argue that no props are needed. Their focus is on the subject. Is this wrong? By most accounts, this is not wrong. A professional has the skill of seeing the light and positioning his or her subject so that a beautiful image can be captured without the need of anything else.
However, the digital era has put a different perspective on props and today’s use of them in the professional portrait field. With the reasonably priced digital cameras and the user-friendly photo enhancing and manipulation software, the average person can get very close to a professional quality image on their own. Therefore, professional photography is not just about the lighting and posing skills anymore; it is about the experience. This is where props can become the support or stay for the industry as the dictionary defines. There are many types of props that a professional can use. A prop tool is a prop that is not noticeable in the portrait, such as posing blocks, pneumatic posing stools, risers and posing steps. Prop tools make it easy to obtain different subject heights both in individual and group portraits and are widely used throughout the professional portrait industry.
Furniture props are unique pieces of furniture that your customer will not find elsewhere. Unlike traditional pieces of home décor, furniture props are usually lightweight so they can be moved around easily and have
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neutral tones to compliment many different clothing styles.
Theme, accent and unique posing props are props that actually become part of the portrait. These are usually the props that professional photographers who claim not to use props will stay away from. Why? Many times it is simply because they are not sure how to use them.
There are many prop companies that make understanding how to use props much easier by offering sets and prop set design instructions. Using theme and accent props is not difficult; it is easily comparable to
decorating your home. These types of props can add that “experience” which is very important in this new digital era. More importantly, theme, accent and unique posing props are not readily available to that consumer with the great digital camera and photo enhancement software. Therefore, in the digital era, when a consumer sees an image that includes a prop, they without a doubt know that it is a professional photographer’s image. When an image does not include a prop, one may question one way or the other. This is something that we all need to consider in this new era of professional portrait photography.
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