never send out unedited images - customers must think you are “perfect” - your work == “beautify photography/great photographer” not great “photoshop”
don’t say “turn left/right” - but always give a point of reference, communicate with visual queues.
don’t turn back on subject, loose connection with them. keep eye contact and that the model is not lost.
weight on back foot, tell them to push hip toward a direction w/o touching.shift weight away from camera to make them look thinner. perspective but also relieve weight from thigh. pelvis forward rocks shoulders back. separate arms from the body for a slimmer body.
natural window light, white cloth diffuser, foam core
reflector 5-in-1 about 60” is good, use edge of reflector for lighting and not the center - not directly to the model and sun.
caucasion/white skin gets dimension from shadows (white reflector)
asian/dark skin get dimension from highlights (silver reflector)
black side of reflector to subtract light for cheek bones/slender face
don’t tell them to “smile”, but give them a REASON for an expression. “darling, I don’t know if I can shoot you today... you’re just butt ugly”
photog needs a good personality to get it out of your models, if you’re as boring as a carpet you’ll get dead pan looks from them!
if you have fun and are animated, they’ll have fun too!!!
“lean forward with your chest” keeps the back straight, roll shoulder forward. just say the words “huh”.
pose on the feet must be correct, don’t show front of hand to model since it is invasive.
photograph from shadow side of the face = short light.
left up this leg (weight goes to back) and set it down on a butterfly but don’t crush it. lean with shoulder and hip this way = shift weight.
women hands: put them in palm of her hand to get fingers to lay nicely, bend wrist up/down/side but no back of hand. side of arm is good too!
catchlight on eye, large=soft and longer edge.
long/skinny/narrow face = photograph on bright side of face to look bigger
look for pure light and no background at all! crop camera/shallow dof
crop for integrity of image, then put in canvas for 8×10 or custom. let the image define how you crop it.
professional image - always put image in frame, art pieces upon receipt (mystique)
need 4×6 big proofs for customer to have emotional attachment to them, screaming beauty! no 1” proof images, people need to be able to SEE the image
wedding: get the retouched high resolution images, well paid to “show up” and not per print. online proofing for them only
portraits, can’t visualize a huge print on their small screen!
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portraits/boudoir: document personal history of family with albums, wall prints, discrete nudes
boudoir: when camera is at your eye: you become invisible, discrete, cover them dignified. you are not in their personal space. speak in dignified/classy ways with good language. use back of hand to gesture.
fashion: into details if handbag matches dress, be conservative. what they wear tells what they want! to be noticed? more conservative? (their visual style dictates the posing/engagement)
people don’t know what they want! they don’t know the style of photography they want either, but only know when we see it.
sit forward on chair to not flatten out thigh, then lift it up over knee.
use negative space - breathing room to travel!
leaning forward with chest, look back and up to open shoulders
time with model before: what do they wear/style. Viewpoint questions: how do you feel about? (not a yes/no answer) learn what to avoid. lean forward and sit lower than them so they feel engaged and powerful. have respect for who the customer is and their style. photography is a profession not a religion and the craft is customer focused (not photographer). photograph in the way the customer wants to look.
girl laying down: legs not on top of each other, arm behind the waist to keep the waist line thin, fingers are very nice and soft for light touch.
focus/exposure: evaluative on the center dot, on the skin is the most important. recompose after halfshutter select focus/exposure. manual metering! +/- for skin tone.
depth of field: you get more dof on a cropped body. 1.8 on 5D is 1.8, on 7D is 2.2?
enhance bust with arm “lift” but crop the arms out to remove “bulk”
overexpose image a touch to blow out skin imperfections
Shoot and burn CD wedding? need to value your work. give images to models but charge for them!
It’s not what you charge, but what you get to keep (profit)! Work $20/hr or earning something?
If you can afford to hire yourself, you are too inexpensive. We pay for what we value!
professional experience is most important, paint a picture to customer of how great it’s going to be. having a feeling of security in the customer is important. spending more money because you feel secure to do so – like a new car! there are “times in our lives” when it’s “appropriate to spend money”. if it is important to you - you spend money on it. value your craft! hold head up high! never let a client dictate a price.
pictures become “treasures” when the people are no longer around! for our children and generations
humility over ability! worked for free for 1 year under apprentice
make yourself valuable.
business/book smart, but also: soft maneuvering/communiate with people, when to back off, put camera down - need real world experience
1) don’t listen to negative people who say you can’t do it
2) push through and do what you need to make things happen, dare
wedding is not logical, is emotional! (price) heart overrides logic.
79 cents images? you can get a blank piece of paper, but not my talent/art for that price.
those with $$ will not hire you if you are too cheap
you can allow anything to be an excuse for failure, or a tool for growth
keep your life simple! do not get in debt! small steps every day for growth. work one concept.
respectfully ask people to work/shoot with them.
work on the techniques that will make you a pro
get liability insurance!!!
beauty is in the eyes of the checkbook holder - dean cullun
learn to delegate as a leader! hire a money person, advertising person, hire/pay others well
images need to scream!!! to the customers. perceived value to the users.
