by Guest Contributor Anna Gay

If you have even remotely explored the idea of having a photography business, I am sure by now you have realized that as a photographer, you have to wear a lot of different hats. From photographer, to project manager, marketing director, accounting manager and for some clients, personal therapist, you have a lot on your plate! If you do not already have the ‘Photography Blogger” feather in your cap, you may want to explore this exciting and fascinating realm, here’s why:

• Having a blog, even if it is separate from your website, is a great way of showcasing your work, and also reaching a different audience than you would if you had a stand-alone website. People who read blogs have a tendency to comment on blogs, and also Tweet, Share, Re-pin and Stumble, which will eventually drive more traffic to your blog, exposing your work to a new audience of potential clients.
• Photo-blogging gives you the opportunity to share your experiences, and for potential clients to get a feel for how you interact on a personal level. Sure, a photo gallery on your website is great and serves its own unique purpose, but having a space where you can post your best 5-10 photos from a shoot and then explain what you were going for with the shoot, and why it was a great experience, can really make an impression on people because yes, the images do speak for themselves, but a few words on why YOU enjoyed the experience is a perfect way of engaging potential clients.
• It is safe to say that the majority of us are self-taught photographers, which is part of the beauty of photography, and thankfully we have the internet as a tool for learning! Sharing your tips and tricks on your blog is a wonderful way of building a rapport with other photographers, who will, most likely, return the favor by sharing their tips with you. We all have unique experiences and knowledge, so you can share what is important to you – whether it’s editing, gear reviews, vendors that you like, etc.

With the idea of collaboration and sharing in mind, consider guest-blogging for other photography blogs. One of my favorite things to do, and this is something I never considered doing regularly until I tried it, and realized how fun it is: guest-blogging! Through guest-blogging, you will have your work exposed to a whole new audience, and meet others who are in the photography field. In most cases, if there is a blog you enjoy following, you can email them and ask them for an opportunity to write, and most likely, they will take you up on it! When considering a topic to guest-blog about, work with what you know, just like you would on your own blog. Are you a child-photographer extraordinaire? Then look for blogs that cater to family portraiture. Are you a lighting guru? Then explore guest-blogging for sites that are geared towards lighting and the technical aspect of photography. Also, be sure to ask the editors of the blog you are approaching if there is anything in particular they would want their viewers to see, because the editors may have suggestions for you, and writing about something new is always a great way of learning and doing your own research.

As with any worthwhile endeavor, keep in mind that a thriving photography blog, or even a job as a guest-blogger, doesn’t happen overnight. It does take time to build content on your blog, but regular and varied updates will make the process faster and extremely fun.

Anna Gay is a portrait photographer based in Athens, GA and the author of the dPS ebook The Art of Self-Portraiture. She also designs actions and textures for Photoshop. When she is not shooting or writing, she enjoys spending time with her fiancee, and their two cats, Elphie and Fat Cat.

 

by Guest Contributor Shannan Painter

Does anyone like tax season? That may be up for debate. You don’t have to anticipate tax season like you look forward to Christmas, but there are a few ways to make it less dreadful!

Organize your personal paperwork
Start a folder and label it “2011 Taxes”.  Throughout January, you will begin to receive tax-related documents such as W2s from your employer, 1098 mortgage interest statements, 1099 interest & dividends earned, etc. (Envelopes should be marked with “Important: Tax Information Enclosed”. ) Each time you receive a piece of mail, put it in your designated folder. All documents must be mailed by January 31^st, so you should have what you need together by the beginning of February. Your accountant can supply you with a “tax organizer” that contains exhaustive checklists to make sure you have every document you may need.

Organize your business paperwork
Your accountant wants to see year-end totals. If you don’t have this together already, it will cost you a pretty penny to have your accountant add it up for you. In addition to your income and expenses totals, gather together dates large assets were purchased (cameras, lenses, computers and other equipment) mileage logs, home office square footage and any health insurance premiums you paid as a self-employed person.

Schedule an appointment early
Don’t wait until the last minute when your accountant is swamped with returns.  You will receive the best time and attention if you don’t procrastinate.

Respond quickly
If your accountant needs additional information from you, make it a priority to get it to them as fast as possible.

Understand Accountants are human
We can’t read your mind, and as much as we try to remember details about your personal life, it is your job to get information to us. Do a thorough job of filling out your tax organizer so we can maximize your deductions.

Finally, if you find a CPA who is encouraging you to do something dishonest, RUN THE OTHER WAY. Tax fraud is serious business, and is NOT something you want to get tangled up in. A good accountant will find all available deductions and credits, but will never suggest you do something shady.

If you decide to do your taxes on your own, read carefully through each step of the tax preparation program. You may be surprised that it doesn’t cost much more to hire a professional, and it may provide the peace of mind you just might find is worth every penny. Keep your eye out for coupons during January coming from CPAs looking to expand their client base.

Need help organizing your business finances still? Check out our SNAPSHOT spreadsheet.

Just started your business?  Our BUSINESS 101: Setting Up Shop self-study guide will help you walk through all the steps you need to get your business off on the right foot.

Confused about what is or isn’t deductible for your business? Our brand new Deductions Guide will help walk you through the most commonly misunderstand business deductions.

About the Author: I graduated Magna Cum Laude with an Accounting Degree from the University of Montana. Instead of pursuing a career in public accounting and being stuck behind a desk for 70 hours a week, I turned down jobs at big accounting firms to pursue a different love. I chose instead to work from home where I live with my husband, two boys and a puppy named Growler. I live a glamorous, exciting life working from my living room in my pajamas, cleaning crayon off the walls, driving kids to school, playing superheros and taking care of a little dog that likes to refinish furniture with his teeth. I get to work with fun, creative & artistic photographers and help them understand that numbers can be our friends!

Visit Shannan at her website Accounting for Photographers, and on her Facebook Page today!

 

by Guest Contributor Anna Gay

Self-portraiture has been a form of self-expression for thousands of years. All of the great masters of painting and classical art dabbled in self-portraiture not only to express their feelings, but also to practice their craft. With this in mind, let’s think about how we as photographers can use self-portraiture to hone our skills: become more familiar with our camera’s functions and settings, get new ideas for posing, props and locations, experiment with lighting, try new techniques in our post-processing, and the list could go on and on! If you are new to self-portraiture, here are a few tips to help get you started:

1. If you have a camera, or even a camera phone, obviously, you can take a self-portrait! However, there are a few pieces of equipment that will make your life much easier: a tripod, remote, and if you don’t have a remote, a ten second timer. If you have a remote, you will probably have very little trouble focusing your shot. With a ten second timer, the task is a bit more tricky, but still doable! If you are using a wide aperture and want to create a shallow depth of field, have something in the photo where you will be positioned (a chair, a broom, etc) that will give you something to focus on before you press the timer. Otherwise, there is a good chance you will be out of focus once you arrange yourself in the shot.

2. Unless you are a lighting guru, consider keeping your lighting set-up as simple as possible, especially if you are just beginning to explore self-portraiture. I am sure a lot of you out there know your stuff when it comes to off-camera lighting, but if not, then natural lighting is all you’ll need for a self-portrait. A nice window and a small reflector can go a really long way!

3. Find a location where you a comfortable shooting. Part of the beauty of self-portraiture is that it reveals what is unique about you, so being in a location where you are comfortable will help you relax and have fun.

4. With this same idea in mind, utilize props that have meaning to you. Maybe you like to paint – try taking a self-portrait while painting. Or, if you love working on your garden, snap a few self-portraits of yourself outside. If you are new to self-portraiture, keeping your setting simple and personal will make the experience enjoyable and relaxing.

5. Incorporate your family, friends or even your pets! We tend to think of self-portraits as being just us in a shot, but if you took the photo, and you are in it, it is still a self-portrait, regardless of who else is in it. Having your family involved can make self-portraiture a really fun exercise, and the same goes for pets. When I am having a bad day, I know that I can sit in front of my camera with my cats, fire the shutter, and be in an instantly better mood. Just like any form of photography or art, self-portraiture is an expression of self, and we all know that self-expression can lead to a stress-free state of mind.

6. Use this opportunity to play around with new techniques in your post-processing! With self-portraiture, you have the luxury of concentrating on developing your technique and taking risks, so try something you would not normally do if you were editing for a client. Let loose, and have fun!

Anna Gay is a portrait photographer based in Athens, GA and the author of the dPS ebook The Art of Self-Portraiture. She also designs actions and textures for Photoshop. When she is not shooting or writing, she enjoys spending time with her fiancee, and their two cats, Elphie and Fat Cat.

 

by Guest Contributor Rebecca Cooper

Rebecca is a professional photographer, amazing writer and the talented woman who created this fun download for you. Be sure to share this with your friends and print out the checklist for the upcoming Holiday season.  Enjoy and let the fun begin!

When you’re done with this Holiday list be sure to check out her website for more beautiful checklists. Rebecca has more free downloads for Fall, Spring, Summer, Back To School and Everyday Photos. All of these checklists are a great way to grow as a photographer and capture memories you may otherwise forget to document. Click on the “Add To Cart” button below to start your free download!

 

Holiday Photo Checklist – Free Printable Download

Hi! My name is Rebecca Cooper, I’m a 33 year old wife and mother of four ranging in ages from 21 months – 9 years. I like to keep things simple. I like to take pictures. I like to find beauty in the everyday. I write a blog called Simple as That where I enjoy sharing my passion for photography, simple crafting ideas and my thoughts on life and motherhood.  I also host a weekly photo link party called Simple Things Sunday.

 

 

by Guest Contributor Elizabeth Halford

School photography can be a wonderful endeavor for photographers. Once you get your system down, it can be a high income-to-work ratio. Maybe even as financially rewarding as a whole day spent shooting a wedding!  And with a fraction of the work!

Now, I know most of you readers are probably in America. And I know that there are some big boy monopoly school photography companies cramping your style. But I’ve just come out with an eBook telling you all about school photography from my point of view and I even include some really solid ideas for how you can make it happen even in the face of these Everest sized companies.

So definitely check out my eBook. But today, I just want to entertain you with the story about the first school I ever did. Feel free to have a laugh at my expense!

I have the good fortune of having a friend who ran the pre-school my son attended. And this is where it all started. I told her that I was borrowing a friend’s studio photography equipment and would like to come in and take photos of the kids for their parents. Little did I know what a gigantic undertaking this would be but let me tell you…there is absolutely 100% no better education than trying. Even if you fail. Those lessons will be permanently burned into your memory which, in my experience, has made me really solid in my current practices. I know exactly why I do everything I do and I have a negative experience to back up almost every smart business move I now make. And of course, I can sit here and tell you what not to do which will give you a leg up in your business.

I arranged two whole days to come in and photograph the kids. Day 1 was spent with the whole 4-light white seamless studio set up which I borrowed from a friend {yep, the above photo is one of the results}. There was no organization – I took children as they came and showed interest and I did a mini session with each child. Day 2 was spent photographing candid shots of the kids at school while learning and playing. I also did group photos which gave me ulcers. Group photos are not for 3 year olds and photographers with zero experience!

I didn’t yet know about professional printing companies which also means that I didn’t know how to produce school photo packets. The deal I was offering was the disk of images from both days (studio & candid) with a print release for £30 ($50). And you’re going to laugh when you hear what I did next…

I spent over £100 and three solid days…

• Sorting the children into their own folders in my computer

• …and then burning a disk with their images

• …which all had a custom printed disk label and case

• They were slipped into an envelope with a proof sheet of thumbnails printed on 8×10 photographic paper so they could know what was on the disk.

• I then went into my Photobox account and created a separate password protected album

for each child so non-tech-savvy parents could print straight from the provided URL.

• I wrote an individual letter for each parent about the joys of photographing their child

• …and then set all of this up in front of the school to personally sell to the parents on the designated day

I’m laughing out loud as I recount all of the lengths that I went to before even selling one single image. And are you ready to hear what happened next?

I got all dressed up and proudly presented the disks to the parents outside school one morning which were all nicely laid out in alphabetical order.

And then I got reamed up one side and down the other.

One parent literally said that she ‘hated’ the photos because of what her son was wearing {even though there was advanced notice that it was school pictures day}. Another parent said that she had a camera, too, and could take the same pictures. I smiled and nodded,”oh that’s great! You should do that.” She then proceeded to tell me that she was willing to pay £20 for the disk, but not £30. Another mom said, “why would I want a photo of my son sticking out his tongue?” And so much more. I sold two disks, took a gigantic loss, cried and ate my weight in ice cream and learned more than any photography degree could have ever taught me.

Lessons I learned:

• I spent two entire school days chasing kids and convincing them to let me take their

picture. Lesson: work as a team with the teachers to make it an organized event.

• I ended up with about 600 shots to sort and edit. Lesson: it’s not a full photo shoot.

Spend less time on each child.

• I spent way too much time and money producing a product ahead of time. Lesson: I

needed to find a printer who did school packs and not try to re-invent the wheel doing

something trendy.

End result:

• Number of children photographed: 57

• Sales: 2 disks (a 3.5% takeup)

This is just one experience taken out of my 23 page eBook which includes so much more information, not only about how NOT to do it but how, through great trial and error, I figured out how to do it successfully. And now you can, too.

About the Author: Elizabeth Halford is a professional photographer and blogger. She gives real photography advice in real.plain.english. Visit her on Facebook and join a community of photographers just like you!

 

 

by guest contributor Allie Ledger

When you think back to the days when you were little, and what you wore or how your hair was styled that day didn’t matter.  When you weren’t trying to impress anybody, and the last thing you cared about was the left over pizza you had for dinner on your face!

When I started out specializing in children’s photography, I was always learning new tricks and secrets! Every shoot I would take in a little more and observe a little deeper. Let’s face it, all you mama photog’s out there or anyone struggling with capturing children love to bribe the kid’s with candy or rewards! I know cause I am guilty as charged. It’s funny to me when you hear a mom over your shoulder saying just smile and we can get ice cream after pictures.  I’ve learned some tricks for not having to bribe kidsm, and pushing them to “smile just one more time and we’ll be done”.

I think what really draws me to capturing children is their carefree spirits. They don’t care if they look “perfect or skinny” in front of the lens!  They are who they are and it shines through in their pictures!

Here are some secrets and tips I’ve found to help me capture children.  Ways to make it fun and easy, and the results, I think, will show in your final images!

Never force a child to do something they don’t want or are not comfortable with
When you tell a child to sit down over here and they are just not having it, the last thing you want to do is force it.  That’s when the child can get cranky, or frustrated and the parents start yelling at the children to listen.  The only place that will get you is tears, and some pouty faces!

Never say cheese. EVER!
When you tell a child to smile, especially under the age or 5 it’s usually not a pretty face! You can do a couple things to help you out with that. When I capture children I usally love the soft, natural, not smiling pictures the best. The response I get from the parents about those pictures is usually something like this!! ” Wow you actually captured my child how I see their face everyday.”  I usually ask the kid to smile for me first so I can see what I have to work with.  I can then go from there. I usally just get down on their level and talk to them, without my camera in their face.  Slowly from there I keep talking or listening to their stories and start snapping.  I’ll ask them to look this way or that way. This is when they are the most relaxed and I can get that sweet face captured perfectly!  As the kids are talking and I’m snapping away asking them to do things, we’ll keeping the conversation going I will usually try to say something funny! Get them to laugh and then BAM you get a non-forced smile that doesn’t look cheesy! Simple as that.

Keep it interesting
Let’s face it, kids love to be entertained!  Bringing props can be a big help sometimes!  I usually keep them hidden at first!  Once the kid is warmed up in front of the camera I usually will bring them out!  Sometime’s it will keep their excitement, especially if you keep telling them how cool it is! Kids always think something is cool if they hear someone else say how cool it is as well!!! You have to be careful though not to focus too much on the prop! You need to keep your focus on the child and not have a distracting prop!

Take small breaks
Kids can get overworked sometimes and they either get cranky or bored. If you take a couple minutes here and there to let them get their energy back up, you will get better results!  Either time for a quick juice box, or a quick game of tag (if there are other siblings)!!  Letting them still have fun while taking pictures makes them love getting their picture taken even more!

Show them how to pose
Children can get confused easily when you tell them to put their arm on that fence or sit over there. Children are visual and showing them yourself will make it a lot easier for them to understand!

Getting their eyes focused on your lens
I usually use tricks on younger kids such as, do you see the bug inside my camera.  I usually can get their eyes nice and big and locked into the lens for those breathtaking closeups!  You can also try things like the little animals you can put on your lens to keep their focus.  Those are best for younger children!

Be aware of the lighting
I always use natural light when taking pictures! I never use flash, ever!  My personal taste is soft and light! When you add flash especially on a newborn you get harsh lighting. I try to either get by a big window or sliding glass door.  Same with photographing children outdoors!  Be aware of the sun and your surroundings!  I love backlight and try to book the session for about 2-2.5 hours before sunset!  Thats when you get those gorgeous golden hues and lovely lighting!  Also be aware of catchlights!  That will make their eyes extra sparkly and pop them that much more!

Don’t forget about wardobe
A lot of times parents don’t know exactly what will look great photographed. A little time preparing outfits with your clients can make a huge difference in the outcome!  With children, I love to mix and match things you normally wouldn’t think of. Like pairing a cute vintage dress and hat with rubber boots! Layering is also a great thing to do!  Mix and match layered outfits always end up in super cute results!

Final touches in post processing
I use two programs when it comes to post processing. First I load my pictures into Lightroom. I will tweek some things and this is where I soften the skin! After the pictures is prepped I bring it in to Photoshop!  This is where your artistic ability can shine through! I usually sharpen the picture first!  Then I add my actions. I love using Florabella actions!  I usually use the dodge tool on the eyes just a touch to brighten them up!  Also if you captured any catchlights they will pop a bit more by using the dodge tool as well!

Bringing it all together
Hopefully these tips and tricks will help you bring it all together! Children grow up way too fast and capturing the little details will help freeze those moments in time!

About me: My name is Allie Ledger (soon to be Allie Boss).  I’m 21 years old and engaged to the love of my life. I am currently planning my own vintage wedding in a big wooden barn! I love to make crafts and go antique shopping!  I went to school for cosmetology and somehow ended up in the photography field! I am a self taught photographer specializing in children and senior girls in the Grand Rapids, Mi area.  I would love to make it big in this crazy photography world someday, but for now just taking it a picture at a time and enjoying life.

Visit Allie at her WEBSITE | BLOG | FACEBOOK PAGE