Jeff Smith's Senior Portrait Photography Handbook: A Guide for Professional Digital Photographers PDF
Preview Jeff Smith's Senior Portrait Photography Handbook: A Guide for Professional Digital Photographers
SENIOR PORTRAIT Jeff Smith’s PHOTOGRAPHY HANDBOOK A Guide for Professional Digital Photographers Amherst Media ® PUBLISHEROFPHOTOGRAPHYBOOKS Viewthecompanionblogtothisbookat: http://seniorportraitphotohandbook-smith.blogspot.com/ CheckoutAmherstMedia’sotherblogsat: http://portrait-photographer.blogspot.com/ http://weddingphotographer-amherstmedia.blogspot.com/ Copyright©2010byJeffSmith. Allrightsreserved. Publishedby: AmherstMedia,Inc. P.O.Box586 Buffalo,N.Y.14226 Fax:716-874-4508 www.AmherstMedia.com Publisher:CraigAlesse SeniorEditor/ProductionManager:MichellePerkins AssistantEditor:BarbaraA.Lynch-Johnt EditorialAssistancefrom:SallyJarzab,JohnS.Loder,CareyAnneMaines ISBN-13:978-1-58428-267-9 LibraryofCongressControlNumber:209903893 PrintedinKorea. 10987654321 Nopartofthispublicationmaybereproduced,stored,ortransmittedinanyformorbyanymeans,electronic,mechanical, photocopied,recordedorotherwise,withoutpriorwrittenconsentfromthepublisher. NoticeofDisclaimer:Theinformationcontainedinthisbookisbasedontheauthor’sexperienceandopinions.Theauthor andpublisherwillnotbeheldliablefortheuseormisuseoftheinformationinthisbook. Table of Contents Introduction ..............................7 StyleStartswithEducation ....................26 It’saBusiness ...............................7 FactorsYouCan’tChange(Much) ..............28 BeingaProfessional ..........................7 YourSubject’sAppearance ..................28 AboutThisBook ............................9 TheClothingTheyBroughttotheSession .....29 TheMakeupTheyNormallyWear ............31 1. The Senior Portrait Market .............10 TeenagersasYourDemographic ................10 FirstandForemost,TeensareKids ..............11 RegionalVariations ..........................13 Contractedvs.Non-Contracted ..............13 LivewiththeReality ......................13 TheNumbers ..............................14 2. Creating the Experience ................15 GreatPortraitsAren’tEnough .................15 BuildtheEmotion,BuildtheInvestment .........17 KeepItMoving ............................18 BreaktheRules ............................19 ViewingtheImages .........................19 TheAdvantagesofSellingImmediately AftertheSession .......................19 TheExcusesYou’llHearforNotDoingIt ......19 SimplifytheProcess .......................21 Don’tOverdoIt ............................22 3. Design and Style .......................24 CreatingLastingAppeal ......................24 Expression ..............................36 FinalThoughts .............................37 4. Lighting ...............................38 It’sNotThatComplicated ....................38 TheBasics ................................38 AuxiliaryLights ..........................40 FillLight ...............................42 MainLight ..............................43 SofteningtheLight .........................45 LightModifiers ..........................45 FeatheringtheLight ......................46 TestingYourLighting ........................46 PreparefortheTest .......................47 TestingtheMainLight ....................47 TestingtheFillSource .....................48 AllowforDifferentSituations ................48 MakePrints .............................48 EvaluatetheResults .......................48 DevelopingYourStyle .......................51 AnAdditionalReflector/Light ...............52 ButterflyLighting ........................52 RingLighting ...........................54 Spotlights ...............................54 DiamondLight ..........................56 Parabolics ...............................57 BackgroundLights ..........................59 FinalThoughts .............................60 5. Posing ................................61 CareEnoughtoDoItRight...................61 SensitivelyIdentifyAnyProblems ...............61 PosingStyles...............................63 TypesofPoses ...........................63 ADirectionfortheSession ..................65 TheStyleBreakdown ......................65 PosingFundamentals ........................65 UsingYourCreativeControls ..................32 TheFace ...............................66 TheStudioBackground ....................33 TheNeck ...............................67 TheOutdoorBackground ..................33 TheShoulders ...........................67 Lighting ................................34 TheArms ...............................68 Posing .................................36 TheHands ..............................68 4SENIORPORTRAITPHOTOGRAPHYHANDBOOK TheWaistline ............................70 OurApproachtoEnhancement ................94 HipsandThighs .........................70 TheSkin ...............................94 TheLegs ...............................71 TheEyes ...............................94 TheFeet ...............................73 Shadowing ..............................94 PoseEveryImageasaFull-LengthPortrait .......74 AndThat’sIt! ...........................94 DemonstratethePose ........................74 WorkwithVariations ........................75 BeTactful .................................77 RefinetheCameraPosition ...................79 FinalThoughts .............................79 6. Outdoor and Location Portraiture .......80 TheRules .................................80 Rule1:Don’tUseOn-CameraFlash ..........80 Rule2:WorkwiththeNaturalLight orOverpowerIt ........................81 Rule3:LearntoWorkin Less-than-IdealLighting .................81 Rule4:BeSmartaboutSchedulingandTravel ...81 Rule5:MaketheMostofyourLocale .........82 LightingControl ...........................82 FindPocketsofShade .....................82 CreatetheMain-LightSource ...............83 BackgroundControl .........................84 FindingtheRightExposureBalance ...........85 CameraHeight ..........................85 LookforEvenLighting ....................85 IndoorLocationSessions .....................86 UsingWindowLight ......................86 ShutterSpeedandISO .....................86 KeepYourFocusontheSubject ..............86 FinalThoughts .............................87 7. Adding Props ..........................88 PersonalizewithProps .......................90 KeeptheFocusonthePerson ..................90 TheSizeoftheProp .........................91 FinalThoughts .............................92 8. Finishing the Portraits ..................93 DelegatePostproduction .....................93 StandardizeYourProcedures ..................93 OurApproachtoCorrection ..................95 ThereAreNoAverageSeniors ................111 LookforSimpleFixes .....................95 BeHonest,Accurate,andConsistent ...........113 ForHeavySubjects .......................95 WatchYourBudget ........................116 Vignetting ..............................95 FinalThoughts ............................116 ClientsPayforOtherCorrections ...............95 10. Being Profitable .....................117 9. Marketing .............................96 PrepaidSessions ...........................117 Contracting ...............................96 InsistaParentAccompaniestheSenior/Teen .....118 WhattoExpect ..........................96 ShootIt,ShowIt,SellIt .....................118 Donations ..............................97 ProtectYourCopyright .....................119 TheValueoftheContract ..................98 AddYourLogo .........................119 KnowWhoYou’reDealingWith .............98 AddTexturetothePrints ..................121 UnderstandtheLegalIssues .................98 StopSellingSinglePrints ..................122 What’sGoodAboutContracts ...............99 UnderstandtheDemographics .................99 In Closing ..............................123 UnderstandtheCompetition .................100 DirectMarketing ..........................100 Index ...................................124 TheTwoRulesofDirectMarketing ..........100 MethodsofPromotingYourStudio ..........100 CreateaTheme .........................109 AskYourClients ........................110 6SENIORPORTRAITPHOTOGRAPHYHANDBOOK Introduction I ’vewrittennearlyadozenbooks,butthisonehasbeen themostchallengingbecausetheseniormarketchanges soquickly.ThewayIphotographseniorsisdifferenttoday thanitwaseventwoyearsago.Therefore,Iwantedtoex- plainnotonlythewayinwhichweworkwithourseniors currently but also how to keep up with a fast-changing marketlikethisone. It’saBusiness If there’s one lesson you take away from this book, it should be that photography is a business—a profession. Therefore, both the creative and the practical decisions youmakemustbedesignedtohelpyougenerateaprofit. I say this up front because, while we will discuss all the thingsthatmakeourheartssingasphotographers(posing, lighting, equipment, etc.), I will also be discussing ideas that may help you become a photographer who actually makesmoneydoingwhatyoulovetodo. BeingaProfessional Every professional photographer can remember the first time a photo turned out exceptionally well and the thoughtenteredtheirmindthattheycouldmakethistheir life’swork.Forme,itwasmyduringmyfreshmanyearin highschool—butwheneverithappenedtoyou,whatever thedetailsbehindthestory,thefeelingsarethesame.The desire to do something that is as cool as photography for INTRODUCTION7 alivingbecomesourpassion.Atthatpoint,allofuswon- withadigitalcamerawhoofferedthemapicturepackage derwhatthenextlogicalstepshouldbe. for $75, then delivered low-quality snapshots the client Fortunately,whileIwasstillstudyingphotography,an couldhavetakenathomewiththeirpoint-and-shootcam- older gentlemen at our local camera store gave me some eras. Clients get very upset about these experiences with invaluable advice. He explained to me that until I had inexperienced photographers who present themselves as the skills to create professional-quality work, I shouldn’t professionals. chargeforwhatIdo.Iwasalittleupsetbythisadvice,but Thisproblemwasre-emphasizedtomewhenIrecently then he added, “You are good, and someday you will be attendedalocallightingseminar.Thespeakerbroughtup oneoftheguyswhohasastudioandhearsallthehorror the issue that many photographers who have come up in storiesaboutyoung,inexperiencedphotographersandthe thelastfewyearshavefocusedmoreonfixingproblemsin disasterstheycreateforthebuyingpublic.” thecomputerthanincorrectlycapturingtheimagesinthe He was right. Today more than ever before, we are first place. As the speaker started demonstrating simple photographing clients who have horror stories about a portraitlightingtechniques,thereweremanyattendeesel- “photographer someone in the family knew”—a person bowingeachotherandcompletelyfascinatedbytheeffects ofsimple,properlightingonthesubject.Thesewerefolks of the week, I take time to practice, to grow, and to take who, moments before, had been discussing past portrait mycraftbeyondwhereitistoday.That’swhatitmeansto clients. beaprofessional. I’mhere totellyouthatthe rules of photography and professionalism haven’t changed with the coming of the AboutThisBook digitalage.Whileyoumaybeabletorescuebadimagesin Thisbookwillgiveyoumanyofthetoolsyouneedtoim- Photoshop for two or three clients a month, there aren’t provethephotographicqualityofyourteenandseniorim- enough hours in the day to Photoshop-away these same ages and the profitability of your studio through better problemswiththevolumeaprofessionalstudiomusthave. marketing and business practices. Along the way, we’ll Ifyouaretakingpeople’smoneyanddon’tknowasmuch coveravarietyofotherissuesthatwillaffectyoursuccess aboutphotographyasthefull-timephotographersdo,you in this field. As with all my books, I have illustrated this arerippingthemoffanddoingyourselfadisservice.There volumewithimagesofmyactualclients,nothand-picked arenoshortcuts;therearenopasses.Youmustlearnfirst, supermodel-types. I don’t think it does you any good to thenhangyourshingle.Payingclientsshouldnotbeyour learntechniquesthatonlyworkonbeautifulpeople,since training ground. Treating them this way is bad for your the vast majority of the clients professional portrait pho- career in the long term and bad for the profession as a tographers must work with everyday are not. Above all, whole. you’llfindthistobeapracticalbook.Thetechniquescov- If you take the time to really master your craft, when eredarebasedonmyactualexperiencesrunningasuccess- you are ready to charge clients for your services, you will ful portrait studio that specializes in teen and senior beabletocreatebeautifulimagesthatclientswillbehappy portraitphotography.Ihopeyouenjoylearning—andthat topurchase.Ihavebeendoingthisforalong,longtime— youputthisknowledgetouseinyourownbusiness. and even though I photograph clients every working day INTRODUCTION9
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