Good morning, and thanks for stopping by.  This post is from another great site I found on the web. Enjoy.

#photographyhobbyist  #photographybestoftheday #photographyforever

 

How To Set Yourself Up For Success In Newborn Photography | An Interview with Jenni Maroney

---

Hey there! It’s Emily  and I am glad you are back for another episode of the Stay Focused Podcast! Today’s episode is pretty exciting one. It’s all about how to set yourself up for success with newborn photography.  I know a lot of you know that I am not a newborn photographer or an expert in newborn photography. So I asked my friend and expert newborn photographer Jenni Maroney on the show today to talk with you about how you can set yourself up for success with newborn photography. Jenni has a pretty amazing story with how she got started in photography and let me just tell you I wish that I would have been her friend when I was seven years old! You’re definitely going to want to stick around and hear her story, but more than that she has got some awesome tips for you if you’re just getting started out with newborn photography or  if you are ready to start a newborn photography business. She lays it all out for you and today’s episode.  I’m so excited to have her on the show today and I don’t want to give away too much yet because you’re going to want to hear directly from Jenni !

Today’s episode is all about How To Set Yourself Up For Success In Newborn Photography 

This episode is is right up your alley if you are thinking that newborn photography is the way you want to go! You can see yourself snuggling up to all those cute, cozy newborns and taking photos that will be cherished by the family forever.
You’re just not sure quite where to start to get your newborn photos looking great and how to set yourself up for newborn business success in the near future.  This episode is EXACTLY what you need to help kick start your newborn photography dreams!

This episode is sponsored by my very own  my very own free 1-hour online workshop Learn Portrait Editing 

Learn Portrait Editing  is totally free & under an hour! You can register at any time right here! 

This workshop was created for you

• if you struggle with the editing piece of your portraits
• if you want to learn how to set yourself up for success from the beginning with your portrait editing
• if you wish you could create beautiful skin tones and glowing skin in ACR, LR or Photoshop

You’re definitely going to want to check out Learn Portrait Editing! You can register for free at any time!

---

Recap: 

This episode features expert newborn photographer and newborn photography educator, Jenni Maroney.
Here she walks you through the steps of what you should be focusing on FIRST as a new newborn photographer and then what you should do to set yourself up to run a successful newborn photography business!
Plus, Jenni offers some excellent free resources to help you with your newborn photography skills!

---

Links mentioned in this episode:

Get Jenni’s FREE Newborn Photography Guide For Beginners
Where to find more from Jenni Maroney (Make sure to check her out and give her lots of love, she’s got some AWESOME resources for you!):

• Website
• Instagram
• Pinterest
• Facebook

What is high key photography, and how to master it

18 Shares

Pin18

Share

Tweet

I mentioned high key photography last week in the tutorial on how to read a histogram, so now feels like a great time to talk about what is high key photography and how to achieve a high key image.

If you didn’t catch the article, read about it here: How to read a histogram and why it’s not perfect

#photographyhobbyist  #photographybestoftheday #photographyforever

What is high key photography?

I’ll start by saying that high key photography is not overexposed everything. Just because a photo is bright to achieve the “light and airy” look, does not mean that it is a high key image. It might just be an overexposed image.
High key photographs have minimal tonal range. They lack deep contrast caused by harsh shadows. You’ll find too that the overall colour palette is light. The object of high key photography is to convey a happy, positive vibe and the lack of contrast lends itself to the upbeat vibe. 
While the colors in a high key image are generally light, they don’t have to be white. The background doesn’t have to be white either. It also doesn’t mean that you can’t have any dark colors in a high key image, only that most of the image will be light colors.
On the other hand, low key images are contrast rich. The deep shadows, stark contrast between light and dark, as well as the dark colors all work to create a moody and dramatic atmosphere.
It’s worth noting that images are not either high key or low key. There is a full range of mid key photography between these two opposites.

Get your lighting clock

Here >>

Enter your email to grab your FREE lighting clock and weekly tips.
(We'll protect your email address like we protect our cameras!)

What subject matter suits high key photography?

If you can think of a happy, vibrant, energetic subject, then it is well suited to high key photography. Some examples are:

• Family photography
• Health and wellness
• Product photography

Of course, there are a lot more examples, but let’s take a closer look at these three.

Family photography

Family photography is the first thing that springs to mind. Happy images of families having fun together in the sunshine, or in a light and bright studio. Sometimes with a completely white background, but not always.

Health and wellness

Anything that promotes health and wellness, because the feeling of lightness immediately lends a sense of wellness to the image. It feels like summer, and summer feels good.

Product photography

Some product photography, but not all. If your product is an upbeat product, such as yoga clothing or children’s toys, then high key is great. If it is moody, dramatic or mellow, like red wine, a low key image would be better suited.

How do you photograph a high key image?

So, earlier when I said that a high key photograph is not overexposed everything, the operative word was everything.
Very often in high key photography we overexpose the background, sometimes even blow it out. The subject, however, should be accurately exposed, even if it is a bit to the right of the histogram. An underexposed person in a high key portrait can look quite unwell.
The trick to a successful high key image is in managing the balance between the light on the background and the light on the subject.

Three scenarios for a high key image

You can create a high key image anywhere that has a big enough light source for your subject. Let’s look at three completely different scenarios:

• Natural light outside
• Natural light inside
• Studio lighting

Natural light outside

If you’re shooting outdoors with natural light only, using a reflector works wonders to bounce some light back into your subject. This is for two reasons – to reduce shadows on your subject and so that you don’t have to completely blow out the background to get your subject bright enough. This is particularly the case if your subject is backlit.

Further reading: How to use a reflector properly and why you really need one

Pay attention to the background and and make sure they’re light in color. To avoid harsh shadows on your subject, shoot in open shade.
Overcast days are perfect for high key photography outdoors!

Natural light indoors

You don’t need to be outside to create a high key image with natural light. Being indoors is ideally suited to it, because your windows make great high key backgrounds!
Set your exposure for your subject and, as the light is coming from behind your subject, the background will automatically be overexposed to the point of being blown out. Using a reflector would again be helpful for bouncing some light back into your subject to create catchlights.
Another tip – avoid windows with direct sunlight pouring in, because the light will be too bright. Any direct light that falls onto your subject will overexpose the edges of the subject.

In the studio

For high key photography in a studio, use a light coloured background and light the background separately from your subject. Set your background light/s 1 to 2 stops brighter than the key light on your subject.
Depending on your light modifier (softbox, beauty dish or umbrella) and how close it is to your subject, or subjects, you may also need a fill light to lighten the shadows and so reduce contrast on your subject. If this is the case, the fill light needs to be a half to 1 stop below your key light. Diffusing the light will make it softer, which ultimately makes the shadows softer.
As an aside… I know some photographers set up their lighting by trial and error – they take test shots and see what it looks like as they build up the lighting set up. This is too vague and fiddly for me, so I’ve always used a light meter for a quick set up that doesn’t require my subject to sit/stand in position and wait for me to be ready. It also ensures an accurate lighting ratio.

Quick technique tip for high key photography

With all that light bouncing around in front of your lens, it is better not to shoot wide open, otherwise your images could become cloudy. I wouldn’t go wider than f4.

Leave a comment

If you have any questions about high key photography, let us know in the comments.
Also, we love good news, so if our high key tips have helped you to understand how to photograph a high key image, share that too.

Courtesy of:  The Lens Lounge

Hey there blog reader! I'm Cinnamon, the blog writer.

Thanks for stopping by the blog! You'll find lots of resources about Squarespace, Lightroom, Blogging and running your own business. Enjoy!

#photographyhobbyist  #photographybestoftheday #photographyforever

When I first started my photography business, I was SO EXCITED to actually start booking clients. BUT because I was so busy learning a ton about my camera, how to shoot to achieve the look I wanted, how light works and how that affects the overall look of my photos...when it actually came time for the sessions themselves...

I would get so nervous that sometimes I felt like I was going to throw up.

Running (or being in charge of and directing) during a family session is probably one of the HARDER things I have done in my time as a photographer. You are likely dealing with:

• Kids of various ages...maybe they just started walking (or RUNNING) and can't sit still for even 1 minute
• Mom's who might be stressed because this whole thing was her idea
• Dad's who are uninterested in this whole process or even slightly mad about being there
• Hunger, tears, dirty shirts and overall overwhelm 

That can be A LOT to deal with all while you are trying to find the best light, backdrop and camera settings.

#mybraincanonlyhandlesomuch

Throughout the years however, I have found that doing a few simple things can really help your sessions to go much more smoothly and will help clients have a great session and want to book you over and over again.

AND THEY WILL RAVE ABOUT YOU to all their friends. And who wouldn't want that? (ummmm...if you are raising your hand right now you need to reread the question) ;-) 

Alrighty so let's get to it already. How in the world do you run such amazing family photo sessions and keep your clients coming back for more???

It all starts before the session

I can't really talk about this enough. Prepping your clients BEFORE the session is absolutely where you start in ensuring your session goes off without a hitch.

• Being super timely with email response and making sure you are professional (but friendly) in your communication as well as being thorough is a must.
• Anticipate questions and answer them before they are asked.
• Have blog posts already written that you can point clients too for more information. 
• If talking on the phone and doing a consultation of sorts is part of your workflow, then absolutely make sure that you are answering their questions during this time in a confident yet friendly way. 
• Education is key. Your clients may not have done this in a LONG time, if ever. They might be feeling a little unsure of the process and/or don't know what to expect. You need to make it all crystal clear for them before they even show up to the park for the session. 

Plan Ahead

Planning ahead comes natural for me as an introvert. We tend to not like brand new situations that we've never encountered before. Novelty is a little unnerving for us. This means that I naturally attempt to make new experiences and situations a little less nerve-wracking by planning ahead.

• Scope out the location you'll be going (if it's somewhere you have never shot before and its feasible for you to do so.) 
• Send detailed questionnaires to your clients so you can get to know them better before you show up at the session. Ask them questions about each of their child so you know a little bit about each one before hand. If little Timmy is feeling shy or uncooperative and then you ask him about his love for trains, you might find he warms up to you a lot sooner! 
• Have a general idea of the shots you want to take during the session and how you might want to execute them. Even though things can go off the rails sometimes (especially with smaller, younger kids) having a plan before hand will help you stay on track and make sure you get all the shots you wanted.  

Be Personable and make them feel comfortable

The session itself is where you can really shine. If you have somewhat of a plan ahead of time you can simply start to execute.
Introduce yourself, make some small talk, acknowledge that having your photo taken is awkward and your goal is to have fun and make this as relaxed and quick as possible.

***PRO TIP: Don't try to make family sessions unnecessarily long. I have never really understood why so many photographers do this. Families (especially with numerous or smaller kids) don't want to spend 2 hours taking photos. It's stressful enough to wrangle your family for a session, prolonging it is not usually fun for them. Be quick and efficient and confident about what you are capturing and I promise you families (especially Dads) will be super impressed and happy! 

Feeling confident about what you are doing makes ALL the difference in the world. I'm not always a huge proponent of "fake it till you make it" but in this instance I would say it applies. Practice, practice, practice so that even if the wind starts to blow, the light shifts or someone breaks down into uncontrollable sobbing (hopefully one of the children, not the adults) you can handle it. 
Your clients are looking for you to take charge and run the session. For a lot of us (me included) who are people pleasers our instinct is to ask questions like "do you want to go here or over there?" or "do you want this pose or that pose".

RESIST THE URGE TO DO THAT! 

They don't know...they have likely never done this before. They are looking for you to be the expert. So be the expert. Even if you feel like you are floundering.

True story: I have cried a few times after sessions are over. Being in charge and dealing with some of the unexpected things that happen during sessions drains me and during a few sessions in particular, I needed the time after to let it all out. My clients never knew how frazzled I was. I ran the session, kept it moving despite the difficulty and waited until it was over to decompress. 

Follow up

Following up is one of my favorite things about businesses that serve their clients well. And its also one of my biggest pet peeves when someone says they should follow up with you and they don't.
After the session, follow up with a brief email letting them know how much fun you had and what to expect next. Even though you might have talked about it at the session, getting that additional confirmation in email of what to expect just adds to the experience and increases confidence and trust that your client has in you.
It doesn't have to be extensive, but even a short email goes a long way.

Service, Service, Service

This last item in a way encompasses all of the items before it. Service is what matters here. Good, thoughtful, friendly service is rare these days. So many people decide to compete on price alone that often times service gets thrown out the window.
Differentiating yourself on service (no matter what price you charge) will never come back to bite you in the you know what. Treating your clients well, anticipating their needs, making them feel cared for and valued all of that goes hand in hand with providing them beautiful images that they will cherish forever.
I can also tell you from personal experience that providing a lackluster service or (GASP) terrible service will ultimately affect how your clients actually view their photos. They could be the best photos in the world, but if the experience of getting them was horrible, they probably won't like them anyway. <-----i around="" but="" get="" hard="" head="" is="" it="" know="" nbsp="" p="" so="" this="" to="" true="" your="">

Want more information about starting a successful photography business? Have you downloaded my 30 steps? 

Start YOUR photography business

Grab the FREE E-Book that includes information on all 30 steps to starting your own photography business. Download and keep track as you go!

Powered by ConvertKit