New Website!!

I'm overly excited to tell you about this! New website with updated photos, pricing, client viewing, etc. Check it out and let me know what you think!

http://www.picturememine.com

Cameras & Lenses

Quite frequently I get emails asking what type of camera someone should buy if they're just starting out. I'm more than happy to answer questions, but I thought I'd direct you to a great blog that's dedicated to answering some of these types of questions! The blog is done by Drew B who is a fantastic photographer, but has put together a Mom*tog blog to help all those moms (and dads) out there who just want better pictures of their kiddos. And, let's be honest, who doesn't?

Anyway, she put together two great posts this week, one on camera bodies, and another on lenses. Go check them out!

New lens! 70-200mm f/2.8 IS

Hooray! I finally got it. I've been meaning to buy this baby for at least a year. Finally came up with the funds at the right time. It's mostly for weddings, but after playing around with my kids, I'll probably use it a lot for child sessions as well. It's pretty fun! This was shot wide open. Love that bokeh!

The Cost of Custom Photography

I have had clients ask me why custom photography costs so much more. How can I sell prints that are so "expensive" when they are so cheap to print? I found this article through Matt:

Marianne Drenthe has created a fantastic Consumer Guide for Custom Photography over at www.professionalchildphotographer.com that talks specifically to this subject. She has graciously made this info available for custom photographers to help educate people on both what custom photography is and what it costs. Here is her explanation on the investment involved for both the client and the photographer.

Let me know what you guys think!

"Why Does Custom Photography Cost More?

Digital technology is brilliant. The digital revolution has brought amazing flexibility and amazing amounts of control for the photographer, the hobbyist, the professional, the amateur. With flexibility comes a price though. Camera equipment is still considerably more expensive when you factor in its’ lifespan, the need for additional resources for processing those images, the time it takes to get a usable image and the effort that goes into all of this.

Even though you pay $1.99 for a print at your local drugstore and paying for film is pretty much a thing of the past (although you still pay for memory) you may be wondering why you may pay upwards of $40, 50, 70, 90 for a custom photography print. Some photographers hear this statement every once in awhile:

"How in the world can you charge $60 for an 8×10 if it costs me less than $2 to print at the local drug store?"

The answer is multifaceted and has a lot to do with the time, aforementioned equipment costs, artistic vision and reputation of the photographer, expertise and the usual costs of running a legitimate business.


TIME of the CUSTOM PHOTOGRAPHER:

Approaching it from a time standpoint, for instance let’s imagine if you will that you have hired a photographer who has work that you love and that is travelling an hour to your on location session. TIme break down:

* session prep time (30 mins - 1 hour, includes equipment and back up equipment checks + vehicle checks)
* one hour travel time TO session
* 15-30 minutes prep time at client’s home
* 90 minutes-2 hours with client photographing subject
* one hour travel time FROM session
* 30-45 minutes uploading time from digital cards from camera to computer
* 30-45 minutes time spent backing up the original images
* 2-5 hours editing time to present you with a diverse gallery of edited images
* 1 hour prep time getting ready for ordering
* 2-3 hours time with client for ordering images
* 1 hour sorting through and checking order
* 30 minutes-1 hour prep time for delivery
* 30 minutes-1 hour getting order shipped
* any additional phone time or time needed for add on ordering, shipment issues, quality issues

As you can see, average client time for a session ranges from just under 13 hours to 19 hours dependent on the photographer’s level of service. This is time dedicated only to your session. When the photographer charges $150-$300 for the photo shoot you are not just paying for the two hours of session time, you are paying the photographer for 12-19 hours complete time for your session.


COSTS of the CUSTOM PHOTOGRAPHER:

Regarding equipment costs, a good quality professional camera with a selection of good optical quality lenses and digital storage mediums and computer set up can run from $10,000-$30,000 costs dependent on the photographer. Even though you can purchase a really good quality digital SLR for about $2100 there are still other costs related to photography. A good lens for portrait photography can run up $900 to $2500. A dependable computer system with software loaded for business and creative usage can run $2500 to $8000 dependent on the photographer.

Then come lab costs for specialty products. A good photographer knows the lab is integral to their success. Photography labs dedicated to the professional photographer often cost more and offer a range of products that allows the custom photographer to continually offer new, innovative products for you, the discerning client.

Discussion other costs of running a photography business could take awhile so we’ll skip the intricate details. There is of course much more: including costs of running the business, taxes, studio rental/mortgage if the photographer has ownership of a dedicated studio, vehicular costs, costs of advertising/marketing, costs of sample pieces that the photographer will likely bring to your session, etc.


APPLES to ORANGES:

Often times clients will mention to their photographer that X studio in the mall/department store only charges $25 for an 8×10 or they may mention other things related to discount photography chains. The fact is those discount chains make their money on volume, not on customized 1:1 service. According to several articles at the time, did you know that in February 2007 a rather well known discount department store that started in Arkansas closed down 500 of their portrait studios across the nation? The reason is simple, you cannot make money on 99¢ "professional" prints if you do not sell enough of them. Interestingly enough - those same studios that offer the loss leader packages often charge much much more for their a la carte pricing (as high as $40-50 for an 8×10). The whole reason the big department stores began offering portrait studios in the first place was to get you, the savvy consumer, in through their door so that you could spend more money with them in other departments. Your "PORTRAITS" are considered the true "loss leader".

Going to a chain studio, as a consumer, you don’t have the benefit of 1:1 attention for 2 hours at your home where your child is allowed to explore, play and be comfortable in their home environment, nor do you get the experience that many custom photographers are known for or the lovely captures of natural expressions. You simply get a bare bones, "SAY CHEESE" experience. Keep this in mind when selecting a photographer.


REPUTATION/EXPERTISE of the PHOTOGRAPHER:

Being in demand, being well known for quality work, having a good reputation often costs time on the photographer’s part. Their expertise comes at a cost, their time learning their craft and learning the intricacies of lighting and the commitment put forth on their end to create a persona about their business that oozes professionalism. A great number of photographers go a very long time from the time that they purchase their first good camera to making money at the business of photography. Many photographers, when first starting out, rush in thinking that the business will be easily profitable in no time, how expensive could it be to get a camera and use it to create their dream? They often neglect to factor in the cost of business, the cost of equipment, software, back ups, etc..

Being of sound reputation, a better professional photographer knows that they must always reinvest in their business to create the reputation of being top notch. To create good work good equipment, reliable equipment, back up equipment is a necessity. The photographer who desires to be known as better/best/unparalelled reputation-wise knows that the most important thing they can do for their business is reliability and dependability. This is how reputations get built. Good work often is a wonderful side product of building that good reputation.

I hope this (lengthy) article helps shed some light on WHY a custom photographer is a better choice for your family’s memories. The photographs that are produced as a result of the professionalism and dedication that your photographer has will be cherished for a lifetime (or more) and great thought and consideration should be placed into hiring who is right for your family’s most precious investment."

5D Mark II & Lightroom 2.2

Here are some updates for those that are interested. I had heard rumors that the new RAW format of the 5D Mark II is not compatible with CS3 and that you have to upgrade to CS4 in order to edit pictures. WHAT?! Yeah. Not so happy about that. Turns out that it's true. Camera Raw 5.2 is compatible with the 5D Mark II, but not with CS3. The earlier version of Camera Raw (4.5) that I currently have installed will not open my new RAW files.

The good news: I don't use Camera Raw anymore since I started using Lightroom 2.0. I started using LR because it's so much easier to go through a session, throw out the bad ones, flag the good ones, do basic editing and then export to Photoshop. Seriously saves me so much time. A week and a 1/2 ago when I first starting shooting with my new camera I had to install and use a .dng converter in order for LR to be able to read my image files. LONG process. Definitely not something to add to my workflow long term.

Today, Adobe put out an update (version 2.2) to LR that makes it compatible with the 5D Mark II. Hoooray!! So, now I can download to LR, do all my sorting, RAW editing, export as a .psd to CS3 and I'm good to go. No converting, no upgrading to CS4. Seriously going to save me time & $$$. Always a good thing.

I guess the gist of my post is that if you have a 5D Mark II (or will be getting one in the near future) and don't have the $$ to upgrade your Photoshop software (was going to run me about $600 b/c I had to upgrade the whole suite) consider using Lightroom instead. It's cheaper, and does a fantastic job anyway. Professional version is $300 and we got an educational version through BYU for about $100. (And yes. You can make money using the educational versions. It's all on the up-and-up. I promise. You just have to be a student when you purchase it.)

Christmas came early: Canon 5D Mark II

I don't think I remember being this excited to open a package since I was a kid. I was giddy. Now I just need time to play with it (and read the manual!). I'll update as soon as I've had a chance to seriously play around.