Photography is a competitive industry in which professional photographers are competing against anyone with an iPhone, which means pretty much everyone. How do you convince a client to pay you for your work when they can get something that’s ‘good enough’ from someone else for free?
Titling a photograph or body of photographic work can be a daunting and often draining task. In many instances, a title will represent the work before someone has even seen the front cover, or leading image of a series, which means a punchy title can make all the difference in catching someone’s attention or losing it. There are many ways you can go about assigning a label to your work that not only identifies it but also can enhance and frame an entire experience for your audience.
You've hired a photographer and they've delivered the photos. Now you come to a question: should you tip the photographer? Not every society has tipping as a common practice, and even in those that do, whether or not photographers should be tipped continues to be a much-debated topic.
One vital data point that you may not have considered when you started off on your photography journey is that success might not come down to how good of a photographer you are. The most successful photographers aren’t always the best photographers and the best photographers don’t necessarily get the work. This begs the question: is it more important to be a good photographer or a businessperson?
We all know how to click the shutter button on our phones and get a basic shot. But how to take it to the next level?
I have been doing photography for a little over six years, and during and before this time I have hired many photographers for marketing, advertising and events. I have done this as a lead editor of a high-gloss fashion, real estate, and product magazine line, as part of marketing teams, and as a freelance writer throughout my career. I thought I would share some tips on what someone like me looks for when hiring photographers.
You’ve been taking your camera everywhere, shooting photos of your experiences, and you love the way photography makes you see the world. Gradually, you’ve started to wonder what it would be like to turn your passion into a career. This guide will walk you through the process of how to become a photographer.
Steam vents, suited businesspeople, the neon glow of the night, umbrellas on windy days, stray glances through bus windows, beachgoers in a boardwalk scene, or silhouetted figures dancing in the sunlight: as photographers, we want to capture things that give life and vivacity to the subjects of the streets. We capture their spirit and do it in a visually interesting way.
My wife and kids have standardized joking about how long it takes dad to get through airport and other security checks when traveling and visiting museums. No, I'm not a supervillain with an evil laugh, I'm just a film photographer!
So you’ve decided you want to learn wedding photography but you want to learn it fast and for free. Luckily there’s no better way to learn than by diving in and making mistakes along the way. Additionally, with countless resources and inspiration sources, you’re bound to find someone to teach and inspire you even if they don’t know they’re doing it.
How much should photographers charge? I feel like that statement is as triggering as my toddler asking me about death or where babies come from. But unlike the age-appropriate answers we give our kids on hard topics, it’s important to do some adulting on the topic of money.
In the process of chasing that magical number one on social media, artists are unfortunately losing the ability to do their craft and no longer focusing on the only thing that will actually shape the next generation of artists.
If you’re reading this article, you might be interested in testing out wedding photography or you might be trying to figure out how to build a sustainable career. When people find out we photograph weddings there are a wide variety of responses but one of them is, “I tried that once and I’ll never do it again.”
Live music photography (also known as concert photography) is one of the most exciting and gratifying genres of photography. Granted, it’s not for everyone and it requires a lot of work in not-so-ideal conditions. However, if you're up for a challenge, you could find it rewarding and capture some rather unique and interesting shots. But behind every shot from the pit, there are some basic standards and sometimes unwritten codes of conduct that every photographer should adhere to.
A photograph can reveal some deep human truths, but even the most intricate images may not divulge in a self-referential way. A deeply intimate scene could have been made from very impersonal practices, and similarly one could use a respectful, peaceful photographic approach to produce something obscene.
We’ve all been there. Walking into a room of complete strangers, business cards at the ready, with a feeling vaguely reminiscent of stepping onto a used car lot. Welcome to the monthly Chamber of Commerce networking luncheon: a hellscape of desperate Realtors, indifferent bank managers, and the guy who just quit his job at the car wash to become a personal trainer.
As far as my group of photographer friends is concerned, I am an oddity. Our studio operates 9-5, Monday through Friday, with no holidays and very little emotion involved. Specializing in headshots and commercial photography has its perks. No babies in buckets, no couches in fields, no wedding weekends.
To be a wedding photographer you need to be able to consistently take good wedding photos. You need to be able to nail everything from the first kiss to the newlywed couple's sendoff in a way that delights your clients.
As a photographer, you know that your job is more than just crafting beautiful images. As with any job, you spend a lot of time on things outside of your main job description. One of the hardest but most important parts of photography is finishing the photos, which means culling and determining which and how many photos to give your clients.
Photographers learn to see light but creatives also find themselves trapped in the darkness of their doubt. If you’re stuck in your fear of starting a business, I’m going to help you break through some myths and mental blocks to remind you that another word for fear is excitement. At the end of the day, would you rather be someone who faced their fears or gave into them?
Shooting dancers can be one of the most daunting photographic subjects but also one of the most rewarding in terms of the final images captured. Dance can be an unforgiving subject, and unless one delves deeper and tries to understand the movement, the choreography, the piece, and how to capture the light hitting the dancers, it will prove tough to achieve award-winning imagery.
Today I’m going to answer the question that’s been burning on your heart. What oh what should I wear when photographing a wedding? It’s a more important question than you might realize but not for the reasons you think.
In my complete guide to wedding photography, I addressed 10 critical moments that a wedding photographer can’t miss. In this guide, I want to dial in and take a closer look at what photos should be taken at a wedding.
At some point in time during your photography career, you will probably decide to start offering limited edition prints of some of your best work. It’s a good idea to sell your prints as editions because it’s the way you can court collectors and galleries to purchase or represent your work.
With at least 32 journalists having been killed in Russia's ongoing war on Ukraine, veteran photojournalist Timothy Fadek is sharing practical advice for other photographers on how to stay safe while covering the conflict.
I'm surprised by the number of people I meet who love to shoot but hate to process. For me, seeing what I captured and what kind of art I can make of the image is half the fun! Printing, of course, is part of that equation.
Adobe has published a detailed advice guide that it says provides filmmakers with step-by-step advice and illustrated examples to best handle the post-production of long-form and episodic content.
My wife and I recently spent some time updating our estate plans, or what will happen to our “stuff” after we die. Since we don’t have children and our other family and friends all know us in different ways and for different reasons, it seemed prudent to go ahead and get a first draft of our obituaries going.
Let's consider a situation. You went out for a photo shoot with your trusty camera or phone. On location, all the photos looked sharp on the small screen and when you returned to base and opened the photos on your computer you found some photos had missed focus. Worse in some photos the entire image seemed shaken and out of focus.
Wedding photos provide memories of your big day for a lifetime, so choosing the right wedding photographer is an important part of wedding planning.
One of the questions I get most often is, how do I price my art photography. In this article, I will share some advice and tips on things you should keep in mind when determining what you will charge for your fine art photography prints.
Working with your spouse in a photography business can have huge advantages as long as you’re ready and able to overcome the challenges. While there are many benefits of self-employment, one of the main drawbacks is that a photographer has to wear many hats. However, if you are part of a team then you can divide those responsibilities between you and your partner.
I think we have all been there. After the culling, editing, and sweating over every detail we post our latest masterpiece only to be greeted by three likes. One is from our mother, the other two from our friends that know nothing about photography. It is demoralizing.
I recently shot a photograph of the Andromeda Galaxy that went viral, appearing everywhere from the front page of Reddit to Newsweek. The photo was taken with a four-inch telescope over the course of multiple nights from my backyard near Charlottesville, Virginia, US.
With the advance in computer technology, you would think editing photos is faster than ever before. It's simply not the case - far from it. Software such as Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic has become far more sophisticated, and with the increasing file sizes improving your workflow speed and productivity becomes a necessity.
Not many other adventure holidays are as alluring as an African safari that comes with the promise of seeing Africa's Big Five animals up close and in the wild. The thrill of coming into contact with wild animals is hard to beat. The following article will provide essential considerations for your next Big Five safari adventure to the African continent.
Portraits of sitting subjects can make up a big portion of a gallery, particularly for those who shoot indoors. To help avoid shooting unflattering poses, photographer and educator Jessica Whitaker has shared her best tips on how to capture seated women looking their best.
Spring is around the corner and the little flowers start to pop up everywhere. This article focuses on how to photograph these little flowers with a macro lens.
Professionally pricing your photography will be the difference between just taking photos on the side to a full-time profitable business. It’s all about attracting the ideal clients, finding balance, strategic wording, and a polished presentation, ideally, using modern tools like Honeybook, Dubsado, or Bloom.
The gentleman that I (and countless others) learned photography from is one O.P. Sharma, an internationally recognized, black-and-white film photographer. He is one of the masters of photography. He founded the India International Photography Council and was the driving force behind establishing 19 August as International Photography Day every year.